The fallout from a fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis intensifies, the anniversary of the Los Angeles wildfires brings troubling revelations, and unrest swells in Iran as the Islamic regime phones for foreign support.
It’s Friday, January 9, 2026, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
Protests In Minneapolis After Fatal ICE Shooting
Forty-eight hours after the deadly shooting of an ICE agitator, demonstrations have once again gripped Minneapolis, the site of the 2020 George Floyd riots. Large crowds congregated outside of ICE detention facilities across the area, attempting to block the street and clashing with federal officers. Footage showed chaos as protesters threatened to kill ICE agents. In preparation for the situation to escalate, Minneapolis Public Schools cancelled classes on Thursday and Friday, and Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz ordered the state’s National Guard to prepare for mobilization if widespread rioting occurs. ICE agents in Portland, Oregon shot a suspected member of the Tren De Aragua gang who attempted to run them over with his car, further heightening tension in Minneapolis.
LA Fires Rebuilding Controversies
One year after devastating fires swept Los Angeles, revelations have surfaced of an apparent cover-up and the much-criticized, painfully slow rebuilding effort. These fires devastated parts of Los Angeles County, specifically the Altadena and the Pacific Palisades areas, and killed 31 people. Altogether, more than 18,000 structures were destroyed or damaged. At the time, there was a lot of scrutiny over how this was handled, including the absence of L.A. Democratic Mayor Karen Bass and an $18 million budget cut to the fire department just months before the fires. But some controversies have worsened. For instance, text messages obtained by the Los Angeles Times reveal that fire crews handling a small blaze known as the Lachman Fire were ordered to pack up and leave the scene despite visible smoldering and hot terrain, and over firefighter objections. Secondly, an official LAFD after‑action report was edited multiple times to soften or remove language critical of department leadership before its release to the public.
Iran Protests Intensify
Protests in Iran close in on the two-week mark, while pressure mounts against the regime. Part of that pressure comes from Washington, where President Donald Trump continues to threaten action over the treatment of demonstrators. The strength of the protests has fluctuated day to day, but demonstrations have continued consistently across dozens of cities and towns. Economic concerns that sparked the unrest have only gotten worse. Last week, Iran’s central bank decided to end subsidies that gave importers and producers access to cheaper U.S. dollars, which put further upward pressure on prices amid already steep inflation. President Trump has threatened that the United States might get directly involved if the Iranian regime starts killing protesters. The regime’s response has appeared restrained so far, but that could change quickly as Iranian officials have sent out calls for help from its allies.