Regime Change Spree, Tragedy Strikes Minnesota, And Iran On The Brink

A detailed recount mixed with meme comedy to mark our times at Week 2 of 2026 featuring source material from Hazbin Hotel!

Jan 12, 2026

Donroe Delulu - The New American Foreign Policy Mantra

Just days after capturing Nicolas Maduro, Trump has openly suggested similar actions in Colombia, telling reporters, “We have a very sick neighbor. That’s Venezuela. Colombia is very sick too.” Trump also reiterated his interest in Greenland, saying the US needs it “from the standpoint of national security.” Denmark warned Trump is “very serious” about annexing Greenland, warning it could be the end of NATO. On the subject of Cuba, another potential US target, authorities in Havana say 34 Cuban officers were killed in last weekend’s US attack, most of them being guards for Maduro. In Venezuela, acting president Delcy Rodriguez asked the US for a “cooperation agenda,” marking a stunning turnaround from her initial remarks on Maduro’s capture. We learned more about why Trump stopped backing the Nobel Peace Prize winner and opposition leader María Corina Machado from the Washington Post. Quoting two sources, Machado committed the “ultimate sin” of accepting last year’s Nobel Prize, an award that Trump desperately sought, despite repeatedly flattering and praising the US leader. One person said, “If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today.” In New York, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were escorted from a detention centre in Brooklyn to a Manhattan courtroom. The Maduros pleaded not guilty to the charges, and a hearing is set for March 17th. During the court hearing, Maduro insisted “I’m still the president” and declared himself a prisoner of war, while an attorney for Flores says she was badly injured during last Saturday’s extraction effort by the US. Meanwhile, Switzerland announced it has frozen assets held by Maduro and “other persons associated with him with immediate effect,” saying it was done in order to prevent such assets from being taken out. While at an unrelated note, US oil company share prices experienced an exciting jolt on Monday morning. As the UN Security Council debated the US attack in New York, Rodriguez was officially sworn in as Venezuela’s new president in Caracas. Back in the US, Trump posted a social media post with the words “This is our hemisphere,” while House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed America is not engaging in regime change in Venezuela.

In Venezuela, the new government has committed to the same oppression tactics as the previous regime. Armed militias patrol the streets, citizens have their phones checked, and journalists are arrested amid a crackdown on dissent. According to the WSJ, Trump told oil executives to “get ready” weeks before the Maduro operation. In a rambling speech to GOP lawmakers, Trump acknowledged that “many, many” Cubans were killed during what he referred to as a “brilliant” military operation. We also learned that at least 24 Venezuelans were killed during last Saturday’s operation, while the White House is pressuring Rodriguez to expel official advisers from China, Cuba, Iran, and Russia. Following the Washington Post report, Machado told Fox News she is willing to share her Nobel Prize with the US president. After Reuters initially reported Venezuela and the US were in talks to export Venezuelan oil to America, Trump confirmed hours later that Venezuela will give up to 50 million barrels of oil to the US, in a move that could cut $2 billion worth of oil supply to China. In alarming developments regarding Greenland, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump is considering “utilizing” the US military as an option to acquire the island, senior advisor Stephen Miller insisted the US has the right to invade Greenland, while Rubio told lawmakers that Trump plans to buy Greenland instead of invading it.

In two separate operations on Wednesday, the US intercepted a Russian-flagged tanker after weeks of pursuit and seized another one in the Caribbean Sea. Among new comments by Trump officials, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US plans to control Venezuelan oil “indefinitely,” Rubio hinted that hardline interior minister Diosdado Cabello must back Rodriguez or suffer a similar fate as Maduro, while Leavitt stated the US would not rule out forcing Venezuela to cut ties with China and Russia. In other potential military ventures, Rubio said he will meet Danish officials to discuss Greenland next week, while Trump said he will meet Colombia’s Gustavo Petro days after suggesting a similar operation in the Latin American country. Regarding less important developments, Machado will publish a book outlining her vision for Venezuela in March, while protests emerged in Colombia against the US operation in Venezuela.

In an interview with the NYT, Trump said he doesn’t need international law, “My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.” Five GOP senators joined Democrats in advancing a bipartisan resolution on the War Powers Act, which would block Trump from using further military action in Venezuela. Responding to the news, Vice President JD Vance called the War Powers Act “fundamentally a fake and unconstitutional law.” In an interview with the NYT, Trump said “only time will tell” when asked about how long the US will control Venezuela. Shifting his tone on the opposition leader, Machado is expected to meet Trump in Washington next week. Bloomberg reported that the White House has excluded the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, over previous comments against military action. Venezuela announced it will release an “important number” of political prisoners, in the first moves by Rodriguez to placate and collaborate with the US administration. According to Reuters, the Trump regime has considered sending lump sum payments to Greenlanders to bribe them to join the US.

Citing cooperation with the US, Trump said he has called off the “second wave of attacks” on Venezuela. Showing more normalization in diplomatic relations, the US and Venezuela both acknowledged they are sending a delegation to each other’s countries. Meanwhile, the US seized its fifth Venezuelan oil tanker on Friday, ramping up its bid to remove the dark fleet of tankers from service. Hours later, Trump held a meeting with the executives of big oil and gas companies to discuss development in Venezuela, during which he delivered a senior moment by reading out loud a memo given to him by Rubio. During the discussion, ExxonMobil’s chief executive, Darren Woods, warned Venezuela remains “uninvestable” in pushback against the president. The Washington Post uncovered a Christmas Eve meeting in Vatican City between Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Brian Burch, the US ambassador to the Holy See, as part of numerous global attempts to secure safe harbour for Maduro. While on CBS News, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he hopes dialogue with Trump will “stop a world war.”

Over the weekend, the US launched another round of large-scale strikes on ISIS targets across Syria, as retaliation for last year’s attack that killed two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter. Amid reports of the growing presence of pro-regime militias inside Venezuela searching for evidence of American citizens or collaborators, the US urged its citizens to leave Venezuela. In Nicaragua, human rights groups say authorities arrested more than 60 people for reportedly supporting the capture of Maduro. Pressuring Cuba more, Trump told the communist regime to “make a deal, before it’s too late.”

The Trump Show: Series 2 - Turmoil In Minnesota

In domestic US politics, hours after Trump controversially tweeted a conspiracy theorist’s video claiming Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was involved in last year’s murder of state representative Melissa Hortman, the former VP candidate announced he is ending his bid for reelection. It comes as Republicans tried to tie Walz to the recent fraud scandal in Minnesota, while his family repeatedly came under insults and attacks by partisan trolls. Senator Amy Klobuchar is reportedly considering a gubernatorial run. In a petty move by Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon began its censure of Mark Kelly’s military rank over last year’s illegal orders video, which could result in a possible demotion. On public health, the US cuts universal childhood vaccine recommendations, including for COVID and hepatitis.

Tuesday marked the fifth anniversary of January 6th, which The Atlantic magazine marked the occasion with an article titled, “Donald Trump Wants You To Forget This Happened.” The White House marked the occasion by opening a new webpage, claiming Democrats had “staged the real insurrection.” As Trump held a closed-door meeting with House Republicans, he admitted he could get impeached again if the GOP falters in the midterm elections. California Representative Doug LaMalfa died on Tuesday, narrowing the GOP majority to 218-213. In good news for reproductive rights, abortion remains legal in Wyoming as the state ruled against restrictive abortion laws, including a ban on the abortion pill. Zeroing in on affordability, Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren led the election-year affordable housing blitz.

Amid a growing immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, ICE fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in her car on Wednesday. Good was an award-winning poet and a mother of three. An eyewitness told local media, “She was trying to turn around, and the ICE agent was in front of her car, and he pulled out a gun and put it right in – like his midriff was on her bumper – and he reached across the hood of the car and shot her in the face like three, four times.” Going on a full denial campaign, DHS claimed the woman “weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them — an act of domestic terrorism.” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey refuted claims of self-defense, saying DHS is “trying to spin this as an action of self-defense. Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bullshit.” In addition, Frey told ICE to “get the fuck out” of the city. Walz also issued a statement on the tragedy, issuing a “warning order” to prepare the Minnesota National Guard. RFK Jr announced new US dietary guidelines, urging people to consume less sugar and more protein. Continuing to undermine efforts to fight climate change, the US withdrew from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the foundational agreement in addressing the climate crisis. This is among the dozens of international agreements Trump decided to pull the US out of on Wednesday. Steny Hoyer, the longest-serving House Democrat, was set to announce his early retirement from Congress after decades of service.

Minnesota was on edge after Good’s murder by an ICE agent, with the Minneapolis public school system cancelling classes for the rest of the week. At the same time, protests erupted around the country against the cruel immigration crackdown. The ICE agent who shot Good was identified by the Minnesota Star Tribune as Johnathan Ross, who was described by federal officials as an “experienced” officer. State officials and investigators say federal authorities will not allow them access to evidence regarding the ICE shooting, as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension noted that the FBI reversed its initial agreement on working together on the investigation. During an interview with the NYT, Trump said of Good’s death, “I watched the one woman screaming, the one woman in the car before she got shot, I heard was unbelievably bad, badly behaved. You’re supposed to listen to law enforcement.” And somehow one-upping that cruel statement, Vice President JD Vance blamed the victim for being killed by ICE, saying, “I can believe that her death is a tragedy while also recognizing that it’s a tragedy of her own making.” Making things worse, two people were shot by federal agents in Portland. On legal developments, a federal judge ruled that a fifth federal prosecutor appointed by Pam Bondi was serving unlawfully, while the Trump regime’s pick to be the US Attorney for the Northern District of New York must stop working on two investigations related to New York Attorney General Letitia James. In Congress, the House approved minibus spending bills to continue funding the government. Trump’s first vetoes on supporting infrastructure in Florida and Colorado survived override votes in the House despite initial bipartisan support, while House Republicans joined Democrats in reviving expired Obamacare funds.

In the latest jobs numbers for December last year, the US added 50 thousand more jobs while unemployment fell slightly. Funny enough, Trump posted some of the December statistics 12 hours before their official release. Speaking out for the first time since Good’s murder, her wife said she stopped by to support neighbors before she was fatally shot by ICE. The agent in question was seriously injured a few months ago, after he was dragged by an alleged fugitive who sped off and dragged him down the street. Minnesota officials asked the public to submit evidence related to the ICE shooting, as Minneapolis schools announced they will offer remote learning for students as the immigration crackdown intensifies. The White House then shared the cellphone footage of the Minneapolis shooting from the ICE officer’s perspective. Good can be heard saying, “That’s alright, dude, I’m not mad at you. I’m not mad at you,” before she got shot. Moments after the shooting, Ross can be heard saying, “Fucking bitch.” After the footage was released, Vance used the video to further defend the ICE officer, while Trump repeated the baseless claim that Good was part of a “leftwing network” of paid agitators. Regarding the Portland shooting, Oregon officials began their probe into the incident as DHS revealed the victims’ names to be Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras. In the cultural front, the Washington National Opera announced it is leaving the Kennedy Center after Trump’s renaming effort. Ending Friday with an all-timer headline from Politico: “France delays G7 to avoid clash with White House cage fighting on Trump’s birthday,” because that’s the world we live in now, apparently.

Over the weekend, anti-ICE demonstrations continued across the US. A more alarming political development was announced by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who said the DOJ served subpoenas to the Fed and is threatening a criminal indictment over his Senate testimonyabout renovations to Federal Reserve buildings. With questions growing about political interference on the independent Fed, Trump denied he is involved in the subpoenas, telling NBC News, “I don’t know anything about it.”

Because I’m Too Busy For Memeing: Some Other Important News From The Rest Of The World

Dateline Tehran, Iran:

In Iran, protests related to the country’s economic problems continued into its second week, with anti-government demonstrations having spread to most of Iran’s provinces. Human rights groups and increasingly violent actions by Iranian security forces have shown signs of “indiscriminate targeting of civilians,” including an incident on Tuesday where security forces cracked down in a sit-in protest at Tehran’s grand bazaar. At least 35 people were killed, including 3 children. The Times of London reported that Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of Iran, has planned to flee to Moscow if Iran’s unrest intensifies. By Thursday, multiple sources reported that Iranian authorities had cut off internet access in areas such as Tehran after massive demonstrations in the capital. The new wave of protests, which were prompted by calls from Iran’s exiled crown prince, prompted hospital raids, while state TV warned of “casualties” and alleged “terrorist agents” from the US and Israel had sparked the violence. On social media, photos of Iranian women burning photos of the Ayatollah, including one who lit a cigarette with a burning Khamenei photo, went viral. Lashing out at the US, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blasted protesters for “ruining their own streets” to please Trump, and threatened the death penalty to demonstrators moving forward. Despite the warnings, new and growing protests emerged across Iran, mobilizing people from diverse social classes and political views. In hospitals, doctors told the BBC that their facilities were overwhelmed by injured patients from protests, as there were reports of security forces killing more than 200 demonstrators. With demonstrations continuing to erupt inside Iran over the weekend, the protests are also held in other countries, including in the UK, where a protester climbed onto the balcony of the Iranian embassy and pulled down the national flag. According to CNN, Trump was weighing a series of potential military options in Iran by the weekend in response to the regime’s protest crackdown. Earlier that weekend, Tehran warned it would retaliate if attacked by the US. Human rights groups and activists say the nationwide protests have killed more than 538 protesters and arrested 10,000 more.

Dateline Kyiv, Ukraine:

In personnel changes within the Kyiv government, Zelensky announced Vasyl Maliuk would step down as head of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), but remain in the agency to focus on asymmetrical operations against Moscow. Meanwhile, former Canadian Liberal cabinet minister Chrystia Freeland quit her MP job and was appointed by Zelensky as an economic development adviser. After a gathering of leaders from the coalition of the willing in Paris, the signatories of the new Paris Declaration have agreed on strong security guarantees for Kyiv, including sending troops to Ukraine “in the event of a peace deal.” Reacting to the development, Russia claimed any foreign forces in Ukraine would be perceived as “legitimate targets.” In addition, Russia attacked Ukrainian energy facilities, leading to power outages in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Marking Friday’s attacks on Ukraine’s Lviv region, Russia said it has used its new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile.

Dateline International Space Station:

On Friday, NASA said it will return a four-person crew from the International Space Station (ISS) a month earlier than scheduled due to a “serious medical condition” affecting one of the crew members. Citing health privacy, NASA did not reveal which astronaut was sick or what their medical condition was, but it did say they were in stable condition. It comes a day after NASA cancelled a planned spacewalk that was supposed to take place on Thursday, citing health reasons. The four astronauts returning home early are Pilot Mike Fincke, Commander Zena Cardman, as well as Mission Specialists Oleg Platonov and Kimiya Yui.