President Donald Trump said the United States has placed Venezuela under temporary American control after U.S. Special Forces captured President Nicolas Maduro in a raid and transported him and his wife, Cilia Flores, to New York to face drug-trafficking charges. Trump said U.S. officials including Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth would oversee the transition and suggested U.S. oil companies would refurbish Venezuela’s oil sector, prompting criticism that the operation was driven by oil rather than law enforcement. Venezuela’s leadership denounced the action as a kidnapping, a court named Vice President Delcy Rodriguez interim president, and questions persisted about U.S. authority given Maduro’s government and military still function. The move drew mixed international reactions and raised leg...

The article argues that the Maduro capture in Venezuela is being sold by the Trump administration as proof of a blunt “FAFO” approach: cross Trump and face immediate consequences, though critics say this is less a coherent doctrine than improvisation. It notes the tension between Trump’s “America First” promise to avoid costly foreign entanglements and his willingness to claim he will “run Venezuela,” signaling openness to nation-building when it suits him. The piece portrays Trump’s second-term posture as especially aggressive in the Western Hemisphere, treating it as a U.S. sphere of dominance tied to a revived, expanded Monroe Doctrine and to resource and strategic ambitions such as Greenland and the Panama Canal. It concludes that while many Venezuelans welcomed Maduro’s removal, U.S. ...

Denmark has gone into “full crisis mode” after President Donald Trump renewed calls for U.S. control of Greenland, arguing it is needed for national security and suggesting Denmark cannot safeguard it. His remarks, coming immediately after a major U.S. operation in Venezuela, alarmed Copenhagen and Greenland’s leaders, who stressed that Greenland is not for sale and that NATO commitments and existing U.S.-Denmark defense agreements already provide the U.S. significant access. Analysts warn that the risk of a U.S. move on Greenland is being underestimated and could severely strain NATO and EU cohesion. The tension is heightened by Trump’s past refusal to rule out force, the appointment of a pro-annexation special envoy, and provocative messaging from allies of the White House.

A secret U.S. raid in Venezuela coincided with a new Polymarket account placing unusually timed bets that Maduro would be ousted, reportedly turning about $20,000 into more than $400,000 and reigniting concerns about insiders using nonpublic information on prediction markets. Similar episodes, including bets tied to the Nobel Peace Prize and Google’s “Year in Search,” have raised questions because Polymarket allows anonymity and lacks clear insider-trading prohibitions, with its CEO arguing that incentives to reveal information can make markets more accurate. Critics counter that treating leaks as a feature can be dangerous, since unlike news organizations that may withhold sensitive reporting to protect lives, betting markets make no such judgment and can reward exploiting privileged acce...

The White House said President Donald Trump is again pursuing ways to acquire Greenland, calling it a national security priority in the Arctic and noting that use of the U.S. military remains an option. Greenland has repeatedly rejected joining the United States, and European leaders, Canada, and some members of Congress have warned that any coercive move against Denmark would strain NATO and violate sovereignty. U.S. officials say discussions include buying Greenland or negotiating a Compact of Free Association, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio telling lawmakers the administration’s aim is purchase rather than imminent invasion. The administration also argues Greenland’s strategic location and mineral resources make it important, and a senior official said Trump intends to keep pressin...

The article traces crypto’s arc from 2021’s hype-driven boom through the 2022 crash marked by Terra, Three Arrows Capital, cascading bankruptcies, and FTX’s collapse. It describes 2023 as a period of stagnation and legal reckoning as regulators pursued fraud and users and capital moved on, even as industry insiders framed the turmoil as a cleansing. In 2024, the industry pivoted to politics, building well-funded lobbying and PAC operations and casting regulation as a “war on crypto” that became a campaign issue. By 2025, it argues that these efforts helped usher in a “technoligarchy” under a Trump-led government, with tech and crypto figures embedded in policymaking, enforcement scaled back, conflicts of interest normalized, and weakened democratic checks enabling both domestic profiteerin...

The article argues that the exhaustion and “heaviness” many people feel in Trump’s America comes from a shift in daily life from assuming certain abuses were impossible to realizing they are now plausible. Using the killing of a mother by an ICE officer in Minneapolis as a trigger, it portrays immigration enforcement and other parts of the federal government as increasingly unaccountable, volatile, and politicized. The author lists scenarios that once felt like zero-risk—masked detentions and deportations, sudden agency shutdowns, raids in schools and daycares, visa cancellations and punishments for speech, retaliatory firings, politicized public health guidance, coerced historical revision, seizures of nonprofits, and refusal to spend congressionally appropriated funds—that now carry a “n...

After ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other Trump administration officials quickly claimed she attacked agents and tried to run them over, while circulating videos and a witness account depict masked agents grabbing at her car and Good attempting to drive away, with no clear evidence she targeted officers. The administration also suggested without evidence that Good was part of a coordinated left-wing effort, though her family said she was simply returning home after dropping off her 6-year-old son and was not involved in activism. Federal authorities barred Minnesota investigators from participating and withheld evidence, prompting the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to withdraw and leavin...

Donald Trump said in a Fox News interview that the United States will begin striking drug cartels on land in Mexico, arguing that maritime trafficking has been largely reduced and claiming cartels control the country. His comments came after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reiterated that Mexico will cooperate with the United States on security only in ways that respect Mexico’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Sheinbaum said her government has repeatedly and firmly rejected Trump’s past suggestions of U.S. military action in Mexico.

Some Chinese social media users have suggested emulating a U.S.-style operation in Venezuela by quickly seizing Taiwan’s leaders to enable a takeover, but analysts and Taiwanese officials say such a “decapitation” attempt would be highly risky and likely to escalate into broader conflict. They argue Taiwan has long prepared for this scenario with layered air defenses, early warning and radar coverage, and drills to counter hostile landings, alongside the prospect of U.S. and allied support. Experts also question whether China’s modernizing PLA has the joint-operations experience, electronic-warfare capability, combat-tested command integration, and decentralized decision-making needed to execute such a complex mission. While Beijing has not ruled out using force and continues large-scale d...

Plans for a joint FBI and Minnesota investigation into the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer collapsed after federal authorities barred the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from participating and stopped sharing evidence. The Justice Department’s move was driven by Trump administration fears that state officials would leak sensitive information or endanger agents, while Minnesota officials argue federal leaders have prejudged the case by publicly portraying Good as a domestic terrorist and defending the agent. State officials say the lack of access to investigative notes, reports, and other evidence could make any state prosecution extremely difficult, and they question whether a federal-only probe will be credible or thorough. Federal offi...

The episode is an immediate, emotional reaction to video of an ICE agent shooting an unarmed woman in Minneapolis, with the hosts arguing the encounter was avoidable, the use of force unjustified, and the larger problem being what they describe as coordinated government and right-wing misinformation to frame the killing as self-defense while blocking accountability. From there, they widen to themes of state power and political violence, warning that Trump-aligned officials are building a poorly trained, politicized paramilitary-style force and that institutions are normalizing “might makes right” logic at home and abroad, including in discussions of Venezuela and the erosion of rule-of-law norms. They also touch briefly on weak jobs numbers and shifting voter sentiment before closing on a ...

Charlie Sykes records a solo, listener-question episode reflecting on what he calls the “heaviness” of life under Trump, arguing that once-unthinkable risks have become newly plausible as the administration embraces raw power at home and abroad. He focuses on the Minneapolis killing involving an ICE officer and the broader escalation and funding of ICE, while tying it to Trump’s “commander-in-chief” view of unchecked authority, imperial ambitions in places like Venezuela and Greenland, and the erosion of democratic norms highlighted by January 6 revisionism and worries about election integrity. Sykes also critiques corporate media dynamics through the Barry Weiss/CBS turmoil, addresses his departure from MSNBC to pursue independent media and break out of partisan bubbles, and warns against...

Ezra Klein and Masha Gessen discuss the Trump administration as “propaganda of the deed,” arguing that it governs through attention-dominating spectacles—like Venezuela, immigration enforcement, and militarized aesthetics—meant to signal a new model of power rather than work through laws, deliberation, or multilateral institutions. They frame these moves as a rupture with the post–World War II international order and democratic norms, comparing the dynamics to authoritarian and fascist politics in Russia and elsewhere, including the rejection of deliberation, expansion of an “enemy within,” and the use of paramilitary force. The conversation also explores whether the administration’s speed reflects strength or fragility, how degraded media and elections could blunt democratic accountabilit...

The episode reconstructs the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis using multiple bystander videos, mapping where people and vehicles were positioned and the sequence leading up to the shots. It contrasts official claims from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and President Trump that the agent acted in self-defense after being rammed with what the videos appear to show, including Good maneuvering her SUV away as the agent circles the vehicle and then fires as she pulls forward. It also covers the chaotic aftermath at the crash site, including agents restricting bystanders’ access and leaving the scene in unmarked vehicles.

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery has replaced President Trump’s photograph in its “American Presidents” exhibit and removed the text label that referenced his two impeachments, leaving him as the only president displayed without an extended description. The Smithsonian and the White House declined to say whether the change was requested, while the museum said it is beginning a planned gallery update and may use more minimal labels during a larger refresh. The move comes as Trump pushes to reshape how federal cultural institutions present U.S. history, including ordering a Smithsonian review and prompting leadership changes at the National Portrait Gallery. References to the impeachments of Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, and Richard Nixon’s resignation, remain in place, and the...

The episode discusses reports that the Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve centered on Jay Powell’s congressional testimony about headquarters renovation costs, which the hosts argue is a pretext for Trump’s long-running effort to intimidate an independent central bank into cutting interest rates. They unpack Powell’s unusually direct public response, the historical stakes of Fed independence (contrasting Arthur Burns-era political pressure with Paul Volcker’s inflation fight), and the potential economic fallout if monetary policy is politicized, including market reactions and comparisons to countries where central bank independence has eroded. The conversation also looks at possible institutional guardrails, including Senate confirmation dynamic...

Reports say President Donald Trump has asked senior special forces commanders to prepare contingency plans for a possible invasion of Greenland, prompting resistance from top US military leaders who question the plan’s legality and lack of congressional approval. The Daily Mail reports that hawkish advisers around Trump argue swift action is needed to prevent Russia or China from gaining influence in the Arctic, while military officials try to steer him toward other operations. British diplomatic sources suggest Trump’s focus may also reflect domestic political calculations ahead of mid-term elections, with European officials warning that any move against Greenland could spark a severe NATO crisis. Greenland’s political parties have publicly rejected US pressure, and Denmark has reportedly...

The episode centers on Jay Powell responding to Justice Department grand jury subpoenas tied to his Senate testimony about a long-running Federal Reserve building renovation, while insisting the Fed has been transparent with Congress. He argues the legal threat is a pretext and frames it as political pressure aimed at influencing interest-rate decisions, raising broader concerns about central bank independence versus intimidation by the administration. Powell reiterates the Fed’s mandate of price stability and maximum employment, and commits to continuing evidence-based monetary policy despite the threat of criminal charges.

Donald Trump told the New York Times he regrets not using the national guard to seize voting machines after losing the 2020 election, while also questioning whether the troops would have been “sophisticated enough” to do so. The interview revisited reports that in December 2020 advisers including Sidney Powell and Michael Flynn discussed using military or federal authorities to take Dominion machines in swing states and reviewed draft executive orders describing such a seizure. The proposal was resisted by senior officials, including then attorney general William Barr, and was ultimately not carried out. Trump again falsely claimed the 2020 election was rigged despite experts calling it highly secure and courts rejecting his challenges, while not disputing the 2024 election he won.