Anti-ICE protests break out around the country as the story surrounding the woman shot dead by a federal agent in Minneapolis unfurls, and President Donald Trump considers his options as Iranian protestors feel the force of the regime.
It’s Monday, January 12, 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:
New Footage Released In ICE Fatal Shooting
Nationwide protests continued following a deadly ICE shooting in Minneapolis. Cell phone footage obtained by Alpha News has given more context to the shooting death of 37-year-old Renee Good. As the ICE agent approaches Good, who’s sitting in the driver’s seat, her wife taunts him. Seconds later, as other agents demand that Good get out of her car, her wife yells, “Drive, baby, drive.” You can then see Good backing up her car, turning the wheels to the right, and then accelerating forward. The officer lets out a scream as he’s seemingly hit by the vehicle as he fires three shots. Republicans generally felt that the footage further vindicated the officer and proved it was a case of self-defense. Many on the Left continued to double down on their criticism of the officer. Over the weekend, Democratic lawmakers flooded the airwaves to slam the Trump administration and ICE.
Trump Weighs U.S. Action After Iran Cracks Down On Protesters
President Trump is reportedly weighing action in Iran as the regime cracks down on protests that have roiled the country since late December. The Iranian government shut down internet access and banned international phone calls late last week. Over the past few days, the estimated death toll has risen from a few dozen to hundreds or even thousands killed by Iranian security forces bolstered by Iran’s terror proxies outside the country. Trump is reportedly weighing how to respond to Iran’s violent tactics. Tehran has said any potential strike will be met with retaliation against American and Israeli forces in the region. Israel has said its military stands ready for anything.
Iran Expert On Chance Of Regime Change
The uprising in Iran poses the threat of becoming even more bloody – but also presents the possibility of a more stable, democratic Middle East. Behnam Ben Taleblu, the senior director of the Iran Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, spoke to Morning Wire about the possibility of regime collapse and what could come next. According to Taleblu, the current round of protesting is the “most important challenge to the regime’s legitimacy from the street in the past 46 years.” On the chance that the Islamist regime falls and is replaced by a more democratic government, Taleblu said it’s possible, but it depends on receiving aid from outside and on the form that assistance takes. “The most important question is not if and when the regime falls, but how the regime falls,” he said.
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