Morning Brief: ICE Shooting In Minneapolis, U.S. Seizes Oil Tankers & RFK Jr. Flips Food Pyramid

Minneapolis protests turn violent after a shooting involving an ICE agent turns fatal, the United States seizes two oil tankers attempting to run the Venezuelan blockade, and the Trump administration releases dramatically new dietary guidelines.

It’s Thursday, January 8, 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:

ICE Officer Fatally Shoots Woman Who Drove Car Toward Him

A 37-year-old woman was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning by an ICE officer. The chaotic scene was captured on video and replayed across major network news for the rest of the day. The video showed a woman in her vehicle appearing to block the street. ICE agents approached her car and told her to get out of the vehicle. She disregarded the agents, backed up her car, then drove forward toward an ICE agent. One angle appears to show the car making contact with an ICE officer before the fatal shot was fired. Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz urged nationwide demonstrations against ICE and ordered the state’s National Guard to prepare for deployment. The Trump administration defended the ICE agents, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem saying the woman attempted to “weaponize her vehicle” and was shot in self-defense.

U.S. Seizes Venezuela-Tied ‘Dark’ Tanker Flying Russian Flag

The Trump administration continues to exert pressure on Venezuela, seizing two oil tankers on Wednesday, one flying under a Russian flag. As part of its effort to evade American sanctions, Venezuela has deployed a so-called “dark” or “shadow fleet” of oil tankers that often sail outside of legal shipping lanes and deploy false flags. The U.S. Coast Guard seized one such vessel on Wednesday after it had evaded capture last year when it sailed from Venezuela to Iran. Mid-journey, the Bella 1, as it is called, began flying a Russian flag and changed its registration to Russia. Russia even intervened diplomatically with the United States, urging the U.S. to end the pursuit. Russia sent several vessels to escort the tanker, but the U.S. military seized it anyway. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the crew of that vessel is “under full investigation and criminal charges will be pursued against all culpable actors.” Moscow claimed the ship had been given lawful permission to fly under a Russian flag and slammed the seizure as “piracy.”

RFK Jr. Flips The Food Pyramid

Fulfilling another MAHA promise, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has flipped the food pyramid and announced sweeping changes to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). The food pyramid has been completely flipped to prioritize healthy fats and protein and limit or avoid ultra-processed foods. During a press conference on Wednesday, Kennedy and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the “war” on “healthy fats” is over and recommended that Americans include nutrient-dense protein in every meal, such as eggs, poultry, seafood, and red meat. At the bottom of the pyramid – now the smallest part of the pyramid – are fiber-rich whole grains, but the DGA emphasizes that refined carbohydrates should be avoided. The guidance also says to “avoid highly processed, packaged, prepared, or ‘ready-to-eat’ foods,” as well as “sugar-sweetened beverages, like soda, fruit drinks, and energy drinks.”