Author: Carma Henry

       Thursday (January 1) marked a historic milestone for local governance as three Black women were sworn in as mayors of major cities, per Shine My Crown.

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), whose Black Press USA network carries the Kemet Youth Activity Sheets weekly to member publications nationwide, spotlighted a significant milestone for the youth-centered franchise this weekend.

    Five years after the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol, the fundamental facts of that day continue to fuel deep divisions that have created dueling political realities.

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The Postal Service says the change is intended to clarify how postmarks are applied, particularly as transportation schedules and regional processing systems evolve.

       President Donald Trump is threatening an American takeover of Greenland, Colombia, and Cuba, just a day after a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that led to the ouster of President Nicolás Maduro, per HuffPost.

       Chances are, your New Year’s resolutions include things like “get back in the gym” or “eat healthier.” But what about “schedule a diabetes screening” or “get up to date on my routine vaccinations”? If those didn’t make the list, don’t worry. You’re not alone, and we’ve got you covered.

       The change is effective immediately, meaning that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will now recommend that all children get vaccinated against 11 diseases. What’s no longer broadly recommended is protection against flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis or RSV. Instead, protections against those diseases are only recommended for certain groups deemed high risk, or when doctors recommend them in what’s called “shared decision-making.”

     Yet for most Americans, Venezuela is not the issue keeping them up at night. Affordability is. That’s the reality Democrats must stay anchored in. We cannot allow ourselves to be pulled into Trump’s Venezuela trap. Venezuela is a deliberate distraction from the affordability crisis Trump dismisses as a hoax, from his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, and from a parade of scandals that have sent his approval ratings plummeting. He needs Americans focused anywhere but on the issues that actually affect their daily lives.

   Political psychosis is not a recognized medical condition. Psychology Today reports that social scientists view it as a  societal phenomenon of shared delusions. Furthermore, it describes  a sustained detachment from shared reality/norms, marked by irrational behavior, the spread of misinformation, vindictive thinking, and the collapse of  effective governance. Today, this condition is most clearly visible in the Republican Congress, where ideology has eclipsed reason, loyalty has displaced law, and constitutional duty traded for political survival.

      Late Friday night into early Saturday, I watched the news and scrolled through social media as reports of explosions in Caracas began to spread. I went to sleep unaware of what the morning would bring. Hours later, bleary-eyed and half-blind without my glasses, I woke to headlines announcing that the Trump administration had captured and arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in what it called “Operation Absolute Resolve,” transporting him to New York to face narco-trafficking charges. Maduro’s sudden removal is being celebrated by Venezuelans abroad and met with a mix of relief and unease inside the country. But beyond those reactions lies a far more troubling implication: Venezuela will not be the end.