Maduro slams the US over seizing a Venezuelan oil tanker, calling drug claims a pretext for theft.

Adding:

The U.S. is now quietly positioning itself for possible strikes on Venezuela.

New reporting shows Trump has moved a wave of combat power into the Caribbean: F-35 stealth jets, EA-18G Growlers for electronic warfare, HH-60W and HC-130J rescue aircraft, refueling tankers, and the USS Gerald R. Ford with dozens of fighters already offshore. 

These deployments give Trump the ability to disable Venezuela’s Russian-made air defenses, hit command centers and energy infrastructure, jam satellites, and potentially enforce a de facto oil embargo. 

“The forces now positioned in the Caribbean are optimized for precision, stealthy strikes on land.”

Analysts say the posture is designed for precision land strikes, not invasion, the kind of “limited war” that can spiral into something far bigger.

Adding:

Trump has pro-refugee Jewish architect to design his new White House ballroom

President Trump has selected Shalom Baranes, a prominent Washington architect and former public critic of Trump’s refugee policies, to take over reconstruction of the White House East Wing and design the new presidential ballroom.

Baranes’ background:

• He was born after his family fled antisemitic violence in Libya and reached the U.S. with the help of HIAS, the Jewish refugee aid organization Trump has repeatedly clashed with.

• He has donated to Democratic candidates and wrote a 2017 Washington Post op-ed urging Trump to keep the U.S. open to refugees.

• His architectural style leans modern, a sharp contrast to Trump’s ornate, gilded aesthetic.

Baranes replaces the previous architect after Trump reportedly rejected the ballroom plans over its size. The project is already under construction, raising questions about whether Baranes can satisfy Trump’s demands without jeopardizing his professional reputation.