Protests in Minnesota After ICE Shooting; Tanker Seized on the Open Ocean

Summary

“Here's the Scoop” (NBC News) – January 7, 2026

Episode: Protests in Minnesota After ICE Shooting; Tanker Seized on the Open Ocean

Host: Yasmin Vossoughian

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Episode Overview

On this episode of “Here’s the Scoop,” host Yasmin Vossoughian covers two major breaking stories:

• Widespread protests erupting in Minneapolis after a fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE agent, amid an escalated federal presence tied to alleged fraud cases involving the Somali community.
• The US seizure of two oil tankers—including a Russian-flagged ship—raising global tensions and signaling increased military leverage around Venezuela following the dramatic capture of Nicolas Maduro.

Additional headlines include the postponement of Nick Reiner’s arraignment, protests in Iran over economic collapse, a corporate bidding war over Warner Brothers Discovery, and the reintroduction (and controversial revision) of the food pyramid.

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Main Story 1: Fatal ICE Shooting Triggers Protests in Minneapolis

Background & Competing Accounts ([01:12]–[03:41])

• Julia Ainslie, NBC News Senior Homeland Security Correspondent joins to detail the fatal shooting.
  • Federal Narrative (DHS/ICE):
    • A woman attempted to obstruct ongoing ICE operations by blocking the street with her car.
    • She allegedly tried to ram agents with her vehicle.
  • Local Narrative (Bystanders/Police Chief):
    • The woman was reportedly trying to leave when approached.
    • Viral videos show her reverse lights as officers approach, possibly doing a three-point turn to escape.
  • Outcome: An ICE agent—positioned by her hood—fired several fatal shots. The car crashed into a snowbank, another vehicle, and a telephone pole.

Key Investigation Uncertainty

• The critical question: “Was she actually going toward the officer at the hood of her car, or was she attempting to change the angle of her vehicle to evade him and drive off down the road in the other direction?”
  — Julia Ainslie ([03:17])

Community Response & Escalated ICE Presence ([03:41]–[06:12])

• Large crowds gathered at the Minneapolis scene; emotions running high.
• More than 2,000 ICE agents have been deployed to the area since Sunday, following earlier surges.
• Local sentiment: Many residents—especially those speaking to NBC affiliates—sympathize strongly with the deceased woman and feel federal agents “have seriously crossed a line.”
• ICE activity surge attributed to a high-profile fraud investigation targeting members of the Somali community.

The Spark: Fraud Allegations and Social Media ([04:21]–[06:12])

• Since 2022, 98 individuals charged with fraud related to child care and supplemental benefits, many of Somali descent.
• Right-wing YouTuber Nick Shirley visited ten daycares, claiming fraud—his video gained 100 million+ views but was largely debunked by state investigations.
• Political Ramifications: Despite debunked claims, HHS cut daycare funding to Minnesota and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem dispatched 2,000 ICE agents.
  • “Are we looking at immigration related violations or are we looking at fraud here?” — Julia Ainslie ([05:29])
• Fallout includes Governor Tim Walz’s announcement not to seek re-election, possibly due to the political furore.

Fact Check: Citizenship and Community Context ([07:17]–[07:48])

• Over 90% of Minneapolis' Somali community are citizens, many naturalized decades ago after fleeing war.

Local Officials and Rising Tension ([07:48]–[08:37])

• Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey demands ICE leave:

  • “ICE get the f--- out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety and you are doing exactly the opposite.” — Mayor Jacob Frey ([07:58])

• Situation is becoming a national flashpoint with no signs of de-escalation from the White House; protests expected to intensify into the night.

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Main Story 2: US Seizes Oil Tankers Amid Venezuela-Russia Tensions

What Happened? ([10:09]–[11:44])

• Courtney Kube, NBC News Senior National Security Correspondent breaks down two recent seizures:
  • Tanker 1 (“Bella One”):
    • Departed Venezuela, seized off Europe (near Ireland & England) after eluding US authorities.
    • Refused initial boarding attempts, traveled east before being intercepted by the US Coast Guard and taken into US custody.
  • Tanker 2 (“Sofia”):
    • Also left Venezuela, seized in the Caribbean, likely en route to the US (possibly Texas).

Broader Context: Venezuela & US Military “Leverage” ([11:44]–[13:38])

• The seizures follow the recent dramatic capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
  • “We haven’t seen any true degradation of the US military presence there...they’re calling this ‘military leverage’ instead of deterrence, which is a really different distinction.” — Courtney Kube ([12:24])
• Presence maintained partly as a contingency for additional operations or to interdict future smuggling.

Russia’s Involvement and International Fallout ([13:38]–[15:00])

• One tanker was Russian-flagged, prompting sharp criticism from Moscow.
  • Russia claims the vessel was temporarily flagged, rendering the seizure an international violation. The US disputes this.
• These actions further inflame US–Russia tensions, particularly given Russia’s close diplomatic and trading relationship with Venezuela.
  • “That’s one of the things the Trump administration is openly talking about—they want to change the influence in Venezuela now that they believe that they have a major say over policy of the government there.” — Courtney Kube ([16:41])

Tanker Details: Flagging, Cargo, and Trading Ties ([15:00]–[17:01])

• Vessel “flagging” akin to car registration; ships can be “flagged” by one nation but owned/registered elsewhere, enabling the evasion of sanctions or scrutiny.
• The “Bella One” was believed to carry oil but was apparently empty upon seizure.
• Russia and Venezuela remain “big trading partners” and maintain strong diplomatic ties; Trump administration is particularly concerned with increasing influences of Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, and China in Venezuela and the region.

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Quick Headlines & Notable Updates ([17:06]–[18:31])

• Nick Reiner Arraignment Postponed: Defense attorney Alan Jackson steps back; Reiner faces charges for the fatal stabbing of his parents, Rob and Michelle Reiner.
• Iran Protests:
  • Economic meltdown after war; 1 US dollar now equals 1.46 million rial.
  • “I've seen protests since 2009, and these completely feel different. Poor areas across the country are coming to the streets.” — Amin Khodadodi, NBC Producer in Tehran ([17:49])
• Warner Brothers Discovery Bidding War:
  • Paramount’s bid rejected for being riskier than Netflix’s lower offer.
  • President Trump to personally review merger outcomes.
• New Food Pyramid:
  • Trump administration doubles recommended protein, elevates meats/dairy to the top.
  • “Come on, you gotta love some cheese.” — Yasmin Vossoughian, lightheartedly ([18:30])
  • Nutrition experts voice concern over the increased emphasis on red meat and full-fat dairy.

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Notable Quotes

• Julia Ainslie:

  “What does seem clear is that DHS was very quick to call this an act of domestic terrorism. They're saying it's the fault of Democratic Governor Tim Waltz and...the mayor of the city.” ([03:23])

• Mayor Jacob Frey:

  “ICE get the f--- out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety and you are doing exactly the opposite.” ([07:58])

• Courtney Kube:

  “We haven’t seen any true degradation of the US military presence [off Venezuela]...they’re calling this ‘military leverage’ instead of deterrence, which is a really different distinction.” ([12:24])

• Amin Khodadodi (from Tehran):

  “The rial is losing value every day, making business nearly impossible...I think the coming days will be very challenging.” ([17:49])

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [01:12] – Introduction: Minneapolis shooting and ICE presence
• [01:46–03:41] – Julia Ainslie explains the shooting, competing narratives
• [03:41–06:12] – Community reactions, ICE surge, and fraud allegations
• [06:12–07:17] – Fact-checking fraud, YouTube influence, and political fallout
• [07:17–08:37] – Somali American community, Mayor’s statement, escalation
• [10:09–11:44] – US oil tanker seizures: sequence of military actions
• [11:44–13:38] – Venezuela context, ongoing US presence, “military leverage”
• [13:38–16:41] – Russian flagging, international consequences, Venezuela trade ties
• [17:06–18:31] – Quick headlines: Nick Reiner, Iran protests, Warner Bros. deal, new food pyramid

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

The episode delivers a brisk, news-dense rundown of top stories, blending urgent breaking news with political analysis and on-the-ground reporting. Yasmin Vossoughian’s tone is clear, urgent, and sometimes conversational, balancing hard news with the approachable brevity “Here’s the Scoop” promises.

The episode underscores how local incidents—like the ICE shooting—quickly become political flashpoints, while global power dynamics are playing out in real time on the high seas and in shaken economies. The importance of deciphering truth amid viral misinformation and government posturing is a throughline.

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For listeners who missed the show:
This summary captures the central events and perspectives from today's “Here’s the Scoop,” outlines the key moments, and includes the context you need to stay informed about why these evolving stories matter nationally and globally.

Transcript

[A]

Hey, guys, I'm Hoda Kotb. Look, I know how busy life can get, and sometimes we all just need a moment to pause and connect. Well, that's what my podcast Making Space is all about. Real conversations with people who've learned how to live with purpose and heart. Think authors, thought leaders, actors, performers. And every time I walk away with something that changes how I see the world. And I think you will, too. Join me for Making Space every week with wherever you get your podcasts.

[B]

Where was she? The disappearance of Carrie Farmer was quite unlike any other because Carrie hadn't exactly vanished, but retreated beyond the shadows to release rage in torrents of text messages.

[C]

And it just went on and on and on.

[B]

Beyond diabolical, beyond the macabre to murder a story straight out of left field. You're on edge as to what's going to happen next. I'm Keith Morrison, and this is Something About Carrie, an all new podcast from Dateline. Listen to all episodes now, wherever you get your podcasts.

[C]

Hey everybody. Welcome to here's a Superman BC News. I'm Yasmin Bissugan. Coming up on the show today, the US has seized two oil tankers, including one under a Russian flag. How that could raise tensions between the two superpowers. Plus Nick Reiner's defense attorney steps down and the food pyramid is back up. First, though, we're going to go to Minneapolis where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed a woman this afternoon. I want to bring in Julia Ainslie, NBC News Senior Homeland Security correspondent, for more on this. Hi, Julia.

[D]

Hey, Yasmin.

[C]

What happened here? Give me the play by play.

[D]

There are two very competing narratives in this situation, and they tell a different story depending on whether you talk to federal law enforcement or local. What we're hearing from DHS is that there was a woman who was attempting to keep ICE agents and officers from conducting an operation, that she drove her vehicle into the middle of a street to block them from coming through. And they are then saying that she attempted to ram her vehicle into the officers. Now, what local bystanders are saying, as well as the police chief in Minneapolis, is that she was attempting to leave the scene when the officers got out of the car and came to her vehicle. Now, what we can see from videos that are now circulating and really going viral is we see the back of her car where she puts on her reverse lights as these officers are approaching her car. And then it looks like she's doing a three point turn and basically changing her angle to get out of the way. But there's an officer by her hood who fires the shots. Afterwards, the car is out of control, runs into a snowbank, hits another car in a telephone pole, and as we know, the driver is now deceased. This is a fatal shot. In fact, there were several shots. The question is, what happened at that pivotal moment between reverse and drive? Was she actually going toward the officer at the hood of her car, or was she attempting to change the angle of her vehicle to evade him and drive off down the road in the other direction? And the videos that have emerged so far are really from the back of the vehicle. And so it's hard to discern between what DHS spokesperson has said on behalf of ICE versus what locals are saying. But what does seem clear is that DHS was very quick to call this an act of domestic terrorism. They're saying it's the fault of Democratic Governor Tim Waltz and of course the mayor of the city. And they blame the sanctuary policies in the city for the immigration enforcement operations they're conducting there in the first place.

[C]

How have residents been responding, Julia?

[D]

Well, we've seen a lot of people come out to this intersection in Minneapolis today. And of course, this is amid rising tensions in this area because They've had over 2,000 ICE officers come into their area just since Sunday. And that's in addition to those who came out earlier in early December. They've been ramping up arrests there and people on the ground are saying that they have seriously crossed a line in the situation. Most of the people are affiliate on the ground are speaking to seem to be sympathetic towards women.

[C]

Amidst all this, Julia, there has been this escalated ICE presence on the ground in Minneapolis. Why is that happening?

[D]

In short, fraud. I know that sounds strange because what does that have to do with immigration enforcement? But it all comes down to fraud that was in large part perpetrated by members of the Somali community there, many of them legally living there. But it seems that going back to 2022, this was investigated by the Biden Justice Department and then again by the Trump Justice Department this year. There were numerous cases, in fact, 98 people have been charged of fraud when it came to misusing taxpayer funds. There were people collecting child food and supplemental and benefits who were not really eligible for those payments. But then Trump got interested in this again in December, sent more people to Minneapolis, people from ICE to start doing arrests. They did about 300 arrests over the first two weeks in December. But then everything caught fire when a right wing youtuber named Nick Shirley, he's 23 years old went around Minneapolis to 10 daycare centers he said were fraudulently using funding from state and federal taxpayers. In fact, there were no children inside. Now, the Minneapolis, or the Minnesota rather, department, whoever sees those payments investigated it, largely debunked what Shirley was saying, but it didn't matter because DHS already started the wheels turning to send more agents. And as a result of that video, HHS cut off daycare funding to the entire state of Minnesota. And Kristi Noem sent 2000 ICE agents, including 600 to do investigations, but 1500 just to do immigration crackdowns. So we're kind of seeing a blurring of the lines between are we looking at immigration related violations or are we looking at fraud here?

[C]

And where's the truth on that? Where, where, where are the truth facts?

[D]

There has been some fraud and that has been documented. And yes, it has been perpetrated by members of the Somali community. But the daycare fraud was largely debunked. The state agency went to those 10 daycare facilities, one of which closed in 2022. So of course there weren't children there. One, when the state investigators showed up, said that they weren't open at that point in the day, but all the other eight, there were children inside doing what kids do at daycare. And so the state agency said they'd continue to look into it, but that they think Nick Shirley showed up at those daycare facilities outside of their hours of operation. It was also over the holidays, at least when it aired. We're not sure when exactly it was that he visited. We reached out to him and he didn't comment on the time of day. But all of that to be said is it gets at something within this White House. And they know they touch a political nerve when people see that. There were over 100 million views on that YouTube video. Tim Waltz recently announced he will not seek reelection. It's having an impact in Minnesota whether or not those claims have any foundation in the truth.

[C]

You know, when you talk, though, about immigration violations as well, it's also important to note that the president and the administration is targeting the Somali community. But my understanding is that 90% of the community is in fact citizens of this country.

[D]

That is so true. And that is because so many of them are naturalized citizens, because the bulk of them came over in the 90s amid Somalia's civil war. A lot of people who grew up in Minneapolis considered Somalis, not to be new outsiders, but part of the fabric of their community.

[C]

You talked about the mayor of Minneapolis a little bit earlier. Mayor Jacob Fry, he's demanding now that ice leave the city. He's using some pretty choice language to.

[E]

Ice get the out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety and you are doing exactly the opposite.

[C]

It seems like this is escalating.

[D]

That is true. This is the new flashpoint, especially today, and we really have to watch and see what happens as the hours go on and things get darker. Are there protests that might start at night? Of course, it's very cold there, but tensions are escalating and the White House isn't doing a lot to put out those flames.

[C]

Julie Ainsley, thank you.

[D]

Thank you.

[C]

All right. We are going to take a very quick break. And when we are back, what to know about the oil tankers that the US Seized.

[F]

Hey guys, Willie Geist here reminding you to check out the Sunday Sit down podcast. On this week's episode, I get together with one of the most influential voices in the country right now, Mel Robbins on her rise from rock bottom to an empire with a top podcast, best selling books and an international tour with the message let them. You can get my conversation with Mel for free wherever you download your podcasts.

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[D]

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[G]

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[B]

Once upon a time in an icy winter world, a wicked woman stole a child. Only the power of love can save him and defeat her. The Snow Queen, new to Morrison Mysteries. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

[C]

Welcome back to here's the scoop from NBC News. The US has seized two oil tankers, including one that was Russian flagged after a weeks long pursuit across the ocean. To understand more about this military operation, I want to bring in NBC News senior national security correspondent Courtney Kuby. Hey, Court.

[H]

Hi. Happy New Year.

[C]

Happy New Year.

[D]

Great to have you.

[C]

Walk me through what happened here with these, the seizure of these oil tankers.

[H]

So we learned about two seizures today, which is surprising. The first one actually was even though we've been talking about the seizure of tankers, oil tankers off of Venezuela, this one actually occurred closer over to Europe, not too far from Ireland and England. But it actually was a tanker that first took off out of Venezuela about two weeks ago. It was known as the Bella one. And it's unusual because unlike the other tankers that the US has chased and then seized, this one refused to be seized, refused to be boarded. And in fact, when the US Started making its effort towards it, it started making its way more east. It's now all the way off the coast of Europe. Well, the US Military, the, the Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, they seized it early this morning, afternoon, their local time, and now it's in the hands of US Law enforcement. So just moments after we learned about that one being under US Control, we heard about another one. This one came out of Venezuela. It's known as the Sofia. This one was pretty similar in how it was taken, and that was that the Coast Guard was in the lead. US Military took them, there was a boarding, and now it's in law enforcement hands. Now, we did hear from the White House just moments ago that they, this one, the Sofia, will be taken from the Caribbean, from the South American waters up towards the United States. We have seen them taken to Texas in recent days. So it wouldn't surprise me if that's.

[C]

Where it ends up. Court I was surprised to hear about the seizure of these tankers this morning only because of what has taken place over the last 72 hours and the capture of the leader of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife. And so I wonder if this is really just a clue to what is coming next, I. E. Military action in and around Venezuela not being over.

[H]

I, I think that is absolutely true, that it's not over. We haven't seen any real degradation of the US Military presence there. Maybe tiny bits, a little bit of support, probably some of the most, you know, the more elite special operators have headed out. But the majority of the president, the US Military presence is there. And we keep hearing it's, it's an unusual term that we're hearing out of the Trump administration. And they're calling the military leverage. Generally, in a situation like this where we've seen especially a big naval presence, they talk about it as deterrence, right? So trying to deter drug runners, trying to deter Iran from doing something in the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz. But in this case, they're talking about the military as leverage, which is a really different distinction from what we're used to. So I do think they are keeping them there as deterrence to try to stop the drug trafficking and then to try to stop these oil tankers from moving out we have to remember, even though this whole raid that took place into Venezuela on Saturday morning was supposed to be about getting Nicolas Maduro and his wife, the president has left open the possibility of additional waves of attacks, even though it makes no sense what the targets would be.

[C]

Right. What objective exactly?

[H]

Unless they plan to go in and get more people who are under indictment in the Maduro regime who are still in power. But officials aren't talking about that. So I suspect that this is all about keeping the presence there for the sake of having a presence there and then for having them in case something comes up that they need, like they see these tankers or they see more alleged drug boats.

[C]

The other interesting thing about the seizure of these tankers is one of them was Russian flagged. What does that mean? What role did Russia play in the ownership of these tankers? And have they said anything about it?

[H]

So, yeah, we just got. There was a statement out of the Russian Foreign Ministry sometime after this, the seizure today, acknowledging that it happened and being very critical of it, not surprisingly. Remember, when it left Venezuela, the US Believed that this was a stateless tanker. It wasn't. It didn't have a flag. Russia says that they temporarily flagged it or temporarily made it a Russian vessel, and for that reason that to interdict it or seize it in this way is a violation of United nations law for them to have seized it because it would have been flagged under Russia. But again, Trump administration officials are not recognizing that flagging. And remember, the Russians have openly said. Well, it's not clear. We don't know, because the Russians have openly said that they do not. They would. They disputed the idea that the U.S. would, would seize this vessel because the U.S. the Coast Guard and the United States military have been trailing it ever since it made its way from the Caribbean up towards the waters of the northern Atlantic. The US has been watching it. We've been sort of waiting for something like this to happen. I think it was just a matter of when it got close enough that they could move a team off of land and get it out close to the ship.

[C]

What does it mean to flag a vessel and what was the vessel carrying?

[H]

It's sort of like a registration is like a car registration. You register your car to the state of Virginia or something. That's the simplest way of explaining it to, you know, you and I who don't drive giant oil tankers on the regular here.

[C]

But you can swap out these flags. You can swap out these registrations, essentially, if it's transporting minerals, for instance, and, or resources for your country.

[H]

And technically, there is a flag that flies, but there can be a separate registration. And very often in these cases, the ship itself will be registered to one place and then it will be flagged by another one. And it's very often that they will fly a false flag. They aren't honest, especially if there's some illicit material on board. In the case of the Bella one, we are told now that it has no oil on board, even though it.

[C]

Was flagged by Russians. Yes, we would think that it would be transporting oil.

[H]

Yes, it was a giant tanker. So that was the assumption. We just learned today after it was seized, that there was. There's allegedly no oil on board.

[C]

Just so folks understand this, what has been the relationship between Russia and Venezuela, especially when it comes to oil transfer.

[H]

Big trading partners, good diplomatic relations. What we saw when the new president of Venezuela was sworn in, I think it was on Sunday, over the weekend, one of the first people who she went over and hugged in the audience was the ambassador from Russia. So they have very. Their, their diplomatic relations are close. That's one of the things that the Trump administration is upset about, is Venezuela's close ties to actors who the US Sees as adversaries. So not necessarily Russia, although that might fall close into that line. But the Trump administration is upset about Iran's influence in Venezuela. They believe that Hezbollah has a presence there. They are frustrated and upset about Chinese influence there. Not just. And that extends further out into the region to Panama and other places. So that's one of the things that Trump administrations or officials are pretty openly talking about, is they want to change the influence in Venezuela now that they believe that they have a major say over policy of the government there.

[C]

Thank you, Courtney.

[D]

Thanks.

[C]

All right, let's get to some headlines. Nick Reiner's arraignment in a Los Angeles court has been postponed and rescheduled for later in February after his defense lawyer, Alan Jackson, told the judge he'd no longer be representing him. Reiner is accused of fatally stabbing his parents, filmmaker and director Rob Reiner, and producer Michelle Reiner, in their home in December. Protests have been sweeping across Iran following the collapse of the country's currency. A single US dollar is now worth a staggering 1.46 million. Iranian rial. A human rights group based in Iran, says at least 36 people have been killed and more than 2,000 arrested over the past 10 days. Our producer, Amin Khodadodi, has more from Tehran.

[I]

After the war, the economy never really recovered, and the morale of the people has never been this low. The riyal is losing value every day, making business nearly impossible. I've seen protests since 2009, and these completely feel different. Poor areas across the country are coming to the streets. But in Tehran, the capital, protests are more scattered. The streets feel tense. I think the coming days will be very challenging.

[C]

The bidding war for Warner Brothers discovery continues. Warner Brothers has rejected an amended takeover offer from Paramount, Skydance, despite a personal financing guarantee from billionaire Larry Ellison, father of Paramount CEO David Ellison. The board called Paramount's bid insufficient and riskier than a lower $82.7 billion Netflix deal. Under that, Netflix would acquire Warner's streaming service studio and hbo, but spin off its cable networks, which include cnn. President Trump has said he'll personally review whichever merger proceeds. You remember that food pyramid poster on your classroom wall? Well, it's back and it's been flipped on its head. The Trump administration's new dietary guidelines have added meat and milk to the top alongside vegetables, doubling the previous recommended amount of protein. They also suggest cutting added sugars to 10 grams per meal and avoiding ultra processed foods all together. Experts have celebrated that, but have voiced concerns over the emphasis on red meat and full fat dairy. Come on, you gotta love some cheese. All right, that's gonna do it for us at here's the scoopermanbc news, I'm Yasmin Bisugin. We'll be back tomorrow with whatever the day may bring. And if you love what you heard, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. I'll see you tomorrow.