The briefing for Wednesday, January 7.

President Trump announced Tuesday that the U.S. will receive 30 to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil at market price, directing Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute the plan immediately. The move comes as casualty figures from Saturday's military operation rose to 24 Venezuelan and 32 Cuban officers killed, with seven U.S. service members injured. Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed control after Nicolás Maduro's capture, pushed back on Trump's earlier statement that the U.S. would 'run' Venezuela, declaring that 'the Venezuelan government rules our country, and no one else does.'

The Trump administration has left Venezuela's opposition movement largely sidelined despite years of U.S. support. Trump expressed skepticism about opposition leader María Corina Machado, saying she 'doesn't have the support within, or the respect within, the country,' though she won the Nobel Peace Prize last year. Neither Trump nor Rodríguez have addressed when elections might occur, despite constitutional requirements for a vote within 30 days when a president becomes 'permanently unavailable.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized Washington will use control of Venezuela's oil industry to force policy changes.

Rodríguez has emerged as a pragmatic operator with a history of attempting to court U.S. business interests. In 2017, as foreign minister, she directed Venezuela's Citgo subsidiary to donate $500,000 to Trump's inauguration and pursued meetings with American energy executives. The White House has organized an Oval Office meeting Friday with executives from Exxon, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips regarding Venezuela. Venezuela holds the world's largest proven crude oil reserves, making access strategically valuable as Trump pursues an 'America First' energy agenda.

The White House stated Tuesday that 'utilizing the U.S. military is always an option' for acquiring Greenland, escalating tensions with European allies. The statement came after six European nations—the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain—joined Denmark in a declaration defending Greenland's sovereignty. The leaders affirmed that 'Greenland belongs to its people' and only Denmark and Greenland can decide matters concerning their relations, emphasizing the need to uphold principles of territorial integrity.

Trump has repeatedly insisted the U.S. 'needs' Greenland for national security reasons, citing strategic concerns about the Arctic and competition with China and Russia. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called it 'the formal position of the U.S. government that Greenland should be part of the U.S.' When asked if military force would be ruled out, Miller responded, 'Nobody's going to fight the U.S. over the future of Greenland.' Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland, who said he wants to talk directly to Greenlanders about improving their quality of life rather than negotiating with Danish or European officials.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that any U.S. attack on Greenland would spell the end of NATO, the trans-Atlantic military alliance built on mutual defense obligations. Greenland, with a population of 57,000, has extensive self-government since 1979 though Denmark retains control over defense and foreign policy. Opinion polls show overwhelming opposition among Greenlanders to becoming part of the U.S., even as most favor eventual independence from Denmark. The tensions have been amplified by the recent Venezuela intervention, raising concerns about Trump administration willingness to use military force against allied territories.

The Trump administration nearly tripled the number of countries whose citizens must post bonds up to $15,000 to apply for U.S. visas, expanding from 13 to 38 nations. The State Department added 25 countries Tuesday, with the requirement taking effect January 21. Most affected nations are in Africa, though some are in Latin America and Asia. The bonds, ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, make obtaining a U.S. visa financially impossible for many applicants in targeted countries.

The new additions include Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Cuba, Ivory Coast, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe, among others. They join countries like Bhutan, Botswana, Tanzania, and Zambia already on the list. Payment of the bond does not guarantee a visa will be granted, though the amount is refunded if the visa is denied or when visa holders demonstrate compliance with visa terms. U.S. officials defend the bonds as effective in ensuring citizens of targeted countries do not overstay their visas.

The expansion is part of broader efforts by the Trump administration to tighten entry requirements, including mandatory in-person interviews for all visa applicants and requirements to disclose years of social media history along with detailed accounts of previous travel and living arrangements. The move significantly restricts access to the U.S. for citizens of developing nations, many of which have median incomes far below the bond amounts required.

Republican Congressman Doug LaMalfa of California died unexpectedly Tuesday at age 65, reducing the GOP's House majority to 218-213. The seven-term representative and former rice farmer had served Northern California's 1st District since 2013, focusing on agriculture and water issues. President Trump, addressing House Republicans, called LaMalfa 'a great, great, great member' who 'voted with me 100% of the time.' Details surrounding LaMalfa's death were unclear, and Trump said he considered not giving his planned speech to honor the late congressman.

The death creates additional challenges for Speaker Mike Johnson as he tries to advance Trump's agenda with minimal room for dissent among Republicans. California Governor Gavin Newsom must call a special election to replace LaMalfa within 14 days, though the election could be scheduled as late as June when California holds its primary for 2026 midterms. LaMalfa's seat was already facing dramatic redistricting under a ballot measure passed by California voters in November, designed by Democrats to make it harder for him and four other Republicans to win reelection.

The vacancy compounds recent changes to House composition, following the Monday resignation of Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. With four total vacancies and Democrats favored to fill two seats in upcoming special elections in Texas and New Jersey, Republicans' working majority could shrink further in coming months. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called for a moment of silence honoring LaMalfa during a Capitol panel commemorating the fifth anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attack.

The UK and France signed a declaration of intent Tuesday on deploying troops to Ukraine if a peace deal is reached with Russia, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced following talks in Paris. The agreement would establish military hubs across Ukraine and build protected facilities for weapons and equipment to deter future Russian invasion. About 30 nations participated in the 'Coalition of the Willing' meeting, including U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as allies made what French President Emmanuel Macron called 'considerable progress' on security guarantees.

The framework proposes multilayered security, with Ukraine's armed forces as the 'first line of defense' backed by continued military assistance and potential multinational forces on land, sea, and air. The allies suggested the U.S. would take the lead in monitoring any ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a 'huge step forward' had been made but emphasized he would only consider efforts 'enough' if they resulted in ending the war. Last week, Zelensky said a peace deal was '90% ready,' with the remaining 10% concerning territorial issues and security guarantees that 'will determine the fate of peace.'

Russia has repeatedly warned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be 'legitimate targets' and has not yet commented on the Paris announcement. Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including approximately 75% of Donetsk region and 99% of Luhansk. Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukrainian troops withdraw from all of eastern Donbas or Russia will seize it, rejecting compromise. Neither Trump nor acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez have specified when elections might occur in Venezuela, raising questions about democratic transitions in both situations.

Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok is facing international condemnation after a surge in non-consensual sexualized images of women and children generated by the tool. Britain's technology secretary demanded urgent action Tuesday while officials in France, India, Malaysia, Brazil, and Poland called for investigations. The European Union's executive branch denounced the platform, and a Polish lawmaker cited Grok as justification for national digital safety legislation. The problem emerged after Grok Imagine launched last year with a 'spicy mode' that can generate adult content, and recently began granting large numbers of user requests to modify images posted by others.

Nonprofit group AI Forensics analyzed 20,000 images generated by Grok between December 25 and January 1, finding that 2% depicted people appearing to be 18 or younger, including 30 images of young women or girls in bikinis or transparent clothing. As of Tuesday, users could still generate sexualized images using prompts like 'put her in a transparent bikini.' The images are publicly visible on X, Musk's social media platform that hosts Grok, making them easily spreadable. Musk pitches his chatbot as an edgier alternative to rivals with more safeguards.

UK communications regulator Ofcom made 'urgent contact' with both X and xAI, Musk's AI company, to understand compliance with British regulations. Under the UK's Online Safety Act, social media platforms must prevent and remove child sexual abuse material when they become aware of it. X claimed it takes action against illegal content by removing it and suspending accounts, repeating Musk's statement that 'anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences.' The company did not deny the troublesome content exists. Musk's xAI responded to a media inquiry with the automated message 'Legacy Media Lies.'