Good Morning!

It's Thursday, January 29, 2026, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at:

• Here’s how to file your taxes right.

• Your favorite color doesn’t exist.

• Bad news for night owls. Your heart isn’t safe.

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Top headlines

SPILL THE NEWS

US News

Two Federal Officers Placed on Leave After Fatal Minneapolis Shooting

Two US federal officers, who fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday, were placed on administrative leave, the Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday, calling it standard protocol. The shooting occurred during federal immigration enforcement operations that have continued across the city. New video shows Pretti’s confrontation with ICE agents 10 days before shooting.

President Donald Trump said he would wait for a DHS investigation and suggested de-escalation without detailing changes. Trump said Pretti was not an “assassin” but blamed him for carrying a legally owned gun. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said local police would not assist immigration enforcement.

Money

Tax Season Is Here

The Internal Revenue Service opens the 2026 tax filing season on Monday, Jan. 26, accepting 2025 federal returns nationwide. The filing deadline is April 15 for most taxpayers. This season reflects changes from the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act, including new deductions for seniors, overtime pay, tips, and higher SALT limits, along with revised standard deductions. How are new rules affecting filing?

The IRS expects about 164 million returns. National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins warned that staffing cuts, leadership turnover, and complex law changes could create challenges, though e-filed, error-free returns with direct deposit should process smoothly.

Tech

People Are Betting… On Politics?

Betting on US politics through prediction markets has surged, with hundreds of millions of dollars now staked on government actions and global events. Platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket allow users to wager on outcomes tied to elections, shutdowns, military actions, and presidential decisions. 

The 2024 election marked the first time billions were bet on American politics, accelerating mainstream interest. The growth has prompted scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators over insider trading, market manipulation, and whether officials could influence outcomes they are betting on. Several bills and investigations now target these risks.

In the know

DON’T MISS

🗳️ FBI searches Georgia election site, seizing 2020 ballots and records.

🎨 Turns out, your favorite color isn’t even a real color. Your brain’s apparently making it up!

🧹 From old screenshots to junk mail, here’s why you need to declutter your digital life.

💵 US dollar falls to its lowest level in four years after recent slide.

🍫 Not eggs, several chocolate bar flavors recalled across the US after salmonella detected in finished products.

⚠️ Trump warns Iran “time’s running out” for a nuclear deal as a US “massive armada” heads toward the region.

🏢 Amazon cuts about 16,000 corporate jobs in latest global restructuring push.

⏰ Why the Doomsday Clock ticking closer than ever is worrying world experts. 

🏦 Federal Reserve keeps rates unchanged as inflation stays elevated and jobs show stability.

😊 These are the four waysto be happier as you age!

Health & Wellness

FOR YOUR WELLBEING

🌙 For the night owls — you might want to rethink when you go to sleep. It might be secretly hurting your heart health. 

🧠 Parkinson’s can fly under the radar for decades. Before the tremors start, if you’re acting out dreams or losing your sense of smell, be on the lookout for these 4 early red flags.

🌱 Fiber and water not doing the trick? A new study has found another link to get your gut moving —see if this is the Vitamin you have been missing all along.

Fashion & Beauty

BEYOND THE MIRROR

👡 Birkenstocks’ latest dreamy collection is making all of us think, “Can comfort go high fashion?” Well, it surely did! 

✨ Is micro-infusion the new … micro-needling? It’s time to throw that scary derma roller away. 

🎨 For everybody who’s stuck in the winter loop of black pants and gray sweaters, these colour pairings on fashion runways tell us the old color rules are dead. If anything, we’re swearing by the “so wrong they’re right” combos from now on. 

💄 Sorry, but the “perfect” French girl look is out of the question now —we’re trading the neat red lip for smudged burgundy eyes.

Hollywood

THE FAME FRAME

🎭 Bridgerton’s new season premieres on Netflix! All eyes on Yerin Ha and Luke Thompson. 

📸 Kim Kardashian reveals the reason behind deleting Megan Markle and Prince Harry’s photos at Kris Jenner’s birthday — it was just wrong timing. 

🎤 Stephen Colbert reveals final day at “The Late Show”

🎶 Lady Gaga put her own spin on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood Theme Song for Super Bowl ad. 

🎸 Bruce Springsteen drops ‘Streets Of Minneapolis’ to protest President Trump and ICE shootings.

Interactive

WEIGH IN

You pride yourself on handling everything alone, even when you’re exhausted or overwhelmed. But psychologists say that extreme self-reliance, often called “toxic independence”, can quietly harm mental health and relationships. Rooted in early experiences of neglect, inconsistency, or betrayal, it turns asking for help into a perceived risk. Experts stress the difference between healthy self-sufficiency and survival-mode independence, noting that refusing support can lead to isolation, burnout, and emotional strain over time.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the power of their own becoming.”

— Oprah Winfrey