U.S. forces have boarded another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. The announcement was made Friday by the U.S. military. The Trump administration has been targeting sanctioned tankers traveling to and from Venezuela.
The pre-dawn action was carried out by U.S. Marines and Navy, taking part in the monthslong buildup of forces in the Caribbean, according to U.S. Southern Command, which declared “there is no safe haven for criminals” as it announced the seizure of the vessel called the Olina.
Navy officials couldn’t immediately provide details about whether the Coast Guard was part of the force that took control of the vessel as has been the case in the previous seizures. A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard said there was no immediate comment on the seizure.
The Olina is the fifth tanker that has been seized by U.S. forces as part of a broader effort by Trump’s administration to control the distribution of Venezuela’s oil products globally following the U.S. ouster of President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid.
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Oil industry hails constructive conversation with Trump but makes no promises
The American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry’s largest lobbying group, called the White House meeting a “constructive, initial conversation” that highlighted both Venezuela’s energy potential and challenges, including security and stable governance.
Still, no commitments were made.
“Legally, each company will need to independently evaluate the situation and make its own investment decisions, but we look forward to ongoing engagement with the administration ... as this situation continues to unfold,” said Bethany Williams, an API spokesperson.
Ryan Lance, CEO of ConocoPhillips, told Trump the entire Venezuelan energy system may need to be restructured, while ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods called Venezuela “uninvestable” right now.
Trump praises modest hiring
The jobs report Friday that showed a subdued increase of 50,000 jobs in December and a tick down in the unemployment rate was "amazing," Trump said.
Yet overall job gains last year were just 584,000, the smallest annual increase outside of a recession since 2003. Uncertainty from tariffs and the rollout of artificial intelligence, as well as strong hiring after the pandemic, have caused many firms to hold back on adding jobs.
Trump also touted a Thursday estimate from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta that the economy would grow at a 5.4% annual rate in the final three months of 2025. (That figure was marked down to 5.1% Friday.)
Such growth would indeed be impressive, but the Atlanta Fed’s figure is more a tracking estimate rather than forecast and will undergo significant changes before the government issues its first estimate of fourth quarter economic growth Feb. 20. The New York Fed’s tracking estimate is at just 2.6%.
Trump: Venezuela’s oil revenues are going to be split with US oil companies
Trump hasn’t laid out how the profits from the sale of Venezuelan oil will be divided, but he told oil company executives that they needed to start making investments to get their share.
“We have to get them to invest, and then we have to get their money back as quickly as we can, and then we can divvy it all up between Venezuela, the United States, and them,” Trump said. “I think the formula is simple.”
But the president left it unclear how the money would be split, an issue still subject to negotiations with the businesses that he said would be led by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Trump addresses early post of jobs data
Late Thursday, Trump posted a graph showing job gains in 2025 that included updated figures through December that weren't supposed to be released until the Labor Department issued the monthly jobs report Friday morning.
The secrecy of the jobs numbers are closely guarded because they can cause sharp swings in financial markets. White House economic officials receive the report Thursday afternoon and appeared to write up a report with Friday’s data included. Trump posted a graphic from the White House report Thursday night.
“I don’t know if they posted them. I said post ’em whenever you get a chance, I don’t know,” Trump said Friday afternoon. “They gave me some numbers. When people give me things I post them.”
Government officials with early access to the jobs data sign agreements to keep it confidential, subject to legal penalties, Erica Groshen, a former commissioner of the agency that produces the data, said. Previous breaches, however, she said have typically been met with a slap on the wrist.
Trump meeting with Machado next week
The U.S. president said he plans to meet with Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, the leader of Venezuela’s opposition party, either Tuesday or Wednesday.
“I’m honored that she’s coming here,” Trump told reporters during his White House oil event.
Machado, Trump said, is coming to “pay her regards to our country” and to himself, although the president elaborated that he is the representative of this country.
He then complained that he wasn’t awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year.
ExxonMobil CEO says Venezuela is currently ‘uninvestable’
Darren Woods told Trump a lot of work would need to be done in Venezuela before the oil major would be ready to return to the country.
“If we look at the legal commercial constructs and frameworks in place today in Venezuela today, it’s uninvestable,” Woods said. But he said he was confident that “those changes can be put in place.”
Trump gathered oil executives to try to get investment deals in place. Some noted that they’ve had their facilities and equipment confiscated multiple times by the government of Venezuela in the past.
Trump brushed off those comments by saying “we’re not going to look at what people lost in the past.”
Trump says ‘no boots on the ground’ in Iran if US gets involved
The president reiterated his threat that the U.S. would intervene in Iran, saying, “If they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts.”
But Trump quickly said it would not involve sending troops.
“That doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts,” he said.
The president said Iran has treated its people “very badly, and now they’re being paid back.”
Tucker Carlson appears at White House event despite schism in conservative movement
Carlson was spotted seated with guests in the East Room. The White House said he joined the event with oil executives because he had been at the White House for lunch.
The conservative commentator has been at the center of a firestorm within the Republican Party in recent months after he had an interview with a far-right activists known for his antisemitic views and embrace of Hitler.
Trump in November defended Carlson, saying he had said nice things about him over the years.
Consumer group slams Trump offer for oil companies to gain access to Venezuelan oil
A consumer advocacy group is criticizing Trump’s meeting with oil executives as a giveaway to Big Oil.
Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen’s energy program, called the U.S. military’s removal of Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro “violent imperialism” and said Trump’s goal appears to be to “hand billionaires control over Venezuela’s oil.”
U.S. taxpayers are likely to shoulder much of the risk of drilling and exporting the heavy crude oil from Venezuela, Slocum said.
“While Trump works to ensure Big Oil’s risks are covered by the U.S. public, Americans suffering with high home heating and electricity prices will see no relief,” he said.
Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela's ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum.
Decision on oil companies in Venezuela coming ‘maybe’ Friday
The president, as he began his meeting with executives of major oil companies, said the administration will soon decide which companies will be going into Venezuela.
The companies will be working directly with the United States and not the Venezuelan government, Trump said, as he assured them “total safety.”
“We don’t want you to deal with Venezuela,” Trump told the more than dozen oil chiefs gathered in the East Room on Friday.
Trump kicks off meeting with oil executives by marveling at ballroom construction
he president said there were additional executives he would have invited to the East Room event. He remarked that, “if we had a ballroom, we’d have over a thousand.”
Trump then stood up and left a table where he was seated with the executives and administration officials and went to look out a window to look at the construction of his large ballroom where the East Wing used to stand.
The president, standing alone, looked out the window with his back facing everyone in the room—including the news cameras.
“Wow, what a view,” he said. “This is the door to the ballroom.”
He turned back around and said, “unusual time to look.”
Trump invited the media to go back and take a look if they wanted. No journalists immediately did.
Trump says he’ll meet with Colombia’s president
Trump announced on Friday he’d meet with President Gustavo Petro in early February, but called on the Colombian leader to make quick progress on stemming flow of cocaine into the U.S.
Trump, following the ouster of Maduro, had made vague threats to take similar action against Petro. Trump abruptly changed his tone Wednesday about his Colombian counterpart after a friendly phone call in which he invited Petro to visit the White House.
US and Venezuela explore restoring diplomatic relations
The countries said a delegation from the Trump administration arrived in the South American nation on Friday.
The small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement.
Venezuela’s government on Friday acknowledged that U.S. diplomats had traveled to the South American country and announced that it will send a delegation to the U.S. but it did not say when.
In a statement, Delcy Rodríguez's government said it "has decided to initiate an exploratory process of a diplomatic nature with the Government of the United States of America, aimed at the re-establishment of diplomatic missions in both countries."
Venezuela says it will send a delegation to the US
Venezuela’s government on Friday acknowledged that U.S. diplomats had traveled to the South American country, and announced that it will send a delegation to the U.S. but it did not say when.
In a statement, Rodríguez’s government said it “has decided to initiate an exploratory process of a diplomatic nature with the Government of the United States of America, aimed at the re-establishment of diplomatic missions in both countries, with the purpose of addressing the consequences derived from the aggression and kidnapping of the President of the Republic and the First Lady, as well as addressing a work agenda of mutual interest.”
Treasury launches actions to combat fraud in Minnesota
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters in Minnesota that his agency has launched a series of actions to combat fraud in the state.
Key actions include FinCEN investigations into Minnesota-based money services businesses, enhanced transaction reporting requirements for international transfers from Hennepin and Ramsey counties, and alerts to financial institutions on identifying fraud tied to child nutrition programs.
“Treasury will deploy all tools to bring an end to this egregious unchecked fraud and hold perpetrators to account,” he said.
The department in December announced that it would begin targeting businesses that people use to wire money to family members abroad, focusing on remittances to Somalia.
The new action was prompted in part by a series of fraud cases, including a nonprofit called Feeding Our Future accused of stealing pandemic aid meant for school meals. Prosecutors have put the losses from that case at $300 million.
US sends small team of diplomats, security to Venezuela to assess prospects for reopening embassy in Caracas
The State Department says it has sent a small team of diplomats and diplomatic security officials to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas.
The department said the team, led by acting ambassador to Venezuela John McNamara, arrived in Caracas on Friday. The team is from the Venezuelan Affairs Unit, which is based outside of the country and has been since the embassy was shuttered in 2019.
The team is there “to conduct an initial assessment for a potential phased resumption of operations,” the department said.
U.S. officials say no decision has yet been made on whether or when to fully reopen the embassy.
Trump replaces NRC chairman as he continues to remake nuclear safety agency
Republican Ho Nieh is the new chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, replacing fellow Republican David Wright.
Nieh, who was confirmed to the commission last month, previously worked at Atlanta-based Southern Co., which recently added two new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta.
Nieh worked at the NRC for two decades and is the agency’s first former resident inspector to serve as a commissioner.
Trump recently fired a Democratic commissioner as he continues to assert more control over independent regulatory agencies.
‘Melania’ movie set for Jan. 29 Kennedy Center debut
Richard Grenell, president of the Kennedy Center, says a documentary film about first lady Melania Trump will make its premiere later this month, posting a trailer on X.
As the Trumps prepared to return to the White House last year, Amazon Prime Video announced a year ago that it had obtained exclusive licensing rights for a streaming and theatrical release directed by Brett Ratner.
Melania Trump also released a self-titled memoir in late 2024.
Some artists have canceled scheduled Kennedy Center performances after a newly installed board voted to add President Donald Trump's to the facility, prompting Grenell to accuse the performers of making their decisions because of politics.
Mexico seeks US dialogue after latest Trump comments on cartels
Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum says that she has asked her foreign affairs secretary to reach out directly to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio or Trump regarding comments by the American leader that the U.S. could begin ground attacks against drug cartels.
In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News aired Thursday night, Trump said, “We’ve knocked out 97% of the drugs coming in by water and we are going to start now hitting land, with regard to the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico. It’s very sad to watch.”
As she has on previous occasions, Sheinbaum downplayed the remarks, saying “it is part of his way of communicating.” She said she asked her Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente to strengthen coordination with the U.S.
Sheinbaum has repeatedly rebuffed Trump’s offer to send U.S. troops after Mexican drug cartels. She emphasizes that there will be no violation of Mexico’s sovereignty, but the two governments will continue to collaborate closely.
Analysts do not see a U.S. incursion in Mexico as a real possibility, in part because Sheinbaum’s administration has been doing nearly everything Trump has asked and Mexico is a critical trade partner.
Trump seeking $100 billion in Venezuela at oil executive meeting
Trump says he wants to secure $100 billion to remake Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, a lofty goal going into a 2:30 meeting on Friday with executives from leading oil companies. His plan rides on oil producers being comfortable in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.
The president has said that the U.S. will control distribution worldwide of Venezuela’s oil and will share some of the proceeds with the country’s population from accounts that it controls.
“At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.
Trump is banking on the idea that he can tap more of Venezuela’s petroleum reserves to keep oil prices and gasoline costs low.
At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.
Trump to meet with oil executives, seeking investments in Venezuela
Trump is expected to meet with oil executives at the White House on Friday.
He hopes to secure $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s oil industry. The goal rides on the executives’ comfort with investing in a country facing instability and inflation.
Since a U.S. military raid captured former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has said there’s a new opportunity to use the country’s oil to keep gasoline prices low.
The full list of executives invited to the meeting has not been disclosed, but Chevron, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips are expected to attend.
Trump administration faces lawsuit over freeze of public benefit programs
Attorneys general in five Democratic-led states have filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration after it said it would freeze money for several public benefit programs.
The Trump administration has cited concerns about fraud in the programs designed to help low-income families and their children. California, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois and New York states filed the lawsuit Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The lawsuit asks the courts to order the administration to release the funds. The attorneys general have called the funding freeze an unconstitutional abuse of power.
Iran signals that crackdown on protesters is coming
Iran’s judiciary chief has vowed decisive punishment for protesters, signaling a coming crackdown against demonstrations.
Iranian state television reported the comments from Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei on Friday. They came after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized Trump’s support for the protesters, calling Trump’s hands “stained with the blood of Iranians.”
The government has shut down the internet and is blocking international calls. State media has labeled the demonstrators as “terrorists.”
The protests began over Iran’s struggling economy and have become a significant challenge to the government. Violence has killed at least 50 people, and more than 2,270 have been detained.
Trump questions why a president’s party often loses in midterm elections
Trump questions why a president's party often loses in midterm elections and suggests voters "want, maybe a check or something"
Trump suggested voters want to check a president’s power and that’s why they often deliver wins for an opposing party in midterm elections, which he’s facing this year.
“There’s something down, deep psychologically with the voters that they want, maybe a check or something. I don’t know what it is, exactly,” he said.
He said that one would expect that after winning an election and having “a great, successful presidency, it would be an automatic win, but it’s never been a win.”
Hiring was likely modest in December to end a year of weak job growth
Hiring likely remained subdued last month as many companies have sought to avoid expanding their workforces, though the job gains may be enough to bring down the unemployment rate.
December's jobs report, to be released Friday, is likely to show that employers added a modest 55,000 jobs, economists forecast. That figure would be below November's 64,000 but an improvement after the economy lost jobs in October. The unemployment rate is expected to slip to 4.5%, according to data provider FactSet, from a four-year high of 4.6% in November.
The figures will be closely watched on Wall Street and in Washington because they will be the first clean readings on the labor market in three months. The government didn’t issue a report in October because of the six-week government shutdown, and November’s data was distorted by the closure, which lasted until Nov. 12.
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