The U.S. Oil Blockade of Venezuela Is Pushing Cuba Toward Collapse

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

This episode of Free Expression is brought to you by Business Roundtable, an association of more than 200 CEOs of America's leading companies. Business Roundtable member companies are at the forefront of supporting mobility, skills development, and long-term career pathways for millions of workers. Learn more about how America's largest employers are leading the way in expanding opportunity at brt.org/leading the way.

Daniel Bach (0:29)

Denmark and Greenland call on President Trump to respect the island's sovereignty. Plus, Trump's pressure campaign on Venezuela is pushing Cuba toward collapse. And a new guide on workplace manners is stirring up debate among readers.

Ray Smith (0:45)

And they propose that if somebody sort of just wiped their nose after sneezing or just wiped the nose and then extended their hand to you, that you should take that hand, you should shake that hand and just wash it right after.

Daniel Bach (1:00)

It's Tuesday, December 23rd. I'm Daniel Bach for the Wall Street Journal filling in for Luke Vargas. And here's the AM Edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories moving your world today.

The leaders of Denmark and Greenland are calling on President Trump to respect the sovereignty of Greenland after he appointed a new special envoy to the Arctic territory. On Sunday, Trump named Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as Envoy for the Island, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and makes up 98 percent of its territory. Landry in turn said he aimed to make Greenland a part of the US. In a joint statement, the Danish and Greenlandic prime minister said that international law guides national borders, adding quote, the US shall not take over Greenland. Speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago yesterday, Trump said Greenland was of strategic importance.

SPEAKER_4 (1:53)

We need Greenland for national security. And if you take a look at Greenland, you look up and down the coast, you have Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need it for national security. We have to have it.

Daniel Bach (2:05)

Denmark said it wasn't informed about Landry's appointment, adding to a sense in Copenhagen that it's being kept in the dark about Washington's ambitions. Denmark's foreign minister said he would summon the US ambassador to express his discontent and demand an explanation. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is recalling almost 30 career diplomats from posts in at least 29 countries. The chiefs of mission, both ambassadors and senior staffers, appointed during the Biden administration, were told last week that their posts were ending in January. That's according to two officials. The State Department declined to comment on specific numbers or ambassadors affected, but it defended the changes, calling them a standard process in any administration. Also in Washington, efforts to ban popular drones made in China have finally paid off. The Federal Communications Commission announced a ban on the tech yesterday. It was prompted by a White House-led group that informed the commission the drones posed unacceptable risks. The ban covers all drones and critical components made in a foreign country, including from major Chinese manufacturers like DJI and Autel Robotics. The move has been met with uproar from many of the nearly half a million American commercial drone pilots, many of whom say that American drones just can't compete. DJI said it was disappointed with the FCC's decision and reiterated the security of their products. Autel didn't respond to a request for comment.

US regulators have approved the first GLP-1 weight loss pill, a tablet formulation of Novo Nordics, Ozempic, and Wigovie. The drug maker said the pills could be available in the US in early January, and will cost $149 a month for the starting dose. The move into pill format is expected to broaden the use of the drug. So far, the obesity market has been dominated by weekly shots, which put many people off the idea of taking it, either due to cost, insurance coverage, or a fear of needles. Well, as we get closer to 2026, talk of midterm elections is only growing louder in Washington. And there will be a lot of open races. According to Ballotpedia, 52 lawmakers will not be seeking re-election. Our Washington coverage chief, Damian Pelletta, says that number could soon surpass the 54 who retired in 2018, which was the most in any election cycle going back to 2012

Damian Pelletta (4:36)

It used to be considered quite prestigious to be a senator or a congressman. You can shape laws in US policy. But a growing number of these lawmakers, they're deciding this is not for them anymore. They've said there's just too much grief, Congress has become too insignificant, so much is getting done by the White House. And even the courts have clawed away the powers that Congress used to have. So there's a growing number of lawmakers now in both parties who are deciding this is not for them. What you're losing, quite frankly, you're losing a lot of experience using lawmakers who might have felt like they had a specialty in a certain policy that could benefit voters in their districts. So what you might be gaining then is openings. So it does create opportunity for people on both the left and the right who might have the chance of a lifetime.