By Katelyn Polantz, CNN

(CNN) — The case against ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro hasn’t been able to move forward in the past six years.

Now with his capture and first appearance in Manhattan federal court behind him, getting to trial could take even more years, with rings of unusual political and legal battles to come.

The criminal case against Maduro is so legally complex — with his past leadership of Venezuela, the dramatic nature of proving an international narco-terrorism conspiracy and the larger national security and foreign policy implications — that his defense could attempt several different ways of derailing the case before a trial.

Maduro pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

“Not that he won’t negotiate, but he will push some of the buttons first,” Dick Gregorie, a longtime Miami-based federal prosecutor, said on Monday after following news coverage of Maduro’s arraignment.

Gregorie had worked on the indictment and trial of Panama’s Manuel Noriega almost 40 years ago, becoming one of the few prosecutors who has successfully tried a foreign fugitive who claimed he was a head of state.

The Noriega case has some parallels to Maduro’s — especially in how rare it is for the US to strike a foreign country and abduct a political leader by force.

It appears likely that the lawyers representing Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who also pleaded not guilty Monday to drug and weapons charges, will argue they were captured unlawfully. On Monday in court, the deposed Venezuelan leader said he was “kidnapped” by the US military.

His lawyers will also likely battle with the Justice Department over the evidence in the case, what they can access that may help them, and over the protected national security information that may be able to be used in a trial.

The classified information-handling process overseen by the court can add months to even a straightforward case, and defendants sometimes try to push for the exposure of sensitive information so that the federal government becomes unwilling to try the case, a tactic called “graymailing.”

The evidence collected so far and plans for moving the case toward trial are likely to be discussed at Maduro’s next court appearance in Manhattan, set for March.

An immunity argument

Maduro is likely to attempt to use his position in Venezuela’s government to argue he has immunity as a foreign leader.

In court, Madura told the judge he was “still president” of Venezuela. His wife similarly called herself “the First Lady of Venezuela” in her court appearance Monday.

Gregorie recalled how significant a fight the head-of-state immunity claims were with Noriega. They also arose before the bribery trial of a political leader who claimed he was head of state of Turks and Caicos, which Gregorie also prosecuted in Miami some 40 years ago.

“It’s quite clear, in order to get head-of-state immunity, you have to be the diplomatically recognized head of state,” Gregorie said. Other legal scholars have taken the same position, that the US State Department’s diploma

Przemek Iciak // Shutterstock

It’s easy to feel like you’re lacking as a pet parent when it’s frigid out. As much as dogs need exercise and mental stimulation, sometimes winter gets in the way of the usual outdoor adventuring. But have no fear: It’s possible to keep your dog from going stir-crazy when you’re spending more time than you would like indoors.

This means focusing on mental exercise instead of physical exercise, and remembering that quality time with your dog is what really matters. Below, Kinship shares eight ideas for indoor activities you can enjoy with your dog.

Play together

If your dog likes to play, now is the time to be the most willing play buddy ever. Fetch and tug can be played inside, and so can hide-and-seek. Maybe even make an indoor obstacle course for your dog. It doesn’t matter so much what you play as long as you are engaging your dog in a fun activity.

Train together

Teaching tricks such as high-five, crawl, sit pretty, spin and unwind, or hoop jumping gives your dog plenty of mental stimulation and is usually fun to show off later, too.

Practical cues, such as “heel,” “down,” “stay,” and “leave it,” are so useful that teaching them or brushing up on them will be time well spent. Most dogs enjoy training if it is done in a positive, humane way. Your dog gets treats for being right and has your undivided attention — a total win.

Massage time

If your dog loves physical contact, days stuck inside can be great opportunities for dog massages. Basic massage instructions can be found on YouTube, or you can just do whatever you know your dog already likes. For dogs that love to be brushed, a snow day can be an opportunity to spend a significant amount of time maintaining their coat. If your dog dislikes being brushed, it’s probably wise to skip it on days that are already a bummer because of being stuck inside.

Surprise toys

Most dogs love receiving new toys or things to chew on. Consider this a great time to bring out a new toy or two, or even something extra special to chew on. Though these items can be expensive, you will get your money’s worth out of them during the bad weather, when your dog doesn’t have as much to do as usual.

Stuffed Kongs

Stuffing a Kong with food can help your dog stay happily occupied for a long time. Put some treats in along with regular food, and c

Lexus, Mercedes-Benz USA

Which is the better luxury SUV: the Lexus RX or the Mercedes-Benz GLE? Short answer: It depends. But the good news is you’ve already narrowed your choice down to a pair of very good used SUVs. The SUV you pick will depend on what’s most important to you, so CarMax runs through what you should keep in mind when you’re comparing the Mercedes with the Lexus.

The Mercedes will typically be more expensive than the Lexus

There are a lot of different trims and submodels to choose from and it can get confusing. But generally speaking, the Lexus RX will be less expensive than a comparable Mercedes-Benz GLE. How much cheaper? That depends on the trim, the vehicle’s mileage, and its condition.

For instance, a Lexus RX 350 will typically cost, on average, nearly $5,000 less than a Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 (both base trims)—this estimate excludes any additional charges such as government fees and taxes, financing, electronic filing, and emission testing. And the Lexus includes many more driver aids on its base trim than the Mercedes, including adaptive cruise control, a lane keeping system, and forward collision warning. To get most of those desirable driver aids on the GLE, you’ll need to find one with the Driver Assistance Package Plus installed.

Both the Lexus and Mercedes-Benz are available as hybrids

But you’ll have many more hybrid options with the Lexus than the Mercedes simply because it’s been on sale for longer. The GLE offered its first hybrid version, a plug-in hybrid, for the 2024 model year. Edmunds rates it very well; it is its highest-ranked luxury hybrid SUV. But availability will be limited compared to the numerous hybrid options available with the Lexus RX.

And you can get a Lexus RX as both a standard hybrid and a plug-in hybrid.

How to understand the different Lexus and Mercedes-Benz trims

What’s the difference between a 350 and a 450h? How does a 450h+ fit into this? And what the heck is an AMG? It’s a lot to wrap your head around, but this is an easy(ish) way to keep it all straight.

For Lexus RX models:

The number (350, 450, etc.) represents the engine and transmission combination, called the powertrain. The higher the number, the more powerful the powertrain. Adding an “h” to the number means it’s a hybrid. If there’s an “h” and a “+” it’s a plug-in hybrid.

For Mercedes-Benz GLE models:

The number (350, 450, etc.) also represents the engine and transmission combination. Adding an “e” to the end designates it as a plug-in hybrid. AMG models are sport-oriented and typically include a powerful engine along with aggressive suspension. Basically, if you want your luxury SUV to have some (OK, a lot of) bite to it, check out the AMG.

Recent redesigns to be aware of

The Lexus RX was fully redesigned for the 2023 model year and is quite

Natalia Deriabina // Shutterstock

American babies are now eligible to receive a $1,000 initial investment in a “Trump account” per new tax legislation. The money — which will be tied to the stock market, can be added to and cannot be used until the child turns 18 — gives each child some capability to fund certain activities as they enter adulthood, such as paying for college or purchasing a home. The policy is meant to incentivize families across the U.S., lowering the financial burden of long-term savings for parents and widening the options available for American children.

With this in mind, SmartAsset examined the current fertility and replacement rates across the U.S. states to determine which states are set to have the most children over the coming years.

Key Findings

• Utah and Colorado are set to have the highest replacement rates. Utah has the highest prevalence of young women, with 11.73% of the population being women aged 20 to 34. The fertility rate for this cohort in Utah is 97 births per 1,000, making for 34,119 annual births. Meanwhile, 11.1% of the population is women aged 20 to 34 in Colorado, with 79 births per 1,000 and an annual projection of 54,758 births.
• These northeastern states have the fewest young women. Maine and Vermont have the lowest frequency of women aged 20 to 34, at 8.9% and 9.1% of the respective populations. The fertility rate among these women is also relatively low at 58 births per 1,000 young women in Maine and 64 per 1,000 in Vermont.
• These low-population states have the highest fertility rates. Young women in Alaska and Wyoming have the most children, with 122 births per 1,000 women aged 20 to 34 in Alaska and 118 births per 1,000 in Wyoming. Mississippi (116 per 1,000); Nebraska (110); and North Dakota (110) also have particularly high fertility rates.
• Young women in Rhode Island have the fewest babies. Despite Rhode Island having slightly more young women than average at 10.3% of its population, there are only 47 births per 1,000 women aged 20 to 34. The average fertility rate across all states is 85 births per 1,000 young women.
• Four states produce 33% of American babies. California, Texas, Florida, and New York produce 33.1% of babies born, despite lower-than-average fertility rates in each of the four highest-population states. Together, they are projected to contribute 976,304 new babies this year.

States are ranked according to the frequency of women aged 20 to 34 in the state, which coincides with the ranking for projected population replacement rates for 2025.

Read more

Por Danya Gainor y Priscilla Álvarez, CNN

La administración Trump ha comenzado a desplegar a alrededor de 2.000 agentes federales en Minneapolis como parte del último esfuerzo del presidente de acabar con la inmigración irregular, afirmaron a CNN dos funcionarios policiales.

Mientras, la ciudad y sus autoridades lidian con un escándalo de fraude de asistencia social que ha alcanzado un punto álgido esta semana.

En los días transcurridos desde que un creador de contenido conservador planteó acusaciones de fraude en un video de YouTube, con poca evidencia, sobre guarderías dirigidas por somalíes en Minneapolis, la administración Trump ha congelado los fondos federales para el cuidado infantil y ha desatado una retórica más mordaz contra esa comunidad, a la que ha llamado anteriormente “basura”.

Ahora, el presidente está intensificando la aplicación de las leyes migratorias. Agentes federales ya han estado presentes en Minneapolis, y tanto funcionarios del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) como de la Patrulla Fronteriza de EE.UU. se están desplegando en Minnesota.

Se espera que el comandante de la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de EE.UU., Gregory Bovino, cuyas controvertidas tácticas han sido objeto de un mayor escrutinio en varias ciudades, también se despliegue allí.

La incertidumbre se extiende por la ciudad más grande de Minnesota a medida que las acusaciones de fraude provocan cambios en el liderazgo local, y ha surgido una nueva y ambigua medida de control migratorio que intimida a los residentes somalíes. Esto es lo que sabemos.

La movilización de más agentes a Minneapolis se produce luego de que el gobernador de Minnesota, Tim Walz, quien se ha opuesto firmemente al despliegue de tropas de Trump en ciudades estadounidenses, anunció su retiró de la disputa por la reelección el lunes.

El escándalo de fraude a la asistencia social en su estado se ha intensificado hasta convertirse en un punto de conflicto político aprovechado por Trump, y la profundización de la investigación federal ha complicado la candidatura de Walz a un tercer mandato sin precedentes.

El gobernador no ha sido acusado de ninguna irregularidad, pero los republicanos han intentado culpar a Walz y a los demócratas por el abuso masivo del dinero de los contribuyentes.

Según Walz, las recientes críticas de la administración Trump y sus aliados de derecha contribuyeron a su decisión de no buscar la reelección.

“Durante los últimos años, un grupo organizado de delincuentes ha buscado aprovecharse de la generosidad de este estado”, dijo Walz. “Y aunque avanzamos en la lucha contra los defraudadores, ahora vemos a un grupo organizado de actores políticos que buscan aprovecharse de la crisis”.

Walz había