Stories Speak Volumes: Jan 10-Jan 16
A Round-Up of National and International News
Compiled by
There are so many stories making up the mosaic of national/international news that we can’t cover them all every week. The biggest stories now seem to be: Israel and Iran, the Trump presidency (lawfare and judges), immigration (migrants and illegals), wars, weaponization of government (the deep state) against Trump and conservatives, our nation’s debt, massive inflation, climate change controversy and related expenses of government, industry attempting to address these issues, the Chinese threat, national security, abortion, taxpayer cuts, Ukraine peace, and hatred and violence against Christians. Here are just a few:
Minneapolis Police Retreat After Anti-ICE Rioters Attack Them and Seize Control
Jan. 10: Gateway Pundit by Cassandra MacDonald
Minneapolis police officers, including Chief Brian O’Hara, were attacked and chased out of a downtown area by violent anti-ICE rioters on Friday night. Officers were seen in video footage from the riot abandoning the streets, leaving the area under the control of leftist anarchists who have been protesting federal immigration enforcement operations. A large crowd of protesters can be seen advancing on the officers, shouting demands, as police speed away. Riots have escalated in the wake of the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a radical anti-ICE activist, who nearly mowed down an agent with her vehicle last week.
Independent journalist Nick Sortor, who has been on the ground covering the story, posted shocking video showing police in full retreat. Sorter wrote: “MINNEAPOLIS POLICE SURRENDER TO ANTI-ICE RIOTERS AFTER OFFICERS ATTACKED. They have now RUN AWAY and ABANDONED the area which has been TAKEN OVER by leftist anarchists. IT’S TIME FOR THE INSURRECTION ACT, PRESIDENT TRUMP! LOCAL POLICE HAVE CEDED CONTROL TO ANARCHISTS.”
Secretary Rollins — USDA Stops Minnesota’s ‘Handouts to Thieves’ Over Fraud Allegations: ‘Enough Is Enough!’
Jan 10: Breitbart by Amy Furr
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins warned Minnesota’s Democrat leaders on Friday their “handouts to thieves” are at an end, her announcement coming amid news about rampant fraud in the state.
In a social media post, Rollins said President Donald Trump’s administration uncovered massive fraud in Minnesota and Minneapolis which resulted in billions of dollars being “siphoned off by fraudsters.”
She wrote: “Enough is enough! The Trump administration has uncovered MASSIVE fraud in Minnesota and Minneapolis—billions siphoned off by fraudsters. And those in charge have ZERO plan to fix it. Today, @USDA is SUSPENDING FEDERAL FINANCIAL AWARDS to Minnesota and Minneapolis, effective immediately, until sufficient proof has been provided that the fraud has stopped. No more handouts to thieves! Time to drain the Minnesota swamp and put American taxpayers first.”
Spokesman For Mexico’s Ruling Party Claims Cartels as One of Nation’s Largest Employers
Jan. 10: Breitbart by Idefonso Ortiz and Brandon Darby
A spokeswoman for Mexico’s ruling party, MORENA, sparked considerable controversy after publicly claiming that fighting organized crime is not doable because cartels are one of the country’s largest employers. In response to the outrage sparked by the comment, the MORENA party issued a statement distancing itself from it and claiming that political opponents were taking it out of context to attack them.
The controversy began this week, when Adriana Marin, the head of communications for the MORENA party’s Parliamentary Group in Mexico City’s Congress, went to a debate on a local show. During the debate, one of the individuals called for the Narco Pact to end, referring to the government’s protection of criminal organizations in Mexico.
In her response, Marin said, “The drug trade is one of the largest employers at the national level,” Marin said. “They recruit 160,000 to 180,000 persons, and in reality, you need 350 people a week to cover those who are arrested or murdered.”
In her defense of criminal organizations, the MORENA party member made no mention of the hundreds of thousands of victims that have been extorted, kidnapped, murdered, or have had their loved ones taken by drug cartels — some of which have been labelled as foreign terrorist organizations by the United States government.
White House Suggests US Military Used Powerful Sonic Weapon to Take Out Venezuelan Soldiers During Maduro Capture – Witness Says He’s ‘Never Seen Anything Like It’
Jan. 10: Gateway Pundit
The White House on Saturday suggested that the US Military used a powerful sonic weapon to take out Venezuelan soldiers and security guards during the US’s operation to capture Nicolas Maduro.
Earlier this month, the Army’s Delta Force captured Maduro after President Trump ordered military strikes on the South American country.
According to Reuters, Delta Force created an exact replica of Maduro’s safe house and practiced how they would enter and capture him. The CIA had an asset on the ground in Venezuela who infiltrated Maduro’s inner circle.
Iran’s Collapse or Survival Hinges on Choice Inside the Revolutionary Guard
Jan. 11: Fox News by Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis (ret.)
Iran is not merely experiencing another wave of street protests. It is facing a crisis that strikes at the core of the Islamic Republic–and, for the first time in years, places the regime’s survival in real doubt.
Across Iran, demonstrations sparked by economic collapse and corruption have rapidly transformed into direct challenges to clerical rule. Security forces have responded with live fire, mass arrests, and communications blackouts. International reporting cites hundreds of people killed and thousands detained. Internet shutdowns point to a regime determined to suppress not only dissent, but proof of it.
Skater Whose Parents Died in DC Mid-Air Collision Is Going to the Olympics
Jan 11: Red State by Teri Christoph
American figure skater Maxim Naumov, who lost both of his parents – who were also his coaches – in the January 29, 2025 mid-air collision over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is on his way to the Winter Olympics. The 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina will begin Feb. 6 and run through Feb. 22.
Naumov came in third in this weekend’s U.S. figure skating championships being held in St. Louis, Missouri, making him one of the 16 Americans making up the 2026 Olympic team headed to the Winter Olympics in Italy. He placed behind U.S. champion Ilia Malinin and runner-up Andrew Torgashev.
Naumov’s parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, were former world champions in pairs figure skating and represented Russia in the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics. They moved to the United States a few years later to coach at the Skating Club of Boston. They were with their son last January at the 2025 U.S. championship in Wichita, Kansas; he left after the end of the competition, but his parents stayed on a few extra days to attend some workshops.
En route home, their American Airlines flight to Washington’s Reagan National Airport collided in midair with a military helicopter on a night time training mission over Washington’s Potomac River. The crash killed 67 people, 28 of them athletes, coaches or parents connected to U.S. figure skating. There were no survivors.
Iranian Regime Taunts ‘Delusional’ Trump With ‘Overwhelming Firepower’ In Anti-U.S. Rant: ‘Come, Be Burned’
Jan. 12: Breitbart by Joshua Klein
Iran will teach “delusional” and “arrogant” President Donald Trump a “lesson that will never be forgotten,” warned Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who vowed U.S. forces would be “burned by the fire of Iran’s defenders” while insisting “we are your opponent.”
On Monday, in a speech broadcast on Iranian state media, Ghalibaf issued one of the regime’s most aggressive threats, invoking slain terrorist mastermind Gen. Qasem Soleimani and vowing devastating destruction and “eternal historical lessons” for America’s leaders.
The address appeared intended to inflame nationalist sentiment, as Ghalibaf invoked Soleimani — killed in a 2020 U.S. drone strike ordered by President Trump — and alluded to claims of instability in the Iranian city of Mashhad, insisting Iranians would rise in defense of the regime.
Ghalibaf, a former commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a staunch ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has long served as a hardline mouthpiece for the regime within Iran’s power structure. His remarks echo prior regime threats calling for the destruction of the United States and Israel, even as Tehran deepens military ties with Russia and arms proxy forces across the region.
On Friday, another senior regime figure, Hassan Rahimpour Azghadi, launched into an aggressive tirade during a televised broadcast, labeling President Trump an “impure, savage yellow dog” who “must pay the price” and should be captured and punished “like Maduro.” Azghadi claimed that violent attacks inside U.S. territory would be both legally and religiously justified.
National Gas Price Average Falls To $2.79, Lowest Since 2021
Jan. 12: Breitbart by John Nolte
The average national price for a gallon of gas dropped to $2.796, the lowest we’ve seen since 2021, per Automobile Association of America (AAA). One month ago, the average was $2.93.
For obvious reasons, the White House is eager to spread this good news. “In 43 states, the average gas price is below $3/gal. In 30 states, it’s below $2.75/gal,” wrote the White House’s official Rapid Response X account. “In 17 states, it’s at or below $2.50/gal. You can find it at or below $2/gal at certain stations in at least 19 states: AZ, CO, IA, KS, LA, MS, MN, MO, NE, NM, NV, OK, OH, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, WY.”
Trump Cancels Biden Rules Forcing Banks to Give Loans to Illegals
Jan. 12: Breitbart by Warren Todd Huston
The Trump administration has canceled the Biden administration’s rules forcing banks to ignore immigration status for loan applications.
On Monday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Justice Department eliminated the Biden guidelines that ordered lenders not to consider immigration status when evaluating loan and credit applications, a rule that had major implications for mortgages, credit cards, and auto loans, Bloomberg reported.
Biden’s rules raised many complaints when they were announced in 2023. One came from then-Ohio senator and now-Vice President JD Vance, who, when Biden made the change, said that considering immigration status as part of the loan vetting process is “nothing short of common sense.”
Rents Drop for Americans Because Of ICE Deportations
Jan. 13: Breitbart by Neil Munro
ICE’s deportation agents are driving down rents for Americans by sending more illegal migrants back to their home countries, according to data posted by the White House’s “Rapid Response 47” social media account.
“Mass deportations = lower housing costs for Americans,” said the tweet after noting: FACT: In 14 of the top 20 metro areas with the largest illegal migrant populations, home list prices DECLINED year-over-year in December. The three metro areas that saw modest price increases are all “sanctuary cities.”
Venezuela Releases Dozens of Political Prisoners Amid Political Crisis and International Pressure
Jan. 13: Gateway Hispanic by Mariana Ramirez Medina
Venezuela’s interim government, led by Delcy Rodríguez, announced on Thursday, January 8, the release of a significant number of political prisoners—both Venezuelan and foreign nationals—.
The measure, described by authorities as an effort to “strengthen peace and peaceful coexistence,” comes amid deep political turmoil following the military operation that culminated in the capture of narco-tyrant Nicolas Maduro and his wife by the United States.
The announcement was made by Jorge Rodríguez, president of the Venezuelan National Assembly and brother of interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed power after Maduro’s capture.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Says There Are “Disturbing Tapes” Of Minnesota AG Keith Ellison Taking Money to Stop Investigations into Somali Fraud
Jan. 13: Gateway Pundit by Jim Hoft
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has gone public with explosive allegations against radical leftist Attorney General Keith Ellison. Last Friday, the U.S. Treasury Secretary confirmed that federal authorities are aggressively “following the money” amid explosive fraud investigations tied to Minnesota’s sprawling Somali-linked financial networks.
According to Bessent, the Treasury Department has launched multiple enforcement actions focused on suspicious financial flows between Minnesota residents and businesses and overseas destinations, including East Africa, as the federal government intensifies its immigration and fraud crackdown in the state.
Scott Bessent in a Blaze interview:
“It’s hard to follow the money. There are evidently some disturbing tapes of AG Ellison in meetings with people who donated to him—calling for political favors to stop the investigations. We’ll see. I don’t want to get out ahead of the investigation. It’s going to be very methodical. But I can guarantee you—when the bear trap snaps, we’re going to get these folks. We’re going to follow the money, whether it’s here in Minneapolis and St. Paul or over in East Africa. There are tons of luxury properties and cars that have been bought over there.”
A bombshell 54-minute secret recording from December 11, 2021, captured Ellison in a closed-door meeting inside his own state office, schmoozing with Somali-American business leaders who would later be nailed for stealing a whopping $250 million in federal COVID child-feeding funds.
Trump Exits Entire UN “Climate” Regime. Is It Dead?
Jan. 13: Liberty Sentinel by Alex Newman
As part of a broad exodus from “anti-American, wasteful, and useless” international organizations and agreements, President Donald Trump just dealt a devastating blow to the United Nations “climate” regime, as UN officials refer to it. Multiple analysts are now heralding the death of what Trump has repeatedly referred to as the global-warming “hoax.” But the UN and its allies are hitting back hard.
In a January 7 presidential memorandum addressed to heads of executive departments, Trump announced that the U.S. government would be exiting 66 international organizations. About half of those, including the UN climate bodies and agreements, are part of the UN. The decision followed a year-long review ordered by the president early in his second term.
The entire UN climate process, including the Paris Agreement, is built on the foundation known as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The 1992 treaty, signed by President George H.W. Bush and ratified by the U.S. Senate, created a bureaucracy by the same name. And it set in motion the annual climate summits that built the multitrillion-dollar machine dubbed by the UN the “international climate regime.” That system is now in mortal danger.
U.S. Ends Protected Status for Somalis, Orders Departures by Mid-March
Jan. 14: Right Side Broadcasting Network by Dillon Burroughs
The United States said Tuesday it will end Temporary Protected Status for Somalis, requiring thousands to leave the country by March 17 as the Trump administration intensifies immigration enforcement focused in part on Minnesota.
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali community in the United States, estimated at about 80,000 people, and has been a focal point of recent immigration raids and fraud investigations. The stepped-up enforcement has triggered protests, including after an immigration officer fatally shot a woman last week while attempting to arrest her for obstruction.
Minnesota State Rep. Drafts Articles of Impeachment to Oust Gov. Tim Walz
Jan. 14: Right Side Broadcasting News by Jessica Marie Baumgartner
Minnesota State Rep. Mike Weiner, R-District 05B, announced that he has drafted four Articles of Impeachment against Walz, citing that the Governor violated his oath of office. Article I notes that Walz hid or allowed the concealment of mass fraud throughout publicly-funded state programs, “despite repeated warnings, audits, reports, and public indicators of systemic abuse.” Articles II, III and IV all accuse Walz of opposing lawful investigations, lawful administration, and lawful stewardship of public funding.
News of mass fraud reports spread after independent journalist Nick Shirley released an investigation into the state’s Somali-run daycare centers. Many of the facilities were empty, and state leaders could not confirm whether children had attended them. Following the investigation’s findings, President Donald Trump has frozen $10 billion in funding to five states due to widespread childcare funding fraud.
Senate Republicans Strike Down Venezuela War Powers Resolution – Two GOP Senators Flip – Vance Cast Tie-Breaking Vote
Jan. 14: Gateway Pundit by Cristina Laila
Senate Republicans struck down a war powers resolution that would have blocked President Trump from using military force against Venezuela. Last Thursday the Senate voted 52-47 to advance a war powers resolution to limit President Trump’s military actions in Venezuela. Last week five Republican senators joined the Democrats to advance the resolution: Young (IN), Murkowski (AK), Collins (ME), Rand Paul (KY), and Hawley (MO).
On Wednesday, two Republican Senators – Hawley (MO) and Young (IN) flipped and voted to strike down the resolution. Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote.
Three Illegal Aliens Accused of Beating ICE Agent with Shovel in Minneapolis
Jan. 15: Breitbart by John Binder
A trio of illegal aliens, all released into the United States by the Biden administration, is accused of viciously beating an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent with a shovel in Minneapolis, Minnesota, yesterday evening.
Amid ongoing anti-ICE riots in Minnesota, ICE agents were conducting a targeted enforcement operation in Minneapolis against illegal alien Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis of Venezuela, who was previously convicted of driving without a license and arrested for providing a false name to a peace officer. Sosa-Celis, who had been released from jail by Minnesota officials before ICE agents could take custody of him, first crossed the border in 2022 and was released into the U.S. interior by the Biden administration.
As ICE agents attempted to arrest Sosa-Celis, he allegedly fled the scene in a vehicle and crashed into a parked car before fleeing on foot. An ICE agent ran after Sosa-Celis, and when he caught up to the illegal alien, Sosa-Celis allegedly began assaulting the agent. During the struggle, Venezuelan illegal aliens Alfredo Alejandro Ajorna and Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma ran to the scene and allegedly began beating the ICE agent with a shovel.
Sosa-Celis was able to get himself free, and after doing so, allegedly began beating the ICE agent with the shovel as well. This is when the ICE agent said he feared for his life and shot Sosa-Celis in his leg. Sosa-Celis, Ajorna, and Hernandez-Ledezma ran to a nearby apartment complex, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials, and barricaded themselves inside. The ICE agent is recovering from his injuries in the hospital, as is Sosa-Celis. The other two illegal aliens are now in ICE custody.
Air Force Blocks Retirement of Exemplary Officer and Discharges Her Over Lawful Objections to Vaccines
Jan. 15: Gateway Pundit by J.M. Phelps
An exemplary Air Force officer is losing her retirement after a Board of Inquiry abruptly closes the door on her. The Gateway Pundit spoke to David Younts, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer, who now serves as Maj. Kim Bitter’s legal counsel. Upon thoroughly assessing her career, he said, “She has had an outstanding career. No issues. No misconduct. You’ll find nothing negative about her service. Her character and integrity have never been questioned.”
Rather what has been repeatedly observed is the military pretending as though First Amendment rights do not apply to service members, the very individuals who have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States.
During the COVID-19 era, Maj. Bitter filed a request for a medical exemption from the shot due to a preexisting health condition. Even though a doctor advised her against the shot, the military rejected her request. She also filed for a religious accommodation, but that request was denied as well.
March For Life 2026 Challenges Abortion with Message ‘Life Is a Gift’
Jan. 15: The Catholic Virginian by Katie Yoder, OSV News
The 2026 national March for Life promises to bring tens of thousands of pro-life Americans to the nation’s capital to celebrate the beauty of every human person, born and unborn, with the theme “Life Is a Gift.”
“‘Life is a Gift’ is a universal message that speaks to the heart and cuts through the noise,” Jennie Bradley Lichter, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, told OSV News in emailed comments about the 53rd annual March for Life in Washington on Friday, Jan. 23.
Every year, the national March for Life, which calls itself the “largest annual human rights demonstration in the world,” takes place on or around the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, which once legalized abortion nationwide. This year’s event marks the fourth march since the high court overturned Roe with the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision.
Nobel Committee Lectures María Corina Machado After She Shares Her Peace Prize with President Donald Trump
Jan. 16: Gateway Pundit by Jim Hoft
The Nobel Committee passed over President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize in October despite the US leader brokering eight different peace treaties his first year back in office, and that was in his first 10 months. He is even credited with the peace agreement between Israel and Hamas that went into effect late last year.
Maria Corina Machado, who was awarded the peace prize for her work fighting for freedom in communist Venezuela, dedicated her peace prize Thursday to President Donald Trump during their first official meeting in the White House. Following the meeting, the Nobel Committee put out a defiant statement stating the Nobel Prize cannot be shared with or transferred to another person.
Elderly NYC Doorman Jailed 4 Years After Defending Himself from Mugger
Jan. 16: Red State by Rusty Weiss
Charles Foehner, a 67-year-old retired doorman, has begun serving a four-year prison sentence following his conviction on weapons possession charges tied to a 2023 self-defense incident. Foehner reported to and was locked up at the Eric M Taylor Center in the Bronx on Wednesday.
Foehner, who was carrying a gun for self-protection in the crime-ridden city, fired a single shot, fatally wounding 32-year-old Cody Gonzalez. Foehner, who was carrying a gun for self-protection in the crime-ridden city, fired a single shot, fatally wounding Gonzalez. Foehner immediately called 911 and cooperated with police. He explained that he acted out of fear for his life after Gonzalez had lunged toward him with an object that he thought was a knife.
Mike Hernandez is co-founder of the Citizens Journal–Ventura County’s online news service and writes for CitizensJournal.net and MountainTopMedia.com. He is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor, writer of “Prayer Over News Daily” and edits the weekly “Stories Speak Volumes” and other columns. Mr. Hernandez mentors citizen journalists with trainings held every other month (on Saturdays at Shasta Bible College and online) and can be contacted at MikeHernandezMedia.com.