
Pelosi and other lawmakers criticize unauthorized trip to Afghanistan
CNN
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi didn't mince words Wednesday about her view of two House members' clandestine trip to Afghanistan this week.
"We don't want anyone to think this was a good idea. There's a real concern about members being in the region," Pelosi said of the unauthorized trip that Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts and Republican Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan had taken to Afghanistan, catching both House leadership and the White House by surprise. Moulton and Meijer announced Tuesday night that they had secretly flown to Afghanistan to see the situation for themselves. The two Iraq War veterans said in a joint statement they made the trip "to conduct oversight on the mission to evacuate Americans and our allies," adding that the trip had been conducted in secret "to minimize the risk and disruption to the people on the ground."
The Trump administration is preparing to use private military contractors to protect oil and energy assets in Venezuela rather than deploying US troops, according to two sources familiar with the plans, setting up a potential boon for security firms with experience in the region and ties to the administration.

Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, arrives in Washington this week for high-stakes talks with US President Donald Trump on the future of Venezuela following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro. The meeting comes after Trump surprised many by allowing Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to assume control, dashing opposition hopes for a new democratic era.

Most Americans see an immigration officer’s fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good as an inappropriate use of force, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds. Roughly half view it as a sign of broader issues with the way US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is operating, with less than one-third saying that ICE operations have made cities safer.










