Trump escalates Maduro confrontation with blockade on Venezuelan oil tankers

The Trump administration has approved the largest single package of weapons sales to Taiwan in U.S. history. Many of the systems mirror those the United States has supplied to Ukraine. The move is part of a broader U.S. effort to help Taiwan deter, and if necessary, defend itself against China. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

For weeks, the Trump administration has been escalating pressure on Venezuela and the government of Nicolás Maduro. Wednesday night, we heard from a critic of the approach. For a different perspective, Geoff Bennett spoke with Jimmy Story. He spent 25 years in the U.S. State Department and most recently served as the top U.S. diplomat to Venezuela. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Wednesday, the surviving suspect in the shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach has been charged with 15 counts of murder, former special counsel Jack Smith testified privately to lawmakers that investigators found proof that President Trump criminally conspired to overturn the 2020 election and Warner Bros. urged shareholders to reject Paramount's hostile takeover bid. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

President Trump continued his rhetorical campaign against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, as a large American Naval force sits in the waters off the coast. The U.S. will actively blockade and seize vessels it had already sanctioned, a move some critics have called an act of war. Nick Schifrin reports and Geoff Bennett discusses the latest with David Smilde. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Defense Secretary Hegseth rejected calls to release the full video of a boat strike the military carried out in September. That attack was the first of 25 acknowledged strikes that the administration says were operated by so-called "narcoterrorists." At the same time, the Senate is debating its largest annual bill to authorize the Defense Department. Nick Schifrin and Lisa Desjardins report. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The Lebanese army is on a tight deadline to comply with an American demand to dismantle the military infrastructure of Hezbollah. Special correspondent Simona Foltyn and videographer Adrian Hartrick were given exclusive access to Hezbollah’s seized military installations and the army's efforts to retake territory long held by the militants. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The massacre at a Hanukkah gathering at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach killed 15 people this weekend. Two gunmen opened fire on celebrations for the first night of the Jewish Festival of Lights. Australian officials quickly labeled the assault an antisemitic act of terrorism. As Geoff Bennett reports, shock and grief were matched by anger and urgent questions. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Hong Kong's High Court found media mogul and pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai guilty of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and sedition. The case has become a symbol of Beijing’s crackdown on dissent. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Claire Lai, Jimmy Lai’s daughter. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Two gunmen opened fire Sunday evening on a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach, sending crowds fleeing for safety. At least 16 people are dead, including one alleged gunman and a 12-year-old child, and 38 others were wounded. Ali Rogin speaks with Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the nonprofit Jewish Council for Public Affairs, for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Sunday, Zelenskyy met with U.S. representatives for more talks on how to end the war in Ukraine, crowds gathered in Gaza for the funeral of a top Hamas commander killed by an Israeli strike, and the National Weather Service forecasts an arctic blast across the eastern U.S and Great Lakes. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy