Good afternoon everyone. This update is coming earlier than my usual evening briefing because the volume and seriousness of breaking news right now cannot wait. Federal agencies are openly clashing with a major hotel chain over canceled reservations for ICE officers, an anti-war protester has been arrested in Michigan with limited public explanation, Nicolás Maduro has appeared in court as Venezuelan authorities order the arrest of anyone who aided the U.S. strike, and developments are unfolding rapidly across Washington and abroad.
This is a fast-moving moment, and I will likely have another update for you later this evening.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security said a Hilton hotel in Minneapolis canceled reservations made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers using official government emails and rates, citing an internal decision not to allow ICE or immigration agents to stay at the property; Hilton did not immediately respond, and its shares fell about 1.5% following the report.
The Department of Homeland Security followed up with this tweet:
An organizer was arrested in Grand Rapids during a protest responding to a U.S. attack in Venezuela, with police stating the arrest was for obstructing a roadway and failing to obey a lawful command, according to reporting by WZZM-TV.
Pete Hegseth formally censured Mark Kelly and initiated rare proceedings that could strip the retired Navy captain and former astronaut of his military rank and pension, accusing him of “seditious statements” after Kelly urged service members to refuse unlawful orders; Kelly denounced the move as intimidation and unconstitutional retaliation, while critics note military law already requires troops to disobey illegal commands and that courts have questioned the legality of some Trump-era domestic deployments.
According to CNN, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services plans to significantly revise the childhood vaccine schedule by recommending fewer routine shots for most children—maintaining core vaccines like MMR and polio but limiting others (including RSV, hepatitis A and B, meningococcal, and flu) to higher-risk groups or shared decision-making—following a review ordered by Donald Trump and backed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a move public health experts warn could increase outbreaks of preventable diseases.
Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s deposed leader, pleaded not guilty to four charges—including drug-terrorism and cocaine-importation conspiracies and weapons offenses—telling Alvin Hellerstein in court that he is innocent and a “decent man.” This is from a sketch artist, Jane Rosenberg, in court:
The U.S. State Department posted an image of Donald Trump declaring “This is OUR Hemisphere,” saying the president will not allow U.S. security to be threatened.
The Swiss Federal Council ordered the immediate freezing of all Swiss-based assets linked to Nicolás Maduro and his associates to prevent asset flight, stressing the measure does not target Venezuela’s current government and that any illicit funds identified would be returned for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.
Pete Hegseth said nearly 200 U.S. troops were deployed in downtown Caracas to seize Nicolás Maduro, claiming in a speech that Russian air defenses failed to stop the operation.
Venezuelan government ordered police to arrest anyone accused of promoting or supporting the U.S. attack that ousted Nicolás Maduro, publishing a decree enacted under a state of emergency that has been in force since Saturday, according to Reuters.
Lawyers for Cilia Flores said she is in good spirits and prepared for a lengthy legal fight, with attorney Mark E. Donnelly telling CBS News they plan to challenge the government’s evidence at the appropriate time in court.
Several countries condemned the U.S. at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, denouncing President Donald Trump’s decision to launch strikes in Venezuela and detain Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores as a “crime of aggression,” with representatives from countries including Brazil, China, and Russia warning it violated Venezuelan sovereignty, while U.S. ambassador Mike Waltz defended the action as a lawful enforcement of criminal indictments rather than an act of war.
A Reuters poll of U.S. adults found deeply divided views on U.S. military action to remove Nicolás Maduro, with 33% approving and 34% opposing, strong support among Republicans (65%) but little backing from Democrats (11%), and broad concern (72% overall) that the U.S. could become too involved in Venezuela.
According to Arizona Family, the Arizona Supreme Court was evacuated and closed after a suspicious package inside the building tested positive for possible homemade explosives, prompting a response from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and a bomb squad; no injuries were reported and the investigation remains ongoing.
The board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has voted to dissolve the organization, according to an internal notice circulated to stakeholders.
Chuck Schumer sharply criticized the U.S. Department of Justice for failing to provide Congress with an unredacted report naming politically exposed individuals referenced in the Jeffrey Epstein files, accusing the Trump administration of unlawfully delaying and obscuring disclosures required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Senator Chris Van Hollen said Republicans removed his bipartisan amendment from a funding deal that would have required the U.S. Department of Justice to preserve and compile all records related to Jeffrey Epstein, calling the move an egregious reversal that blocks transparency for victims and the public.
The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote Thursday on overriding two vetoes by Donald Trump of GOP-backed bills—one supporting the Miccosukee Tribe in Florida and another funding a Colorado water project—in what leaders expect could be a rare bipartisan rebuke, though Senate passage remains uncertain.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that NATO would effectively cease to function if Donald Trump launched a military takeover of Greenland, saying that an attack on a NATO member would end the alliance’s security guarantees established after World War II; her remarks came after Trump renewed threats to seize the mineral-rich Arctic island as a U.S. “national security necessity,” refused to rule out force or coercion, and stoked European fears.
The House Ethics Committee is extending investigations into GOP Rep. Mike Collins and his chief of staff Brandon Phillips after the Office of Congressional Conduct cited allegations that Phillips hired his girlfriend as a paid intern who performed no work.
