New Photo - Former Rep. Gabby Giffords returns to House floor on 15th anniversary of shooting

Former Rep. Gabby Giffords returns to House floor on 15th anniversary of shooting JONATHAN J. COOPER January 8, 2026 at 10:47 PM 4 FILE Former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords talks during a vigil remembering the 25th anniversary of the Columbine High School mass shooting, April 19, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File) () PHOENIX (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords returned to the House floor Thursday on the 15th anniversary of the assassination attempt that cut short her promising political career and shocked a nation that has only seen political violence worsen in the years since.

- - Former Rep. Gabby Giffords returns to House floor on 15th anniversary of shooting

JONATHAN J. COOPER January 8, 2026 at 10:47 PM

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FILE - Former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords talks during a vigil remembering the 25th anniversary of the Columbine High School mass shooting, April 19, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File) ()

PHOENIX (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords returned to the House floor Thursday on the 15th anniversary of the assassination attempt that cut short her promising political career and shocked a nation that has only seen political violence worsen in the years since.

Giffords held hands with her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly, as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries lauded her congressional service and her advocacy for tougher gun control measures. She received a standing ovation from a few dozen lawmakers in the chamber, most of them fellow Democrats.

"House Democrats stand with Gabby and with all Americans who say 'enough is enough,'" said Jeffries, who pledged that Democrats would prioritize gun control legislation if they win the House majority in November's midterm elections.

Giffords was shot in the head on Jan. 8, 2011, while meeting with constituents at a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona. Six were killed and 12 injured in addition to Giffords, who was left with limited motion on one side and aphasia, a verbal disability.

No coherent motive has been established for the shooter, Jared Loughner, who had schizophrenia and shared a variety of disjointed, nonsensical conspiracies in his online posts. He was sentenced to life in prison after being forcibly medicated to make him competent to stand trial.

The targeting of a political event foreshadowed the rising tide of violence that has shadowed American democracy. There was the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, two attempts on Donald Trump's life, and the killing last June of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband.

More recently, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated while talking to college students.

Giffords left Congress after the shooting to focus on her recovery, cutting short a political career that many in Arizona believe would have included a run for governor or U.S. Senate.

She went on to create, along with Kelly, a political group—now known as GIFFORDS—that lobbies for tougher gun laws and works to elect state and federal lawmakers who will support them.

Kelly was elected to the Senate in 2020 and was a finalist to be Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate in the 2024 presidential election.

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Former Rep. Gabby Giffords returns to House floor on 15th anniversary of shooting

Former Rep. Gabby Giffords returns to House floor on 15th anniversary of shooting JONATHAN J. COOPER January 8, 2026 ...
New Photo - The Latest: ICE officer who shot Renee Good identified in court records as Jonathan Ross

The Latest: ICE officer who shot Renee Good identified in court records as Jonathan Ross The January 8, 2026 at 4:43 PM 711 1 / 5Federal Enforcement Immigration MinnesotaProtesters gather outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minn. (AP Photo/Tom Baker) A day after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed 37yearold mother of three Renee Good as she tried to drive away on a snowy Minneapolis street, tensions remained high, with dozens of protesters venting their outrage outside of a federal facility that's serving as a hu...

- - The Latest: ICE officer who shot Renee Good identified in court records as Jonathan Ross

The January 8, 2026 at 4:43 PM

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1 / 5Federal Enforcement Immigration MinnesotaProtesters gather outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minn. (AP Photo/Tom Baker)

A day after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed 37-year-old mother of three Renee Good as she tried to drive away on a snowy Minneapolis street, tensions remained high, with dozens of protesters venting their outrage outside of a federal facility that's serving as a hub for the Trump administration's latest immigration crackdown on a major city.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has not publicly identified the officer who shot Good. But she spoke of an incident last June in which the same officer was injured when he was dragged by another driver's fleeing vehicle. A Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed Noem was referring to an incident in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Court records from that case identify the officer who was dragged and injured as Jonathan Ross.

Court documents say Ross got his arm stuck in a vehicle's window as a driver fled arrest in Bloomington, Minnesota. The officer was dragged 100 yards (91 meters) and cuts to his arm required 50 stitches.

The wasn't immediately able to locate a phone number or address for Ross, and ICE no longer has a union that might comment on his behalf.

Meanwhile, two people were shot and wounded Thursday afternoon by federal immigration authorities in Portland, Oregon, the FBI's Portland office said. The conditions of the victims were not immediately known. The shootings escalated tensions in Portland, a city that has long had a contentious relationship with President Donald Trump, including Trump's recent, failed effort to deploy National Guard troops in the city.

The Latest:

The scene of the Portland shooting three hours later

Yellow police tape cordoned off the area of the shooting at a medical complex in southeast Portland. Officers from different agencies, including the FBI and Portland police, were at the scene.

William Reznicek, a 36-year-old Portland resident, came to see the scene after reading about the shooting online.

"I'm sad that this is happening in America," he said, expressing concern that such violence would continue to occur under Trump's administration.

DHS says Portland shooting occurred during targeted vehicle stop

The Department of Homeland Security described the vehicle's passenger as "a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring" who had been involved in a recent shooting in Portland.

When U.S. Border Patrol agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants, the driver tried to run them over, the department said in a written statement.

"Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot," the statement said. "The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene."

There was no immediate independent corroboration of those events or any gang affiliation of the vehicle's occupants. During prior shootings involving agents involved in Trump's surge of immigration enforcement in U.S. cities, including Wednesday's shooting in Minneapolis, video evidence cast doubt on the administration's initial descriptions of what prompted the shootings.

Portland city council member: 'This is tyranny'

Portland City Councilor Jamie Dunphy said in an interview with local NBC station KGW8 that the shooting on Thursday afternoon indicated "a pattern that is starting to emerge" and accused the federal government of "trying to escalate across the nation."

He also said that he expected Portland residents would protest the shooting.

"We're going to let our voices be known that this is not the kind of acceptable behavior from the federal government that Portlanders expect. This is tyranny," Dunphy said.

What is known about the Portland shooting

At 2:18 p.m., Portland police initially responded to a report of a shooting where federal agents were involved. The location appeared to be near a hospital, according to a map released by police.

A few minutes later, police received information that a man who had been shot was asking for help in a different area a couple miles away. Officers then responded there and found the two people with apparent gunshot wounds. Officers determined they were injured in the shooting with federal agents, police said.

Portland police have secured both scenes pending investigation.

"We are still in the early stages of this incident," Portland Police Chief Bob Day said. "We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more."

Mayor calls for federal immigration officers to end operations in Portland until the shooting is fully investigated

"We stand united as elected officials in saying that we cannot sit by while constitutional protections erode and bloodshed mounts," reads a joint statement from Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and the city council. "Portland is not a 'training ground' for militarized agents, and the 'full force' threatened by the administration has deadly consequences."

The city officials said "federal militarization undermines effective, community‑based public safety, and it runs counter to the values that define our region. We'll use every legal and legislative tool available to protect our residents' civil and human rights."

They urged residents to show up with "calm and purpose during this difficult time."

"We response with clarity, unity, and a commitment to justice," the statement said. "We must stand together to protect Portland."

2 people shot and wounded by federal immigration officers in Portland, Oregon, authorities say

The FBI's Portland office says it is investigating a shooting that happened around 2:15 p.m. Thursday "involving Customs and Border Patrol Agents in which 2 individuals were wounded."

The Portland Police Bureau said its officers responded and found a man and woman with apparent gunshot wounds. They were transported to a hospital and their conditions are unknown, the bureau said in a statement.

The Department of Homeland Security's agencies include Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Border Patrol.

US deputy attorney general weighs in on shooting investigation

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared to defend the immigration officer's decision to shoot Renee Good on social media Thursday evening, after The reported that federal agencies would handle the investigation into the fatal shooting — barring state investigators from access to evidence.

"The law does not require police to gamble with their lives in the face of a serious threat of harm," Blanche wrote on X. "Rather, they may use deadly force when they face an immediate threat of significant physical harm."

He said that the investigation would follow "standard protocols" and "ensure that evidence is collected and preserved."

Walz authorizes Minnesota National Guard to get ready to deploy

Gov. Tim Walz authorized the Guard to get staged and ready to support local and state law enforcement to protect critical infrastructure and maintain public safety, should that become necessary. He signed the orders a day after directing the Guard to start making initial preparations.

In a statement, Walz noted that thousands of people had taken part in peaceful protests and added, "We have every reason to believe that peace will hold."

The statement also said the Minnesota State Patrol has mobilized 85 state troopers to help support law enforcement efforts in the Twin Cities.

President Donald Trump and other Republicans have been critical of Walz's handling of the sometimes violent unrest following the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, saying Walz should have deployed the National Guard sooner. Walz's defenders have said he did an exemplary job under unprecedented circumstances.

Minneapolis mayor dismayed that feds have blocked state from investigation

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Thursday he's dismayed that the FBI and Justice Department have blocked the state out of the investigation.

"Is it problematic? Absolutely. Am I concerned about this development? Of course, I am," Frey said in an interview with The .

"We want to make sure that there is a check on this administration to ensure that this investigation is done for justice, not for the sake of a cover up."

Minneapolis councilman calls for 'folks to rise up' after fatal shooting by ICE agent

Minneapolis City Councilman Jason Chavez says Thursday that the federal government was trying to demonize the city's immigrant community. Chavez represents the neighborhood where Renee Good was fatally shot Wednesday by an ICE agent.

"What the federal government is trying to do is tear our community apart and split our community members apart as well," Chavez said during a news conference.

"What we need from the community right now is to continue to patrol our neighborhoods, continue to observe the illegal actions by the federal government," Chavez added. "We just need folks to rise up in Minneapolis."

Minnesota prosecutor not giving up after feds freeze state out of probe

The chief prosecutor for the county that includes Minneapolis said she's not giving up, even though the Trump administration has frozen the state out of the investigation into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer's fatal shooting of Minneapolis woman.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said her office is "exploring all options to ensure a state level investigation can continue" and that they're "speaking to our local partners on paths forward."

Moriarty issued her statement after the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said the U.S. attorney's office has prevented it from taking part in the investigation.

Gov. Tim Walz criticized the federal decision earlier Thursday, saying it's hard to see how there will be a fair outcome to the investigation without state participation.

Agent who shot Good was injured in previous incident

Federal court documents show the agent who shot Good was seriously injured in a prior incident in June in which he used force against the driver of another moving vehicle in Bloomington, Minnesota.

The agent got his arm stuck in the window of a vehicle of a driver who was fleeing arrest on an immigration violation, and was dragged roughly 100 yards down a street before he was knocked free. During the incident, the agent fired his Taser and prongs struck the driver but did not incapacitate him, according to prosecutors.

The driver later claimed he did not know the man trying to stop him was a federal agent. A jury rejected that argument last month and found the driver guilty of assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous or deadly weapon.

Vance says officer deserves gratitude

Vance says the ICE officer "deserves a debt of gratitude," citing an earlier incident in which he was injured by a moving vehicle.

"This is a guy who's actually done a very, very important job for the United States of America," Vance said. "He's been assaulted. He's been attacked. He's been injured because of it."

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday that the officer who shot Good had been "dragged" by a vehicle during a previous incident in June.

According to court documents, the officer was part of a team trying to apprehend a man in the country illegally. He broke a window and reached into the vehicle, attempting to open the door when the driver sped off, dragging the officer the length of a football field in 12 seconds.

The officer's right arm was bleeding, and an FBI agent applied a tourniquet. Eventually, he was transported to a hospital, where he received more than 50 stitches. Prosecutors said he had "suffered multiple large cuts, and abrasions to his knee, elbow, and face."

Vance says Good's death was 'a tragedy of her own making'

Vance says the ICE officer was clearly justified in shooting Good and he's not worried about prejudging an investigation that is just getting underway.

"What you see is what you get in this case," Vance said in the White House press briefing room, downplaying ambiguity about the circumstances that led to the shooting.

The officer was clearly acting in self-defense, Vance said. He framed Good as "a victim of left-wing ideology" who was spurred by an alleged network of politically motivated groups to interfere with law enforcement.

"I can believe that her death is a tragedy while also recognizing that it is a tragedy of her own making," Vance said.

After killing in Minnesota, Bernice King cautions political leaders and protestors

Bernice King, who leads the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, said politicians and protestors must be intentional after an ICE agent's killing 37-year-old Renee Good.

"We in this nation have got to find a way to change the climate of things," she told reporters in Atlanta. Asked about Trump blaming Good, King noted differing conclusions from video of the incident and said "we need leaders to speak to the difficulty in these moments."

King said she has watched video and believes Good was trying to leave and not escalate the situation.

"Why did she have to be a victim?" King asked.

She said "protest is essential" in a free society. But, citing lessons from her father and the Civil Rights Movement, King urged protestors to be "thoughtful about the process" and have a "strategy to elevate" the issues at stake.

"It's not easy," she said.

Vance scolds the media for Minneapolis slaying coverage

Appearing in the White House briefing room, the vice president's voice rose as he decried what he called the "corporate media" for its coverage of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer having shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis.

"This was an attack on law and order. This was an attack on the American people," said Vance, who maintained it has not been portrayed that way by many journalists.

"The way that the media, by and large, has reported this story has been an absolute disgrace," he added. "And it puts our law enforcement officers at risk every single day."

Minnesota governor objects to feds freezing state out of investigation

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz criticized the Trump administration Thursday for freezing Minnesota out of the investigation into the fatal shooting in Minneapolis of a woman by a federal officer.

"It feels very, very difficult that we will get a fair outcome," Walz said at a briefing for reporters. "And I say that only because people in positions of power have already passed judgment, from the president to the vice president to (Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have stood and told you things that are verifiably false, verifiably inaccurate."

Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson said he'd welcome the chance to get his agents back involved in the search for answers.

"For us to be able to do that, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, without cooperation from the federal government," Jacobson said.

Former Chicago mayor launches tool to report immigration agent misconduct

Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot 's effort, dubbed The ICE Accountability Project, allows users to upload photos and descriptions of incidents, including the use of chemical agents.

She says it will help identify officers, most of whom wear masks.

"We aim to preserve evidence, to facilitate transparent accountability," she said.

It's the latest effort of its kind. Illinois launched a commission last year to document incidents, while California has an online portal to file complaints.

The National Urban League calls for ICE agent's suspension

The racial and economic justice organization also is calling for a "full and transparent investigation" into Good's killing.

"For more than 50 years, law enforcement policy has explicitly prohibited shooting at moving vehicles—a principle established in 1972 and widely recognized as best practice," reads a joint statement from National Urban League President Marc Morial and Urban League Twin Cities President Marquita Stephens.

"ICE agents' decision to ignore this standard represents a dangerous and unacceptable escalation of force, rooted in outdated and reckless tactics," the statement continued.

Noem doubles down on self-defense claim in Minneapolis shooting

In an unrelated news conference in New York, she said that while there would be an investigation into the officer's use of force, she believed he followed his training and the shooting was justified. She again called the incident "domestic terrorism."

"This vehicle was used to hit this officer," Noem said. "It was used as a weapon, and the officer feels as though his life was in jeopardy. It was used to perpetuate a violent act, and this officer took action to protect himself and to protect his fellow law enforcement officers.

Noem also said that law enforcement authorities in Minnesota have not been shut out of the probe into the shooting.

"They don't have any jurisdiction in this investigation," she said.

What to know about the rules for officers firing at a moving vehicle

— When can officers fire at a moving vehicle? There is no universal training standard for law enforcement. But most police departments and federal guidance bar shooting at a moving vehicle unless the driver poses an imminent threat of deadly force beyond the car itself.

— Why are shootings at vehicles restricted? Experts say firing at a moving car is one of the riskiest forms of lethal force, increasing the chance of stray gunfire or a loss of vehicle control that can endanger bystanders.

— Are officers expected to move out of the way? Yes. Justice Department policy says deadly force is allowed only when no reasonable alternative exists, including stepping out of the vehicle's path.

▶ Read more about regulations on using deadly force in these situations

Democratic leaders eye Homeland Security funds after ICE shooting

Outraged by Good's death, Democratic leaders in Congress pledged to conduct strong oversight of what happened in Minneapolis, but stopped short Thursday of immediate calls to defund ICE or impeach Noem.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the killing of Good an "abomination, a disgrace."

"We all are outraged by what took place in Minneapolis, and we will respond decisively," said Jeffries of New York. "Blood is clearly on the hands of those individuals within the administration that have been pushing an extreme policy," he said.

"We support the removal of violent felons in this country who are here illegally — but that's not what this administration has been doing," he added.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he watched the video and "you felt like your stomach was being punched."

Schumer said senators are discussing next steps as they consider funding in the annual Homeland Security bill, and he demanded a "full investigation."

'The investigation would now be led solely by the FBI'

The head of Minnesota's state investigations agency says the U.S. attorney's office has cut off its access in the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE agent.

"The investigation would now be led solely by the FBI, and the BCA would no longer have access to the case materials, scene evidence or investigative interviews necessary to complete a thorough and independent investigation," Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said in a statement.

It had been decided that the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension would investigate Good's shooting death along with the FBI, but that later was changed by the U.S. Attorney's office, according to Evans.

The BCA "has reluctantly withdrawn from the investigation," Evans wrote.

Anti-immigration enforcement protests spread across the US

Beyond Minneapolis, citizens also took to the streets or were expected to do so in New York City, Seattle, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Antonio, New Orleans and Chicago.

Protests are also scheduled in smaller cities later this week in Arizona, North Carolina, and New Hampshire.

Woman killed by ICE agent in Minneapolis was a mother of 3, poet and new to the city

Renee Nicole Macklin Good was a 37-year-old mother of three who had recently moved to Minnesota.

She was a U.S. citizen born in Colorado and appears to never have been charged with anything involving law enforcement beyond a traffic ticket.

In social media accounts, Macklin Good described herself as a "poet and writer and wife and mom." She said she was currently "experiencing Minneapolis," displaying a pride flag emoji on her Instagram account. A profile picture posted to Pinterest shows her smiling and holding a young child against her cheek, along with posts about tattoos, hairstyles and home decorating.

▶ Read more about who Macklin Good was

Minneapolis shooting by ICE agent brings debate over police force and moving vehicles back into focus

The fatal shooting of a woman by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis on Wednesday has thrust a long-running and deeply contested question back into the national spotlight: When is a law enforcement officer justified in using lethal force against someone in a moving vehicle?

At the center of the debate are policies that for years have limited when officers may fire at vehicles, generally barring gunfire at fleeing cars unless the driver poses an imminent threat of deadly force beyond the vehicle itself. Those restrictions, embraced by many police departments and reflected in federal guidance, were intended to curb what experts long warned was among the most dangerous and unpredictable uses of lethal force.

▶ Read more about why police agencies moved to restrict shootings at moving vehicles

'Why this big flood here now?'

Patrick Riley was one of the people who came out Thursday morning at the federal building to express outrage after the death of Macklin Good on Wednesday.

"We are peacefully demonstrating. We're trying to let this organization know that they're not welcome," said Riley.

Riley questioned why the Trump administration had made the Minneapolis area such a high priority.

"Why this big flood here now? This is our place. This is our country. This is our freedom to protest," Riley added.

Protesters and police clash

Police at one point threw devices releasing smoke to break up the crowd, which carried signs and shouted profanities at them.

The crowd was directed farther away from the entrance as the protest reached the two-hour mark on Thursday.

Council warns tribal citizens to avoid federal law enforcement

In a post on the Facebook pages of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians tribal council and the tribe's embassy in Minneapolis, the council said tribal citizens should expect ICE agents to detain and harm them.

"We all need to be careful, and we must assume that ICE will not protect us," the post stated. "We realize that we will not receive compassionate treatment by anyone associated with the Trump administration."

In the warning to citizens, the tribal council said it sees the "obvious purpose of ICE is to terrorize Americans who do not agree with the administration's policies, and actions" and called for "an end to the president's blatant lies."

There are about 8,000 Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians citizens in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas, according to the post. The council asked tribal members to document interactions with ICE by contacting the tribe directly. The tribe's embassy in Minneapolis has also been closed for the rest of the week.

'We deserve to be safe in our community'

Protesters are carrying signs and chanting, including some signs that say, "ICE Out Now," "We deserve to be safe in our community," and "Resist Fascism."

Chants include "We Keep Us Safe," "ICE Out Now," "ICE Go Home," "Quit Your Job" and "Justice Now!"

What's happening on the ground

Scores of people bundled up in heavy coats gathered as dawn began to break Thursday in a parking lot near the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling. The building houses several federal agencies, including an immigration court.

The crowd was chanting and holding American flags and signs calling on ICE to leave Minnesota.

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The Latest: ICE officer who shot Renee Good identified in court records as Jonathan Ross

The Latest: ICE officer who shot Renee Good identified in court records as Jonathan Ross The January 8, 2026 at 4:43 ...
New Photo - UN says the US has 'legal obligation' to fund agencies after Trump withdraws from several

UN says the US has 'legal obligation' to fund agencies after Trump withdraws from several FARNOUSH AMIRI January 8, 2026 at 9:05 PM 39 United National SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres speaks during an event to mark the end of the U.N. political mission, in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban) () NEW YORK (AP) — The top United Nations official on Thursday said the United States has a "legal obligation" to keep paying its dues that fund U.N. agencies after the White House announced that it is withdrawing support from more than 30 initiatives operated by the world body.

- - UN says the US has 'legal obligation' to fund agencies after Trump withdraws from several

FARNOUSH AMIRI January 8, 2026 at 9:05 PM

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United National Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during an event to mark the end of the U.N. political mission, in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban) ()

NEW YORK (AP) — The top United Nations official on Thursday said the United States has a "legal obligation" to keep paying its dues that fund U.N. agencies after the White House announced that it is withdrawing support from more than 30 initiatives operated by the world body.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he regretted President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from 31 U.N.-related agencies, including the U.N.'s population agency and the U.N. treaty that establishes international climate negotiations. The U.S. will also depart from dozens of other global organizations or initiatives not affiliated with the U.N.

"As we have consistently underscored, assessed contributions to the United Nations regular budget and peacekeeping budget, as approved by the General Assembly, are a legal obligation under the UN Charter for all Member States, including the United States," Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson for Guterres, said in a statement.

He added that despite the announcement, the U.N. entities targeted will keep doing their work: "The United Nations has a responsibility to deliver for those who depend on us."

The strong retort from the U.N. comes after the world body has spent the better part of the past year in a somewhat hostile and fragile back-and-forth with U.S. officials, who, after Trump's return to office, zeroed in on eliminating billions of dollars in aid and funding to international organizations like the U.N. and humanitarian assistance at large.

Through many conciliatory public and closed-door appeals, U.N. officials, including Guterres, had been able to convince Trump and his allies not to completely abandon the institution the U.S. helped found on the ashes of World War II, including through a $2 billion agreement for humanitarian assistance announced last month. But America's retreat had already influenced other Western countries, including France and the U.K., to reevaluate humanitarian funding, with many shifting that money toward military spending.

But Wednesday's announcement surprised diplomats at the highest levels of the U.N., who said they learned about the withdrawal through news reports and the White House social media. There has been no formal communication from the Trump administration outlining the decision, Dujarric told reporters.

Many U.N. officials refused to comment on the impact it would have on their agencies because they had not been given details or official word from anyone in the U.S. government.

Trump's executive order

Following a yearlong review of participation in and funding for all international organizations, Trump signed an executive order suspending American support for 66 groups, agencies and commissions.

Many of the targets are U.N.-related agencies, commissions and advisory panels that focus on climate, labor, migration and other issues the Trump administration has categorized as catering to diversity and "woke" initiatives.

The administration previously suspended support for the World Health Organization, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees known as UNRWA, the U.N. Human Rights Council and the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO. It has taken a larger, à la carte approach to paying dues to the world body, picking which operations and agencies it believes align with Trump's agenda and those that no longer serve U.S. interests.

Some of the agencies impacted, including the U.N. Population Fund, an organization that provides sexual and reproductive health services worldwide, have long been a lightning rod for Republican opposition, and Trump cut funding for it during his first term.

The withdrawal from the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, or UNFCCC, came as less of a surprise as Trump and his allies had previously withdrawn U.S. support from other climate initiatives.

The 1992 agreement between 198 countries to financially support climate change activities in developing countries is the underlying treaty for the landmark Paris climate agreement. Trump withdrew from that agreement soon after returning to the White House.

Simon Stiell, UNFCCC executive secretary, warned the U.S. that the decision to pull back will harm "the US economy, jobs and living standards, as wildfires, floods, mega-storms and droughts get rapidly worse."

"The doors remain open for the U.S. to reenter in the future, as it has in the past with the Paris Agreement," he said in a statement. "Meanwhile, the size of the commercial opportunity in clean energy, climate resilience, and advanced electrotech remains too big for American investors and businesses to ignore."

The US contribution to the UN budget

The U.N.'s regular budget, which finances its day-to-day operations and primary activities, is funded by its 193 member nations, each paying a percentage based on the size of their economy. The U.S., the world's largest economy, is supposed to pay 22%, followed by China, with 20%. There is a separate budget to fund the U.N.'s peacekeeping operations, where the U.S. is required to pay 25%.

U.N. officials said the U.S. did not pay its annual contributions to the regular budget last year, an obligation outlined in the U.N. Charter. A member that is in arrears for two full years loses its vote in the General Assembly.

"The charter is not à la carte," Dujarric said. "We're not going to renegotiate the charter."

All four other veto-wielding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — China, France, Russia and the U.K. — have paid in full. China paid over $685 million.

___ writer Edith M. Lederer contributed to this report from the United Nations.

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UN says the US has 'legal obligation' to fund agencies after Trump withdraws from several

UN says the US has 'legal obligation' to fund agencies after Trump withdraws from several FARNOUSH AMIRI Janua...
New Photo - NASA to bring astronauts home from space station early due to a medical issue

NASA to bring astronauts home from space station early due to a medical issue Denise Chow January 9, 2026 at 12:12 AM 94 NASA said Thursday that it will bring four astronauts aboard the International Space Station back to Earth more than a month earlier than planned because of a medical issue — the first such evacuation in the space station's 25year history. Citing medical privacy concerns, NASA did not provide additional details about the issue, including the identity of the affected crew member, the nature of the medical problem or its severity.

- - NASA to bring astronauts home from space station early due to a medical issue

Denise Chow January 9, 2026 at 12:12 AM

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NASA said Thursday that it will bring four astronauts aboard the International Space Station back to Earth more than a month earlier than planned because of a medical issue — the first such evacuation in the space station's 25-year history.

Citing medical privacy concerns, NASA did not provide additional details about the issue, including the identity of the affected crew member, the nature of the medical problem or its severity. Agency officials said the situation is stable, however.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said at a news briefing that the astronauts will return home in the coming days. The agency has not yet given a precise timeline for undocking or landing.

"After discussions with chief health and medical officer Dr. JD Polk and leadership across the agency, I've come to the decision that it's in the best interest of our astronauts to return Crew-11 ahead of their planned departure," Isaacman said.

The International Space Station. (NASA)

Isaacman added that further updates will be provided over the next 48 hours.

The group leaving the International Space Station are NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The astronauts, known as Crew-11, arrived there in early August and had been expected to stay aboard the orbiting laboratory until late February.

Polk said that the situation is stable and that the evacuation is not considered an emergency. Rather, he said, the decision was made to err on the side of caution for the affected astronaut's health and welfare.

"We have a very robust suite of medical hardware onboard the International Space Station, but we don't have the complete amount of hardware that I would have in the emergency department, for example, to complete a workup of the patient," Polk said. "And in this particular incident, the medical incident was sufficient enough that we were concerned about the astronaut that we would like to complete that workup."

NASA first made the medical issue public Wednesday, when it announced that it was postponing a spacewalk Cardman and Fincke were scheduled to conduct Thursday.

From left, Oleg Platonov, Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and Kimiya Yui at the Kennedy Space Center's launch pad on Aug. 1. (John Raoux / AP)

After Crew-11's early departure, NASA will face several weeks with just one of its astronauts onboard the space station to oversee U.S. science experiments and operations — flight engineer Chris Williams, who launched aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on Nov. 27. Russian cosmonauts Oleg Platonov, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev are there with him.

The next crew members are scheduled to launch to the ISS in mid-February, but Isaacman said NASA will evaluate whether to bump up that mission, known as Crew-12.

This week's drama in orbit is the first major test for Isaacman: He was sworn in on Dec. 18.

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Breaking"

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Published: January 09, 2026 at 06:54AM on Source: RED MAG

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NASA to bring astronauts home from space station early due to a medical issue

NASA to bring astronauts home from space station early due to a medical issue Denise Chow January 9, 2026 at 12:12 A...
New Photo - Vampire Diaries boss reveals the real reason they killed Katherine in season 5

Also, Julie Plec reveals why Bamon never happened. Vampire Diaries boss reveals the real reason they killed Katherine in season 5 Also, Julie Plec reveals why Bamon never happened. By Samantha Highfill :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/SamanthaHighfillauthorphoto0917254112e875604542d49744a27de908d183.jpg) Samantha Highfill Samantha Highfill is an executive editor at , where she's worked for more than 12 years covering television. EW's editorial guidelines August 18, 2021 9:00 a.m. ET Katherine Pierce was a staple of the Vampire Diaries universe.

Also, Julie Plec reveals why Bamon never happened.

Vampire Diaries boss reveals the real reason they killed Katherine in season 5

Also, Julie Plec reveals why Bamon never happened.

By Samantha Highfill

Sam Highfill author photo

Samantha Highfill

Samantha Highfill is an executive editor at **, where she's worked for more than 12 years covering television.

EW's editorial guidelines

August 18, 2021 9:00 a.m. ET

Katherine Pierce was a staple of the *Vampire Diaries* universe. But at one point in the series, the writers had to fight to tell more of her story.

"We had to negotiate for the right to let Nina [Dobrev] play Katherine again because the season 2 Katherine [story] had really taken everything out of her and the network was being very protective," executive producer Julie Plec says about the show's fifth season during episode 5 of *EW's Binge: The Vampire Diaries*. "[The network] and studio were being very protective and they were like, 'You can't do that anymore, you can't have Katherine.'"

On an earlier episode of the podcast, Dobrev spoke about how exhausted she was at the end of season 2, the first season in which she played both Elena and Katherine in the present day. So when it came time to make Katherine human and even introduce a third Petrova doppelgänger, the writers had to get creative. "We had to basically beg the network to let us even write story for Katherine," Plec says, noting that "the triplegänger made the whole thing worth it."

Nina Dobrev as Katherine Pierce on 'The Vampire Diaries'

Nina Dobrev as Katherine Pierce on 'The Vampire Diaries'. Tina Rowden/The CW

Fans will remember that season 5 featured Katherine taking over Elena's body, which meant that for a good chunk of the season, Dobrev only had one character to play. And then, eventually, Katherine met her demise, a decision that also came about following those negotiations. "I literally think we had to say we'll kill her in order to get permission to use her," Plec recalls.

Additionally, during the podcast, Plec discusses the choice to have Bonnie (Kat Graham) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) be the two characters who "die" together at the end of season 5, which led to a discussion about Bamon, the popular ship. "Bonnie and Damon had a thing in the books we had sort of always said, 'We don't buy a romantic connection between Bonnie and Damon because Damon's just done too many terrible things and Bonnie just has more integrity than that,'" Plec says. "But we wanted to service that relationship in the canon a little bit."

For more about season 5—and the series overall—listen to the full episode below:

**To listen, subscribe to *EW's Binge: The Vampire Diaries* feed via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to EW's YouTube page to catch all the video interviews and stay tuned to EW.com.**

**Related content:**

- *Vampire Diaries* bosses on the 'controversial' sire bond and the role Pedro Pascal auditioned for

- *Vampire Diaries* boss Julie Plec explains why Klaroline could never happen today

- *Vampire Diaries* star Paul Wesley on Stelena's season 2 split: I was 'dealing with my own stuff' on screen

- *Vampire Diaries* creators talk season 1 Katherine twist, the fan response that left them 'aghast'

- Sci-Fi & Fantasy Shows

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Source: "EW Sci-Fi"

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Source: Sci-Fi

Published: January 09, 2026 at 01:19AM on Source: RED MAG

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Vampire Diaries boss reveals the real reason they killed Katherine in season 5

Also, Julie Plec reveals why Bamon never happened. Vampire Diaries boss reveals the real reason they killed Katherine...
New Photo - Vampire Diaries bosses on casting Enzo as a Salvatore brother and Damon's fate in the finale

Listen to the final episode of EW's Binge: Vampire Diaries podcast. Vampire Diaries bosses on casting Enzo as a Salvatore brother and Damon's fate in the finale Listen to the final episode of EW's Binge: Vampire Diaries podcast. By Samantha Highfill :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/SamanthaHighfillauthorphoto0917254112e875604542d49744a27de908d183.jpg) Samantha Highfill Samantha Highfill is an executive editor at , where she's worked for more than 12 years covering television. EW's editorial guidelines August 27, 2021 9:00 a.m.

Listen to the final episode of EW's Binge: Vampire Diaries podcast.

Vampire Diaries bosses on casting Enzo as a Salvatore brother and Damon's fate in the finale

Listen to the final episode of EW's Binge: Vampire Diaries podcast.

By Samantha Highfill

Sam Highfill author photo

Samantha Highfill

Samantha Highfill is an executive editor at **, where she's worked for more than 12 years covering television.

EW's editorial guidelines

August 27, 2021 9:00 a.m. ET

For *The Vampire Diaries* creatives, casting Enzo was a particularly difficult task. Because originally, the role was going to be very different.

"You were supposed to be the third Salvatore brother," executive producer Julie Plec tells star Michael Malarkey in episode 8 of *EW's Binge: The Vampire Diaries*. Writer Brett Matthews adds, "That was always the plan, and then it went a different direction, but that's why it was so hard to find the person. We thought it was going to be a Salvatore brother, so we cast a very wide net [and] looked very hard." Ultimately, they scrapped that plan and made it so Enzo didn't share Salvatore blood, but he was a brother figure for Damon (Ian Somerhalder) for many years (and he was sired by Lily Salvatore).

But that wasn't the only plan that changed in the writers' room over the years. In discussing the *Vampire Diaries*' final season, Plec and Matthews recall the final major debate: Which Salvatore were they going to kill in the series finale? "We went back and forth in the writers' room all season long," Plec says. "We finally landed on: We're killing Damon. That's the right thing to do. He is the one with the consequence to pay. Stefan was morally a bit stronger of a character."

The Vampire Diaries

Michael Malarkey as Enzo and Ian Somerhalder as Damon on 'The Vampire Diaries'. Annette Brown/The CW; Bob Mahoney/The CW

Matthews adds, "Damon's a fairly obvious choice," noting that the writers really fell in love with the idea of Damon compelling Stefan (Paul Wesley) to let him die. But when executive producer Kevin Williamson proposed that it should be Stefan that dies, they started to rethink their plan. "It felt like dying for Stefan freed him from a lot of weight, whereas it felt like living for Damon freed him to go and be the man that he was always supposed to be," Plec says.

Of course, both Salvatores were meant to die in the original ending Plec and Williamson came up with during the show's second season. In that ending, "The boys would sacrifice themselves to save Elena so that Elena could go and have a life and be human and live," Plec recalls during the podcast. "To save her, they would die together, and that was always the pitch. And then when Nina [Dobrev] left, it felt like the show can't be as much about protecting Elena's happiness, although that's important to us, but we want to protect the bothers' happiness, we want them to get something out of this. Then it shifted to: We can't kill both of them for her because that feels somehow like nobody got what they wanted. Let's find a different way to give one of these brothers the happiness that they need and the other brother the closure that they need."

(One other way Dobrev leaving changed the plan? Plec says, "I thought that by the time we came back to the end of the series, whenever it was, that Elena would've found her way back to Stefan and Damon would've found a different path.")

For more about the final season, listen to the full podcast episode below:

**To listen, subscribe to *EW's Binge: The Vampire Diaries* feed via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to EW's YouTube page to catch all the video interviews, and stay tuned to EW.com.**

**Related content:**

- *Vampire Diaries* star Ian Somerhaldher reveals why he was jealous of Chris Wood's Kai

- *Vampire Diaries* boss reveals the real reason they killed Katherine in season 5

- *Vampire Diaries* bosses on the 'controversial' sire bond and the role Pedro Pascal auditioned for

- *Vampire Diaries* boss Julie Plec explains why Klaroline could never happen today

- Sci-Fi & Fantasy Shows

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Sci-Fi"

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Source: Sci-Fi

Published: January 09, 2026 at 01:19AM on Source: RED MAG

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Vampire Diaries bosses on casting Enzo as a Salvatore brother and Damon's fate in the finale

Listen to the final episode of EW's Binge: Vampire Diaries podcast. Vampire Diaries bosses on casting Enzo as a Sal...
New Photo - What we know about Rashee Rice domestic abuse allegations

What we know about Rashee Rice domestic abuse allegations Steve Gardner, USA TODAY January 8, 2026 at 11:07 PM 4 Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice is the subject of domestic violence allegations leveled by his former girlfriend and the mother of their two children. In an Instagram post on Jan. 7, Rice's exgirlfriend posted photos of herself with a bloody lip, as well as several scratches and bruises. Although she didn't name Rice directly, she alleges she has been the subject of physical and mental abuse for several years.

- - What we know about Rashee Rice domestic abuse allegations

Steve Gardner, USA TODAY January 8, 2026 at 11:07 PM

4

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice is the subject of domestic violence allegations leveled by his former girlfriend and the mother of their two children.

In an Instagram post on Jan. 7, Rice's ex-girlfriend posted photos of herself with a bloody lip, as well as several scratches and bruises. Although she didn't name Rice directly, she alleges she has been the subject of physical and mental abuse for several years.

"It's been nothing but hell," she wrote, adding, "I've protected his image too long and I'm done doing that. It's time to protect my peace, protect my children and stand up for myself."

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice prepares to take the field against the Arizona Cardinals during a 2025 preseason game at State Farm Stadium.What are the allegations against Rashee Rice?

In an Instagram post containing several graphic photos, Rice's former girlfriend made references to physical violence against her and her home, destruction of property and infidelity. No associated police reports had been filed in Overland Park, Kansas, where Jones alleges the abuse occurred, per reports.

What has the NFL said about the Rashee Rice situation?

The NFL, in a statement to USA TODAY Sports, said on Jan. 8 that it has been in contact with the Chiefs, and the allegations against Rice "will be reviewed under the league's personal conduct policy."

NFL's statement regarding the Rashee Rice situation:"We have been in contact with the club about the matter which will be reviewed under the league's personal conduct policy."https://t.co/QHe5iEMo9b

— Tyler Dragon (@TheTylerDragon) January 8, 2026

What did the Chiefs say about the Rashee Rice situation?

The Chiefs released a statement on Jan. 7, but did not specifically mention Rice.

"The club is aware of the allegations on social media and is in communication with the National Football League," the statement said. "We have no further comment at this time."

What did the NFLPA players union say about the Rashee Rice Situation.

NFLPA spokesman Brandon Parker told USA TODAY Sports: "The NFLPA is aware of the allegations and we have no further comment at this time."

Rashee Rice's past legal issues

Rice was suspended for the first six games of the 2025 NFL regular season for his involvement in a high-speed car crash in March 2024.

He pleaded guilty July 17, 2025, to two third-degree felony charges: collision involving serious bodily injury, and racing on a highway causing bodily injury. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of probation.

He has not been charged in connection with the woman's allegations.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788.

USA TODAY reporter Danielle Lerner contributed.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chiefs WR Rashee Rice accused of domestic violence: What we know

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Published: January 08, 2026 at 11:27PM on Source: RED MAG

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What we know about Rashee Rice domestic abuse allegations

What we know about Rashee Rice domestic abuse allegations Steve Gardner, USA TODAY January 8, 2026 at 11:07 PM 4 Kansa...

 

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