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Evening Brief: US Overdose Deaths Drop for Second Straight Year, Sudan Peace Talks Resume, Canada’s Mark Carney Visits China to Reset Ties

BY Guy D. McCardle

Overdose drop slows as Trump probes Slotkin, halts visas, and pushes Greenland. Here’s what’s making headlines this Wednesday evening.

Bales of seized cocaine sit on the flight deck of the US Coast Guard Cutter Active in San Diego after being seized in international waters of the eastern Pacific, December 15, 2025. Image Credit: DVIDS

Midweek developments are in. Here’s your Wednesday evening briefing for January 14, 2026.

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US Overdose Deaths Drop for Second Straight Year, Though Decline Slows

US overdose deaths fell sharply through most of last year, marking the longest sustained decline in decades, according to federal data released Wednesday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported about 73,000 overdose deaths in the 12 months ending August 2025, down roughly 21 percent from the prior year, with deaths declining in 45 states. The drop follows a peak of nearly 110,000 deaths in 2022 and reflects nationwide improvements driven by factors such as wider access to naloxone, expanded addiction treatment, and changes in the drug supply.

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Researchers say possible contributors include tighter Chinese controls on fentanyl precursor chemicals and the end of pandemic-era stimulus payments that coincided with overdose spikes.

Despite the progress, experts caution that deaths remain well above pre-pandemic levels, the pace of improvement is slowing, and future US policy choices could affect whether the downward trend continues.

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Trump Administration Probes Michigan Senator Over Video Urging Troops to Reject Illegal Orders

The Trump administration has opened an investigation into Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin over a video in which she and other Democratic lawmakers urged US service members to resist illegal military orders.

Midweek developments are in. Here’s your Wednesday evening briefing for January 14, 2026.

 

US Overdose Deaths Drop for Second Straight Year, Though Decline Slows

US overdose deaths fell sharply through most of last year, marking the longest sustained decline in decades, according to federal data released Wednesday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported about 73,000 overdose deaths in the 12 months ending August 2025, down roughly 21 percent from the prior year, with deaths declining in 45 states. The drop follows a peak of nearly 110,000 deaths in 2022 and reflects nationwide improvements driven by factors such as wider access to naloxone, expanded addiction treatment, and changes in the drug supply.

Researchers say possible contributors include tighter Chinese controls on fentanyl precursor chemicals and the end of pandemic-era stimulus payments that coincided with overdose spikes.

Despite the progress, experts caution that deaths remain well above pre-pandemic levels, the pace of improvement is slowing, and future US policy choices could affect whether the downward trend continues.

 

Trump Administration Probes Michigan Senator Over Video Urging Troops to Reject Illegal Orders

The Trump administration has opened an investigation into Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin over a video in which she and other Democratic lawmakers urged US service members to resist illegal military orders.

Slotkin said Wednesday that prosecutors from the office of US Attorney Jeanine Pirro contacted her seeking an interview about the 90-second video she posted in November.

US President Donald Trump and his allies have labeled the message “seditious,” though no specific law violations have been cited. The video features lawmakers with military and national security backgrounds advising troops to follow established legal protocols.

The inquiry comes amid broader tensions between the administration and Democratic critics, as Trump has defended the probe while Slotkin calls it political intimidation. It remains unclear who else may be investigated or how the Justice Department will proceed.

 

US Halts Immigrant Visa Processing for 75 Countries Under New Public Charge Rules

The US State Department announced Wednesday that it will suspend immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries starting January 21, citing concerns that applicants may require public assistance after entering the United States.

The move, ordered under guidance issued in November by the Trump administration, affects countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, and Somalia. Officials said the pause applies only to immigrant visas and does not affect temporary tourist or business travel.

The policy directs consular officers to apply stricter standards when assessing applicants’ finances, health, education, and English proficiency.

The administration says the suspension will remain in place while it reassesses procedures to prevent new immigrants from becoming “public charges,” marking another step in US President Donald Trump’s broader effort to tighten US immigration policy.

 

Trump Demands Full US Control of Greenland, Presses NATO to Back Takeover

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that only full American control of Greenland is acceptable and urged NATO to support a US bid to take the autonomous territory from Denmark.

Trump linked control of Greenland to countering Russia and China and to expanding US missile defense, as senior US, Danish, and Greenlandic officials prepared for high-level talks in Washington.

Denmark and Greenland have rejected a takeover but said they are open to an expanded US military presence on the island, where about 200 American troops already operate missile-warning systems. NATO leaders have sought to defuse tensions while discussing stronger allied security measures in the Arctic.

The dispute centers on Greenland’s strategic location, emerging Arctic shipping routes, and rare-earth resources, as Trump continues to warn that US action could come within months despite minimal public support among Greenland’s residents.

 

US Launches Phase Two of Gaza War Plan Despite Unfinished Ceasefire

The United States announced Wednesday that it is moving ahead with the second phase of its plan to end the Gaza war, even as core elements of the first phase remain incomplete.

US President Donald Trump’s administration, working with mediators Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, said phase two will establish a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza and begin efforts to disarm Hamas and rebuild the territory.

The move comes amid continued Israeli airstrikes, delays in reopening Gaza’s border with Egypt, and the unresolved return of an Israeli hostage’s remains.

The new governing body, expected to include 15 members led by former Palestinian Authority official Ali Shaath, will operate under international oversight by a proposed “Board of Peace.”

Talks involving Hamas, Israel, and regional mediators are underway, but Hamas has refused to give up its weapons, making demilitarization and further Israeli withdrawals the central challenges as the conflict enters its next phase.

 

Trump Says Iran Halted Executions as Protest Crackdown Death Toll Tops 2,500

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has been told plans for executions in Iran have stopped, even as Tehran signals swift trials and harsh punishments for protesters amid nationwide unrest.

Trump made the comments in Washington after consulting with his national security team on potential US responses, ranging from diplomacy to possible military action.

Iranian security forces have killed at least 2,586 people during the crackdown, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency. While Trump told Iranians that “help is on the way,” he offered no details on how the United States might act or whether his administration will pause further steps.

The situation remains fluid as Iran continues to face international scrutiny over its handling of the protests.

 

Venezuela’s Interim Leader Signals More Prisoner Releases After Maduro’s Ouster

Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Wednesday that her interim government will continue releasing detainees held under former President Nicolás Maduro, framing the move as part of a “new political moment” following Maduro’s capture by US forces earlier this month.

Speaking at the presidential palace in Caracas, Rodríguez said the release process is ongoing, even as human rights groups estimate more than 800 political prisoners remain in custody.

The announcement comes amid rapidly shifting US-Venezuela relations, with the Trump administration pressing for prisoner releases while backing Rodríguez to manage the transition and Venezuela’s oil sector.

Rodríguez defended the pace and scope of the releases, criticized prisoner rights organizations, and insisted the effort began under Maduro.

 

Sudan Peace Talks Resume as Egypt and UN Push for Humanitarian Truce

Peace efforts for Sudan resumed Wednesday in Cairo as Egypt and the United Nations urged the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to agree to a nationwide humanitarian truce.

The talks come nearly three years into a war that began in April 2023 and has driven one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Egypt will not accept Sudan’s collapse or division and rejected any recognition of militias alongside state institutions. UN envoy Ramtane Lamamra and US officials joined the meeting, which coincided with the delivery of humanitarian aid to Darfur’s el-Fasher for the first time in 18 months.

The push for a truce follows renewed violence that killed civilians, displaced thousands, and underscored the urgency of securing ceasefires and safe corridors for aid across Sudan.

 

Sanctioned Oil Tankers Rush to Russian Flag After US Seizures

Dozens of tankers linked to illicit oil trading have shifted their registration to Russia in recent weeks as the United States intensifies enforcement against vessels carrying Venezuelan crude.

At least 26 ships reflagged to Russia since early last month, most after US forces seized the Skipper supertanker off Venezuela on December 10, according to maritime intelligence data.

Ship owners appear to be seeking political protection from Moscow as Washington expands seizures and sanctions targeting oil from Venezuela, Iran, and Russia. The trend has raised geopolitical risks, highlighted by a recent US boarding of a Russia-flagged tanker near Iceland that briefly sparked fears of a confrontation with Russian naval forces.

Analysts say the reflagging underscores how sanctions evasion has become a strategic challenge involving state backing, as the US signals it may widen its crackdown on the global “dark fleet.”

 

Canada’s Carney Visits China to Reset Ties and Reduce Reliance on US Trade

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a four-day visit aimed at repairing strained relations with China and expanding Canada’s trade beyond the United States. It marks the first trip to China by a Canadian leader in nearly a decade.

Carney is set to meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and President Xi Jinping as Ottawa seeks to diversify its economy amid US tariffs and political pressure from US President Donald Trump.

Relations between Canada and China deteriorated after the 2018 arrest of a Chinese tech executive and escalated further with reciprocal tariffs imposed in recent years.

Canadian officials said the talks focus on recalibrating bilateral ties and easing trade barriers, as Beijing encourages Canada to pursue a more independent foreign policy while testing the durability of Canada’s long-standing alliance with Washington.

 

Sources: News Agencies

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