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What Happened Today – January 20, 2026

Welcome to the upside-down.

Greenland’s prime minister told citizens to prepare for a potential invasion by the U.S. Trump responded by refusing to rule out military action and republishing diplomatic messages from the NATO Secretary General and French president. The Catholic archbishop for the U.S. military said troops would be “morally acceptable” in disobeying orders that conflict with their conscience.

In normal times, the rest of tonight’s news would stop us cold. But Trump is hours away from speaking to the world’s leaders in Davos and emboldened by his ability to seize tankers, blow up small boats, and capture the president of Venezuela from his home.

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🚨 GovBrief Intensity Score 176
Extreme. History will remember.
Volume: Normal (18)
Severity: Moderate (2.44)
Defining Moments: 1
Previous 5 Days
🚨170|🟡97|🚨212|🚨184|🚨180
100 = normal day. Volume is headline count. Stories weighted by significance. Defining Moments are the ones history remembers.
Today's Quote
Don’t let anyone tell you that Norway doesn’t control the shots, OK? It’s in Norway! They’ll say, ‘We have nothing to do with it.’ It’s a joke. They’ve lost such prestige.
Donald Trump speaking to reporters about why he blamed the Norwegian government for his not winning a Nobel Peace Prize.
Yesterday's Most Read

Trump stands by Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer amid allegations of an affair with a staffer, drinking in her office and taking subordinates to a strip club on a government trip.

Today’s GovBrief News


Foreign Relations 1 of 18

Greenland's prime minister tells citizens to prepare for "everything" including U.S. military action, recommends stocking five days of food.

Trump to address Davos on Wednesday

Source: CNBC

January 20, 2026

Foreign Relations 2 of 18

Netanyahu accepts invitation to Trump's Gaza "Board of Peace," joining UAE, Belarus, Hungary, Morocco and Canada, as Trump threatens France with 200% wine tariffs for refusing.

$1 billion for permanent membership

Source: CBS News

January 20, 2026

Foreign Relations 3 of 18

Trump posts private text from French President Macron to Truth Social, exposing diplomatic exchange where Macron wrote "I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland."

Also posted message from NATO Secretary General

Source: BBC

January 20, 2026

Health 4 of 18

U.S. meets key condition for losing measles elimination status after 12 months of sustained transmission, with CDC official calling it "the cost of doing business."

2,200 cases, 3 deaths in 2025

Source: The Hill

January 20, 2026

Economy 5 of 18

Trump signs executive order directing agencies to prepare recommendations restricting institutional investors from buying single-family homes, with no immediate policy change.

Institutions own 3% of single-family rentals

Source: Reuters

January 20, 2026

Military 6 of 18

Pentagon plans to cut U.S. participation in nearly 30 NATO organizations, including intelligence and special operations groups, by not replacing 200 personnel as postings end.

Current Europe force: 80,000

Source: The Washington Post

January 20, 2026

Military 7 of 18

U.S. military seizes seventh oil tanker linked to Venezuela, with Trump claiming the U.S. has already taken 50 million barrels to sell on the open market.

1 tanker seized every 6 days

Source: France 24

January 20, 2026

Justice Dept 8 of 18

DOJ serves grand jury subpoenas to six Minnesota government offices, including Gov. Walz and two mayors, in federal obstruction investigation over ICE resistance.

Frey ordered to appear Feb. 3

Source: KMSP Minneapolis

January 20, 2026

Immigration 9 of 18

ICE agents broke down a St. Paul door with guns drawn and detained a 57-year-old Hmong man, a U.S. citizen with no criminal record, releasing him an hour later after fingerprinting.

Led out shirtless in freezing temps

Source: The St. Paul Pioneer Press

January 20, 2026

Immigration 10 of 18

Internal ICE documents reveal plans for a privately run detention network spanning Minnesota and four neighboring states, with capacity to transfer 1,000 detainees up to 400 miles.

Contract between $20 and $50 million

Source: Wired

January 20, 2026

Education 11 of 18

University of Pennsylvania refuses federal demand for lists of Jewish faculty, staff and students, calling the request "unconstitutional" and citing history of governmental persecution of Jews.

EEOC investigation began in 2023

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer

January 20, 2026

Oversight 12 of 18

IRS announces leadership shake-up days before tax season, promoting Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who testified about the Hunter Biden tax probe, to senior roles.

IRS workforce down 26% in 1 year

Source: The Associated Press

January 20, 2026

Congress 13 of 18

Epstein survivor says Republican members of Congress bailed on meeting with victims after saying they would show up.

https://go.govbrief.today/epstein-survivors-gop-snub

Source: Mediaite

January 20, 2026

Transportation 14 of 18

Air Force One turns back to Joint Base Andrews after electrical failure Tuesday night, with Trump switching to a backup plane for Davos.

Both 747s used are 36 years old

Source: CBS News

January 20, 2026

Data 15 of 18

DOJ filing reveals DOGE operatives at Social Security likely violated court order, shared data via unapproved server, and coordinated with group seeking to overturn election results.

2 Hatch Act referrals filed

Source: FedScoop

January 20, 2026

Propaganda 16 of 18

Trump marks one year back in office with rambling press conference, calling Jack Smith "a sick son of a bitch" and saying "God is proud of the job I've done."

Down to 36% approval

Source: Time

January 20, 2026

Religion 17 of 18

Archbishop overseeing U.S. military chaplains says troops would be "morally acceptable" in disobeying orders that conflict with their conscience.

Also chairs UC Conf of Catholic Bishops

Source: The Independent

January 20, 2026

Arts 18 of 18

Ten-foot replica of Trump's alleged birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein appears on National Mall, permitted through Friday, as DOJ has released less than 1% of Epstein files.

Epstein's birthday is Jan. 20

Source: CNN

January 20, 2026

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