Newsom defies Trump administration, declares free parks for MLK Day
A month after President Donald Trump scrapped free national parks entry on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Gov. Gavin Newsom is responding – opening more than 200 California state parks for free to honor Dr. King while calling out Trump’s move. Last month, the Trump administration reshaped when Americans can enter national parks for free, scrapping Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth and National Public Lands Day from the 2026 calendar. In their place, the administration added a slate of historically themed or presidentially themed dates. Flag day – which also happens to be Trump’s birthday – becomes a fee-free day for the first time, along with Constitution Day, the 110th anniversary of the National Park Service and the birthday of Theodore Roosevelt. Newsom announced Friday that, ahead of the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, he is directing California State Parks to offer free admission at more than 200 participating parks on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP SUES TRUMP FOR REPLACING NATIONAL PARK PASS PHOTO WITH HIS OWN IMAGE “While Trump works to erase Dr. King’s legacy, California will honor it,” Newsom said in a press release. “Dr. King taught us that ‘darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.’ While the Trump administration tries to erase his legacy and turn national parks and monuments into places of exclusion and fear, California answers with light.” “That’s why I’m announcing free entry at California State Parks on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2026 – because Dr. King’s legacy deserves to be honored, not erased,” Newsom continued. “I’m encouraging all Californians to get outside on MLK Day, spend time in nature, reflect on Dr. King’s legacy, and reaffirm our commitment to advancing civil rights for all.” Free entry applies to vehicle day-use fees only and is available at more than 200 participating California state parks statewide, according to the governor’s office. NATIONAL PARK GIFT SHOPS ARE ORDERED TO PURGE BIAS-DRIVEN DEI AND WOKE MERCHANDISE Free vehicle entry is being made possible by the California State Parks Foundation rather than taxpayer dollars. The foundation’s investment is intended to keep the state parks running while also planting seeds for a lifetime of connection to the state’s “natural and cultural treasures,” Newsom’s office said. Democratic leaders framed the move as a direct rebuke of the Trump administration’s actions. TRUMP ADDS HIS BIRTHDAY AS FREE NATIONAL PARK DAY WHILE AXING MLK DAY AND JUNETEENTH “As the federal government eliminates fee-free park days for holidays that celebrate Black history, California continues to revel in the glory of our civil rights pioneers,” state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson said. “Opening our parks for everyone to enjoy encourages loved ones to come together, give back, and honor Dr. King’s legacy while enjoying the natural beauty of the Golden State.” Some of the parks offering free entry include Big Basin Redwoods, Half Moon Bay, Sugarloaf Ridge, Doheny, Wildwood Canyon Park Property, Folsom Lake, Bidwell Mansion and Lake Oroville. Some parks will still require a fee, including off-highway vehicle recreation areas, parks with per-person or tour fees such as Hearst Castle and locations operated by partner organizations. A full list of participating parks is available at parks.ca.gov/MLKDay2026.
Wife of former American detainee released after more than a year in Venezuelan prison
The wife of a once-detained American citizen was released this week after being held for more than a year in a Venezuelan prison following their arrest while traveling to the South American nation to meet her family. Renzo Humanchumo Castillo, a Peruvian- American who was detained for close to a year by Venezuelan authorities, told Fox News Digital that his Venezuelan wife, Rosa Carolina Chirino Zambrano, as well as her friend and the taxi driver they were with, were released after being imprisoned and charged with espionage due to their contact with him. He spoke with Zambrano following her release, he said, their first contact since December 2024 when they were confronted by Venezuelan authorities near the country’s border with Colombia. TRUMP PLANS TO MEET WITH VENEZUELA OPPOSITION LEADER MARIA CORINA MACHADO NEXT WEEK “It was surreal,” Castillo recalled of the conversation. “She got teary, you know, but she was like… ‘hey baby, I’m out.’ Now my main concern is how do I get her here with me.” Castillo, who lives in Southern California, was detained after crossing the border into Venezuela, along with his wife and her friend, who were in a taxi. After being questioned at length by Venezuelan authorities, he was charged with terrorism and conspiring to kill Nicolas Maduro, then the country’s president, who was recently captured by U.S. forces in a daring military operation. “They got me as a professional hitman sent by the CIA, and (that) I was there to overthrow the government and kill Maduro and Diosdado (Cabello),” Castillo said. Diosdado Cabello, known as the “octopus,” runs Venezuela’s security apparatus and is considered one of the country’s most feared government figures. The U.S. has accused him of narco-terrorism and several other crimes. The State Department has issued a $25 million reward for his arrest and conviction. “Cabello, he presented me on the news, and then he put me on a chart saying that I came here to overthrow the government,” Castillo said. “Me and some other Americans.” After spending months in Venezuela’s notorious “El Rodeo” prison, Castillo was freed in a prisoner swap in July 2025. However, his wife remained in detention. FROM SANCTIONS TO SEIZURE: WHAT MADURO’S CAPTURE MEANS FOR VENEZUELA’S ECONOMY Castillo said he was initially questioned by Venezuelan authorities who accused him of being a “commando” or some kind of military operator. A search of his cell phone only heightened their suspicions when they found images of him wearing a protective vest and other tactical gear. However, Castillo said he works in private security and executive protection and has never served in the military. The gear was used for work, he said. He was eventually detained and transferred to “El Rodeo” where he endured beatings and other forms of torture, he said. In one instance, he was hung by his arms like a piñata and beaten. “They had me hanging. And like my feet were still kind of touching the floor,” he said. “They just hit me for maybe at least five to eight hours, just hanging… just not even questions anymore. But you can feel the joy, how much they wanted to hit me, hurt me, you know?” Castillo got in trouble several times while at the prison, he said, for speaking out of a window in his cell where he would sometimes get updates on events outside the facility. Stressed about not knowing what happened to his wife, he went on a hunger strike in an effort to write a letter to her, he said. TRUMP TO MEET WITH VENEZUELA’S OPPOSITION LEADER AFTER PRAISING ‘TERRIFIC’ MADURO LOYALIST Castillo met Zambrano during a visit to Peru to reunite with old classmates from grade school. One night, he went to a bar with friends where the pair met and struck up a friendship. That was followed by multiple trips to Peru, where she lived, before they got married. On his last journey, the couple met in Colombia and traveled via road to her home country to meet his in-laws for the first time, Castillo said. After crossing the Colombia-Venezuela border, they were separately detained and their misfortune began. Since Zambrano is a Venezuelan citizen, she was not part of the prisoner swap that freed her husband. Despite now being free, she remains under the watchful eye of the Venezuelan government, Castillo said. In the meantime, Castillo is working to get Zambrano to California. He said he plans to reach out to the State Department. Despite his wife’s citizenship status, his optimism heightened following Maduro’s capture earlier this month. “It was that moment when, inside of me, I felt I was going to be able to see my wife again,” he said. “The chances of me seeing my wife again just went from like, from nothing to like a hundred. It really lifted my spirit.” 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM TRUMP’S PUSH TO PUT US OIL FIRMS BACK IN VENEZUELA “It took Americans and it took foreigners to be kidnapped for the world to put eyes on Venezuela,” he said. On Tuesday, Venezuela’s interim government released at least four Americans imprisoned during Maduro’s regime. The release was the first involving U.S. citizens since Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces. “We welcome the release of detained Americans in Venezuela,” a State Department official said Tuesday. “This is an important step in the right direction by the interim authorities.” On Wednesday, Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez said she spoke with President Donald Trump by phone during a “long and courteous” conversation. The pair discussed a “bilateral work agenda for the benefit of our peoples, as well as pending matters between our governments.” On Truth Social, Trump said topics of discussion included oil, minerals, trade and national security. “This partnership between the United States of America and Venezuela will be a spectacular one FOR ALL. Venezuela will soon be great and prosperous again, perhaps more so than ever before!” he wrote. Castillo praised the Trump administration for addressing the Maduro regime and his action in Venezuela.
Why Trump zeroed in on Greenland and why it matters in 3 maps
Greenland rarely draws global attention. But as ice melts and great powers inch closer, the world’s largest island has become a strategic prize — one that caught President Donald Trump’s eye long before most Americans were paying attention. A semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, Greenland is home to a key U.S. military base and has become increasingly important to global security and trade as melting ice opens new shipping lanes and access to natural resources. That shift underscores the serious geopolitical calculation behind Trump’s interest in the island’s location, military value and the rapidly changing Arctic. TRUMP’S PUSH TO ACQUIRE GREENLAND SPARKS INTERNATIONAL MEDIA FRENZY ON REMOTE ISLAND Greenland is divided into five municipalities, with most of its roughly 56,000 residents living in small coastal towns, leaving the island’s vast interior largely uninhabited. Put another way, Greenland has roughly one person for every 1,000 soccer fields of land. Greenland’s sparse population is largely a product of its geography. Roughly 80% of the island is covered by an ice sheet formed about 3 million years ago, leaving vast areas of the territory uninhabitable. Despite its small population, Greenland occupies a landmass comparable to global powers. By land area, it ranks among the world’s largest territories — a scale that has drawn attention from countries such as the United States, Russia and China as competition in the Arctic intensifies. It is nearly the size of Alaska and Texas combined. Greenland’s location off Canada’s northeastern coast places it at the heart of Arctic defense planning. The U.S. has maintained a military outpost in northwestern Greenland since 1953 at the Pituffik Space Base, now operated by the U.S. Space Force. Russia also maintains several military installations in the region, while China has sought greater access since declaring itself a “near-Arctic state” in 2018. But geography isn’t the only reason Greenland draws global interest. Retreating Arctic ice is opening shipping lanes around the island that could significantly shorten trade routes between North America, Europe and Asia, adding an economic layer to its strategic importance. The changing landscape has also drawn attention to Greenland’s deposits of rare earth elements and other critical minerals essential to modern technology, renewable energy and military systems. TRUMP THREATENS TARIFFS ON COUNTRIES OPPOSING GREENLAND TAKEOVER PLANS Rare earth elements — a group of 17 minerals — sit at the center of modern economies and militaries. They allow electronics to be smaller, more powerful and more efficient and are especially important in high-performance magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, generators and precision guidance systems. Their importance is even more pronounced in defense, where rare earths are used in missile guidance, radar, sonar, satellites and advanced aircraft. Because many of these applications have no easy substitutes, access to rare earths directly affects military readiness and technological advantage. The world’s largest rare earth deposits are found in China, Vietnam, Brazil, Russia, Australia, Greenland and the United States. But China dominates the supply chain, accounting for roughly 60% of global mining and more than 90% of processing capacity. The United States lacks a reliable, end-to-end supply chain for rare earths, leaving it dependent on foreign sources. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE As the U.S. and European Union seek to reduce their reliance on China, Greenland has emerged as a potential counterweight to Beijing’s dominance and a focal point in the competition over critical minerals. Whether the Trump administration is able to strike a deal to take over Greenland remains unclear. But as ice melts and competition in the Arctic intensifies, the island’s strategic importance is only likely to grow.
Nobel Foundation weighs in after Machado presents Peace Prize to Trump
The Nobel Foundation weighed in Sunday after Venezuela’s opposition leader gifted her Nobel Peace Prize to President Donald Trump. Maria Corina Machado gave her Peace Prize to Trump during a meeting at the White House last week. The Nobel Foundation pushed back on the legitimacy of such a transfer on Sunday, however. “One of the core missions of the Nobel Foundation is to safeguard the dignity of the Nobel Prizes and their administration. The Foundation upholds Alfred Nobel’s will and its stipulations. It states that the prizes shall be awarded to those who ‘have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind,’ and it specifies who has the right to award each respective prize,” the foundation wrote in a statement. “A prize can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed,” the statement continued. NOBEL PEACE PRIZE RECIPIENT MACHADO PLEDGES TO RETURN TO VENEZUELA, SEES ‘ALARMING’ INTERNAL CRACKDOWN Machado explained her decision to give Trump her award in an interview with Fox News. “He deserves it,” Machado told “FOX & Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. “It was a very emotional moment.” Machado said she presented the prize to the president on behalf of the Venezuelan people, crediting him for the historic work he did in liberating the country from its dictator Nicolás Maduro. UNITED NATIONS ‘UPSET’ THAT TRUMP TOOK ‘BOLD ACTION’ TO IMPROVE VENEZUELA, SAYS UN AMB. MIKE WALTZ “[Venezuelans] appreciate so much what he has done for, not only the freedom of the Venezuelan people, but I would say the whole hemisphere,” she said. As a longtime Maduro critic, Machado has been vocal in supporting Trump’s unprecedented removal of the disgraced Venezuelan leader, prompting her to credit him with the prize for the historic capture. Trump appeared pleased and gratified by Machado’s gesture. “It was my Great Honor to meet María Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.” The Norwegian Nobel Institute had tried to shut down the transfer before Machado met with Trump earlier this month. “Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others,” the institute said in a statement. “The decision is final and stands for all time.”
‘Why are Americans paying for AI in India?’: Trump’s top advisor Navarro attacks New Delhi yet again
Navarro has time and again made controversial remarks attacking India. Earlier, he had said that New Delhi was fueling Russia’s war in Ukraine by continuing to buy Russian crude oil. He has also previously referred to India as the “maharaja of tariffs” and the Ukraine conflict as “Modi’s war.”
Uttar Pradesh witnesses alarming fall in female voters, names of 15.5 million women voters deleted from draft rolls in SIR first phase
Uttar Pradesh’s draft electoral roll released on January 6 represents removal of the names of more women than men after the Second phase of SIR process, officials said. According to the official data, names of 1.55 crore female voters have been deleted.
Government Doon Medical College row: Dehradun college student alleges brutal ragging, assault; inquiry underway
The complainant described being “shaken and terrified,” and said the trauma has left him mentally disturbed and living in fear of retribution.
Republic Day 2026: Delhi’s IGI Airport to witness flight disruptions due to airspace restrictions, authorities issue warning, check details
Ahead of the Republic Day 2026, the Airport Security Authority on Saturday issued an advisory for travellers warning them of flight delays and cancelations at Delhi’s IGI airport. In their advisory, the security forces have advised travellers to check their flight status with airlines.
Vande Bharat Sleeper, Amrit Bharat ticket rules change as Railways makes refunds stricter for passengers; check details here
According to a Railway Board notification, passengers will lose 50% of the fare, while no refund will be given for cancellations made within eight hours of departure, if the ticket is cancelled between 72 hours and 8 hours.
Delhi-NCR schools update for January 19: Will GRAP 4 curbs shift Noida, Delhi, Gurugram schools to online mode?
The severe conditions may lead authorities in the region to reconsider holding physical classes, particularly for younger students. As for tomorrow, January 19, there is no official confirmation on school closures.