Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The U.S. State Department has expanded its list of nations whose citizens will be subject to visa bonds of up to $15,000 to enter the United States, adding 25 more nations, according to its website.

The latest additions will bring the total number of nations to 38, according to the department’s website, with visa bonds for the newly listed countries set to take effect on Jan. 21.

The newly added countries include Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Côte D’Ivorie, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

The expansion came just a week after the department added Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, and Turkmenistan to the list, with visa bonds going into effect on Jan. 1.

Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia were placed on the list in August and October of last year.

Citizens of those nations who are deemed eligible for B1/B2 visas, which are used for short-term tourism and business travel, are required to post a bond ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, with the amount being determined during the visa interview.

The department said that the visa bond policy is intended to deter visa overstays by citizens of the listed nations.

Bond payments will be returned when a visa holder departs from the United States before the expiration of the authorized date of stay, or if the person is denied admission at a U.S. port of entry, it stated.

“A bond does not guarantee visa issuance. If someone pays fees without a consular officer’s direction, the fees will not be returned,” the department states on its website.

The list of nations stems from a 12-month visa bond pilot program the department launched in August last year. It targeted countries with high visa overstay rates, insufficient screening and vetting, or those that offer citizenship to individuals via investment.

In an Aug. 5, 2025, federal register document, the department said the program is “intended to encourage foreign governments to take immediate action to reduce the overstay rates of their nationals when traveling to the United States for temporary visits, and to encourage countries to improve screening and vetting and the security of travel and civil documents, including in the granting of citizenship.”

The Trump administration has sought to tighten entry requirements for foreign nationals, including imposing visa restrictions and entry limits on citizens of certain countries identified as having “severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing,” according to a White House fact sheet published in December.

Other steps include adding an online presence review to the vetting requirements last year for H-1B visa applicants and their dependents, as well as for student visa and exchange visitor applicants, in an effort to safeguard Americans and national interests, according to the department.

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s newly installed tenant advocate, Cea Weaver – a limousine liberal (socialist), popped out of her apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn Wednesday (a historically black neighborhood until people like Weaver priced out longtime residents) – only to start crying and run back inside when reporters asked her about her mother’s $1.6 million home in Nashville, Tennessee. 

Weaver came under fire on Monday after resurfaced tweets on her now-deleted X account called for the government to “seize private property,” and called home ownership a “weapon of white supremacy.”

In December, she pushed to “Elect more communists” while a street in Harlem was being renamed after former communist Rep. Vito Marchantonio of Manhattan. 

And in May of 2020 she slammed law enforcement following the death of George Floyd, writing “The Police Are Just People The State Sanctions To Murder W[ith] Immunity.” 

The 37-year-old weaver began running down the street after seeing a Daily Mail reporter outside her home, only to say “no” when asked if she wanted to comment on her professor mother Celia Appleton’s ownership of the pricey property in Nashville. 

Weaver – apparently walking towards a nearby subway station – reversed course and ran inside her home, which has a ‘Free Palestine’ poster taped to one of its windows, the Mail reports. 

In a press conference on Tuesday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he stood by Weaver, but his team is understood to have been caught by surprise by her anti-white tweets.

Weaver deleted her X account after her old posts were unearthed by anti-woke campaigner Michelle Tandler.  

She attempted to distance herself from them yesterday in a statement that said: ‘Regretful comments from years ago do not change what has always been clear –  my commitment to making housing affordable and equitable for New York’s renters.’ -Daily Mail

Yes, we’re sure she’s totally changed her mind…

Update (1640ET):

Gov. Tim Walz activated Minnesota’s Emergency Operations Center within hours of an ICE-involved shooting in south Minneapolis, as concerns grow that a coalition of left-wing activist groups could mobilize in the streets, evoking familiar and uneasy parallels to the unrest that followed the death of George Floyd.

“To Minnesotans, know that our administration is going to stop at nothing to seek accountability and justice,” Walz told reporters at a press conference in the late afternoon hours.

He added, “We have soldiers in training and prepared to be deployed if necessary.”

BREAKING: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issues a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard following the ICE shooting in Minneapolis.

“To Minnesotans, know that our administration is going to stop at nothing to seek accountability and justice.”

“We have soldiers in… pic.twitter.com/cWAqagzdQq

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 7, 2026

Walz’s meeting with public safety officials and his comments to the press come shortly after citizen journalist Andy Ngo warned that far-left extremists could soon begin mobilizing.

“Far-left extremists in Minnesota have announced a vigil for their comrade who was shot dead after accelerating an SUV toward an ICE agent in Minneapolis. They’re claiming the woman was a peaceful “legal observer.” Video showed the car block DHS agents on the road before the driver accelerated at an agent,” Ngo wrote on X.

Far-left extremists in Minnesota have announced a vigil for their comrade who was shot dead after accelerating an SUV toward an ICE agent in Minneapolis. They’re claiming the woman was a peaceful “legal observer.” Video showed the car block DHS agents on the road before the… pic.twitter.com/c7Dx9c6naw

— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) January 7, 2026

Ngo posted a flyer about a vigil service that the left-wing nonprofit Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) is expected to hold tonight at 1700 local time.

“EMERGENCY VIGIL IN RESPONSE TO ICE SHOOTING ICE shot and killed an observer today in Minneapolis. Say her name! We witnessed an atrocious attack on our community today. Community members were taken from us and an observer was shot dead. ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA NOW!” MIRAC’s flyer read.

MIRAC is a left-wing grassroots immigrant-rights activist network based in Minnesota that focuses on direct action, protest organizing, and resistance to immigration enforcement rather than traditional policy advocacy.

Meet the warriors:

Their core activities include:

• Anti-ICE protests and rapid-response actions during enforcement operations

• Courthouse and street blockades aimed at preventing arrests or removals

• Public shaming and disruption campaigns targeting law enforcement, politicians, and institutions

• Coalition actions with other left-wing activist groups in Minneapolis–St. Paul

MIRAC’s organization structure:

Earlier…

Protest/riot threats in the Minneapolis area are elevated for this evening.

 *   *   * 

A federal immigration officer shot and killed a person whom Homeland Security described as a “violent rioter,” while local Democratic lawmakers said she was a “legal observer,” after DHS said she attempted to run over an agent. The incident comes as ICE officers in Minneapolis conduct targeted operations to deport criminal illegal aliens, and Democrats ramp up rhetoric and pressure campaigns on the ground against these agents.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described the incident in an X post in the early afternoon:

Today, ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking  ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism.

An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots.

He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers.

The alleged perpetrator was hit and is deceased. The ICE officers who were hurt are expected to make full recoveries.

This is the direct consequence of constant attacks and demonization of our officers by sanctuary politicians who fuel and encourage rampant assaults on our law enforcement. These men and women who are simply enforcing the law on the books are facing 1,300% increase in assaults against them and an 8,000% increase in death threats.

This is an evolving situation, and we will give the public more information as soon as it becomes available.

Today, ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism.…

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) January 7, 2026

Video of the deadly shooting has surfaced on X, showing an ICE agent asking the woman, who was blocking the street with an SUV, to step out of the vehicle. She did not comply and instead accelerated toward another agent, at which point the agent fired multiple rounds into the vehicle, striking the woman, who died moments later.

X has disabled the embed. View here. 

New angle: 

🚨 BREAKING: New angle from the ICE involved shooting in Minneapolis shows the woman CLEARLY hitting the agent with her car before he fires at her

A vehicle is a deadly weapon. And she used that deadly weapon against an agent.

Self-defense. pic.twitter.com/kw3SbBzSrP

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 7, 2026

The office of Senator Tina Smith, a Democrat of Minnesota, and Representative Ilhan Omar, another Democrat whose congressional district includes the scene of the shooting, said the woman was a “legal observer.”

Gov. Tim Walz’s office said the shooting occurred in a residential neighborhood in South Minneapolis. He asked people in the community to remain calm.

The New York Times noted, “Hundreds of people gathered at the scene in protest of the presence of immigration agents. The shooting took place in a middle-class residential neighborhood in Minneapolis, about a mile from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020.”

Protest/riot risks are rising. 

“DHS correctly identifies the causal link between Democrat rhetoric and domestic terrorism. These politicians painted targets on federal agents, and a violent extremist acted on their orders. The officer responded with the only currency the mob respects. Force. When you attempt to murder the enforcers of our sovereignty, you invite your own destruction. The blood is on the hands of every sanctuary city official who encouraged this insurrection. We stand with ICE and the rule of law,” X user Saggezza Eterna said.

*Developing…

Update (1014ET):

“Donroe Doctrine” to clean up the Western Hemisphere was busy Wednesday morning, with the seizure of the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera (formerly Bella 1) in the North Atlantic, followed by U.S. forces seizing a stateless dark-fleet tanker in the Caribbean region.

The seizure of Marinera is the headliner this morning, given that Russian warships and a submarine are nearby, raising the risk that the situation could spiral out of control after Moscow warned the Trump administration in recent days to back off the tanker.

Within the last hour, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) wrote on X that U.S. forces “apprehended a stateless, sanctioned dark-fleet motor tanker without incident.” SOUTHCOM said, “The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. Coast Guard is escorting M/T Sophia to the U.S. for final disposition.”

SOUTHCOM concluded the post by signaling the Donroe Doctrine: “Through Operation Southern Spear, the Department of War is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere. We will defend our Homeland and restore security and strength across the Americas.”

In a pre-dawn action this morning, the Department of War, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker without incident.

The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and… pic.twitter.com/JQm9gHprPk

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 7, 2026

Welcome to the era of the Donroe Doctrine.

*   *   * 

Update (0920ET):

U.S. European Command (EUCOM) confirmed on X that the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Department of Defense, seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera (formerly Bella 1) for violating U.S. sanctions.

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

The @TheJusticeDept & @DHSgov, in coordination with the @DeptofWar today announced the seizure of
the M/V Bella 1 for violations of U.S. sanctions. 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. pic.twitter.com/bm5KcCK30X

— U.S. European Command (@US_EUCOM) January 7, 2026

EUCOM continued…

pic.twitter.com/E0hii3A6Zo

— U.S. European Command (@US_EUCOM) January 7, 2026

Read the earlier updates: Russian warships and submarines are nearby.

*   *   * 

Update (0855ET):

NBC News reports that the U.S. Special Forces operation in the North Atlantic to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker, the Marinera (formerly Bella 1), was successful.

U.S. officials told the outlet that the Marinera “has been secured” following a dramatic, weeks-long chase on the high seas.

The U.S. seized two oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela last month as part of President Trump’s gunboat diplomacy. But why would a U.S. Coast Guard cutter and surveillance planes chase an empty, rusted, Russian-flagged tanker across the Atlantic unless there was potentially something far more valuable on board?

*   *   * 

Update (0814ET):

The Russian outlet RT News has posted footage that appears to show U.S. military forces attempting to board the Russian-flagged tanker Marinera early Wednesday morning in the North Atlantic.

❗️ Military forces, presumably American, are attempting to board Russian-flagged civilian tanker ‘Marinera’ RIGHT NOW — RT source

RT has obtained first exclusive visual confirmation of the boarding attempt https://t.co/lWf62lN7hH pic.twitter.com/rn9xfLmNxi

— RT (@RT_com) January 7, 2026

Reuters reports that the U.S. is “attempting” to seize the Venezuela-linked oil tanker after a two-week chase involving a U.S. Coast Guard vessel and surveillance aircraft.

From like an hour ago or more, as the Americans got into position to attempt boarding.

A massive swarm of RAF jets were patrolling around the north sea, potentially shadowing the Russian Naval fleet on route to escort it. pic.twitter.com/DxxioNbLw6

— Lee Mitchell (@Lee_Mitchell91) January 7, 2026

More color on the operation from the outlet:

The officials, who were speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation is being carried out by the Coast Guard and the U.S. military.

They added that Russian military vessels, including a submarine, were in the general vicinity when the operation took place.

Marinera made an abrupt heading change as the US MH-6 Little Bird, the 160th SOAR’s smallest helicopter, approached the vessel. 

MARINERA (9230880) just made a sudden southbound turn at 11:26 UTC at 60.9386, -16.37014. Decelerated from 9kn to 8kn speed. pic.twitter.com/dH8BnpF6r5

— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) January 7, 2026

This is what the “Donroe” doctrine to clean up the Western Hemisphere looks like. However, certainly appears that conflict fears are on the rise … 

*   *   * 

In what can only be described as straight out of a Cold War techno-thriller, The Hunt for Red October vibes, the U.S. Coast Guard is chasing a rusting oil tanker formerly known as Bella 1, now renamed Marinera, flying the Russian flag about 300 miles south of Iceland as it heads toward the North Sea.

On Tuesday, Russian outlet RT News posted an exclusive video on X showing Marinera being chased by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter in the North Atlantic.

BREAKING WORLD EXCLUSIVE: RT obtains FIRST footage of Russian-flagged civilian Marinera tanker being CHASED by US Coast Guard warship in the North Atlantic https://t.co/sNbqJkm5O5 pic.twitter.com/XtbBML3a6j

— RT (@RT_com) January 6, 2026

The Wall Street Journal then reported overnight that Russia is countering the Trump administration’s attempt to seize Marinera by deploying a submarine and other warships to escort the allegedly now-empty tanker.

The chase in the North Atlantic follows last month’s incident near Venezuelan waters, when the tanker – then stateless and flying a false flag – was subject to a U.S. judicial seizure order. As the Coast Guard attempted to board, the crew switched the ship’s registration to Russia, prompting Moscow to demand that the U.S. halt its pursuit.

Trump’s gunboat diplomacy in the Caribbean, along with a broader push for Western Hemisphere defense – what some have called the “Don-roe Doctrine” – has set the tone for the year: U.S. forces intend to control the seas in the Americas, not China and not Russia.

One key question is why Washington is hyper-focused on this particular tanker, given that the global dark fleet numbers more than 1,000 tankers hauling sanctioned crude worldwide. The ship’s quick registration in Russia, without inspection or formalities, may only suggest that the tanker, which departed Venezuelan waters, could be carrying other cargo bound for Russia.

Submitted by American Truckers United, 

America’s interstate highways, the backbone of its economy and critical infrastructure, are increasingly traversed by an invisible fleet of truck drivers tied to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Through lax enforcement of non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs), Beijing-linked networks are exploiting glaring gaps in U.S. visibility and oversight, placing unvetted operators behind the wheels of 80,000-pound vehicles. This is not merely a safety issue—it represents a deliberate national security vulnerability.

At the center stands the Chinese American Trucker Organization USA Inc. (CATOU), a New York-based nonprofit whose chairwoman, Geng Hang, has held leadership roles in organizations affiliated with the CCP’s United Front Work Department, a known influence and intelligence arm.

CATOU boasts training over 1,000 Chinese nationals—many entering via the southern border—to obtain CDLs with a claimed 100% pass rate. Social media videos document migrants crossing illegally, rapidly securing California licenses, and hitting the road in months, often without verifiable backgrounds or strong English proficiency. Such was the case with this driver who failed a roadside English proficiency check.

🚨Another California truck driver pulled over—this time in Arkansas—unable to speak basic English or read common traffic signs.

California’s treasonous Non-Domicile CDL standards are endangering motorists nationwide. How long before other states revoke all reciprocity for… pic.twitter.com/ISrbwNg3PU

— American Truckers 🚛🦅 (@atutruckers) October 28, 2025

These drivers integrate into opaque California-based trucking webs, hauling freight nationwide. The lack of visibility is profound: foreign-owned electronic logging devices can store data overseas, evading U.S. scrutiny, while undeclared cargo risks—including controlled substances or strategic materials—can go completely undetected. The most recent example showed a non-domiciled truck driver with a native language of Mandarin in possession of undeclared hazardous material (“puffing gas”) that is widely known to be abused by young teens.

🚨NON-DOMICILE CDL DRIVER CAUGHT HAULING HIDDEN HAZMAT LOAD THRU ARKANSAS – AND ARKANSAS HIGHWAY POLICE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS FAIL TO CHECK HIS IMMIGRATION STATUS

A non-domiciled CDL driver, licensed in California—unable to speak English and appearing to speak Mandarin… pic.twitter.com/dS0Schd3a9

— American Truckers 🚛🦅 (@atutruckers) January 6, 2026

Federal audits in 2025 exposed systemic abuses, with nearly 200,000 non-domiciled CDLs issued improperly, prompting an emergency FMCSA rule in September restricting issuances to specific employment visas and mandating federal immigration checks. None of them were revoked at that time, and currently only 17,000 have been revoked in California over a technicality in the expiration date. What about the fact that they never should have been given to people without proper legal status to begin with? They should all have been immediately revoked.

Yet today, enforcement remains inconsistent and not in any way meaningful. A November 2025 court stay paused full implementation, and random operations have arrested hundreds of foreign CDL holders—including Chinese nationals—but thousands more operate below the radar. Deadly 2025 crashes involving non-domiciled drivers underscore the peril, as cartels and foreign networks exploit the same loopholes.

China’s calculated infiltration grants strategic access to America’s supply chains, ports, and infrastructure. An 18-wheeler can become a weapon or smuggling vector with minimal oversight. As DHS warns of cartel exploitation threatening homeland security, the question looms: How long will Washington allow this enforcement vacuum to persist?

We cannot trust the people that created this mess to be the ones cleaning it up. They will fumble the ball on purpose. You don’t call the arsonist to put out the fire.

Secretary Duffy must fire everyone at FMCSA involved in fumbling this Interim Final Ruling. The same…

— American Truckers 🚛🦅 (@atutruckers) November 11, 2025

Meaningful reform—revoking all non-domiciled CDLs, mandating immigration status checks at roadside stops, banning issuance and renewal of non-domiciled CDLs, and investigating CCP-linked training networks—is overdue. Elevating this to a top national security priority is essential to close the gaps Beijing is actively widening.

Earlier we featured the headline Chinese Social Media Explodes: US Invasion Of Venezuela A ‘Template’ For Move On Taiwan – which featured Chinese Weibo users complaining that if Washington can quickly invade and remove the leader of a ‘nuisance’ government in its own backyard, then China can forcibly reunite Taiwan.

There is a growing number of pro-Kremlin figures and Russian military bloggers now saying something very parallel but related to Ukraine. They are upset that Russia has dragged its feet in directly moving against President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev, and they want more muscular direct action against the ‘illegitimate’ leader (as Putin has frequently called him) or at least his top officials.

Among the most prominent Russian figures to draw this parallel is hardline nationalist Alexander Dugin, who tragically lost his daughter in a car-bombing executed by Ukrainian intelligence, who described the fast-moving events in Venezuela as “a critical and urgent challenge for Russia.”

“The capture of Maduro demonstrates that international law no longer exists – only the law of force applies,” he said, framing this as a call for Russia to begin moving faster in Ukraine “at an accelerated pace”.

“The war in Ukraine must under no circumstances be stopped – not before victory is achieved,” he argued on Telegram. Dugin explained stridently:

“Look at Venezuela. If we do not destroy them now, they will destroy us tomorrow – or even today. If necessary, we must be prepared to fight the United States as well. We may not be able to conquer them, but we will be able to defend ourselves.”

Another example is pro-Kremlin war correspondent Alexander Kots, who has over 500,000 followers on Telegram. He wrote:

“Judging by the footage published from Venezuela, U.S. forces encountered no resistance in the air or on the ground. I cannot imagine Russian helicopters operating freely over Kyiv. Ukraine had been preparing for a war with Russia for eight years, while Venezuela spent years putting on military parades.”

Kots then criticized, “Today, we are fighting an enemy that is formidable in its own right and enjoys unprecedented support…We tripped over our own rake in 2022” – and added: “But the world is still full of examples from which lessons can be learned.”

Starshe Eddy, which is a pro-war Telegram channel with around 600,000 followers, also heaped ample criticism on how Moscow leadership has executed the ‘special military operation’ – saying it should be more efficient in moving against top Ukrainian officials::

“Clearly, no one is tasking the military with abducting [Zelensky]. He is of far greater use where he is in his current role rather than in Lefortovo Prison [in Moscow]. That said, there are many lower-ranking figures whose elimination would bring prestige and acclaim.”

Another pundit, Alexander Kartavykh, said, “If you launch the next ‘special military operation’ without removing the military and political leadership and with naive ideas of brotherly nations in your head, you’re f***ing idiots and your descendants will curse you.”

-Banned opposition media

-Banned opposition parties

-Banned the right to collectively bargain

-Killed his own countrymen on behalf of NATO

-Runs one of the most corrupt governments in the world

Zelensky is everything they tell us Nicolas Maduro is. United States is the… pic.twitter.com/pe93wdxzFU

— Nick Cruse 🥋 (@SocialistMMA) January 6, 2026

A federal immigration officer shot and killed a person whom Homeland Security described as a “violent rioter,” while local Democratic lawmakers said she was a “legal observer,” after DHS said she attempted to run over an agent. The incident comes as ICE officers in Minneapolis conduct targeted operations to deport criminal illegal aliens, and Democrats ramp up rhetoric and pressure campaigns on the ground against these agents.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described the incident in an X post in the early afternoon:

Today, ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking  ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism.

An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots.

He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers.

The alleged perpetrator was hit and is deceased. The ICE officers who were hurt are expected to make full recoveries.

This is the direct consequence of constant attacks and demonization of our officers by sanctuary politicians who fuel and encourage rampant assaults on our law enforcement. These men and women who are simply enforcing the law on the books are facing 1,300% increase in assaults against them and an 8,000% increase in death threats.

This is an evolving situation, and we will give the public more information as soon as it becomes available.

Today, ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism.…

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) January 7, 2026

Video of the deadly shooting has surfaced on X, showing an ICE agent asking the woman, who was blocking the street with an SUV, to step out of the vehicle. She did not comply and instead accelerated toward another agent, at which point the agent fired multiple rounds into the vehicle, striking the woman, who died moments later.

X has disabled the embed. View here. 

New angle: 

🚨 BREAKING: New angle from the ICE involved shooting in Minneapolis shows the woman CLEARLY hitting the agent with her car before he fires at her

A vehicle is a deadly weapon. And she used that deadly weapon against an agent.

Self-defense. pic.twitter.com/kw3SbBzSrP

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 7, 2026

The office of Senator Tina Smith, a Democrat of Minnesota, and Representative Ilhan Omar, another Democrat whose congressional district includes the scene of the shooting, said the woman was a “legal observer.”

Gov. Tim Walz’s office said the shooting occurred in a residential neighborhood in South Minneapolis. He asked people in the community to remain calm.

The New York Times noted, “Hundreds of people gathered at the scene in protest of the presence of immigration agents. The shooting took place in a middle-class residential neighborhood in Minneapolis, about a mile from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020.”

“DHS correctly identifies the causal link between Democrat rhetoric and domestic terrorism. These politicians painted targets on federal agents, and a violent extremist acted on their orders. The officer responded with the only currency the mob respects. Force. When you attempt to murder the enforcers of our sovereignty, you invite your own destruction. The blood is on the hands of every sanctuary city official who encouraged this insurrection. We stand with ICE and the rule of law,” X user Saggezza Eterna said.

*Developing…

AI systems are moving from novelty to infrastructure. They write, code, search, and increasingly act on our behalf.

That speed has put a spotlight on a harder question: how seriously are AI companies managing the risks that come with more capable models?

This graphic, via Visual Capitalist’s Niccolo Conte, visualizes and compares the safety scores of major AI companies using data from the AI Safety Index published by the Future of Life Institute, which scores companies across six key metrics.

Which AI Companies Prioritize Safety Most?

Based on the scores across six key metrics of AI safety, Anthropic, the creators of Claude, scored highest overall with a C+.

Anthropic was the only company that scored an “A” grade in two categories, with an A- in both governance and accountability along with information sharing.

The table below shows the overall grade of each AI company in terms of safety, along with their grades in specific safety categories.

Following Anthropic was OpenAI, creators of ChatGPT, which received a C grade overall. The only category it scored higher than Anthropic in was in the current harms category, partially thanks to the fact that OpenAI was the only company with a published whistleblowing policy at the time of the report’s publication.

Chinese companies Zhipu.AI and DeepSeek both received failing grades overall, though the report notes that China’s stricter national AI regulations may explain their weaker performance on Western-aligned self-governance and transparency metrics.

Understanding “AI Safety” and Why it Matters

A useful AI safety program is more than a promise to “be responsible.” It shows up as concrete processes: documented evaluations, clear thresholds for when to pause or limit deployment, and a trail of public reporting that lets outsiders understand what was tested and why.

Companies that score well tend to communicate more about how they handle model behavior, misuse risks, and incident response.

In contrast, lower-rated firms often appear opaque—either disclosing less overall or providing safety statements that are hard to verify.

In highlighting companies’ weak points when it comes to AI safety, the report from the Future of Life Institute notes that the AI industry is both fundamentally unprepared for its stated goals of reaching artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Along with this, it states that AI capabilities are accelerating far faster than risk management practices, and the lack of a regulatory floor means companies can cut corners on safety in order to get ahead in the race towards AGI.

To learn more about AI companies, check out this graphic on Voronoi that charts the skyrocketing revenues of Anthropic, OpenAI, and xAI.

Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times,

The Trump administration has launched what officials described as the largest immigration enforcement operation ever Tuesday in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, initiating the deployment of federal agents and officers in a crackdown tied to widespread fraud investigations allegedly involving mainly Somali residents.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem participating in an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on Jan. 6, 2026, that resulted in the arrest of Tomas Espin Tapia, a fugitive wanted for murder and sexual assault in Ecuador. (DHS)DHS

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was on the ground early Tuesday as the sweep started, adding to the number of top federal officials focused on the state as federal investigations expand this week.

The Department of Homeland Security has made more than 1,000 arrests of illegal immigrants, many with criminal convictions, in Minnesota, including 150 in Minneapolis Monday, the agency reported.

“We have the largest immigration operation ever taking place right now,” acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons told Newsmax on Tuesday.

Federal agents and officers were going door to door at businesses in the area suspected of being involved in illegal hiring and fraud, Lyons said.

“We’re not leaving until the problem is solved,” DHS wrote on X Tuesday.

DHS and ICE did not return requests to confirm how many agents and officers were involved in the operations.

According to Noem, Minnesota authorities are not allowing immigration officers to access state detention centers to detain illegal immigrants with pending deportation orders. A large number of federal officers was needed after a lack of local support, Noem indicated in a social media post Tuesday.

“You won’t steal from Americans or break our laws and get away with it,” Noem said.

Included in Tuesday’s arrests was Tomas Espin Tapia, a fugitive wanted for murder in Ecuador, DHS reported.

Tapia illegally entered the U.S. in October 2022 and was released into the country by the Biden administration, according to the agency.

Tapia’s criminal history also includes sexual assault in Connecticut and previous convictions in Ecuador for robbery and extortion.

Mong Cheng, a criminal illegal immigrant from Laos who was convicted of homicide, vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, assault, and arson, was also among those arrested Tuesday, DHS reported.

Immigrant rights groups and elected officials in the Twin Cities area reported an increase in sightings of federal agents, especially around St. Paul.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz blasted the immigration operation, calling it “ridiculous.”

“Nobody is fooled into thinking this bafoonery [sic] is a reasonable use of taxpayer dollars,” Walz wrote on X. “It should not take 50 ICE agents to arrest one guy in a library.”

Walz dropped his reelection bid Monday as federal agencies expanded investigations into alleged systemwide social services fraud in the state.

The former vice presidential candidate said he needed time to concentrate on combating fraud.

As Warren Buffett popularized: “Price is what you pay, value is what you get”.

As Visual Capitalist’s Jeff Desjardins details below, just because someone pays the most, doesn’t mean that they extract the biggest payoff from a product or service.

Today’s visual from Our World in Data that compares life expectancy with healthcare spending per capita hints at exactly this paradox.

The Data on Life Expectancy vs. Healthcare Spending

Below is the data for 51 countries for the year 2023:

The clear takeaway is that while most high and upper-middle income countries cluster around the same trajectory, the United States is a clear outlier.

On average, the countries on the above list have a life expectancy of 79.74 years for a cost of $3,986 per person, while the U.S. has a life expectancy of 79.3 and spend of $12,023 per person.

Peer countries (Canada, UK, Germany, Japan, France, Italy) spend about half of what the U.S. does on healthcare per capita on average, but all have better life expectancy outcomes.

Why is the U.S. an Outlier?

While the U.S. excels in advanced and specialized medical care, life expectancy outcomes are held back by lifestyle and social factors rather than clinical capability.

Higher rates of obesity, chronic disease, opioid overdoses, gun violence, and traffic fatalities all weigh on average lifespan.

At the same time, healthcare access is uneven, with large gaps by income, race, and geography. As a result, additional spending often goes toward higher prices and end-of-life care, producing diminishing returns in overall life expectancy.

View the highest and lowest life expectancy rates around the world in this map.