#Cuba #Venezuela
"Cuba defiant after Trump says island to receive no more Venezuelan oil or money
HAVANA/HOUSTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said no more Venezuelan oil or money will go to Cuba and suggested the Communist-run island should strike a deal with Washington, ramping up pressure on the long-time U.S. nemesis and provoking defiant words from the island's leadership.
Venezuela is Cuba's biggest oil supplier, but no cargoes have departed from Venezuelan ports to the Caribbean country since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces in early January amid a strict U.S. oil blockade on the OPEC country, shipping data shows."
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-suggests-cuba-should-strike-deal-with-us-2026-01-11/
#Thiel #oligarchs
"Thiel Gives $3 Million to Group Seeking to Block California Wealth Tax
More large donations from wealthy Silicon Valley figures are expected as they try to marshal opposition to a proposed ballot measure that would impose a new tax on billionaires.
Some of Silicon Valley’s ultrawealthy have been in a financial frenzy in recent weeks over how to protect their assets from a proposed California ballot measure that would tax their billions.
Now comes the next, more muscular phase: trying to beat the proposal, which supporters are trying to place on the ballot in November.
The first seven-figure political donation that can be used to defeat the so-called billionaires tax became public on Friday: Peter Thiel, the venture capitalist and chairman of Palantir, donated $3 million to a committee opposing the proposed initiative, according to a new disclosure.
The contribution, made on Dec. 29, went to Californians Against Higher Taxes, a committee run by a state business lobby, the California Business Roundtable. It is expected to be the first of several major contributions in 2026 from Silicon Valley leaders who hope to defeat the proposed wealth tax and other tax proposals, according to people involved in the conversations."
https://archive.ph/q2h20#selection-505.0-509.177
