Minnesota politicians slam Trump’s justification for immigration agent killing woman during ICE raid – live

Donald Trump has proposed a massive increase to the defense department’s budget to a record $1.5tn for 2027, citing “troubled and dangerous times”. The proposal would mark a 66% increase over the $900bn the Pentagon was authorized to spend this fiscal year.

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In a post on his social media website, Trump wrote: “This will allow us to build the ‘Dream Military’ that we have long been entitled to and, more importantly, that will keep us SAFE and SECURE, regardless of foe.”

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He added that he was able to suggest the $1.5tn budget because of “the tremendous numbers being produced by Tariffs from other Countries, many of which, in the past, have ‘ripped off’ the United States at levels never seen before”.

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Trump’s announcement of increased military spending came just days after a military operation which captured the president of Venezuela, and as Trump has floated taking military action in Greenland, Colombia and Cuba.

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In the hours following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis by ICE agents, political leaders on both sides of the aisle responded to news of the killing.

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On the right, members of Donald Trump’s cabinet and Republican congressmembers shared statements in support of the Department of Homeland Security, denounced the victim as a terrorist and called for the arrest of Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey.

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In social media posts, the White House, Department of Homeland Security and press secretary Karoline Leavitt all said they “stand with ICE”. Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma wrote: “ICE agents aren’t Disney villains. They’re our neighbors, friends, and loved ones. These immigration and customs enforcement officers are red-blooded American patriots doing a tough job to keep our nation safe. Assaults against ICE are up 1,300%. I stand with @DHSgov.”

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Trump advisor Stephen Miller, meanwhile, called the incident – apparently referring to the victim’s behavior – an act of “domestic terrorism” and added that “Democrats continue to lend aid and comfort to domestic terrorism.”

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Other Republicans, as we previously reported, including congressmembers Nancy Mace and Randy Fine, called for the arrest of Minneapolis’s mayor.

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Meanwhile, on the left, Minneapolis state leadership and congressional representatives called the White House’s response “propaganda” and a lie.

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“I’ve seen the video. Don’t believe this propaganda machine. The state will ensure there is a full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice,” governor Tim Walz wrote on social media.

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In a response to a post by Homeland Security, Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar wrote, “You’re lying. There was no attempt to run the officer over and no ICE agents appear to be hurt. Get out of our city.”

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An immigrant rights group will hold a vigil for the 37-year-old woman fatally shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis on Wednesday.

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“We witnessed an atrocious attack on our community today,” the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee wrote on Facebook. “Community members were taken from us and an observer was shot dead. ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA NOW.”

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At a press conference, Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz, said that he’s “issued a warning order” to prepare the state’s national guard. “We have soldiers in training and prepared to be deployed if necessary,” he noted. “I remind you, a warning order is a heads up for folks.”

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Walz added: “I have a very simple message: we do not need any further help from the federal government. Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, you’ve done enough.”

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Donald Trump has taken to Truth Social following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis.

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He notes that he’s watched the video of the shooting, before calling the victim “a professional agitator”, without providing any evidence for his claim.

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He added:

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The woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense.

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The president wrote that “it is hard to believe” that the agent who killed the woman is alive, noting that he is “now recovering in the hospital” before saying that the reason for these incidents “is because the Radical Left is threatening, assaulting, and targeting our Law Enforcement Officers and ICE Agents on a daily basis”.

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A reminder that the video shows the woman driving appears to be backing away from ICE officers as they approach the car, and attempt to open her door.

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As the driver moves forward and then away from the officers, another ICE officer is seen firing his gun as the car appears to drive by him.

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Reporting from Minneapolis

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I was at the scene of the shooting soon after it occurred, shadowing constitutional observers who have trained for months to monitor and respond to ICE activity in the state.

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ICE vehicles, unmarked, lined the street, and yellow police tape cordoned off the area. By the time we arrived, many dozens of protesters and community members were outside, shouting at ICE agents and at the local police. More agents arrived.

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People yelled at Minneapolis police to arrest the ICE agent who shot the woman in a car. “What were you taught by your parents?” one woman yelled at the agents. A man on a bullhorn led some in a chant of “Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here.” People repeatedly yelled for ICE to leave, to go home – to get out of Minneapolis.

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This is the second day of an expected 30-day surge, which ICE has called its largest operation to date.

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Trained observers went to the houses that looked out on to the streets, asking residents if they had any video they could share. One woman moved through the crowd quickly, telling people more were needed at a nearby school, where ICE had been seen.

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City council members, the mayor and the police chief all came to the scene. Eventually, Minneapolis police took over, and ICE agents left. As agents left, people yelled and threw snowballs at their vehicles. The agents sprayed irritants and some pellets at those who followed the vehicles. Once they left the area, volunteer medics helped those who were hit with spray to clear their eyes.

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After ICE left, observers heard more whistles blowing nearby – a sign that ICE had moved to another part of south Minneapolis. Dozens took off toward the direction of the whistles. I jumped into a car with the observer I was shadowing to a scene a few blocks away, where ICE was outside a dollar store in a strip mall.

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“This is just sad,” a man watching at the mall said to me.

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Minnesota governor Tim Walz has slammed the Department of Homeland Security’s justification for the shooting in Minneapolis today that killed a 37-year-old woman.

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Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem claimed that federal agents were acting out of self-defense.

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Walz was quick to push back. “I’ve seen the video. Don’t believe this propaganda machine,” he wrote on social media. “The state will ensure there is a full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice.”

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Eyewitness videos seem to refute DHS’s argument. The maroon SUV is shown backing away from ICE officers as they approach the car, and attempt to open the driver’s door. One ICE officer that can be seen partially in front of the car as the driver moves forward and then away from the officers. That same ICE officer is seen firing his gun as the car appears to drive by him.

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While speaking at an unrelated press conference in Brownsville, Texas, Kristi Noem said today’s shooting in Minneapolis was provoked by an “act of domestic terrorism”.

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The homeland security went on to say that the immigration agents on the scene were “attempting to push out their vehicle” due to the snow in the city. “The woman attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle. An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively shot to protect himself and the people around him,” Noem said.

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At a press conference today, the Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey, characterized the reason by the Department of Homeland Security for killing a woman during a large scale immigration operation as “bullshit”.

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“To the family, I’m so deeply sorry,” Frey added. “There’s nothing that I can say right now that’s going to make you or your relatives, friends of the victim feel any better.”

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He went on to issue a sharp message to federal immigration agents in the city.

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“Get the fuck out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here,” he added. “People are being hurt. Families are being ripped apart … and now somebody is dead.”

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The Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, emerged from the closed-door meeting with top administration officials and his lower chamber colleagues about the capture of Nicolás Maduro convinced that there would be “no boots on the ground”.

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“We don’t anticipate that’s going to be necessary,” the speaker said. “We went to apprehend a criminal. We did it with precision. It was justified, and that job has been done. We now hope that the people in Venezuela can govern themselves.”

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The US is “selectively rolling back sanctions to enable the transport and sale of Venezuelan crude and oil products to the global market”, Leavitt says.

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Asked why the US hasn’t ruled out military force to acquire Greenland, Leavitt says Greenland is “being actively discussed” by Trump and his national security team and they’re talking about what a potential purchase could look like.

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Trump, she says, has been clear that the US acquisition of Greenland “would deter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic region”.

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Trump’s first option, again, is diplomacy, she adds.

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Asked whether the seizure of the Russian-flagged, Venezuelan-linked Bella-1/Marinera oil tanker risked a larger conflict with Russia, Leavitt doesn’t answer the question.

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She says the vessel was transporting sanctioned oil, and that the US “will enforce all sanctions”.

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“The vessel had a judicial seizure order … so that means the crew is now subject to prosecution for any applicable violation of federal law, and they will be brought to the United States for such prosecution, if necessary,” she says.

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The Kremlin has already responded angrily to the US seizure, saying “no state has the right to use force against ships properly registered in the jurisdictions of other states”. The tanker had received a temporary permit to sail under the Russian flag on 24 December, it said in a statement.

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A meeting with oil executives will take place on Friday to discuss opportunities, Leavitt says.

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Asked who is now in charge of Venezuela, interim leader Delcy Rodríguez – who yesterday said there was “no foreign agent” running the country – or the US, Leavitt says the Trump administration is “in close correspondence” with the interim authorities in Venezuela.

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“We obviously have maximum leverage over the interim in authorities in Venezuela right now,” she says. “Their decisions are going to continue to be dictated by the United States.”

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And the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, is now taking questions from reporters, I’ll bring you all the key lines here.

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Leavitt speaks at the White House news briefing on 7 January.”,”caption”:”Karoline Leavitt speaks at the White House news briefing on 7 January.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1767805479000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”12.04 EST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1767806648000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”12.24 EST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1767805558000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”12.05 EST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”12.05″,”title”:”White House press briefing”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Wed 7 Jan 2026 17.58 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Wed 7 Jan 2026 04.01 EST”},{“id”:”695e8ac48f08e0dc61f22228″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Speaking to reporters after today’s briefing, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said that the US is about to execute a deal to take “all the oil that is stuck in Venezuela”.

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“We’re going to sell it in the marketplace, at market rates, not at the discounts Venezuela was getting. That money will then be handled in such a way that we will control how it is dispersed in a way that benefits the Venezuelan people, not corruption, not the regime,” Rubio added.

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When pressed by reporters about whether the US is concerned about the interim leader’s loyalty to her deposed predecessor, Rubio remained resolute.

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“The bottom line is that there is a process now in place where we have tremendous control and leverage over what those interim authorities are doing and are able to do,” the secretary of state said. “But obviously this will be a process of transition. In the end, it will be up to the Venezuelan people to transform their country. We are prepared under the right conditions, using the leverage that we have, which includes the fact that they cannot move any oil unless we allow them to move it.”

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Several Democratic senators have emerged from the classified briefing from top administration officials on the capture of Nicolás Maduro, all criticizing the scope of the military operation.

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“I heard no detailed plan,” said the senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. “It is just slightly different than the mistakes we made in Iraq and Afghanistan. There, we used our military as a means to try to micromanage the country. They waited us out, and as soon as we left, chaos erupted. Why would it be any difference under these circumstances?”

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The Senate’s top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, said that the “public needs answers” as he spoke to reporters. “What the hell is going on? We need answers as to how long this is going to last,” he said.

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Republican senator Markywayne Mullin is speaking to reporters after the classified briefing by Trump administration officials on the military operation in Venezuela.

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He described it as an “outstanding effort” by the US intelligence community and the US military. “Only president Trump had the backbone to pull it off, to pull out an indicted, illegitimate president that was holding Venezuela hostage,” Mullin added.

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Speaking at today’s House GOP conference, speaker Mike Johnson accused Democrats of undermining the US strikes in Venezuela and the subsequent arrest of Nicolás Maduro “because the action was taken by president Trump”.

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He added that Democrats are “apoplectic” and have, in the past, said that Maduro is an illegitimate leader. “They’re going to cut off their own nose to spite their face,” Johnson said. “Instead of a caucus wide therapy session, how about Democrats acknowledge that it’s fundamentally good thing for freedom loving people around the world that Maduro is gone.”

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After receiving a rare rebuke from European allies after the White House said it was exploring a “range of options” to acquire Greenland, Donald Trump took to Truth Social today to explain that Nato was dependent on the US to survive.

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“RUSSIA AND CHINA HAVE ZERO FEAR OF NATO WITHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AND I DOUBT NATO WOULD BE THERE FOR US IF WE REALLY NEEDED THEM,” the president wrote in a customary all-caps post. “We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us. The only Nation that China and Russia fear and respect is the DJT REBUILT U.S.A.”

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Trump also touted his push for Nato members to increase their defense and security spending from 2% to 5% last year.

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“Most weren’t paying their bills, UNTIL I CAME ALONG,” the president said.

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The US European Command has now confirmed the seizure of the Russian-flagged tanker.

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In a post on X, it said:

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n

The @TheJusticeDept & @DHSgov, in coordination with the@DeptofWar, today announced the seizure of the M/V Bella 1 for violations of U.S. sanctions.

n

The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro.”

n

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You can read more about the operation on our dedicated Europe liveblog:

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Also today, several Trump officials – including secretary of state Marco Rubio and defense secretary Pete Hegseth – will hold a briefing for all congressional lawmakers on the strikes in Venezuela that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, over the weekend. They’ll first address members of the Senate at 10am ET, before briefing representatives in the House.

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Donald Trump and his advisers are looking into “a range of options” in an effort to acquire Greenland, noting in a White House statement on Tuesday that using the US military to do so is “always an option”.

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“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region. The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

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Leavitt’s comments came as the leaders of major European powers pushed back against Trump’s long-running desire to seize the Arctic territory.

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In a show of solidarity on Tuesday, the leaders of France, Germany, Britain and other nations issued a joint statement with the prime minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, urging the US to respect its sovereignty. They wrote in the statement that Arctic security was a top priority for Nato, a defense alliance that includes the United States and Greenland.

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“Greenland belongs to its people,” the statement said. “It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”

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Greenland’s government said it had asked the US state department for an “urgent” meeting with the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, Greenland’s minister for foreign affairs and research, Vivian Motzfeldt, and the Danish foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, to discuss “the US’s claims about our country”.

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Rasmussen told the Danish public broadcaster DR that a meeting would give the Danes and Greenlanders a chance to correct some of Trump’s claims, including that there are a lot of Russian and Chinese ships around Greenland, and that China exerts great influence there through investments.

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“We do not share this image that Greenland is plastered with Chinese investments … nor that there are Chinese warships up and down along Greenland,” he said, according to the broadcaster. Rasmussen spoke to reporters after an emergency session of Denmark’s foreign policy committee and defence ministry with just one item on the agenda: “The Kingdom’s relations with the United States.”

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The bombshell announcement that the Trump administration no longer fully recommends a third of childhood vaccines means the US moved from leading globally on vaccination to lagging behind other high-income nations in preventing disease, experts say.

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The move is the latest and most significant escalation against vaccines from Robert F Kennedy Jr, a longtime vaccine skeptic and current secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

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“It’s the largest change in our vaccination schedule in modern American history,” said Jake Scott, infectious diseases specialist and clinical associate professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.

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It is an “astounding” decision made without scientific evidence or public input that will worsen vaccine access and increase disease outbreaks, said Daniel Jernigan, former director of the National Center for Emerging Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.

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F Kennedy, the health secretary, at the White House in December.”,”caption”:”Robert F Kennedy, the health secretary, at the White House in December.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

US health officials, led by Kennedy, “want fewer vaccines”, Jernigan said, adding that they’re inflating the risks while burying the benefits of vaccines and “sowing confusion” for parents and providers.

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Some shots are now only offered to “high-risk” groups – including hepatitis A, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), hepatitis B, and vaccines to prevent two types of meningitis. The dengue vaccine will continue to be recommended in high-risk areas only. Other vaccines are offered only under shared clinical decision-making, a previously rare designation that usually requires a doctor’s recommendation – including influenza, rotavirus, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Covid vaccines were limited in this way in November. The CDC will also recommend one dose of the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine instead of two.

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Health officials said in a press release that this will move the US closer to “peer, developed countries” as instructed by Donald Trump in December. Yet most other high-income countries have similar vaccine schedules to America’s now-jettisoned recommendations.

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Miranda Bryant, the Guardian’s Nordic correspondent, also has written this handy explainer on why Donald Trump is renewing calls for a takeover of Greenland:

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Why is Donald Trump so fixated with Greenland?

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Greenland has long been on Trump’s agenda but the reasons behind it have changed over time. In 2019, during his first term, he confirmed reports that he had been urging aides to find out how the US could buy the vast Arctic island, describing a sale as “essentially a large real estate deal”. Last January when Trump, then president-elect, said he needed control of Greenland he said it was for “economic security”. But in recent days he has said he needs Greenland “from the standpoint of national security” – despite the risk this would pose to the future of Nato.

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Strategically positioned between the US and Russia, Greenland is viewed as increasingly important for defence and is emerging as a geopolitical battleground as the climate crisis worsens.

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As well as oil and gas, Greenland’s supply of multiple in-demand raw materials for green technology is attracting interest from around the world – including from China, which dominates global rare earth production and has threatened to restrict the export of critical minerals. By acquiring Greenland, the US could keep China out.

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The rapid melting of the island’s huge ice sheets and glaciers could open up oil drilling (although Greenland stopped granting exploration licences in 2021) and mining for essential minerals including copper, lithium, cobalt and nickel.

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Melting Arctic ice is also opening up new shipping routes, providing alternatives to the Suez canal through the Arctic that shorten the journey from western Europe to east Asia by almost half. China and Russia agreed in November to collaborate on developing new Arctic shipping routes.

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Greenland is already an important military base for the US and its ballistic missile early warning system. The US has had a military base at Pituffik (previously Thule) since the cold war.

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The aftermath of the US intervention in Venezuela is continuing to send ripples through the markets.

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The oil price is dropping today, after Donald Trump declared that Venezuela will send the US between 30m and 50m barrels of oil, which will then be sold … with the president controlling the proceeds, which could be more than $2bn.

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There are currently millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil stashed on tankers and in storage tanks due to the US blockage imposed by Trump. The news that this oil could soon follow president Nicolás Maduro in an unexpected journey to the US had an immediate impact on the oil market.

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US crude has dropped by 1.6% to $56.21 a barrel, as traders anticipate more supply hitting the market, adding to Tuesday’s losses.

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Brent crude, the international benchmark, has dropped by 1.2% – back below $60 a barrel at $59.97.

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The move also has geopolitical implications; two sources have told Reuters that supplying the trapped crude to the US could initially require reallocating cargoes originally bound for China.

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You can read more rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news in our business liveblog here:

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The Trump administration has sent more immigration agents to Minnesota, part of escalating attacks and rhetoric against the state and its immigrant populations in what immigration officials are saying is the agency’s “largest operation to date”.

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“A 100% chance of ICE in the Twin Cities – our largest operation to date,” the official Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) account on X wrote on Tuesday afternoon. “If you’re a criminal illegal alien and/or you are engaged in fraud, expect a visit from ICE.”

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed on X that it is “surging to Minneapolis to root out fraud, arrest perpetrators and remove criminal illegal aliens”. Todd Lyons, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told Newsmax that the agency has in the city “the largest immigration operation ever taking place right now”.

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agents detain an observer, who was later released, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 6 January 2026.”,”caption”:”ICE agents detain an observer, who was later released, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 6 January 2026.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Tim Evans/Reuters”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

CBS News reported on Monday that the administration would bring another 2,000 agents, both from ICE and homeland security investigations, into the state for 30 days. Lyons didn’t confirm the number of agents, but said it was an effort from both ICE and HSI. DHS wouldn’t confirm a number to the Guardian, but said that the agency has “surged law enforcement”.

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Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, is in the state. She can be seen in a video produced by DHS of an arrest in Minneapolis of a man from Ecuador who the agency said is wanted for murder in his home country.

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Operation Metro Surge, the agency’s name for its crackdown on Minnesota, has been under way since early December. Community members have fought back against ICE, protesting and impeding deportations, as some immigrants have stayed away from public life, avoiding grocery stores or medical care for fear of apprehension.

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The fixation on Minnesota comes as the state grapples with several high-profile cases alleging fraud of social services, which have captured Trump’s attention and led to xenophobic comments from him about Somalis. Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the US, and most Somalis in the state are US citizens.

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Donald Trump has said Venezuela will be “turning over” $2bn worth of Venezuelan crude to the United States, a flagship negotiation that would divert supplies from China while helping Venezuela avoid deeper oil production cuts.

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Trump said in a post online:

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n

This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!

n

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Venezuelan government officials and state company PDVSA did not provide comment.

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Venezuela has millions of barrels of oil loaded on tankers and in storage tanks that it has been unable to ship due to the blockade imposed by Trump, as part of the pressure campaign that culminated in the toppling of Nicolás Maduro who was seized from his country by US forces over the weekend.

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Top Venezuelan officials have called Maduro’s capture a kidnapping and accused the US of trying to steal the country’s vast oil reserves, however Tuesday’s supposed agreement is a strong sign that the government is responding to Trump’s demand that they open up to US oil companies or risk more military intervention.

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Meanwhile, Trump and his advisers have said they are looking into “a range of options” in an effort to acquire Greenland, noting in a White House statement on Tuesday that using the US military to do so is “always an option”.

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement:

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n

President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region. The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal.

n

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Leavitt’s comments came as the leaders of major European powers pushed back against Trump’s long-running desire to seize the Arctic territory. More on both of these stories in a moment, but first here are some other developments in US politics:

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  Trump’s administration is freezing more than $10bn in federal childcare and family assistance funds to California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said, citing what it called concerns about fraud and misuse.

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  The Department of Justice has released less than 1% of the so-called Epstein files, a court filing has revealed, as Democrats step up criticism of the Trump administration’s “lawlessness” for keeping records under seal.

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  The Trump administration has sent more immigration agents to Minnesota, part of escalating attacks and rhetoric against the state and its immigrant populations in what immigration officials are saying is the agency’s “largest operation to date”.

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  Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, urged Trump to give up his “fantasies about annexation” of Greenland and accused the US of “completely and utterly unacceptable” rhetoric. “Enough is enough,” he said. The prime minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen previously warned that an attack by the US on a Nato ally would mean the “end” of the military alliance and “post-second world war security”. It would, she said, be the end of “everything”.

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• n

  The Trump administration has abandoned efforts to combat child exploitation, human trafficking and cartels as it diverts thousands of law enforcement personnel to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Democratic senators said in a letter to the White House.

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Key events

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As the sun sets in Minneapolis, hundreds have gathered for a vigil at the site where a 37-year-old woman was fatally shot by ICE agents earlier today.

Here are a few images from the wires:

Senate Democratic leadership called for an investigation into the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis today.

In a social media post, the House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, said: “This heinous killing must be criminally investigated to the full extent of the law.” He added that the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, “has zero credibility”.

Speaking to reporters at the US Capitol, the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, also called for a “full investigation to get to the bottom of this”.

“When you have these ICE agents all over the streets of our cities without any cooperation with local law enforcement, local communities, tragedies – horrible tragedies, killings – occur,” he said.

Lucy Campbell

Meanwhile, our international blog is covering this news on the Trump administration’s moves around Venezuela:

Donald Trump has said in a post on his Truth Social platform that Venezuela will be buying American-made products with the money it receives from the new deal arranged with his administration.

I have just been informed that Venezuela is going to be purchasing ONLY American Made Products, with the money they receive from our new Oil Deal. These purchases will include, among other things, American Agricultural Products, and American Made Medicines, Medical Devices, and Equipment to improve Venezuela’s Electric Grid and Energy Facilities.

In other words, Venezuela is committing to doing business with the United States of America as their principal partner – A wise choice, and a very good thing for the people of Venezuela, and the United States.

Trump proposes $1.5tn trillion military budget

Donald Trump has proposed a massive increase to the defense department’s budget to a record $1.5tn for 2027, citing “troubled and dangerous times”. The proposal would mark a 66% increase over the $900bn the Pentagon was authorized to spend this fiscal year.

In a post on his social media website, Trump wrote: “This will allow us to build the ‘Dream Military’ that we have long been entitled to and, more importantly, that will keep us SAFE and SECURE, regardless of foe.”

He added that he was able to suggest the $1.5tn budget because of “the tremendous numbers being produced by Tariffs from other Countries, many of which, in the past, have ‘ripped off’ the United States at levels never seen before”.

Trump’s announcement of increased military spending came just days after a military operation which captured the president of Venezuela, and as Trump has floated taking military action in Greenland, Colombia and Cuba.

Minneapolis shooting leads to political split-screen

In the hours following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis by ICE agents, political leaders on both sides of the aisle responded to news of the killing.

On the right, members of Donald Trump’s cabinet and Republican congressmembers shared statements in support of the Department of Homeland Security, denounced the victim as a terrorist and called for the arrest of Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey.

In social media posts, the White House, Department of Homeland Security and press secretary Karoline Leavitt all said they “stand with ICE”. Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma wrote: “ICE agents aren’t Disney villains. They’re our neighbors, friends, and loved ones. These immigration and customs enforcement officers are red-blooded American patriots doing a tough job to keep our nation safe. Assaults against ICE are up 1,300%. I stand with @DHSgov.”

Trump advisor Stephen Miller, meanwhile, called the incident – apparently referring to the victim’s behavior – an act of “domestic terrorism” and added that “Democrats continue to lend aid and comfort to domestic terrorism.”

Other Republicans, as we previously reported, including congressmembers Nancy Mace and Randy Fine, called for the arrest of Minneapolis’s mayor.

Meanwhile, on the left, Minneapolis state leadership and congressional representatives called the White House’s response “propaganda” and a lie.

“I’ve seen the video. Don’t believe this propaganda machine. The state will ensure there is a full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice,” governor Tim Walz wrote on social media.

In a response to a post by Homeland Security, Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar wrote, “You’re lying. There was no attempt to run the officer over and no ICE agents appear to be hurt. Get out of our city.”

Republican lawmakers are calling for the arrest of Minneapolis’s mayor, Jacob Frey.

In a post on social media, South Carolina congresswoman Nancy Mace wrote “Arrest the mayor” alongside a screenshot of Fox News coverage showing Frey telling ICE to leave the city.

In a separate post, reacting to a statement Frey made saying he was aware of the shooting, congressman Randy Fine of Florida wrote: “This scumbag POS should be arrested right now.”

Immigrant rights group to hold vigil Minneapolis on Wednesday

An immigrant rights group will hold a vigil for the 37-year-old woman fatally shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis on Wednesday.

“We witnessed an atrocious attack on our community today,” the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee wrote on Facebook. “Community members were taken from us and an observer was shot dead. ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA NOW.”

Walz also said that he has not had any communication with the victim’s family. Earlier, Minneapolis’s mayor, Jacob Frey, said that a 37-year-old woman was fatally shot, but did not provide any more details on her identity.

“We do not have a definitive ID on this individual,” Walz said at today’s press conference, before questioning claims by Trump officials who expounded the alleged intentions of the victim.

“It’s it’s beyond me that apparently, from the federal government, from the homeland security director herself, has already determined who this person was, what their motive was, and they hadn’t even been taken out of the vehicle,” the governor said. “We’re not living in a normal world.”

Walz added that today’s shooting was “totally predictable” and “totally avoidable”. He noted that local law enforcement received no coordination with federal agents.

He also implored Minnesotans to demonstrate peacefully, and not “take the bait” from the administration.

“Do not allow them to deploy federal troops into here. Do not allow them to invoke the Insurrection Act. Do not allow them to declare martial law. Do not allow them to lie about the security and the decency of the state, and let’s let this investigation play itself out,” he said.

Minnesota governor issues ‘warning order’ to prepare state’s national guard following fatal shooting by ICE agent

At a press conference, Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz, said that he’s “issued a warning order” to prepare the state’s national guard. “We have soldiers in training and prepared to be deployed if necessary,” he noted. “I remind you, a warning order is a heads up for folks.”

Walz added: “I have a very simple message: we do not need any further help from the federal government. Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, you’ve done enough.”

Trump blames victim who was fatally shot by ICE agent in Minneapolis

Donald Trump has taken to Truth Social following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis.

He notes that he’s watched the video of the shooting, before calling the victim “a professional agitator”, without providing any evidence for his claim.

He added:

The woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense.

The president wrote that “it is hard to believe” that the agent who killed the woman is alive, noting that he is “now recovering in the hospital” before saying that the reason for these incidents “is because the Radical Left is threatening, assaulting, and targeting our Law Enforcement Officers and ICE Agents on a daily basis”.

A reminder that the video shows the woman driving appears to be backing away from ICE officers as they approach the car, and attempt to open her door.

As the driver moves forward and then away from the officers, another ICE officer is seen firing his gun as the car appears to drive by him.

After the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, the state’s lieutenant governor, Peggy Flanagan, called for federal immigration officers to leave Minnesota “immediately”.

“ICE has committed an unspeakable act of violence today,” she said in a statement. “These masked agents are out of control and creating real chaos in our state.”

Flanagan urged Minnesotans to remain “remain peaceful, calm, and united” in the “face of their violence”.

“Minnesotans will not allow Trump and his thugs to turn our communities into war zones,” she added.

Dispatch from the scene of the Minneapolis shooting

Rachel Leingang

Reporting from Minneapolis

I was at the scene of the shooting soon after it occurred, shadowing constitutional observers who have trained for months to monitor and respond to ICE activity in the state.

ICE vehicles, unmarked, lined the street, and yellow police tape cordoned off the area. By the time we arrived, many dozens of protesters and community members were outside, shouting at ICE agents and at the local police. More agents arrived.

People yelled at Minneapolis police to arrest the ICE agent who shot the woman in a car. “What were you taught by your parents?” one woman yelled at the agents. A man on a bullhorn led some in a chant of “Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here.” People repeatedly yelled for ICE to leave, to go home – to get out of Minneapolis.

This is the second day of an expected 30-day surge, which ICE has called its largest operation to date.

Trained observers went to the houses that looked out on to the streets, asking residents if they had any video they could share. One woman moved through the crowd quickly, telling people more were needed at a nearby school, where ICE had been seen.

City council members, the mayor and the police chief all came to the scene. Eventually, Minneapolis police took over, and ICE agents left. As agents left, people yelled and threw snowballs at their vehicles. The agents sprayed irritants and some pellets at those who followed the vehicles. Once they left the area, volunteer medics helped those who were hit with spray to clear their eyes.

After ICE left, observers heard more whistles blowing nearby – a sign that ICE had moved to another part of south Minneapolis. Dozens took off toward the direction of the whistles. I jumped into a car with the observer I was shadowing to a scene a few blocks away, where ICE was outside a dollar store in a strip mall.

“This is just sad,” a man watching at the mall said to me.

For some wider context on the state of immigration custody in the US, my colleagues Maanvi Singh, Coral Murphy Marcos and Charlotte Simmonds have reported on the record number of deaths in ICE custody.

They report that 2025 was the deadliest year in more than two decades, as the Trump administration moved to detain a record number of people.

The number of deaths, 32, matched the previous record, set in 2004. These deaths occurred as the Trump administration ramped up its immigration operations, detaining a record number of people in December. The agency was holding 68,440 people in detention in mid-December; nearly 75% of them had no criminal convictions.

You can read their full report here:

‘Don’t believe this propaganda machine’: Walz slams DHS justification for Minneapolis shooting

Minnesota governor Tim Walz has slammed the Department of Homeland Security’s justification for the shooting in Minneapolis today that killed a 37-year-old woman.

Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem claimed that federal agents were acting out of self-defense.

Walz was quick to push back. “I’ve seen the video. Don’t believe this propaganda machine,” he wrote on social media. “The state will ensure there is a full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice.”

Eyewitness videos seem to refute DHS’s argument. The maroon SUV is shown backing away from ICE officers as they approach the car, and attempt to open the driver’s door. One ICE officer that can be seen partially in front of the car as the driver moves forward and then away from the officers. That same ICE officer is seen firing his gun as the car appears to drive by him.

Noem says ‘act of domestic terrorism’ spurred Minneapolis shooting

While speaking at an unrelated press conference in Brownsville, Texas, Kristi Noem said today’s shooting in Minneapolis was provoked by an “act of domestic terrorism”.

The homeland security went on to say that the immigration agents on the scene were “attempting to push out their vehicle” due to the snow in the city. “The woman attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle. An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively shot to protect himself and the people around him,” Noem said.

O’Hara provided more details about today’s shooting and how the events unfolded. After Minneapolis police officers arrived on the scene, they found the woman with a gunshot wound to the head.

Life-saving measures were performed at the scene, including CPR, before the woman was transported to the Hennepin county medical center, where she was pronounced dead.

O’Hara added that the information they have indicates the woman was in her vehicle and was blocking the roadway. “At some point, a federal law enforcement officer approached her on foot, and the vehicle began to drive off,” the chief said. “At least two shots were fired, the vehicle then crashed on the side of the roadway.”