The briefing for Tuesday, January 6.

President Trump on Monday pardoned, commuted sentences, or moved to dismiss cases for all individuals charged in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. The action covers more than 1,500 people, including those convicted of violent assaults on police officers and leaders of far-right groups convicted of seditious conspiracy. The pardons came just hours after Trump returned to the White House, fulfilling a campaign promise to reverse what he called a 'grave national injustice.'

The scope and speed of the clemency stunned observers. Among those granted relief were Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, serving 18 years for seditious conspiracy, and Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who faced 22 years on similar charges. Trump also ordered the attorney general to seek dismissal of roughly 450 pending cases. The January 6 attack left more than 100 police officers injured as rioters armed with poles, bats, and bear spray overwhelmed law enforcement, shattered windows, and forced lawmakers into hiding.

Trump characterized the rioters as 'patriots' and 'hostages,' claiming they were unfairly targeted by a politically motivated Justice Department. He said the pardons would begin 'a process of national reconciliation.' The action dismantles the Justice Department's largest investigation in its history. Leading law enforcement groups and Democratic lawmakers condemned the pardons, while Trump supporters gathered outside a Washington jail to celebrate the releases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday drastically reduced its childhood vaccine recommendations, now advising universal vaccination against only 11 diseases instead of 18. The change, effective immediately, removes flu, hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, meningococcal disease, and RSV from the list of vaccines recommended for all children. These vaccines are now only suggested for high-risk groups or based on individual doctor consultations through 'shared decision-making.'

The Trump administration said the overhaul was requested by President Trump in December and based on comparisons with 20 peer nations. Officials framed the change as increasing public trust by recommending only the most essential vaccines. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called it a move that 'protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health.' The administration promised families would retain access to all vaccines and insurance coverage would continue.

Medical experts sharply criticized the changes, warning they will increase preventable illness and death. The American Academy of Pediatrics and American Medical Association said they would continue recommending the demoted vaccines, noting no new science justified the rollback. Dr. Sean O'Leary of the AAP warned the changes could lead to more hospitalizations and deaths, expressing particular concern about removing flu vaccine recommendations as flu season intensifies. The changes come as vaccination rates have been declining and measles and whooping cough cases are rising nationwide.

Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty Monday to federal drug trafficking charges in a Manhattan courtroom, declaring 'I am still president of my country' as he protested his capture. The 63-year-old Venezuelan leader and his wife Cilia Flores were brought to court in shackles following their seizure by US forces in a Saturday raid on their Caracas compound. Maduro told the judge he had been 'kidnapped' and was a 'prisoner of war,' though the judge cut him off saying there would be 'a time and place' for such arguments.

Hours before the court appearance, Venezuela's National Assembly swore in Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as interim president. Rodriguez, 56, called Maduro's capture a 'kidnapping' but indicated her government would engage in cooperation with the US within international law. Trump warned Rodriguez she could 'pay a very big price' if she doesn't 'do what's right,' though his administration says it will 'run' Venezuela until a transition occurs. Speaker Mike Johnson said the US doesn't expect troops on the ground beyond maintaining naval vessels offshore.

The operation's aftermath has sparked sharp international criticism at an emergency UN Security Council meeting. France called it 'counter to the principle of peaceful dispute resolution,' while China and Russia condemned what they termed US 'international banditry.' Cuba announced 32 of its nationals—military and intelligence personnel providing Maduro's security—were killed in the operation. Legal experts question whether the US violated international law, though the administration characterizes it as a law enforcement action against an indicted narco-terrorist. Maduro's lawyer plans to contest the legality of what he called a 'military abduction.'

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting voted Monday to dissolve itself completely rather than remain as an unfunded shell organization. The decision ends the 60-year-old agency that has channeled federal funding to PBS, NPR, and hundreds of public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB had been winding down since Congress defunded it last summer at President Trump's encouragement, but leaders chose Monday to shutter the organization entirely.

CPB President Patricia Harrison said the final act would be 'to protect the integrity of the public media system and the democratic values by dissolving, rather than allowing the organization to remain defunded and vulnerable to additional attacks.' Board chair Ruby Calvert called the federal defunding 'devastating' but expressed conviction that public media would survive and a future Congress would address its critical role in education, culture, and democracy.

The dissolution marks the culmination of long-standing Republican criticism that public broadcasting, particularly its news programming, exhibits liberal bias. It wasn't until the second Trump administration with full GOP congressional control that these criticisms translated into eliminating federal support. CPB said it is supporting the American Archive of Public Broadcasting's preservation efforts and working with the University of Maryland to maintain its records.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Monday it has selected RTX and Spanish firm Indra to replace 612 radar systems dating to the 1980s as part of a multibillion-dollar overhaul of the nation's air traffic control infrastructure. The contractors will replace the outdated systems by summer 2028, with the administration setting an ambitious goal of completing the entire modernization by the end of 2028. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said many units have exceeded their intended service life, making them expensive to maintain and difficult to support.

The aging equipment has caused serious disruptions. Technical failures twice knocked out radar for air traffic controllers managing Newark Liberty International Airport last spring, leading to thousands of flight cancellations and delays. The outdated system still relies on floppy discs in some locations, and the FAA has resorted to searching eBay for spare parts that are no longer manufactured. While redundancy in the system helps maintain safety, there have been multiple occasions when both primary and backup systems failed simultaneously.

The new radar systems will replace 14 different existing models currently in use, simplifying maintenance and repairs. The FAA didn't immediately provide cost estimates for the radar replacement, but has already committed more than $6 billion of the $12.5 billion Congress approved for the broader overhaul. Secretary Duffy has indicated another $20 billion will be needed to complete the full modernization project. The agency has already replaced more than one-third of outdated copper wiring with modern fiber optic connections.