Trump Announces Framework for Deal with Greenland
The World Economic Forum met in Davos this past week, and, as anticipated, the conversation centered around Greenland.
President Trump emerged from a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to say that they had reached a preliminary framework for a deal. The arrangement, which Trump says “gives us everything we needed,” reportedly includes a commitment to respect Denmark's sovereignty over Greenland while giving the U.S. pockets of land for military bases in an arrangement modeled after British sovereign military bases in Cyprus. In his NATO speech, Trump ruled out the idea of taking Greenland by force and rescinded the threat of tariffs.
🕊️ Trump Launches Gaza “Board of Peace”: President Trump unveiled his international Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum in Davos, with over 20 countries signing the charter. Israel was absent from the ceremony but says it plans to join. Member states would serve three-year terms but could get lifetime membership with $1 billion entry fees paid to the board. The charter does not state how the money would be used, but that it would be kept in reputable banks. The Board of Peace “seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict,” a seemingly broad mandate, but its initial purpose is to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza.
⛪ Three Arrested After Anti-ICE Church Disruption: Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrests of three individuals, including BLM leader Nekima Levy Armstrong and school board member Chauntyll Louisa Allen, for their alleged roles in storming a St. Paul, Minnesota church during Sunday service. The protesters accused resident pastor David Eastwood of working as an ICE field office director, and are now facing federal charges for disrupting a religious gathering.
🏛️ Virginia Democrats Push Sweeping Legislative Agenda: Virginia Democrats ran on “affordability” and now control both the legislature and governor's office, with former CIA officer turned congresswoman Abigail Spanburger becoming the first person to hold the title of “Her Excellency” as governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The legislature has now introduced dozens of bills, including new tax brackets for high earners, a 4.3% sales tax on delivery services, a 3.8% investment tax on top of state income taxes, a raise on the hotel tax, amendments to enshrine abortion and LGBTQ+ rights in the state’s constitution. The legislature has also introduced a bill that some say will eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing for rape, manslaughter, assaulting a law enforcement officer, possession and distribution of child pornography, and all repeat violent felonies.
👶 Vice President Vance Expecting Fourth Child: Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance announcedthey're expecting a boy in July, marking the first time in modern U.S. history that a vice president has welcomed a child while in office. The last vice president to have a child in office was Schuyler Colfax, who served under President Ulysses S. Grant and had a son in 1870 with his wife Ellen.
📉 U.S. Murders Plummet 21% in Historic Drop: Murders fell 21% last year in 35 large U.S. cities—the biggest one-year drop ever recorded and likely the lowest rate since at least 1900, according to Council on Criminal Justice data. Denver saw murders plummet 41%, while Washington D.C. and Omaha each saw 40% declines, with aggravated assaults, gun assaults, and robberies also dropping significantly. Homicides dropped by 59%, 39%, 14%, and 10% in Richmond, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York, respectively.
📱 TikTok Closes Divestment Deal with U.S. Investors: TikTok completed a deal to divest its U.S. entity to a joint venture controlled by American investors, ending a years-long saga over national security concerns. Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based MGX will collectively own 45% of the newly-formed “TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC,” with ByteDance retaining nearly 20% and new investors joining the consortium.
✈️ Weight-Loss Drugs Could Bring Massive Savings to U.S. Airlines — $580 Million Annually: Airlines are notorious for doing anything to save money. For example, four decades ago, American Airlines removed a single olive from each passenger’s salad and saved $40,000 per year in food and fuel costs. Now, a new Jefferies study estimates that the four largest U.S. airlines could save up to $580 million per year on fuel costs as GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic reduce passenger weight, with one in eight U.S. adults now taking these medications. And in December, the FDA approved the first oral GLP-1 for weight loss, with Novo Nordisk planning to launch once-daily oral Wegovy early this year. This will likely make the medication more palatable for many more potential users.
