Catch up on the most important sociopolitical current events quickly with our nonpartisan, short-form news.

Venezuelan Parliament Passes Law to Open Up Oil Industry

January 30th, 2026 by Gita Uparkar

With more crude oil reserves than Russia and Canada combined, Venezuela’s 300 million barrels of oil have the potential to provide serious economic and financial reform for the country. But to critics, these have been poorly managed, with the CEO of Exxon stating that the country must first transition to democracy in order for Venezuelan oil extraction to become a good investment. In response, Venezuela’s National Assembly has reformed a hydrocarbon law to give foreign private companies more autonomy in the South American nation’s oil sector. The United States also eased select sanctions to allow American firms in Venezuela to potentially experience the same benefit. 

#intl-politics #intl-environment #latin-america #us-FoPo 

January 29th, 2026 by Rebecca Gehlmann

Following a year of simmering tension between President Trump and Jerome Powell, chosen in 2017 to head the Federal Reserve, Trump has announced Powell’s replacement. Battles over whether to lower interest rates have soured the relationship between the two, and the Department of Justice launched an investigation into Powell’s handling of building renovations at the Federal Reserve. Powell’s term is set to expire on May 15th. The president has picked Kevin Warsh, who served on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors during the 2008 financial crisis. However, he was passed over in favor of Powell for top leadership in 2017. Warsh has defended Trump’s tariffs and echoed his call for lower interest rates.

#us-politics #us-econ #republican

January 29th, 2026 by Tanvi Ramkumar

Following Tim Walz’s decision earlier this month not to seek a third term as governor, Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar has formally entered her state’s race for the position. The former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate pledged to unite the state amid a widening welfare fraud scandal and a federal immigration crackdown by the Trump Administration. Republicans responded to her announcement by stating that Klobuchar “would have to answer for fellow Democrat Tim Walz’s blatant mismanagement that left Minnesotan taxpayers being swindled out of billions of dollars.”

#us-politics #democrats

January 28th, 2026 by Audrey Han

In an attempt to pressure Iran on the restrictions on its nuclear program, Trump has ramped up his threats to Tehran, stating that a “massive armada” would be moving with “great power, enthusiasm, and purpose.” This follows the retraction of his promise to intervene in Iranian protests by claiming that the protests appeared to have “died down,” showing the president’s capricious nature when it comes to the country. However, it appears that Iran is not relenting, with both the protests and its nuclear program, both of which are directly linked to one another. Protests across the country arose due to a rapidly declining economic state, which are due to the sanctions placed on Iran for its attempts to accelerate its nuclear program, which the Middle Eastern nation claims is for peaceful purposes. 

#intl-politics #middle-east #conflict #humanitarian #us-FoPo

January 28th, 2026 by Audrey Han

Judge John Tunheim temporarily blocked President Trump’s new Minneapolis plan to detain over 5,600 lawful immigrants who have never been charged with immigration violations. The decision was made after complaints that the Trump Administration was targeting lawful immigrants to try to revoke their refugee status. The complaint highlights how federal immigration agents in Minneapolis have begun to send immigrants to deportation centers in Texas, where after hours of questioning, some are simply left on the streets without money or identification. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has already criticized the decision as anti-democratic, demonstrating growing tensions between the Trump Administration and the judicial branch.

#us-politics #us-legal

January 28th, 2026 by Elisa Ma

Over the President Donald Trump’s claims of fraud in the 2020 election, the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, a county and a state where Trump lost the popular vote. This occurred after a federal judge approved the Department of Justice’s warrant to search the Fulton County Election Hub. Fulton County Commissioner Mo Ivory and other critics believe that this may be part of a larger trend of voter suppression and mobilizing the National Guard in order to secure elections. In November 2025, the last election interference case against President Trump in Georgia was dismissed.

#us-politics #us-legal