With the U.S. capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro in a bold Jan. 3 military raid and a large naval force still prowling the southern Caribbean to ensure that Maduro’s successors cooperate with the Trump administration, other subtle, but key, developments in the region can be overlooked. Among under-the-wire events is a December 2025 agreement
Minnesota’s multibillion-dollar fraud scandals sparked spirited exchanges before a congressional committee on Jan. 7—the first of two hearings that the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has set on the topic. During a session that spanned nearly five hours, several shouting matches erupted—sometimes involving witnesses who pushed back against lawmakers. At times, committee chair
(Left) U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on Jan. 20, 2025. (Right) Colombian President Gustavo Petro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Nov. 19, 2024. Jim Watson, Mauro Pimentel/AFP via Getty Images President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he spoke on the phone with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, calling
President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., on Dec. 29, 2025. Joe Raedle/Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Venezuela has committed to buying exclusively American-made products with revenues from a newly created oil agreement with the United States. The arrangement, detailed by Trump on his social media platform
President Donald Trump shakes hands with House Speaker Mike Johnson during an event in the East Room of the White House on Oct. 20, 2025. Alex Brandon/AP Photo House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday formally invited President Donald Trump to deliver a State of the Union address to Congress. “It is my distinct honor
An aerial view of the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., on Dec. 15, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times President Donald Trump on Jan. 7 proposed increasing the Pentagon’s budget to $1.5 trillion in 2027, saying it would give the United States its “Dream Military” during what he described as “very troubled and dangerous times.” The call
An aerial view of the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., on Dec. 15, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times President Donald Trump on Jan. 7 proposed increasing the Pentagon’s budget to $1.5 trillion in 2027, saying it would give the United States its “Dream Military” during what he described as “very troubled and dangerous times.” The call