Top 5 US news stories
January 14 2026
Trump Tells Iranian Protesters 'Help Is on Its Way' as Crackdown Death Toll Mounts
Trump Tours Ford Plant to Counter Economic Concerns Despite GOP Election Losses
Six Federal Prosecutors Resign Over Trump Administration's Handling of ICE Shooting Investigation
U.S. Ouster of Maduro Forces China to Recalculate Latin America Ambitions
China Posts Record Trade Surplus Despite Trump Tariffs as Exporters Find New Markets
Trump Tells Iranian Protesters 'Help Is on Its Way' as Crackdown Death Toll Mounts
President Trump told Iranian protesters Tuesday that "help is on its way" as mounting evidence shows the Iranian regime has killed thousands of demonstrators during mass protests sweeping the country. The National Security Council met to prepare military options after Trump canceled all planned talks with Iranian officials, while two European officials told the Washington Post their countries were contacted Monday to share intelligence on possible targets in Iran. Trump's public statements urged Iranians to "keep protesting" and warned that if authorities execute arrested demonstrators, including protester Erfan Soltani sentenced to death, "you're gonna see some things." However, Iran's Arab rivals across the Persian Gulf, led by Saudi Arabia, have been lobbying against a strike, warning the White House that an attempt to topple the Iranian regime would rattle oil markets, hurt the U.S. economy, and create domestic blowback in their countries. Trump's military options face constraints as the U.S. currently has no aircraft carrier in the Middle East, with the vessel deployed to the Caribbean for Venezuela operations.
WSJ, Politico
Trump Tours Ford Plant to Counter Economic Concerns Despite GOP Election Losses
President Trump visited a Ford assembly line in Dearborn, Michigan, Tuesday to promote U.S. manufacturing efforts as Americans face a weakening job market and rising prices. Trump viewed F-150 pickups at various production stages at the River Rouge plant and told the Detroit Economic Club that "all U.S. automakers are doing great," but the visit follows poor Republican showings in November's off-year elections in Virginia, New Jersey and elsewhere amid persistent voter concerns about economic issues. The Michigan trip marks Trump's third swing-state visit since last month focused on economic policies, with the White House pledging more frequent public appearances to address Americans' financial fears.
Michigan Public
Six Federal Prosecutors Resign Over Trump Administration's Handling of ICE Shooting Investigation
At least six prosecutors resigned from the U.S. attorney's office in Minnesota over the Trump administration's handling of the federal investigation into an ICE agent's fatal shooting of Minneapolis woman Renee Nicole Good last week. Among the departing prosecutors' concerns was pressure to investigate the deceased woman's wife, according to people familiar with the matter, while the resignations include Joe Thompson, a former acting U.S. attorney who had been leading a sprawling welfare-fraud investigation that resulted in roughly 60 convictions, mostly of defendants of Somali descent. The departures would likely reduce the office's capacity and slow timelines for ongoing fraud investigations and prosecutions in the near term, though the Department of Justice can mitigate losses through accelerated hiring and lateral details from other districts.
WSJ, Citizen Journal
U.S. Ouster of Maduro Forces China to Recalculate Latin America Ambitions
The U.S. removal of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro is forcing Beijing into a high-stakes recalculation of its ambitions in Latin America, according to people close to internal discussions in the Chinese leadership. China had made significant inroads into the region for years through infrastructure loans, commodity purchases and mining operations, with Maduro serving as its most important anti-American ally and earning Venezuela the rare "all-weather" partnership status—China's highest diplomatic honor held by no other Latin American country. Beijing is no longer seeking to make new advances into the region in the near term, with discourse in China's policymaking circles shifting toward a potential trade-off: if the Western Hemisphere belongs to the Americans, then the Taiwan Strait belongs to the Chinese.
WSJ
China Posts Record Trade Surplus Despite Trump Tariffs as Exporters Find New Markets
China's trade surplus reached a record $1.19 trillion in 2025 despite President Trump's new tariffs, as Chinese manufacturers found new customers in the rest of the world after U.S. shipments fell 20 percent. China's customs agency reported Wednesday that exports jumped 5.5 percent last year in dollar-denominated terms, with shipments to Southeast Asian countries surging 13 percent, European Union exports rising 8.4 percent, Latin America increasing 7.4 percent and Africa jumping 26 percent. The strong export performance helped power China's economy to expectation-defying growth even as the country's property market and consumer sentiment remained weak.
WSJ
January 14 1973 Miami Dolphins win Super Bowl VII to cap NFL’s only perfect season
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