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A blue moon, lunar eclipses and super moons. What 2026 has in store.

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A blue moon, lunar eclipses and super moons. What 2026 has in store.

2026 will bring severallunar eventsthat backyard astronomers will want to stay awake for.

The first full moon of the year will take place on Saturday, Jan. 3, and is known as the Wolf Moon, according to the Farmer's Almanac.

The moon will also be a super moon, which will look around 30% brighter and up to 14% larger. It will be the last super moon until November 2026.

But January's full moon isn't the only lunar event to look forward to in 2026. From an eclipse and a blue moon to super moons, these are the events you should mark your calendar for.

When is the first full moon of 2026?

The first full moon will take place on Saturday, Jan. 3, and it will also be a super moon.

Once in a blue moon

A blue moon is set to occur on May 31, and will peak at 4:45 a.m. ET. And no, the moon won't actually look like the color blue.

A blue moon is not a common occurrence, hence the expression "once in a blue moon," and only occurs every 2.5 years, according toNASA.

The last blue moon occurred on Aug. 19, 2024, when the moon was asuper blue moon, meaning it was the closest it had been to Earth that month and appeared brighter and larger.

Several lunar events will take place throughout 2026.

2026 lunar eclipses

There will be two lunar eclipses in 2026, according toNASA. Both will be visible in the Americas.

The lunar eclipses will take place on the following dates:

2026 super moons

2026 will have three super moons, including the one in January.

The super moon will take place on the following dates, according to theDetroit Free Press, a part of the USA TODAY Network:

  • Saturday, Jan. 3

  • Tuesday, Nov. 24

  • Wednesday, Dec. 23

When will the moon be full in 2026?

The moon will be full on the following dates, according to theFarmer's Almanac:

  • Wolf Moon- Peaks Jan. 3, at 5:03 a.m. ET

  • Snow Moon- Peaks Feb. 1, at 5:09 p.m. ET

  • Worm Moon (total lunar eclipse)- Peaks March 3, at 6:38 a.m. ET

  • Pink Moon- Peaks April 1, at 10:12 p.m. ET

  • Flower Moon- Peaks May 1, at 1:23 p.m. ET

  • Blue Moon- Peaks May 31, at 4:45 a.m. ET. The blue moon occurs when two full moons occur in the same month. The last blue moon occurred on Aug. 19, 2024, according to Space.com.

  • Strawberry Moon- Peaks June 29, at 7:57 p.m. ET

  • Buck Moon- Peaks July 29, at 10:36 a.m. ET

  • Sturgeon Moon (partial lunar eclipse)- Peaks Aug. 28, at 12:18 a.m. ET

  • Harvest Moon- Peaks Sept. 26, at 12:49 p.m. ET

  • Hunter's Moon- Peaks Oct. 26, at 12:12 a.m. ET

  • Beaver Moon (super moon)- Peaks Nov. 24, at 9:53 a.m. ET

  • Cold Moon (super moon)- Peaks Dec. 23, at 8:28 p.m.

Contributing: Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press

Julia is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers scientific studies and trending news. Connect with her onLinkedIn,X,Instagram, andTikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:See list of 2026 lunar events. A blue moon, eclipses and more

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Kim’s daughter visits family mausoleum, promoting her potential status as heir in North Korea

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Kim's daughter visits family mausoleum, promoting her potential status as heir in North Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The teenagedaughterof North Korean leaderKim Jong Unmade her first known visit to a sacred family mausoleum, a step that experts say bolstered her status as her father's potential heir.

The visit, which occurred on New Year's Day on Thursday, even sparked speculation thatthe girl,reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and aged about 13, could be named a high-level official at the upcoming rulingWorkers' Party congress.

Images carried by North Korea's state media on Friday showed Kim Ju Ae standing in the front row with her parents and deeply bowing at Pyongyang's Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, where the embalmed bodies of her late grandfather and great-grandfather are on display.

The palace is "a place that symbolizes legitimacy of the North Korean regime" and her visit there ahead of the Workers' Party congress is a politically orchestrated move, said Cheong Seong-Chang, deputy head of the private Sejong Institute in South Korea.

Kim Jong Un, 41, is the third generation of his family to rule North Korea since the country's foundation in 1948. He often marks key state anniversaries by visiting the Kumsusan palace and paying respect to his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung.

Cheong predicted that Kim Jong Un could give his daughter the first secretary post at the Workers' Party, the party's No. 2 job, at the congress. Other experts say she is too young to accept such a high-profile post and might be provided with lower-level jobs.

The congress, the first of its kind in five years, is meant to establish new priorities in state policies and reshuffle officials. North Korea hasn't said when it will hold it, but South Korea's spy agency said it will likely be held either in January or February.

Sincefirst appearing in state mediain November 2022, Kim Ju Ae hasaccompanied her fatherat a slew of events including military parades and missile launches. In September, Kim Ju Ae took her on hisvisit to Beijing.During New Years' Day celebrations this week, she kissed her father on the cheek, showing their closeness.

In January 2024,South Korea's spy agencysaid it viewed Kim Ju Ae as her father's likely heir. Some outside experts disagree with that assessment, citing Kim Jong Un's relatively young age and the extremely male-dominated nature of North Korea's power hierarchy.

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What we know about a Minneapolis day care center that was highlighted in video about alleged fraud

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People enter Quality Learning Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Tuesday, by which time work had been started to fix a misspelling on the sign. - CNN

It may now be the most famous – or infamous – sign in the country. Posted above a door on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, the Quality Learning Center was missing an "n."

For aconservative content creatorattempting to call out fraud – and the supporters who made his video on day care centers in Minneapolis' Somali community viral – it seemed too absurd not to mention.

"This is Quality 'Learing' Center," Nick Shirley said, pointing to the sign. "They spelled 'learning' wrong."

Shirley's 42-minute video posted the day after Christmas quickly spread, promptingstepped up immigration enforcement,frozen federal fundsand morebiting rhetoricagainst the Somali community from President Donald Trump.

Although Shirley's encounters with other businesses were often more dramatic, the misspelled sign and its locked door made Quality Learning Center a focus of criticism aimed at the state government and Gov. Tim Walz for a system opponents say has allowed fraud to run rampant in Minnesota.

"These are not real businesses," Shirleytold CNN's Whitney Wildthis week, pointing to the Quality Learning Center. A man identifying himself as a manager for the centertold a local TV stationthere was "no fraud going on whatsoever."

CNN is looking into Shirley's claims that this and other Minneapolis-area day care centers are committing fraud.

Federal law enforcement has beeninvestigating fraudin Minnesota forseveral years, and "98 individuals have been charged in our ongoing fraud against the government cases," Assistant US Attorney Melinda Williams told CNN Tuesday. No fraud charges have been filed against Quality Learning Center.

Records show the business has faced repeated questions of whether the service it is providing is meeting state standards, but none of the violations suggested fraud.

Here's what we know about the Quality Learning Center.

According to figures provided to CNN by the state House Republican Caucus, Quality Learning Center was set to receive $1.9 million from theChild Care Assistance Program– known as CCAP – for 2025. It has received nearly $10 million from CCAP since 2019, the document shows.

Nick Shirley speaks outside of Quality Learning Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Tuesday. - CNN

The caucus told CNN the funding figures were obtained from the state Department of Human Services, which did not respond to CNN's request for confirmation Wednesday.

State GOP leadership said they raised concerns about day care centers, including Quality Learning Center, months ago.

"The (House)fraud committee… featured a number of these apparently vacant sites in a hearing that took place all the way back in February, which also included the infamous Quality Learning Center featured in the viral video," state House Speaker Lisa DemuthsaidMonday.

CCAP does not take applications directly from day care centers. Instead, qualified working parents and other eligible caregivers who make less than the program's income limitapplydirectly to the state for assistance, which is paid to the day care center.

A budgetforecastproduced in November by the agency that runs CCAP says it's projected to cost the state $56 million in the 2025 fiscal year. Another $101 million in funding for the program was expected to come from the federal government.

Quality Learning Center's most recent inspection – which state officials say are done unannounced – was on June 23, the facility'slicensing recordshows.

"There have been ongoing investigations involving several of those centers. None of those investigations uncovered findings of fraud," state Department of Children, Youth, and Families Commissioner Tikki Brown said Monday of centers covered in Shirley's video, adding that new site visits would be conducted this week. The department did not respond to multiple requests from CNN for whether those additional visits have been completed and what the results were.

"There's no fraud going on whatsoever," said Ibrahim Ali, who identified himself as a manager and son of the owners of Quality Learning Center, toCNN affiliate KAREon Monday. He said Shirley's video was taken before the business had opened for the day.

"If you look around, there's cars now because our employees are here, our children are here," he said on Monday.

Shirley's video came 11 months after a similar visit to Quality Learning Center from a reporter forlocal TV station KSTP, who also was told by a worker that the building was not yet open because it provides after-school care, with posted operating hours of 2 to 10 p.m.

State DHSrecordsshow Quality Learning Center was cited for 121 violations from May 2022 to June 2025, including 10 in the most recent inspection, listed as a licensing review. Citations included having an unqualified substitute and failing to have proper documentation for children's medicine. None of the violations suggest that the building was empty.

The state records also show correction documents were submitted and approved in response to the violations.

But even without allegations of fraud, Quality Learning Center's license has previously been in jeopardy.

In May 2022, site inspectors found 27 violations, 10 of them repeats of previous violations.

"Due to the serious and chronic nature of these violations, and the conditions in the program, which impact the health and safety of children in your care, your license to provide childcare services is placed on a conditional status for two years," said a publicly filednoticein June 2022.

Although Shirley's video implied the day care was empty, several of the violations noted in that report involved overcrowding, with too many children in some rooms and too few adults supervising them.

Staff lacked training, the 2022 notice said, and one person misidentified themselves to investigators.

The citation focused on a lack of documentation for many children. "There were several children present who did not have files," the letter says, adding that "staff were unable to provide the first and last names for most of the children present."

Although it remained on conditional status for two years, Quality Learning Center was never suspended, according to state records. It has twice been fined $200 for allowing the background check on an employee to expire.

On Tuesday afternoon, the sidewalk in front of the facility had become a hive of activity – including the return of Nick Shirley – as media and Shirley supporters watched adults escorting children in and out. A CNN crew was kept back from the property, told by an unidentified person that being in the parking lot would be considered trespassing.

Determining exactly how many children are served by Quality Learning Center – now, or in the past – is difficult from state records. The facility is licensed to provide care for a maximum of 99 children, but Ali, the center's manager, told KARE it serves anywhere from 50 to 80 children on an average day.

The state Department of Human Services has not responded to CNN's requests for details about enrollment figures.

CNN has been unable to reach the business or its registered owner, Siman Aden, using listed phone numbers, and it is not clear if they have an attorney.

Questions about the current status of the business were complicated by conflicting statements on Monday.

"Quality Learning Center closed just over a week ago," Brown said in anews conference, an assertion repeated in a statement to CNN from Walz's office.

But observers found kids arriving at Quality Learning Center that same afternoon, resulting in a raft of onlineconspiracytheories.Quality Learning Center "decided to remain open," a department spokesperson told theMinnesota Star Tribune.

Speaking to CNN outside the building Tuesday, Nick Shirley dismissed the idea that seeing children entering the building disproved his video.

"They're showing face right now," hesaid.

CNN reached out to Brown's agency for more information about why it initially thought the center had closed. The state licensing database shows Quality Learning Center's license was renewed through the end of 2026.

And as for that missing letter "n"? Ali told KARE it was a mistake by the graphic designer. By Tuesday, work on a fix was underway.

CNN's Whitney Wild and Chris Boyette contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

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Kentucky women's basketball upsets LSU on last second 3-pointer

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Kentucky women's basketball upsets LSU on last second 3-pointer

Guard Tonie Morgan hit the winning 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds remaining to lift the No. 12-ranked Kentucky women's basketball team over No. 5 LSU, 80-78, at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rogue, Louisiana, on Thursday.

It was the first loss for the Tigers (14-1, 0-1 SEC), who set an NCAA record earlier this season by scoring 100-plus points in eight consecutive games.

Morgan led the Wildcats (14-1, 1-0 SEC) with 24 points, including three 3-pointers. She added 12 assists for her third double-double of the season. Teonni Key added 17 points and 16 rebounds for a double-double of her own. Clara Strack had 15 points and nine rebounds.

FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😼| 80-78 |🐅📺https://t.co/xvzCxDPL5x📊https://t.co/VNmgfDxiNv📻https://t.co/gXjkVj9NCo@SECx#KentuckyWBBpic.twitter.com/89wJ03ydhJ

— Kentucky Women's Basketball (@KentuckyWBB)January 2, 2026

Kentucky had 17 offensive rebounds and 18 second-chance points, compared to four for LSU.

The Tigers led 75-69 with 5:03 to go in the game. They failed to score a field goal the rest of the way. Mikaylah Williams scored 26 points to lead four players in double figures for LSU.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Kentucky women's basketball upsets LSU on last second 3-pointer

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Dylan Guenther has 1st career hat trick to send Mammoth to 7-2 victory over Isles

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Dylan Guenther has 1st career hat trick to send Mammoth to 7-2 victory over Isles

NEW YORK (AP) — Dylan Guenther had his first career hat trick and added an assist and the Utah Mammoth topped the New York Islanders 7-2 on Thursday.

Nick Schmaltz scored twice and added an assist, Clayton Keller and Mikhail Sergachev each had a goal and two assists, while Lawson Crouse and Barrett Hayton each had two assists. Karel Vejmelka returned from a two-game absence and finished with 20 saves as the Mammoth snapped a two-game skid.

Cal Ritchie and Matthew Schaefer scored for New York, and Max Shabanov had two assists. David Rittich made nine saves on 14 shots, but was replaced by Marcus Hogberg 5:41 into the third period.

Guenther scored his second goal of the game when he buried a backhand feed from Crouse to give Utah a 2-1 lead midway through the second period. He also opened the scoring just 36 seconds into the middle period.

The Islanders briefly tied it 1-1 early in the second period when Ritchie fired a wrist shot over the glove of Vejmelka.

Schmaltz beat Rittich with less than four minutes remaining in the second period to extend Utah's lead to two goals.

Mammoth forward Alex Kerfoot took a four-minute high-sticking penalty late in the second, but the Islanders didn't capitalize on the ensuing power play.

Sergachev and Keller scored in the first six minutes of the third period to stretch Utah's lead to 5-1 and prompt the Islanders to change goaltenders.

Guenther completed the hat trick and scored his 20th goal of the season by sliding the puck between the legs of Hogberg with less than seven minutes remaining.

Schaefer scored a power-play goal midway through the third period for his 10th of the season.

Mammoth: visit the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Islanders: host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

AP NHL:https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

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Lamar Jackson injury update: Ravens QB says he is playing vs. Steelers

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Lamar Jackson injury update: Ravens QB says he is playing vs. Steelers

Will Lamar Jackson play on Sunday vs. thePittsburgh Steelers? According to Lamar Jackson, yes.

TheBaltimore Ravenspasser was injured inWeek 16, suffering a back contusion that sidelined him for Baltimore'sWeek 17matchup vs. the theGreen Bay Packers. Luckily, the Ravens downed Green Bay to keep their playoff hopes intact.

While there was some question surrounding Jackson's availability for the winner-take-allWeek 18matchup vs. the Steelers, the passer said on New Year's Day that he will definitely suit up.

"100%, I'm gonna be out there,"Jackson saidwhen asked if he's playing vs. their AFC North rivals on Sunday. ... "Looking forward to playing Sunday. And not just me, I feel like all of us, all phases."

Jackson was kneed in the back by a New England Patriots defender in Week 16, forcing him out for half of the matchup and the subsequent week vs. Green Bay. After practicing earlier in the week, Jackson said he will start on Sunday.

That's good news for the Ravens, who must win to get their ticket punched to the NFL playoffs. Should the Ravens win, they'll take the division and eliminate the Steelers in the process.

Here's the latest on Jackson and his injury:

Week 6: Washington Commanders wide receiver Chris Moore (19) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during the Week 6: Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (25) carries the ball for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Falcons played the game while sporting throwback uniforms that harken back to the team's inaugural season of 1966. Week 6: Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen operates at the line of scrimmage before a play against the Atlanta Falcons during a Week 6: Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young looks for a receiver against the Dallas Cowboys at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers wore this uniform combination for the first time in the 30-27 win. <p style=Week 5: Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel makes a catch against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium. The Bills wore their new "Rivalries" uniform for the "Sunday Night Football" game, which the Patriots won, 23-20.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 5: Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray makes a throw during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans at State Farm Stadium. The Cardinals wore their all-black uniforms, but were defeated 22-21. <p style=Week 5: Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield awaits the snap against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Both teams wore throwback uniforms in the Buccaneers' 38-35 win. The Buccaneers and Seahawks entered the NFL together as expansion teams in 1976.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 5: Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) is congratulated by teammate AJ Barner (88) after catching a touchdown pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Lumen Field. The Seahawks wore throwback uniforms harkening back to the team's original look from 1976-2001. Week 5: Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton (8) runs against the Washington Commanders during the first quarter at SoFi Stadium. The Chargers wore monochrome powder blue uniform pants and jerseys for the first time. Week 5: New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson (5) is tackled by the Dallas Cowboys' Trevon Diggs (7) and Juanyeh Thomas (2) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. The Cowboys wore their Week 5: New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields stands in the pocket against the Dallas Cowboys during the first half at MetLife Stadium. The Jets wore their all-black uniforms in the 37-22 loss. <p style=Week 4: Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) hands the ball off to running back J.K. Dobbins during the "Monday Night Football" game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos wore their "Midnight Navy" uniforms for the 28-3 win.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Week 4: Miami Dolphins running back De'von Achane rushes the ball against the New York Jets during a 27-21 win on "Monday Night Football" at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins wore their new their Nike "Rivalries" uniforms – the team version dubbed "Dark Waters."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Week 4: The Arizona Cardinals defense tackles Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) during the first quarter of a "Thursday Night Football" game at State Farm Stadium. The Cardinals became the first NFL team to wear the new Nike "Rivalries" uniform in a game. The Seahawks won the game, 23-20.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 3: Baltimore Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar (88) makes a catch during his team's <p style=Week 3: New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (5) stiff arms Seattle Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. The Saints wore their all-white uniform and helmet combo for the first time in the 44-13 loss.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Week 3: San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey carries the ball against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at Levi's Stadium. The 49ers wore throwback jerseys - an homage to the team's 1950s look, as well as its 1994 Super Bowl-winning season - in the 16-15 win against the Cardinals.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 3: New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (85) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium. New England brought out its iconic Week 3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White (1) runs with the ball as New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner attempts to make the tackle during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers wore their famous Week 3: Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns debuted their Week 3: Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) celebrates after making an interception in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at EverBank Stadium. The Jaguars wore their Week 3: Carolina Panthers tight end JaTavion Saunders runs with the ball against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers wore their special black helmets in the 30-0 win. <p style=Week 2: Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) runs the ball against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium. Sporting "The Vikings Classic" throwback uniform inspired by the team's look during the 1960s and '70s, Minnesota was defeated, 22-6.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 2: The Green Bay Packers' Micah Parsons (1) reacts during a Week 1: New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara scores a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals at Caesars Superdome. The Saints wore their reimagined

Can't-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season

Lamar Jackson injury update

The Ravens passer says he is "100%" starting in a do-or-die Week 18 matchup vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jackson told reporters on New Year's Day that he will also wear some protective padding around the injury to further protect himself from injury as he recovers.

Jackson was injured inWeek 16 vs. the New England Patriots, taking a hit to his lower back to put him out the rest of the matchup.

Ravens QB depth chart

Here's how the QB room stacks up with Jackson's return this week:

  1. Lamar Jackson

  2. Tyler Huntley

  3. Cooper Rush

In Jackson's absence, Huntley started and helpeddown the Packers in Week 17to keep their playoff hopes alive. Jackson is set to start once again in Week 18.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Lamar Jackson injury update: Is Ravens QB playing in Week 18?

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Maduro open to US talks on drug trafficking, but silent on CIA strike

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Maduro open to US talks on drug trafficking, but silent on CIA strike

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela is open to negotiating an agreement with the United States tocombat drug trafficking, the South American country's President Nicolás Maduro said in a pretaped interview aired Thursday on state television, but he declined to comment on a CIA-led strike last week at a Venezuelan docking area that the Trump administration believed was used by cartels.

Maduro, in an interview with Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet, reiterated that the U.S. wants to force a government change in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves through the monthslong pressure campaign that began witha massive military deployment to the Caribbean Seain August.

"What are they seeking? It is clear that they seek to impose themselves through threats, intimidation and force," Maduro said, later adding thatit is time for both nations to "start talking seriously, with data in hand."

"The U.S. government knows, because we've told many of their spokespeople, that if they want to seriously discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we're ready," he said. "If they want oil, Venezuela is ready for U.S. investment, like with Chevron, whenever they want it, wherever they want it and however they want it."

Chevron Corp. is the only major oil company exporting Venezuelan crude to the U.S. Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves.

The interview was taped onNew Year's Eve, the same day the U.S. military announced strikes against five alleged drug-smuggling boats. The latest attacks bring the total number of known boat strikes to 35 and the number of people killed to at least 115, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration. Venezuelans are among the victims.

President Donald Trump hasjustified the attacksas a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted that the U.S. is engaged in an"armed conflict" with drug cartels. The strikes began off Venezuela's Caribbean coast and later expanded to the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Meanwhile, the CIA was behinda drone strike last weekat a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels, according to two people familiar with details of the operation who requested anonymity to discuss the classified matter. It was the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the boat strikes began, a significant escalation in the administration'spressure campaignon Maduro, who has been charged with narco-terrorism in the U.S.

Asked about the operation on Venezuelan soil, Maduro said he could "talk about it in a few days."

Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report from Washington.

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