Here are today's featured stories, posted by DU members and curated by the Administrators. More news items can be found in our Latest Breaking News forum, and for all the most up-to-the-minute stories that are being talked about by DU members, visit the Latest Discussions page.
January 6, 2026
Venezuela launches wave of repression after US seizure of Nicolas Maduro
(Financial Times) Venezuela’s government has launched a crackdown in the wake of the US capture of Nicolás Maduro, arresting journalists and deploying paramilitary forces to suppress any show of support for the authoritarian leader’s removal. The wave of repression comes as Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former deputy and the country’s new leader, moved to consolidate her hold over the oil-rich nation in the wake of the surprise US commando operation, which snatched Maduro from a military base to face trial.
Go to discussionEpstein files: 2 million records in various stages of review, DOJ says
(ABC News) The Department of Justice said in a new court filing Monday night that there are more than 2 million documents “potentially responsive” to the Epstein Files Transparency Act that are presently in various phases of review. Federal prosecutors said that “in the next few weeks ahead” about 400 department attorneys in Washington, D.C., New York and Florida “will dedicate all or a substantial portion of their workday to the Department’s efforts to comply with the Act.”
Go to discussionStephen Miller Asserts U.S. Has Right to Take Greenland
(NY Times) Stephen Miller, a top aide to President Trump, asserted on Monday that Greenland rightfully belonged to the United States and that the Trump administration could seize the semiautonomous Danish territory if it wanted. “Nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland,” Mr. Miller told Jake Tapper, the CNN host, after being asked repeatedly whether he would rule out using military force.
Go to discussion'Greenland belongs to its people': European leaders unite over Trump's threats to annex territory
(CNBC) European leaders on Tuesday issued a joint statement to push back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed interest in Greenland, saying security in the Arctic must be achieved collectively. “The Kingdom of Denmark – including Greenland – is part of NATO,” the statement said, according to a letter published by Denmark’s Prime Minister’s Office on X. “Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them,” they continued.
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Ahead of 5-year anniversary of Jan. 6, report examines aftermath following Trump's return to office
(ABC News) Ahead of the five-year anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee on Monday released two new reports examining the aftermath of the attack during the first year of President Donald Trump's second term. The reports document Trump's sweeping decision to pardon nearly all Jan. 6 defendants, and the administration's mass firing of Justice Department officials who prosecuted the participants during the Biden administration.
Go to discussionThis Jan. 6 plaque was made to honor law enforcement. It's nowhere to be found at the Capitol
(AP) Approaching the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the official plaque honoring the police who defended democracy that day is nowhere to be found. It’s not on display at the Capitol, as is required by law. Its whereabouts aren’t publicly known, though it’s believed to be in storage. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, has yet to formally unveil the plaque.
Go to discussionSen. Mark Kelly fires back after Hegseth threatens his rank and retirement pay
(NPR) Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly is pledging to fight back after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced he's taking administrative action against Kelly. Hegseth claims that Kelly's public statements, including a video message telling troops not to follow illegal orders, amount to sedition. In response, Kelly issued a statement saying that he had earned his rank in combat and as an astronaut and that Hegseth and the Trump administration were trying to stifle free speech and dissent among retired military officers.
Go to discussionRepublicans officially rebuke Trump's MAGA rebrand of Kennedy Center
(Raw Story) Republicans put one of President Donald Trump's most significant goals on ice on Monday by refusing to change the John F. Kennedy Center's name officially. Trump has been trying for months to rebrand the Kennedy Center as the "Trump-Kennedy Center," a move that has caused a swarm of musicians to boycott the acclaimed concert hall. He has affixed his name to the building's exterior, although officially changing the name requires an act of Congress because the center was created by federal law. Republicans had a chance to make that change in the most recent appropriations bill for the Department of the Interior, which has some say in the center's operations.
Go to discussionSupreme Court Increasingly Favors the Rich, Economists Say
(NY Times) Supreme Court justices take two oaths. The first, required of all federal officials, is a promise to support the Constitution. The second, a judicial oath, is more specific. It requires them, among other things, to “do equal right to the poor and to the rich.” A new study being released on Monday from economists at Yale and Columbia contends that the Supreme Court has in recent decades fallen short of that vow.
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