Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to warn Congress that President Donald Trump is prepared to take new military action against Venezuela if its interim leadership deviates from U.S. expectations.
In prepared testimony for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Rubio said the United States is not at war with Venezuela and that its interim leaders are cooperating, but noted that the Trump administration has not ruled out using additional force if necessary after a raid captured former President Nicolás Maduro and brought him to New York for trial.
Additionally, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faces growing calls to fire or impeach her. Calls for her resignation have grown louder, from Democratic leaders to major national advocacy groups and even the most centrist members of Congress. Few Republicans have come to Noem’s defense at a critical moment in his tenure.
A man has been arrested for spraying an unknown substance on Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar. The man was pushed to the ground at Minneapolis City Hall on Tuesday as Omar called for the abolition of ICE and demanded that Noem resign or face impeachment. Omar insisted on continuing to speak after the attack, saying she would not be intimidated by bullies.
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Senators divided over wisdom of Trump’s actions on Venezuela
Sen. Jim Reish, R-Idaho, plans to open Tuesday’s hearing by praising Trump and Rubio’s military actions in and around Venezuela for making Americans safer and calling them legal.
“These operations are limited in scope and short in duration and are intended to protect U.S. interests and citizens,” Risch said in prepared remarks. “What President Trump did in Venezuela was the definition of the president’s Article II constitutional powers as commander in chief.”
The committee’s top Democrat, New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, will question whether ousting Maduro is worth it with most of his top aides and deputies still running the country.
“The U.S. naval blockade and attacks around Venezuela have cost U.S. taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars … but the Maduro regime remains in power,” Shaheen’s opening statement said.
Trump blasts Minneapolis mayor after Homan meeting
The president told The Truth Society that Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey was “playing with fire” by not participating in the Trump administration’s federal immigration crackdown.
After speaking with Trump border czar Tom Homan on Tuesday, Frey said he “appreciated the conversation” but reiterated that his “main request” was for the Department of Homeland Security to end its operations in the city “as quickly as possible.”
“Minneapolis does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws,” Frey said. “We will continue to focus on keeping our neighbors and our streets safe.”
“This statement is a very serious violation of that law,” Trump claimed in a social media post on Wednesday.
Local authorities in the United States generally do not arrest people solely for violating immigration laws. Several local law enforcement agencies volunteered to assist in the federal operation. Trump has pressured so-called “sanctuary cities” and threatened to engage more aggressively in an immigration crackdown.
Dollar weakens, gold and silver soar as Trump’s threat prompts investors to ‘dump America’
Gold and silver prices surged early Wednesday ahead of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision. The central bank is expected to keep key interest rates steady for now.
Gold prices rose 3.5% to $5,263 per ounce, and silver prices rose 6.2% to $112.50 per ounce, both close to record highs. Precious metal prices are rising as investors, including major central banks, sell off the dollar and invest their money in assets considered relatively safe during turbulent times.
The dollar has weakened since Trump threatened to impose tariffs on European countries that oppose his control of Greenland. These threats, coupled with concerns about the U.S. government’s crippling debt, have periodically prompted global investors to exit U.S. markets.
Congressional Black Caucus: ‘Enough is enough’ after attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar
The caucus called on Republicans to “reduce the dangerous rhetoric that fuels attacks,” such as those directed at their Democratic colleagues.
“There is absolutely no excuse for violence and intimidation in our politics,” a caucus statement said. “Despite constant attacks from the right, she continues to lead and represent Minnesota’s 5th District with dignity and courage.”
The attack on Omar was the second in less than a week to target members of the caucus. Florida Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost, who identifies as Afro-Latino, was allegedly punched in the face by a man who claimed Trump would deport him.
Man arrested after spraying unknown substance on Rep. Ilhan Omar at Minneapolis City Hall
A man sprayed Democratic Rep. Omar with an unknown substance and threw him to the ground during a town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
Spectators cheered as the man was pushed to the ground with his arms tied behind his back. In video of the incident, someone in the crowd can be heard saying: “Oh my god, he sprayed something on her.”
Previously, Omar had called for the abolition of ICE and asked Secretary of State Noem to resign, otherwise he would face impeachment.
“ICE cannot be reformed,” Omar said seconds before the attack.
Minneapolis police said officers saw the man spray Omar with an unknown liquid from a syringe. They immediately arrested him and booked him into the county jail on a charge of third-degree assault, spokesman Trevor Folke said. Forensic scientists responded to the scene.
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Homeland Security tells Congress two federal officers fired shots during confrontation that killed Alex Pretty
A Customs and Border Protection official told Congress in a notice Tuesday that two federal officers opened fire during a weekend confrontation in Minneapolis that left intensive care unit nurse Alex Preti dead, while Ecuador’s foreign minister objected that immigration agents were trying to enter the country’s consulate in the city without permission.
A notice to Congress obtained by The Associated Press shows police tried to detain Preeti but he refused, leading to a struggle. During the fight, a Border Patrol agent yelled, “He’s got a gun!” multiple times, the official said.
A Border Patrol agent and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent each fired Glock pistols, the notice said.
Investigators with CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility conducted the analysis based on a review of body camera footage and agency documents, the notice said. The agency is required by law to report deaths in CBP custody to relevant congressional committees within 72 hours.
A day earlier, Trump ordered border czar Tom Homan to take over the Minnesota government’s immigration crackdown.
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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faces growing calls to fire or impeach her
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a news conference at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, about the man killed by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis earlier that day. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Many people have come to the same conclusion: Kristi Noem must go.
Calls for the Homeland Security secretary to step down have grown louder from Democratic leaders to major national advocacy groups and even the most centrist lawmakers in Congress following the shooting deaths of two people protesting deportation policies in Minneapolis. Few Republicans have come to Noem’s defense at a critical moment in his tenure.
“This country is disgusted by what the Department of Homeland Security is doing,” House Democrats Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California said in a joint statement.
“Christine Noem should be fired immediately or we will begin impeachment proceedings in the House,” Democrats said.
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Rubio warns of future military action if Venezuela’s new leader deviates from U.S. goals
Rubio’s plan warns that the Trump administration is prepared to take new military action against Venezuela if Venezuela’s interim leadership deviates from U.S. expectations.
Rubio said in prepared testimony for a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the United States is not at war with Venezuela and that its interim leaders are cooperating, but noted that the Trump administration has not ruled out using additional force if necessary after the raid that captured former President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.
As he is often asked to do, former Florida Sen. Rubio will work to sell one of Trump’s more controversial priorities to former colleagues in Congress. With the administration’s foreign policy swinging between the Western Hemisphere, Europe and the Middle East, Rubio may also be called upon to quell recent alarm within his party over Trump’s actions, including his call to annex Greenland.
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