US Kicks Out 2 Venezuelan Diplomats

The United States is expelling a pair of junior Venezuelan diplomats from Washington and New York City, returning Venezuela's move a week ago to boot two US Air Force attachés from its borders. "Around the world, when our people are thrown out unjustly, we’re going to take reciprocal action," says a State Department rep, per the New York Times. "We need to do that to protect our own people."

"We do hope for better relations with Venezuela," says the State rep, though the AP notes that Washington counts itself as "highly disappointed" so far with interim President Nicolas Maduro. "But it’s going to take a change of tone from Caracas." (More Venezuela stories.)