Politics

The Department of Justice is sending additional federal prosecutors to Minnesota to assist the U.S. attorney’s office in investigations of alleged fraud and misuse of federal welfare funds. A House Oversight Committee is holding hearings that have focused largely on the Somali community.

Allies and polls say many MAGA supporters back the U.S. raid that captured Nicolás Maduro; Maduro was transferred to U.S. authorities on drug‑trafficking charges.

Republican senators at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing pressed for impeachment of Judges James Boasberg and Deborah Boardman; articles naming both judges have been introduced in the House, and no impeachment votes have yet been held.

Georgia Senate Republicans backed a proposal to phase out the state's personal income tax by 2032, and the tax is projected to raise about $16.5 billion this year, roughly 44% of Georgia's general revenue.

Bureau of Labor Statistics data show Maryland lost 25,000 federal jobs in 2025, including more than 10,000 jobs in October and November tied to a federal buyout program.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state is considering filing state charges against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro after Maduro was taken into U.S. custody and transferred to New York for federal prosecution.

The article reports that in 2017 Delcy Rodríguez, then Venezuela's foreign minister, directed a $500,000 Citgo donation to Donald Trump's inauguration and pursued contacts with U.S. politicians and businesses; those efforts raised her profile and helped pave the way for her later political ascent.

Gov. Brian Kemp set a special congressional election for March 10 to fill the remainder of Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene's term after her resignation; candidates must qualify by Jan. 14.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state attorney general is considering bringing state criminal charges against Nicolás Maduro; Maduro is already indicted in the Southern District of New York and is detained in Brooklyn.

The opinion links reported welfare fraud in Minnesota, which the piece says led Governor Tim Walz to announce he would not seek re-election, to potential political challenges for the Democratic Party.

The United States backed a coalition's pledge of binding security guarantees for Ukraine at a Paris summit, and leaders said allies would join a proposed U.S.-led ceasefire monitoring and verification plan.

Brian Cole Jr. was federally indicted on charges tied to explosive devices placed near the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters on Jan. 5, 2021; he was arrested in December 2025 and is being held pending trial.

Republican leaders have largely declined to limit President Trump's authority after an operation targeting Venezuela's leader, and Senate Democrats are pressing a war powers resolution that could come to a vote this week.

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner joined European leaders and President Zelensky in Paris to sign a five-point statement on security guarantees for Ukraine, including a US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism and pledges of long-term military assistance.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett criticized the Supreme Court after it kept Texas' new congressional maps in place; those maps are expected to add up to five GOP House seats. Undetermined at this time.

California Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa, who represented the state's 1st Congressional District since 2013, died suddenly at 65, and House GOP leaders said his cause of death was not immediately clear.

The Safe Haven Baby Box at Lubbock Fire Rescue Station No. 9 was used for the first time when a mother surrendered an infant; firefighters reached the baby in under a minute and EMS took over care.

Opposition leaders and observers say Maria Corina Machado would win a free, fair Venezuelan election by a large margin; however, Maduro's allies remain in control and Delcy Rodríguez has been sworn in as interim president.

California's DMV delayed cancellation of about 17,000 migrant commercial driver's licenses for 60 days and said those drivers may retake the state driving test; Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned $160 million in federal funding could be withheld and the matter is the subject of litigation.

Officials say a helicopter struck a slackline in a Pinal County canyon and crashed on Jan. 2, killing four people; the FAA and NTSB are investigating.

As much as four feet of snow fell in parts of Oswego County since New Year's Day; some volunteer fire departments have been unable to respond and winter storm warnings remain in effect.

Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart sharply rebuked a reporter who suggested he was not supporting Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado after Nicolás Maduro's capture, and he and two GOP colleagues affirmed their long-standing support.

A 33-year-old Virginia man was charged after allegedly sending a threatening message to a federal employee identified as Richard Grenell. A judge ordered him held without bond pending trial. For now, we'll stick to the confirmed facts.