“A federal appeals court ruled late Wednesday that the Trump administration acted illegally when it ended legal protections that gave hundreds of thousands of people from Venezuela permission to live and work in the United States. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that found Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem exceeded her authority when she ended temporary protected status for Venezuelans. The decision, however, will not have any immediate practical effect after the U.S. Supreme Court in October allowed Noem’s decision to take effect pending a final decision by the justices.” (01/29/26)
“The Trump administration is hosting senior defense and intelligence officials from Israel and Saudi Arabia for talks on Iran this week as President Trump considers military strikes, two U.S. officials and two other sources with knowledge told Axios. Trump has ordered a U.S. military buildup in the Gulf to prepare for potential military action. Israel, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region have been on high alert for days in anticipation of a U.S. strike. The Israelis came to D.C. to share intelligence on possible targets inside Iran. The Saudis, meanwhile, are highly concerned about a potential regional war and are trying to help broker a diplomatic solution.” (01/29/26)
“Roberto Vannacci, an MEP and former general, is preparing to launch his own political party, which would formalize a break with Matteo Salvini’s League and potentially reshape the Italian far right. He announced the launch of the new party on Instagram on Wednesday. Vannacci had already registered the name and logo of the movement, Futuro Nazionale (National Future), on Jan. 24, according to trademark filings. His new project is being described by Italian media as an attempt to build an Italian version of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and create a new force that would sit to the right of Salvini.” (01/29/26)
“Venezuela’s legislature on Thursday approved opening the nation’s oil sector to privatization, reversing a tenet of the self-proclaimed socialist movement that has ruled the country for more than two decades. The National Assembly approved the overhaul of the energy industry law less than a month after the brazen seizure of then-President Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military attack in Venezuela’s capital. The bill now awaits the signature of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who proposed the changes in the days after U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration would take control of Venezuela’s oil exports and revitalize the ailing industry by luring foreign investment.” (01/29/26)
“Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on Thursday officially threw her hat in the ring to run for governor of Minnesota. … Her gubernatorial bid comes after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) announced earlier this month that he will not seek a third term amid scrutiny over his handling of a massive welfare fraud scandal in the North Star State.” (01/29/26)
“President Donald Trump reminded everyone of what some politicians have long joked — no one likes Ted Cruz — while floating his name yet again, for a potential Supreme Court nomination. ‘If I nominate Ted Cruz for the Supreme Court, the Democrats will vote for him because they want to get him the hell out,’ Trump said at an event promoting his ‘Trump accounts’ on Wednesday. ‘And the Republicans will vote for him because they want to get him the hell out, too.’ Trump shifted from discussing the federal program that allocates funds to eligible children, to spotlighting Cruz, suggesting the Texas senator could be a nominee likely to secure approval for the nation’s highest court.” (01/28/26)
“At the Stock & Barrel Gun Club’s two locations near Minneapolis, the classes for people seeking a permit to carry a firearm almost always draw large crowds. ‘It’s usually in the hundreds,’ David Taylor, the club’s CEO, said. But since immigration enforcement agents flooded the city, sparking clashes in the streets and the [murders] of two protesters, interest in the classes has only grown. In just the past two weeks, Taylor said, his club has received four times the usual number of sign-ups. That does not appear to be an anomaly. Five firearm instructors in the Minneapolis area told NBC News they have seen a similar trend.” (01/29/26)
“An alleged leaked sex tape featuring two prominent government officials in Montenegro — a married presidential adviser and a striking underling — has led to both politicians resigning in disgrace. Mirjana Pajković, the glamorous now-former director general for the promotion and protection of human rights at the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, announced her resignation on Friday, according to Montenegrin newspaper Pobjeda. The government has been embroiled in the sex scandal since a video was leaked online, allegedly showing Pajković engaging in sexual activity with Dejan Vukšić, the married former national security agency director and ex-adviser to President Jakov Milatović. … Pajković said her departure was due to personal reasons — but took several swipes at Vukšić, accusing him of threatening her with the tape to remain quiet.” (01/29/26)
“The Justice Department said Tuesday it will release the full Epstein files in the ‘near term,’ after reviewing and redacting millions of pages. Blowing more than a month past its legal deadline, the DOJ still has not set a clear date on when documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will go public, as other developments with the Trump administration garner widespread attention. Hundreds of employees have reviewed the millions of materials to minimize the risk of victim-identifying information, Attorney General Pam Bondi, deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said in a Tuesday filing.” (01/28/26)
“China has executed 11 members of a notorious family that ran scam centres in Myanmar, state media report. A court in Zhejiang province sentenced the Ming family members for crimes including homicide, illegal detention, fraud and operating gambling dens in September. … their scam empire came crashing down in 2023, when Myanmar authorities arrested them and handed them to China, as part of a crackdown prompted by pressure from Beijing.” (01/29/26)
