The Headlines - Border Patrol Agents Shoot 2 in Oregon, and Trump Says, ‘I Don’t Need International Law’

Episode Date: January 9, 2026

Plus, your Friday news quiz. Here’s what we’re covering:Federal Agents Shoot 2 During Traffic Stop in Portland, Ore. by Anna Griffin, Hamed Aleaziz and Thomas FullerAmid Protests, ICE Told Agents to Take ‘Decisive Action’ if Threatened by Hamed AleazizHighlights From The Times’s Interview With President Trump by The New York TimesSenate Advances Measure to Curb Trump’s Use of Force in Venezuela by Robert Jimison and Megan MineiroIran Is Cut Off From Internet as Protests Calling for Regime Change Intensify by Farnaz Fassihi, Pranav Baskar and Sanam MahooziA Fierce Debate With Polymarket: Did the U.S. ‘Invade’ Venezuela? by Joe RennisonTune in every weekday morning, and tell us what you think at: [e-mail]. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

From the New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. Today's Friday, January 9th. Here's what we're covering. The top group is going to be to the off 1 engine 7 with medic 314. They have a male who was shot twice in the arm and his wife who was shot in the chest. Police are en route. In Portland, Oregon yesterday, Border Patrol agents fired on two people during a traffic stop, just a day after an ICE officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis. A Homeland Security spokeswoman said the agent in Portland, fired after the driver tried to run them over. The department made the same claim in Minneapolis, though video analysis by the Times appeared to contradict that. In Portland, the spokeswoman said Border Patrol was targeting an undocumented immigrant who was a member of the Trende Aragua gang. 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. Portland's mayor called for an independent investigation and said the shooting was a sign that federal immigration efforts are out of control. Portland is not a training ground for militarized agents. We stand with Minneapolis. We stand with Chicago. We stand with L.A. The Portland police chief said his officers only learned about the shooting when the injured man called 911. He had driven off, and paramedics reached the victims more than two miles from where the traffic stop happened.

On emergency radio broadcasts, an EMT said that the woman in the car had a chest wound. The police chief said when his officers did get to the scene, the federal agents involved in the shooting were no longer there. Meanwhile, the Times has learned that several weeks ago, officials at ICE headquarters sent out a stark warning to its agents across the country. In an email, they were told about an increase in protests and threats against officers. And the email said that they should be, quote, prepared to take appropriate and decisive action should you be faced with an imminent threat. It was signed by the head of enforcement and removal operations, who wrote, I have full faith and confidence that each of you possess the training and knowledge to exercise the appropriate response. Do you see any checks on your power on the world stage?

Is there anything that could stop you if you wanted to? Yeah, there's one thing. my own morality, my own mind. It's the only thing that can stop. Not international law. In an interview with The Times this week, President Trump laid out the most blunt articulation yet of his worldview, saying that he is the only check on his power as commander-in-chief when it comes to foreign affairs.

He said, quote, I don't need international law. We have to keep parts of the world safe that we feel responsible for NATO. is not feared by Russia or China at all, not even a little bit. We're tremendously feared because of the fact that I built the military. If I didn't rebuild the military, it would be just like them. Trump asserted that he has complete freedom to use military, economic, or political power to secure American dominance around the world, brushing aside things like treaties. On topic after topic, while sitting down with Times reporters,

Trump made clear that in his mind, previous presidents had been too caution. to use American force to its full potential. And he also made clear that he intentionally uses his reputation for unpredictability, as well as his willingness to quickly resort to military action, as a way of coercing other countries. Meanwhile, Make no mistake, bombing another nation's capital and removing their president is an act of war, plain and simple.

No provision in the Constitution, provides such power to the presidency. The Senate delivered a rare bipartisan rebuke of Trump yesterday, with 52 lawmakers voting to advance a measure that would curb the president's use of force in Venezuela. Trump launched the U.S.'s recent actions there with no consultation or authorization by Congress. And Senator Rand Paul suggested that part of what convinced a handful of Republicans to join with Democrats in the vote was Trump saying this week that the U.S. could be involved in Venezuela for years.

The stage is now set for another vote next week that would force Trump to get congressional approval for continued operations in Venezuela, though Trump could veto any measure that Congress eventually passes. In a post on social media, Trump lashed out at the five Republicans who voted to assert congressional authority over his war powers. He called it stupidity and urged voters to push them out of office.

In Iran, nationwide protests against the country's authoritarian government escalated last night. Crowds gathered in Tehran and other major cities, setting cars and government buildings on fire. For weeks, unrest has been building in the country as people have taken to the streets in anger over a range of issues. The biggest one, Iran's failing economy. Last month alone, inflation was over 40%. The government has tried to quell the problem. protests with a range of measures. They recently announced a plan to give most citizens a monthly payment of about $7, roughly enough to buy two pizzas in Tehran. And yesterday, the country's

internet was shut down after Iran's security services said they would take tough measures against demonstrators. Reached by phone, more than a dozen witnesses told the times the protests still continued, with large crowds forming in cities around the country. They said the crowds were diverse, Men, women, young, old. Some chanted death to hominei, a reference to Iran's supreme leader. Human rights groups say that in recent days, dozens of people have been killed in clashes with government forces. And finally,

You can bet on anything. Super Bowl winners, crypto prices, even Taylor Swift's engagement. The betting site, Polly Market has become an internet and financial phenomenon. Elections, inflation, celebrity breakouts, aliens. If people care about it, there's a market. Roughly $20 billion went through the platform last year, with people gambling on things you didn't even know it was possible to bet on. Now, the site has sparked a truly bizarre situation that has the Internet debating, what does it mean to really invade a country? On Polly Market, a bunch of people had bet that the U.S. would invade Venezuela.

So when U.S. forces swept in and seized the country's leader, Nicholas Maduro, they thought they were about to collect their winnings. But Polymarket has added a note to the page for that particular bet, saying the U.S. mission was a snatch and extract job. And that technically doesn't count as an invasion. Users didn't love that with one posting, everyone is calling it an invasion. The company declined to comment when the Times reached out. And the government agency, which regulates Polymarket, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, didn't respond. At present, people are still pouring money in. to other bets on the site, like if the U.S. will acquire Greenland.

Those are the headlines. If you'd like to play the Friday News Quiz, it is just after these credits. This show is made by Will Jarvis, Jan Stewart, and me, Tracy Mumford. Original theme by Dan Powell. Special thanks to Isabella Anderson, Larissa Anderson, Zoe Murphy, and Paula Schumann. Now, time for the quiz. We've got a few questions for you about stories the Times has been covering. Buckle up.

This U.S. intent to buy Greenland. Well, that's always been the president's intent from the very beginning. He said. We need Greenland. This week, the Trump administration doubled down on its plans to acquire Greenland. Obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States. Even over the objections of Greenland and some of America's closest allies. So here is a quick speed round for you.

Testing your knowledge of the island Trump says should be part of the U.S. We've got four questions. Ready? First, Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of what country? The answer? Denmark. Its capital city is? Nook.

Okay, number three, Greenland's entire population is roughly the same size as which of these U.S. cities. San Francisco, Portland, Maine, or Omaha, Nebraska. The answer? There are only about 58,000 people in Greenland. That is just a little bit less than Portland, Maine. And last question, it is a toughie. Because there is so little vegetation on the island, historically, Greenlanders got a lot of their vitamin C from what?

The answer? Whale skin, which apparently is a very rich source of the vitamin. Next up, speaking of getting your vitamins, This week, health officials rolled out new dietary guidelines, including a revamped food pyramid. And Dr. Mehmet Oz, who serves in the administration, talked up some of the other updated health advice, saying it was in keeping with places that are famous for long lifespans. If you look at the blue zones, for example, around the world where people live the longest, it was sometimes part of their diet. So there is on these dietary guidelines, but the implication is don't have it for breakfast. What food or beverage was he talking about?

In the best case scenario, I don't think you should drink alcohol. But it does allow people an excuse to bond and socialize. And there's probably nothing healthier than having a good time with friends in a safe way. The new federal guidance on drinking says people should limit their alcohol consumption, though it no longer lists specific amounts. And last question for you. The sparkling acrobatics of Chicago goalie Glenn Hall prevent the red wings from scoring. This week, the NHL goalie, who fundamentally changed the game of hockey, died at the age of 94.

Hall is virtually indestructible. Before Glenn Hall came along, goalie spent almost the entire game standing up. But Hall started dropping to his knees so he could spread his lower legs out on the ice and basically block the entire net. If you watch a hockey game today, almost every goalie uses that technique. Your question, what is it called? Don't worry, there are hints. There are hints. I will give you a few phrases that use the word. Think, the blank effect, a blank knife, or float like a blank. The answer, it's called the butterfly style, which brought Hall way closer to the ice. And fun fact, I guess it's fun. He was doing this before goalies wearing masks was standard. And he had the scars to prove it. Over the course of Hall's career, he estimated he got over 300 stitches from flying pucks.

After one shot on goal left him with a big gash and knocked out a tooth, he said he remembered a dentist telling him how lucky he was. He said he replied through swollen lips, I don't feel lucky. That is it for the news quiz. I'm going to go count my teeth. Our email is The Headlines at NYTimes.com. We will be back on Monday.