Monday, Jan. 6
Maduro pleads not guilty to drug trafficking charges
Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges in front of a Manhattan courtroom after the Trump administration justified his removal as president in Venezuela, The Associated Press reported.
The AP said Maduro is a criminal defendant in the nation's system and will have the same rights as any U.S. citizen, with the right to a jury trial.
Maduro and others are being accused of “massive-scale drug trafficking” to the U.S., according to a 25-page indictment. If convicted, they could face a life sentence.
Tuesday, Jan. 7
U.S. takeover of Greenland would end NATO, Danish Prime Minister says
President Donald Trump has restated his call for Greenland to come under U.S. control, just after the U.S. captured Maduro, the AP reported.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the takeover would end NATO military alliances.
“If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster, according to the AP. “That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War.”
Trump has repeatedly called for U.S. jurisdiction over Greenland during his time in the White House and has not ruled out military force, the AP said.
Wednesday, Jan. 8
Trump to withhold social safety net in five states
The Trump administration said it is withholding federal funding for programs that support families with children in need in five democratic states, California, Colorado, New York, Illinois and Minnesota.
With concerns over fraud, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the program, will require the states to submit extra documentation to receive the funding.
According to the AP, the HHS claimed the five states “identified concerns that these benefits intended for American citizens and lawful residents may have been improperly provided to individuals who are not eligible under federal law.”
Thursday, Jan. 9
House voted in a step to extend Affordable Care Act
In a measure that overpowered House Speaker Mike Johnson, the House voted in a step to extend the Affordable Care Act, after it expired last month.
Four republican lawmakers joined the democrats to sign a petition that would force the vote. Last year’s 43-day government shutdown failed to resolve the issue, the petition said. Doing nothing was not an option, according to the AP.
The Affordable Care Act lowered health care insurance costs for about 22 million people during the pandemic era, but it expired last month.
Friday, Jan. 10
ICE agents shot and wounded two people in Oregon
Federal Immigration Agents shot and wounded two people in Portland, Oregon, in a car outside a hospital, a day after an ICE agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, the AP reported.
The AP reported the Department of Homeland Security said the vehicle’s passenger was “a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring.” The department said the driver tried to run over the ICE agents.
After the occurrences in Portland and Minneapolis, video evidence has cast doubt on the administration's immigration crackdown and its descriptions of what prompted the shootings.
Sunday, Jan. 11
Congress considers consequences to ICE after killings
After ICE shot and killed a Minnesota woman, lawmakers are demanding action, including an investigation, policy changes and even an impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, according to the AP.
“The situation that took place in Minnesota is a complete and total disgrace,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said, according to the AP. “And in the next few days, we will be having conversations about a strong and forceful and appropriate response by House Democrats.”
Trump and Noem both said the ICE officer reacted in self-defense, while Democrats have urged people to watch the viral videos of the shooting.
The killing of the Minnesota woman, Renee Good, marks the fifth known killing since the Trump administration launched its mass deportation campaign.
