This article was originally published by Cassie B. at Natural News.  Venezuela defiantly asserts its sovereign right to maintain alliances with Russia and China. Its ambassador to Moscow declared that no outside power can dictate Venezuela’s international relations. Venezuela also assured China that its critical oil and investment partnerships will continue unchanged. This event marks a drastic U.S. escalation from sanctions to the military capture of a foreign leader. In a bold rebuke to Washington, Venezuela’s government is asserting its sovereign right to maintain critical economic and strategic partnerships with Russia and China following the unprecedented U.S. military capture of its president. The dramatic events of early January, which saw Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro taken to New York to face drug charges, have ignited a fierce diplomatic standoff. Now, Caracas is making it clear that no foreign power will dictate its international relationships. On January 3, U.S. forces launched an operation in Caracas, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They were transported to the United States, where they appeared in a New York federal court on charges of “narco-terrorism.” Both pleaded not guilty. In the wake of the capture, U.S. President Donald Trump stated Washington would “run”…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Domestic partners using chemical and biological toxins to harm or kill victims has increased over the past five years, according to a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intelligence bulletin distributed to law enforcement and public safety partners.The January assessment, prepared by the DHS Intelligence Division within the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, identifies the worrying trend which officials say makes it challenging for detection, investigation and prosecution because symptoms can mimic natural illness.DHS said in the bulletin that it has “moderate confidence” that domestic partners are increasingly using chemical and biological toxins — including cyanide and ricin — to harm or kill spouses or partners, based on reporting over the last five years.The judgment is supported by law enforcement reporting, medical facility data and documented cases spanning multiple states and years.WIFE CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER AFTER ALLEGEDLY LACING HUSBAND’S DRINK WITH POISON: POLICE “These cases often initially present as natural illness,” the report states, noting that many toxins cause delayed or nonspecific symptoms that complicate medical diagnosis and can obscure criminal intent, delaying intervention and increasing the risk of serious harm or death.The intelligence bulletin also highlights recent incidents showing…

The U.S. Navy’s second nuclear-powered Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier completed testing Wednesday, roughly a week after it powered out to sea.The USS John F. Kennedy, which is set to join the fleet in 2027, returned to Newport News Shipbuilding, Virginia, after leaving on Jan. 28 to evaluate at-sea systems and equipment, a Navy release said.“John F. Kennedy going to sea for the first time is truly momentous,” said Capt. Doug Langenberg, John F. Kennedy’s commanding officer. “This event is a result of years of hard work and an incredible shared effort between our shipbuilding partners and this crew who have worked side-by-side to get to this day.”Now that the Kennedy is docked, it will continue to finish construction and testing before finally embarking on acceptance trials, which are conducted by the U.S. Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey and mark one of the last installments in a vessel’s journey before officially being delivered to the U.S. Navy.RELATEDThe ship was launched on Oct. 29, 2019, christened on Dec. 7, 2019 and is the second vessel named after President John F. Kennedy.The first, USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), was decommissioned in 2007 after nearly 40 years of service.The ship was initially…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! As the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie lingers on, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in a Thursday afternoon press conference that there are no suspects or persons of interest in the case.In response to a question about online rumors that a Guthrie family member was a suspect, Nanos replied that authorities are looking into anyone and everyone who could have had contact with the missing woman, who disappeared early Sunday morning from her Tucson, Arizona, home.”We’re actively looking at everybody we come across in this case, everybody. We would be irresponsible if we didn’t talk to everybody — the Uber driver, the gardener, the pool person, whoever. Everybody — it’s so cliché — but everybody’s still a suspect in our eyes. That’s just how we look at things and think as cops,” said Nanos.”And the family’s been very cooperative. They’ve done everything we’ve asked of them. And we want that relationship to continue,” Nanos added. Here is a look at Nancy Guthrie’s family:Annie GuthrieNancy’s eldest daughter is Annie Guthrie, a poet and jeweler who was once the marketing director at the University of Arizona Poetry Center, according to a 2013 profile…

MOSCOW — The Kremlin said Thursday it regretted the expiration of the last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States, while U.S. President Donald Trump declared he was against keeping its limits and wants a better deal.The pact’s termination left no caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century, fueling fears of an unconstrained nuclear arms race.Russian President Vladimir Putin last year declared his readiness to stick to the treaty’s limits for another year if Washington followed suit, but Trump has ignored the offer and argued that he wants China to be a part of a new pact — something Beijing has rebuffed.“Rather than extend ‘NEW START’ (A badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated), we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future,” Trump posted on his Truth Social network.Putin discussed the pact’s expiration with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday, noting the U.S. failure to respond to his proposal to extend its limits and saying that Russia “will act in a balanced and responsible manner based…

United States President Donald Trump has called for a cap on credit card interest rates, which he believes will help Americans save for a home. Trump says that the maximum interest rate credit cards should charge is 10%, and proposed that this go on for a full year. The average credit card rate was 19.62% as of January 21st, according to Bankrate. “I’m asking Congress to cap credit card interest rates at 10% for one year, and this will help millions of Americans save for a home,” Trump said Wednesday during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, according to a report by CNBC. After Trump first called for a rate cap earlier this month, analysts at policy research and political forecasting firm Capital Alpha Partners put the odds of a 10% cap becoming law at 10% to 15%. “We haven’t seen anything since then that would prompt us to increase those odds,” Ian Katz, a managing director at Capital Alpha Partners, wrote in a research note Wednesday. – CNBC This is a much better idea than Trump’s proposal to start issuing 50-year mortgages, or a debt for life scenario for most people. 50-Year Mortgages Won’t Make Housing…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Irondale Mayor James Stewart, Jr. cited Martin Luther King Jr. as justification for protecting illegal immigrants and pledged funds to train activists to track ICE agents. However, his actions may prompt federal blowback, as Alabama’s senior senator warned the mayor he “won’t like me very much” if he follows through.Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. — who is also running to succeed term-limited Gov. Kay Ivey this year — warned Stewart that the Democrat will have no such luck circumventing the feds.”When I’m governor, Alabama will have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to rogue mayors trying to go around federal law,” Tuberville, the ex-Auburn football coach, told Fox News Digital.”Like it or not, federal law says that illegal immigrants must be deported. If mayors don’t like that, they should run for Congress.”ANTI-ICE LEGISLATION HEADS TO DESK OF RISING STAR DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR, TESTING HIS PRESIDENTIAL AMBITIONS Fox News Digital reached out to Stewart’s office after he said in his February mayoral newsletter that “watching ICE operations tear families apart in Irondale highlights the urgent need to address immigration policies affecting our community, which brings me back to King’s final speech, the one where he…

Three U.S. Air National Guard pilots received the military’s highest flying honor this week for their role in an aerial defense against Iranian drones and missiles heading for Israel in April 2024.Maj. Benjamin “Boom” Saunders, Maj. Eric “Fume” Anderson and Capt. Ryan “Hammer” Boodee were awarded the prestigious Distinguished Flying Cross with “C” device for combat, according to a Monday release.In a Feb. 1 ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, USAF Gen. Steven Nordhaus, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, awarded the three pilots the honor for their actions on April 13, 2024, while deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, per the statement.“When I read about the accomplishments of Viper 5-1 and 6-1, ‘air superiority’ comes to mind,” Nordhaus said in his remarks at the ceremony. “Elite and lethal.”The three pilots were deployed among 12 F-16s in early 2024 as part of the 121st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, U.S. Central Command’s 357th Air Expeditionary Wing, in support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Prosperity Guardian, according to the release.During that time, Israel said that Iran and its proxy forces had fired over 300 ballistic missiles, drones and cruise missiles against Israel, but 99% percent of them were intercepted. That success…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Washington Post executive editor Matt Murray admitted he has work to do in order to boost morale at the “Democracy Dies in Darkness” paper after the company laid off hundreds of staffers on Wednesday. The Post announced during a somber Zoom webinar it is shuttering the sports desk in its current form, dialing back its international coverage, shrinking its Metro staff and eliminating its books section in a layoff round that impacted one-third of the company. Staffers are stunned and upset, but Murray doesn’t believe those feelings are anything new. “I think morale has been a challenge at the Post for a while. It was a problem when I showed up, and it remains one in some ways now,” Murray told Fox News Digital.WASHINGTON POST CLOSES SPORTS DEPARTMENT, CUTS OTHER SECTIONS AS PART OF SWEEPING LAYOFFS Murray, who was tasked with delivering the news to Post staffers, said much of the journalism industry is grappling with morale issues because of “cost pressures” and the constant changes to the way people consume media. Murray said Post leaders have tried to be forthright about the challenges that resulted in layoffs, and he’s hoping to “turn the page.””That’s…

A grey placeholder marked “vacant” has replaced the Fort Sill garrison commander’s name and photo online, following the Army’s decision to relieve the installation head of command last week and place the Oklahoma base under interim leadership.“We can confirm that Col. Derek Baird, the Fort Sill garrison commander, was relieved of his command on Jan. 28, 2026, due to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command,” Nicole M. Wieman, a spokesperson for U.S. Army Installation Management Command, said in a statement on Thursday. Wieman added that Julia Sibilla, the deputy garrison commander, “will continue to lead the organization until a new commander assumes the position.”Garrison commanders oversee installation operations, including base services and infrastructure support. Baird assumed command of the garrison in June 2024. Wieman confirmed that he remains on active duty.The statement did not include details about the circumstances surrounding Col. Baird’s removal or the timeline for a new commander. This is not the first time the Oklahoma base, home to courses for artillery and air defense, has seen major leadership changes. The Army relieved the commanding general of the service’s fires school in 2023. About Eve SampsonEve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer.…