Friday, January 9, 2026

​ January 9, 2026 Good morning, Welcome to the news for independent thinkers ​ Leading the News . . . ​ Vance says ICE officer's fatal shooting of victim in Minneapolis was 'tragedy of her own making' . . . J.D. Vance ripped the press for stoking outrage after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement shooting in Minneapolis, accusing reporters of branding an officer a killer. Vance said Renee Nicole Good, 37, was radicalized by the far left and drawn into a reckless confrontation. He called her death tragic—but fueled by activism that targets law enforcement and warps reality. Washington Times ​ Activist past surfaces after fatal ICE clash . . . Renee Nicole Good, the mother killed after driving toward a federal agent, was deeply tied to anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement activism in Minnesota. Sources say she worked with groups aiming to track and resist immigration enforcement and connected through her child's activist-focused charter school. Allies hailed her as a fallen crusader, even as her death followed a confrontation with armed agents. New York Post​ ​ Noem alleges woman killed in ICE shooting 'stalking and impeding' agents all day . . . Kristi Noem says a woman shot dead by Immigration and Customs Enforcement had spent the day tailing and blocking agents, ignoring repeated orders to stand down. Authorities allege Renee Nicole Good, 37, used her car to obstruct officers in a residential street, prompting a fatal confrontation now branded domestic terrorism. Video shows agents exiting an unmarked pickup as her vehicle sat stalled mid-road. Fox News​ ​ This woman willingly and aggressively participated in impeding law enforcement. That she was shot by an ICE officer she nearly ran over is neither surprising nor a criminal offense. The tragedy is for her six-year-old son, who had no say in this. Politics GOP defectors help give COVID subsidies get new life . . . The U.S. House of Representatives muscled through a three-year extension of pandemic-era health subsidies after a bloc of Republicans broke ranks and joined Democrats. The 230–196 vote undercut Speaker Mike Johnson, who opposed the plan. Moderates from blue and swing states helped revive costly tax credits long after COVID faded, handing Democrats a quiet but costly win. Daily Signal​ ​ Five Senate Republicans break rank with Trump on Venezuela war powers . . . A bipartisan group in the U.S. Senate on Thursday moved forward a measure to block Donald Trump from conducting further military actions in or against Venezuela without explicit approval from Congress — a rare check on his authority. The procedural vote passed 52–47, with five Republicans joining all Democrats to advance the war-powers resolution amid concerns about the administration's unilateral raid that captured Nicolás Maduro. Washington Examiner​ ​ The Deadly Consequences of Democrats' War on ICE Enforcement . . . A fatal shooting involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minnesota underscores how relentless attacks on immigration enforcement can spill into real danger. As an officer confronted a woman who appeared to drive toward him, years of political agitation met a split-second crisis. The reflexive backlash from Tim Walz and Jacob Frey signaled more blame-shifting than accountability—after rhetoric helped poison the ground. Daily Signal​ ​ Trump says he will meet Machado — and would accept Nobel Peace Prize from her . . . Donald Trump says he'll meet next week with Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado, hinting he'd accept a Peace Prize she wants to share with him. Trump called the gesture an honor, fueling buzz after his hardline moves in Venezuela. Washington Post​ ​ People should be careful what you say with respect to Trump. He'll call your bluff. Culture Teachers rush to Supreme Court as California secrecy rules revived . . . California teachers are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to step in after a federal appeals panel revived policies pressuring schools to conceal students' gender identities from parents. Backed by Thomas More Society, attorney Paul Jonna argues the state is forcing educators to deceive families, sidelining parents while punishing teachers who refuse to play along. Daily Signal​ ​ Race-based teacher pipeline draws legal heat . . . A watchdog report says a Minnesota teacher-training partnership funded by taxpayers is restricting slots by race, potentially flouting federal law. Defending Education alleges programs under the Minnesota Educators Partnership limit eligibility to BIPOC applicants while drawing $1.5 million in state grants. Critics say a diversity drive has crossed into outright exclusion—using public money to sort candidates by skin color. Fox News​ National Security Trump cancels 'second wave' of Venezuela attacks, citing 'cooperation,' prisoner releases . . . President Trump announced early Friday he was calling off an "expected second wave" of attacks on Venezuela after the South American country announced it would begin releasing political prisoners less than a week after US special forces captured Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro. "Venezuela is releasing large numbers of political prisoners as a sign of 'Seeking Peace,'" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "This is a very important and smart gesture." New York Post​ ​ Trump vows Mexico cartel strikes after Maduro capture . . . Donald Trump declared the U.S. will launch land strikes against Mexican drug cartels, branding them "narcoterrorists" and claiming they now run Mexico. Speaking to Fox News after the capture of Nicolas Maduro, Trump boasted that nothing legally restrains U.S. military action abroad. In remarks to The New York Times, he said the only check on his global power is his own morality. Daily Mail​ ​ Cars weaponized as anti-ICE tactic spreads . . . Activists are increasingly using vehicles to harass and block Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, trailing agents, clogging streets, and forcing dangerous confrontations. Kristi Noem says the department has logged 66 vehicular attacks since Donald Trump returned to office—up from just two a year earlier. Experts warn the escalation made serious bloodshed inevitable. Washington Times​ ​ Car attack triggers Border Patrol shooting in Portland . . . Department of Homeland Security says a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot two people in Portland after a driver allegedly tried to mow down federal officers during a vehicle stop. Authorities say the suspect weaponized the car and may be tied to Tren de Aragua, underscoring how routine enforcement is colliding with escalating street-level threats. Fox News​ ​ International Iran supreme leader signals crackdown coming saying protesters are 'ruining their own streets' for Trump . . . Iran's regime signaled a coming crackdown as protests swelled and deaths climbed past 50, brushing aside Donald Trump's pledge to back peaceful demonstrators. Ali Khamenei accused Trump of bloodshed and cast protesters as foreign-backed agitators, with state media branding them terrorists. The rhetoric mirrors past buildups to violent repression, as Tehran blames unrest on America rather than its own rule. Associated Press​ ​ Last time there was a serious threat to Iran's dictators, Obama sat and watched it play out. Trump is unlikely to repeat that. Removing the Islamists from power in Iran is truly a national security imperative. Money Trump touts bond buy as housing fix, jabs Biden . . . Donald Trump says Washington will buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds to cool housing costs, pitching the move as proof he's tackling what others ignored. Posting on Truth Social, Trump blasted Joe Biden and bragged that keeping Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac off the auction block left taxpayers sitting on a massive cash pile. Daily Wire​ ​ Wary of Investing in Venezuela, Big Oil Heads to the White House . . . Donald Trump stunned U.S. energy executives with bold talk of reclaiming Venezuelan oil and unleashing billions in investment—plans few companies are ready to bankroll. After the remarks, officials scrambled to gauge industry interest as wary executives were summoned to the White House. Firms now face a tightrope: placate Trump's ambitions while avoiding risky, long-shot bets tied to unstable politics and murky legality in Venezuela. New York Times​ ​ Billionaires bolt California as wealth tax looms . . . A proposed California ballot measure is sending tech elites scrambling for the exits, with Miami emerging as a favored escape hatch. Founders tied to Netflix, WhatsApp, and Stripe are reportedly eyeing relocation as voters weigh a retroactive 5% tax on billion-dollar fortunes. What once sounded theoretical now looks urgent—and expensive—in California. New York Post​ ​ Lawmakers and bureaucrats are always surprised that the people they tax don't just sit there and take it. You should also know Musk's Grok chatbot limits access to image generator that put women in bikinis . . . Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok tightened access to its image generator on X after users churned out waves of nonconsensual nude deepfakes. The tool is now limited to paying subscribers as the company scrambles to patch safeguards. The crackdown follows mounting backlash from European regulators over manipulated images, including explicit content involving minors and public figures—another case of tech racing to clean up its own mess. Politico​ Guilty Pleasures Giant bear living under LA man's house finally leaves after 37 days . . . The 550-pound bear living under a man's Los Angeles home for 37 days has finally left the building — after being shot at with paintballs. Altadena homeowner Ken Johnson has been living with the massive black bear under his home since Nov. 30 when it began squatting in his crawl space. The "unbearable" roommate ruined Christmas for Johnson and had him on edge for weeks. The bear eviction finally happened Tuesday after Johnson contacted "The Bear League" — a group from Lake Tahoe that specializes in bear removal emergencies. New York Post​ ​ ​ ​ Help CTTN reach more people by forwarding it to your family and friends. Click below to write your message and share the signup link by email. ​ Or, you can share it on social media. ​​​​ Got this from a friend? Subscribe here and get Cut to the News sent to your Inbox every morning. ​ Have a great day! ​ Follow us ​​​​ 2302 Gallows Road #625, Dunn Loring, VA 22027 Unsubscribe · Preferences​ ​