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AP News in Brief at 12:04 a.m. EST

The Associated Press 12 minute read 11:05 PM CST

US seeks to assert its control over Venezuelan oil with tanker seizures and sales worldwide

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday sought to assert its control over Venezuelan oil, seizing a pair of sanctioned tankers transporting petroleum and announcing plans to relax some sanctions so the U.S. can oversee the sale of Venezuela’s petroleum worldwide.

Trump's administration intends to control the distribution of Venezuela’s oil products globally following its ouster of President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid. Besides the United States enforcing an existing oil embargo, the Energy Department says the “only oil transported in and out of Venezuela” will be through approved channels consistent with U.S. law and national security interests.

That level of control over the world’s largest proven reserves of crude oil could give the Trump administration a broader hold on oil supplies globally in ways that could enable it to influence prices. Both moves reflect the Republican administration’s determination to make good on its effort to control the next steps in Venezuela through its vast oil resources after Trump pledged the U.S. will “run” the country.

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ICE officer kills a Minneapolis driver in a deadly start to Trump’s latest immigration operation

Tim Sullivan And Giovanna Dell'orto, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

ICE officer kills a Minneapolis driver in a deadly start to Trump’s latest immigration operation

Tim Sullivan And Giovanna Dell'orto, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: 10:26 PM CST

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a Minneapolis driver on Wednesday during the Trump administration's latest immigration crackdown on a major American city — a shooting that federal officials said was an act of self-defense but that the mayor described as reckless and unnecessary.

The 37-year-old woman was shot in the head in front of a family member in a snowy residential neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis, just a few blocks from some of the oldest immigrant markets and about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020.

Her killing after 9:30 a.m. was recorded on video by witnesses, and the shooting quickly drew a large crowd of angry protesters. By evening, hundreds were there for a vigil to mourn her death and urge the public to resist immigration enforcers.

The woman, Renee Nicole Macklin Good, had a 6-year old child, her mother told the Minnesota Star Tribune. Macklin Good described herself on social media as a “poet and writer and wife and mom” who was from Colorado.

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Updated: 10:26 PM CST

FILE - Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appears before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
FILE - Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appears before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

The Latest: Trump exits 66 international organizations in latest retreat from global cooperation

The Associated Press 17 minute read Preview

The Latest: Trump exits 66 international organizations in latest retreat from global cooperation

The Associated Press 17 minute read Updated: 7:56 PM CST

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order suspending U.S. support for 66 organizations, agencies and commissions, including those affiliated with the United Nations, as the country further retreats from global cooperation.

The targets are primarily U.N.-related groups that focus on climate, labor and other issues that the Trump administration has criticized for catering to “woke” initiatives.

The decision to withdraw comes as ongoing U.S. military efforts and threats have rattled allies and adversaries alike, including the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and indications of U.S. intention to take over Greenland.

On Wednesday morning, the Trump administration seized two Venezuela-linked sanctioned petroleum tankers, in its latest move to establish control over the world’s largest proven reserves of crude oil.

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Updated: 7:56 PM CST

President Donald Trump speaks to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump speaks to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The Latest: ICE officer shoots and kills a woman during Minneapolis immigration crackdown

The Associated Press 15 minute read Preview

The Latest: ICE officer shoots and kills a woman during Minneapolis immigration crackdown

The Associated Press 15 minute read Updated: 7:18 PM CST

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a Minneapolis motorist on Wednesday during the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown in a major U.S. city — a shooting that federal officials claimed was an act of self-defense but that the city’s mayor described as “reckless” and unnecessary.

Videos taken by bystanders with different vantage points and posted to social media show an officer approaching an SUV stopped across the middle of the road, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle. The SUV begins to pull forward and a different ICE officer standing in front of the vehicle pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots into the SUV at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him. It was not clear from the videos if the vehicle made contact with the officer. The SUV then sped into two cars parked on a curb nearby before crashing to a stop.

The shooting marks a dramatic escalation of a series of immigration enforcement operations in major U.S. cities under the Trump administration. The killing was at least the fifth linked to immigration crackdowns in a handful of states since 2024.

The Latest:

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Updated: 7:18 PM CST

A bullet hole and blood stains are seen in a crashed vehicle on at the scene of a shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (Ben Hovland/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)
A bullet hole and blood stains are seen in a crashed vehicle on at the scene of a shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (Ben Hovland/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)

Millions celebrate Orthodox Christmas on Jan. 7, following ancient traditions

Peter Smith, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Millions celebrate Orthodox Christmas on Jan. 7, following ancient traditions

Peter Smith, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: 5:29 PM CST

Millions of people around the world celebrated Orthodox Christmas on Wednesday, nearly two weeks after much of the world marked the holy day.

Certain Eastern Orthodox churches, including those in Russian and other traditions, follow the ancient Julian calendar. It runs 13 days later than the Gregorian calendar, used by Catholic and Protestant churches as well as by much of the secular world for everyday use.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church and some other Oriental Orthodox churches — which are distinct from Eastern Orthodox but share many traditions — also celebrated Christmas on Wednesday.

Other Eastern Orthodox, including those in the Greek tradition, celebrate Christmas on the same Dec. 25 date as Catholic and Protestant churches.

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Updated: 5:29 PM CST

Georgians with national flags take part in a religious procession to the Holy Trinity Cathedral to mark Orthodox Christmas in Tbilisi, Georgia, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)
Georgians with national flags take part in a religious procession to the Holy Trinity Cathedral to mark Orthodox Christmas in Tbilisi, Georgia, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)

What to know about the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE officer in Minneapolis

The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

What to know about the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE officer in Minneapolis

The Associated Press 4 minute read 9:32 PM CST

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal officials and local leaders clashed Wednesday over their differing characterizations of a fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis.

While President Donald Trump's administration described the killing of a 37-year-old mother as an act of self-defense amid his latest immigration crackdown, Minneapolis officials have disputed that narrative.

Here's what is known about the shooting:

How it unfolded

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9:32 PM CST

People gather for a vigil after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a motorist earlier in the day, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
People gather for a vigil after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a motorist earlier in the day, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

These are the 66 global organizations the Trump administration is leaving

The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

These are the 66 global organizations the Trump administration is leaving

The Associated Press 3 minute read 7:27 PM CST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration says it's going to depart 66 international organizations, nearly half them affiliated with the United Nations.

Many focus on climate, labor, migration and other issues the Trump administration has categorized as catering to diversity and “woke” initiatives.

Here is a list of all the agencies that the U.S. is exiting, according to the White House:

Non-U. N. organizations

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7:27 PM CST

President Donald Trump speaks to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump speaks to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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Asian shares are mixed after Wall Street’s strong start to the year cools

Chan Ho-him, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Asian shares are mixed after Wall Street’s strong start to the year cools

Chan Ho-him, The Associated Press 3 minute read 10:44 PM CST

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Thursday after Wall Street’s strong start to the year cooled.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 dropped 1% to 51,660.50 in early trading, with technology stocks among those leading the decline. South Korea’s Kospi added 0.6% to 4,576.95. Both reached all-time high levels earlier this week.

Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng lost 1.2% to 26,136.49, although shares of OpenAI’s Chinese rival Zhipu opened 3.3% higher in its trading debut.

The Shanghai Composite index rose nearly 0.1% to 4,089.45.

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10:44 PM CST

A dealer watches computer monitors at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A dealer watches computer monitors at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

President Petro’s clash with Trump over Venezuela backs Colombia into a corner

Isabel Debre And Manuel Rueda, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

President Petro’s clash with Trump over Venezuela backs Colombia into a corner

Isabel Debre And Manuel Rueda, The Associated Press 7 minute read Updated: 11:24 PM CST

BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — An “abhorrent” violation of Latin American sovereignty. An attack committed by “enslavers.” A “spectacle of death” comparable to Nazi Germany’s 1937 carpet bombing of Guernica, Spain.

There is perhaps no world leader criticizing the Trump administration’s attack on Venezuela as strongly as left-wing President Gustavo Petro of Colombia, historically Washington's most important ally in the region.

For the past 30 years, the U.S. has worked closely with Colombia, the world’s largest producer of cocaine, to arrest drug traffickers, fend off rebel groups and boost economic development in rural areas.

But while other officials tread carefully, Colombia's outspoken president has seized on the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to escalate his spiraling war of words with President Donald Trump, who said a U.S. military operation in Colombia “sounds good to me."

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Updated: 11:24 PM CST

Colombian President Gustavo Petro looks on during a swearing-in ceremony for new military commanders at the army academy in Bogota, Colombia, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Esteban Vega)
Colombian President Gustavo Petro looks on during a swearing-in ceremony for new military commanders at the army academy in Bogota, Colombia, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Esteban Vega)

House considers overriding Trump vetoes as Republicans weigh crossing president

Kevin Freking, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

House considers overriding Trump vetoes as Republicans weigh crossing president

Kevin Freking, The Associated Press 4 minute read 11:04 PM CST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans will consider a rare rebuke of President Donald Trump with House votes Thursday to override his vetoes of two low-profile bills that were considered noncontroversial when they passed Congress.

One bill was designed to help local communities finance the construction of a pipeline to provide water to tens of thousands in Colorado. The other designated a site in Everglades National Park as a part of the Miccosukee Indian Reservation.

The White House did not issue any veto threats prior to passage of the bills, so Trump's scathing comments in his veto message came as a surprise to sponsors of the legislation. Ultimately, his vetoes had the effect of punishing backers who had opposed the president’s positions on other issues.

The water pipeline bill came from Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, a longtime Trump ally who broke with the president in November to release files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The bill to give the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians more control of some of its tribal lands would have benefited one of the groups that sued the administration over an immigration detention center known as “ Alligator Alcatraz.”

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11:04 PM CST

FILE - Airboats carry members of a task force that brings together federal, state, tribal and local agencies working to restore and protect the Florida Everglades, on a field visit to the Miccosukee Indian Reservation ahead of a task force meeting hosted by the Miccosukee Tribe, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
FILE - Airboats carry members of a task force that brings together federal, state, tribal and local agencies working to restore and protect the Florida Everglades, on a field visit to the Miccosukee Indian Reservation ahead of a task force meeting hosted by the Miccosukee Tribe, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

Sen. Graham says Trump has ‘greenlit’ sanctions bill aiming to punish Russia for war in Ukraine

Seung Min Kim, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Sen. Graham says Trump has ‘greenlit’ sanctions bill aiming to punish Russia for war in Ukraine

Seung Min Kim, The Associated Press 2 minute read 8:15 PM CST

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is now on board with a hard-hitting sanctions package meant to economically cripple Moscow as his administration continues to negotiate a deal to end the war that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he met with Trump at the White House earlier Wednesday, during which the president “greenlit” the Russia sanctions bill that has been in the works for months.

Graham had signaled previously that Trump has blessed the bill, only for it to encounter additional obstacles. But a White House official confirmed to The Associated Press Wednesday that the president supports the sanctions legislation.

“This will be well-timed, as Ukraine is making concessions for peace and Putin is all talk, continuing to kill the innocent,” Graham said in a statement, referring to the Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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8:15 PM CST

President Donald Trump, accompanied by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, left, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks with reporters while in flight on Air Force One, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, as returning to Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump, accompanied by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, left, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks with reporters while in flight on Air Force One, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, as returning to Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

2 killed in shooting in Mormon church parking lot in Salt Lake City

Hannah Schoenbaum, The Associated Press 1 minute read Preview

2 killed in shooting in Mormon church parking lot in Salt Lake City

Hannah Schoenbaum, The Associated Press 1 minute read Updated: 11:22 PM CST

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A shooting outside a church building in Salt Lake City killed two people and injured six others Wednesday, police said.

Police do not believe the shooting in the parking lot of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building was targeting a religion, Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said.

“We believe this was not a random incident,” Redd told reporters.

The church is widely known as the Mormon church.

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Updated: 11:22 PM CST

Police respond to a fatal shooting in a parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Rio Giancarlo/The Deseret News via AP)
Police respond to a fatal shooting in a parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Rio Giancarlo/The Deseret News via AP)

Trump’s Greenland idea isn’t new. The US has pursued it at least 3 times before

R.j. Rico, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Trump’s Greenland idea isn’t new. The US has pursued it at least 3 times before

R.j. Rico, The Associated Press 2 minute read 1:23 PM CST

President Donald Trump’s renewed interest in acquiring Greenland from Denmark fits into a long, little-known pattern in U.S. history. From quiet discussions after the Civil War to a $100 million offer in the wake of World War II, American leaders have repeatedly seen Greenland as a strategic prize.

Here’s a look:

1867–1868: Early US interest after the Alaska purchase

After the U.S. bought Alaska from Russia, officials under Secretary of State William Seward discussed acquiring Greenland as part of a broader push into the Arctic.

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1:23 PM CST

FILE - Children play on an icy surface in Nuuk, Greenland, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
FILE - Children play on an icy surface in Nuuk, Greenland, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)

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