Motor Tanker Veronica is seized in the Caribbean by U.S. Coast Guard tactical team, Jan. 15, 2026. U.S. Southern Command
(WASHINGTON) — The United States seized another tanker in the Caribbean Thursday morning, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced — saying in a social media post that the vessel was “operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the seizure in an X post along with video of the operation, which she said happened without incident.
“Early this morning, a Coast Guard tactical team conducted a pre-dawn boarding and seizure of Motor Tanker Veronica in the Caribbean,” she said.
“As another sanctioned ghost fleet tanker, Motor Tanker Veronica had previously passed through Venezuelan waters, and was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean,” she added.
The U.S. Southern Command said the Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched from USS Gerald R. Ford and “apprehended Motor/Tanker Veronica without incident.”
This is the sixth tanker linked to Venezuela boarded by U.S. troops in the last several weeks, following growing escalations between the U.S. and Venezuela.
The tanker’s seizure comes less than two weeks after U.S. military forces captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who are facing federal charges including narcoterrorism conspiracy and conspiracy to import cocaine. Both Maduro and his wife have entered not guilty pleas.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
BLACKPINK attend ‘Pink Carpet’ event for their concert film ‘BLACKPINK: World Tour – Born Pink,’ Aug, 9, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea. (The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty Images)
Typically, an artist releases a new album and then goes on tour. But BLACKPINK is flipping the script.
The superstar K-pop group reunited for its Deadline world tour last year, marking the first time that members JENNIE, JISOO, ROSÉ and LISA had performed together since 2023. On Wednesday, they announced on Instagram that their new album, also called Deadline, will be out Feb. 27. Beyond confirming that it’s a mini-album, the group has shared no additional details.
Technically, the Deadline tour still has two weeks remaining: Starting Jan. 16, the group will play three nights in Tokyo, followed by three nights in Hong Kong, before wrapping up Jan. 26.
Ahead of the tour, the group released a new single, “Jump,” in July.
During their time apart, each member released solo material. Albums from JENNIE, ROSÉ and LISA’s all reached the top 10. ROSÉ also scored a major global hit with her Bruno Mars collab, “APT.,” and teamed with Alex Warren on his song “On My Mind.”
Meanwhile, LISA appeared in The White Lotus and collaborated with Maroon 5 on “Priceless,” as well as with Doja Cat and RAYE on “Born Again.” JENNIE worked with The Weeknd and appeared in his show The Idol, while JISOO released “Eyes Closed” with Zayn Malik.
Zombie and Manson previously shared the road on their Twins of Evil tours, which took place in 2012, 2018 and 2019. For the 2018 leg, they recorded a cover of the Beatles song “Helter Skelter” together.
Zombie will release a new album, The Great Satan, on Feb. 27. Manson’s most recent record is 2024’s One Assassination Under God – Chapter 1, which marked his first since he was accused of abuse by Evan Rachel Wood and others. Manson has denied the allegations, and an investigation into him was dropped by the Los Angeles district attorney in 2025.
Elton John won the Emmy for outstanding variety special live for Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium, the live Disney+ special documenting his final North American concert.
Elton was unable to attend the Los Angeles ceremony because he was recovering from knee surgery.
The win made Elton an EGOT, as he had already two Oscars, a Tony and six Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Grammy.
With the win, the “Rocket Man” singer became the 19th person ever to achieve a competitive EGOT. Six additional people have won an EGOT with noncompetitive or honorary awards.
.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with oil and gas executives in the East Room of the White House on January 9, 2026 in Washington, DC. Alex Wong/Getty Images
(MINNEAPOLIS) — President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to send in the U.S. military as tensions intensify in Minneapolis following a second shooting in a week involving a federal officer amid Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the city.
“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
On Wednesday night, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, needed to be stopped from “terrorism.”
“Minnesota insurrection is a direct result of a FAILED governor and a TERRIBLE mayor encouraging violence against law enforcement. It’s disgusting,” Blanche posted on X. “Walz and Frey — I’m focused on stopping YOU from your terrorism by whatever means necessary. This is not a threat. It’s a promise.”
ABC News has reached out to Walz and Frey’s offices for comment on Blanche’s statement.
The deputy attorney general’s blunt post came after Walz earlier on Wednesday evening had issued a sharp rebuke of the federal government’s law enforcement presence after a federal officer shot a person who they said had fled a traffic stop and then, along with two other people, began attacking the officer.
The shooting came one week after Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, was fatally shot by an ICE agent. The Department of Homeland Security has said that Good was allegedly attempting to run over law enforcement officers, a claim disputed by local officials.
“It’s a campaign of organized brutality against the people of Minnesota by our own federal government,” Walz said in an address on Wednesday. He urged residents to “protest loudly, urgently, but also peacefully.”
Frey, who has called on ICE to “get the f— out” of Minneapolis, said on Wednesday “the situation we are seeing in our city is not sustainable.”
Trump previously threatened to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act last summer when protests were unfolding in Los Angeles over the administration’s immigration crackdown and deployment of the National Guard.
The law, which authorizes the use of the military on U.S. soil for certain purposes, hasn’t been enacted for decades. It was last implemented was in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush during the Los Angeles riots following the murder of Rodney King at the request of the governor. It hasn’t been used without coordination with a governor since the 1960s.
Overall, the Insurrection Act has been used in response to 30 crises over its history, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, including by Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy to desegregate schools after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education.
The Insurrection Act states, in part: “Whenever there is an insurrection in any State against its government, the President may, upon the request of its legislature or of its governor if the legislature cannot be convened, call into Federal service such of the militia of the other States, in the number requested by that State, and use such of the armed forces, as he considers necessary to suppress the insurrection.”
Steve Witkoff, US special envoy, arrives for a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. US negotiators will join European leaders in Paris on Tuesday in the latest effort to hash out post-war security guarantees for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. Photographer: Benjamin Girette/Bloomberg via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration said Wednesday the Gaza peace plan is moving into the next phase, which it said “begins the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza.”
“Today, on behalf of President Trump, we are announcing the launch of Phase Two of the President’s 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction,” U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said in a statement on X.
The announcement comes as officials and observers question the stability of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, which has largely held despite isolated violations.
According to Witkoff, phase two “establishes a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), and begins the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel.”
Witkoff said the U.S. expects Hamas to “comply fully,” including by immediately returning the final deceased hostage, identified by Israeli officials as Ran Gvili.
“Failure to do so will bring serious consequences,” Witkoff said.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said Wednesday that the return of Gvili “is a top priority.”
“Hamas is required to meet the terms of the agreement to exert 100% effort for the return of the fallen hostages, down to the very last one, Ran Gvili, a hero of Israel,” the office said in a statement on X.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem called the announcement on the second phase an “important positive development” and said they are “fully prepared to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip” to the NCAG.
Qassem said they demand that the U.S. “compel” Israel to “fulfill the requirements of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement and move towards the second phase.”
The NCAG is a body of an expected 15 Palestinian leaders tasked with the monumental challenge of governing Gaza. The committee would be responsible for Gaza’s day-to-day management, including sanitation, infrastructure and education.
The NCAG will ultimately be run by a “Board of Peace,” which is expected to be made up of 12 as-yet-unannounced leaders. Trump and other European leaders are expected to lead the Board of Peace and oversee this newly formed committee. The announcement is expected in the coming days.
Speaking aboard Air Force One Sunday, Trump said the Board of Peace council would be made up of “the most important leaders of the most important countries,” though he did not name them.
U.S. officials confirmed Nickolay Mladenov, the former United Nations special coordinator for Middle East peace and a former Bulgarian foreign minister, will be appointed as the new senior representative for the Board of Peace and will oversee implementation of the plan. Mladenov is expected to serve as a liaison between the NCAG and the peace council.
American officials have said they hope that establishing the committee will help loosen Hamas’ grip on Gaza.
Witkoff on Wednesday thanked Egypt, Turkey and Qatar “for their indispensable mediation efforts that made all progress to date possible.”
In a joint statement, the three Middle Eastern countries said they “welcome the formation” of the NCAG, saying it is an “important development that will contribute to strengthening efforts aimed at consolidating stability and improving the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.”
The initial phase of the peace plan, which launched in October 2025, saw the release of the remaining living hostages and the return of the remains of 27 deceased hostages in Gaza, as well as the release of more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners that had been held by Israel. The first phase also entailed that the Israel Defense Forces pull back to the so-called “yellow line” in Gaza, intended as the first of three demarcation lines, and saw restrictions on humanitarian aid going into Gaza lifted.
Cover of Peter Frampton’s ‘Frampton Comes Alive!’/ (A&M/UMe)
Peter Frampton recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of his iconic album Frampton Comes Alive! To mark the occasion, he’s announced a special vinyl reissue.
The album will be released as a limited-edition Vinylphyle double pressing, sourced from the original 1975 production master by Doug Sax. The release includes a four-panel insert featuring a new interview with Frampton.
“I can’t believe it’s now been 50 years since Frampton Comes Alive! was released, but that record still feels like a living, breathing moment in my life,” says Frampton. “When we decided to do this Vinylphyle edition, it was important to me that it be done the right way. I personally asked that the audio be sourced from the original 1975 Doug Sax production master because I wanted it to sound exactly as we heard it back then.”
He adds, “This album was born onstage, and hearing it presented this way on vinyl feels like bringing that energy back to life for longtime fans and new listeners alike.”
Frampton Comes Alive! (Vinylphyle) will be released Jan. 22 and is now available for preorder now.
Frampton Comes Alive! helped launch Frampton to stardom, becoming one of the bestselling live albums of all time, with close to 20 million copies sold worldwide. It features live performances of iconic Frampton tunes like “Show Me the Way,” “Baby, I Love Your Way” and “Do You Feel Like We Do,” all of which became top-15 hits.
The album went on to become Frampton’s only #1 record, spending 10 nonconsecutive weeks at the top of the charts. In 2020, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Lamb of God has announced a new album called Into Oblivion.
The follow-up to 2022’s Omens will arrive March 13. It includes the previously released songs “Parasocial Christ” and “Sepsis.”
Lamb of God has also released the Into Oblivion title track alongside its video, which you can watch streaming now on YouTube.
“In general, the album is about the ongoing and rapid breakdown of the social contract, particularly here in America,” says frontman Randy Blythe. “Things are acceptable now that would’ve horrified people just 20 years ago.”
Lamb of God will launch a U.S. tour in support of Into Oblivion in March.
Here’s the Into Oblivion track list: “Into Oblivion” “Parasocial Christ” “Sepsis” “The Killing Floor” “El Vacío” “St. Catherine’s Wheel” “Blunt Force Blues” “Bully” “A Thousand Years” “Devise/Destroy”
According to Billboard, Bruno’s new single, “I Just Might” — his first solo release in nearly 10 years — earned nearly 14 million streams in its first four days of release. Those numbers, the publication says, will ensure “a major debut on next week’s Hot 100.”
Currently, Taylor Swift‘s “The Fate of Ophelia” is #1, though she’s just released a new remix; whether Bruno will manage to knock her off the top of the chart remains to be seen.
Bruno’s entire catalog, meanwhile, has experienced a 75% increase on streaming as a result of the news of his new album The Romantic, arriving on Feb. 27.
Demand has also prompted him to add 31 new dates to his upcoming The Romantic world tour. According to concert promoter Live Nation, Bruno set the record for the company’s largest single-day ticket sales in North America. He’ll play three or four nights in cities including Vancouver; Paris; Toronto; East Rutherford, New Jersey; Amsterdam; and LA, while London will a host a total of six shows.
Minnesota State Troopers hold back a crowd after Federal law enforcement officers confronted residents following a shooting incident in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US, early on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images
(MINNEAPOLIS) — The Department of Homeland Security said a federal law enforcement officer shot a person in Minneapolis on Wednesday evening, saying the latter fled a traffic stop and then — along with two other people — began attacking the officer.
“Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired defensive shots to defend his life,” DHS said in a statement on social media. “The initial subject was hit in the leg.”
Both the officer and the person who was shot were taken to the hospital, DHS said.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the person shot was an “adult male,” and that his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
DHS said federal law enforcement officers were conducting a “targeted traffic stop” Wednesday evening at 6:50 p.m. local time. The DHS statement identified the person being stopped as “an illegal alien from Venezuela.”
DHS said the person drove away in his car, crashed into a parked vehicle and then fled on foot.
When a pursuing officer caught up to the person, “the subject began to resist and violently assault the officer,” DHS said in the statement.
“While the subject and law enforcement were in a struggle on the ground, two subjects came out of a nearby apartment and also attacked the law enforcement officer with a snow shovel and broom handle,” the statement said.
The statement added, “As the officer was being ambushed and attacked by the two individuals, the original subject got loose and began striking the officer with a shovel or broom stick.”
After the officer fired, the three people ran back into the apartment and barricaded themselves inside, DHS claimed in the statement.
It’s unclear from the statement when and how an arrest was made, but DHS said both of the two people, who were not shot, it alleges attacked the officer were taken into custody.
A crowd later gathered at the scene of the second shooting. O’Hara said the crowd amounted to an “unlawful assembly” and accused some people of throwing fireworks and rocks at officers.
“People need to leave. This is already a very tense situation and we do not need this to escalate any further,” O’Hara told reporters at a news conference Wednesday night.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the situation was “not sustainable” and urged residents to protest peacefully.
“There’s still a lot that we don’t know at this time,” Frey said. “But what I can tell you for certain is that this is not sustainable. This is an impossible situation that our city is being put in.”
ICE and Border Patrol officers are “creating chaos,” in the city, Frey said, adding, “I’ve seen conduct from ICE that is disgusting and is intolerable. If it were your city, it would be unacceptable there too.”
ICE officials have disputed those claims, saying federal officers are seeking only those who’ve broken the law. “If Frey truly cared about safety in his community, he would work with ICE to get the worst of the WORST out of Minnesota,” the agency said on Wednesday.
Customs and Border Patrol said on Monday that additional officers were “are on their way to restore order and we welcome cooperation from state and local law enforcement” in Minneapolis. The agency, which sits under the DHS, described Frey’s leadership as “weak,” accusing his administration of encouraging “lawlessness.”
“We are not going to let our officers be attacked in an aggressive manner and sit idly by,” Gregory K. Bovino, a senior Border Patrol official, said on Wednesday. “In addition to the most important mission of enforcing Title 8 Immigration laws, we will also arrest those who attack and assault our agents. You will go to jail.”
Frey said protesters should avoid confrontations with federal officers. “And for anyone that is taking the bait tonight — stop,” he said. “That is not helpful. Go home. We cannot counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own brand of chaos.”
Frey said there were 600 Minneapolis Police Department officers working to “keep our streets safe” as the protests continued. About 3,000 federal officers had been dispatched to Minnesota, he said.
In a rare primetime address, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Wednesday called on President Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to “end this occupation” in Minnesota,
“Donald Trump wants this chaos. He wants confusion, and yes, he wants more violence on our streets. We cannot give him what he wants,” Walz said. “We can, we must protest loudly, urgently, but also peacefully. Indeed, as hard as we will fight in the courts and at the ballot box, we cannot and will not let violence prevail.”
Noem had said on Tuesday that the ICE officers were on the scene for an operation that was “rapidly removing the criminal illegal aliens who have found sanctuary in Tim Walz’s Minnesota.”
“The men and women of DHS law enforcement are working day and night to arrest and deport sickos, dirtbags, and fraudsters from across the state,” she added.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, meanwhile, accused both Frey and Walz of inciting unrest.
“Minnesota insurrection is a direct result of a FAILED governor and a TERRIBLE mayor encouraging violence against law enforcement,” Blanche said on Wednesday on social media. “It’s disgusting.”
He added, “Walz and Frey — I’m focused on stopping YOU from your terrorism by whatever means necessary. This is not a threat. It’s a promise.”
