THE TOP NEWS STORIES THIS WEEK
1-4-26 TO 1-10-26
The week of January 4–10, 2026, has been dominated by a seismic shift in U.S. foreign and domestic policy following a dramatic military intervention in Venezuela and a wave of executive actions by the Trump administration.
Below is a summary of the top news stories across eight key sectors:
U.S. News
Minneapolis ICE Shooting: Protests erupted nationwide after an ICE officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis on Jan. 4. New video of the incident emerged, fueling tensions.
Massive Immigration Operation: ICE launched what it called its "largest immigration operation ever," deploying 2,000 federal agents to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Border Violence: Two people were wounded in a shooting involving U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in Portland, Oregon.
Luigi Mangione Trial: Federal prosecutors announced that the death penalty trial for Luigi Mangione could begin before the end of 2026.
State Funding Freeze: California, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois, and New York sued the administration for freezing billions in social services and childcare funding.
Colorado AG Accusations: Colorado’s Attorney General accused the White House of a "revenge campaign" for the state's refusal to release a convicted elections clerk.
Sewer System Aid Cuts: Reports emerged that federal aid for unhealthy sewer systems in poor communities is being dismantled.
Uvalde Officer Trial: The trial began for a former Uvalde officer accused of failing to protect students during the 2022 shooting.
Florida Execution: Florida set an execution date for a man convicted in a high-profile 1990s robbery-murder case.
Minneapolis Fraud Crackdown: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a major initiative to combat "rampant fraud" specifically targeting Minnesota.
Politics
Venezuela Intervention: President Trump announced that the U.S. would temporarily "run" Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
Greenland Annexation Talk: Trump renewed calls for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, stating Russia or China would occupy it "if we don't."
Mexico Military Threats: House Democrats sent a stern letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio opposing potential unilateral military strikes against Mexican cartels.
Withdrawal from International Pacts: The U.S. officially withdrew from the UNFCCC (climate) and 65 other international agreements.
New DOJ Division: The administration established a new Department of Justice division focused on "National Fraud Enforcement."
Heritage Foundation Report: A major new report from the Heritage Foundation urged the U.S. to prioritize marriage and family in all federal policy.
Ramaswamy Bodyguard Arrest: A bodyguard for Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was arrested on federal drug trafficking charges.
Jack Smith Testimony: Reports confirmed Special Counsel Jack Smith is slated to testify publicly before a House panel later this month.
Vance Briefing Controversy: JD Vance faced backlash after comments during a White House briefing regarding the Minneapolis ICE shooting.
Intel Stake: The federal government secured a 10% stake in Intel to support domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
World Affairs
Maduro in Custody: Former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro arrived in New York to face "narco-terrorism" charges.
European Pushback on Greenland: Leaders from France, Germany, Italy, and the UK joined Denmark in reaffirming that "Greenland belongs to its people."
Iran Protests: Violent protests intensified in Iran; the Supreme Leader signaled a major crackdown on those "ruining streets for Trump."
Ukraine War: Russia utilized its new "Oreshnik" hypersonic missile again in Ukraine, signaling an escalation in the conflict.
UN Funding Crisis: The UN Secretary-General stated the U.S. has a "legal obligation" to fund agencies despite withdrawal orders.
South Africa Naval Drills: Warships from China, Russia, and Iran arrived in South African waters for joint naval exercises.
Vatican Response: Global leaders, including the Pope, reacted with concern to the sudden change in governance in Venezuela.
Paris Peace Summit: World leaders met in Paris to discuss Ukraine, though the meeting was overshadowed by the U.S. claim to Venezuela.
Swiss Resort Honor: Skiiers in Switzerland held a memorial for victims of a tragic New Year’s bar fire.
Volcano Eruption: Italy’s most active volcano erupted, leading to new travel restrictions for tour guides and tourists.
Education
Dismantling Dept. of Education: Trump signed a series of executive orders aimed at decentralizing the Department of Education.
DEI Terms Purge: A judge temporarily blocked the administration from purging DEI-related terms from Head Start grant applications.
University Research Freeze: Billions in federal research cash remained frozen as the administration reviewed university "oversight."
Venezuelan Curriculum: Schools began rapid lesson planning on the Venezuela intervention to address student questions and viral TikTok misinformation.
California Teacher Strikes: Conflict intensified in West Contra Costa Unified, with threats of strikes spreading to LA and Oakland.
College Transfer Portal: Enforcement groups voiced "serious concerns" over the instability of the NCAA transfer portal system.
Administrator Fear: A new study found 70% of high school principals report immigrant-origin students are missing school due to fear of deportation.
Emergency Response Plans: Nearly 80% of school principals have now implemented emergency response plans for immigration raids.
Billions in Rules: Education experts noted a shift from "executive muscle" to permanent rulemaking to ensure policies outlast the current term.
National History Anniversary: The "America 250" initiative released new materials regarding the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans.
Economy
Unemployment Data: Wall Street hit new records after the unemployment rate improved, though hiring remained generally weak.
Confidential Jobs Leak: Trump brushed off controversy regarding his early social media posting of confidential jobs figures.
Oil Market Shifts: The U.S. began discussions on tapping Venezuela’s vast oil reserves to lower domestic energy prices.
Green Climate Fund Withdrawal: The Treasury announced the immediate withdrawal of U.S. funding from the Green Climate Fund.
Working Families Tax Cuts: Secretary Bessent announced a new plan for "Working Families Tax Cuts" to usher in a "Golden Age."
Global Tax Plan Exemption: The U.S. secured an agreement to exempt U.S.-headquartered companies from the Biden-era global tax plan.
ACA Rate Spikes: Many Americans reported they would go without health insurance as ACA rates spiked following the lapse of tax credits.
Natural Gas Exports: The U.S. expanded its lead as the world’s top exporter of natural gas.
EMCORE Divestment: The President ordered the divestment of certain foreign interests in the EMCORE Corporation on national security grounds.
Economic Club of MN Speech: Secretary Bessent delivered a major address outlining a "deregulation-first" economic strategy.
Technology
CES 2026 Opens: The world's largest tech show opened in Las Vegas with a heavy focus on "Physical AI."
Nvidia's "Cosmos": Jensen Huang unveiled "Cosmos," an AI model that simulates environments using real-world physics.
Uber Robotaxis: Uber and Lucid Motors debuted a "luxurious" robotaxi featuring an LED "halo" for rider identification.
Intel "Panther Lake": Intel announced its next-gen AI chip for laptops, aiming to regain market share from Nvidia.
AMD Ryzen 9850X3D: AMD launched its new gaming-focused processor, continuing the "chip wars" at CES.
Lego "Smart Play": Lego announced interactive "smart bricks" and a new partnership with Star Wars for sensor-based building.
Agentic AI: Tech predictions for 2026 highlight the shift from "AI assistants" to "autonomous agents" that act with limited oversight.
Vera Rubin Superchip: Nvidia announced its next-gen AI superchip platform is now in full production.
NASA Station Mission: NASA cut a space station mission short due to an undisclosed medical issue with an astronaut.
Climate Tech Warnings: Experts warned that the U.S. withdrawal from UN climate pacts would lead to the U.S. being "left behind" in the green tech surge.
Health
Childhood Vaccine Recommendations: The CDC slashed the number of recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 11, causing widespread medical debate.
Dietary Guidelines Reset: RFK Jr. and Brooke Rollins unveiled a historic reset of federal nutrition policy, focusing on "Real Food."
HHS Gender Procedures Bar: HHS moved to bar hospitals receiving federal funds from performing gender-affirming procedures on children.
Flu Strain Concerns: Doctors urged Americans to continue getting flu shots despite a new, more resistant strain appearing this winter.
Health Care Subsidies: The House passed a bill to extend certain health subsidies in defiance of GOP leadership.
"Make Petersburg Healthy Again": HHS launched a new pilot program in Petersburg, VA, to expand access to nutritious foods and medical care.
ACA Uninsured Surge: Health analysts predicted a "massive" increase in the uninsured population due to rising premiums.
Medical Research Oversight: New federal guidelines were issued to restrict funding for research involving certain biological agents.
Global Health Fund Cuts: The U.S. began the process of redirecting funds away from the World Health Organization.
Climate/Health Link: A coalition of U.S. mayors warned that the UNFCCC withdrawal would lead to increased respiratory issues from deregulated air standards.
Sports
NFL Week 18: The final week of the regular season saw the Denver Broncos clinch the #1 seed in the AFC.
Trey Lance Starts: With the Chargers resting Justin Herbert, former first-round pick Trey Lance started the regular-season finale.
College Basketball Upsets: Indiana defeated Washington 90–80 in a high-stakes Big Ten matchup.
NCAA Transfer Portal: The NCAA denied a high-profile eligibility waiver for Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss, sparking an appeal.
World Cup 26 Prep: The Department of State issued new updates on security and logistics for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 26.
NFL Coaching Hot Seats: As the regular season ended, several coaches in the NFC were reportedly facing "Black Monday" firings.
Matthew Stafford MVP Push: Stafford led the Rams to a crucial victory, cementing his status as a top MVP candidate.
NBA Mid-Season Form: Pro basketball saw several record-breaking scoring nights as teams approached the All-Star break.
NHL Winter Classics: Ratings for early-January outdoor hockey games hit near-record highs.
Olympic Qualifiers: Early qualifying events for upcoming games saw several U.S. track stars setting personal bests.
- Fatal shooting by ICE agent in Minneapolis during federal operations, sparking investigations and frictions.
- Fifth anniversary of January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, with Democrats accusing Republicans of whitewashing history and calls for a plaque honoring officers.
- Trump administration deploys ICE agents to probe alleged fraud in Democratic-led states.
- National Park Service voids passes defaced with Trump stickers.
- Slow recovery from 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, with survivors facing rebuilding challenges.
- Poll shows fewer Americans view U.S. as moral leader.
- FBI takes over ICE shooting case amid growing scrutiny.
- Claims of welfare fraud in blue states, though distorted according to some reports.
- Trump dances at House Republican retreat on January 6.
- Supreme Court concerns over potential weakening of Voting Rights Act protections.
- U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Trump's claim that the U.S. will "run" Venezuela temporarily.
- Trump threatens further strikes on Venezuela or other nations (e.g., Colombia, Mexico) if uncooperative.
- U.S. withdrawal from multiple UN bodies and treaties, criticized as an assault on multilateralism.
- Interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez sworn in; opposition leader María Corina Machado plans return.
- Trump meets oil executives to revive Venezuela's industry; proposes capping credit card rates.
- Bipartisan push to curb Trump's use of force in Venezuela.
- House Republicans retreat discusses legislative agenda.
- Trump's strongman foreign policy outlined by advisors.
- 2026 midterm previews begin, with key Senate races highlighted.
- Democrats demand Jan. 6 plaque honoring police officers.
- U.S. military operation captures Maduro, condemned at UN Security Council by allies and adversaries.
- Venezuela releases political prisoners as gesture toward peace.
- Trump threatens military action against Colombia/Mexico over drugs.
- China restricts rare earth exports to Japan amid tensions.
- Deadly New Year’s fire in Swiss resort Crans-Montana kills 40, including minors.
- Protests in Iran intensify with regime change calls; internet cutoff.
- Russian strikes in Ukraine cause power/heat outages.
- U.S. seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela.
- Sudan marks 1,000 days of war with massive hunger crisis.
- Brazil advances environmental justice via nature-based solutions.
- Concerns over potential Supreme Court weakening of Voting Rights Act, impacting representation and education equity.
- Ongoing debates on federal education funding amid broader policy shifts.
- Local stories like cow shelter monitoring in Uttar Pradesh (international context, but U.S. parallels in oversight). 4–10. Sparse coverage; mostly tied to broader politics (e.g., welfare fraud probes potentially affecting school-related programs) or unhighlighted local issues.
- U.S. stocks hit records (Dow above 49,000) after Maduro capture.
- Trump pushes oil firms to revive Venezuela's industry.
- China restricts rare earth exports to Japan.
- World food prices dip in December.
- India's Russian oil imports at 6-month high.
- Trump proposes barring Wall Street from single-family homes.
- Credit card rate cap proposed by Trump.
- Oil tanker seizures impact global energy markets.
- Midterm concerns over Trump's Venezuela focus.
- Economic ripple effects from U.S. UN withdrawals.
- CES 2026 kicks off with AI-heavy announcements (Nvidia, AMD, Intel on chips/autonomous vehicles).
- Nvidia showcases physical AI and Rubin architecture.
- Samsung tri-fold phone and creaseless foldables.
- Lenovo gaming laptops and concepts.
- LG wallpaper-style TV with AI art.
- Uber robotaxi debut.
- Withings smart scale for blood pressure.
- Pulsar monitors at 360Hz.
- AI in health gadgets (e.g., allergen detectors).
- Grok limits image generation on X.
- U.S. drops some childhood vaccine recommendations (e.g., flu, rotavirus) to "shared decision-making."
- Flu season surges with new variants.
- Measles outbreaks threaten U.S. elimination status.
- WHO updates HIV guidelines (TB prevention, breastfeeding).
- ACA subsidy cliff leads to premium hikes.
- CES health gadgets (smart scales, toilets).
- Preservatives linked to type 2 diabetes risk.
- Weekend catch-up sleep boosts teen mental health.
- Stem cell implant trials for vision restoration.
- Diabetes drugs' potential anti-cancer effects.
- NBA games (e.g., Anthony Edwards reaches 10,000 points; Lakers wins).
- NFL Wild Card previews and schedule changes.
- NHL (e.g., Bedard returns; various games).
- College basketball matchups.
- Women's Premier League cricket starts.
- PDC World Darts ongoing.
- Australian Open prep/United Cup.
- Winter X Games buildup.
- Transfer window opens in soccer.
- Various trades/suspensions (e.g., MLB PED violation).
THIS WEEK'S DAILY TOP NEWS
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 2026
SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2026
Big Education Ape: MORNING NEWS UPDATE: JANUARY 4, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/01/morning-news-update-january-4-2026.html
MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026
Big Education Ape: MORNING NEWS UPDATE: JANUARY 5, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/01/morning-news-update-january-5-2026.html
TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2026
Big Education Ape: MORNING NEWS UPDATE: JANUARY 6, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/01/morning-news-update-january-6-2026.html
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2026
Big Education Ape: MORNING NEWS UPDATE: JANUARY 7, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/01/morning-news-update-january-7-2026.html
THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026
Big Education Ape: MORNING NEWS UPDATE: JANUARY 8, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/01/morning-news-update-january-8-2026.html
FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 2026
Big Education Ape: MORNING NEWS UPDATE: JANUARY 9, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/01/morning-news-update-january-9-2026.html
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 2026
HISTORY
