Trump meets with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado at the White House
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Last night, Senate Republicans blocked a measure that would have barred Trump from taking further military action in Venezuela without congressional approval.
Highlights from Jan. 15, 2026
- NOBEL PEACE PRIZE: Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she “presented” her Nobel Peace Prize to President Donald Trump today. She said her meeting with Trump was “great.”
- TRUMP UNVEILS HEALTH PLAN: Trump today announced a plan aimed at lowering health care costs in the U.S. as Affordable Care Act open enrollment ends in most states.
- ICE NO. 2 ENTERS OH-09: Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deputy Director Madison Sheahan resigned today and launched a campaign in Ohio's 9th Congressional District, jumping into a crowded Republican primary for a more GOP-friendly seat after a recent redistricting push.
Pentagon says it will revamp Stars and Stripes newspaper and jettison ‘woke distractions’
The Defense Department said today that it will overhaul Stars and Stripes, the independent Pentagon-funded newspaper covering the U.S. military, to “refocus its content.”
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced on X that the publication will return “to its original mission: reporting for our warfighters.”
“We are bringing Stars & Stripes into the 21st century,” Parnell said. “We will modernize its operations, refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale, and adapt it to serve a new generation of service members.”
“No more repurposed DC gossip columns; no more Associated Press reprints,” he added.
Pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil’s freedom jeopardized by court ruling
A federal appeals panel today reversed a lower court decision that released former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil from an immigration jail, bringing the government one step closer to detaining and ultimately deporting the Palestinian activist.
The three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals didn’t decide the key issue in Khalil’s case: whether the Trump administration’s effort to throw Khalil out of the U.S. over his campus activism and criticism of Israel is unconstitutional.
But in its 2-1 decision, the panel ruled a federal judge in New Jersey didn’t have jurisdiction to decide the matter at this time. Federal law requires the case to fully move through the immigration courts first, before Khalil can challenge the decision, they wrote.
Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit seeking California voter data
A federal judge today dealt a significant legal setback to the Trump administration in its efforts to obtain voter data held by states.
In a 33-page order, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter in California dismissed a lawsuit that sought to give the Justice Department access to the Democratic-led state’s voter files, including records like Social Security numbers and driver’s license information.
California is one of 23 states, along with Washington, D.C., that the Justice Department has sued for refusing to hand over the voter data.
The lawsuit against California was filed in September.
Trump thanks Machado for giving him her Nobel medal
Trump posted a message of thanks to Machado on social media this evening for presenting him with her Nobel Peace Prize medal.
"It was my Great Honor to meet María Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today," Trump posted on Truth Social. "She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you María!"
Machado said earlier today that she presented Trump with the 18-karat gold medal she received when she won the 2025 prize. Trump accepted the gift. It's not clear yet what he plans to do with it.
Congress passes bill to fund U.S. science agencies, rebuffing Trump’s requested cuts
In a rebuff of the Trump administration’s proposal to drastically cut funding for federal science agencies, the Senate voted today to provide billions of dollars more to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA and the National Science Foundation than Trump had asked for.
In an 82-15 vote, the Senate approved a minibus budget bill to fund agencies involved in science and the environment, among other issues, through Sept. 30. The bill passed in the House last week by a vote of 397 to 28.
Trump kept Nobel Peace Prize medal Machado presented him with
Trump kept the Nobel Peace prize medal Machado presented him today, according to a White House official. It’s unclear exactly what he plans to do with it.
Per the Nobel Institute, a Nobel Prize can’t be revoked, shared or transferred.
"The Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute receive a number of requests for comments regarding the permanence of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate’s status. The facts are clear and well established. Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time," read a Jan. 9 statement.
Senate ACA funding talks fizzle as higher premiums for millions take effect for 2026
Senate negotiations aimed at striking a bipartisan deal to revive expired funds under the Affordable Care Act — or Obamacare — have fizzled, according to senators involved and sources with knowledge of the discussions.
The odds of a deal have been slim for months. Now, on the day ACA open enrollment ends, even the optimists have grown pessimistic as the working group falls behind its self-imposed timeline. The Senate left town today for a one-week recess.
Democrats are unified behind a three-year ACA funding extension, which passed the House recently with 230 votes, including 17 Republicans. Trump has threatened to veto that bill, instead releasing a health care blueprint that trashes the ACA funds as a “flagrant scam” and conveys his opposition to reviving the expired tax credits.
Most Republicans want the funds to stay expired, and they have made it clear for months that they don’t want to resurrect them. A small group of GOP senators has engaged in talks with moderate Democrats about a compromise, but conservative demands to tie any deal to abortion restrictions have become “intractable,” said a source plugged in to the talks.
U.S. preparing to send additional military forces and assets to Middle East
The Defense Department is preparing to send additional U.S. forces and assets to the Middle East, according to a U.S. official.
They include a carrier strike group, additional aircraft and land-based air defense systems, the official said.
The additional forces are meant to bolster the military’s assets in the region as tensions remain high and Trump considers military action in Iran, the official said, adding that the forces are also intended to ensure the military is prepared if Iran lashes out at American assets or U.S. allies in the region.
The equipment and thousands of additional forces will arrive in the coming days and weeks, the official said.
Law enforcement didn't know about Machado's movements
Law enforcement sources told NBC News they were not aware that Machado was planning to meet with the media outside the Capitol; otherwise, they would have shut the plaza down to public access.
Neither the Capitol Radio/TV Gallery nor the senators’ offices disclosed her plans.
Machado’s team communicated directly with certain reporters.
Supporters swarm Machado outside U.S. Capitol
As Machado left the Capitol after an afternoon of meetings with lawmakers, she was circled by throngs of supporters wrapped in Venezuelan flags and singing the Venezuelan national anthem.
Hover Esperanza, a Venezuelan who has lived in Pittsburgh for three years, drove four hours to just catch a glimpse of Machado outside the Capitol.
“I came to support Machado, the true leader of our country, and support all the decisions she’s taking here," Esperanza said. "She’s who is in charge, she’s who we voted for, who the large majority of Venezuelans voted for, and that’s a decision that has to be respected.”
Asked about what he hoped for following Machado's lunch with Trump, Esperanza said he wanted her to expose the human rights abuses against the Venezuelans who have been imprisoned since the country's elections in June 2024.
“Obviously, we can count on the support of the president, and it’s also necessary to play our part to support the opposition to promote the well-being of our country,” Esperanza said.
Fabiana Avendaño, a law student wearing a white ball cap stamped with the Venezuelan flag, came to the U.S. from Venezuela seven years ago because of the Maduro regime. She said she came to see Machado because "we are potentially finally going to be free."
"And having the privilege to meet the future vice president of Venezuela is something that I could not afford to pass up," Avendaño said.
Asked what she wished people understood more about what was happening in her country, Avendaño said it felt "dehumanizing" to hear that the U.S. removed Maduro only to access the country's oil.
"We're not naive; we obviously know that Donald Trump does want our oil," Avendaño said. "However, saying that to us without recognizing that Venezuelans have tried every single democratic pathway — we have voted, we have protested, we have sought diplomatic relations, even with the Holy See; none of it worked."
"For us Venezuelans, we never saw the fruits of the labor of that so-called oil," Avendaño said. "I just pray that everyone else's countries never reach the point where international intervention is the last resort. So, to us, oil doesn't matter when our families are dying."
María Corina Machado says she presented Trump with Nobel Peace Prize during White House meeting
Speaking to reporters and a large crowd of supporters outside the Capitol, Machado said she “presented” the Nobel Peace Prize, which she won last year, to Trump during a meeting at the White House.
She also said that her meeting with Trump was “great” and that her meeting with senators on Capitol Hill was “a great meeting.”
GOP Rep. Don Bacon says House could impeach Trump if the U.S. invades Greenland
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said yesterday that the House could impeach Trump if the U.S. invades Greenland, a territory long controlled by Denmark that Trump has said America needs for national security purposes.
“There’s so many Republicans mad about this,” Bacon, who is not seeking re-election, said in an interview with the Omaha World-Herald newspaper. “If he went through with the threats, I think it would be the end of his presidency. And he needs to know: The off-ramp is realizing Republicans aren’t going to tolerate this and he’s going to have to back off. He hates being told no, but in this case, I think Republicans need to be firm.”
Asked whether he would support a Greenland-related impeachment measure, Bacon said: “I don’t want to give you a definite yes or no, but I would lean that way. It would be a total mistake to invade an ally. It would be catastrophic to our allies and everything. It’s just the worst idea ever in my view.”
Danish and Greenlandic diplomats met at the White House yesterday with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss Trump's warnings and U.S. concerns about threats by China and Russia near the territory.
Asked this week whether a deal with Greenland or Denmark could prevent U.S. military action in Greenland, Trump said he would love to make a deal. “It’s easier,” he said, adding: “But one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.”
Exclusive: Senators introduce bipartisan bill to boost space innovation
A bipartisan group of senators led by Andy Kim, D-N.J., is introducing a bill that aims to drive space innovation by creating a talent exchange program between NASA and the commercial space industry.
The NASA Talent Exchange Program Act would generate partnerships aimed at boosting expertise across government by placing NASA in industry posts and vice versa for periods from a few months to a few years. The idea is modeled on a similar professional development program at the Defense Department, Kim's office said in a news release shared exclusively with NBC News.
“The era of looking to the stars to see the future has only just begun, and by continuing to drive American innovation we help make a bright future possible for our country," Kim said in a statement. "This initiative is an important tool to make sure we are unlocking the full potential of talent across government and the space industry who are leading the way with groundbreaking technologies and securing America’s place as the space leader globally.”
The bill is being co-sponsored by Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; John Cornyn, R-Texas; and Alex Padilla, D-Calif., who are members of the Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Aviation, Space and Innovation.
The bill had been introduced in the House and the Senate and was introduced in the House earlier in this Congress. The full NASA authorization process has historically been a bipartisan effort considered every few years.
White House says arrival of European troops in Greenland won't 'impact' Trump's goal of acquiring the territory
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at the briefing today that the arrival of European troops in Greenland won't influence Trump's decision-making about the territory or his goal to acquire it.
"I don’t think troops in Europe impact the president’s decision-making process, nor does it impact his goal of the acquisition of Greenland at all," Leavitt said.
She also said: "The president has made his priority quite clear — he wants the United States to acquire Greenland. He thinks it’s in our best national security to do that."
Military personnel from U.S. allies France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway and Sweden arrived in Greenland amid Trump's threats to take over the island long controlled by Denmark.
White House says Venezuelan leaders have been 'extremely cooperative'
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said this afternoon that Venezuela's leaders, including Delcy Rodríguez, have been "extremely cooperative" with the U.S.
Trump spoke to Rodríguez this week, said Leavitt, who added that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials "have been in constant communication" with her and other members of the interim government in Venezuela.
"They have been extremely cooperative. They have thus far met all of the demands and requests of the United States and of the president. And I think you have all seen that play out," she said. "We obviously had a $500 million energy deal that was struck in large part because of the cooperation from Ms. Rodríguez."
"The president likes what he’s seeing, and we’ll expect that cooperation to continue," she added.
Trump announces health care plan to cut costs, but it needs Congress’ approval
The Trump administration today announced a plan aimed at lowering health care costs in the U.S. as Affordable Care Act open enrollment ends in most states, but the plan lacked key details and largely restated proposals Trump has previously outlined.
Administration officials are framing the proposal, dubbed “The Great Healthcare Plan,” as a broader effort to rein in health costs, including lowering prescription drug prices, redirecting government subsidies from insurers to consumers and expanding price transparency requirements.
Trump has previously pitched sending federal funds directly to patients to address skyrocketing premiums under the ACA.
“The government is going to pay the money directly to you,” Trump said in a video the White House released. “It goes to you, and then you take the money and buy your own health care.”
Supporters wave Venezuelan flags outside White House
Brendan Smialowski / AFP - Getty Images
Supporters of Venezuela gather today outside the White House ahead of the meeting between Trump and Machado.
Democratic lawmakers urge FTC to investigate Trump phone
A group of Democratic lawmakers asked the Federal Trade Commission today to investigate a mobile phone venture started by Trump’s two older sons for “potential violations of consumer protection law,” alleging that the advertising and sale of a supposedly “Made in the USA” phone may be deceptive.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and 10 other Democratic members of the House and the Senate asked regulators to investigate Trump Mobile’s “T1” phone, which was announced in June and promised to be released in August but which has yet to be delivered.
The letter, exclusively seen by NBC News, also asks the FTC to determine whether Trump Mobile used “false advertising” in claiming that its T1 phone will be made in the USA as originally marketed.
Trump Mobile and the Trump Organization did not respond to requests for comment on the status of the phone, whether it would still be made in the USA or the ongoing inquiries from congressional Democrats.
Trump is 'making China great again,' global survey suggests
Trump’s “America First” approach to the world is giving a big boost to China, a global survey suggests, as the U.S.-led international order falters and allies see the U.S. as less reliable.
The majority of respondents in almost all of the 21 countries surveyed said they expected China to have more global influence in the next decade, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations, which polled almost 26,000 people.
“Few seem to fear this course of events,” the group said, with majorities in only two countries, Ukraine and South Korea, viewing China as either a rival or an adversary.
In most of the countries surveyed, including the U.S., a minority of respondents said they expected the U.S. to become stronger, though many said they believed it would continue to be globally influential.
The share of respondents who said they saw the U.S. as an ally that shared their interests and values fell almost across the board, especially in Europe. Only 16% of E.U. citizens now consider the U.S. an ally, the survey found, while 20% see it as a rival or an enemy.
“If there is a race for global popularity, America is currently losing to its Indo-Pacific rival,” the foreign policy think tank said.
ICE No. 2 steps down to run for battleground House district in Ohio
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deputy Director Madison Sheahan resigned today and launched a campaign for Congress in Ohio, jumping into a crowded Republican primary for a seat that became more GOP-friendly after a recent redistricting push.
In a video announcing her campaign launch, Sheahan highlighted her time at ICE and slammed Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, whom she aims to unseat.
“In less than one year at ICE, I’ve stopped more illegal immigration than Marcy Kaptur has in her 43 years in Washington,” Sheahan said in the video. “In Congress, hypocrisy, excuses and failure can earn you a lifetime job, but on my family farm that would put us out of business.”
“Ohio neighborhoods are safer, thanks to President Trump and ICE,” Sheahan said later in her video.
Why the redistricting fight is likely to stretch beyond the 2026 midterms
A handful of states have rushed to redraw their congressional maps in recent months as members of both parties search for advantages in the race for the U.S. House majority this fall.
But there are growing signs that this atypically active mid-decade redistricting fight won’t end with the midterm elections.
Members of both parties across the country are already laying the groundwork to consider new congressional boundaries ahead of the following election in 2028, part of a continuing response to the maps GOP-led states first enacted at President Donald Trump’s behest last year.
Meanwhile, Republicans in Southern states are awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court decision that could unravel a key prohibition on racial gerrymandering and allow them to draw more favorable maps for their party. The longer the court waits to issue that ruling, the more likely it is the effects would not be felt until after the 2026 elections.
Trump tells NBC News 'we saved a lot of lives yesterday' in Iran
During a morning meeting with Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Trump called Barrasso, who passed the phone to me briefly. I asked Trump whether he has decided to take action on Iran. The president said, “I’m not going to tell you that” but added “we saved a lot of lives yesterday.” The president’s comments were an apparent reference to his claim that the Iranian regime has stopped killing protesters and halted some planned executions.
The president also touted the fact that he was able to win over two Republican senators to vote with the GOP and against the war powers resolution that was proposed by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. The vote was 50-50 with Vice President JD Vance issuing the tie-breaking vote.
Trump also told me he expects to have a “good meeting” with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. At the conclusion of our brief conversation, I handed the phone back to Barrasso.
HHS quickly reverses $2 billion in mental health and substance abuse cuts after pushback
The Department of Health and Human Services is reinstating $2 billion in funds to address substance abuse and mental health after the department said it would cancel funds the day before, an administration official confirmed to NBC News.
The reinstatement came Wednesday after groups were informed Tuesday of the funding cuts, which were associated with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, attributed the reversal to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. having “bowed to public pressure.”
“These are cuts he should not have issued in the first place,” she said in a statement. “He must be cautious when making decisions that will impact Americans’ health. Our policy must be thoughtful — not haphazard and chaotic. This episode has only created uncertainty and confusion for families and healthcare providers.”
24 members of Congress are 80 or older. More than half are running for re-election.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 85, is heading for the exits after nearly four decades in Congress. So is her longtime deputy, Rep. Steny Hoyer, 86, and former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, 83.
But of the two dozen members of the Silent Generation now serving in the 119th Congress, more than half (13) have decided to run again in 2026, according to an NBC News analysis.
In total, this Congress is the third-oldest in U.S. history, with an average age of 58.9 years at the start of this session one year ago. The median age in the U.S. is 39.1.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorses in race to replace N.J. governor-elect in Congress
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., today endorsed former union organizer Analilia Mejia ahead of a special election in New Jersey's 11th District, which has been vacant since former Rep. Mikie Sherrill's resignation following her win in the state's gubernatorial race in November.
"Analilia Mejia is a fighter for working people who has been on the frontlines of some of our most critical battles — from immigrant rights and universal healthcare to higher wages and real accountability for the powerful. I know she will bring that fight to Congress on day one and I am proud to support her run to represent NJ-11 in Congress," Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement.
Nearly a dozen Democrats are running to replace Sherrill in this Democratic-leaning seat, including former Rep. Tom Malinowski, Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way, veteran Army paratrooper Zach Beecher and Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill.
Mejia has also secured endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., whom she worked for during his 2020 presidential campaign, and Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif.
Malinowski touts an endorsement from Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and Gill has been endorsed by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who will finish his term later this month.
European troops arrive in Greenland as Trump throws another curveball
European troops were arriving in Greenland today in a show of support, as leaders scrambling to respond to Trump’s threats were thrown another American curveball.
Trump pushed ahead with his aim of “conquering” one European territory, Denmark’s top diplomat said after a high-stakes meeting in Washington on yesterday.
The president then sided with the man who invaded another, casting Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy rather than Russia’s Vladimir Putin as the obstacle to peace, in his latest reversal on the conflict already raging on the continent.
His comments drew new pushback from leaders in Europe, whose alarm over U.S. actions had for weeks been focused further north.
Defense Department confirms seizure of another oil tanker
In a post on X this morning, the Defense Department confirmed that it seized another oil tanker, the Veronica, in the Caribbean.
“In another pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, launched from USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and apprehended Motor/Tanker Veronica without incident," the Southern Command's X account wrote.
"The Veronica is the latest tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean, proving the effectiveness of Operation Southern Spear yet again," the account added.
The Veronica, which changed its name to the Galileo, was among a number of sanctioned oil tankers operating near Venezuela in recent weeks that changed their flags to Russia, according to the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.
It's at least the sixth oil tanker seized by the U.S. carrying Venezuelan oil in recent weeks.
Following the U.S. military's capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month, Trump administration officials committed to taking control of the extraction and sale of Venezuelan oil.
"The only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully," today's X post by Southern Command added.
María Corina Machado expected to meet with lawmakers today
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado is expected to meet with a bipartisan group of senators in the Capitol this afternoon, two sources familiar with the planning told NBC News.
The senators attending the meeting are Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Rick Scott, R-Fla., and John Curtis, R-Utah.
Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., is organizing an effort for Machado to meet with lawmakers in the House, as well, two separate sources familiar with the plans said.
Trump leaves U.S. military action unclear as Iran says it won’t execute protesters
Iran signaled it would not move ahead with executing protesters and reopened its airspace today as Trump left it unclear whether he would take military action over the regime’s deadly crackdown.
The United States began evacuating key personnel from its largest military base in the Middle East yesterday as the prospect of an American strike loomed and activists said the death toll in Iran had passed 2,500. And the United Nations Security Council said it had scheduled an emergency meeting this afternoon at the request of the U.S.
But Trump told reporters that he had learned the Iranian regime had stopped killing protesters and halted plans for executions, either of which he had said could trigger a U.S. military response. And Iran’s judiciary said today that a man feared to be facing execution would not face the death penalty.
Trump posted on Truth Social early this morning that this was “good news. Hopefully, it will continue!”
More Democratic lawmakers say DOJ prosecutors are investigating them over military video
Three more Democrats said yesterday that federal prosecutors contacted them following their participation in a video urging members of the military and the intelligence community not to follow illegal orders.
Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania all struck defiant tones in saying they would fight back against any investigation by the Trump administration.
“Donald Trump called for my arrest, prosecution, and execution—all because I said something he didn’t like. Now he’s pressuring his political appointees to harass me for daring to speak up and hold him accountable,” Crow said in a statement.
Senate blocks measure to restrict Venezuela strikes after Trump flips two Republicans
The Senate voted 51-50 last night to effectively block a resolution that would have prevented Trump from using military force in Venezuela without congressional approval after Trump flipped two Republican votes in recent days.
Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Todd Young, R-Ind., voted last week to advance the resolution to require Trump to seek prior approval from Congress to strike Venezuela.
But after Trump attacked and pressured them, they flipped their positions and voted with most Senate Republicans to remove “privilege” under the resolution, all but sinking it in the chamber.
The vote broke 50-50, and Vice President JD Vance cast the tiebreaking vote to scuttle the war powers resolution.
Venezuela’s opposition leader visits Trump with her country’s future, and a Nobel prize, at stake
Trump lost out on the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, yet in a rare confluence of geopolitics and chance, he could wind up with the 18-karat gold medal nonetheless.
María Corina Machado, who did win the prize, is set to visit the White House today amid speculation that she may offer Trump her award in appreciation for the U.S. military raid that deposed Venezuela’s repressive leader, Nicolás Maduro.
Machado is the Venezuelan opposition figure whom the Nobel selection committee chose last year for an award that has become a Trump fixation. She was honored for promoting democratic rights in the country, a stance that had compelled her to go into hiding.
