Embattled Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said on Friday that his foreign minister held secret meetings with a U.S. official on Jan. 26 and Feb. 11 in New York. In an interview, Maduro said his administration could succeed if U.S. President Donald Trump would remove his “infected hand” from the country. The United States has not denied the talks—allegedly between Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and U.S. special envoy Elliot Abrams—but Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pushed back Friday on Maduro’s insinuation that he could remain in power.

President Donald Trump announced Friday he is declaring a national emergency to fulfill his pledge to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. He plans to use executive powers to bypass Congress, which approved far less money for his proposed wall than he had sought in a budget deal passed Thursday night that he is expected to sign Friday. At a news conference Friday in the White House Rose Garden, the president cited drug trafficking, violent crime, and sexual exploitation as reasons the United States needs better border security.

William Barr was sworn in as attorney general Thursday night at the White House after the Senate confirmed him earlier in the day 54-45. Democratic Sens. Doug Jones of Alabama, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, and Joe Manchin of West Virginia voted in favor of Barr’s confirmation, while Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the lone Republican to vote against him, citing Barr’s record on privacy and surveillance issues.

Department of Justice officials discussed using the Constitution’s 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office, former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe claimed in an interview with CBS News’ 60 Minutes set to air Sunday. McCabe also said he worried that the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election would be shut down after the president fired FBI Director James Comey.

British Prime Minister Theresa May suffered defeat in a symbolic Thursday evening vote on her Brexit deal in the House of Commons. She received 258 votes to 303 after hardline Brexit supporters in her Conservative Party abstained. Two weeks ago, members of Parliament voted to back May’s separation deal with the European Union if she could renegotiate changes to how the plan handles Irish border controls before the Thursday vote. So far, that hasn’t happened. Parliament will hold a binding vote on the deal on Feb. 27.

The Senate approved a border security compromise Thursday to prevent another partial government shutdown, and the White House said President Donald Trump will sign it. The measure does not meet the president’s earlier demand for $5.7 billion to fund a wall on the U.S. southern border, but he plans to use “other executive action, including a national emergency” to fulfill his signature campaign promise, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. The Senate approved the budget 83-16. The House plans to vote on it later in the evening.

After pushback from local politicians, Amazon said it will no longer build a headquarters in New York City. The Seattle-based online retailer spent a year conducting a highly publicized search in which cities tried to woo the company with promises of favorable tax policies. In November, Amazon announced it would split its expansion between New York and Northern Virginia, but some New York politicians were unhappy with the nearly $3 billion in tax incentives promised to the retailer.