Key Events (10)
President Trump suggested that Venezuela rigged the 2020 U.S. election, implying his Venezuela policy may be based on an unfounded election-rigging conspiracy theory rather than contemporary geopolitical concerns.
The Trump administration canceled Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Myanmar nationals, with the Department of Homeland Security citing that the military dictatorship 'no longer continues to meet conditions' for the program. This affects asylum protections for nationals of the Southeast Asian country.
A federal judge dismissed criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, ruling that the Trump-appointed interim U.S. attorney had 'no lawful authority' to indict them. The decision is a setback for the president's efforts to use the criminal justice system against perceived political enemies.
Democratic senators condemned Trump after he suggested in a video that 'seditious behavior' by Democrats should be punishable 'by death.' Senator Mark Kelly stated he would not be intimidated by these threats, and the Pentagon is investigating Kelly for his call for troops to refuse illegal orders.
Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke by phone about trade, Taiwan, and Ukraine, with the leaders agreeing to meet in China in April. The call was initiated unusually by Xi Jinping himself.
The Department of Justice renewed its request to unseal Epstein grand jury materials, arguing that recent congressional action to release Epstein files permits the unsealing of court records.
The Trump administration designated a Venezuelan group known as the 'Cartel of the Suns' as a terrorist organization, despite doubts over its existence. Venezuela accused the U.S. of using terrorism allegations to justify regime change.
President Trump cited Walmart's Thanksgiving grocery promotions as evidence he lowered the cost of living, but economists note that holiday food prices are volatile and the reality of grocery costs presents a mixed picture.
The Trump administration is considering extending Obamacare subsidies, as the president faces pressure to address rising health care costs that would jump if the subsidies expire. No final decision has been made.
U.S. military pressure against Venezuela, framed as a 'war on drugs,' has resulted in 83 deaths that the UN has called extrajudicial executions, according to a Guardian investigation of the military buildup and airstrikes in the Caribbean.