Good morning. We hope all our Upward News readers down south stay safe as the winter storm moves in. It’s a balmy 35 degrees here in the Northeast — or what I like to call barbecue weather.

🪖 Pentagon prepares troops for possible Minneapolis deployment. The Defense Department has reportedly issued prepare-to-deploy orders for hundreds of active-duty military police from Fort Bragg and additional Army units from Alaska, signaling a potential escalation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as unrest continues and as President Trump weighs invoking the Insurrection Act.

🎯 RFK Jr. sets new MAHA goals. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on Tuesday that reducing children’s screen time will be a major priority in the year ahead, pledging to push kids to “dramatically reduce” time spent on devices. He also outlined plans for front-of-package food labeling and the return of physical fitness testing, signaling a renewed push for the Make America Healthy Again agenda in 2026.

⚖️ Supreme Court may block Trump’s Fed firing. The Supreme Court signaled it will keep Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook on the board for now, pushing back on President Trump’s effort to remove her over disputed mortgage allegations. The justices stressed the Fed’s independence, warning that at-will firings could rattle markets and politicize monetary policy.

🔎 Congress probes massive Minnesota fraud. Lawmakers heard testimony from right-wing influencer Nick Shirley on the sprawling Minnesota fraud scandal, contending that the fraud epidemic goes far beyond just the one state. At a heated House hearing, Democrats argued that the crackdown on fraud is being used to “bully and intimidate first and second generation Somali Americans who live in that state.”

Nick Shirley broke the Somali fraud story in Minneapolis by simply walking around with a camera and asking questions. We have now seen reporting in California, New York, Massachusetts, and elsewhere that fraudulent Somali daycares are stealing taxpayer funds. I suspect that this story will continue to grow to nearly every state. — Brandon

Broadcast networks devoted more than 93 percent negative coverage to ICE while largely ignoring why agents were there in the first place. Key facts — such as Renee Good striking an ICE agent with her car — were minimized or framed as mere “claims,” creating a narrative that blamed federal agents while stripping away the context that explains the confrontation.

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_WHAT’S HAPPENING_

President Donald Trump used his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos to deliver a blunt message to global leaders, pairing an aggressive defense of his America First agenda with direct warnings to Europe. Trump criticized European mass migration and defense spending in particular, and argued that the global economy rises and falls with the United States.

Most importantly, the president later announced that a framework for a future Greenland deal had been reached and that he would not impose tariffs on European countries if the deal is approved.

_THE FACTS_

_OUR INSIGHTS _

During a drama-filled event marked by interpersonal conflict, heckling, and tension among global leaders with differing visions for the future, President Trump appears to have achieved his goals. Most prominently, he appears satisfied with the Greenland deal, and the European nations appear relieved that the 10 percent tariffs will not be applied.

The New York Times revealed that Denmark may give the US sovereignty over “small pockets of land” in Greenland, showing that Trump’s maximalist demands can yield reasonable victories.

_WHAT THE LEFT MISSED_

Ketanji Brown Jackson defends Jim Crow law during case hearing: “During Supreme Court oral arguments in Wolford v. Lopez Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson contended that ‘Black Codes’ may offer precedent necessary to justify Hawaiian gun controls.” (Breitbart)

Scott Bessent slams Gavin Newsom as “economically illiterate Ken Doll”: “On Wednesday, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent … took direct aim at California Governor Gavin Newsom (D), saying, among other things, that Newsom ‘may be the only Californian who knows less about economics than Kamala Harris.’” (RedState)

_WHAT THE RIGHT MISSED_

Police visit woman’s home over social media post criticizing mayor. “Two detectives with the Miami Beach Police Department were filmed questioning Raquel Pacheco … over a post she made criticizing what she said was Mayor Steven Meiner’s hypocrisy around Israel and Palestine.” (The Intercept)

Pop star Billie Eilish slams ICE and the Trump administration: “At 24, Billie Eilish has spent most of her career being honored for her sustainability efforts and positioned as a voice for her generation…” (Rolling Stone)

Trump recently drew a line: "Antisemitism has no place in the party." He was asked about it because of JD Vance’s recent comments. At a Turning Point USA event, Vance dismissed the alarm over rising Jew-hatred as a "distraction" and rejected "purity tests," arguing the movement shouldn't exclude voices that "love America.”

The daylight between the two extends to the alliance itself. Asked if Israel "controls" the White House, Vance’s defense was a backhanded boast: "Israel is not controlling this president." It was a rejection of the trope, but framed as if it were true only for this President. On Iran, while Trump doubles down on "maximum pressure," Vance has emerged as a persistent voice of "restraint.”

With the daylight between Trump and Vance, and the rise of Rubio, many conservative voices have expressed a preference for Rubio in 2028. Honestly, I didn’t see this coming. What do you think?

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While I agree with the analysis that there’s daylight between Trump and Vance, I don’t believe Vice President Vance is skimming over Jew-hatred. After the Turning Point event, he said in an interview, “Antisemitism, and all forms of ethnic hatred, have no place in the conservative movement … I think it’s disgusting.”

Vance might just be reading the writing on the wall, seeing how young Americans across the political spectrum are increasingly skeptical of Israel, and he is trying to position himself as sympathetic to their concerns.

This ultimately may be a political miscalculation, given 50+ year old Republicans’ strong support for Israel. Vance’s dovish views probably won’t jive with GOP primary voters, whereas Rubio is emerging as a real alternative, being more comfortable asserting US power abroad.

_THE DAILY DEBATE_

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ ❌ Scale back – they are becoming too costly (61)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ✅ Keep going – it needs to be done (1,572)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤷‍♂️ Moderate a bit (177)

_POP QUIZ_