Latest News Digest – January 10, 2026

National News

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Operation in Minneapolis Leads to Fatal Shooting - A fatal shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sparked national protests and heightened tensions over immigration enforcement. Similar incidents, including shootings in Portland of suspected Tren de Aragua gang members fueled debates on federal actions. The White House issued strong support for ICE and law enforcement amid rising immigration-related incidents. Viral posts emphasized standing with federal agents. This underscored polarized national views on enforcement. – cbsnews.com; latimes.com

Large Protests Continue in Iran - Protests in Iran have continued and grown more violent over the last two weeks. Sparked by soaring inflation, the protests have led to mounting deaths and violent crackdowns, drawing international concern. Protestors are demanding freedom and an end to Ayatollah Ai Khamenei's rule. Some are calling for the return of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. On his X account, Pahlavi is asking workers and employees in key sectors of the economy to strike.  There are reports that the Islamic Regime has cut off the internet and electricity in some areas. Videos circulating on X showed large crowds in Tehran and other Iranian cities, facilitated by Starlink's low-Earth-orbit satellites that can't be blocked like traditional internet. President Trump warned the regime against further violence and posted on his Truth Social account that the USA stands ready to help. – X Posts - @FoxNews, @PahlaviReza; Truth Social Post of Donald J. Trump

Venezuela Frees Political Prisoners; Trump Meets With Oil Industry Executives - While the interim government in Venezuela began to release approximately 800 political prisoners, President Trump met with leaders from three U.S. oil companies at the White House on January 9^th to pitch at least $100 billion in private investments to restart Venezuela’s energy sector.  The U.S. has seized 30 – 50 million barrels of oil and intends to use some of the oil money to rebuild Venezuela.  President Trump has also sent a delegation to Venezuela to carry out “technical and logistical assessments” and to renew diplomatic ties. – cbsnews.com

President Trump Makes Bold Moves to Reduce Home Mortgage and Credit Card Rates - President Trump is taking direct steps to reduce borrowing costs for Americans by targeting both mortgage rates and credit card interest. On January 8, 2026, he instructed government-controlled entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities, a move designed to increase demand for these bonds and drive down mortgage rates, which subsequently fell below 6% for the first time in years. Separately, reviving a 2024 campaign promise, Trump announced on January 10th a push for a one-year cap on credit card interest rates at 10%, effective from January 20, 2026, criticizing current rates of 20-30% as a "rip-off" and aiming to ease consumer debt burdens. Banks criticized President Trump's proposal. – politico.com; newsmax.com

President Trump Promises to Ban Large Institutional Investors from Buying More Single-Family Homes – In a Truth Social post on January 7^th, President Trump promised to ban large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes.  He urged Congress to make it a law.  - Truth Social Post of Donald J. Trump

House Passes Bill to Extend Obamacare Subsidies - As of January 2026, millions of Americans enrolled in Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare) marketplace plans are facing significant premium increases due to the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits at the end of 2025. These enhanced subsidies, originally expanded under the American Rescue Plan and extended through the Inflation Reduction Act, had capped contributions and made coverage more affordable for higher-income enrollees, leading to record enrollment of over 20-24 million people in recent years. Without an extension, subsidized enrollees are seeing average net premium payments more than double.  The U.S. House of Representatives, on January 8^th, has approved a 3-year extension of expired health care subsidies and the bill now goes to the Senate.  Critics of Obamacare and the subsidies say that it benefits the insurance companies, not the people and that the ACA was largely written by the big insurance lobby. – X Posts of Gunter Eagleman; abcnews.go.com

Pope Leo XIV Warns of a Resurgent “Zeal for War” and “Orwellian-Style” Language – On January 9, 2026, in his debut speech to the diplomatic corps, Pope Leo XIV criticized the EU and British government calling for an end to “Orwellian” anti-free speech laws.  He also condemned violence against Christians by radical Islamists and a resurgent “zeal for war” that undermines post-World War II peace norms. – Truth Social Post of Citizen Free Press; X Posts of Catholic Arena, Inevitable West, Pope Leo XIV

New Dietary Guidelines Issued by HHS – Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in a key role as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), introduced new dietary guidelines amid national health discussions. The guidelines faced scrutiny and praise in media coverage. This reflected broader efforts to address chronic diseases linked to processed foods and unbalanced nutrition. – hhs.gov

Federal Judge Blocks Freeze on Child Care Funds – U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, serving in the South District of New York, temporarily blocked the Trump administration from freezing $10 billion in childcare funds allocated to five states, including California, over fraud allegations. Judge Subramanian was appointed by Joe Biden in 2023.  The Department of Health and Human Services had raised concerns about program misuse and the administration vows to appeal the ruling. – X Post of Stephen Miller; apnews.com; thegatewaypundit.com

Trump Revives Push for U.S. Control of Greenland – Citing threats from Russian submarines and Chinese ships, President Trump made remarks at the White House dismissing Denmark’s long-held claim over the semi-autonomous island of Greenland.  President Trump stated “If we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we’re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor…The fact that they landed a boat there 500 years ago doesn’t mean they own the land.” – X Post of Fox News

Dan Bongino To Resume His Radio Show After Leaving His No. 2 FBI Post - Dan Bongino, who stepped away from his highly successful nationally syndicated radio show and podcast in March 2025 to serve as Deputy Director of the FBI under President Trump, announced his departure from the agency in mid December. On January 8, 2026, Bongino revealed during an appearance on the "Nightly Scroll with Hayley Caronia" podcast that he is relaunching a new daily two-hour show in early February with Cumulus Media's Westwood One and will be launched on Rumble. FBI veteran Christopher Raia has been named co-deputy director with Andrew Bailey to replace Bongino. - foxnews.com; rbr.com

California News

Governor Newsom Delivered His Final State of the State Address – California Governor Gavin Newsom delivered his final State of the State address, touting California's economic recovery, education investments, homelessness reductions, and high-speed rail progress while sharply criticizing President Trump. He framed California as a national leader and antidote to federal policies. The speech marked the close of his governorship.  Critics pointed out that California leads the nation in fraud, unemployment, homelessness, poverty, illiteracy, gas prices, electricity rates, housing costs, deficit spending, and outbound U-Haul rentals. – X Posts – Steve Hilton; Rep. Kevin Kiley; Governor Gavin Newsom

Spencer Pratt Enters Los Angeles Mayoral Race - Reality TV star Spencer Pratt announced his bid for Los Angeles mayor, promising to expose corruption and hold leaders accountable, motivated by his family's wildfire losses. The unconventional candidacy gained attention on X and in media. Pratt positioned himself as an outsider challenger. On his X-Account, Pratt stated "My campaign is to revive the entire city, not just Palisades. LA has been ruined by corruption and politics as usual, but we are going to clean it up and make the whole city camera ready again!" - X Post of Spencer Pratt

California Delays Revoking Illegally Issued Trucking Licenses - The U.S. Transportation Department withheld $160 million from California due to delays in revoking certain trucking licenses given to non-domiciled foreigners with expired legal status, or to immigrants who cannot speak any English. The state extended compliance deadlines for 60 days.  The move intensified federal-state conflicts. – X Post of Secretary Sean Duffy; dmv.ca.gov

Fraud Investigation of California Launched - President Trump announced on his Truth Social account that a federal fraud investigation into California has begun, labeling it highly corrupt and comparing it to Minnesota. The probe targets public funds misuse. The American Tribune reported that Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) spoke to CNN in December 2025, highlighting the fraud, claiming, “It was the Governor’s own inspector general who said that there are billions of dollars of fraud and waste.”  Discussions on X amplified calls for accountability. – X Posts and theamericantribune.com

Los Angeles Police Department Investigating Fatal Shooting of Black Man - Communities sought justice for Keith Porter, killed by an off-duty ICE agent in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve.  The official Department of Homeland Security account says that Porter, armed with an AR-15 rifle, fired shots in the air; the agent investigated and identified himself, but Porter shot at him, leading to an exchange of gunfire in self-defense.  The family says Porter was celebrating New Year’s by firing upward, a non-threatening tradition; he was a loving father of two, and the killing was unjust. The incident fueled local outrage and broader immigration debates.  – Summary of X Posts