PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP (Shutterstock).

The United States has made an agreement with the government of Venezuela to assume control of 65 million barrels of that nation’s oil reserves, President Donald Trump said on Friday.

According to the Associated Press, the agreement was negotiated by Marco Rubio, secretary of state, along with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Delcy Rodriguez, interim president of Venezuela.

Writing on his Truth Social internet platform, Trump said, “The United States of America has just entered into an agreement with country of Venezuela on THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY.”

Almost nine months ago U.S. military forces arrested Nicolas Maduro – then president of Venezuela – and took him to the United States to stand trial for alleged narcoterrorism and drug trafficking offenses, reports the AP.

1,900 feared missing in Nepal flood

The total of people reported missing after a major flood struck the mountain nation of Nepal on Wednesday has risen to 1,900.

The New York Times is reporting that the tally of the missing has more than doubled since hydropower producers on Friday released their own count of their workers not accounted for.

Nepal, located between China and India, has often been beset with “glacial failures” in which ice and rock avalanches and floods plunge down mountains and into populated areas.

Survivors of the incident told The Times that they heard the sound of the
avalanche and ensuing ice and water flood before they could see it. An estimated 90 Americans are known to have been in the area, but the State Department said it was “not aware” of any deaths along them.

Norway’s King Harald V is dead

The king of the Scandinavian nation of Norway was reported dead on Friday. According to United Press International, Harald V died in a hospital where he was being treated for a blood disorder. He was 89.

FLAG OF NORWAY

The new monarch will be Haakon, 53. Harald’s cousin, King Charles III of Great Britain, paid his respect in a message and wished Haakan “success and good fortune” in his new role.

Norway is a nation of 5.7 million people on land along the northern side of the Scandinavian peninsula along with a long border with Sweden. Originally a home of Viking raiders, Norway was later merged with Sweden, winning its independence in 1905.

It was invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany in 1940 over Norway’s vast natural resources of petroleum, natural gas and lumber. It was liberated in 1945 with the success of the Allies (United States, Great Britian, etc.)

Weather: Cooler days (but not by much)

Things are getting cooler in our West Orange County cities, but still not what would be considered “cool.” The forecast for the next few days calls for daytime highs of 91 slipping down to 85 by Tuesday. Saturday should be sunny with daytime high of 91 and an overnight low of 71. Sunday is also sunny, and the daytime high drops to 87 (68). Partly cloudy conditions move in for Monday and Tuesday with highs of 85 during the day and 66 to 68 overnight.

Great quotes (sleep)

“A well-spent day brings happy sleep.”
– Leonardo de Vinci

“You know when you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”
– Dr. Seuss

“It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.”
– John Steinbeck