First Thing: White House says using US military ‘always an option’ for acquiring Greenland | US news

Good morning.

Donald Trump and his advisers are looking at “a range of options” for seizing Greenland, and using the US military to do so is “always an option,” the White House said in a statement on Tuesday.

“President Trump has made the well-known case that seizing Greenland is a national security priority of the United States and that deterring our adversaries in the Arctic region is vital. The president and his team are discussing a range of options to achieve this important foreign policy objective, and of course using the U.S. military is always an option available to the commander in chief,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

• How are the United States’ European allies reacting? In a show of solidarity on Tuesday, leaders of France, Germany, Britain and other countries, along with Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen, issued a joint statement calling on the United States to respect its sovereignty. They said Arctic security is a top priority for the United States and NATO, a defense alliance that includes Greenland. “It belongs to the people of Greenland,” the statement said.

Trump claimed that Venezuela transferred $2 billion worth of oil to the USA

Trump said Venezuela would “deliver” $2 billion worth of Venezuelan crude oil to the United States; it’s a negotiation that will divert supplies from China and help Venezuela avoid deeper oil production cuts.

“This Oil will be sold at the Market Price and this money will be controlled by me as President of the United States to ensure that it is used for the benefit of Venezuela and the people of the United States!” Trump shared a post on Truth Social. Venezuelan government officials and state company PDVSA had no comment.

• What would such an agreement mean? Senior Venezuelan officials called Maduro’s capture a kidnapping and accused the United States of trying to steal the country’s vast oil reserves. But Tuesday’s deal is a strong sign that the government is responding to Trump’s demand that U.S. oil companies open up or risk further military intervention.

Israel continues large illegal settlements in the heart of the West Bank

Israel is moving to begin construction of a vast illegal settlement in the heart of the West Bank designed to “bury the idea of ​​a Palestinian state.”

In mid-December, the Israel Land Authority quietly announced a tender for the construction of 3,401 homes as part of the “E1” project, which would reserve the north and south of the occupied West Bank for Palestinians and further cut off East Jerusalem.

The tender, first reported by the Guardian, sets out terms for companies to bid for part of the work, with a deadline of mid-March.

• Why is Israel advancing now? For years construction was blocked by the United States and Israel’s European allies. But Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, a settler, said last year that Trump had withdrawn his longstanding opposition to the US E1 plan.

• What Will starting construction have any impact? Critics and supporters agree that settling tens of thousands of Israeli settlers in a triangle of occupied territory between Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Ramallah would seriously harm efforts to achieve a two-state solution.

In other news…

• Congressional Republicans remained largely silent Tuesday on the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Even as Democrats try to use this opportunity to condemn Trump.

• California Republican congressman Doug LaMalfa He died at the age of 65. It reduced Republicans’ House majority to 218-213.

• The health of prisoners affiliated with banned direct action group Palestine Action in the UK got worse worryingly, Supporters say hunger strikes continue.

• There is England and France He said they were ready to send troops to Ukraine after the peace agreement An important new commitment that has been discussed for months.

• Authorities security guards He hadn’t inspected the bar that caught fire in five years. A Swiss ski resort on New Year’s Eve. Forty people, mostly young people, were killed and more than 100 were injured.

Stat of the day: Justice Department releases less than 1% of Epstein files, filings revealed

As Democrats step up their criticism of the Trump administration’s “lawlessness” in keeping the records sealed, a court filing has revealed that the Justice Department released less than 1% of the Epstein files. The ministry acknowledged that only 12,285 of 125,575 pages have been published so far.

In fact: Frequent nosebleeds – what causes them and is it normal?

If you experience frequent nosebleeds, you may view them as nothing more than a messy annoyance. Otolaryngologist Dr. from the University of California, San Francisco. Although most nosebleeds are mild and benign, they shouldn’t happen “if everything inside the nose is healthy,” says Patricia Loftus. Here’s what the experts say.

Don’t miss: Dolly, Dreamgirls and Daniel Radcliffe – the biggest Broadway shows of 2026

The year 2025 was a major turning point for Broadway; New York theater finally rebounded to pre-pandemic levels with $1.89 billion in ticket sales. However, ticket prices have also reached record highs for the record box office, as Hollywood stars such as Denzel Washington and George Clooney command high amounts. This year has a slightly less Hollywood feel, but it’s no less starry. Here are 12 of the most anticipated Broadway shows of 2026.

Climate control: Pesticide industry’s ‘immunity shield’ removed from US appropriations bill

In a setback for the pesticide industry, Democrats managed to remove a rider from a congressional appropriations bill that would have helped protect pesticide manufacturers from being sued and could have blocked state efforts to warn about pesticide risks. “I just drew a line in the sand and said this can’t stay in the bill,” said Democratic representative Chellie Pingree. “Bayer has been lobbying heavily. This has been a very tough fight.”

Latest Thing: Parisians ski on snowy Montmartre slope amid Europe’s cold – video

Much of Europe has been under the influence of an Arctic air mass this week, pushing temperatures well below the seasonal average. In snow-covered Paris, some people were skiing down the slopes as crowds gathered for winter sports near the Sacré Coeur in Montmartre. “This has been a dream of mine for a while,” one said. “I thought it was now or never.”

become a member

First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you haven’t registered yet, subscribe now.

Contact us

If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com.