Axios

A group of 15 former senior U.S. officials who worked in administrations of both parties sent a memo to the White House, State Department and members of Congress warning against the use of military force to take over Greenland, according to a copy of the memo shared with Axios.

Why it matters: Statements by President Trump and other senior officials that the U.S. could take Greenland by force have created extreme alarm in Denmark and among other NATO allies.

Pope Leo XIV is continuing to issue indirect critiques about President Trump's policies as the U.S. ramps up its intervention in Venezuela.

The big picture: Since becoming pope last May, Leo has made a number of critiques — both subtle and explicit — regarding Trump's treatment of immigrants as well as his foreign policies.

Chinese crackdowns on fentanyl may have reduced overdoses and saved American lives, new research shows.

Why it matters: The data-backed explanation for the 34% plunge in overdose deaths from its peak suggests diplomatic pressure was more effective than decades of mass street-level arrests.

America's oil abundance is emboldening President Trump to wield power over Venezuela.

Why it matters: The U.S. oil boom — along with a global crude glut and low pump prices — are bolstering Trump's foreign policy ambitions.

Some of President Trump's critics allege that his decision to pull the U.S. out of UN climate agencies' work is illegal — but legal experts aren't as certain.

Why it matters: Trump's withdrawal of the U.S. from nearly 70 groups — including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — is among his biggest retreats from the global stage.

Iranian demonstrators crowded into the streets of Tehran and other cities on Thursday, with images circulating of government buildings on fire and the authorities blocking internet access but failing thus far to restore order.

The intrigue: Early this week, U.S. intelligence assessed that the protests lacked sufficient energy to challenge the stability of the regime, U.S. officials told Axios. But that view is being reassessed in light of recent events.

• "The protests are serious, and we will continue to monitor them," a senior U.S. official said.

President Trump will meet with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado next week and welcomed her offer to give him her Nobel Peace Prize, per his interview on Fox News' "Hannity," broadcast Thursday night.

The big picture: Host Sean Hannity noted during his sit-down interview with Trump that Machado told Fox News this week that she wanted to give him her Nobel after praising the U.S. raid in Caracas that captured leader Nicolás Maduro.

An ICE officer's fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday ignited tensions on Capitol Hill, with Democrats raging about both the shooting itself and their Republican colleagues' reactions to it.

Why it matters: The shooting led to at least one heated exchange on the House floor, with Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-Minn.) laying into Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.).

Venezuela will release an "important number" of political prisoners, including both citizens and foreigners, the South American country's top legislator said on Thursday.

The big picture: The announcement, from National Assembly president Jorge Rodríguez, could signal that the regime is softening its long-standing limits on political dissent — a move the opposition in Venezuela has demanded for years.

The Senate on Thursday voted in favor of blocking President Trump from taking further military action in Venezuela without congressional approval after the U.S. captured the country's leader, Nicolás Maduro.

Why it matters: Enough Republicans broke with Trump to advance the war powers resolution — a rare and notable rebuke of the president — even as most of the GOP stands behind the operation in Venezuela.

President Trump's advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Wednesday in Paris with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev to discuss the U.S. plan for peace in Ukraine, according to a source with knowledge.

Why it matters: After reaching an agreement with Ukraine on almost all aspects of Trump's plan, the White House wants to get a clear response from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the proposal.

President Trump's decision to yank the U.S. from UN climate change agencies will set back international progress on addressing the climate, observers say.

Why it matters: The U.S. is the world's second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and provides much of the scientific heft addressing the problem.

The head of the U.S. oil industry's leading lobbying group on Thursday predicted "tremendous interest" in Venezuela from American companies — but only if "big requirements" around security and other areas are met.

Why it matters: President Trump is hoping that U.S. producers invest in reviving output from Venezuela's broken-down oil fields.

Five days after the toppling of Nicolás Maduro, let's take stock of knowns and unknowns about Venezuela's oil and White House plans.

Why it matters: The White House sees control of Venezuela's oil as a pillar of its hemispheric strategy — and a big U.S. business opening.

President Trump spoke on Wednesday with Colombia's President Gustavo Petro and the two said they agreed to meet at the White House soon.

Why it matters: It was the first between the two leaders. The call was an attempt to de-escalate tensions between the U.S. and Colombia after a war of words between Trump and Petro that included threats of using military force.

President Trump on Wednesday announced plans to withdraw the U.S. from dozens of global organizations, including the United Nations climate change agencies.

Why it matters: It's among the biggest and most extreme steps this administration has taken to retreat from the global stage and pull back foreign spending.