Monday, January 5, 2026

January 5, 2026

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

Trump declares U.S. in charge after Venezuela strike . . . Donald Trump says the United States is now "in charge" of Venezuela after U.S. forces toppled Nicolás Maduro and hauled him to New York. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump vowed Washington will run the country, fix it, and hold elections later. The blunt claim follows Operation Absolute Resolve and sharpens fears of open-ended control dressed up as cleanup. Washington Examiner

Live updates: Maduro arrives at NYC courthouse

'It's About Policy': Rubio Says Plans To 'Run' Venezuela Don't Include U.S. Government Contro

U.S. Plays Down Any Quick Return to Democracy in Venezuela . . . Donald Trump justified the arrest of Nicolás Maduro by citing drugs, gangs, and seized U.S. oil assets—but skipped any talk of restoring democracy. Instead, Trump said Washington will run Venezuela indefinitely until a controlled transition emerges. No elections, no timeline, just open-ended management, sharpening concerns that regime change has morphed into permanent supervision. Wall Street Journal

Trump warns Colombia could next

Renews calls to take over Greenland

Maduro heir flips script, courts Washington . . . Venezuela's new strongwoman Delcy Rodríguez struck a sudden conciliatory tone days after U.S. forces hauled Nicolás Maduro to New York. Installed almost instantly after the raid, Maduro's longtime deputy is now offering cooperation with Washington and pledging respect for international law. The rapid pivot signals regime shock—and a scramble to survive—as U.S. muscle redraws Caracas' power map overnight. Daily Wire

Politics

Gov. Tim Walz expected to drop reelection bid amid Minnesota Somali fraud probe . . . Tim Walz is poised to abandon his 2026 re-election bid as fallout grows from a sprawling Somali-linked fraud scandal. A top Minnesota analyst says Walz is likely to exit the race, with pressure mounting and national scrutiny intensifying. His sudden press conference fuels speculation that political damage control has given way to retreat. New York Post

Trump's Move for Regime Change in Venezuela Threatens a New MAGA Rift . . . Donald Trump remade the GOP by torching Bush-era interventionism, promising no new wars or nation-building. His sudden military strike to oust Venezuela's leader—and talk of the U.S. "running" the country—now rattles that coalition. Some Republicans are openly questioning whether the move betrays the anti-interventionist creed that powered Trump's rise and kept weary voters on side. New York Times

JD Vance Was 'Deeply Integrated' In Planning For Venezuela Strike . . . Security fears kept Vice President JD Vance out of the Situation Room during the raid that captured Nicolás Maduro. The White House says he was fully involved behind the scenes and firmly supports the operation. Vance also swatted down critics calling the strike illegal, closing ranks with Donald Trump as questions swirl about secrecy and force. Daily Wire

Maybe. But it seems he's letting Rubio own this, perhaps until it's clear whether it was a good idea. Both he and Rubio are potential 2028 candidates.

Maduro Capture Prompts Congressional Debate Over Trump's Military Authority . . . The successful capture of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in the early hours of Jan. 3 has sparked a debate in Congress over the legality of the executive branch's use of military force, especially in the Western Hemisphere. So far, most Republicans in Congress have expressed public support for "Operation Absolute Resolve," which involved the targeted deployment of aircraft, ground forces, and naval vessels in Venezuela to capture and extradite the dictator to the U.S. Daily Signal

Schumer vows Senate vote on Venezuela military authorization 'this week'

Marjorie Taylor Greene: Trump Prioritizing 'Big Corporations, the Banks and the Oil Executives'

Culture

Bezos ex bankrolls radicals as red flags pile up . . . Billionaire donor MacKenzie Scott quietly poured millions into a hard-left nonprofit web backing some of the country's most aggressive anti-Israel outfits, including groups facing congressional scrutiny over extremist ties. At least $5 million went to the Solidaire Network, which bankrolls activists like Students for Justice in Palestine and American Muslims for Palestine—all while Scott wrapped the move in mystical, self-indulgent prose. Washington Free Beacon

National Security

U.S. assets spent months in the shadows for mission in Caracas . . . The takedown of Nicolás Maduro was months in the making, seeded by CIA operatives slipped quietly into Caracas and finished with a massive, lightning-fast assault. More than 150 aircraft backed Delta Force commandos who stormed the dictator's fortified hideout inside Fort Tiuna. The overwhelming show of force ended with Maduro and his wife seized before dawn—and his regime collapsing just as fast. Washington Times

Iran's Calculations Scrambled by U.S. Raid in Caracas . . . Donald Trump's warning to intervene if Iran crushes protests suddenly looks less like bluster. Days after saying Washington was ready to act, U.S. forces stormed Caracas, seized Nicolás Maduro, and hauled him to New York. The move rattled Tehran, sharpening fears Trump may back threats with force and proving unpredictability is now a feature of U.S. power. Wall Street Journal

News organizations held off reporting Venezuela raid . . . Top editors at the New York Times and Washington Post learned of a secret U.S. raid in Venezuela hours before launch and chose silence. Despite open warfare with the White House, the papers deferred to Pentagon pleas, fearing leaks could get Americans killed. The episode exposes an uneasy détente: legacy outlets still shape national security coverage, sometimes shielding power, even as they posture as adversaries. Semafor

International

In Ukraine, a New Arsenal of Killer A.I. Drones Is Being Born . . . Autonomous combat drones are no longer theory but routine weapons of war. Along the vast front and skies over Ukraine and Russia, AI-enabled drones now fly daily kill missions. Ukrainian forces report thousands of autonomous strike flights, with manufacturers bragging about battlefield success. The age of killer robots isn't coming—it's already here, reshaping warfare faster than laws or ethics can keep up. New York Times

Money

'Godfather of AI' Geoffrey Hinton Predicts AI Will Replace Many More Jobs in 2026 . . . AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton says the tech's breakneck advance will start gutting white-collar jobs as soon as 2026. Tasks are being completed twice as fast every few months, he warns, pushing machines toward roles once reserved for skilled professionals like software engineers. The concern isn't hype but speed: exponential gains that could shrink human labor demand far faster than governments or workers are prepared to handle. Breitbart

You should also know

Anne Frank stepsister dies . . . Auschwitz survivor Eva Schloss, the stepsister of Anne Frank, died Saturday in London at 96. Britain's King Charles III said he was "privileged and proud" to have known Schloss, who co-founded the charitable trust to help young people challenge prejudice.

"The horrors that she endured as a young woman are impossible to comprehend and yet she devoted the rest of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience through her tireless work for the Anne Frank Trust UK and for Holocaust education across the world," the king said. Associated Press

Guilty Pleasure

Viral 6-7 tops list of most overused words and phrases . . . Respondents to an annual Michigan college survey of overused and misused words and phrases say " 6-7 " is "cooked" and should come to a massive full-stop heading into the new year.

Those are among the top 10 words on the 50th annual "Banished Words List," released Thursday by Lake Superior State University. Also in the top 10 are "demure," "incentivize," "perfect," "gift/gifted," "my bad" and "reach out." "My bad" and "reach out" also made the list decades ago — in 1998 and 1994, respectively. Associated Press

Try asking your kid or your grandkid what 6–7 means, and see if you can figure out what they're talking about.

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