Transcription
Welcome to democracyow democracynow.org the Warren Peace Report. I'm Amy Goodman.
Protests broke out in Portland, Oregon Thursday after a border patrol agent shot and wounded a married couple during a vehicle stop in a hospital parking lot. The incident came a day after an ICE agent fatally shot a mother of three in Minneapolis, Renee Good, sparking nationwide protests.
In Portland, local police said the man and woman survived the shooting, then drove two miles before calling 911 for medical help. Their identities and current condition have not been released.
After the shooting, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson called for a halt to ICE operations in the city. "We know what the federal government says happened here. There was a time when we could take them at their word. That time is long past."
"That's right."
"That is why we are calling on ICE to halt all operations in Portland until a full and independent investigation can take place. Our community deserves answers. Our community deserves accountability. And most of all, our community deserves peace."
This comes as protests continue across the United States over the killing of Renee Good, the mother of three shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis Wednesday. Good was shot inside her car after she dropped her six-year-old son off at school. Video of the shooting shows masked ICE agents approaching her vehicle, screaming her uh for her to get out of the effing car, using the profanity, and attempting to force open her driver's side door. As Good attempted to drive past the officers, a masked agent pulled his gun out and fired three rounds at Good.
On Thursday, Vice President J. D. Vance claimed Good had aimed her car at the officer, but the New York Times published a slow-motion analysis showing how her vehicle was turning away from the officer when he opened fire and shot her in the face. Vance also claimed the ICE officer, who's been identified as Jonathan Ross, is "protected by absolute immunity."
Local officials in Minnesota have denounced the FBI for preventing state authorities from being part of the investigation into Renee Good's death. On Thursday, Minnesota Governor Tim Wall said the FBI had blocked the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the BCA, from accessing case materials, scene evidence, or investigative interviews. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry wrote online, "Let's call a spade a spade." Christy Gnome watched the videos and doesn't want an impartial investigation because she knows her narrative about domestic terrorism is bull.
In related news, Illinois Democratic Congresswoman Robin Kelly's announced she's introducing articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Christy Gnome. Kelly said, "She wreaks havoc in the Chicagoland area and has brought her reign of terror to Minneapolis. One of her rogue ICE agents shot and killed an innocent woman today. It must come to an end."
Minnesota Governor Tim Walls and other officials are also calling on immigration agents to stay away from schools in Minneapolis after armed mass border patrol officers came onto the property of Roosevelt's high school during dismissal on Wednesday. Agents deployed chemical weapons, tackled people, and handcuffed two staff members. US Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bo was at the school during the operation, which took place just after the killing of Renee Good. Minneapolis schools are closed again today for in-person classes.
On Capitol Hill, the Senate advanced a bipartisan measure intended to block the Trump administration from conducting further military action in Venezuela following Saturday's US attack and abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Five Republican senators backed the measure, joining Democrats. They were Ran Paul, Josh Holly, Lisa Marowski, Susan Collins, and Todd Young. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine sponsored the measure. "Here is something I can guarantee you. No one has ever regretted. No one has ever regretted a vote that just says, 'Mr. President, before you send our sons and daughters to war, come to Congress.' That is a vote that no one has ever regretted and no one will ever regret."
In a social media post this morning, President Trump said he canceled a second wave of attacks on Venezuela after Venezuela's interim government agreed to cooperate with us on a number of issues. On Thursday, a number of prisoners were released, including Enrique Marquez, a prominent opposition figure. President Trump is scheduled to meet with top oil executives from Chevron, Exon Mobile, Kaneko Phillips, and other oil firms at the White House today to discuss the future of Venezuela. Trump has repeatedly said the US plans to take control of Venezuela's vast oil reserves. Trump's claims big oil firms plan to invest a hundred billion dollars in Venezuela. Trump's also expected to meet next week with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Kadina Machado, who won this year's Nobel Peace Prize. On Saturday, Trump dismissed the idea of installing Machado as Venezuela's leader. The Washington Post reports Trump's refusal to support her stemmed from her decision to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, which Trump had wanted. One source told the Washington Post, "If she had turned it down and said, 'I can't accept it because it's Donald Trump's,' she'd be president of Venezuela today." After the Washington Post article ran, Machado announced she wanted to share her Nobel Prize with Trump.
On Thursday, Trump appeared on Fox News and was asked about this by Sean Hannity. "Do you have any plans to meet with her and would you accept the Nobel Prize she wants to hand to you?"
"Well, I understand she's coming in next week sometime and I look forward to saying hello to her and I I've heard that she wants to do that. That would be a great honor."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced plans to meet next week with Danish officials to discuss the future of Greenland, as the Trump administration explores ways to seize the Danish territory. Reuters reports the Trump administration is considering sending lump-sum payments of up to $100,000 to each resident of Greenland to convince them to secede from Denmark. The US has also not ruled out using military force to take over Greenland. Earlier this week, Trump told reporters at the New York Times he wants to take ownership of Greenland. In the same interview, Trump dismissed the importance of international law.
"Is there anything that could stop you if you wanted to?"
"No, there's one thing. My own morality, my own mind. That's the only thing that can stop. And..."
"And that's very good. I I don't need international law. I'm not looking to hurt people."
"Do you feel your administration needs to abide by international law on the global stage?"
"Yeah, I I do. I you know I do, but it it depends what your definition of international law is."
President Trump was speaking to the New York Times in a wide-ranging, two-hour interview. This comes as the German president Frank Walter Steinmeer has sharply criticized Trump's foreign policy. He warned the world's turning into a "den of robbers where the most unscrupulous take whatever they want."
Anti-government protests continue in a number of Iranian cities despite a new nationwide internet blackout there. International calls are also being blocked. The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights estimates 45 people have been killed since the protests began December 28th over Iran's economic crisis, which has been worsened in part by US sanctions. Earlier today, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hami said protesters are "ruining their own streets to please US President Donald Trump." On Thursday, Trump renewed his threat to attack Iran if security forces violently crush the protests. Trump said, "If they do it, we're going to hit them very hard."
In news from Gaza, Israeli forces have killed at least 14 Palestinians over the past day in attacks targeting areas across the Gaza Strip, including homes in the Barge refugee camp. "Since they destroyed the house, I have nothing left. I sat like this, leaning on the floor. I'm 63 years old. For 63 years, when I built this house, I put a shekel on top of a shekel to build it, and it was gone. Gone in seconds. They say there's peace and a truce, but there is neither peace nor truce." Israeli forces have killed at least 425 Palestinians since the so-called US-brokered ceasefire with Hamas came into effect in October.
Russia launched a massive overnight drone and missile attack on Ukraine. For just the second time, Russia fired a new hypersonic nuclear-capable ballistic missile that flies at roughly 10 times the speed of sound. Ukraine reported four people were killed in Kyiv, including an emergency medical aid worker. At least 20 buildings were struck in Kyiv, including the embassy of Qatar. Recent Russian strikes have also cut off power and water to more than a million people in southeastern Ukraine.
On Capitol Hill, the House has passed a bill to restore subsidies for the Affordable Care Act for three years. 17 Republicans joined with Democrats to pass the measure, but it's unclear if the bill will pass in the Senate. Health insurance premiums soared this month for millions after the subsidies expired.
Meanwhile, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Kana are urging a federal judge to appoint a special master to oversee the process of releasing files under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Massie and Kana said, "Put simply, the DOJ cannot be trusted with making mandatory disclosures under the act."
And New York Governor Kathy Hokll and New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani have announced plans to launch a new program to provide free child care for two-year-olds in New York City and expanding pre-K programs statewide. The announcement comes a week after Momdani was sworn into office and as he ran a campaign vowing to deliver universal child care to every New Yorker.
"To those who doubt the power of the people to make their own destiny. To the cynics who insist that politics is too broken to deliver meaningful change. To those who think that the promises of a campaign cannot survive once confronted with the realities of government. Today is your answer."
And those are some of the headlines. This is democracyow democracynow.org the Warren Peace Report. I'm Amy Goodman. Thanks for watching Democracy Now on YouTube. Subscribe to the channel and turn on notifications to make sure you never miss a video. And for more of our audience-supported journalism, go to democracynow.org where you can download our news app, sign up for our newsletter, subscribe to the daily podcast, and so much more.