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January 7, 2026
Trump weighs using U.S. military to acquire Greenland: White House
(CNBC) President Donald Trump and his team are considering “a range of options” in order to acquire Greenland, including “utilizing the U.S. Military,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNBC on Tuesday. The statement is an escalation of the Trump administration’s already aggressive rhetoric about Greenland, which the president has long sought to make a part of the United States. Trump said Sunday that the U.S. needs Greenland for national security purposes, pointing to Russian and Chinese activities in the region near the Arctic island.
Go to discussionTrump and GOP are close (and getting closer) to losing House majority
(USA Today) President Donald Trump's small Republican voting majority in the House of Representatives is getting even smaller amid unexpected departures and a tragedy, further complicating their path for passing a GOP-focused agenda during an election year. California GOP Rep. Doug LaMalfa died suddenly at 65 on Jan. 5 after suffering a medical emergency. His death, on the heels of Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's abrupt exit amid a public schism with Trump, brings the ratio of House Republicans to Democrats down to 218-213 (216 is the current number needed for a majority, given the amount of vacancies.)
Go to discussionDemocrats retain two Richmond-area seats in back-to-back special elections
(Virginia Mercury) Former Richmond Del. Mike Jones is headed back to the General Assembly — this time as a state senator — after winning Tuesday’s special election in Virginia Senate District 15, a Democratic-leaning seat vacated late last year by Ghazala Hashmi. By 8 p.m., Jones had defeated Republican John Thomas by a margin of 67.8-32% out of 15,409 votes cast, according to unofficial election results. Jones’ victory immediately triggered another result down-ballot. In House District 77 — the Richmond-based seat Jones vacated to run for the Senate — Democrat Charlie Schmidt won a special election of his own Tuesday, defeating Republican Richard Stonage by 76.5-23.4% out of 5,970 votes cast.
Go to discussionUS tariffs that are at risk of court-ordered refunds exceed $133.5 billion
(Reuters) President Donald Trump's administration faces the possibility of having to refund more than $133.5 billion in tariffs to importers if the U.S. Supreme Court declares unlawful the duties he has imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. That is the total assessed through December 14, when the agency issued its most recent statistical update on imports since the Republican president first imposed tariffs last February under the 1977 economic sanctions law meant to be used only during national emergencies.
Go to discussionAbortion pill ban is unconstitutional, Wyoming's top court rules
(Washington Post) The Wyoming Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down the state’s near-total abortion ban and a first-of-its-kind prohibition on abortion pills, saying that the laws violated the state constitution. The state argued that the laws did not violate that right because abortion is not health care. Even if it were, the state argued, the procedure could not be considered a woman’s own decision because it ended the life of the fetus. The Wyoming Supreme Court disagreed.
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White House attempts to rewrite history of Jan. 6, accuses Capitol Police of escalating tensions
(ABC News) The White House on Tuesday sought to rewrite the history of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, unveiling a new webpage that described the pro-Trump marchers as "peaceful" and "orderly" and accused police of escalating tensions and violence. The timeline presented by the administration grossly mischaracterized some of the day's events, downplaying President Donald Trump's rhetoric before the violence began and falsely claiming the 2020 election was stolen.
Go to discussionTrump to House Republicans: If we don't win midterms, I will get impeached
(Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Republicans must win the 2026 midterm elections or else he will get impeached by Democrats. "You gotta win the midterms 'cause, if we don't win the midterms, it's just gonna be - I mean, they'll find a reason to impeach me," Trump said at a retreat for House Republican lawmakers in Washington. "I'll get impeached." The president urged his fellow Republicans to fight in a more unified fashion on issues ranging from gender politics to healthcare and election reforms, and to sell his policies to a public angry about cost of living issues.
Go to discussionTrump store in suburban Philadelphia 'kind of run its course' and is set to close
(AP) A suburban Philadelphia shop selling President Donald Trump-themed merchandise that became a magnet for die-hard supporters announced it’s closing its doors, six years after opening. The Trump Store, which sells hats, flags, T-shirts and other items in hotly politically contested Bucks County, posted on social media that its storefront will be closing at the end of the month.
Go to discussionBela Fleck Withdraws From Kennedy Center Concerts
(NY Times) The celebrated banjo player Béla Fleck announced on Tuesday that he had withdrawn from three concerts at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, becoming the latest artist to forgo playing at the venue amid changes from the Trump administration. Mr. Fleck, an 18-time Grammy Award winner, was scheduled to play with the National Symphony Orchestra in February. Several musicians have cut ties with the Kennedy Center since its board voted last month to add President Trump’s name to the institution.
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