Beginning January 27th, 2025, Buckley Space Force Base will provide facilities to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for processing detained migrants in support of increased ICE operations in the Denver metro area. The Department of Homeland Security requested the base’s use, and no military personnel will participate in ICE’s activities. ICE will utilize the facilities for a temporary operations center, staging area, and holding location. These increased arrests are a continuation of policies implemented during the Trump administration.
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The imposition of new US sanctions on January 10th caused a significant increase in tanker freight rates for Russian oil, disrupting trade between Russia and its major Asian buyers. This surge in costs, coupled with buyers’ avoidance of sanctioned vessels, created a substantial price gap, effectively halting March deliveries of Russian ESPO Blend crude to China and India. Consequently, the volume of Russian oil offered to these countries has dropped dramatically, impacting both nations who had previously become significant importers of Russian oil. This disruption underscores the sanctions’ impact on the global oil market and Russia’s ability to export its oil.
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New OMB guidelines require organizations seeking funding to report on their involvement with issues like environmental justice, DEI initiatives, and services to undocumented immigrants. While some programs like Medicaid, Head Start, and Pell Grants were initially declared unaffected, several states experienced access problems. Reports of system shutdowns, such as Florida’s Medicaid portal, emerged following the memo’s release. The connection between these outages and the new guidelines remains unclear, despite official acknowledgment of a portal outage.
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Over the weekend, the Department of Justice removed all information regarding the January 6th Capitol riot from its website. This action followed President Trump’s pardon of those involved in the riot and aligns with a broader trend of the administration removing content related to controversial issues. The removal includes a database of over 1,200 Capitol breach cases, eliminating access to individual case files and related information. While some press releases remain, the database itself is inaccessible, leaving the reasons behind this action unconfirmed by the Department of Justice.
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A new lawsuit alleges Chemours’ West Virginia PFAS plant, Washington Works, has repeatedly exceeded permitted PFAS discharge levels since 2023, contaminating the Ohio River. This continues a decades-long struggle against pollution from the plant, despite past legal victories that revealed the significant health risks of PFAS exposure to area residents. The current lawsuit, filed by the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, cites numerous violations and demands an end to the pollution, while Chemours maintains that the concerns are being addressed. The EPA, though acknowledging the violations, has yet to take further action.
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Chancellor Scholz strongly condemned Elon Musk’s support for the far-right AfD party in Germany’s upcoming election, calling Musk’s actions “disgusting” and detrimental to European democracy. Musk’s engagement includes a conversation with the AfD leader, public endorsements, and a virtual appearance at an AfD rally. Scholz was particularly angered by Musk’s comments downplaying Germany’s historical responsibility for the Holocaust, deeming them inappropriate given the recent anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation. The Chancellor’s criticism highlights the concern over foreign interference in German politics and the sensitivity surrounding Germany’s historical past.
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The Trump administration is offering federal employees a “deferred resignation” option, allowing them paid leave until September 2025 in exchange for their resignation. This initiative, potentially saving up to $100 billion, excludes military and postal service personnel, as well as certain national security roles. The offer, delivered via email including a draft resignation letter, has been met with criticism, with concerns raised about the potential negative impact on essential government services. The email’s subject line, “Fork in the Road,” mirrors a similar initiative undertaken by Elon Musk at X (formerly Twitter).
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Norway is poised to become the first nation to effectively eliminate gasoline and diesel car sales, achieving over 96% electric vehicle (EV) sales in early 2025. This success stems from consistent, long-term government policies incentivizing EV adoption, including tax breaks and infrastructure investment, rather than outright bans. The country’s rapid shift, contrasted with the U.S.’s 8.1% EV market share in 2024, demonstrates the potential for other nations to follow suit, though Norway’s affluence and cheap energy are significant contributing factors. The transition is considered a “new normal,” with plans to electrify city buses by 2025 and heavily reduce emissions from heavy-duty vehicles.
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In response to Trump’s assertion that the U.S. should seize Greenland for national security reasons, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen secured strong support from France and Germany. Both Macron and Scholz emphasized the inviolable nature of borders and the importance of respecting state sovereignty, principles underscored by Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. This unified European stance firmly rejects any attempt to alter Greenland’s status through force. The comments from Scholz were pointedly addressed to any nation considering such actions.
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President Trump’s declassification of JFK, RFK, and MLK assassination files fulfilled a long-standing promise, but notably omitted Jeffrey Epstein’s records. Despite Trump’s past association with Epstein, several Republican senators, including Kennedy and Cruz, expressed interest in the release of Epstein’s files, emphasizing the public’s right to know. However, experts doubt the released documents will reveal significant new information regarding the assassinations. The Epstein files remain a point of contention, separate from the released archival material.
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John Q. Hosedrinker