Venezuela’s oil revival brings hope but little relief for workers
Venezuela’s economy doesn’t give Raul Parra too much time to rest.
By day, the 47-year-old is a P.E. teacher at a public school. In the evenings he works a second job as a physical therapist, visiting patients at their homes or treating their injuries in a small apartment that he rents with a friend.
“It’s tough to be a teacher in Venezuela,” Parra says, as he rolls a massage gun over a patient’s shoulder.
As a full time teacher, with an education degree, Parra only gets paid around $160 a month by Venezuela’s government. An amount that barely covers his groceries.
https://www.npr.org/2026/02/17/nx-s1-5713548/venezuela-oil-economy
Venezuela forgets about Maduro and starts down an irreversible path
The country is trying to turn the page while Venezuelans take to the streets to gauge the true openness of Delcy Rodríguez’s government
Screenwriter Gaba Agudo Adriani was using GPS to find a friend’s house in Caracas when she ended up on a street blocked off by police and checkpoints. It took her several seconds to realize not only that Delcy Rodríguez lives there, but who Delcy Rodríguez is now. That moment of bewilderment perfectly encapsulates a common feeling about the country’s new reality. After years trapped waiting for change, Venezuela has entered a new phase without its citizens fully understanding where they stand. Reality shifted abruptly, but remains shrouded in a mixture of optimism and uncertainty. Something has changed: the difficult part is defining how much, in what direction, and for how long. Although it does seem irreversible.
Trump To Carney At Davos: “Canada Lives Because Of The U.S.” – Signs Of A Hidden Socialist Shift?
In recent months, debates have intensified over whether Canada’s political and economic shifts under Prime Minister Mark Carney signal a move toward greater socialism or even communism, potentially raising concerns for the United States given the two nations’ close economic and security ties.
This question stems from Canada’s efforts to diversify trade away from the U.S. amid ongoing frictions, including a new January 2026 trade agreement with China, alongside domestic policies focused on fiscal restraint and significant military expansion.
While some critics portray these as steps toward greater state control, evidence shows they are pragmatic responses to U.S. tariffs and global instability rather than ideological overhauls toward communism.
Vegas feels busy on weekends, but the midweek slump is real
On Fridays, it still feels like peak Vegas, but by Monday, it’s a whole different vibe.