By Eric Bradner, Jeff Zeleny, CNN

(CNN) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s decision to abandon his bid for a third term has suddenly sparked one of the biggest political questions of the new year: Will Sen. Amy Klobuchar run for governor?

Walz’s announcement on Monday — 16 months after he was tapped to become the Democratic vice presidential nominee — could touch off a domino-like reaction for midterm races in Minnesota.

Klobuchar, who has served in Washington for two decades, is “seriously considering” a gubernatorial run, a person close to her said, after “getting a lot of outreach, encouraging her to run.” She has not made up her mind or offered a timeline for when she will.

Already, the 2026 election cycle was set to scramble the Democratic hierarchy in Minnesota, with a competitive Democratic primary for the Senate seat of the retiring Tina Smith taking top billing. Two high-profile Democrats, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and US Rep. Angie Craig, are locked in what’s expected to be an expensive battle to win the party’s Senate nomination in August.

Walz’s decision opens the door for even more musical chairs in the Minnesota political landscape. Klobuchar’s decision will be the first step in determining just how many.

A fraud scandal shakes up a competitive state

The spotlight comes as Minnesota has been emerging as one of the more politically intriguing states in the nation. It’s awash in a mix of deep-red conservatism and deep-blue liberalism, with an independent populist streak that cuts across both sides.

Minnesota could be called the reddest blue state in America, one that the Democratic presidential nominee hasn’t lost since 1972, but those wins have frequently come at close margins. President Donald Trump finished just 4.3 percentage points behind then-Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.

Before he was selected by Harris to join the Democratic ticket in 2024, Walz was largely seen as a plainspoken Midwesterner who could appeal to all audiences. He emerged as a sharp attack dog, taking on Trump and his Republican allies, who happily returned fire as the social services fraud scandal deepened in Minnesota.

The eye-popping fraud — perhaps running into billions of dollars, authorities say — was hardly a secret. It came up during his vetting with Harris, a Democrat familiar with the matter said, as convictions were already piling up with the Justice Department under the Biden administration.

Some Democrats privately urged Walz not to run for reelection, fearful the federal probe could give Republicans an opening in Minnesota and beyond, but in September he announced his decision to seek a third term. If successful, he would have served longer than any governor in the state’s history.

In stepping aside, Walz is seeking to ease the scandal’s weight on Democrats up and down the ballot in a state where the legislature is divided nearly evenly. By bowing out early, the GOP also loses one of its biggest targets.

“I can’t give a political campaign my all. Every minute that I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota,” Walz said Monday.

Restoring public trust after Minnesotans are still grappling with the extent of the nation’s largest Covid-era scandals will likely be the top priority for Democratic candidates this fall. Though it remains an open question whether the scandal will remain at the forefront of Republican campaign efforts or be overtaken by other events.

Klobuchar’s next steps

Klobuchar, 65, who served as the Hennepin County Attorney in Minneapolis before running for the Senate in 2004 and sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, could be the party’s best chance to maintain control of the governor’s office.

And if she continues to harbor national ambitions, ser

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – Firefighters successfully limited a fire to an attached garage at a home on Santa Clara Road Sunday evening.

According to the San Luis Obispo County Fire Department, fire crews were able to quickly respond to the fire and no injuries were reported from the scene.

The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation added the San Luis Obispo County Fire Department.

The post Fire crews limit flames to an attached garage at a home on Santa Clara Road Sunday evening appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

Por Brian Stelter, CNN

Al describir la operación militar estadounidense en Venezuela el sábado, el presidente Trump hizo referencia a una frase de dos palabras para expresar su determinación de dominar el hemisferio occidental.

“Ahora lo llaman la ‘Doctrina Donroe’”, dijo Trump, atribuyendo la frase a personas no identificadas.

Como muchos de los argumentos de Trump, este tiene sus raíces en los medios de comunicación de derecha.

El New York Post, una de sus publicaciones favoritas, parece haber acuñado la expresión “Doctrina Donroe” hace aproximadamente un año. El periódico la publicó en su portada el 8 de enero de 2025, cuando las ambiciones de Trump respecto a Groenlandia eran noticia.

La frase, con su aliteración, se fue abriendo paso gradualmente en las conversaciones geopolíticas y apareció en Fox News el día anterior al ataque: Griff Jenkins la mencionó en “Fox & Friends”, uno de los programas favoritos de Trump.

“Lo que se ha descrito como la ‘Doctrina Donroe’ —¿recuerdan la Doctrina Monroe?— ejercer el dominio de Estados Unidos sobre, en este caso, nuestro hemisferio occidental”, dijo Jenkins.

De hecho, probablemente aprendiste sobre la Doctrina Monroe en la clase de historia de la escuela secundaria. La declaración de 1823 advertía a las potencias europeas que respetaran la esfera de influencia de Estados Unidos en Occidente.

“La Doctrina Monroe es muy importante, pero la hemos superado con creces, con muchísima diferencia”, dijo Trump en su conferencia de prensa del sábado, antes de pronunciar por primera vez la frase “Doctrina Donroe”.

Algunos oyentes buscaron de inmediato el origen de la frase y encontraron la portada del New York Post.

La portada de enero pasado también hacía referencia al decreto de Trump para renombrar el Golfo de México como “Golfo de Estados Unidos” y a su idea de que Canadá se convirtiera en el estado número 51.

El artículo principal, escrito por la periodista del Post Caitlin Doornbos, citaba a una fuente que decía que Trump estaba “sentando las bases de la ‘Doctrina Trump’”.

La frase “Doctrina Donroe” no tuvo mucha repercusión al principio. Pero comenzó a circular más ampliamente en el otoño boreal pasado, con titulares en el Financial Times, el New York Times y otros medios. También fue citada varias veces en Fox News.

El corolario de Trump “básicamente dice que nos arrogamos el derecho de intervenir en cualquier país cuyos problemas internos representen una amenaza para nosotros en la región. Y ese es un mandato bastante amplio”, dijo David Sanger, corresponsal jefe del New York Times en Washington, en el programa “Inside Politics” de CNN.

Trump volvió a usar la frase el domingo por la noche cuando habló con los periodistas a bordo del Air Force One, argumentando que la intervención en Venezuela difiere de las intervenciones estadounidenses en Iraq y Afganistán porque “está en nuestra área. La Doctrina Donroe”.

Un portavoz del Post no quiso hacer comentarios sobre quién ideó el titular. Se sabe que el editor en jefe del Post, Keith Poole, suele decir internamente que “todos nuestros titulares son un esfuerzo colectivo”.

Trump ha tenido una relación compleja con el Post, el tabloide de su ciudad natal, durante décadas. Ha sido fuente de información para el periódico, protagonista de su

By Lauren del Valle, Holmes Lybrand, CNN

(CNN) — During the first hearing in New York in the case against ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, the defendants professed their innocence and accused the US government of abducting the two from their home.

Both Maduro and his wife pleaded not guilty to the drug and weapons charges against them and chose, for the time being, not to fight their detention.

The historic court appearance for Maduro and Flores marks the start of what could be a lengthy litigation process as they will likely fight the legitimacy of their military capture.

In the meantime, Trump has said, “We’re in charge” in Maduro’s absence.

The Trump administration has indicated it will be closely watching Venezuela’s interim leader – Maduro’s longtime vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, who was sworn in as the country’s president Monday.

Here’s what to know about the hearing and case:

Maduro: I am still president

When asked if he was Nicholas Maduro, the ousted president stood up and began speaking in Spanish, which a translator slowly relayed in English.

Maduro stated he “was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela,” and, as Judge Alvin Hellerstein tried to cut him off, added: “I am still president of my country.”

“I am innocent. I am not guilty of anything that is mentioned here,” Maduro said when asked for the second time how he would plea. “I am a decent man.”

It’s unclear how much of Maduro’s comments were translated in open court, but Hellerstein said he would have an opportunity at some later point to speak about his arrest and the charges against him.

Maduro’s attorney confirmed he was entering a not guilty plea to all four charges.

Maduro’s wife sustained ‘significant injuries,’ lawyer says

Flores also pleaded not guilty to the charges against her, telling Hellerstein in Spanish, “Not guilty, completely innocent.”

“I am first lady of the Republic of Venezuela,” Flores said through a Spanish translator when the judge asked her to confirm her identity.

Maduro’s wife had bandages on her forehead and right temple when she entered the courtroom flanked by US Marshals. She required help to get into her seat at the defense table before the hearing began.

Her defense attorney said Flores would need a physical evaluation and potential treatment for “significant injuries” she sustained during the “abduction.”

She may have a fracture or at least severe bruising on her ribs, attorney Mark Donnelly said.

Maduro’s attorney Barry Pollack also said the ousted president has “some health and medical issues that will require attention” but did not elaborate.

Motions to come challenging ‘abduction’

Pollack, who helped broker a plea deal and release for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange last summer, said he plans to file several motions challenging the indictment and Maduro’s controversial arrest by US operatives in the early morning hours Saturday, calling it a “military abduction.”

Pollack also said Maduro has privileges and immunity tied to his office as the head of a sovereign state.

Maduro and Flores also asked for a “visit” with the Venezuelan consulate. Under US law, foreign nationals detained in the US are entitled to consular notification and access to consular resources. It’s unclear what exactly that would look like.

Attorneys for Maduro and his wife did not make a pitch for their release in court Monday but said they will make a formal bail application down the line.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for March 17.

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