Minnesota, US Officials Clash Over ICE Shooting Investigation (New York Times)

‌

A federal immigration agent fatally shot a woman, identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, in Minneapolis on Wednesday, the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
‌

Local and federal officials were immediately divided on how the shooting unfolded. President Trump and other federal officials asserted that the agent acted “in self-defense,” while Minnesota officials described those accounts as “propaganda” and “garbage.”
‌

On Wednesday night, thousands of people gathered to protest at a vigil as the shooting reignited the debate on the deployment of federal agents and troops in cities across the country. Protesters were met with tear gas at a federal building Thursday morning as at least 100 more federal agents were being deployed to Minnesota.

In a post on social media, Trump said he believed the agent had shot the driver in self-defense and falsely claimed the woman “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over” the officer. "It is hard to believe he is alive, but is now recovering in the hospital," Trump said. 

‌

Video footage shows otherwise: After the shooting, the agent walks around, with no obvious signs of external injuries, the Washington Post reported.

An analysis of footage from three camera angles show that the vehicle appears to be turning away from a federal officer as he opened fire.

Jacob Frey: I’m the Mayor of Minneapolis. Trump Is Lying to You. (New York Times - Opinion)

In Oregon: Federal Agents Involved in Shooting of Two People in Portland (New York Times)

Federal agents shot two people in Portland on Thursday during a traffic stop, a day after the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis stoked outrage over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement. 

A Homeland Security Department spokeswoman said in a statement that US Border Patrol agents were conducting a “targeted vehicle stop,” and that an agent fired a shot after the driver allegedly tried to run them over.

Local police said they have no information on the identity of the two people who were shot, a man and a woman. Gov. Tina Kotek of Oregon demanded a full and transparent investigation by federal officials, the New York Times reported.
‌

Perspective: Agents in Immigration Enforcement Have Fired at Vehicles at Least 10 Times (New York Times)

The shooting in Portland was at least the 10th since September by federal agents who are part of the Trump administration’s immigration operation — and all 10 involved people were in their vehicles.

US Supreme Court Decisions Due 

‌

Today in Washington: Supreme Court Sets Today for Opinions Amid Tariffs Watch (Bloomberg)

‌

The US Supreme Court scheduled today as an opinion day, indicating that it will be the first chance for a ruling on President Trump’s global tariffs.
‌

The court never says in advance which decisions are ready for release, only that rulings in argued cases are possible when the justices take the bench at 10:00 a.m. Washington time. A tariff decision is a possibility given the court’s expedited handling of the case so far.

A ruling against Trump on tariffs would undercut his signature economy policy and deliver his biggest legal defeat since returning to the White House. At issue are Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” tariffs, which placed levies of 10-50% on most imports, along with duties imposed on Canada, Mexico and China in the name of addressing fentanyl trafficking.

Arguments on Nov. 5 suggested the court was skeptical that Trump had the authority to impose the tariffs under a 1977 law that gives the president special powers during emergency situations.

A ruling striking down the tariffs would likely give a boost to stocks by promising to improve profit margins and remove a burden on consumers. At the same time, Treasuries may come under pressure as that potential stimulus complicates the outlook for the Fed’s rate-cut path and threatens to worsen the government’s budget deficit.

Some stocks stand to benefit more than others. The tariffs have been particularly painful for businesses that are heavily dependent on imported goods, such as companies that cater to the US consumer. Financial firms like banks are seen as likely to benefit from a more confident or flush consumer as well.

Clothing and toy companies — both heavily dependent on imports from China and other Asian countries targeted with some of the highest tariffs — are seen as clear winners.

Nike Inc. and Mattel Inc. are potential standouts to watch. Others include Deckers Outdoor Corp., Under Armour Inc., Crocs Inc., and American Eagle Outfitters Inc., all of which have struggled with tariff-related uncertainty. Home furnishing stocks have been volatile too, including Wayfair Inc., Williams-Sonoma Inc. and RH.

Corporate Revolt: More Than 1,000 Companies Are Suing Trump Over His Tariffs (Bloomberg)

After months on the sidelines, a flood of businesses spanning the global economy sued in the weeks since the justices signaled skepticism about Trump’s signature trade policy during a Nov. 5 hearing.

Decisions Beyond Tariffs: Supreme Court Cases That Could Shape 2026, Including Birthright Citizenship and the Voting Rights Act (Axios)

‌

What I'm Reading

 
Oval Office Interview: Trump Lays Out a Vision of Power Restrained Only by ‘My Own Morality’ (New York Times)

President Trump declared that his power as commander in chief is constrained only by his “own morality,” brushing aside international law and other checks on his ability to use military might to strike, invade or coerce nations around the world.
‌

Asked in a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times if there were any limits on his global powers, Trump said: “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.” “I don’t need international law,” he added.

GOP Pushback: Senate Rebukes Trump on Venezuela, Seeks to End Military Action (Bloomberg)
‌

The Senate dealt a rare rebuke to President Trump in a Thursday vote to advance legislation opposing further military action in Venezuela, demonstrating formidable political opposition to a foreign intervention that has yet to cost the life of a single US service member.

Five Republicans crossed party lines to join with all Democrats on the procedural vote to rein in Trump, after senators in both parties complained about a lack of consultation with Congress before Trump ordered the military to seize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

Venezuela Aftermath: French President Macron Slams US for Breaching International Law (Bloomberg)

Gun Violence in Utah: Mass Shooting at Salt Lake City Church Meetinghouse Kills At Least 2, Police Say (Axios)

A shooting outside a Salt Lake City church on Wednesday has killed two people and injured at least six others, police in Utah's capital said. Authorities report that suspects are still at large.

‌

Energy Warfare: Russia Strikes Western Ukraine With Rare Oreshnik Missile (Bloomberg)

Russia carried out a strike near Ukraine’s western border with an intermediate-range ballistic missile known as Oreshnik, sending a threatening signal to Kyiv’s allies amid a widespread air attack that targeted energy infrastructure and damaged apartment buildings.

The attacks, nearly four years after Putin’s invasion began, come amid negotiations between Zelenskiy’s team and the US on bringing an end to the war, including security guarantees for postwar Ukraine from its allies.

This week, the Ukrainian leader said that his team was ready to discuss the “most difficult issues” with President Donald Trump’s envoys after negotiators secured a breakthrough on security guarantees for Kyiv.

Extreme Weather Down Under: Australia Faces Critical Fire Warnings Amid Record-Breaking Heat Wave (New York Times)

Temperatures are well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in much of the country, and forecasters warned of potentially catastrophic fire conditions today. 

Trump's Economy: US Inflation Expectations, Job Perceptions Worsen in Fed Survey (Bloomberg)

US inflation expectations rose in December while perceptions of job availability were the worst in at least 12.5 years, according to a monthly survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Innovation at Risk: Trump Cuts to Academia Risk Ceding AI Lead in the US, Warns Microsoft Scientist (Financial Times)

🎙️ Now Live! Dive into the latest episode of the Daily Read Podcast—your smart, AI-driven breakdown of the day’s biggest headlines. Get richer context, sharper insights, and thoughtful analysis that takes you beyond the text. Catch the newest episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts today.

Talk of London: UK Plans Pubs Support Package After Post-Budget Tax Backlash (Bloomberg)

‌

The UK government plans to announce a support package for pubs in the coming days, after a backlash from the sector over higher tax bills.

The Treasury is preparing to reveal the support after criticism of business rates reforms announced in Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves’ budget last November.

JPMorgan's New NYC Tower: The Man Who Controls the Lights at 270 Park Avenue (New York Magazine)

Atop a tower near Bryant Park, reachable by two service-elevator rides and down a concrete hallway, high-tech artist Leo Villareal's temporary workspace is, apart from his own presence, pretty artless. It’s just a computer and monitor on a plastic folding table and a couple of office chairs, New York Magazine writes. 

From this chilly vantage point, Villareal can see his monitor and also the top half of 270 Park Avenue, the new JPMorgan Chase tower. At dusk, he takes the controls.

Villareal works principally in the form of light installations, and for its new building, JPMorgan Chase commissioned an immense one. His Celestial Passage is a swimming, animated display on 181,200 small groups of LEDs, each functioning as an individually controllable one-by-six-inch pixel. They create patterns on the building’s surface that slowly drift and dissolve into one another.

According to New York Magazine, Villareal’s work is up there, it’s nuanced and comparatively unflashy in large part because the LEDs aren’t cranked up all the way. He says that, at their peak brightness, they’re running at a quarter of their maximum output.

‌

‌

Giving Back: A Boost for Vision

Mike Bloomberg recently joined the In Good Company podcast for a conversation with Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank, which is Norway's Sovereign Wealth Fund.

In a wide-ranging conversation, from building the Bloomberg Terminal to his first job, Mike discusses the role of philanthropy and his approach to giving back:

"For me, I give away virtually all the profits of the company. And you can really see the results."

Mike discussed Bloomberg Philanthropies' Vision Initiative, announced in September, which will invest $75 million toward improving global vision care. 
‌

"I was down in Baltimore, and I sat next to a second grader. She’s talking to an old guy, and you know, it’s not easy for her, but we talk. And I said, you know, we have these glasses, and look here, you can pick the color, and they have all different colors for kids. And she said, I want this, no, I want this. Finally, she picks the color.
‌

And she put the glasses on, and she started crying. 'I can see, I can see.' Maybe they never knew that she needed glasses. They never thought about testing her eyes or whatever. And I did check in two days ago this week, no connection to today, but I checked in. She still has them and hasn’t lost them yet. But if they lose them, the principal of the school knows to call, and we’ll give them another one.”

Listen to the full podcast episode on Spotify here or watch on YouTube here. 

Learn More: A Billion People Need Vision Care. What a New Bloomberg Effort Will Do (Forbes) 

Bloomberg Philanthropies is investing $75 million over the next two years into a global Vision Initiative, including NYC-based eyeglass company Warby Parker as a lead partner along with a variety of other partners such as VisionSpring, RestoringVision and Vision to Learn, Forbes reported on Sept. 28, 2025. 

The goal of the initiative is to improve vision care around the world. This will consist of providing more vision screenings, corrective lenses like eyeglasses and contact lenses and cataract surgeries as well as improving the data available to make proper vision-related decisions.

Mike called poor vision “an enormous obstacle to success in school and careers” and said that “in most cases, it can be easily fixed.” He described fixing vision as a way for “more people to fulfill their potential.”

The Announcement: Bloomberg Philanthropies Launches Global Effort to Improve Vision Care (Bloomberg Philanthropies - Press Release)

Below: Mike visited Warby Parker and Vision to Learn's mobile clinic at Barclay Elementary School in Baltimore on Oct. 16, 2025, where students received free eye exams and glasses to help them succeed:

‌

‌

Weekend Streaming Guide

Run Away (Netflix)
The Sheekey family’s favorite thriller writer, Harlan Coben, has a new made-for-Netflix series out, Run Away. I’m halfway through and it’s very Coben—twisty, propulsive, and hard to stop watching. Robin and Samantha, more disciplined than I am, have already binged the whole thing.

Golden Globes (CBS, Paramount+)
Just as the new year begins, so does awards season, with the Golden Globes. Nikki Glaser is set to host, as titles including “One Battle After Another,” “Sinners” and “Hamnet” compete in the film categories, and “Severance,” “The White Lotus” and “The Pitt” compete in television. This year, the show will feature a new category: best podcast. Airing on Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS; streaming on Paramount+. View the full list of nominees here. 

The Pitt (HBO Max)
Season 2 of The Pitt premieres this week on HBO Max, continuing the Emmy Award–winning medical procedural set inside the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. The new season unfolds over a single Fourth of July weekend, following doctors and nurses as they handle a surge of incoming patients during an intense hours-long shift.

Best of Late Night

On the Trump administration announcing that the US would sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil and that Trump, personally, would be in control of the proceeds:

“Trump promises that the petrodollars will be ‘used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!’ So good news, people of Venezuela: Caracas is getting a ballroom!” 
-- Stephen Colbert

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but presidents can’t just steal and sell stuff that belongs to another country. That’s what pirates do.”
-- Stephen Colbert

“Yep, Trump’s buying properties and seizing boats. He’s pretty much playing ‘Monopoly’ and ‘Battleship.’”
-- Jimmy Fallon
‌

And from The Daily Show: Ronny Chieng says Trump is taking charge of Venezuela's oil industry and replacing their old dictator with a new one: himself. Plus, the president adds a bunch of other countries to his to-be-overthrown list, including Greenland. Click the photo below to watch. 
‌