💰House Passes Three-Year Extension of Expired ACA Premium Subsidies
The House of Representatives passed legislation on January 8, 2026, to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies for three years. These subsidies, originally enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic and set to expire at the end of 2025, help lower monthly insurance costs for millions of marketplace enrollees. The bill received support from all Democrats and 17 Republicans in a 230-196 vote, overcoming opposition from Republican leadership. The measure now moves to the Senate, where prospects remain uncertain amid ongoing bipartisan negotiations for a potential shorter extension and additional policy adjustments.
🚨Minneapolis ICE Watch Activist Renee Nicole Good Killed During Immigration Enforcement Operation
A Minneapolis activist named Renee Nicole Good, confirmed by Department of Homeland Security sources as an active member of the ICE Watch group, was fatally shot by a federal agent after her vehicle advanced toward and struck officers during an immigration enforcement action. ICE Watch, which operates in several sanctuary cities, trains participants in methods designed to monitor, track, obstruct, and interfere with federal immigration agents, including tactics such as following officers to multiple locations, blocking roadways, and physically impeding enforcement operations. Authorities report that Good had shadowed ICE agents to two previous sites and positioned her vehicle to block access before the incident occurred, which federal officials state concluded in self-defense when the vehicle moved toward the agent.
Sources: FOX News, The Post Millennial
💸House Republicans Advance Spending Bills Containing 6.5 Billion Dollars in Earmarks Amid Conservative Criticism
House Republicans are moving forward with three appropriations bills for fiscal year 2026 that fund the departments of Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development, and Interior and Environment while including more than 6.5 billion dollars in earmarks spread across over 3,000 member-requested items from both parties. Fiscal conservatives within the GOP, including Sen. Mike Lee, Sen. Rick Scott, and Rep. Chip Roy, have voiced strong opposition to these provisions, describing them as unnecessary expenditures that contradict promises of fiscal restraint and enable questionable projects. The legislation faced internal pushback, leading to adjustments such as the planned removal of one specific earmark, but many others remain as the bills head toward House floor consideration with a narrow Republican majority in place.
Sources: The Washington Examiner, FOX News
🔎VP Vance Announces New Assistant AG Position to Combat Taxpayer Fraud
Vice President JD Vance has announced the establishment of a new assistant attorney general position within the Department of Justice that will possess nationwide jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute fraud involving taxpayer dollars. This role, which will operate with oversight from the White House under President Trump and Vice President Vance, aims to ensure swift and permanent accountability for those defrauding American taxpayers. A nominee for the position is expected to be named in the coming days, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune pledging prompt confirmation. The initiative follows reports of significant fraud in federal programs across multiple states.
🚓DHS Identifies Couple Shot by Border Patrol in Portland as Affiliated with Venezuelan Gang Tren de Aragua
The Department of Homeland Security stated that Border Patrol agents conducted a targeted vehicle stop in Portland, Oregon, on January 8, 2026. Agents identified the driver as Luis David Nico Moncada, a Venezuelan national illegally present in the United States and a suspected member of the Tren de Aragua gang. The passenger was identified as Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, also Venezuelan and illegally present, with DHS alleging her active role in a Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and involvement in a prior shooting in Portland. DHS reported that the couple, described as married, attempted to flee by weaponizing their vehicle against agents, prompting an agent to fire defensive shots that wounded both individuals. The pair were hospitalized following the incident.
Sources: Forbes Magazine, KATU2 Portland
🤑DOGE Success: US Federal Workforce Numbers Drop to Lowest Level Since 2015
The U.S. federal civilian workforce has declined to 2,084,618 employees according to the latest Office of Personnel Management data updated on January 8, 2026. This figure represents the smallest number of federal civilian employees since 2015. The federal government continues to serve as the nation’s largest single employer with personnel distributed across numerous agencies and roles. The Department of Defense stands as the largest departmental employer with approximately 709,352 workers comprising more than 34 percent of the total federal civilian workforce.
Sources: The Federal News Network, The Washington Examiner
🤡Seattle Judge Blocks Health Department From Rejecting Head Start Grants With DEI Terms
A federal judge in Seattle issued a ruling that requires the Department of Health and Human Services to cease mandating the removal of diversity, equity, and inclusion-related terms from Head Start grant applications, including phrases such as “pregnant people.” The order also prohibits further layoffs at the Office of Head Start and prevents punishment of providers for using such language. This decision addresses reported confusion among program directors caused by instructions to eliminate terms like “diversity,” “chestfeeding,” and demographic descriptors, which hindered compliance with grant requirements and program operations for low-income early childhood education.
Sources: ZeroHedge, The Federal News Network
📰Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Announces Permanent Closure in May 2026
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, one of the nation’s oldest newspapers with origins dating to 1786, will publish its final edition on May 3, 2026, and cease all operations. Block Communications, the owner, cited unsustainable financial losses exceeding $350 million over the past two decades and recent court decisions requiring adherence to a 2014 labor contract with outdated and inflexible practices unsuited to modern local journalism. The decision follows prolonged challenges in the newspaper industry, including declining revenue, and does not affect the company’s other publication, the Toledo Blade.
Sources: The BizPac Review, CBS News
📚Minneapolis Public Schools Offer Remote Learning Option Through February 12 Following Fatal ICE Shooting
Minneapolis Public Schools has decided to provide families with an optional remote learning program until February 12 in response to safety concerns stemming from a January 7 incident in which an ICE officer fatally shot a woman who accelerated her vehicle toward law enforcement during an immigration enforcement operation. The decision follows initial cancellations of in-person classes on January 8 and 9 due to potential unrest, with the remote option proposed by the Minneapolis Federation of Educators and approved by the district to address family needs amid heightened tensions in the city. Federal officials maintain that the shooting was justified as self-defense against an imminent threat.
Sources: FOX9 Minneapolis, Townhall.com
⚖️U.S. Treasury Launches Enforcement Campaign Against Somali-Linked Fraud Networks in Minnesota
The U.S. Treasury Department has initiated a major enforcement effort targeting fraud networks connected to Minnesota’s Somali community, implementing heightened financial monitoring, restrictions on overseas remittances, and several federal probes due to serious concerns that misappropriated taxpayer dollars have been sent abroad and may have supported terrorist organizations. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced these actions during a January 9, 2026, press conference in Minneapolis, emphasizing the need to recover stolen funds, prosecute those responsible, and safeguard public assistance programs from exploitation by organized schemes.
Sources: The Epoch Times, CBS News
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👮🏼♂️Venezuela Announces Release of Significant Number of Political Prisoners
Venezuela’s National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, brother of interim President Delcy Rodriguez, announced that authorities have begun releasing a significant number of Venezuelan and foreign political prisoners as a unilateral gesture to promote peace and coexistence. The process started immediately following the announcement on January 8, 2026, amid the backdrop of recent U.S. involvement in the country after the capture of former leader Nicolás Maduro. No specific number or list of individuals was provided, though estimates suggest hundreds of political prisoners remain in custody, including foreigners.
Sources: The New York Post, The Washington Post
💰Argentina Repays Draw on US Twenty Billion Dollar Swap Line
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that Argentina has fully and quickly repaid the limited amount drawn from the $20 billion currency swap facility provided by the United States, with the Exchange Stabilization Fund now holding no pesos and the arrangement yielding a profit for American taxpayers. This development reflects strengthened financial stability under President Javier Milei’s administration, which also made key payments to bondholders and successfully re-accessed international markets following reforms.
Sources: Bloomberg, Fortune Magazine
🚀Russia Deploys Advanced Oreshnik Missile in Overnight Strike on Western Ukraine Infrastructure
Russia launched its nuclear-capable Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile from the Kapustin Yar test range on January 9, 2026, targeting critical infrastructure in the Lviv region of western Ukraine near the Polish border as part of a large-scale attack involving dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones. The missile, which travels at hypersonic speeds exceeding Mach 10 and is described as difficult to intercept, was used for only the second time in the conflict following its initial deployment in November 2024. Russian officials stated the strike served as retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian drone attempt on President Vladimir Putin’s residence in late December, a claim denied by Ukraine and dismissed by the United States. Ukrainian authorities confirmed debris from the Oreshnik in the Lviv area, reported damage to energy-related facilities, and noted that the broader assault killed at least four people in Kyiv while disrupting power and heating amid freezing conditions.
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, The Guardian
📢Iran’s Supreme Leader Desperately Declares Trump Will Be Overthrown Amid Intensifying Protests
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated in a televised address that President Donald Trump will be overthrown like other arrogant rulers of the past. He made this claim during nationwide anti-regime demonstrations that have continued for 13 days. Security forces have killed at least 45 protesters, including eight children. Khamenei accused the demonstrators of acting as agents for the United States and Israel to please Trump. He vowed that the Islamic Republic will not retreat and will crush the uprising. Protesters in cities such as Tehran and Mashhad have chanted slogans supporting the return of the Pahlavi monarchy. The regime has imposed a nationwide internet blackout amid the unrest.
Sources: Legal Insurrection, The Daily Mail
☪️UAE Ends State Scholarships for Study in UK Due to Concerns Over Islamist Radicalization Risks
The United Arab Emirates has excluded British universities from its official list of approved institutions eligible for government scholarships. This decision follows the UAE Ministry of Higher Education’s publication of a revised list in June 2025. Officials cite fears that Emirati students face unacceptable risks of exposure to Islamist radicalization on UK campuses, particularly linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, which the UAE designates as a terrorist organization but which operates openly in Britain under protections of academic freedom. The policy affects new students, though those already enrolled continue to receive support, and wealthier families may self-fund studies. UK study visas issued to Emirati nationals have fallen sharply, with only 213 granted in the year ending September 2025, a 55 percent decline from 2022 levels. Degrees from unapproved institutions may not receive official recognition in the UAE.
Sources: The Business Standard, The Gateway Pundit