Thursday, January 8, 2026

Why did ICE shoot?

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The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Thu Jan 8 2026

Nicole Fallert
Reporter & Newsletter Writer

We're back. Welcome to the Daily Briefing. Here's what's breaking this morning:

•	At least two are dead after a shooting outside a Salt Lake City church.
•	Invasion, coercion, purchase: Trump's Greenland options.
•	It's the most treacherous time of the year (a.k.a "The Traitors" Season 4).

Nicole Fallert here. Gloves on, "The Pitt" is back today. We're bringing you the news to know on Thursday, from a woman shot by immigration enforcement agents to America's new (upside down) food pyramid. Plus, meet the contenders for the U.S. Olympic skating team.

Official reactions to ICE shooting differ

A vigil was held in Minneapolis Wednesday night for a 37-year-old Minnesota woman fatally shot by immigration agents. The woman, Renee Nicole Good, is at least the third person to be fired upon by federal agents engaged in President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign. By now millions of people have seen the moment the agent fatally shot Good, whose family described her as a compassionate woman who had "taken care of people all her life."

Officials have offered conflicting accounts of the shooting so far. Homeland Security said the agent "fired defensive shots" after the woman tried ramming officials with her vehicle. Trump defended the ICE agent, arguing the officer acted in self-defense and blaming "the Radical Left."

Meanwhile, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the woman was driving away from, not toward federal agents. In a fiery speech Wednesday afternoon, Frey addressed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents patrolling the area: "get the f--- out of Minneapolis."

Good's death has raised furor across the U.S., with new protests spreading across the country.

More news to know now

•	What happened in the Marinera seizure: Following a more than two-week pursuit, U.S. forces on Wednesday seized a Venezuela-linked oil tanker escorted by a Russian submarine in the Atlantic Ocean for alleged violations of U.S. sanctions, the Trump administration confirmed.
•	The U.S. will withdraw from 66 international groups. The U.S. will exit the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The list also includes agreements and groups on renewable energy, oceans, piracy, counterterrorism, and empowerment of women.
•	A murder trial twist: Nick Reiner's lawyer, Alan Jackson, has stepped down from his high-profile murder case, which charges the 32-year-old with killing his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner. The surprise withdrawal delays Reiner's case just as it was getting started.

Take a look

Meat is now on top

New dietary guidelines released by the USDA on Jan. 7.

Courtesy USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a new set of dietary guidelines on Wednesday, and it includes a food pyramid that looks very different from the one you probably remember. The updated food pyramid is a near-complete inverse of what it once was, both visually and in terms of content.

Something to talk about

Skating for a spot in Milan

The 2026 U.S. figure skating championship continue to spin into action on Thursday, and next up are the men and ice dance pairs. Today is also another chance to see Ilia Malinin, the favorite to take home the gold in Milano Cortina. USA TODAY is tracking how the US team is shaping up.

Figure Skating 2026 Prevagen U S Figure Skating Championships

Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez perform in the pairs short program during the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday in St. Louis, Missouri.

Jeff Le, Imagn Images