January 6, 2026 – Short News

Pepper spray against children – Operation without justification!!

In Columbus, Ohio, officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol deployed pepper spray against a car full of children while both vehicles were in motion. The footage shows a woman rolling down her window and shouting “La migra” as an unmarked federal vehicle passes by. An agent then sprays pepper spray directly into the open window and accelerates away. The woman did not interfere with anyone, did not block any officers, and posed no threat. She was sitting in her own neighborhood, with three children and an 18-year-old in the back seat.

Spraying pepper spray into a closed vehicle interior is extremely dangerous, especially for children, and can have severe health consequences. Without an acute danger or legal basis, such use is considered disproportionate force and a violation of civil rights. When the family called emergency services, the license plate led nowhere. What remains is the impression of a federal agency acting armed, targeting families, and evading accountability because it apparently considers itself above the law. Investigations into this case are now underway.

A breach of law with notice – Why we are filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration

The arrest of Nicolás Maduro was not an ordinary operation, but the result of a military deployment on foreign sovereign territory, with deaths, destroyed infrastructure, and without any involvement of Venezuelan judicial authorities. This very path of arrest is the real scandal. Military force was used to compel criminal jurisdiction. This contradicts the prohibition of the use of force under the UN Charter and cannot be justified by drug enforcement or national security. The immediate transfer to the United States also ignores fundamental rules of state sovereignty. In addition, there are civilian victims whose deaths bear no proportion to a measure that was supposed to serve a criminal proceeding. The subsequent indictment before US courts cannot cure this history. Domestic law does not override international legal barriers. The personal immunity of sitting heads of state is brushed aside because it is politically inconvenient. International jurisprudence has repeatedly condemned precisely such operations. This is explicitly not about sympathy for Nicolás Maduro – we reject his regime – but about the fact that accepting such a breach of law encourages Trump to go further and further. For too long, power has been allowed to replace law. That is why we are preparing a formal lawsuit against the Trump administration. It will be filed and published on Friday. Silence is no longer an option.

“No one will fight” – Threat toward Greenland

Asked whether the United States could rule out a military move against Greenland, Stephen Miller evaded the question and instead put the claim itself on the table. Greenland should be part of the United States, he said, openly questioning on what basis Denmark exercises control over the territory. Miller stated that the US is the leading power within NATO and added that no one would militarily challenge the United States over Greenland. The statement dispenses with any legal classification and follows a pure logic of power. That a NATO ally is addressed publicly in this manner noticeably sharpens the tone. Greenland appears not as an autonomous territory, but as a strategic object. Diplomatic restraint is not evident in this line of argument.

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said that Donald Trump must be taken seriously when he speaks of taking over Greenland. Her statement followed just one day after her public call for Trump to end his threats against the semi autonomous territory. Frederiksen spoke of impermissible pressure and made clear that the United States has no right to annex Greenland. If one NATO state were to militarily attack another, she said, the international order in its current form would collapse. NATO, democratic rules of the game, and the entire alliance system would then be up for disposition. The government of Greenland also sharply rejected Trump’s statements and called the comparison with Venezuela false and disrespectful. Despite direct talks, Trump sharpened his tone again and justified his claims with national security. He publicly questioned whether Denmark sufficiently protects Greenland and mocked the security measures there. Frederiksen clearly contradicted this and pointed to massive investments in Arctic defense. She emphasized that Denmark has already granted extensive military access rights to the United States.

She received support from several European governments and the European Union. The United Kingdom and Finland also made clear that only Denmark and Greenland can decide the future of the island. Trump’s recent statements appear particularly troubling against this background. In Denmark, concern is growing that since the US raid in Venezuela, Washington’s willingness to use force has become more openly visible. Security authorities are now explicitly warning of new uncertainties caused by American policy. Reports of espionage and influence operations are intensifying mistrust. Even if hardly anyone expects an immediate invasion, the mood has noticeably shifted. For many, Greenland is no longer a peripheral issue, but a serious risk.

“Come on then” – Petro openly counters Trump’s threats

“Come on, coward! I’m waiting for you here.”

Colombian President Gustavo Petro publicly responded to threats from Washington and chose unusually clear words. In a video, he said in English: “Come get me, coward! I’m waiting for you here.” The statement followed sharp attacks by Donald Trump, who had put political and economic pressure on Colombia. Petro dispensed with diplomatic formulas and addressed Trump directly. The tone marks a break with the otherwise cautious communication of Latin American heads of state toward the United States and signals that Colombia does not want to be publicly intimidated. Internationally, the appearance is causing irritation, but also attention. The conflict thus visibly shifts from the background into the open public sphere.

Colorado in the streets – a clear signal

In Colorado, people are going about their daily lives when a vehicle with an aggressive message rolls through their street. The situation arises without prior confrontation and without a visible trigger, but appears deliberately staged. Those who live there are addressed without consent, without conversation, without an invitation to exchange.

The message is unmistakable and needs no accompanying words. Such appearances have meanwhile become part of the public space, in which political loyalty is demonstratively displayed. MAGA here stands less for an opinion than for intimidation. For many, this feels like a new America, perceptible not online, but right at their own front door.

Maduro’s son in parliament – Power remains a family matter

Nicolás Maduro Guerra, Sohn des venezolanischen Präsidenten Nicolás MaduroNicolás Maduro Guerra, son of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, appeared today for the first time as an elected member of the National Assembly. The appearance was sober, almost casual, and yet politically unambiguous. Maduro Guerra now sits where laws are passed that determine the course of the country. Critics see in this not a new beginning, but the continuation of a system that has relied on tight loyalty for years. The elections from which this mandate emerged are internationally regarded as severely restricted. Large parts of the opposition were excluded, independent observers scarcely present. That the president’s son is now part of parliament therefore comes as little surprise. For many Venezuelans, nothing changes in daily life. Poverty, emigration, and state pressure remain reality. The name Maduro remains the fixed center of power.

USA sharply reduce vaccination recommendations for children

The United States have abruptly reduced the number of vaccinations recommended for all children. In the future, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will advise vaccinations only against eleven diseases. Protection against influenza, rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, certain forms of meningitis, and RSV is no longer generally recommended, but only for risk groups or after individual medical decision. The decision is largely attributable to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and followed a review at the request of Donald Trump. The administration emphasizes that access to vaccines will remain available and insurance will continue to pay. Medical associations, however, warn of confusion among parents and rising infection numbers. The step is particularly sensitive because vaccination rates are already declining and exemptions have reached record levels. At the same time, diseases such as measles and whooping cough are increasing again. Some states are already responding with their own alliances to cushion the new line from Washington.

Rand Paul disappointed with Trump’s course

Republican Senator Rand Paul openly expresses disappointment with Donald Trump and distances himself from his current course. He said that when he had doubts in the past, he had talked himself into believing Trump was the best president, significantly better than the Bush administrations, which he described as war fixated. Precisely because he had believed Trump to be different, the disappointment is now great. Paul criticized that Trump is now under the influence of Lindsey Graham, one of the loudest advocates of military toughness. The accusation hits a sensitive nerve within the GOP. Trump’s promise of foreign policy restraint long served as a distinction from the Republican past. That a prominent party colleague now openly addresses this break shows growing tensions. The criticism is directed less at individual decisions than at the overall direction. The image of Donald Trump as a counter model to the old party order is thus also developing cracks.

Trump’s tone after Maduro arrest recalls old power politics

After the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, Donald Trump not only defended the operation, but portrayed it as a signal of American supremacy in the western part of the world. He declared that US dominance in this region would never again be questioned, and used the event to publicly pressure neighboring states. In conversations with journalists, he spoke about Greenland, Mexico, Cuba, and Colombia in a language that relies less on diplomacy than on enforcement. Historians point out that such statements recall a time when military interventions were openly justified by claims of power. The expectation that Venezuela must open its oil resources to US corporations reinforces this impression. In Latin America, the operation divides governments, while among allies concern is growing. Especially in Europe, warnings are voiced that such claims could undermine alliances. At the international level, voices are increasing that warn of a new normalization of power politics. Trump’s rhetoric visibly shifts the frame of the debate. Not law, but strength and domination stand in the foreground.

In addition, Lindsey Graham is also coming more sharply into focus. He is a Republican senator from the US state of South Carolina and for years one of the most determined advocates of military toughness. There is hardly an international conflict in which he does not early on call for more pressure, more weapons, or direct US intervention. In a recent appearance, he said with regard to Cuba: “Just wait for Cuba. Their days are numbered.” The statement is emblematic of his political style, which openly articulates threats and does not shy away from escalation. Graham’s influence on Donald Trump is regarded as problematic even among party colleagues. South Carolina appears politically exhausted under his long dominance and economically continues to decline. For many, Graham does not stand for stability, but for a foreign policy that places military strength above all else.