In the predawn hours on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced the stunning capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a dramatic development for a nation that, despite sitting atop the world’s largest oil reserves, has been hobbled by years of economic collapse and political turmoil.Trump accused Venezuela’s socialist government of seizing American energy assets and dismantling an industry built with U.S. investment.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said Friday that federal agencies have terminated or reduced 55 contracts over the last three days with a combined ceiling value of $1.6 billion, claiming $542 million in savings.DOGE, whose name nods to Elon Musk’s high-profile involvement, was launched during the opening days of President Donald Trump’s second administration as part of a broader effort to reshape federal spending and bureaucracy.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday issued a proclamation declaring January Muslim American Heritage Month across the state and directed 16 state landmarks, including NYC’s One World Trade Center, to be illuminated green Friday night in “celebration of the heritage and culture of Muslim Americans.

A federal appeals court on Friday struck down California’s ban on openly carrying guns across most of the state.In a 2–1 decision, the San Francisco-based Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled California’s ban on open carry in counties with more than 200,000 people — covering roughly 95% of the state’s population — violates the Second Amendment, according to Reuters.U.S.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Friday his first executive order as mayor was meant to draw a line after former Mayor Eric Adams was indicted while also launching a new City Hall office aimed at changing how the public is involved in decision-making.

Republican state senators in New York on Friday wrote a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul urging her to launch an independent investigation into possible fraud involving government programs in response to similar allegations in Minnesota.