Good morning. Here’s your daily digest of the latest news. Subscribe to receive updates directly to your inbox, and don’t forget to listen to the Up First podcast for your essential morning news.
Major Events This Week
Recent shootings by federal immigration authorities have raised significant concerns. In Portland, Oregon, a Customs and Border Patrol agent recently shot and injured two individuals. This incident followed the shooting death of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minnesota. The Portland mayor has called for the cessation of all ICE activities in the city.
People march during a protest after the killing of Renee Nicole Good on Jan. 8, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
- 🎧 NPR’s Meg Anderson reports that the shooter has been identified as Jonathan Ross, a seasoned officer with the Department of Homeland Security. The FBI is now handling the investigation. However, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has expressed concerns about the investigation’s impartiality.
- ➡️ Protests are escalating in Minneapolis in response to Good’s death. These photos capture the community’s reaction.
- 🎧 Incidents involving immigration authorities are seemingly on the rise amid heightened immigration enforcement by the Trump administration, according to NPR’s Sergio MartĂnez-Beltrán. Vice President JD Vance confirmed that agents are conducting door-to-door searches in Minneapolis, a departure from the usual targeted operations. This could be a concerning consequence of the administration’s intensified measures.
A recent NPR/Ipsos poll shows a divergence in public perception of the U.S. as a global moral leader. While 61% of Americans believe the U.S. should embody this role, only 39% think it currently does, a stark drop from 60% in 2017. For more insights, see what the poll reveals about U.S. foreign policy.
Seventeen House Republicans have aligned with Democrats to pass a measure extending health insurance subsidies. This three-year extension was approved with a 230 to 196 vote but faces a challenging path in the Senate, where a similar bill recently failed. However, discussions for a compromise are underway among a bipartisan group of senators. Learn more about the ongoing legislative efforts here.
Special Coverage
The events of Jan. 6, 2021, continue to unfold. NPR has created a comprehensive visual archive of the Capitol attack, capturing the events through the perspectives of those present. “Chapter 5: The pardons and rewriting of Jan. 6” explores how Trump’s pardons and political strategies reshaped public understanding.
Initially condemning the attack, Trump later referred to the rioters as “political prisoners.” Shortly before his inauguration on Jan. 12, 2025, Vice President Vance announced that no pardons would be issued for those convicted of assaulting police. However, once in office, Trump pardoned many involved, except for 14 linked to extremist groups, who received commutations. Additionally, a government database of related cases was deleted. Examine the outcomes of these pardons and learn about the Trump appointees who supported Jan. 6 defendants.
For more details, explore NPR’s database of federal criminal cases related to Jan. 6. Further NPR coverage on this topic can be found here.
Weekend Recommendations
Dacre Montgomery and Bill SkarsgĂĄrd in Dead Man’s Wire.
Stefania Rosini/Row K Entertainment
Here’s what NPR recommends for your weekend:
🍿 Movies: The true crime thriller Dead Man’s Wire tells the story of businessman Tony Kiritzis, who takes Richard Hall hostage over a botched real estate deal.
đź“ş TV: The medical drama The Pitt is back, offering a realistic portrayal of medical practice amid political and institutional challenges.
đź“š Books: If reading more is on your list this year, check out these upcoming book releases to keep you on track.
🎵 Music: NPR’s All Songs Considered anticipates exciting 2026 album releases, including works by Beverly Glenn-Copeland and potential surprises. Discover the artists you should add to your playlist.
âť“ Quiz: I scored eight out of 10! Now it’s your turn to test your knowledge.
Three Key Updates Before You Leave
NASA announced it would bring the four members of its Crew-11 mission back to Earth early. One of them has a medical condition. The crew, shown here at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. on August 1, 2025, is (from left): Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, NASA astronaut and mission commander Zena Cardman and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui.
Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images
- NASA has decided to shorten the Crew-11 mission at the International Space Station due to a crew member’s medical issue, bringing the team back to Earth earlier than planned.
- In 2013, John Kindschuh’s life was saved by a fellow hospital patient who noticed his speech become slurred and alerted medical staff. Kindschuh credits his survival to the quick actions taken during his stroke. Read more about this life-saving encounter.
- NPR is preparing to cover the Winter Olympics in Italy, with a team set to report on various events and stories. They’re eager to receive your questions about the Olympics and will strive to answer as many as possible.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
