Trump Escalates Greenland Fight With Tariff Threats On European Allies
Plus: MLK’s Dream, Six Decades Later
Good evening,
Valentino Garavani, the legendary Italian fashion designer and founder of the Valentino brand, died Monday at his home in Rome. He was 93.
Garavani founded his namesake fashion house in 1959 and retired in 2008, leaving behind one of the most influential legacies in modern fashion.
He introduced what became known as “Valentino Red,” an elegant and bright shade of scarlet inspired by a woman in a red dress Garavino observed while at the opera. 🌹👠
The designer rose to fame dressing royalty (eg. Princess Diana), American first ladies (eg. Jacqueline Kennedy) and some of the 20th century’s biggest stars, including Julia Roberts when she won an Oscar in 2001.
His cultural impact in Italy was summed up by Walter Veltroni, then the mayor of Rome, who said in a 2005 New Yorker profile, in Italy, “There is the Pope — and there is Valentino.”
Garavani’s death comes as the world of fashion recently lost another longtime legend, Italian designer Giorgio Armani, in September.
Mo News Team
🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING
Trump Escalates Greenland Pressure Campaign By Threatening Tariffs On Allies
President Trump threatened a 10% blanket tariff on eight European allies in an effort to force Denmark to give up control of Greenland over the weekend. He said tariffs would begin February 1 and rise to 25% by June if no deal is reached to acquire the semi-autonomous territory that Denmark has controlled since the 1700s.
New insight: Beyond arguments from White House officials that full control of Greenland is vital for U.S. national security, a text exchange between Trump and Norway’s prime minister on Sunday offers one of the motivations behind the push – namely, Trump not being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year.
THE MESSAGES
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said he sent a text message to Trump on behalf of himself and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, suggesting the parties hop on a call to “de-escalate.”
Trump responded a few hours later: “Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a “right of ownership” anyway?”
Trump continued: “I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT”
Støre said he has repeatedly told Trump that an independent committee awards the Nobel Prize, not the government. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado – who did win the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize – gifted Trump her prize last week and said they should share it. (Trump accepted it, but the Nobel Committee did not.)
WHITE HOUSE MOVES
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller argued Friday that acquiring Greenland is “essential” to U.S. national security, portraying the Arctic as the next major arena of global competition.
Miller claimed that Denmark, which first landed in Greenland in 1721, lacks the economic and military capacity to defend the territory.
The Trump administration is considering declaring a national emergency tied to Greenland, which would give the president broad authority to impose tariffs without congressional approval. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the idea over the weekend, saying that a “national emergency” declaration is actually about “avoiding a national emergency.”
“I feel [Greenland] is psychologically needed for success. I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can’t do, whether you’re talking about a lease or a treaty. Ownership gives you things and elements that you can’t get from just signing a document,” Trump recently told the New York Times.
EUROPE REACTS
NATO allies say the U.S. argument about national security does not add up. The U.S. already has extensive access to Greenland through existing agreements, including U.S. military bases, radar systems, and freedom of movement for American forces. In. fact, the US has 15 closed military bases on the island that they could reopen at any time, but have chosen not to. Danish officials say they’ve offered to expand cooperation — but sovereignty is non-negotiable.
Trade Bazooka: European leaders will discuss options at an emergency summit Thursday in Brussels. They are reportedly considering retaliatory tariffs worth up to $108 billion and a nuclear economic option known as the “Anti-Coercion Instrument” (ACI).
While it has never been used, the ACI would restrict U.S. suppliers’ access to the EU market and more.
REWIND: European countries already negotiated down to a 15% tariff trade deal with Trump. The European Parliament was set to ratify the deal next week, but that will likely be put on hold with the latest threats.
On the ground in Greenland, which is home to about 56,000 people, Trump’s actions have brought out thousands of protesters. In the U.S., Trump also lacks public support with a CNN poll showing 75% of Americans oppose the U.S. “attempting to take control of Greenland.”
UP NEXT
Options are being finalized ahead of high-stakes meetings with Trump this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Trump is expected to travel to Switzerland tomorrow ahead of a speech scheduled for Wednesday.
In the U.S., Trump would need congressional approval to purchase Greenland (which could cost more than $1 trillion if it was for sale), and members of his own party are criticizing the latest moves. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis, and Rand Paul are among the Republicans who have criticized the tariff proposal.
We are also waiting on a pending U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Trump’s use of tariffs via emergency order, which have become a central tool in his negotiations with world leaders. That decision is expected as early as this week.
🚨 ONE THING WE’RE FOLLOWING
MLK Jr. Day 2026: Race Relations In America, Six Decades Later
Today marks the 40th federal observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, after what would have been Dr. King’s 97th birthday.
Six decades after the peak of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, data suggest its legacy is not necessarily resonating with younger Americans in the same way it does with older generations. This shift comes as both the judicial and executive branches have changed the ways U.S. schools discuss civil rights in recent decades.
I HAVE A DREAM
Some states, mostly GOP-led, have passed laws limiting classroom discussions of race, diversity, and some elements of Black history; while certain blue states have passed laws expanding requirements that students learn about Black history, including the Civil War and slavery.
Some school boards have banned books about MLK. The director of the ACLU’s Racial Justice Program said these changes are creating an environment where “teachers are concerned about whether they will be penalized” for teaching about MLK and civil rights.
Colleges and universities have been at the center of political debate in recent years, particularly around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and critical race theory (CRT).
Classrooms look different too. The Supreme Court effectively ended race-conscious affirmative action in 2023, a shift that reduced African American enrollment at many elite universities — from about 5% to roughly 1.6% at the California Institute of Technology and 9% to 5% at Princeton from the 2024 fall to 2025 fall.
As instruction becomes varied, some young people are instead getting their primary information about race, inequality, and civil rights history through their social media bubbles.
Despite major progress in breaking down barriers for Black Americans across society in recent decades, an increasing number of Americans now believe racism against Black people in the U.S. is more widespread than 20 years ago.
⏳ THE SPEED READ
🚨NATION
Pentagon orders troops to prepare for possible Minnesota deployment (NBC)
America’s top Catholic clerics denounce militaristic US foreign policy (THE HILL)
Josh Shapiro claims Kamala Harris’ team asked if he was a ‘double agent for Israel’ (FOX)
Woman died after riding Revenge of the Mummy coaster at Universal Orlando, report says (CBS)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
Death toll in Spanish train collision rises to 40 as authorities fear more bodies could be found (AP)
Prince Harry returns to UK for 1st day of tabloid court case (ABC)
Iran state TV hacked to show exiled Crown Prince Pahlavi (FOX)
China’s population falls again as birthrate drops 17% to record low (GUARDIAN)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
IMF warns of trade tension risk to global growth (BBC)
Chicken sold in seven states recalled for potential listeria contamination (CBS)
OpenAI aims to debut first device in 2026 (AXIOS)
Northern lights forecast: Aurora could reach as far south as Alabama Monday night (ACCU WEATHER)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
NFL adds more controversy to Super Bowl after Green Day — vocal critics of Trump administration — set to open show (NY POST)
‘Zootopia 2’ surpasses ‘Inside Out 2’ as Hollywood’s highest-grossing animated film of all time with $1.7 Billion (VARIETY)
Bruce Springsteen dedicates song to Renee Good, decries crackdown on immigrants in New Jersey performance (NBC)
Piers Morgan suffers broken leg after tripping at London restaurant (FOX)
ICYMI FROM THE 📲
In case you missed it… Today is country musician Dolly Parton’s 80th birthday, and her home state of Tennessee is celebrating by proclaiming Jan. 19 as Dolly Parton Day in her honor.
Parton has composed over 3,000 songs in a career spanning more than half a century. She has had 49 top-10 country albums – a record for any artist – and 120 career-charted singles.
Rumors about her health circulated last year after she canceled some Las Vegas concerts, but Parton set the record straight in a video last October: “I ain’t dead yet!”