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Today’s Big Story

Trump Says U.S. Is ‘In Charge’ of Venezuela

But the reality of how Washington will administer that country in the weeks and months ahead appears uncertain

The order came from President Donald Trump at 10:46 p.m. ET on Friday night, along with a message: “Good luck and godspeed.” The mission sent 150 aircraft into the skies, triggered a stunning raid on Nicolás Maduro's fortified compound, and ended with the Venezuelan leader blindfolded on a U.S. battleship and the future of his country entirely uncertain, but seemingly in Trump’s hands.

According to multiple reports, the planning began months earlier, with special forces soldiers training on a replica of Maduro’s home, the CIA laying the groundwork in Venezuela, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller advocating for action from Washington. But as the smoke clears in Caracas a day after Trump said triumphantly that the United States would now “run” Venezuela, the reality of how Washington will administer that country in the weeks and months ahead appears uncertain and stubbornly complex.

Maduro’s allies in Caracas are still in power, some defiantly haranguing about U.S. “imperialism.” The democratically elected opposition leaders are effectively exiled, bluntly sidelined by the Trump administration. And Washington continues to hint at more military action, not only against Venezuela but other perceived enemies in the region such as Cuba and Colombia.

The acting leader of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez—a vice president under Maduro—struck a more diplomatic tone on Sunday night, saying, “Our people and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war.” When asked what he needed from Rodríguez, Trump told reporters: “We need total access. We need access to the oil and to other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio sounded like he wanted to recast Trump’s assertion that the U.S. would “run” the country, saying instead that the administration would keep a military “quarantine” in place on the country’s oil exports to exert leverage on the new leadership there. He also told reporters that congressional authorization wasn’t needed before the operation “because this wasn't an invasion”. Asked whether he thinks Interim President Rodríguez is now the legitimate president of Venezuela, he says the U.S. does not believe the regime is legitimate. So, there’s that.

Goodwill Got a Glow-Up

New stores are bigger and brighter, and real estate is crucial to new strategy

Regular Valet. readers already know, but secondhand shopping is the stylish man’s not-so-secret strategy for looking good on a budget. And while the online “recommerce” ecosystem is booming, there’s still much to be said about your local Goodwill. And if you haven’t been in a while, it might be time to stop in.

Because today’s Goodwill stores look and feel a whole lot different than in years past, according to the Wall Street Journal. “The chain’s new stores are bigger and brighter. Some feature signature scents to neutralize items’ musty odors. Goodwill is even targeting donors and shoppers through TikTok, where it posts videos of influencers browsing racks of jeans or boxing up donations.”

And it’s led to a boost in sales, with Goodwill shoppers dropping a record $5.5B across the U.S. and Canada last year. That’s a 37% increase from 2019. Forbes reports that the entire secondhand shopping market in America is booming. From thrift stores to luxury resale platforms, consumers across all income levels are embracing pre-owned goods. The market grew from $28B in 2019 to $49B last year, projected to hit $74B by 2029, as the stigma around used clothing diminishes.

Flu Season Is Underway

And a new variant is making it particularly gnarly

Did you make it though the holidays without getting sick? I masked up on the plane to and from my hometown just to be safe. But the flu is rising rapidly across the U.S., driven by a new variant of the virus—and cases are expected to keep growing as holiday travel plays out. That variant, known as “subclade K”, led to early outbreaks in the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported high or very high levels of illness in more than half of the states.

The CDC estimates there have already been at least ​7.5 million illnesses, ​81,000 hospitalizations and ​more than 3,100 deaths from flu so far this season. Apparently, it’s hitting young children especially hard, as doctors warn the season still has a long way to go. Flu activity is at “high” or “very high” levels in 32 states and jurisdictions, based on data from the week ending Dec. 20, NBC News reports.

The CDC continues to encourage folks to get influenza vaccinations, especially children and people who are pregnant. Only about 42% of adults and children have gotten a flu vaccination so far this year, but it’s not too late. Health experts say it can still prevent severe illness even if someone gets infected. While this year’s vaccine isn’t a perfect match to the subclade K strain, a preliminary analysis from the U.K. found it offered at least partial protection, lowering people’s risk of severe infection and hospitalization.

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