Tag Archives: Big Government

Jan 10 2026

Secretary Rubio Outlines the Three Phases of Stabilization in Venezuela


Posted originally on CTH on January 10, 2026 | Sundance

During the energy roundtable, Secretary Rubio made remarks outlining the three phases within the U.S. policy toward Venezuela.  Essentially the core of the policy is: (1) Stabilization; (2) Transition, and (3) a Return to sovereign representative democracy.

The initial phase is ‘stabilization,’ where the U.S. government is working with existing leadership in Venezuela under tight controls and clear expectations.  Reconciliation of political factions is supported. The U.S. leverage is maintained by financial and economic control, provided by the threat of U.S. military.  Venezuela’s oil production pays for U.S. oversight.

The second phase involves ‘transition’, where the civic and governing responsibilities are shared between the existing Venezuelan leadership and aligned policy of the U.S. government.  In the transitional phase the economic wealth is apportioned to the people of Venezuela with oversight by the U.S. government.

The third phase ‘sovereign representative democracy’ happens when the reformed government holds legitimate elections to decide the representative form of government, the voice of the people, within Venezuela.  The U.S. influence then begins to withdraw, and new sovereign political leadership takes control.

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Jan 10 2026

Topic, Venezuela – President Trump Participates in a Meeting with Oil and Gas Executives


Posted originally on CTH on January 10, 2026 | Sundance

President Trump, Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio participate in a roundtable discussion with major oil and gas executives on the issue of energy investment in Venezuela.

The primary concern for oil executives is stability within Venezuela.  The Maduro government previously seized the assets of U.S. oil companies, and the investment required to restart the industry at scale are significant.

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Jan 10 2026

ICE Officer Cell Phone Video of Minneapolis Shooting Shows Renee Good and Her Wife Immediately Before Shots Fired


Posted originally on CTH on January 9, 2026 | Sundance

On Wednesday, a confrontation between ICE agents and an aggressive anti-ICE protester in Minneapolis resulted in the ICE officer defending himself while a vehicle was weaponized against him.  The female driver named Renee Nicole Macklin Good (37) was shot and killed.

Antifa aligned activists had been chasing and using their vehicles to block ICE officials, while trying to disrupt immigration enforcement operations throughout the Minneapolis area.  In newly obtained video (w/audio) from the event, Renee Good and her wife are shown in the moments of the encounter.  The video is from Alpha News:

I suggest turning the audio on to understand the nature of the hostility being faced by the ICE officers.

Jan 10 2026

Secretary Bessent Announces Regional Action to Block Remittances From any Entity Receiving Public Assistance


Posted originally on CTH on January 9, 2026 | Sundance 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is leading the charge to focus on Minneapolis, Minnesota Somali fraud rings for targeted regional actions.  The IRS Criminal Investigations division has been dispatched to focus on the Minneapolis region to identify fraudulent use of public assistance services, combined with the abuse of federal taxpayer funds.

These fraud cases, ongoing since the early 2020s and intensifying in 2024–2026, involve allegations of misappropriating hundreds of millions (potentially up to several billions) in taxpayer funds intended for child nutrition, autism therapy, housing stabilization, personal care assistance, and other Medicaid programs.

In a remarkable approach, Secretary Bessent announced during a Fox News interview that a regional targeting effort is now underway that will block anyone who receives public assistance from sending money overseas (remittances to foreign countries).  This is not a fee or tax on the remittance, or financial transaction; this is a complete block of their ability to send money overseas.  Anyone receiving public assistance will not be able to send money to foreign lands.

Yes, it seems like this is initially going to be subject to the honest admission of the money sender. However, with the IRS reviewing each transfer and cross referencing to public assistance records anyone who attempts to work around this regulation will be subject to federal laws on financial fraud, wire service fraud and potentially money laundering.  WATCH:

The interagency focus will eventually go nationwide, as with the new USAO position that focuses on public assistance fraud; but for now, that focused effort will target Minnesota.   Minneapolis will be the beta test for a national rollout.

All of the money service businesses in the region will now be reviewed and all financial transactions of $3,000 will be required to have an accompanying Suspicious Activity Report (SAR).  With DHS, FBI and now IRS investigators focused exclusively on the two counties involved in the Somali fraud rings, the fraudsters will be identified and prosecuted.

Jan 9 2026

U.S. Trade Deficit Drops 40% in Latest Commerce Dept Report


Posted originally on CTH on January 8, 2026 | Sundance 

As you review this latest data on trade, remember any drop in trade deficits has two big picture functions:

First, lower trade deficits generally mean the accompanying GDP release will be stronger than anticipated because imported products are a deduction from the valuation of all goods and services created in the U.S. economy.  Lower imports mean less is deducted.

Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, a drop in the trade deficit created by diminished imports means more wealth remains inside the USA.

We are not spending, sending money overseas, to import foreign goods at the same rate, and that money stays inside the U.S. economy. More wealth inside the U.S. provides the fuel for expanded domestic growth, more investment gains in USA manufacturing and USA industry and the ability to pay higher USA wages.

The Commerce Department is reporting today that the U.S. trade deficit for October 2025 dropped to the smallest amount in 16-years.  A significant amount of the deficit drop was because a high value of physical precious metals (gold/silver) was exported, simultaneous with big offshore pharmaceutical companies dropping the prices of imported products (policy and tariff pressure).

WSJ – The U.S. trade deficit shrank dramatically in October to its lowest level since 2009, the Commerce Department said Thursday, an unexpected twist in a year of volatile trade flows that have been buffeted by the Trump administration’s steep tariffs.

American imports fell to $331.4 billion in October, while exports increased to $302 billion. That yielded an October deficit of $29.4 billion, an imbalance nearly 40% smaller than September’s. (more)

Some may question whether internal consumer demand has declined, causing the significant drop in imports.  However, the U.S productivity rate is still very high – which generally means domestic consumer demand is still high and all units produced have a lower overall cost per unit.

Economic analysis can get weedy…. so, a simple way to look at productivity is to think about baking bread in your kitchen.

If you were going to bake 4 loaves of bread it might take you 2 hrs. start to finish. However, if you were going to bake 8 loaves of bread it would not take you twice as long because most of the tasks can be accomplished with simple increases in batch size, and only minor increases in labor time. Your productivity measured in the last four loaves is higher.

Economic Productivity is measured much the same way, within what’s called a production probability equation.

Additionally, if two hours of your time are worth $40, each of four loaves of bread costs $10 in labor; but if you make 8 loaves in the same amount of time the labor cost is only $5/per loaf.

Improved gains in efficiency/productivity (more bread needed) supports faster economic growth without generating higher inflation; no need to raise prices because your cost to make each loaf of bread decreases the more you make.

Higher sales and lower per unit cost means more profit for the bread-maker. No need to raise prices, and without inflation, there’s no motive for the Fed to raise or maintain high interest-rates.

Increases in productivity generally means the economy is generating more stuff. The more stuff generated the higher the value of all economic activity; this increases GDP growth.

When we see higher productivity in direct alignment with GDP increases, the increased production indicates sustainable GDP growth.

Additionally, we can look at the internal dynamics to see big happenings inside the domestic economy.

The data was delayed by the government shutdown, but in December the Bureau of Economic Analysis released the third quarter 2025 GDP {DATA HERE} showing a very strong 4.3% growth.  The second quarter was also revised up to 3.8%.

Real GDP increased at an annual rate of 4.3 percent in the third quarter of 2025, showing increases in consumer spending, increases in exports.  Third quarter imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, decreased boosting the overall GDP number.  This strong GDP result corresponds to today’s report showing a shrinking trade deficit.

Jan 9 2026

Vice President JD Vance and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Hold a Press Conference – 1:00pm ET Livestream


Posted originally on CTH on January 8, 2026 | Sundance 

This is a good move.  Given that Democrats and professional leftists are trying to create a national anti-Trump narrative based on the Minneapolis, Minnesota, ICE shooting incident, Vice-President JD Vance will be supporting White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt at the podium today.  The anticipated press briefing is at 1:00pm ET.

Minnesota officials and activists are changing the headline topic from rampant fraud and criminal theft centered in the ethnic Somalia enclaves of the Minneapolis community, to the issue of federal law enforcement shooting an anti-ICE activist.  The scale of the Democrat reaction is in direct proportion to the scale of the Democrat fraud they are distracting from.

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Jan 9 2026

Vice President JD Vance and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Hold a Press Conference – 1:00pm ET Livestream


Posted originally on CTH on January 8, 2026 | Sundance

This is a good move.  Given that Democrats and professional leftists are trying to create a national anti-Trump narrative based on the Minneapolis, Minnesota, ICE shooting incident, Vice-President JD Vance will be supporting White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt at the podium today.  The anticipated press briefing is at 1:00pm ET.

Minnesota officials and activists are changing the headline topic from rampant fraud and criminal theft centered in the ethnic Somalia enclaves of the Minneapolis community, to the issue of federal law enforcement shooting an anti-ICE activist.  The scale of the Democrat reaction is in direct proportion to the scale of the Democrat fraud they are distracting from.

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Jan 9 2026

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Press Conference – 11:00am ET Livestream


Posted originally on CTH on January 8, 2026 | Sundance 

As the Democrat political apparatus, leftist agitators and all foot soldiers have been activated to trigger national protests, outrage and George Floyd type violence in response to the ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Macklin Good (37), DHS Secretary Kristi Noem will hold a press conference.

Minnesota officials and activists are using the shooting to change the topic from rampant fraud and criminal theft centered in the ethnic Somalia enclaves of the Minneapolis community, to the issue of federal law enforcement shooting an anti-ICE activist.  The scale of the Democrat reaction is in direct proportion to the scale of the Democrat fraud they are distracting from.

Livestream Links Below. WATCH:

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Jan 9 2026

President Trump Withdraws the U.S. From the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and 65 Other Globalist Institutions/Mechanisms


Posted originally on CTH on January 8, 2026 | Sundance 

This is factually a much bigger deal, a bigger win, than most will initially appreciate.

As many deep political followers well understand, the 66 organizations that President Trump has just withdrawn from represent a large network of sanctioned government organizations that structurally support the globalist agenda.

President Trump has issued an executive order [SEE HERE] “Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States.” These institutions, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, are mechanisms that exist to underpin globalist objectives.

Each of the institutions carry “membership fees” or financial obligations each participating government pays into. Each organization consists of board members, stakeholders and other administrative offices which employ the friends and families of current and former politicians, world “leaders” and essentially well-connected and disconnected elites who run the agencies. It’s like a massive network of NGOs, except the entities exist exclusively with government funding.

Just like the United Nations itself, the USA always pays the dues, fees and largest portion of the operating expenses, which includes payrolls and travel benefits. Other countries participate, but it is the USA who picks up the largest portion of the financial obligations for the organization itself to exist.

Like USAID, the designated “global” organizations (conventions, treaties, etc) operate as massive bureaucratic rule makers for global standards and practices. The organizations themselves employ a network of downstream entities, agencies, contractors, think-tanks, academic liaisons and internal government offices who collaborate with the goals and objectives of the parent organization.

Inside each of these agencies and institutions you find the friends and families of the power brokers who run global -mainly western- systems of government. Withdrawing the support of the U.S. means cutting that entire apparatus off from receiving funding from the USA. Europe and the USA are the largest funders of each of these World Economic Forum aligned agencies.

It is not coincidental that President Trump and Secretary Rubio are making this move in advance of President Trump traveling to Davos, where the network associations congregate. President Trump is expected to deliver a bucket of ice water upon the heads of those who attend Davos annually.

The GREAT RESET crew, who design the global government customs and norms, is being reset.

This move is massive in relation to their financial dependency on the United States participating in the various schemes.

This is a big deal, and President Trump has put Secretary of State Marco Rubio in charge of dismantling it.

[President Donald J Trump] – By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct:

Section 1. Purpose. (a) On February 4, 2025, I issued Executive Order 14199 (Withdrawing the United States from and Ending Funding to Certain United Nations Organizations and Reviewing United States Support to All International Organizations). That Executive Order directed the Secretary of State, in consultation with the United States Representative to the United Nations, to conduct a review of all international intergovernmental organizations of which the United States is a member and provides any type of funding or other support, and all conventions and treaties to which the United States is a party, to determine which organizations, conventions, and treaties are contrary to the interests of the United States. The Secretary of State has reported his findings as required by Executive Order 14199.

(b) I have considered the Secretary of State’s report and, after deliberating with my Cabinet, have determined that it is contrary to the interests of the United States to remain a member of, participate in, or otherwise provide support to the organizations listed in section 2 of this memorandum.

(c) Consistent with Executive Order 14199 and pursuant to the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct all executive departments and agencies (agencies) to take immediate steps to effectuate the withdrawal of the United States from the organizations listed in section 2 of this memorandum as soon as possible. For United Nations entities, withdrawal means ceasing participation in or funding to those entities to the extent permitted by law.

(d) My review of further findings of the Secretary of State remains ongoing.

Sec. 2. Organizations from Which the United States Shall Withdraw. (a) Non-United Nations Organizations:

(i) 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact;

(ii) Colombo Plan Council;

(iii) Commission for Environmental Cooperation;

(iv) Education Cannot Wait;

(v) European Centre of Excellence for Countering

Hybrid Threats;

(vi) Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories;

(vii) Freedom Online Coalition;

(viii) Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund;

(ix) Global Counterterrorism Forum;

(x) Global Forum on Cyber Expertise;

(xi) Global Forum on Migration and Development;

(xii) Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research;

(xiii) Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development;

(xiv) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change;

(xv) Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services;

(xvi) International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property;

(xvii) International Cotton Advisory Committee;

(xviii) International Development Law Organization;

(xix) International Energy Forum;

(xx) International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies;

(xxi) International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance;

(xxii) International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law;

(xxiii) International Lead and Zinc Study Group;

(xxiv) International Renewable Energy Agency;

(xxv) International Solar Alliance;

(xxvi) International Tropical Timber Organization;

(xxvii) International Union for Conservation of Nature;

(xxviii) Pan American Institute of Geography and History;

(xxix) Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation;

(xxx) Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combatting Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia;

(xxxi) Regional Cooperation Council;

(xxxii) Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century;

(xxxiii) Science and Technology Center in Ukraine;

(xxxiv) Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme; and

(xxxv) Venice Commission of the Council of Europe.

(b) United Nations (UN) Organizations:

(i) Department of Economic and Social Affairs;

(ii) UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) — Economic Commission for Africa;

(iii) ECOSOC — Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean;

(iv) ECOSOC — Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific;

(v) ECOSOC — Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia;

(vi) International Law Commission;

(vii) International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals;

(viii) International Trade Centre;

(ix) Office of the Special Adviser on Africa;

(x) Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children in Armed Conflict;

(xi) Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict;

(xii) Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children;

(xiii) Peacebuilding Commission;

(xiv) Peacebuilding Fund;

(xv) Permanent Forum on People of African Descent;

(xvi) UN Alliance of Civilizations;

(xvii) UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries;

(xviii) UN Conference on Trade and Development;

(xix) UN Democracy Fund;

(xx) UN Energy;

(xxi) UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women;

(xxii) UN Framework Convention on Climate Change;

(xxiii) UN Human Settlements Programme;

(xxiv) UN Institute for Training and Research;

(xxv) UN Oceans;

(xxvi) UN Population Fund;

(xxvii) UN Register of Conventional Arms;

(xxviii) UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination;

(xxix) UN System Staff College;

(xxx) UN Water; and

(xxxi) UN University.

Sec. 3. Implementation Guidance. The Secretary of State shall provide additional guidance as needed to agencies when implementing this memorandum.

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d) The Secretary of State is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

DONALD J. Trump [LINK]

• This is essentially deconstructing the George H.W. Bush “New World Order” as established over decades by governing elites, financial institutions & western governments.  • This is removing a massive network of agencies and operations, and the Bush-era 1992 U.N Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) is still only one part of it.

• This is tectonic geopolitical plate shifting with ramifications that are beyond most persons understanding.

Each of these global regulatory processes, policies and constructs, then creates an office within the U.S. government for regulatory enforcement and compliance.

Each treaty, convention and organization creates a bureaucracy within the U.S. govt to comply with it. That bureaucracy then expands govt spending far beyond the initial costs. (i.e. annual membership fees, association fees, and internal agreement payments for each participating govt).

We pay to join the agreement, we agree to the terms of the agreement, then we have to pay to organize our own offices to align with the agreement we just joined.

It gets worse….

Each agency within govt then has to create a subsidiary office for their specific compliance with the larger network. So, you have a DC govt compliance system, and an agency compliance system that is topic specific to that particular agency.

The 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as an example, means every single agency from HHS to DOD to FEMA to DHS to the entire apparatus of govt, all of them, need to have a corresponding office to create agency specific rules that comply with the originating charter.

You see, it’s not just the Federal Govt paying the U.N a membership fee for the Framework Convention on Climate Change, but each agency within govt then has to pay an office staff filled with lawyers, compliance officers, and bureaucratic nonsense teams that carry out the charter of the agreement we just signed up to.

Each of the 66 outlined “agreements” can end up generating hundreds or thousands of federal employees that are tasked with U.S. administration of the agreement.

Each of those federal employees has an expense account, credit card, vehicle, or voucher method, some form of indulgency, that connects them to the larger spending graft.

What Trump has done is a much bigger detonation than most will initially contemplate.

Thousands of well-connected DC employees, wives of politicians, brothers, sisters, in-laws, friends and family members, will now lose their income streams.

♦ This is also happening as President Trump has presented the 2026 National Security Strategy.  A stunning 33-page outline reprioritizing all of the interests and objectives of the United States government.

On December 6, 2025, President Trump put the world on notice that sovereign U.S. interests would be baseline for all of our strategic foreign policy approaches; particularly Europe was put on notice.

On January 7, 2026, President Trump is putting the world on notice that all of these various self-restricting global systems, institutions and mechanisms will no longer be supported by the United States.  Thousands of downstream beneficiaries that exist -in majority- from U.S. participation and underwriting, are going to be scrambling trying to find a way to retain their status.

President Trump’s upcoming speech to the World Economic Forum should be epic.

WASHINGTON, Jan 7 (Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Energy Secretary Chris Wright will join President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a source familiar with the plans said on Wednesday.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff will also be part of the planned delegation, the source said.

Trump will attend this year’s annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in person, after addressing the gathering by video link last year, four days after returning to the White House for a second term.

This year’s meeting is scheduled for January 19-23. {source}

Jan 8 2026

Border Czar Tom Homan Gives Update on Ongoing ICE Operations


Posted originally on CTH on January 8, 2026 | Sundance

January 8, 2026 | Sundance | 8 Comments

President Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan speaks with “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil about the Minneapolis ICE shooting, the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations and more.

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