The Steady Drip

Sunday, January 4, 2026

Plane Carrying Venezuela's Maduro Lands in New York (Connecting the Dots: Gara LaMarche, The White House Project, The Open Society Foundations, The Human Rights Watch, Venezuela, The International Crisis Group, Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Plane Carrying Venezuela's Maduro Lands in New York (Connecting the Dots: Gara LaMarche, The White House Project, The Open Society Foundations, The Human Rights Watch, Venezuela, The International Crisis Group, Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Newsmax.com

By Solange Reyner | Saturday, 03 January 2026 05:39 PM EST

https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/plane-venezuela-nicolas-maduro/2026/01/03/id/1240679/

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, landed at Stewart Air Force Base in Newburgh, New York, on Saturday afternoon after being captured by U.S. special forces during Operation Absolute Resolve.

Photos from the base published by WNYW showed law enforcement officers wearing jackets labeled Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) flanking a Department of Justice aircraft.

Dozens of federal agents surrounded Maduro as he was ushered from the plane to a hangar.

The pair have been charged with narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons offenses.

Maduro and Flores are expected to be taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal facility in Brooklyn, to be housed after being processed by the DEA.

"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," Attorney General Pam Bondi said.

Hours after a dramatic military operation ousted Maduro from power and removed him from the country Saturday, President Donald Trump said the United States would "run" Venezuela at least temporarily and tap its vast oil reserves to sell to other nations.

U.S. operations on Saturday represented America's most assertive action to achieve regime change in a country since the nation's 2003 invasion of Iraq. The actions raise stark new questions about the legality of the U.S. moves under a broader campaign against the South American nation.

The middle-of-the-night seizure of Maduro and his wife, who were transported on a U.S. warship and arrived in New York on Saturday evening to face narcoterrorism conspiracy charges, is beyond even the most high-profile historical examples of aggressive American actions toward autocratic governments in Panama, Iraq, and beyond, legal experts said. It came after a surprise U.S. incursion into the Venezuelan capital, rocked with overnight explosions.

The Trump administration described the operation — and earlier deadly strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea — as necessary to stem the flow of dangerous drugs.

Nicolás Maduro

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicol%C3%A1s_Maduro#

Nicolás Maduro Moros[e] (born 23 November 1962) is a Venezuelan politician and former union leader who served as the president of Venezuela from 2013 until his de facto arrest and removal from the country by U.S. forces in 2026.

Dictatorship accusations

The Supreme Tribunal took over the legislative powers of the National Assembly in March, provoking the 2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis; a Corrales opinion piece in the Washington Post asked, "What happens next for the dictatorship of President Nicolás Maduro?"^[182] With the 2017 Constituent National Assembly poised to declare itself the governing body of Venezuela,^[183] the United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned President Maduro, labeled him a dictator, and prevented him from entering the United States.^[91] Chilean president Sebastián Piñera also labeled Maduro a dictator.^[184] Human Rights Watch described the process that had led to the National Assembly's being taken over, labeled Venezuela a dictatorship, and said the "Venezuelan government is tightening its stranglehold on the country's basic institutions of democracy at a terrifying speed."^[185] The Financial Times published an article,"Sending a message to Venezuela's dictatorship" discussing "international censure of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela's thuggish president".^[186] The Chicago Tribune editorial board wrote an opinion that "the Trump administration should harbor no illusions about Maduro, who appears bent on assuming the mantle of dictator."^[187] Vox Media published an opinion entitled "How Venezuela went from a rich democracy to a dictatorship on the brink of collapse.

International Crisis Group

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Crisis_Group

The International Crisis Group (ICG; also known as the Crisis Group) is a global non-profit, non-governmental organisation founded in 1995. It is a think tank, used by policymakers and academics, conducting research and analysis on global crises. ICG has described itself as "working to prevent wars and shape policies that will build a more peaceful world".

History

George Soros provided the organisation's seed funding[8][9] and continues to support it.[8] The first government representative to offer financial support was Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, in March 1994.[a] That same year, Gareth Evans, as Foreign Minister of Australia, pledged $500,000.[b] As private individuals, Ahtisaari later became Chairman of ICG,[11] and Evans became CEO of ICG

Reception

The ICG generated controversy in April 2013 as it awarded Myanmar President Thein Sein its "In Pursuit of Peace Award",[25] with the award ceremony coinciding with the publication of a Human Rights Watch report of ethnic cleansing by Sein's administration.

Connecting the Dots:

American Society for Muslim Advancement is a sponsor for the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow.

Daisy Khan is an executive director for the American Society for Muslim Advancement, a developer for Park51 and was a director at the White House Project.

Gara LaMarche was a director at the White House Project, the VP & director of U.S. programs for the Open Society Foundations and an associate director at the Human Rights Watch.

Javier Solana was a director at the Human Rights Watch, the secretary general for NATO and is a board member for the International Crisis Group.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Human Rights Watch.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Human Rights Watch.

George Soros was a benefactor at the Human Rights Watch, the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, a member of the Bretton Woods Committee and a board member for the International Crisis Group.

Moises Naim is a global board member for the Open Society Foundations, a member of the Bretton Woods Committee, was a minister of trade and industry for Venezuela and a board member for the International Crisis Group.

Ernesto Zedillo was a board member for the International Crisis Group and the president of Mexico.

Igor S. Ivanov was a board member of the International Crisis Group and the minister of foreign affairs for Russia.

Yegor Gaidar was a board member of the International Crisis Group and the prime minister for Russia.

Michael A. McFaul is the U.S. ambassador for Russia and was a research associate at the Center for International Security and Arms Control.

William J. Perry was a co-director for the Center for International Security and Arms Control and is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, a member of the Bretton Woods Committee and a board member for the International Crisis Group.

Moises Naim is a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), a global board member for the Open Society Foundations, a member of the Bretton Woods Committee, was a minister of trade and industry for Venezuela and a board member for the International Crisis Group.

Anwar Ibrahim was a board member for the International Crisis Group and the deputy prime minister for Malaysia.

Ernesto Zedillo was a board member for the International Crisis Group and the president of Mexico.

Javier Solana is a board member for the International Crisis Group, a director at the Human Rights Watch and was the secretary general for NATO.

Wesley K. Clark is a board member for the International Crisis Group and was the supreme allied commander – Europe for NATO.

Igor S. Ivanov was a board member of the International Crisis Group and the minister of foreign affairs for Russia.

Yegor Gaidar was a board member of the International Crisis Group and the prime minister for Russia.

Michael A. McFaul is the U.S. ambassador for Russia and was a research associate at the Center for International Security and Arms Control.

William J. Perry was a co-director for the Center for International Security and Arms Control and is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

James F. Collins is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and was a U.S. ambassador for Russia.

Igor S. Ivanov was the minister of foreign affairs for Russia and a board member of the International Crisis Group.

Yegor Gaidar was the prime minister for Russia and a board member of the International Crisis Group.

Thomas R. Pickering was a U.S. ambassador for Russia and is a co-chair for the International Crisis Group.
Louise Arbour is the president & CEO for the International Crisis Group and was the high commissioner for human rights for the United Nations.

Mark Malloch-Brown is a co-chair for the International Crisis Group and was the deputy secretary-general for the United Nations.

Thomas R. Pickering is a co-chair for the International Crisis Group and was a United Nations U.S. ambassador.

Lakhdar Brahimi was a board member for the International Crisis Group and a special representative to the secretary general for the United Nations.

Kenneth L. Adelman was a board member for the International Crisis Group and a United Nations U.S. representative.

Kofi A. Annan is a board member for the International Crisis Group and was the secretary general for the United Nations.

Samantha Power was a board member for the International Crisis Group and the United Nations U.S. ambassador.

Samuel R. Berger is a board member for the International Crisis Group (think tank), a chair for the Albright Stonebridge Group, was the national security adviser for the William J. Clinton administration and Robert Malley was his executive assistant.

Madeleine K. Albright was a chair for the Albright Stonebridge Group, was a member of the National Security Council and Zbigniew Brzezinski’s dissertation adviser at Columbia

Robert Malley was Samuel R. Berger’s executive assistant, the Middle East & North Africa program director for the International Crisis Group (think tank), a special assistant to the president for the William J. Clinton administration and a director for democracy, human rights & humanitarian affairs for the National Security Council.

Nancy E. Soderberg was a staff director for the National Security Council and a VP for the International Crisis Group (think tank).

Zbigniew Brzezinski was a board member for the International Crisis Group (think tank), his dissertation adviser at Columbia was Madeleine K. Albright and is Mark Brzezinski & Mika Brzezinski’s father.

Jessica Tuchman Mathews was a director of the Office of Global Issues for the National Security Council, is a board member for the International Crisis Group (think tank), the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Igor S. Ivanov is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank) and was a board member for the International Crisis Group (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

Igor S. Ivanov was a board member for the International Crisis Group (think tank), and is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Ted Turner is a co-chairman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), the chairman for the United Nations Foundation, the founder of CNN and the founder & chairman for the Better World Fund,.

Kofi A. Annan is a director at the United Nations Foundation, a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), a board member for the International Crisis Group (think tank) a director at the Better World Fund and the chairman for The Elders.

Nelson R. Mandela was a founder & honorary elder for The Elders, the president for South Africa and married to Graca Machel.

Graca Machel was married to Nelson R. Mandela, is a director at the Better World Fund and a member of The Elders.

Gro Harlem Brundtland is a director at the Better World Fund and a member of The Elders.

Muhammad Yunus is a director at the Better World Fund and a member of The Elders.

Better World Fund was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations and a board member for the International Crisis Group.

Martti Ahtisaari is the chair emeritus for the International Crisis Group and a member of The Elders.

Lakhdar Brahimi was a board member for the International Crisis Group and is a member of The Elders.

Jimmy Carter was a member of The Elders and an honorary co-chairman for the Millennium Promise.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Millennium Promise.

George Soros the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is a board member for the International Crisis Group.

Thomas R. Pickering is a co-chair for the International Crisis Group, was a U.S. ambassador for Russia and the chairman of review board that investigated the 2012 attack on U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya in 2013.

J. Christopher Stevens was killed in the 2012 attack on U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya and was the U.S. ambassador for Libya.

Michael G. Mullen was a vice chairman of review board that investigated the 2012 attack on U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya in 2013, is a director at the Bloomberg Family Foundation and an advisory board member for Everytown for Gun Safety.

Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder of the Bloomberg Family Foundation and the founder of Everytown for Gun Safety.

Bloomberg Family Foundation was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

Everytown for Gun Safety is a “Gun Safety, Gun Control” group for guns.

John J. Mack is a director at the Bloomberg Family Foundation, an advisory board member for Everytown for Gun Safety, was a co-CEO for the Credit Suisse Group and the president & CEO for Credit Suisse First Boston.

Credit Suisse Group was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation and Credit Suisse First Boston was its former name.

Richard A. Deitz was a unit managing director for the Credit Suisse First Boston and a founding partner at Renaissance Capital.

William J. Clinton was paid $500,000 for speech from the Renaissance Capital and is the founder of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

Renaissance Capital promoted stock for Uranium One.

Rosatom acquired Uranium One and is a Russia’s state-owned company.

Susie Tompkins Buell was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, a fundraiser for the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign, is a national finance council member for the Ready PAC (Ready For Hillary), Hillary Rodham Clinton’s friend, and a director at the Media Matters for America.

George Soros was a co-chair, national finance council for the Ready PAC (Ready For Hillary) and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for Media Matters for America.

David Brock is an adviser for the Ready PAC (Ready For Hillary) and the founder of the Media Matters for America.

Ready PAC (Ready For Hillary) supported the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign.

Zac Petkanas was a director of rapid response for the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign, and a communications director for the Media Matters for America.

Sidney Blumenthal was a consultant for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, is Hillary Rodham Clinton’s friend & confidant, and a consultant for Media Matters for America.

Media Matters for America monitors Fox News.

Gail Furman was a donor for Media Matters for America, is a director at the Human Rights First, and Jason L. Furman’s mother.

Richard R. Verma was a director at the Human Rights First, and a director at the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

William D. Zabel is the chair for the Human Rights First, was a trustee at the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and George Soros’s divorce lawyer.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Human Rights First.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, William D. Zabel was his divorce lawyer, is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, a co-chair, national finance council for the Ready PAC (Ready For Hillary), a board member for the International Crisis Group and a member of the Bretton Woods Committee.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Human Rights First and the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

Moises Naim was a board member for the International Crisis Group, a minister of trade and industry for Venezuela, is a member of the Bretton Woods Committee and a global board member for the Open Society Foundations.

Gara LaMarche was the VP & director of U.S. programs for the Open Society Foundations a director at the White House Project and an associate director at the Human Rights Watch.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Human Rights Watch.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Human Rights Watch.

George Soros was a benefactor at the Human Rights Watch and is a board member for the International Crisis Group.

Javier Solana was a director at the Human Rights Watch the secretary general for NATO and is a board member for the International Crisis Group.

Gara LaMarche was an associate director at the Human Rights Watch, the VP & director of U.S. programs for the Open Society Foundations and a director at the White House Project.

Daisy Khan was a director at the White House Project, is a developer for Park51 and an executive director for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

American Society for Muslim Advancement is a sponsor for the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow.

Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation was a funder for the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow, the Islamic Development Bank and the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

US Islamic World Conference was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation and the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

Madeleine K. Albright was an honorary director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and a professor at Georgetown University.

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding was a center at Georgetown University.

Alwaleed bin Talal is the benefactor for the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, the chairman for the Rotana Group, a stockholder for News Corp., the founder of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, and the Saudi Arabia prince.

Rotana Group is an investor in News Corp.

21st Century Fox was a spinoff company of News Corp.

K. Rupert Murdoch is the chairman & CEO for News Corp, the chairman & CEO for 21st Century Fox and a papal knighthood knight.

papal knighthood knight is an honor conferred by pope from the Roman Catholic Church.

John J. Studzinski is a papal knighthood knight, a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and a director at the Human Rights Watch.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and the Human Rights Watch.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and a benefactor at the Human Rights Watch.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Human Rights Watch.

John J. Studzinski is a director at the Human Rights Watch, a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and a papal knighthood knight.

Gara LaMarche was the VP & director of U.S. programs for the Open Society Foundations, an associate director at the Human Rights Watch and a director at the White House Project.

Daisy Khan was a director at the White House Project, is a developer for Park51 and an executive director for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

American Society for Muslim Advancement is a sponsor for the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow.

Beth A. Brooke is a director at the White House Project and a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee for Economic Development.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Letitia James the chair for the Committee on Economic Development the Attorney General of New York and received her MPA at Columbia University.

Mahmood Mamdani is a Ugandan academic, author, and political commentator and The Herbert Lehman Professor of Government and a professor of anthropology, political science and African studies at Columbia University and Zohran Mamdani’s father.

Zohran Mamdani is Mahmood Mamdani’s son, co-founded the school's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and the mayor of New York City.

Michael R. Bloomberg was the mayor of New York City, is the chairman for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center and the founder of the Bloomberg Family Foundation.

Bloomberg Family Foundation was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Beth A. Brooke is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and director at the White House Project.

Daisy Khan was a director at the White House Project, is a developer for Park51 and an executive director for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Gara LaMarche was a director at the White House Project, the VP & director of U.S. programs for the Open Society Foundations and an associate director at the Human Rights Watch.

Vartan Gregorian was a director at the Human Rights Watch and is a director at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center.

Javier Solana was a director at the Human Rights Watch, the secretary general for NATO and is a board member for the International Crisis Group.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Human Rights Watch.

Mark Malloch-Brown is a global board member for the Open Society Foundations and the CEO for Smartmatic (electronic voting system used in the United States).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, a board member for the International Crisis Group, was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and a benefactor at the Human Rights Watch.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Human Rights Watch and the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Human Rights Watch.

John J. Studzinski is a director at the Human Rights Watch, a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and a papal knighthood knight.

Gara LaMarche was the VP & director of U.S. programs for the Open Society Foundations, an associate director at the Human Rights Watch and a director at the White House Project.

Daisy Khan was a director at the White House Project, is a developer for Park51 and an executive director for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

American Society for Muslim Advancement is a sponsor for the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow.

Resources: Past Research

IMF Does Not See US Recession in Spite of Tariffs (Connecting the Dots: International Monetary Fund (IMF), Russia, Mexico, The Bretton Woods Committee, The International Crisis Group, The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on the International Crisis Group)

Saturday, March 29, 2025

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/03/imf-does-not-see-us-recession-in-spite.html

Obama Hires Mideast Advisor Who Quit '08 Campaign over Hamas Meetings (Past Research on the International Crisis Group)

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/02/obama-hires-mideast-advisor-who-quit-08.html

NY Times Admits 'Gaza Boy Famine' Photo Hoax (Connecting the Dots: Hamas, United Nations, Palestine, The New York Times, BBC, CNN & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on the International Crisis Group & the United Nations)

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/07/ny-times-admits-gaza-boy-famine-photo.html

Boston Globe fires off tearful headline for gun control (Past Research on the International Crisis Group & the Elders)

Thursday, June 16, 2016

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2016/06/boston-globe-fires-off-tearful-headline.html

Morning Joe’s Mike Barnicle Calls Decorated Combat Vet a ‘Kid’ (Past Research on the International Crisis Group & the United Nations)

Monday, April 6, 2015

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2015/04/morning-joes-mike-barnicle-calls.html

WATCH: Shep Smith 'Destroys' The Uranium One Scandal. Except There's More To The Story. (Past Research on International Crisis Group & Benghazi)

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/11/watch-shep-smith-destroys-uranium-one.html

Missile downed Malaysian plane? (Past Research on International Crisis Group, NATO & Malaysia)

Sunday, March 9, 2014

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/03/missile-downed-malaysian-plane.html

Mamdani Victory Signals Earthshaking Shift NYC Politics (Connecting the Dots: Zohran Mamdani, New York City, Park 51, The Ground Zero mosque, American Society for Muslim Advancement, The Papal Knighthood, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Green Cross International & Soros Funding, All Networking In This Election) (Past Research on the American Society for Muslim Advancement, Gara LaMarche, the White House Project, the Open Society Foundations and the Human Rights Watch)

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/11/mamdani-victory-signals-earthshaking.html

Venezuela, Colombia Border Areas Hopeful as Reopening Looms (Connecting the Dots: Venezuela, Colombia & Soros Funded Think Tanks) (Past Research on Venezuela)

Monday, August 22, 2022

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2022/08/venezuela-colombia-border-areas-hopeful.html

WH Marks Mandela's Death with Pic of Obama in Mandela's Cell (Past Research on The Elders & Jimmy Carter)

Thursday, December 5, 2013

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2013/12/wh-marks-mandelas-death-with-pic-of.html

Friday, January 2, 2026

Does Aspirin Put Trump at Risk? Doctors Urge Caution (Connecting the Dots: Bayer (Aspirin), Siemens, Monsanto, The Commercial Club of Chicago, Sidley Austin LLP, The Economic Club of Washington, Letitia James, Columbia University, Zohran Mamdani, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Does Aspirin Put Trump at Risk? Doctors Urge Caution (Connecting the Dots: Bayer (Aspirin), Siemens, Monsanto, The Commercial Club of Chicago, Sidley Austin LLP, The Economic Club of Washington, Letitia James, Columbia University, Zohran Mamdani, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Newsmax.com

By Newsmax Wires | Thursday, 01 January 2026 09:40 PM EST

https://www.newsmax.com/us/donald-trump-aspirin-bruising/2026/01/01/id/1240474/

President Donald Trump revealed in a Thursday interview with The Wall Street Journal that he is taking a 325-milligram dose of aspirin daily — four times the low-dose (often called baby aspirin) that many doctors recommend for people with cardiovascular disease.

The president's daily regimen has led to easy bruising and bleeding, raising concerns in media reports.

Trump, 79, defended his choice as a longtime habit intended to "keep blood thin" and protect his heart, even though his physicians have advised a lower dose.

The president said he has taken the higher dose for about 25 years and is reluctant to change what he calls a routine that has worked for him.

"I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart," Trump told the WSJ.

He acknowledged that the higher aspirin dose makes him bruise more easily, particularly on his hands, where marks have been visible in recent months.

White House physician Capt. Sean Barbabella confirmed Trump's daily use of 325 mg of aspirin for "cardiac prevention," noting that doctors would prefer he take the lower 81 mg dose — a regimen most commonly recommended for adults at risk for heart attacks or strokes.

Aspirin's role in cardiovascular care has evolved significantly.

Historically, low-dose aspirin (usually 75-100 mg, often 81 mg) was widely used to prevent first or recurrent heart attacks and strokes because it inhibits platelet aggregation, reducing blood clot formation.

However, multiple modern studies and guidelines have raised caution about routine aspirin use in older adults — especially those without a history of cardiovascular disease:

-- A large NIH-funded trial found that daily aspirin in healthy older adults didn't improve longevity or prevent heart disease, stroke, or disability compared with placebo.

-- The 2022 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and ACC/AHA recommendations advise against starting low-dose aspirin in adults 60-70 or older without established cardiovascular disease because the bleeding risks often outweigh benefits.

-- A pragmatic study comparing 81 mg vs. 325 mg of aspirin in patients with known cardiovascular disease found no significant difference in preventing major events but noted higher rates of dose switching and elevated bleeding risk with the higher dose.

For many older adults, aspirin — even at low doses — carries a real risk of bleeding (including gastrointestinal or intracranial bleeding). These risks increase with age and higher doses.

Why Trump May Be at Risk

At 79, Trump falls into an age group for whom aspirin use is especially controversial.

The heart benefit in people who have never had a heart attack or stroke is limited, and the potential for serious bleeding complications increases with age.

For those over 70 without a history of cardiovascular disease, many specialists now recommend against daily aspirin for primary prevention.

Higher doses like 325 mg daily — compared with 81 mg — have not shown superior heart protection but do pose a greater risk of bleeding, including easy bruising and, in rare cases, internal hemorrhage.

Trump's own symptoms — visible bruises on his hands — are consistent with the antiplatelet, blood-thinning effects of aspirin, which reduce clotting but make the skin and tissues more susceptible to bleeding from minor bumps or injuries.

Modern professional guidelines suggest that aspirin should generally be reserved for people with established cardiovascular disease or after careful individualized assessment of benefits vs. risks.

Many cardiologists now emphasize that for primary prevention in older adults, aspirin's harms often outweigh its modest benefits, and alternative therapies (including statins and lifestyle modification) are preferred.

In 2020, Trump's younger brother Robert died at age 71, reportedly related to his use of blood thinners taken after heart procedures.

Reports from The New York Times and other outlets stated that he had been taking blood thinners and had experienced brain bleeds after a fall. There was no indication he was taking aspirin.

The incident raises the increasing concerns and risks of the use of blood thinning medications by older Americans.

IG Farben

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IG_Farben

I. G. Farbenindustrie AG,[a] commonly known as IG Farben, was a German chemical and pharmaceutical conglomerate. It was formed on December 2, 1925 from a merger of six chemical companies: Agfa, BASF, Bayer, Griesheim-Elektron, Hoechst, and Weiler-ter-Meer.[2] It was seized by the Allies after World War II and split into its constituent companies; parts in East Germany were nationalized.

In the 1920s, the company had ties to the liberal nationalist German People's Party and was accused by the Nazis of being an "international capitalist Jewish company".[8] A decade later, it was a Nazi Party donor and, after the Nazi takeover of Germany in 1933, a major government contractor, providing significant material for the German war effort. Throughout that decade it purged itself of its Jewish employees; the remainder left in 1938.[9] Described as "the most notorious German industrial concern during the Third Reich",[10] in the 1940s the company relied on slave labour from concentration camps, including 30,000 from Auschwitz,[11] and was involved in medical experiments on inmates at both Auschwitz and Mauthausen.[12][13] One of its subsidiaries supplied the poison gas Zyklon B, which killed over one million people in gas chambers during the Holocaust.

Siemens

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siemens

1933 to 1945

Siemens (at the time: Siemens-Schuckert) exploited the forced labour of deported people in extermination camps. The company owned a plant in Auschwitz concentration camp.

Monsanto

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto

In September 2016, German chemical company Bayer announced its intent to acquire Monsanto for US$66 billion in an all-cash deal.[10] After gaining U.S. and EU regulatory approval, the sale was completed on June 7, 2018. The name Monsanto was no longer used, but Monsanto's previous product brand names were maintained.[11][12][13] In June 2020, Bayer agreed to pay numerous settlements in lawsuits involving ex-Monsanto products Roundup, PCBs and Dicamba.[14] Owing to the massive financial and reputational setbacks caused by ongoing litigation concerning Monsanto's herbicide Roundup, the Bayer-Monsanto merger is considered one of the worst corporate mergers in history.

Heroin

Bayer Heroin bottle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayer#Heroin

Heroin

Heroin (diacetylmorphine), now illegal as an addictive drug, was introduced as a non-addictive substitute for morphine,[32] and trademarked and marketed by Bayer from 1898 to 1910 as a cough suppressant and over-the-counter treatment for other common ailments, including pneumonia and tuberculosis.[33] While Bayer scientists were not the first to make heroin, the company did lead the way in commercializing it.[34] Heroin was a Bayer trademark until after World War I.[35] Bayer's director of pharmacology did not want the drug to have "too complicated a name" so Bayer settled on heroisch, the German word for heroic.

Eye Problems and Blood in the Eye

Healthlinkbc

https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthwise/eye-problems-and-blood-eye

Overview

Medicines that help prevent blood clots may increase the risk of bleeding in both the white or coloured part of the eye. When there is bleeding into the eye, do not take aspirin, aspirin-related products, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain because they can increase bleeding. Use acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) instead.

If you take prescription medications for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, they may not be enough to protect your heart.

Bayeraspirin.com

https://www.bayeraspirin.com/heart-health/heart-attack-prevention/medical-conditions-impact-on-heart/

Adding a doctor-directed Bayer® Aspirin regimen can help further reduce the risk of another heart attack or clot-related (ischemic) stroke. You should discuss with your doctor if adding an aspirin regimen with your prescribed medications is right for you.

Aspirin

Bottle of Bayer aspirin, 1899

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayer#Early_history

Bayer's first major product was acetylsalicylic acid—first described by French chemist Charles Frederic Gerhardt in 1853[23]—a modification of salicylic acid or salicin, a folk remedy found in the bark of the willow plant.[24][25] By 1899, Bayer's trademark Aspirin was registered worldwide for Bayer's brand of acetylsalicylic acid, but it lost its trademark status in the United States, France and the United Kingdom after the confiscation of Bayer's US assets and trademarks during World War I by the United States, and because of the subsequent widespread usage of the word.

Connecting the Dots:

Camille Y. Johnston is the VP for Siemens AG and was the communications director for Michelle Obama in the Barack Obama administration.

Michelle Obama’s communications director was Camille Y. Johnston, a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP and is a friend of Valerie B. Jarrett.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.

Newton N. Minow is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

R. Eden Martin is the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago and counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.

Sidley Austin LLP is the lobby firm for Bayer HealthCare and Monsanto.

Cameron F. Kerry is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, John F. Kerry’s brother and a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Klaus Kleinfeld is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), was a supervisory board member for Bayer AG and the president & CEO for Siemens AG.

Bayer HealthCare is a subsidiary of Bayer AG.

Paul M. Achleitner is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a supervisory board member for Bayer AG.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP and Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle.

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP is the lobby firm for Siemens AG, the Monsanto Company and was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Open Society Foundations was a funder at the Center for American Progress.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and a supporter for the Center for American Progress.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Apple Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

AT&T Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Bank of America Corp. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

BMW of North America LLC was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Citigroup Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Coca-Cola Company was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Facebook was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

General Electric Company was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (Bailout Company) was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Motion Picture Association of America was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

PepsiCo, Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

PG&E Corporation was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Samsung Electronics Co. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Time Warner Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

T-Mobile USA, Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Toyota Motor North America was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Visa Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Wells Fargo & Co. was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Carol M. Browner is a director, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and was the energy czar for the Barack Obama administration.

Tom Daschle is a director at the Center for American Progress and was the nominee for health and human services secretary for the Barack Obama administration.

Ezekiel Emanuel is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and was the health care policy adviser for the Barack Obama administration.

Lawrence H. Summers is a distinguished fellow at the Center for American Progress and was the National Economic Council chairman for the Barack Obama administration.

Cassandra Q. Butts was the SVP for the Center for American Progress and the deputy White House counsel for the Barack Obama administration.

Melody C. Barnes was the EVP for the Center for American Progress and the domestic policy council, director for the Barack Obama administration.

Philip J. Crowley was the director of homeland security at the Center for American Progress and the assistant secretary of state for the Barack Obama administration.

Derek Douglas was an associate director of economic policy at the Center for American Progress and a special assistant for urban affairs for the Barack Obama administration.

Bradley J. Kiley was a VP for the Center for American Progress and the director of management and administration for the Barack Obama administration.

Karen Kornbluh was a visiting scholar at the Center for American Progress and a policy director for Barack Obama.

Jeanne Lambrew was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and is the deputy assistant to the president for health policy for the Barack Obama administration.

Denis McDonough was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and is the chief of staff; former deputy national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration.

Esther M. Olavarria was the director of immigration policy at the Center for American Progress and the deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the Barack Obama administration.

Dan Restrepo was the Americas Project director at the Center for American Progress and a special assistant to the president for the Barack Obama administration.

Gene B. Sperling was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and the assistant to the president for economic policy for the Barack Obama administration.

Todd Stern was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and the special envoy for climate change at the U.S. Department of State for the Barack Obama administration.

Center for American Progress was a funder for America's Health Insurance Plans.

Donald M. Berwick is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and was an administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Jose H. Villarreal is a director at the Center for American Progress and a senior adviser at the Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP.

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP was a funder for the Center for American Progress, is the lobby firm for Siemens AG and the Monsanto Company.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Valerie B. Jarrett is Vernon E. Jordan Jr’s great niece, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a friend of Michelle Obama and was the senior adviser for the Barack Obama administration.

William M. Daley is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, was the chief of staff for the Barack Obama administration and a partner at Mayer Brown.

William M. Daley

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_M._Daley

Professional career

Daley returned to the practice of law, as a partner with the firm Mayer Brown (then Mayer, Brown & Platt) from 1993 to 1997.

Mayer Brown was the lobby firm for the Bayer Corporation.

Robert A. Helman is a partner at Mayer Brown, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Klaus Kleinfeld is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), was a supervisory board member for Bayer AG and the president & CEO for Siemens AG.

Bayer HealthCare is a subsidiary of Bayer AG.

Paul M. Achleitner is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a supervisory board member for Bayer AG.

Bayer HealthCare is a subsidiary of Bayer AG.

Sidley Austin LLP is the lobby firm for Bayer HealthCare and Monsanto.

R. Eden Martin is counsel at Sidley Austin LLP and the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Newton N. Minow is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.

Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP and her communications director was Camille Y. Johnston.

Camille Y. Johnston was the communications director for Michelle Obama in the Barack Obama administration and is the VP for Siemens AG.

Klaus Kleinfeld was the president & CEO for Siemens AG, is a director at Bayer AG, a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Eric A. Spiegel is the president & CEO for the Siemens Corporation, a director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Siemens Corporation is the contractor for the Iraq reconstruction.

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP is the lobby firm for Siemens AG, the Siemens Corporation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Monsanto Company and the Center for American Progress.

Open Society Foundations was a funder at the Center for American Progress.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and a supporter for the Center for American Progress.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress and the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Jose H. Villarreal is a director at the Center for American Progress and a senior adviser at the Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

James W. Cicconi was a partner at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, is a director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Eric A. Spiegel is a director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the president & CEO for the Siemens Corporation,

Siemens Corporation is the contractor for the Iraq reconstruction.

Klaus Kleinfeld is a director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a director at Bayer AG, a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and was the president & CEO for Siemens AG.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Mark B. McClellan was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Jessica Tuchman Mathews was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Donald Kennedy was a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and a commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Margaret A. Hamburg is the VP for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), David A. Hamburg’s daughter and was the commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Alger Hiss was the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and attended the Yalta Conference with Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR).

Joseph Stalin attended the Yalta Conference and was the premier for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

Franklin Delano Roosevelt attended the Yalta Conference with Alger Hiss, was the president for the Franklin Delano Roosevelt administration and his granddaughter is Laura Delano Roosevelt.

Laura Delano Roosevelt is Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s (FDR) granddaughter and a governor at the Roosevelt Institute.

Linda McKay Stevenson Weicker Roosevelt was married to Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr and a governor & director for the Roosevelt Institute.

Jonathan Soros is a senior fellow at the Roosevelt Institute and George Soros’s son.

George Soros is Jonathan Soros’s father and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Roosevelt Institute.

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt is the chair for the Roosevelt Institute, and an advisory board member for the Wheelchair Foundation.

Mikhail Gorbachev is an advisory board member for the Wheelchair Foundation, was the general secretary for the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the president of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the founder for the Green Cross International.

Joseph Stalin was the premier for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and attended the Yalta Conference.

Ted Turner is an honorary board member for Green Cross International, the founder of CNN and a co-chairman for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), the vice chair for the Sundance Institute and the Human Rights Watch.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and a benefactor for the Human Rights Watch.

Robert Redford was the founder & president for the Sundance Institute and an honorary board member for Green Cross International.

Global Green USA is the US affiliate for Green Cross International.

Patricia E. Mitchell is a board member for Global Green USA, the vice chair for the Sundance Institute and was a director at the Human Rights Watch.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Sundance Institute and the Human Rights Watch.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, a benefactor for the Human Rights Watch and is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Human Rights Watch.

Gara LaMarche was the VP & director of U.S. programs for the Open Society Foundations, an associate director at the Human Rights Watch and a director at the White House Project.

Daisy Khan was a director at the White House Project, is a developer for Park51 and an executive director for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Beth A. Brooke is a director at the White House Project and a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee for Economic Development.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Letitia James is the chair for the Committee on Economic Development, the Attorney General of New York and received her MPA at Columbia University.

Zohran Mamdani is Mahmood Mamdani’s son, the mayor of New York City, co-founded the school's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

George E. Rupp was the president of Columbia University and a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.

Lee C. Bollinger is the president of Columbia University and a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.

Carol A. Melton was a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and a director at the Economic Club of Washington.

Robert G. Liberatore was a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and a director at the Economic Club of Washington.

David M. Rubenstein is the president of the Economic Club of Washington, a co-founder & co-CEO for the Carlyle Group, co-chairman for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and Joe Biden spent Thanksgiving with him.

Jerome H. Powell (Jay) was a partner at the Carlyle Group and is the Chairman for the Federal Reserve System.

Edward J. Mathias is a managing director at the Carlyle Group and a director at the Economic Club of Washington.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. was the president of the Economic Club of Washington, is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle.