The briefing for Friday, January 16.

A federal judge dismissed the Justice Department's lawsuit seeking detailed records on California's 23 million registered voters, ruling the Trump administration's data request was "unprecedented and illegal." U.S. District Judge David O. Carter in Santa Ana said the administration "may not unilaterally usurp the authority over elections" and concluded the attempt to centralize personal information would chill voter registration and threaten "the cornerstone of American democracy."

The DOJ has sued 23 states and the District of Columbia for detailed voter data including names, dates of birth, addresses, driver's license numbers and partial Social Security numbers. The administration claims states are failing to maintain proper voter rolls, but officials in targeted states—most controlled by Democrats—have questioned what the DOJ plans to do with the information. Ten Democratic secretaries of state expressed concern last fall over reports the DOJ was sharing state voter data with the Department of Homeland Security.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber said the state would "continue to challenge this administration's disregard for the rule of law and our right to vote." The Justice Department has not yet commented on the ruling, which represents a significant legal setback for the administration's efforts to gain unprecedented access to state election systems.

U.S. forces boarded and seized the tanker Veronica in a predawn operation Thursday, the sixth sanctioned vessel captured as the Trump administration works to control Venezuelan oil exports. The U.S. Southern Command said the ship was seized "without incident" after defying President Trump's "quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean." The Veronica, sailing under a Guyanese flag but previously registered in Russia, had departed empty from Venezuelan waters in early January.

The seizures have sharply curtailed Venezuela's oil exports, with loadings falling to roughly half of normal levels this month to about 400,000 barrels per day, according to shipping analytics firm Kpler. Only ships associated with Chevron and bound for the U.S. are operating as usual. An American official confirmed Wednesday that the U.S. completed its first sale of Venezuelan oil valued at $500 million, as the administration works with Venezuela's interim government to control the country's oil sales.

The crackdown on the so-called dark fleet of more than 1,000 vessels transporting sanctioned oil continues despite the financial costs of delays. About 17 tankers attempted to breach the blockade earlier this month, with roughly 15.5 million barrels of crude oil sitting on ships in Venezuelan waters as of January 13. Trump met with oil executives last week to discuss investing $100 billion in Venezuela's energy infrastructure, though executives said significant changes would be needed to make the country attractive for investment.

Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia charged 26 people, including 13 college basketball players, with rigging at least 29 NCAA games and two Chinese Basketball Association games. The scheme involved gamblers and fixers recruiting players with promises of $10,000 to $30,000 per game in exchange for purposefully underperforming, allowing the fixers to bet against the players' teams and defraud sportsbooks. U.S. Attorney David Metcalf called it an "international criminal conspiracy" representing "significant corruption of the integrity of sports."

The indictment suggests many others, including unnamed players, had a role but weren't charged, and investigators say the probe continues. The scheme started with two Chinese Basketball Association games in 2023 and expanded to involve more than 39 players across more than 17 Division I men's basketball teams. Players often recruited teammates by showing them photos of cash stacks via text, with fixers sometimes flying to campuses to hand-deliver payments after successfully rigged games. In one case, however, a fixer failed to pay four Alabama State University players who helped fix a 2024 game.

The charges include bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy. Rigged games spanned major conferences and included playoffs such as the first round of the Horizon League championship. Four charged players—Simeon Cottle, Carlos Hart, Oumar Koureissi and Camian Shell—played for their teams within the last few days, though allegations against them involve the 2023-24 season. NCAA President Charlie Baker said the organization is investigating or has finished investigating almost all teams mentioned in the indictment.

President Trump threatened Thursday to invoke the rarely-used Insurrection Act to send troops to Minneapolis following protests and vandalism after an immigration agent shot a man in the leg. The Department of Homeland Security said an ICE officer opened fire Wednesday after being attacked by three Venezuelan nationals with a shovel and broom handle during a car chase. The agent was hospitalized, and all three attackers were arrested. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem called it "an attempted murder of federal law enforcement."

Tensions have been running high in Minneapolis since January 7, when an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, sparking nationwide protests. The Trump administration says the agent acted in self-defense, while local officials argue Good posed no danger. Videos show ICE agents approaching Good's car in the middle of the street, with one agent firing as she attempted to drive off. Around 3,000 federal officers have been deployed to Minnesota in recent weeks as part of Operation Metro Surge.

Wednesday night's clashes saw protesters throwing fireworks, ice and snowballs at police, with several federal vehicles damaged and property stolen. The FBI is offering up to $100,000 for information leading to recovery of stolen government property. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who has demanded ICE leave the city, said "the situation we are seeing in our city is not sustainable." Minnesota Governor Tim Walz made a direct appeal to Trump to "turn the temperature down," warning against fanning "the flames of chaos." A federal judge denied Minnesota prosecutors' request for a temporary restraining order against ICE on Wednesday.

More than 230 Justice Department employees have been fired in the past year, including veteran prosecutors handling high-profile cases, according to Justice Connection, a network of department alumni. The terminations have erased centuries of combined experience and left fewer career attorneys to uphold the rule of law as President Trump tests executive power limits. Among those fired was Michael Ben'Ary, a 20-year veteran counterterrorism prosecutor who was leading the case arising from the deadly Kabul airport bombing Trump highlighted in his State of the Union address.

Ben'Ary discovered he was fired in October when his work phone was disabled while driving his child to soccer practice. His termination came hours after right-wing commentator Julie Kelly suggested he was part of "internal resistance," though he was never involved in the case she referenced. The fired employees include lawyers who prosecuted January 6 cases, environmental and civil rights enforcers, counterterrorism prosecutors, immigration judges and attorneys defending administration policies. Several Minnesota prosecutors moved to resign this week amid turmoil over the ICE shooting investigation.

More than 6,400 employees are estimated to have left the department, which had roughly 108,000 at the end of 2025. Stuart Gerson, a senior official in the George H.W. Bush administration, said losing career-level people "is immensely damaging to the public interest." The Justice Department says it has hired thousands of career attorneys over the last year, and the Trump administration has characterized some departed workers as out-of-step with its agenda. Ben'Ary left a typed note warning colleagues that "the political leadership of the Department have violated" their oath to follow facts without political interference.

Six Democratic lawmakers who urged military members to resist "illegal orders" in a video confirmed they are under federal investigation, with prosecutors now reaching out after initial FBI interviews last year. Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan revealed that the U.S. attorney's office for the District of Columbia, led by Trump appointee Jeanine Pirro, contacted her last week requesting an interview. Representatives Jason Crow of Colorado, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire also confirmed receiving similar outreach from prosecutors.

The lawmakers—all military or intelligence agency veterans—appeared in a 90-second video telling troops to follow established protocols by not obeying commands that violate the law. They said the administration "is pitting our uniformed military against American citizens" and called for service members to "stand up for our laws." President Trump labeled the video "seditious" on social media and said the offense was "punishable by death," though it's unclear what laws could have been violated.

The lawmakers remained defiant, with Crow saying the administration "picked the wrong people" and Goodlander calling the targeting "downright dangerous." House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the members "did not violate the law" and Democrats "stand firmly behind them." The Pentagon opened a separate investigation into Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona in November and is attempting to retroactively demote him from his retired Navy captain rank. Kelly is suing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to block those proceedings, calling them unconstitutional retaliation. Pirro's office declined to confirm or deny whether an investigation is taking place.