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President Donald Trump tied his attempt to take over Greenland to the Nobel Peace Prize. That's where we're starting the Seven from the Washington Post, I'm Hannah Jewell. It's Tuesday, January 20th. Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories. President Trump has wanted a Nobel Peace Prize for a long time. He was not the 2025 winner, and apparently that snub by the Nobel Committee in Norway is continuing to sting with big geopolitical implications. In a weekend text to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gar Stora, Trump wrote that he no longer needed to think purely of peace after he didn't win the peace prize last year. Trump then repeated his ambition for the United States to take complete and total control of the autonomous Danish territory of Green. Stora said he has repeatedly explained to Trump that it is up to the Nobel Committee and not the Norwegian government to award the annual peace prize. But Trump, speaking to reporters yesterday, pushed back.
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If anybody thinks that Norway doesn't, doesn't control the Nobel Prize, they're just kidding. They have a board, but it's controlled by Norway. And I don't care what Norway says, but I really don't care about that. What I care about is saving lives.
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And Trump doubled down on his Greenland demands.
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Well, I don't think they're going to push back too much. Look, we have to have it. They have to have this done. They can protect it. Denmark, they're wonderful people and I know the leaders are very good people, but they, they don't even go there.
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Trump's bid to buy or seize Greenland and to unleash a trade war with European leaders who disapprove has sparked the greatest transatlantic crisis in generations. The Justice Department is considering a rollback of gun regulations. That's number two. Part of President Trump's base believes that his administration has not been aggressive enough in easing firearm restrictions. But plans are being made at the Justice Department to placate those people. Yesterday, the Post reported that several changes are being considered. They could include easing restrictions on the private sale of guns and loosening regulations around shipping firearms. They are also expected to change the form required to purchase guns to have applicants list their biological sex at birth. Officials considered announcing the changes to coincide with a major gun trade show which begins today in Las Vegas. But they are still finalizing their new regulations and the timing of the announcement. Number three, An anti ICE protest at a church is the latest flashpoint in Minnesota. On Sunday, roughly two dozen protesters confronted church leaders at City's Church in St. Paul. One of the church's pastors, is also the acting director of ICE's local field office. At the top of this story, you heard the sound of protesters recorded by Black Lives Matter Minnesota via Storyful Protesters spoke out against Pastor David Easterwood and his role in the ICE operation that has flooded the Twin Cities with federal agents for weeks. Agents have dragged people from their cars, stopped US Citizens, broken down doors and shot two people, killing one. The church demonstration is now the subject of a Justice Department investigation. Participants said it was nonviolent and lawful. People marched in D.C. to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. And to protest Trump. That's number four. Organizers of the 21st annual event estimated that 2,800 people marched yesterday in near freezing temperatures. They were there to honor King and the principles he stood equality, justice and people making the world better by creating community. Many who took part in the parade in March did so with a renewed sense of urgency, with some accusing President Trump and his administration of betraying those principles. Protesters cited ICE crackdowns across the nation and airstrikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats. Here's one participant, Harold Hunter.
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Today is a really, really chilly and very warm day for each one of us who believe in Martin Luther King's dream. He believed that we have three evils. One is racism, exploitation and militarism. And as you see today, with this threat that we're having now that we have to still fight for the Voting Rights act and fight for so much economic parity.
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Meanwhile, a different kind of Trump protest took place on the National Mall this weekend. It was a huge replica of a birthday note and a lewd drawing gifted to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. Trump denies writing the original. Number 5 it's the middle of winter, but drought is covering the US when you think of wintertime, you don't tend to think of drought. But the US Is facing a dry spell Right now. More than two thirds of the country is dealing with unusual dryness or drought. Stretching from the Pacific Northwest to the east coast and touching every state except California. It's the driest period nationally since 2012. Across the west, the drought has come with record low snowfall and unseasonably warm conditions. The dry conditions could affect agriculture, water supply and wildfire risk in different parts of the country. Number six, Indiana, fought off Miami to win the College Football Playoff national championship. The Hoosiers were among the least successful programs in major college football for generations. But last night, the team capped what was perhaps the most impressive turnaround in college football history. Led by coach Kurt Signetti, quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza slogged through the game before helping himself to a storybook play. In the end, Indiana bested Miami 27 21, finishing their season undefeated national champions. So congratulations to all the Indiana fans out there, especially the weirdly high number of Indiana alumni in the newsroom of the Washington Post. And at number seven, the strange German habit of luften is going viral. Germans are apparently locked in a battle against stale air. Luften means ventilation. It's the practice of throwing open the windows several times a day, even in the dead of winter. Many apartment leases in Germany actually require tenants to do it. German courts have ruled that absent specific landlord guidance, a tenant is required to open windows twice a day, morning and evening, for 10 minutes each. And they might be onto something. According to one expert, the practice can help prevent the buildup of moisture, mold and carbon dioxide. American TikTok influencers have adopted the trend and perhaps ruined it by calling it Hausburping. Germans aren't happy about that. But whatever you call it, give it a try today and enjoy the blast of cold, fresh air in your face. All right, you're all caught up. The holidays may be over, but smart savings can still continue. Right now, you can unlock your first six months of access to the Washington Post for just 50 cents a week. After that, it'll cost $14 every four weeks. You can cancel anytime. You'll get unlimited access to trusted journalism that helps you make sense of what's happening now and what's ahead. If staying informed is one of your goals for the year, this Post holiday sale is the perfect place to start. Go to washingtonpost.com subscribe and start the year informed with the Post. That's washingtonpost.com subscribe I'm Hannah Jewell. I'll meet you back here tomorrow.
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