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'Boggles my mind': Judge halts Donald Trump's citizenship ban
US President Donald Trump’s plan to outlaw birthright citizenship has been stalled after a judge ruled it unconstitutional.
The ban was signed by Mr Trump on Monday, one of a slew of executive orders he has issued since his inauguration on Tuesday local time.
These are the key moments from the latest day in the Trump administration.
Judge rules birthright citizenship order ‘blatantly unconstitutional’
The court decision temporarily blocking the ban on birthright citizenship follows a challenge launched by multiple Democratic-led states.
Birthright citizenship, long considered a constitutional right, means that anyone born in the United States is automatically considered a citizen.
Mr Trump’s executive order would largely impact children born to undocumented or temporary migrants in the US.
Federal District Court Judge John C Coughenour sided with the four states suing the Trump administration — Washington, Arizona, Illinois and Oregon.
Signing a restraining order to block the executive order for 14 days, Mr Coughenour called it “blatantly unconstitutional”.
“Frankly I have difficulty understanding how a member of the bar would state unequivocally that this is a constitutional order,” he told Trump administration lawyers during the hearing.
“It just boggles my mind.”
Mr Trump has already said he would appeal the ruling.
In total 22 states have filed six lawsuits in an attempt to stop the executive order.
Pro-life protesters pardoned ahead of March for Life event
At least 23 anti-abortion activists have been pardoned by Mr Trump, who said they “should not have been prosecuted”.
Anti-abortion activist Lauren Handy. (Reuters: Sarah Silbiger)
Among them were the protesters involved in blockading a Washington, DC abortion clinic in October 2020.
They were charged with conspiring against civil rights and violating laws which protect access to abortion clinics.
One of those pardoned, Lauren Handy, was sentenced to almost five years in prison and garnered international attention after police announced they had found multiple fetuses in her home following her arrest.
Mr Trump’s announcement was made just a day before the annual anti-abortion March for Life event in Washington, where he is expected to address the crowd via video.
Trump orders files on JFK, Martin Luther King Jr assassinations to be declassified
John F Kennedy’s grandson took aim at Donald Trump over an executive order to declassify files relating to the former president’s assassination.
Mr Trump ordered the release of thousands of classified government documents about the 1963 assassination, as well as the assassination of senator Robert F Kennedy and Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of JFK and son of former US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, said there was “nothing heroic” about releasing the files.
“[The assassination was] a tragedy that didn’t need to happen,” he wrote on X.
During his first term, Mr Trump bended to appeals by the CIA and FBI that some documents be withheld.
He promised during the election campaign to make the last batches of still-classified documents surrounding the Kennedy assassination public.
The unreleased documents have fuelled conspiracy theories for decades.
It’s unclear when the records will be released, but the order directs the director of national intelligence and the attorney general to develop a plan within 15 days to declassify the remaining JFK records.
A plan to release the documents relating to the other two cases must be developed within 45 days.
China could help with Russia-Ukraine peace deal, Trump tells World Economic Forum
Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Donald Trump said he hoped China’s President Xi Jinping could help make a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
He added later that he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin “immediately” if possible.
“They [China] have a lot of power over Russia,” he said in the Oval Office.
“They supply energy to Russia, and Russia supplies energy to them … it’s really a very big trade.
“So I think Russia should want to make a deal. Maybe they want to make a deal. I think from what I hear, Putin would like to see me as soon as we can.”
Mr Trump also told media Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would “like to stop” and was “ready to negotiate a deal”.
In a televised interview with Fox host Sean Hannity, Mr Trump said he would impose “massive tariffs” on Russia if Mr Putin did not end the war.
Pete Hegseth waiting on confirmation vote amid ongoing controversies
Mr Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, reportedly admitted to paying $US50,000 ($79,135) as part of a confidentiality agreement with a woman who alleged he sexually assaulted her in 2017.
Mr Hegseth said he had made the payment in written answers provided to Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren in response to her additional questions as part of the vetting process, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press and CNN.
His attorney declined to comment on the dollar figure, which was previously unknown.
Mr Hegseth testified during his confirmation hearings he had been “falsely accused” and completely cleared.
The controversy comes after a confirmation hearing where Democrats raised concerns about his alleged excessive drinking and past opposition to women in combat.
The former Fox News host and Army National Guard veteran vowed to abstain from alcohol if confirmed
He later told Republican Senator Joni Ernst, herself a veteran, that he would support women in combat roles “given the standards remain high, and we will have a review to ensure the standards have not been eroded”.
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski announced she would oppose Mr Hegseth’s nomination to be Secretary of Defense, saying she could not “in good conscience” support him.
She said in a statement her opposition was driven by Mr Hegseth’s lack of experience, past comments about women in combat, and a “lack of judgement”.
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She added the allegations of sexual assault did “nothing to quiet” her concerns.
Mr Hegseth’s lawyer said last month his client had been “falsely accused”. Mr Hegseth also denied the allegations during his testimony.
Another Republican senator, Susan Collins, said she did not believe Mr Hegseth had “the experience and perspective” necessary for the job.
The Senate voted 51-49 to advance Mr Hegseth’s nomination.
A final vote is expected late Friday local time.
ABC/AP
News
Federal immigration agents shoot 2 people in Portland, Oregon, police say
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal immigration officers shot and wounded two people in a vehicle outside a hospital in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, a day after an officer shot and killed a driver in Minnesota, authorities said.
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 agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants Thursday afternoon, 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 of any gang affiliation of the vehicle’s occupants. During prior shootings involving agents involved in President Donald Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement in U.S. cities, including Wednesday’s shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis, video evidence cast doubt on the administration’s initial descriptions of what prompted the shootings.
READ MORE: What we know so far about the ICE shooting in Minneapolis
According to the the Portland Police bureau, officers initially responded to a report of a shooting near a hospital at about 2:18 p.m.
A few minutes later, police received information that a man who had been shot was asking for help in a residential area a couple of 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.
Their conditions were not immediately known. Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney said during a Portland city council meeting that Thursday’s shooting took place in the eastern part of the city and that two Portlanders were wounded.
“As far as we know both of these individuals are still alive and we are hoping for more positive updates throughout the afternoon,” she said.
The shooting escalates tensions in an 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.
Portland police secured both the scene of the shooting and the area where the wounded people were found pending investigation.
“We are still in the early stages of this incident,” said Chief Bob Day. “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.”
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and the city council called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to end all operations in Oregon’s largest city until a full investigation is completed.
“We stand united as elected officials in saying that we cannot sit by while constitutional protections erode and bloodshed mounts,” a joint statement said. “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 respond with clarity, unity, and a commitment to justice,” the statement said. “We must stand together to protect Portland.”
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, urged any protesters to remain peaceful.
“Trump wants to generate riots,” he said in a post on the X social media platform. “Don’t take the bait.”
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Video: What Trump Told Us About the ICE Shooting
new video loaded: What Trump Told Us About the ICE Shooting
By Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Alexandra Ostasiewicz, Nikolay Nikolov and Coleman Lowndes
January 8, 2026
News
Community reacts to ICE shooting in Minnesota. And, RFK Jr. unveils new food pyramid
Good morning. You’re reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.
Today’s top stories
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis woman, yesterday. Multiple observers captured the shooting on video, and community members demanded accountability. Minnesota law enforcement officials and the FBI are investigating the fatal shooting, which the Trump administration says was an act of self-defense. Meanwhile, the mayor has accused the officer of reckless use of power and demanded that ICE get out of Minneapolis.
People demonstrate during a vigil at the site where a woman was shot and killed by an immigration officer earlier in the day in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 7, 2026. An immigration officer in Minneapolis shot dead a woman on Wednesday, triggering outrage from local leaders even as President Trump claimed the officer acted in self-defense. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey deemed the government’s allegation that the woman was attacking federal agents “bullshit,” and called on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducting a second day of mass raids to leave Minneapolis.
Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images
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Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images
- 🎧 Caitlin Callenson recorded the shooting and says officers gave Good multiple conflicting instructions while she was in her vehicle. Callenson says Good was already unresponsive when officers pulled her from the car. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claims the officer was struck by the vehicle and acted in self-defense. In the video NPR reviewed, the officer doesn’t seem to be hit and was seen walking after he fired the shots, NPR’s Meg Anderson tells Up First. Anderson says it has been mostly peaceful in Minneapolis, but there is a lot of anger and tension because protesters want ICE out of the city.
U.S. forces yesterday seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the north Atlantic between Iceland and Britain after a two-week chase. The tanker was originally headed to Venezuela, but it changed course to avoid the U.S. ships. This action comes as the Trump administration begins releasing new information about its plans for Venezuela’s oil industry.
- 🎧 It has been a dramatic week for U.S. operations in Venezuela, NPR’s Greg Myre says, prompting critics to ask if a real plan for the road ahead exists. Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded that the U.S. does have a strategy to stabilize Venezuela, and much of it seems to involve oil. Rubio said the U.S. would take control of up to 50 million barrels of oil from the country. Myre says the Trump administration appears to have a multipronged strategy that involves taking over the country’s oil, selling it on the world market and pressuring U.S. oil companies to enter Venezuela.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released new dietary guidelines for Americans yesterday that focus on promoting whole foods, proteins and healthy fats. The guidance, which he says aims to “revolutionize our food culture,” comes with a new food pyramid, which replaces the current MyPlate symbol.
- 🎧 “I’m very disappointed in the new pyramid,” Christopher Gardner, a nutrition expert who was on the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, tells NPR’s Allison Aubrey. Gardner says the new food structure, which features red meat and saturated fats at the top, contradicts decades of evidence and research. Poor eating habits and the standard American diet are widely considered to cause chronic disease. Aubrey says the new guidelines alone won’t change people’s eating habits, but they will be highly influential. This guidance will shape the offerings in school meals and on military bases, and determine what’s allowed in federal nutrition programs.
Special series
Trump has tried to bury the truth of what happened on Jan. 6, 2021. NPR built a visual archive of the attack on the Capitol, showing exactly what happened through the lenses of the people who were there. “Chapter 4: The investigation” shows how federal investigators found the rioters and built the largest criminal case in U.S. history.
Political leaders, including Trump, called for rioters to face justice for their actions on Jan. 6. This request came because so few people were arrested during the attack. The extremists who led the riot remained free, and some threatened further violence. The government launched the largest federal investigation in American history, resulting in the arrest of over 1,500 individuals from all 50 states. The most serious cases were made by prosecutors against leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. For their roles in planning the attack against the U.S., some extremists were found guilty of seditious conspiracy. Take a look at the Jan. 6 prosecutions by the numbers, including the highest sentence received.
To learn more, explore NPR’s database of federal criminal cases from Jan. 6. You can also see more of NPR’s reporting on the topic.
Deep dive
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
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Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Trump takes 325 milligrams of daily aspirin, which is four times the recommended 81 milligrams of low-dose aspirin used for cardiovascular disease prevention. The president revealed this detail in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published last week. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that anyone over 60 not start a daily dose of aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease if they don’t already have an underlying problem. The group said it’s reasonable to stop preventive aspirin in people already taking it around age 75 years. Trump is 79. This is what you should know about aspirin and cardiac health:
- 💊 Doctors often prescribe the low dose of aspirin because there’s no benefit to taking a higher dose, according to a large study published in 2021.
- 💊 Some people, including adults who have undergone heart bypass surgery and those who have had a heart attack, should take the advised dose of the drug for their entire life.
- 💊 While safer than other blood thinners, the drug — even at low doses — raises the risk of bleeding in the stomach and brain. But these adverse events are unlikely to cause death.
3 things to know before you go
When an ant pupa has a deadly, incurable infection, it sends out a signal that tells worker ants to unpack it from its cocoon and disinfect it, a process that results in its death.
Christopher D. Pull/ISTA
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Christopher D. Pull/ISTA
- Young, terminally ill ants will send out an altruistic “kill me” signal to worker ants, according to a study in the journal Nature Communications. With this strategy, the sick ants sacrifice themselves for the good of their colony.
- In this week’s Far-Flung Postcards series, you can spot a real, lone California sequoia tree in the Parc des Buttes Chaumont in Paris. Napoleon III transformed the park from a former landfill into one of the French capital’s greenest escapes.
- The ACLU and several authors have sued Utah over its “sensitive materials” book law, which has now banned 22 books in K-12 schools. Among the books on the ban list are The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. (via KUER)
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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