Trump News for Thursday, January 8, 2026

Trump’s menacingly dishonest response to the Minnesota ICE shooting

Eric Levitz, Vox

Renee Nicole Good sat idling in her car Wednesday, observing an ongoing ICE operation. The 37-year-old then attempted to drive away, reportedly at the instruction of one federal agent on scene. In response, another ICE officer shot her to death.  It is possib…

US says it wants to control Venezuelan oil indefinitely. Can it?

Andy Hirschfeld, Al Jazeera English

US oil company executives are expected to meet with Trump to discuss investments in Venezuela's oil sector.

Minnesota officials say FBI blocked their access to ICE shooting probe

BBC News

Hundreds of people have taken to the streets of Minneapolis to protest the killing of 37-year-old Renee Good.

Photos: Protests grow over the fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis

Juliana Kim, NPR

In cities across the country, demonstrators have expressed grief and outrage over the death of Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Wednesday morning.

Americans by Name, Punished for Believing It

Camille Squires, Alex Burness, Boltsmag.org

In a small Alaska town, American Samoans face prosecution for voting in the only country they’ve ever known. They live in a limbo, created by colonial expansion, that now confuses even public officials—and has made them a new target for policing voter fraud.

Trump says 'representatives' will buy $200B in mortgage bonds

Yahoo Entertainment

Trump says he is instructing 'representatives' to buy $200 billion in mortgage bond purchases in an effort to push down rates

Katherine Li,Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert, Business Insider

Trump said Thursday that he is instructing "representatives" to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds, aiming to lower interest rates and monthly payments.

Panama says it canceled flag of US-seized oil tanker a year ago

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

PANAMA CITY, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Panama's maritime authority on Thursday said it had canceled in January of last year the flag of the M Sophia, a Venezuela...

Here’s When Elon Musk Will Finally Have to Reckon With His Nonconsensual Porn Generator

AJ Dellinger, Gizmodo.com

It would be deeply embarrassing if the law has to go into effect before X acts.

“There’s a fight to be had here”: A local reporter on the pain and resolve in Minneapolis

Hady Mawajdeh, Noel King, Vox

The events that led to a federal officer in Minneapolis killing Renee Nicole Good have not been universally interpreted. On a visit to Texas on Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism.” She sa…

Trump: The Anti-Lincoln

Mike Brock, Techdirt

Saturday, January 3rd, 2026. The President of the United States stood in his private club in Palm Beach, Florida, and announced that America had toppled Venezuela’s government and would now “run” the country indefinitely. Not from the Oval Office. Not in cons…

Trump says he'll block defense contractor stock buybacks. Here's what his executive order actually does.

Jacob Shamsian, Business Insider

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth now has leverage over defense contractors' financial decisions, from executive comp to shareholder payouts.

NASA to Demolish Iconic Towers Used to Test Saturn V, Space Shuttle

Passant Rabie, Gizmodo.com

One of the test stands was last used as a drop tower for microgravity testing.

Texas First State to End American Bar Association oversight of law schools

Toluwani Osibamowo, KERA News

The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday finalized a tentative opinion issued in September that no longer requires soon-to-be lawyers to attend a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. The power to approve those law schools now rests with the state'…

Trump wants to cap defense CEO pay. Here's how much they make.

Madeline Berg, Business Insider

President Donald Trump took aim at defense contractors on Wednesday in an executive order.

Russia harshly condemns US seizure of oil tanker, warns of a spike in tensions

The Associated Press, Yahoo Entertainment

Russia on Thursday strongly condemned the U.S. seizure of an oil tanker, heralding a new chill in relations between Moscow and Washington that could spread...

Over Republican objections, US House poised to pass health subsidy renewal

By Richard Cowan, Yahoo Entertainment

By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - The Republican-controlled U.S.

What Trump's plan to ban defense dividends and raise the military budget could mean for your portfolio

jsor@businessinsider.com (Jennifer Sor), Business Insider

Defense stocks pay relatively high dividends, but there are alternative areas of the market for investors to consider if they want steady income.

Everything We Know About The Minneapolis ICE Shooting…So Far

BBC News

A US citizen has been fatally shot by an immigration agent in Minnestota.

The US Will Stand Alone Outside the World’s Climate Treaty

Ellyn Lapointe, Gizmodo.com

On Wednesday, President Trump announced he was withdrawing the U.S. from the principal treaty for international cooperation on climate change.

The old food pyramid vs. RFK Jr's 'New Pyramid': See how the guidelines have evolved over time

Hilary Brueck, Business Insider

The USDA first published guidance in 1980, then a food pyramid in 1992 and a 2011 "MyPlate" version. Here's how they stack up to RFK's new pyramid.

ICE Recruitment Ads No Longer on Spotify

Alex Suskind, Pitchfork

The widely-criticized campaign ended at the end of 2025

US judge dismisses lawsuit by Palestinian Americans trapped in Gaza

By Jonathan Stempel, Yahoo Entertainment

By Jonathan Stempel Jan 8 (Reuters) - A federal judge dismissed on Thursday a lawsuit demanding the U.S. government conduct emergency rescues of Palestinian ...

American voters support animal welfare — and MAGA is seizing on it

Kenny Torrella, Vox

Recently, something incredibly rare happened: American policymakers at the highest levels of government committed to tackling animal cruelty. Specifically, late last month, the Trump administration announced a multi-agency “strike force” to crack down on anim…

Spotify Stopped Running ICE Ads at the End of 2025

Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone

Spotify confirmed it stopped running ICE recruitment ads at the end of 2025 after a multi-platform campaign, a spokesperson told Rolling Stone.

Stop Using AI to Unmask the ICE Agent Who Killed Renee Good

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

One X user had Grok put a bikini on an image of her dead body.

Two starkly opposed Americas laid bare by deadly ICE shooting

BBC News

The incident is threatening to inflame a deeply contentious debate over immigration enforcement,

Bowen: Trump risks pushing world back to age of empires

BBC News

Donald Trump wants and needs quick victories. Taking Maduro is the decisive win he has craved, writes Jeremy Bowen.

What is ICE and what powers do its agents have to use force?

BBC News

ICE is under scrutiny following the fatal shooting of Minneapolis woman Renee Nicole Good.

Abolish ICE Before They Kill Again, Impeach Trump & Noem Before They Incite More Murder

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

Renee Nicole Good was a 37-year-old award-winning poet, a mother of a six-year-old, and a wife who had recently moved to Minneapolis. That all ended yesterday when a masked ICE agent murdered her in broad daylight, shooting her multiple times at close range i…

The Smear Machine

Adam Serwer, The Atlantic

The Trump administration has perfected the smear campaign.

BBC Inside Science

BBC News

What rare earths have been found in Greenland, and why do we want them?

GoFundMe for ICE Shooting Victim Renee Nicole Good Surpasses $550K in 24 Hours

TMZ Staff, TMZ

A GoFundMe campaign benefiting the wife and son of Renee Nicole Good -- who was shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis Wednesday morning -- received more than $550,000 in donations within 24 hours of her death. The fundraiser was organized to…

Senate advances war powers resolution to rein in Trump on Venezuela

Allison Pecorin, ABC News

The measure seeks to block Trump from further military action against Caracas.

Pence Has Dire Prediction About Trump’s Future

Ewan Palmer, Daily Beast

Former Vice President Mike Pence has issued a dire warning that Donald Trump will be impeached if Democrats win this year’s midterm elections. Speaking to...

Why Trump says getting Greenland is about defence

Al Jazeera English

President Donald Trump insists the US needs to take over Greenland as a matter of national security. Here’s why.

As Venezuela Attack Death Toll Continues to Rise, Congress May Finally Take a Stand

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

More than 100 people were reportedly killed in the U.S. attack on Venezuela, and Congress seems to finally be taking action.

Why Trump's Exit from Pivotal Climate Treaty Matters

Sara Schonhardt, E&E News, Politicopro.com

In the latest effort to undermine climate action, President Trump pulled the U.S. out of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, which underpins global efforts to address rising temperatures

Lebanese army says it has taken over security in Hezbollah-dominated south

BBC News

The army says it has met its goal of clearing the area of non-state weapons but Israel calls the move "insufficient".

Exclusive-The Trump Administration killed a draft proposal to halve alcohol limits, sources say

By Emma Rumney and Jessica DiNapoli, Yahoo Entertainment

By Emma Rumney and Jessica DiNapoli LONDON/NEW YORK, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Last spring, a group of officials from the U.S.

Former CEO of Google spearheads 4 next-gen telescopes — 3 on Earth and 1 in space

Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com

"We're going to do it in three years, and we're going to do it for a ridiculously low price."

Trump's attacks on business have one thing in common — and it's his biggest political weakness

Dan DeFrancesco, Business Insider

Trump targeted two sectors in his latest attacks: single-family homes and defense contractors.

Wife of Dead Woman Inconsolable After ICE Shooting: Video

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Dramatic new video shows the aftermath of the woman fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minnesota ... with her spouse breaking down in tears, saying she can't breathe. Check it out ... The clip begins showing the crowded street filled with law…

Is the US unlocking Venezuela’s oil wealth or exploiting it?

Al Jazeera English

President Donald Trump aims to control and revive Venezuela's oil industry. Critics call it modern-day colonialism.

A High-Seas Gambit Humiliates Putin

Simon Shuster, The Atlantic

Trump has pushed Russia out of Latin America and seized tankers while conceding nothing in Europe.

‘Trump Phone’ Delayed Again, Lazy Grifters Falsely Blame Government Shutdown

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Last year we noted how the Trump organization had cooked up a half-assed wireless phone company. It was barely even a “phone company”; it was just a lazy marketing rebrand of another, half-assed, MAGA-focused, mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) named Patr…

JD Vance Calls Mamdani 'The Guy Who Wants to Take All Property Away from White People'

Danielle Han, Jezebel

Vance and MAGA are miffed over one of Mamdani’s appointments, who appears to be a diehard advocate for affordable housing.

Who was Renee Nicole Good, the woman killed in ICE Minneapolis shooting?

Sarah Shamim, Al Jazeera English

Trump administration officials allege the shooting victim was interfering with an ICE agent's work.

Even When It's Pointless, the Trump Admin Automatically Ignores Judge's Rulings

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

A judge ruled U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan was illegally appointed. She's continued at the Justice Department anyway for the last six weeks.

Community reacts to ICE shooting in Minnesota. And, RFK Jr. unveils new food pyramid

Brittney Melton, NPR

Minnesota law enforcement and the FBI are investigating an ICE officer's fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman. And, Health Secretary RFK Jr. unveils new dietary guidelines for Americans.

ICE Agents Quick to Fire Pepper Balls at Minneapolis Protesters Thursday Morning

Lauren Tousignant, Jezebel

"They identified somebody they wanted in this crowd, they aggressively went after them, they pushed their way in, now they're shooting pepper balls towards the crowd," CNN senior national correspondent Ryan Young reported.

10 Thursday AM Reads

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

My morning train WFH reads: • The Great Credit Convergence: How public and private credit are now one market (Paul Kedrosky) • The Emperor’s New Oil Wealth: You may have heard that Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves — 300 billion barrels. You prob…

Who was Renee Nicole Good, the woman killed by ICE?

BBC News

A mother of three and award-winning poet, Good's sudden death sparks protests across the US.

'It's good to scare people sometimes': Anduril founder Palmer Luckey says he 'broadly' backs Trump's new defense regulations

Polly Thompson, Business Insider

"I'd say I'm broadly aligned," Anduril founder Palmer Luckey said in an interview on Wednesday, adding that some of Trump's plans might be "bad moves."

Danish troops told to 'shoot first, ask questions later' if US invades Greenland

Frankie Elliott, LBC

The European nation's rules of engagement requires soldiers to “immediately” counter-attack invading forces without awaiting orders

Trump says US role in Venezuela could last for years

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Venezuela’s interior minister says US operation to abduct Maduro killed 100 people and wounded dozens.

Trump’s controversial ballroom could solve a decades-long problem — and is taking the first formal steps for construction

Betsy Klein, Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, CNN

President Donald Trump’s sprawling new East Wing ballroom project has attracted widespread controversy — but promises to solve a problem identified by first ...

How Mormons Helped Make America’s Prepping Industry Into Big Business

Jasper Craven, Wired

How two big names in mainstream disaster preparedness helped sell Americans on fear, anxiety and a new generator.

What new legal challenges mean for the future of US offshore wind

Casey Crownhart, MIT Technology Review

For offshore wind power in the US, the new year is bringing new legal battles. On December 22, the Trump administration announced it would pause the leases of five wind farms currently under construction off the US East Coast. Developers were ordered to stop …

Trump says US oversight of Venezuela could last years

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

Jan 8 (Reuters) - The United States could oversee Venezuela and control its oil revenue for years, President Donald Trump said in an interview published on...

Trump says the US shut off the lights in Venezuela's capital using 'certain expertise.' Here's how it may have done it.

Sinéad Baker, Business Insider

The US brought huge air power to Venezuela in its operation to capture Maduro, and hinted at cyber capabilities. This is how it could have cut power.

House to vote on renewing ACA subsidies as a potential deal takes shape in the Senate

Sam Gringlas, NPR

While the three-year extension for Affordable Care Act subsidies is expected to pass the House, it may not go far in the Senate. But a bipartisan group of senators say they are close on a compromise.

A Supreme Court ruling could bring historic drop in Black representation in Congress

Hansi Lo Wang, NPR

If the Supreme Court weakens Voting Rights Act protections against racial discrimination in redistricting, it could usher in the largest-ever drop in representation by Black members of Congress.

In Lodge Grass, Montana, a Crow community works to rebuild from meth's destruction

Katheryn Houghton, NPR

Meth is a problem most everywhere, but particularly in Indian Country. In one small town on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana, new buildings serve as symbols of a town trying to rebuild after being devastated by addiction.

The best way to win on prediction markets: insider information

Emily Stewart, Business Insider

Prediction markets leaked the Venezuela raid hours early. But that may be part of the point for places like Kalshi and Polymarket.

China finds risks, opportunities as Trump pushes for ‘spheres of influence’

Erin Hale, John Power, Al Jazeera English

China will need to reassess its investment in Venezuela and its understanding of US foreign policy under Trump.

Here’s why Trump wants Venezuela’s oil

Al Jazeera English

The US is the world’s largest oil producer, so why does it need Venezuela’s low-grade crude?

Rep. Steny Hoyer, the longest-serving House Democrat, to retire at the end of term

The Associated Press, NPR

The Democrat from Maryland is the longest-serving Democrat in Congress, and was once a rival to become House speaker. Hoyer will announce Thursday he is set to retire at the end of his term.

America’s new era of energy imperialism is about more than oil

Justine Calma, The Verge

President Donald Trump has no shame in admitting what he wants to get out of attacking Venezuela and threatening other energy resource-rich nations. "We're gonna get the oil flowing the way it should be," he said January 3rd, soon after his administration stu…

Pacific Islands environment programme says US must follow formal exit process

By Kirsty Needham, Yahoo Entertainment

By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY, Jan 8 (Reuters) - A decades-old Pacific organisation for environmental protection said the United States must go through a formal...

Trump invites Colombia’s Petro to White House after threats

Erin Hale, Al Jazeera English

Sudden detente follows a phone call between the two leaders in which they discussed drugs and 'other disagreements'.

WATCH: Notorious CIA traitor Aldrich Ames dies in federal prison

ABC News

Aldrich Ames, the former CIA agent turned Russian asset, died in a federal prison in Maryland, according to a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson. He was 84.

Trump backs bill to sanction China, India over Russian oil, US senator says

John Power, Al Jazeera English

Trump has 'greenlit' bipartisan push to sanction countries that buy Russian energy exports, Lindsey Graham says.

Paul Adams: Why Trump chose Delcy, not Machado

BBC News

What is it about Delcy Rodríguez, deputy to ousted dictator Nicolás Maduro, that caught the eye of the Trump administration?

Trump to meet Colombian president at White House in 'near future'

BBC News

The US president described a call with Gustavo Petro as a "Great Honor", just days after saying a military operation in Colombia "sounds good".

Trump to withdraw US from dozens of UN, international organisations

Lyndal Rowlands, Al Jazeera English

The sweeping changes will see the US quit major forums for cooperation on climate change, peace and democracy.

Deadly Force on a Frozen Street

Nick Miroff, The Atlantic

Trump’s immigration crackdown takes a dark turn in Minneapolis.

Sen. Graham says Trump has 'greenlit' sanctions bill aiming to punish Russia for war in Ukraine

SEUNG MIN KIM, Yahoo Entertainment

President Donald Trump is now on board with a hard-hitting sanctions package meant to economically cripple Moscow as his administration continues to...

Trump threatens US defence firms over executive pay, slow production

Allison Griner, Al Jazeera English

The US president demanded that defence contractors cap their executives' pay until new production plants are built.

WATCH: Fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis

ABC News

ABC News has verified video of the moment an ICE agent opened fire, fatally shooting a woman behind the wheel of an SUV in Minneapolis.

Trump administration changes federal guidelines on alcohol consumption

Mason Leib, ABC News

The Trump administration has changed federal guidance on alcohol consumption as part of its updated U.S. dietary guidelines.

China Bans Rare Earths Exports To Japan Over Taiwan Spat

Alex Kimani, Yahoo Entertainment

The move underscores China’s leverage over global rare earth supply chains, accelerating efforts by Japan, the U.S., and allies to diversify sourcing

Trump invites Colombian president to White House after threatening his country with military strike

WILL WEISSERT, Yahoo Entertainment

President Donald Trump abruptly changed his tone Wednesday about his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, saying they had exchanged a friendly phone call...

US suspends assistance to Somali government for alleged seizure of aid

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The Trump administration has accused Somali officials of destroying a warehouse containing US-funded food aid.