As music journalists we often struggle with how to respond to
tragedies like this one. I don’t have unreleased facts to share, or some
vast network of activists to call upon. What I do have is my anger,
alongside decades of practice working through difficult emotions with
music. Putting this list together helped me process the state of the
world; I hope it helps you, too.
Here you’ll find huge artists with career-defining tracks, such as Zach Bryan‘s
“Bad News;” smaller bands that I, frankly, don’t know much about, like
Bent; and political barnstormers from longtime activists such as Tom Morello and Dropkick Murphys.
The order moves from contemplative to incandescent with rage, and if
you’re looking for artists to support right now, this is a good place to
start.
01. Zach Bryan — “Bad News”
Related Video
An early
contender for song of the year is also one of the finest tracks in
Bryan’s expansive discography. “Every day on the news, someone else is
shot,” he sings, “I got some bad news/ The fading of the red, white and
blue.”
02. Jesse Welles — “Join ICE”
Witty satire with a biting refrain: “If you’re lackin’ control and
authority/ Come with me and hunt down minorities/ Join ICE.” Welles
fights authoritarianism with humor.
03. Tom Morello — “Pretend You Remember Me”
Morello has been on the right side of history since the earliest days
of Rage Against the Machine. The release of “Pretend You Remember Me”
raised money for Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
(CHIRLA).
04. Dropkick Murphys — “Citizen I.C.E.”
This reworking of their 2005 song “Citizen CIA” hits even harder than
the original: “Too scared to join the military/ Too dumb to be a cop/
Citizen I.C.E.” A fun one to sing along to.
05. Bent — “ICE Killer”
This ripper from Bent is heavy as fuck and deserves to boost their
profile. The first vocals aren’t what you’d call clean, but it
definitely gets more metal from there. The song is off their 2025 EP, Sangre por Sangre
Federal
agents detained a Venezuelan family in an Oregon hospital parking lot
as the parents sought medical attention for their 7-year-old daughter’s
nosebleed.
On Jan. 16, Border Patrol officers
arrested the Crespo-Gonzalez family outside Adventist Health Portland
in Portland, Oregon, according to reporting from Spanish-language
publication Noticias Noroeste and The Oregonian.
The parking lot where a Portland family was arrested by ICE. Fritz Liedtke/Fritz Liedtke
Yohendry
De Jesus Crespo, 40, and his wife Darianny Liseth Gonzalez de Crespo,
34, arrived at the hospital seeking care for their 7-year-old daughter,
Diana, whose nose wouldn’t stop bleeding.
Three
unmarked cars surrounded the Crespos and arrested them, according to
family friend Ana Linares, whose husband spoke to the family after the
incident. The family was then flown to the Immigration Processing Center
near San Antonio, Texas, according to ICE’s detainee locator system.
ICE has clashed with protestors in Portland, Oregon, for months. Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images
It
is unknown why Border Patrol arrested the Crespo-Gonzalez family. The
Oregonian’s review of criminal records in Oregon and Utah, where the
family previously lived, did not turn up any criminal records for either
Yohendry or Darianny.
Yohendry and Darianny,
known to friends as Joey and Dari, came to America from Venezuela in
Nov. 2024, seeking asylum. They applied for an immigration appointment
via a U.S. Customs and Border Protection mobile app, requesting
permission to present themselves at a port of entry. A hearing for their
asylum case is set for 2028.
They
initially moved to Utah after entering the country, but moved to
Portland after the killing of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in
September.
“They are good people, not
criminals,” Linares told The Oregonian. “They were looking for
stability. They wanted to help their families in Venezuela.”
U.S.
Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino claimed ICE agents
were "experts with kids" after multiple high-profile cases of ICE
detaining toddlers. Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images
Linares
also expressed concern for Diana. She said that, according to Yohendry,
Diana was suffering from a fever at the detention facility the weekend
after their arrest, but was not seen by the facility’s doctor until
Wednesday.
The Crespo-Gonzalez family arrest
is a rare instance of Border Patrol arresting an entire family in a
community space. In 2025, President Donald Trump overturned an Obama-era
rule forbidding immigration officers from conducting arrests in
hospitals, schools, and churches.
“No one
should live in fear of being detained while getting medical care for
their child,” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter, representing
Oregon’s 3rd District.
5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, detained by ICE. Columbia Heights Public Schools
Adventist
Health denied having any involvement with the arrest, saying in a
statement, “No law enforcement agency contacted us, and we did not
coordinate with any agency. Adventist Health Portland is here for our
community, open, available, and ready to provide care when it’s needed
most. Patient care remains our priority, regardless of circumstances.”
ICE has been under heavy scrutiny for detaining young children and toddlers. On Tuesday, ICE detained a 5-year-old boy
in Minneapolis, then allegedly made him knock on the door of his
family’s home as a ploy to lure his father out to be arrested. On
Thursday, the agency detained a 2-year-old girl and her father.
Democrats set to vote against ICE bill amid outrage over Trump crackdown
Majority of 213-strong House caucus expected to reject funding bill but party has no plans to enforce whip
Congressional Democrats
are expected to overwhelmingly reject a bill to fund ICE, the agency
spearheading Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, amid mounting outrage
over its heavy-handed and violent tactics in Minnesota and elsewhere.
Party
leaders told a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill on Wednesday that
they would vote against the homeland security funding bill, citing
insufficient provisions to rein in Immigration Customs and Enforcement,
more widely known by its acronym.
Signals for a no vote came from Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic minority leader in the House of Representatives, along with Pete Aguilar, the chairman of the party’s caucus, and Katherine Clark, the chief whip.
Their
sentiments are expected to influence the vast majority of the
Democrats’ 213-strong House caucus to vote no – although sufficient
Democrats are believed to be ready to vote in favor to enable the
legislation to pass. The party has no plans to whip its members into
line to enforce the leadership view.
The
anticipated Democratic thumbs-down comes despite provisions in the bill
that keeps the agency’s $10bn annual budget flat, reduces ICE
enforcement and removal operations, and imposes a 5,500 reduction to its
number of detention beds. The legislation also secured $20m for the
“procurement, deployment, and operations of body worn cameras” to be
worn by ICE agents, thanks to Democrats’ efforts.
Such
palliatives are unlikely to placate anger in the party over the
agency’s operations in Minnesota, including the fatal shooting of Renee
Good, a mother of three, in Minneapolis, this month.
“In
the last 24 hours, we’ve heard our members speak loudly that ICE isn’t
doing enough, these reforms aren’t doing enough. This lawlessness has to
stop,” Aguilar told reporters
after the meeting. “They are only doing this because the president of
the United States wants to use them to terrorize communities, to
terrorize US citizens.”
Rosa DeLauro, a
representative from Connecticut and the ranking Democrat on the
appropriations committee, said it was still better for the bill to pass
rather than run the risk of a renewed government shutdown that could
affect other agencies. “I understand that many of my Democratic
colleagues may be dissatisfied with any bill that funds ICE,” she said.
“I
share their frustration with the out-of-control agency. I encourage my
colleagues to review the bill and determine what is best for their
constituents and communities.”
But she added:
“The Homeland Security funding bill is more than just ICE. If we allow a
lapse in funding, TSA [transportation security administration] agents
will be forced to work without pay, Fema [federal emergency management
agency] assistance could be delayed, and the US Coast Guard will be
adversely affected. All while ICE continues functioning without any
change in their operations due to $75 billion it received in the One Big
Beautiful Bill.”
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Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to unpack Trump’s latest high-stakes drama: the Insurrection Act and his escalating presence in American cities. From Minneapolis as ground zero to ICE agents wielding “absolute immunity,” Wolff breaks down how conflict and chaos have become Trump’s strategy, not his mistake. Joanna and Wolff explore the administration’s doubling down, the Democratic Party’s faltering response, and the curious absence of figures like Barack Obama and George W. Bush—two leaders with the authority to counter Trump’s moves. They also trace Trump’s foreign entanglements, from Venezuela to Iran, and the surprising ways reality continues to diverge from his proclamations. With Trump’s threats backfiring at home and abroad, the conversation exposes a presidency ruled by drama, distraction, and the relentless pursuit of power.
📖 Title: How Trump’s Insurrection Act Threat is Backfiring
👂 Podcast: Inside Trump's Head
📺 Episode: 62
🎧 Format: Full Podcast
📅 Date: January 17, 2026
🎙️ Hosts: Joanna Coles, Michael Wolff
Welcome to our US politics blog. There are several major stories around this morning:
“Hundreds more” federal agents are being
deployed to Minneapolis after an officer shot dead a woman in her car
last week. Renee Good’s killing has sparked protests across several
cities. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said more officers were
being sent for their own protection.
Fed chair Jerome Powell – who has been slammed
by Trump for refusing to lower interest rates – announced Sunday he’s
facing criminal investigation by federal prosecutors over renovations to
Federal Reserve buildings. He’s made clear the “unprecedented” probe is driven by political motives.
All eyes are on how the US might respond to
Iran’s deadly crackdown on protesters, and whether it might mete out
further military action, in addition to its strikes last year. Trump
said on Sunday he was in contact with the opposition, and US officials
might meet with Iranian counterparts.
Trump is also threatening Cuba with withholding
oil supplies from Venezuela, warning them to “make a deal, BEFORE IT IS
TOO LATE” in a Sunday post on Truth Social. “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL
OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO!” His threats to the traditional ally of
Venezuela come in the wake of the US kidnapping and removing Venezuelan
leader Nicolás Maduro last week, while concerns also remain over the
White House’s claims on Greenland.
Republican senator vows to block any future nominations for Fed chair following investigation into Powell
A Republican senator has vowed to block all Federal Reserve
nominations after the justice department opened a criminal
investigation into the Fed chair, Jerome Powell, inflaming tensions over
the central bank’s independence.
Thom Tillis
of North Carolina, a member of the banking committee that oversees Fed
appointments who is retiring at the end of his term later this year,
said Sunday he would oppose any nominee for the Fed, including the upcoming chair vacancy, “until this legal matter is fully resolved.”
“If
there were any remaining doubt whether advisers within the Trump
Administration are actively pushing to end the independence of the
Federal Reserve, there should now be none,” Tillis wrote on X.
“It is now the independence and credibility of the Department of Justice that are in question.”
Thom Tillis arrives to attend a briefing on Capitol Hill for senators on the situation in Venezuela, 7 January 2026. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Warren outlines electoral strategy for Democrats, highlights 'trust' and economic populism
At
a speech at the National Press Club, the Massachusetts lawmaker said
that in order to build a “sturdy big tent, it is not enough to simply
attack Trump”.
“A Democratic Party
that worries more about offending big donors than delivering for working
people is a party that is doomed to fail – in 2026, 2028, and beyond,”
she said today. “Democrats need to earn trust-long-term, durable
trust-across the electorate … even when that means taking on the wealthy
and well connected.”
Warren also noted that
Democrats were once “trusted” by working people, and went on to list –
what she sees – as some of the party’s crowning policy achievements:
from Medicaid to union building to the Affordable Care Act.
“I understand the temptation – in this moment of national crisis – to sand down our edges to avoid offending anyone,
especially the rich and powerful who might finance our candidates,” she
added. “We can’t rebuild trust by staying silent about abuses of
corporate power and tax fairness simply to avoid offending the delicate
sensibilities of the already-rich and powerful.
Warren,
who serves as the ranking member on the Senate banking committee, noted
that if her party will “pick up the broken pieces of 2024” they “must
acknowledge a hard truth”.
“Either we politely nibble around the edges of change, or we throw ourselves into the fight,”
she said. Either we carefully craft our policies to ensure that the
rich keep right on getting richer, or we build a party that ferociously
and unapologetically serves the needs of working people.”
Warren delivers speech on future of Democratic party, slams investigation into Powell
Senate
Democrat Elizabeth Warren is delivering remarks on the future of the
Democratic party today. However, she kicked off her speech today with a
laundry list of rebukes against the Trump administration.
“Trump is trying to push out the chairman of the Federal Reserve
board and complete his corrupt takeover of America’s central bank – so
it serves his interests, along with his billionaire friends,” she said.
In a post on Truth Social a short while ago, Donald Trump praised himself for the his work with Nato.
“I’m the one who SAVED NATO!!!,” he wrote
in a post on Monday. The president has routinely taken credit for the
decision of member countries to increase their defense and security
spending from 2% to 5% last year.
Top White House economic adviser says 'not involved' in DoJ's decision to investigate Powell
In an interview with CNBC today, the White House economic council director Kevin Hassett said that he was “not involved” in the justice department’s decision to launch a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell.
When
asked about Powell’s claims that the investigation into his handling of
the central bank’s ongoing investigation is merely a “pretext” to “put
pressure on him to do the president’s bidding on lowering rate”, Hassett
said that theyw ould discover whether this is accurate “in the fullness
of time”.
He added that there are “dramatic
cost overruns” on the Federal Reserve renovations, and “plans for the
buildings that look inconsistent with the testimony”.
Kevin Hassett speaks in front of a TV camera at the White House on 9 January. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
“I’ve
not been briefed on what the justice Department is thinking, and I
expect the president has not as well,” Hassett reiterated.
Trump
'doing right things for Nato' by encouraging higher defense spending,
Rutte says, as he avoids criticizing president over Greenland
Jakub Krupa
Nato’s general secretary Mark Rutte has just been asked about Trump’s comments on Greenland on his visit to Croatia, where he met the country’s prime minister Andrej Plenković.
Rutte responded to criticism of his charm offensive and repeated flattery of Trump (most famously with his “daddy” comment), as he insisted that “I believe that Donald Trump is doing the right things for Nato by encouraging us all to spend more” in Europe to match the US spending.
He said he was “absolutely convinced” that “without Donald Trump we would never have had that result at the summit in The Hague” last year, increasing the GDP defence threshold to 5%.
“So when I praise somebody, it is based on facts, and I believe the facts are there,” he said.
He did not address the specific question on Trump’s comments on Greenland, but said he welcomed the other allies’ discussion on “come together and work together” and get more involved in the Arctic and the High North.
You have seen some announcements by the Brits and the Germans today, we are working now together to see how we can basically [come] together as an alliance,
including our seven members, allies bordering on the high north, on the
Arctic, to work together to indeed build that next step, which is
crucial.
Rutte also said that Denmark
was “already speeding up their investments when it comes to defence,”
including “unique capabilities to defend territories like Greenland”.
“So we
are really working together here. And my only worry is, how do we stay
safe, against the Russians, against any other adversary – look at what China is doing in rapidly building up its own
