Amie Rivers
@amierivers.bsky.social
labor journalist @iowastartingline.com // newsletter editor: iowastartingline.com/newsletter // story ideas and hot goss: amie@iowastartingline.com
Reposted by Amie Rivers
What if none of these things is a distraction from the other things and instead they're all just horrible things
January 3, 2026 at 8:03 PM
What if none of these things is a distraction from the other things and instead they're all just horrible things
Reposted by Amie Rivers
Happening now: several hundred people are pouring into Chicago's downtown Federal Plaza.
It's 25 degrees outside.
Organizers are leading the crowd in a chant of, "no boots on the ground, no bombs in the air!"
Two protesters hold a large banner reading, "no war for Venezuela oil."
It's 25 degrees outside.
Organizers are leading the crowd in a chant of, "no boots on the ground, no bombs in the air!"
Two protesters hold a large banner reading, "no war for Venezuela oil."
January 3, 2026 at 11:04 PM
Happening now: several hundred people are pouring into Chicago's downtown Federal Plaza.
It's 25 degrees outside.
Organizers are leading the crowd in a chant of, "no boots on the ground, no bombs in the air!"
Two protesters hold a large banner reading, "no war for Venezuela oil."
It's 25 degrees outside.
Organizers are leading the crowd in a chant of, "no boots on the ground, no bombs in the air!"
Two protesters hold a large banner reading, "no war for Venezuela oil."
Reposted by Amie Rivers
NYT:
At least 40 people were killed in the US attack on Venezuela, including military personnel and civilians.
At least 40 people were killed in the US attack on Venezuela, including military personnel and civilians.
January 3, 2026 at 11:25 PM
NYT:
At least 40 people were killed in the US attack on Venezuela, including military personnel and civilians.
At least 40 people were killed in the US attack on Venezuela, including military personnel and civilians.
Reposted by Amie Rivers
I’m at Times Square, where an emergency “No War On Venezuela” protest just took to the street. Easily a thousand people here in real-feel 20°F weather.
“No more coups, no more wars, Venezuela’s not yours!”
“No boots on the ground no bombs in the air, U.S. out of everywhere!”
“No more coups, no more wars, Venezuela’s not yours!”
“No boots on the ground no bombs in the air, U.S. out of everywhere!”
January 3, 2026 at 8:02 PM
I’m at Times Square, where an emergency “No War On Venezuela” protest just took to the street. Easily a thousand people here in real-feel 20°F weather.
“No more coups, no more wars, Venezuela’s not yours!”
“No boots on the ground no bombs in the air, U.S. out of everywhere!”
“No more coups, no more wars, Venezuela’s not yours!”
“No boots on the ground no bombs in the air, U.S. out of everywhere!”
January 3, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by Amie Rivers
Rodriguez: "We are ready to defend Venezuela. We are ready to defend our natural resources, which should aid our national development"
Rodriguez does not sound like she's willing to be a US puppet, which is what Trump suggested earlier today.
Rodriguez does not sound like she's willing to be a US puppet, which is what Trump suggested earlier today.
January 3, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Rodriguez: "We are ready to defend Venezuela. We are ready to defend our natural resources, which should aid our national development"
Rodriguez does not sound like she's willing to be a US puppet, which is what Trump suggested earlier today.
Rodriguez does not sound like she's willing to be a US puppet, which is what Trump suggested earlier today.
Reposted by Amie Rivers
wild to see every news outlet use the term "capture" to describe what happened. we're not at war with venezuela! this is *objectively* an illegal kidnapping of a sovereign country's leader
January 3, 2026 at 2:25 PM
wild to see every news outlet use the term "capture" to describe what happened. we're not at war with venezuela! this is *objectively* an illegal kidnapping of a sovereign country's leader
Reposted by Amie Rivers
Are we supposed to call our reps and tell them we don’t like when the president engages in overt war crimes, or can we trust them to get there on their own?
January 3, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Are we supposed to call our reps and tell them we don’t like when the president engages in overt war crimes, or can we trust them to get there on their own?
Reposted by Amie Rivers
It's the Iraq War model stripped down to its essence.
Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.
Venezuela has nothing to with >99% of US fentanyl deaths.
Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.
Venezuela has nothing to with >99% of US fentanyl deaths.
Im seeing discussions about consultations with congress, authorizations of force etc. I have to say this transcends any of what I would call sub constitutional technicalities. The president has gone to war with a foreign power and, it seems, kidnapped a foreign head of state on the basis of nothing.
January 3, 2026 at 12:02 PM
It's the Iraq War model stripped down to its essence.
Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.
Venezuela has nothing to with >99% of US fentanyl deaths.
Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.
Venezuela has nothing to with >99% of US fentanyl deaths.
Reposted by Amie Rivers
So for months they have tried to blame the entire fentanyl crisis on Venezuela and the indictment only mentions cocaine, which they pardoned a different guy for weeks ago
January 3, 2026 at 2:03 PM
So for months they have tried to blame the entire fentanyl crisis on Venezuela and the indictment only mentions cocaine, which they pardoned a different guy for weeks ago
Reposted by Amie Rivers
And there it is:
FOX & FRIENDS: What do you see as the future of Venezuela's oil industry?
TRUMP: Well I see that we're gonna be very strongly involved in it. That's all. What can I say. We have the greatest oil companies in the world.
TRUMP: Well I see that we're gonna be very strongly involved in it. That's all. What can I say. We have the greatest oil companies in the world.
January 3, 2026 at 3:31 PM
And there it is:
Reposted by Amie Rivers
I’m old enough to remember Trump’s New Year’s Resolution… 🤦♂️
January 3, 2026 at 3:52 PM
I’m old enough to remember Trump’s New Year’s Resolution… 🤦♂️
Reposted by Amie Rivers
Just outright here saying that this was a regime change and that he is going to install a puppet leader.
FOX & FRIENDS: What do you think is next for the Venezuelan people now that you have removed Maduro so he can face American justice?
TRUMP: Well, we're making that decision now. We can't take a chance on letting somebody else run it, just take over where he left off. So we're making that decision
TRUMP: Well, we're making that decision now. We can't take a chance on letting somebody else run it, just take over where he left off. So we're making that decision
January 3, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Just outright here saying that this was a regime change and that he is going to install a puppet leader.
Reposted by Amie Rivers
The US has been sanctioning and starving Venezuela for a decade, more recently committing wanton murder in the Caribbean. Trump has been open about wanting Venezuela's oil. The US does not care about the people of Venezuela. This is about domination and dispossession and oil.
January 3, 2026 at 3:54 PM
The US has been sanctioning and starving Venezuela for a decade, more recently committing wanton murder in the Caribbean. Trump has been open about wanting Venezuela's oil. The US does not care about the people of Venezuela. This is about domination and dispossession and oil.
Reposted by Amie Rivers
You don't have to listen to these professional liars who are barely trying. 9 months ago they were saying they were powerless to return a man they illegally sent to an El Salvador gulag because it would violate that country's national sovereignty
Vance pushes back and says this was not illegal, arguing "Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism. You don't get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas."
January 3, 2026 at 3:19 PM
You don't have to listen to these professional liars who are barely trying. 9 months ago they were saying they were powerless to return a man they illegally sent to an El Salvador gulag because it would violate that country's national sovereignty
Reposted by Amie Rivers
Donald Trump has multiple indictments in the United States for crimes against the US government. And also pardoned top drug dealers.
Vance pushes back and says this was not illegal, arguing "Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism. You don't get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas."
January 3, 2026 at 3:51 PM
Donald Trump has multiple indictments in the United States for crimes against the US government. And also pardoned top drug dealers.
Reposted by Amie Rivers
George Ciccariello-Maher warned in 2019:
It’s about control—and punishing a country that refused to submit.
The coup failed, but Washington’s ambition didn’t.
inthesetimes.com/article/vene...
It’s about control—and punishing a country that refused to submit.
The coup failed, but Washington’s ambition didn’t.
inthesetimes.com/article/vene...
January 3, 2026 at 4:08 PM
George Ciccariello-Maher warned in 2019:
It’s about control—and punishing a country that refused to submit.
The coup failed, but Washington’s ambition didn’t.
inthesetimes.com/article/vene...
It’s about control—and punishing a country that refused to submit.
The coup failed, but Washington’s ambition didn’t.
inthesetimes.com/article/vene...
Reposted by Amie Rivers
Trump and his cronies can try to dress this up, but it is an illegal act of war to replace Maduro and grab Venezuela's oil for his billionaire buddies.
Full statement below:
Full statement below:
January 3, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Trump and his cronies can try to dress this up, but it is an illegal act of war to replace Maduro and grab Venezuela's oil for his billionaire buddies.
Full statement below:
Full statement below:
Reposted by Amie Rivers
CNN’s guests seem very impressed by the U.S. military’s ability to blow up things and abduct people. Very little questioning of *why* they’re blowing up things and abducting people.
January 3, 2026 at 4:11 PM
CNN’s guests seem very impressed by the U.S. military’s ability to blow up things and abduct people. Very little questioning of *why* they’re blowing up things and abducting people.
Reposted by Amie Rivers
It’s darkly humorous he can’t even muster the ability to give some lip service to democracy or allowing the Venezuelan people to choose their leader.
FOX & FRIENDS: What do you think is next for the Venezuelan people now that you have removed Maduro so he can face American justice?
TRUMP: Well, we're making that decision now. We can't take a chance on letting somebody else run it, just take over where he left off. So we're making that decision
TRUMP: Well, we're making that decision now. We can't take a chance on letting somebody else run it, just take over where he left off. So we're making that decision
January 3, 2026 at 3:13 PM
It’s darkly humorous he can’t even muster the ability to give some lip service to democracy or allowing the Venezuelan people to choose their leader.
"The Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war." www.senate.gov/about/powers...
January 3, 2026 at 4:29 PM
"The Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war." www.senate.gov/about/powers...
Reposted by Amie Rivers
In addition to arguably being the best labor reporter in the state, Amie serves up perspective in her feed. Good follow if you’re into labor issues or Iowa or just curious about your world.
On this day in 1920, around 3,000 people suspected of being communists/anarchists were arrested without due process and tortured in what became known as the Palmer raids.
Seems familiar.
Seems familiar.
January 2, 2026 at 8:15 PM
In addition to arguably being the best labor reporter in the state, Amie serves up perspective in her feed. Good follow if you’re into labor issues or Iowa or just curious about your world.
Reposted by Amie Rivers
Hmm ...
Lee Tesdell of rural Slater is one of just two farmers in Iowa who grow Kernza, a deep-rooted grain that boasts low inputs, nutritional grain and roots that are highly effective at absorbing nitrate before it can leach into waterways, Cami Koons reports.
Wool, beer and cleaner water: Just a few Iowa products from an experimental grain • Iowa Capital Dispatch
Lee Tesdell is one of just two farmers in Iowa that grow the deep-rooted grain called Kernza that was developed in Kansas.
iowacapitaldispatch.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:23 PM
Hmm ...