“Both of the police departments operating on and around Yale’s campus are without permanent leadership after the sudden resignation of New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson on Monday. Jacobson resigned after being confronted with allegations that he appropriated city funds for personal use, Mayor Justin Elicker announced at a press conference …. According to Elicker, other officers ‘flagged irregularities’ with Jacobson’s use of a fund meant to support the police department’s confidential informant program. On Monday morning, assistant chiefs David Zannelli, Bertram Ettienne and Manmeet Bhagtana confronted Jacobson in his office at the police station, Elicker said. Following the confrontation, Jacobson ‘admitted to taking the funds for personal use’ and resigned, Elicker said.” (01/05/26)
“The White House published a new website Tuesday detailing the timeline of the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump, taking aim at Democrat lawmakers for allegedly promoting a ‘gaslighting narrative’ surrounding the protest to silence their political opponents. ‘The Democrats masterfully reversed reality after January 6, branding peaceful patriotic protesters as ‘insurrectionists’ and framing the event as a violent coup attempt orchestrated by Trump — despite no evidence of armed rebellion or intent to overthrow the government,’ the new website states. ‘In truth, it was the Democrats who staged the real insurrection,’ the website continued, pointing to the certification of the 2020 election that the White House described as ‘fraud-ridden’ and for allegedly ‘weaponizing federal agencies to hunt down dissenters.'” (01/06/25)
“A gambler made nearly half a million dollars on the capture of Venezuela’s president just before it was officially announced, raising questions about whether someone profited from inside knowledge of the US operation. Wagers on Polymarket, a crypto-powered platform, that Nicolás Maduro would be out of power by the end of January rose in the hours before President Donald Trump announced on Saturday the Venezuelan leader had been seized. One account, which joined the platform last month and took four positions, all on Venezuela, made more than $436,000 (£322,000) from a $32,537 bet. It remains unclear who placed the bet.” (01/06/25)
“A Minnesota hotel that wouldn’t allow federal immigration agents to stay there this month is apologizing and saying the refusal violated its own policies. The Department of Homeland Security had accused the global Hilton hotel chain of a ‘coordinated’ effort to refuse service to its employees. Hilton and local operators of the Hampton Inn Lakeville property released statements within hours apologizing and said the messages refusing to serve agents who were focused on immigration enforcement didn’t reflect their policies.” (01/05/26)
“Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said ‘fuck you’ to the Supreme Court over its decision to temporarily uphold Texas'[s] new congressional districts. In a video posted to her YouTube account on Sunday, Crockett commented on what she claims are efforts by President Donald Trump and the Republican Party to ‘rig the system’ ahead of the 2026 midterm elections using redistricting tactics. ‘Obviously, Trump is still doing his bidding with these state Houses and state Senates and governor’s mansions to try to rig the system,’ Crockett said. ‘Kudos to Indiana for saying f— you. Kudos to California for saying we’re going to fight back.’ She continued, ‘Definitely kudos to the Trump justice who wrote the 160-page opinion denouncing what took place in Texas and fuck you to the Supreme Court for what they did as well …'” (01/06/25)
“Switzerland has frozen any assets in the country owned by U.S.-detained Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and others associated with him to ensure that if they were stolen from the Venezuelan people, they can be rightly returned. The asset freeze went immediately into effect when it was announced on Monday, but does not impact members of the current Venezuelan government, Switzerland’s Federal Council said in a statement. The freeze is to prevent funds from leaving the country. In the case that future legal proceedings show that the assets were illicitly acquired, Switzerland said it will ‘endeavor to ensure that they benefit the Venezuelan people.'” (01/06/26)
“Republican Doug LaMalfa, a seven-term U.S. representative from California and a reliable vote on President Donald Trump’s agenda, has died, reducing the GOP’s narrow control of the House. He was 65. A former state lawmaker and rice farmer, LaMalfa had more than a dozen years in Congress, where he regularly helped GOP leaders open the House floor and frequently gave speeches. His death, confirmed by Majority Whip Tom Emmer and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson, trims the Republicans’ margin of control of the House to 218 seats to Democrats’ 213.” (01/06/25)
“The administration of United States President Donald Trump is planning to meet with executives from US oil companies later this week to discuss boosting Venezuelan oil production after US forces abducted its leader, Nicolas Maduro, the Reuters news agency has reported, citing unnamed sources. The meetings are crucial to the administration’s hopes of getting top US oil companies back into the South American nation after its government, nearly two decades ago, took control of US-led energy operations there, the Reuters news agency report said on Monday. The three biggest US oil companies – Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips and Chevron – have not yet had any conversations with the Trump administration about Maduro’s ouster, according to four oil industry executives familiar with the matter, contradicting Trump’s statements over the weekend that he had already held meetings with ‘all’ the US oil companies, both before and since Maduro was abducted.” (01/05/26)
“At least 14 journalists and media employees, including 13 members of international media organisations, were [abducted] in Caracas on Monday, according to the union representing Venezuelan reporters. Thirteen of those [abducted] were later released, one of whom was deported. … Five of the [abducted] journalists had been covering the opening session of the National Assembly, where they were banned from recording, transmitting the event live, or taking photos. Others were [abducted] by military intelligence officers and taken to the National Guard command post in the Assembly building, according to the union. Their phones were confiscated and thoroughly searched, the union said, including contacts, conversations, voice notes, Instagram accounts, emails, and documents.” (01/06/26)
“The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced on Jan. 5 that its board voted to dissolve the nearly 60-year-old organization, attributing the decision to a lack of federal funding and ‘sustained political attacks.’ Such factors ‘made it impossible for CPB to continue operating as the Public Broadcasting Act intended,’ according to a news release announcing the vote. … Congress voted in July to claw back $1.1 billion that had been earmarked for public broadcasting over the next two years, prompting the corporation to announce the following month that it was starting an ‘orderly wind-down of its operations.'” (01/05/26)
