ReportWire

Tag: Collections: Top News

  • What We Know About the Investigations Into the Minneapolis Shooting Death of Alex Pretti

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The fatal shooting over the weekend of a Minneapolis man has prompted calls for a thorough independent investigation into the second death at the hands of federal immigration officers since the Trump administration began its large-scale operation in the city late last year.

    But many of the investigation’s details, including the identities of the officers involved and precisely what evidence is being examined, remain unclear even as tensions soar in Minneapolis over the death of Alex Pretti, 37, an ICU nurse.

    Any investigation into the details of the shooting will likely be highly scrutinized. The Trump administration has been quick to cast Pretti as an armed instigator, although videos emerging from the scene and local officials contradict that claim.

    Here’s a look at what’s known about the investigation into the shooting and what’s not:

    The White House says three federal investigations into the shooting are underway.

    During a briefing Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI were investigating the shooting and U.S. Customs and Border Protection was “conducting their own internal review.”

    “As President (Donald) Trump said yesterday, the administration is reviewing everything with respect to the shooting, and we will let that investigation play out,” Leavitt added, without providing additional details on the probes.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which normally plays a key role in any case in which a federal law enforcement officer kills a civilian, is instead only lending support in processing physical evidence from the scene, such as Pretti’s gun.

    Historically, the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department investigates shootings of civilians by law enforcement officers for potential criminal violations, but there’s no indication that they intend to do so in Pretti’s case. In the case of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement earlier this month that “there is currently no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation.”

    Gil Kerlikowske, who headed Customs and Border Protection during the Obama administration, said that when he was at the agency, if a Border Patrol agent used deadly force on the job, it would be “routine” for the FBI to conduct a criminal civil rights investigation, even in cases where the force may have been justified and even if the probe wouldn’t necessarily lead to prosecution.

    Kerlikowske also questioned why Homeland Security Investigations, an arm within DHS that traditionally probes cross-border issues like drug smuggling and human trafficking, would take a lead role in this investigation.

    “This isn’t something that HSI has real expertise or does at all,” said Kerlikowske. “Shooting and use of force and potential criminal liability is not something that would be in their portfolio.”


    Videos, firearms and questions about Pretti’s phone

    FBI Director Kash Patel said Sunday on Fox News that the agency will be assisting HSI by “processing physical evidence.”

    Patel said they’re in possession of “the firearm, which is going to go to our laboratory,” in reference to Pretti’s gun.

    But Patel made no reference to whether the bureau had gathered the firearms of the officers or agents who were on the scene or what other evidence the FBI was processing.

    DHS officials did not respond to questions Monday about whether they are in possession of Pretti’s phone or whether they have recovered the video he was recording when he was killed.

    Pretti’s family told The Associated Press they don’t have the phone and don’t know where it is. Pretti’s father, Michael Pretti, said Monday the family had still not been contacted by or provided any information by federal law enforcement.

    Investigators also have an extensive array of videos to sift through, including multiple videos shot by activists and protesters at the scene.

    Use-of-force experts have said that bystander video undermined federal authorities’ claim that Pretti “approached” a group of lawmen with a firearm and that a Border Patrol officer opened fire “defensively.” There has been no evidence made public, they said, that supports a claim by Border Patrol senior official Greg Bovino that Pretti, who had a permit to carry a concealed handgun, intended to “massacre law enforcement.”

    Investigators have video from at least four Border Patrol agents on the scene who were wearing body cameras, said DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin. Those videos have not been made public.

    Neither have the identities of the Border Patrol agents involved. The officer who shot the man is an eight-year Border Patrol veteran, federal officials said Saturday.


    State officials say they are being shut out

    The incident has shined a light on the increasing mistrust between officials in the state and the Trump administration over who should take the lead in investigating.

    Drew Evans, superintendent of Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which investigates police shootings, told reporters Saturday that federal officers had blocked his agency from the scene of the shooting even after it obtained a signed judicial warrant.

    “We will continue to investigate this case and others that we have recently been involved with. But I would be remiss if I didn’t state that it would be difficult to obtain all of the evidence and information obtained without cooperation,” Evans said Saturday.

    A federal judge has already issued an order blocking the Trump administration from “destroying or altering evidence” related to the shooting after state and county officials sued.

    Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the lawsuit filed Saturday is meant to preserve evidence collected by federal officials that state authorities have not yet been able to inspect.

    McLaughlin dismissed the lawsuit, saying claims that the federal government would destroy evidence are “a ridiculous attempt to divide the American people and distract from the fact that our law enforcement officers were attacked — and their lives were threatened.”

    Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said he called for an impartial investigation in a phone call with Trump Monday.

    Trump, in an earlier social media post, said after their call he and Walz “seemed to be on a similar wavelength,” although he did not mention the investigations. Later, Leavitt said Trump supports the probes that are underway.

    Associated Press writers Michael Biesecker and Eric Tucker contributed.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • What Travelers Can Expect as Southwest Airlines Introduces Assigned Seats

    Starting Tuesday, customers on Southwest flights will have assigned seats and the option of paying more to get their preferred seat closer to the front of a plane or seats with extra legroom. The airline began selling tickets shaped by the new policy in July.

    Here’s what travelers can expect as Southwest does away with another of its signature features and becomes more like other airlines:

    Under the open-seat system, Southwest customers could check in starting exactly 24 hours before departure to secure places in boarding lines at departure gates.

    Early check-ins were placed in the coveted “A” boarding group, essentially guaranteeing they would find an open window or aisle seat. Others landed in “B” or “C,” the likelihood of only middle seats being available rising the longer they waited to check in.

    The Dallas-based airline’s unusual seating process began as a way to get passengers on planes quickly and thereby reduce the time that aircraft and crews spent on the ground not making money. It helped Southwest operate more efficiently and to squeeze a few more flights into the daily schedule; the system also was a key reason Southwest remained profitable every year until the coronavirus pandemic.

    The open-seating arrangement became less democratic over time, however, as Southwest also had starting allowing passengers to pay extra for spots near the front of the line.

    An eight‑group boarding structure is replacing the find-your-own-seat scrum. Instead of numbered metal columns at departure gates, passengers will file through two alternating lanes once it’s time for their group to board.

    The airline said its gate areas will be converted in phases starting Monday night, a process that could take about two months to complete. Columns that remain standing past Tuesday will have their numbers removed or covered in the meantime.

    Southwest is selling tickets at fares with different seating choices, including standard seats assigned at check‑in or paid preferred and extra‑legroom seats selected at booking. For certain flights, passengers also will have the option of paying for priority boarding beginning 24 hours before departure.

    Newly designed boarding passes will show seat assignments and boarding groups, according to Southwest. A reservation made for nine or fewer people, including families, will assign those passengers to the same boarding group.

    Southwest says the boarding groups are based on seat location, fare class, loyalty tier status and the airline’s credit card rewards benefits. Passengers who purchase seats with extra legroom will be placed in groups 1-2. Customers with premium fares and the airline’s “most loyal travelers” will also have access to preferential seats and earlier boarding, the carrier said, while those with basic fares will likely be placed in groups 6-8.

    With the switch to assigned seating also comes a revision of the airline’s policy for customers who need extra room. Under the new rule — also effective Tuesday — travelers who do not fit within a single seat’s armrests will be required to purchase an additional seat in advance.

    That represents a change from the airline’s previous policy that allowed passengers the choice to purchase a fully refundable extra seat before arriving at the airport, or request a free one at the gate. Under the updated policy, refunds are still possible but no longer guaranteed and depend on seat availability and fare class.

    In May 2025, Southwest also ended its decades‑old “bags fly free” policy, replacing it with baggage fees for most travelers.

    The changes mark one of the biggest transformations in the airline’s history, as it alters its longstanding customer perks to bring it more in line with the practices of other larger U.S. carriers.

    “We have tremendous opportunity to meet current and future customer needs, attract new customer segments we don’t compete for today, and return to the levels of profitability that both we and our shareholders expect,” Southwest CEO Robert Jordan said last year.

    When the Texas-based airline first announced plans in 2024 to switch to assigned seating, it said studies on seating options showed that customer preferences had changed over the years, with the vast majority of travelers saying they now want to know where they are sitting before they get to the airport.

    Jordan said at the time that open seating was the top reason surveyed travelers cited for choosing another airline over Southwest.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Columbia Taps University of Wisconsin Chancellor to Lead School After 2 Years of Turmoil

    NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia University has named Jennifer Mnookin, the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as its next president as it tries to move forward from two years of turmoil that included campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war and President Donald Trump’s subsequent campaign to squelch student activism and force changes at the Ivy League school.

    Mnookin’s appointment was announced Sunday night. She will assume her new post on July 1, becoming Columbia’s fifth leader in the past four years.

    The Trump administration took aim at Columbia shortly after he took office last year, making it his first target in what became a broader campaign to influence how elite U.S. universities dealt with protests, which students they admitted and what they taught in classrooms.

    Immigration enforcement agents imprisoned some Columbia students who had participated in pro-Palestinian protests in 2024. The administration canceled $400 million in research grants at the school and its affiliated hospital system in the name of combating antisemitism on campus, and threatened to withhold billions of dollars more in government support.

    Mnookin’s predecessor, Nemat Shafik, resigned in August 2024 following scrutiny of her handling of the protests and campus divisions. The university named Katrina Armstrong, the chief executive of its medical school, but she resigned last March, days after Columba agreed to the settlement. The board of trustees then appointed their co-chair, Claire Shipman, as acting president while they searched for a permanent leader.

    Mnookin, 58, previously served as the dean of the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law before being named to her current post at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in August 2022. She received her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, her law degree from Yale Law School, and her doctorate in history and social study of science and technology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Egypt to Adopt Restrictions on Children’s Social Media Use to Fight ‘Digital Chaos’

    CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s Parliament is looking into ways to regulate children’s use of social media platforms to combat what lawmakers called “digital choas,” following some western countries that are considering banning young teenagers from social media.

    The House of Representatives said in a statement late Sunday that it will work on a legislation to regulate children’s use of social media and “put an end to the digital chaos our children are facing, and which negatively impacts their future.”

    Legislators will consult with the government and expert bodies to draft a law to “protect Egyptian children from any risks that threaten its thoughts and behavior,” the statement said.

    The statement came after President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Saturday urged his government and lawmakers to consider adopting legislation restricting children’s use of social media, “until they reach an age when they can handle it properly.”

    The president’s televised comments urged his government to look at other countries including Australia and the United Kingdom that are working on legislations to “restrict or ban” children from social media.

    About 50% of children under 18 in Egypt use social media platforms where they are likely exposed to harmful content, cyberbullying and abuse, according to a 2024 report by the National Center for Social and Criminological Research, a government-linked think tank.

    In December, Australia became the first country to ban social media for children younger than 16. The move triggered fraught debates about technology use, privacy, child safety and mental health and has prompted other countries to consider similar measures.

    French President Emmanuel Macron urged his government to fast-track the legal process to ensure a social media ban for children under 15 can be enforced at the start of the next school year in September.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • 25 Killed in Attack by Islamic State-Backed Group in Eastern Congo, Rights Group Says

    GOMA, Congo (AP) — An attack by an Islamic State-linked militant group in eastern Congo killed at least 25 people early Sunday, a rights group based in Ituri province said.

    The dead from the attack by the Alliance Democratic Force include 15 men who were burned alive in a house and seven who were shot in the village of Apakulu in the Irumu territory of Ituri province. Three others were killed in Walese Vonkutu.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Videos Show Deadly Minneapolis Shooting and Political Leaders Reach Different Conclusions

    Videos quickly emerged Saturday showing the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis protester by a Border Patrol agent, with Democratic leaders in Minnesota saying the footage showed the deadly encounter was the result of untrained federal officers overreacting and the Trump administration saying the man provoked the violence.

    It was the second fatal shooting in Minneapolis by federal immigration authorities this month. The first, on Jan. 7, involved Renee Good. It also was captured on videos and produced a similar schism among political leaders.

    On Saturday, at around 9 a.m., a Border Patrol agent shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti after a roughly 30-second scuffle. The Trump administration said shots were fired “defensively” against Pretti, who federal authorities said had a semiautomatic handgun and was “violently” resisting officers.

    Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who said he watched one of several videos, said he saw “more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents, shooting him to death.” Frey has said Minneapolis and St. Paul are being “invaded” by the administration’s largest immigration crackdown, dubbed Operation Metro Surge.

    Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti attacked officers, and Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said he wanted to do “maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” In posts on X, President Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller called Pretti “a would-be assassin.”

    The shooting Saturday occurred when officers were pursuing a man in the country illegally wanted for domestic assault, Bovino said. Protesters routinely try to disrupt such operations and they sounded their high-pitched whistles, honked horns and yelled out at the officers.

    Among them was Pretti. At one point, in a video obtained by The Associated Press, Pretti is standing in the street and holding up his phone. He’s face-to-face with an officer in a tactical vest, who places his hand on Pretti and pushes him toward the sidewalk.

    Pretti is talking to the officer, though it’s not clear what he is saying.

    The video shows protesters wandering in and out of the street as officers persist in trying to talk them back. One protester is put in handcuffs. Some officers are carrying pepper spray cannisters.

    Pretti comes in again when the video shows an officer wearing tactical gear shoving a protester. The protester, who is wearing a skirt over black tights and holding a water bottle, reaches out for Pretti.

    The same officer shoves Pretti in his chest, leading Pretti and the other protester to stumble backwards.

    A different video then shows Pretti moving toward another protester, who falls over after being shoved by the same officer. Pretti moves between the protester and the officer, reaching his arms out toward the officer. The officer deploys pepper spray, and Pretti raises his hand and turns his face. The officer grabs Pretti’s hand to bring it behind his back, and deploys the pepper spray cannister again and then pushes Pretti away.

    Seconds later, at least a half-dozen federal officers surround Pretti, who is wrestled to the ground and hit several times. Several agents try to bring Pretti’s arms behind his back, and he struggles.

    An officer who is hovering over the scuffle with his right hand on Pretti’s back in one video backs away from the group just before the first shot. In the video provided to The AP, the same officer is moving away with what appears to be a gun in his right hand.

    After about 20 seconds, the first shot is fired.

    Videos do not clearly show who fired the first shot. In one video, seconds before the first shot, one officer reaches for his belt and appears to draw his gun. That same officer is seen with a gun to Pretti’s back as three more shots ring out. Pretti slumps to the ground. Videos show the officers backing away, some with guns drawn. More shots are fired.

    The Department of Homeland Security said Pretti was shot after he “approached” Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Officials did not say if Pretti, who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon, brandished the gun or kept it hidden.

    An agency statement said officers fired “defensive shots” after Pretti “violently resisted” officers tried to disarm him.

    Walz expressed dismay at the characterization.

    “I’ve seen the videos, from several angles, and it’s sickening,” he said.

    President Donald Trump weighed in on social media by lashing out Walz and Frey. Trump shared images of the gun that immigration officials said was recovered from Pretti and said “What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?”

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Over 8,000 Flights Canceled as Major Winter Storm Bears Down Across Much of the US

    DALLAS (AP) — More than 8,000 flights across the U.S. set to take off over the weekend have been canceled as a major storm expected to wreak havoc across much of the country bears down, threatening to knock out power for days and snarl major roadways.

    Roughly 140 million people were under a winter storm warning from New Mexico to New England. The National Weather Service forecast warns of widespread heavy snow and a band of catastrophic ice stretching from east Texas to North Carolina.

    By Friday night, the edge of the storm was sending freezing rain and sleet into parts of Texas while snow and sleet were falling in Oklahoma. After sweeping through the South, the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about a foot (30 centimeters) of snow from Washington through New York and Boston, the weather service predicted.

    Governors in more than a dozen states sounded the alarm about the turbulent weather ahead, declaring emergencies or urging people to stay home.

    Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told residents on the social media platform X that the state Department of Transportation was pretreating the roads and told residents, “Stay home if possible.”

    More than 3,400 flights were delayed or canceled Saturday, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. More than 5,000 were called off for Sunday.

    Angela Exstrom was supposed to fly back to Omaha, Nebraska, from a trip in Mexico, but she learned her Saturday flight out of Houston had been canceled. So instead, she is going back via Los Angeles.

    “If you live in the Midwest and travel in the winter, stuff can happen,” she said.


    Frigid temperatures and ice

    Utility companies braced for power outages because ice-coated trees and power lines can keep falling long after a storm has passed.

    The Midwest saw wind chills as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 40 Celsius), meaning that frostbite could set in within 10 minutes.

    In Bismarck, North Dakota, where the wind chill was minus 41 (minus 41 Celsius), Colin Cross was bundled up Friday in long johns, two long-sleeve shirts, a jacket, hat, hood, gloves and boots as he cleaned out an empty unit for the apartment complex where he works.

    “I’ve been here awhile and my brain stopped working,” Cross said.

    The storm has been a popular topic of discussion for days at Saint Paul Mini Market in Baltimore.

    “Every single person that walks in talks about the storm,” said owner Ayaz Ahmed.

    “Somehow, this time around, they did a good job letting people know that here’s a storm coming their way, and everybody knows about the storm, but how to deal with that is another thing,” Ahmed said.


    Government prepares to respond

    The federal government put nearly 30 search and rescue teams on standby. Officials had more than 7 million meals, 600,000 blankets and 300 generators placed throughout the area the storm was expected to cross, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

    President Donald Trump said via social media on Friday that his administration was coordinating with state and local officials and “FEMA is fully prepared to respond.”

    After the storm passes, it will take a while to thaw out. Ice can add hundreds of pounds to power lines and branches and make them more susceptible to snapping, especially if it’s windy.

    In at least 11 Southern states from Texas to Virginia, a majority of homes are heated by electricity, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.


    Church, Carnival and classes canceled

    Churches moved Sunday services online, and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, decided to hold its Saturday night radio performance without fans. Carnival parades in Louisiana were canceled or rescheduled.

    Philadelphia announced schools would be closed Monday. Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. told students, “It’s also appropriate to have one or two very safe snowball fights.”

    Some universities in the South canceled classes for Monday, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Mississippi‘s main campus in Oxford.

    At the University of Georgia, in Athens, sophomore Eden England stayed on campus to ride things out with friends, even as the school encouraged students to leave dorms and go home because of concerns about losing power.

    “I’d rather be with my friends,” England said, “kind of struggling together if anything happens.”

    Megnien and Amy reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers around the country contributed.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Brazil Police Target Rio Pension Fund in Probe Linked to Banco Master, Sources Say

    RIO DE JANEIRO/BRASILIA, Jan 23 (Reuters) – Brazil’s ‌federal ​police on Friday served ‌search and seizure warrants against Rio de Janeiro state’s ​pension fund in the latest development tied to the collapse of lender ‍Banco Master, three sources told ​Reuters.

    The operation was part of an investigation into about 970 ​million reais ($183.56 ⁠million) in so-called financial bills issued by a private bank, the police said in a statement, without naming their target.

    Sources familiar with the matter said the probe was related to Master, which was shut down ‌in November by Brazil’s central bank amid a severe liquidity crisis ​and ‌violations of financial-system rules.

    The ‍liquidation triggered ⁠the largest-ever payout by Brazil’s private deposit guarantee fund, but the securities purchased by Rio de Janeiro state’s pension fund Rioprevidencia were not eligible for coverage.

    In a statement, Rioprevidencia said it is protected by a court ruling issued in December, which ordered the retention of roughly 970 million reais ​related to the invested amounts in order to safeguard the retirement assets of active and retired civil servants and pensioners.

    “As a result, the investment is already being repaid through the retention of proceeds from payroll-deducted loans that would otherwise have been transferred to Banco (Master),” the fund said.

    According to Rioprevidencia, this means the funds are available to the pension system’s cash flow, and the investment is expected to be fully settled within around ​two years.

    The pension fund added that all of its investments “strictly complied with current legislation and oversight rules.”

    (Reporting by Rodigo Viga Gaier in Rio de Janeiro and Lisandra Paraguassu and ​Ricardo Brito in Brasilia; Writing by Isabel Teles; Editing by Gabriel Araujo and Chris Reese)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

    Reuters

    Source link

  • Network Shutdown Leaves Wisconsin Lawmakers Meeting Outside of Public View

    MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The shutdown of Wisconsin’s version of C-SPAN amid a fundraising shortfall has led to state lawmakers meeting outside of public view, fueling complaints from open government advocates and putting pressure on lawmakers to reach a deal to revive the network.

    WisconsinEye had broadcast every floor session of the state Senate and Assembly since 2007 for free before it went dark in mid-December. Created as a private, independent nonprofit, WisconsinEye also provided live coverage of court hearings, news conferences, legislative committee hearings and numerous other government proceedings.

    “WisconsinEye has become a vital part of our democracy in Wisconsin,” said Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council. “We’ve lost, at least temporarily, this precious resources for participating and understanding the workings of our democracy.”

    Every state broadcast legislative floor sessions either by video, audio or both, according to a 2022 review by the National Conference of State Legislatures. However, because of constant changes, it’s impossible to say with certainty that Wisconsin is now the only one not routinely broadcasting all floor debates, the NCSL said Thursday.

    Other states primarily rely on public broadcasting, or the state government, to broadcast legislative proceedings.

    When WisconsinEye stopped its free live broadcasts, it also shut down its website that contains more than 30,000 hours of archived footage.

    When the Legislature convened earlier this month, Republicans who control the Senate and Assembly began enforcing rules that predated WisconsinEye prohibiting members of the public from livestreaming or recording proceedings. One Democratic lawmaker tried to livestream committee meetings he was attending, only to be shut down by the Republican committee chair.

    “I’m really baffled that they are doing that,” said Lueders, the open government advocate. “With WisconsinEye sidelined, it’s more important than ever for citizens to be able to broadcast the proceedings.”

    Hearings on issues like regulating data centers and other issues affecting the daily lives of people have come and gone with no recording of what happened without WisconsinEye there to document it, Lueders said.

    WisconsinEye relied on private donations from individuals, foundations, businesses and others to pay for its operations the past 18 years. But faced with increasing competition for donations, and years of losing money since the 2020 pandemic, WisconsinEye turned to the Legislature for help.

    However, there was a catch. In order to access any of the $10 million, WisconsinEye had to match all of it.

    WisconsinEye initially raised just $210,000. The state gave it $250,000 and another year to meet the $10 million match, but WisconsinEye shut down after it failed to raise enough money to cover its $887,000 operating budget for 2026. Last week the network launched a GoFundMe with the goal of raising $250,000 to pay for three months of operations. As of Thursday, it had raised around $49,000.

    Government entities used to having their proceedings broadcast by WisconsinEye have been scrambling to adjust.

    The state Supreme Court, which has had live audio available of oral arguments since 1997, announced this week that it would run its own livestream of arguments set for mid-February.

    The state Senate livestreamed its floor session this week with one stationary camera, a far cry from the multiple WisconsinEye cameras that would broadcast debate from multiple angles, identify the speakers and identify the bill being discussed.

    The Assembly did not broadcast any of its four floor sessions this month.

    Assembly Democrats and Republicans unveiled a proposal on Thursday that could result in the cameras turning back on. It would allow WisconsinEye to access interest accrued from the $10 million endowment, with fundraising paying for the rest of its operating budget.

    But it must also pass the Senate, and it was unclear how much support there was for the proposal.

    Senate Republican Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said that until Republicans can review details about WisconsinEye’s finances and operations, lawmakers “will not commit to blindly giving money to an organization.”

    WisconsinEye CEO Jon Henkes said WisconsinEye was an “open book” and welcomed scrutiny from lawmakers. Henkes said he was “real optimistic” that the bill would become law and make WisconsinEye even stronger going forward than it had been.

    Democratic Gov. Tony Evers earlier this month said he would support a fundraising deal to revive the network as long as the state wasn’t paying for all of WisconsinEye’s budget.

    “I think there has to be some skin in the game,” Evers said.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • EU Commission Indicates It’s Ready to Implement Mercosur Trade Deal Despite Parliament Vote to Delay

    FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Union is willing to implement a sweeping free trade agreement with the Mercosur group of South American countries on a provisional basis, the head of the EU’s executive commission said Friday, despite a vote by the EU parliament to delay ratification for legal review.

    The EU would be ready to act as soon as at least one Mercosur country ratifies, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the conclusion of a summit of EU leaders in Brussels where several national leaders raised the issue.

    “There is a clear interest that we ensure that the benefits of this agreement apply as soon as possible,” von der Leyen said at a news conference. “In short, we will be ready when they are ready.”

    No formal decision to implement the deal had been taken yet, she said.

    At the same news conference, Antonio Costa, head of the EU council of member governments, said the executive commission had the authority to move ahead on interim implementation.

    A decision to do that is likely to provoke criticism from opponents of the deal, led by France. On Wednesday, the parliament narrowly voted to refer the trade deal to the European Court of Justice for legal review, holding up ratification since the parliament cannot vote on ratification until the court rules. That could take months.

    The deal is central to Brussels’ plan to form trade relations outside a historic dependency on the U.S. in the wake of antagonism and aggression during U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term. They’ve struck deals from Japan to Mexico and are expected to sign a similar accord with India later this month.

    Supported by South America’s cattle-raising countries and European industrial interests, the accord is aimed at gradually eliminating more than 90% of tariffs on goods ranging from Argentine beef to German cars, creating one of the world’s largest free trade zones and making shopping cheaper for more than 700 million consumers.

    France, Europe’s major agricultural producer, wanted stronger protections for farmers and has sought to delay the pact.

    However German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the vote to delay “regrettable” and has urged provisional application of the agreement.

    Ratification is considered all but guaranteed in South America, where the agreement has broad support.

    Mercosur consists of the region’s two biggest economies, Argentina and Brazil, as well as Paraguay and Uruguay. Bolivia, the bloc’s newest member, is not included the trade deal, but could join in the coming years. Venezuela has been suspended from the bloc and is not included in the agreement.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • TikTok Finalizes Deal to Form New American Version of the App

    TikTok has finalized a deal to create a new American version of the app, avoiding the looming threat of a ban in the U.S. that has been in discussion for years.

    The social video platform company signed agreements with major investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX to form the new TikTok U.S. joint venture. The new app will operate under “defined safeguards that protect national security through comprehensive data protections, algorithm security, content moderation and software assurances for U.S. users,” the company said in a statement Thursday.

    Adam Presser, who previously worked as TikTok’s head of operations and trust and safety, will lead the new venture as its CEO. He will work alongside a seven-member, majority-American board of directors that includes TikTok’s CEO Shou Chew.

    The deal marks the end of years of uncertainty about the fate of the popular video-sharing platform in the United States. After wide bipartisan majorities in Congress passed — and President Joe Biden signed — a law that would ban TikTok in the U.S. if it did not find a new owner in the place of China’s ByteDance, the platform was set to go dark on the law’s January 2025 deadline. For a several hours, it did. But on his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to keep it running while his administration sought an agreement for the sale of the company.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Takeaways From Jack Smith on His Case Against Trump, ‘So Many Witnesses’ and the Threats Ahead

    “Our investigation revealed that Donald Trump is the person who caused Jan. 6, it was foreseeable to him, and that he sought to exploit the violence,” Smith testified.

    Trump, during the hearing, was live-posting his rage against Smith — suggesting the former career prosecutor should himself be prosecuted. In the room sat militant Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, and a tense encounter erupted between one audience member and police who had defended the Capitol, reminding how Jan. 6 still divides the Congress, and the country.

    Smith said he believes Trump officials now will do “everything in their power” to prosecute him, but he said he would “not be intimidated” by attacks from the president, adding that investigators gathered proof that Trump committed “serious crimes.”

    “I’m not going to pretend that didn’t happen because he’s threatening me,” Smith said.

    Throughout the session, Republicans highlighted new developments as they seek to sow doubt on Smith’s now defunct-case against Trump, while Democrats warned that Trump’s allies are trying to rewrite history after the defeated president sent his supporters to the Capitol to fight for his failed election against Democrat Joe Biden.

    Far from done, Smith is expected to be called before the Senate, which is planning its own hearing, and he has been unable to discuss the documents case that lawmakers want to probe. Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon halted the release of a report by Smith’s team on that case with an injunction that is set to expire next month, but lawyers for Trump have asked to leave it permanently under seal.


    One star witness under scrutiny, but Smith says there are ‘so many’ more

    The young aide recounted having been told that day about Trump lunging for the steering wheel in the presidential limousine as he demanded to join supporters at the Capitol. It’s a story that others said did not happen.

    “Mr. Smith, is Cassidy Hutchinson a liar?” asked Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the committee chairman.

    Smith explained that Hutchinson’s testimony was “second hand,” and as his team interviewed other witnesses, and the Secret Service agent in the car at the time “did not confirm what happened.”

    Jordan pressed whether Smith would have brought Hutchinson forward to testify anyway, and Smith said he had not made “any final determinations.”

    Smith said, “We had a large choice of witnesses.”

    “That says it all,” Jordan declared. “You were still considering putting her on the witness stand because you had to get President Trump.”

    In fact, Smith said, one of the “central challenges” of the case was to present it in a concise way, “because we did have so many witnesses” — state officials, Trump campaign workers and advisers — to testify.

    “Some of the most powerful witnesses were witnesses who, in fact, were fellow Republicans who had voted for Donald Trump, who had campaigned for him and who wanted him to win the election,” Smith said.


    Smith defends his work, and subpoenas for lawmaker phone records

    A career prosecutor who worked for Republican and Democratic administrations, and worked on a range of cases including war crimes overseas, Smith has presented himself as a straight arrow whose work stands for itself.

    “I am not a politician and I have no partisan loyalties,” Smith said. “Throughout my public service, my approach has always been the same — follow the facts and the law without fear or favor.”

    Republicans sought to portray Smith as a hard-charging prosecutor who had to be “reined in” by higher-ups as he pursued Trump ahead of the former president’s possible run for a second term.

    They singled out the collecting of phone toll records of members of Congress, including the House speaker at the time, former GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

    During one particularly sharp exchange, Republican Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas said Smith used nondisclosure agreements to “hide” subpoenas from the subjects, and the public.

    Smith explained that collecting the phone records was a “common practice” and investigators wanted to understand the “scope of the conspiracy” to overturn the 2020 election.

    “My office didn’t spy on anyone,” he said.

    Smith said he sought the nondisclosure agreements because of witness intimidation in the case. He cited Trump’s comments at the time, particularly the warning that he would be “coming after” those who cross him.

    “I had grave concerns about obstruction of justice in this investigation, specifically with regards to Donald Trump,” he said.

    Smith said it’s not incumbent on a prosecutor “to wait until someone gets killed before they move for an order to protect the proceedings.”


    Threats to democracy — and to Smith himself — linger

    One Democrat, Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, asked how he would describe the toll on American democracy if the nation does not hold a president accountable for fraudulent actions, particularly in elections.

    “If we do not hold the most powerful people in our society to the same standards, the rule of law, it can be catastrophic,” he said.

    “It can endanger our election process, it can endanger election workers and ultimately, our democracy.”

    “The attack on this Capitol on Jan. 6,” Smith said, echoing an appeals court ruling, “it was an attack on the structure of our democracy.”

    Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado asked Smith if he was aware that Trump was live-posting social media comments during the hearing.

    The congressman began reading what the president had posted.

    “’Jack Smith is a deranged animal, who shouldn’t be allowed to practice Law,’” Neguse read. “’Hopefully the Attorney General is looking at what he’s done.’”

    “We have a word for this,” the congressman said. “It’s called weaponization. It’s called corruption.”

    Democrats repeatedly asked if Smith had ever been approached by Biden’s Justice Department to investigate or prosecute Trump. Smith said he had not.


    In his own words, Smith lays out the case

    Smith presented his case against Trump, publicly and in previous private testimony, in ways that have not wavered.

    “President Trump was charged because the evidence established that he willfully broke the law,” Smith said in opening remarks.

    “Rather than accept his defeat in the 2020 election, President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results and prevent the lawful transfer of power.”

    Smith said, “If asked whether to prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, I would do so.”

    “No one should be above the law in this country.”

    Still, the special counsel said he stopped short of filing a charge of insurrection against Trump. That was pursued in the House impeachment of Trump in the aftermath of Jan. 6, though the president was acquitted of the sole count of incitement of an insurrection by the Senate.

    He said the case had “proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in criminal activity,” and remained confident had it gone to trial.

    Asked about Trump’s decision to pardon some 1,500 people convicted in the Jan. 6 attack, including those who assaulted police officers, Smith had almost no answer.

    “I don’t get it,” he said. “I never will.”

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • EU Leaders Gather to Chart a New Course for Transatlantic Ties After Trump Threats Over Greenland

    BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders are gathering for emergency talks on Thursday to chart a new course in transatlantic relations after a tumultuous two weeks dominated by U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed threats to take control of Greenland.

    On the eve of their summit, Trump dramatically backed away from his insistence on “acquiring” Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. For the first time, he said that he would not use force to seize the island. Trump also dropped his threat of slapping tariffs on eight European nations supporting Denmark.

    Yet nothing suggests that the unpredictable U.S. leader won’t change his mind again. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this week cast doubts over his reliability after he appeared ready to renege on an EU-U.S. trade deal sealed in July that was meant to end further tariffs.

    “In politics as in business – a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it must mean something,” von der Leyen told EU lawmakers on Tuesday.

    No details of the hastily agreed “framework” deal that sparked Trump’s extraordinary reversal have been made public, and doubts about it persist. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen insists that her country will not negotiate away its sovereignty.

    European leaders are also expected to agree on a joint approach to Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace,” which was initially envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire but has grown into something far more ambitious.

    On Thursday, days after telling the prime minister of Norway in a text message that he no longer felt “an obligation to think purely of Peace,” Trump put the spotlight on the proposed board at Davos.

    Trump has spoken about the board replacing some of the functions of the United Nations.

    Some European countries have declined invitations to join. Norway, Slovenia and Sweden said they won’t take part. Told that President Emmanuel Macron was unlikely to join, Trump said: “I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes and he’ll join.”

    Germany has offered a guarded and noncommittal response to Trump’s invitation, but Hungary has accepted.

    On the eve of the meeting, the man who will chair it, European Council President António Costa, said that the Trump administration poses a challenge to Europe’s security, principles and prosperity.

    “All these three dimensions are being tested in the current moment of transatlantic relations,” Costa said.

    After consulting the leaders, Costa said they are united on “the principles of international law, territorial integrity and national sovereignty,” something the EU insists on as it defends Ukraine against Russia, and which Trump has threatened in Greenland.

    In a speech to EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France, he also insisted that “further tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and are incompatible with the EU-US trade agreement.” EU lawmakers must endorse that deal but on Wednesday they put a hold on their vote over Trump’s threats.

    EU leaders have been galvanized by Trump’s bullying over Greenland, and are rethinking their relations with an unpredictable America, their long-time ally and the most powerful member of NATO.

    “Appeasement is always a sign of weakness. Europe cannot afford to be weak — neither against its enemies, nor ally,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a staunch supporter of strong transatlantic ties, posted on social media on Tuesday.

    Von der Leyen, who manages trade on behalf of EU countries, warned that the bloc is “at a crossroads.” Should tariffs come, she said, “we are fully prepared to act, if necessary, with unity, urgency and determination.”

    She also told the lawmakers that the commission is working on “a massive European investment surge in Greenland” to beef up its economy and infrastructure, as well as a new European security strategy.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Millions of Americans Brace for Potentially Catastrophic Ice Storm. What to Know, by the Numbers

    ATLANTA (AP) — Millions of Americans from New Mexico to the Carolinas are bracing for a potentially catastrophic ice storm that could crush trees and power lines and knock out power for days, while many northern states all the way to New England could see enough snow to make travel nearly impossible, forecasters say.

    An estimated 100 million people were under some type of winter weather watch, warning or advisory on Wednesday ahead of the storm, the National Weather Service said.

    The storm, expected to begin Friday and continue through the weekend, is also projected to bring heavy snow and all types of wintry precipitation, including freezing rain and sleet. An atmospheric river of moisture could be in place by the weekend, pulling precipitation across Texas and other states along the Gulf Coast and continuing across Georgia and the Carolinas, forecasters said.

    Here’s a look at the approaching storm and how people are preparing for it, by the numbers:

    The number of snowplows owned by the city of Jackson, Mississippi, where a mix of ice and sleet is possible this weekend. The city uses other heavy machinery like skid steers and small excavators to clear roads, said James Caldwell, deputy director of public works. Jackson also has three trucks that carry salt and sand to spread across roads before freezing weather.

    The amount of ice — half an inch, or 1.27 centimeters — that can lead to a crippling ice storm, toppling trees and power lines to create widespread and long-lasting power outages. The latest forecasts from the National Weather Service warn of the potential for a half-inch of ice or more for many areas, including parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Tennessee.

    The number of Nashville snowplows named after country music legend and Tennessee native Dolly Parton (Dolly Plowton). Another snowplow in East Tennessee was named Snowlene after her classic hit song “Jolene” as part of a 2022 naming contest.

    The number of layers needed to keep warm in extreme cold. AP video journalist Mark Vancleave in Minnesota explains the benefits of all three — a base layer, a middle layer and an outer shell — in this video.

    The number of major U.S. hub airports in the path of the southern storm this weekend, when ice, sleet and snow could delay passengers and cargo: Dallas-Fort Worth; Atlanta; Memphis, Tennessee, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Still more major airports on the East Coast could see delays later, as the storm barrels east.

    The number of inches of snow that could fall in parts of Oklahoma.

    “You’ve got to be very weather aware, and real smart about what you’re doing,” said Charles Daniel, who drives a semitrailer across western Oklahoma.

    “One mistake can literally kill somebody, so you have to use your head,” he added.

    The number of snow and ice removal trucks operated by Memphis, Tennessee’s Division of Public Works. The city also has six trucks that spread brine, a mixture designed to melt wintry precipitation. Statewide, the Tennessee Department of Transportation has 851 salt trucks and 634 brine trucks, and most of the salt trucks double as plows.

    Parts of at least 19 states in the storm’s path were under winter storm watches by late Wednesday, with more watches and warnings expected as the system approaches. They include Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. An estimated 55 million people are included in these winter storm watches, the weather service said.

    The degree in Fahrenheit when water freezes, equivalent to 0 Celsius. This is a magic number when it comes to winter weather, said Eric Guillot, a scientist at the National Weather Service. If the temperature is slightly above 32, it will be mostly liquid. But the colder it is below the mark, the more efficiently precipitation will freeze.

    The number of snowplow trucks at the ready in Nashville, Tennessee, according to the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure.

    The windchill value — how cold it feels to a person when winds are factored in — that is expected in parts of the Northern Plains, the weather service projects. That equates to minus 45.6 Celsius and is forecast for parts of northern Minnesota and North Dakota.

    “When the weather forecast says, ‘feels like negative 34,’ it’s just a matter of covering skin and being prepared for it,” said Nils Anderson, who owns Duluth Gear Exchange, an outdoor equipment store in Duluth, Minnesota.

    The number of snowplows in the city of Chicago, where annual snowfall averages 37 to 39 inches (0.94 to 0.99 meters). The city also has 40 4×4 vehicles, and about 12 beet juice-dispensing trucks, according to Cole Stallard, Chicago’s commissioner of Streets and Sanitation. The natural sugars of beet juice lower the freezing point of water, allowing salt mixtures to work at much lower temperatures and preventing refreezing, while also helping salt stick to the road longer.

    The number of miles added last year to snowplow routes in Nashville, Tennessee. That was done “to get deeper into our neighborhoods — roads that had never been plowed before,” said Alex Apple, a spokesperson for Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell.

    Texas has this number of pieces of winter weather equipment, including snowplows, motor graders and brine tankers, Texas Department of Transportation spokesperson Adam Hammons said. He said the agency also works with state partners and contractors to get more equipment when needed. In the Dallas area, “right now our main focus is treating our roadways in advance of the storm,” agency spokesperson Tony Hartzel said Wednesday.

    The number of cubic yards of salt on hand at the Arkansas Department of Transportation. The state has 121 salt houses around the Arkansas, plus 600 salt spreaders and 700 snowplows, said Dave Parker, an agency spokesperson.

    Associated Press writers Jamie Stengle in Dallas; Sophie Bates in Jackson, Mississippi; Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee; Travis Loller and Kristin M. Hall in Nashville, Tennessee; Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City; John O’Connor in Springfield, Illinois; and Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, contributed.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Federal Prosecutors in Georgia Announce Guilty Plea in Ponzi Scheme That Bilked Investors of $380M

    ATLANTA (AP) — A financial adviser in Georgia pleaded guilty Wednesday to wire fraud in a Ponzi scheme that bilked more than 2,000 people out of $380 million, federal authorities announced.

    Prosecutors accused Todd Burkhalter, the founder and CEO of Drive Planning LLC, of marketing several fraudulent investment schemes and using the money in part to buy a $2 million yacht, a $2.1 million condo in Mexico and a motorcoach.

    Burkhalter was represented by the federal defenders’ office. A message to the office after hours on Wednesday was not immediately returned.

    Prosecutors said one of Burkhalter’s investment schemes purported to provide short-term loans to real estate developers and promised returns of 10% every three months. According to prosecutors, Burkhalter falsely said those investments were backed by real estate holdings.

    Burkhalter, 54, of St. Petersburg, Florida, encouraged investors to dip into retirement accounts and savings and take out lines of credit. Drive Planning’s former chief operating officer has also pleaded guilty.

    “These losses will echo through the lives of these victims long after these defendants receive their well-deserved sentences,” said Aaron Seres, a supervisory special agent at the Atlanta-area FBI office.

    As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors plan to recommend a sentence of more than 17 years in prison for Burkhalter, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Theodore Hertzberg said.

    Hertzberg and Seres spokes at a news conference announcing Burkhalter’s plea.

    Hertzberg said a court-appointed official is trying to recover victims’ money by selling Burkhalter’s assets, but it’s highly unlikely that they will get back everything they lost.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Another Train Crashes in Spain, Killing at Least 1 Person

    GELIDA, Spain (AP) — Commuter rail service in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region was suspended Wednesday after a Barcelona commuter train crashed the night before, Spanish authorities said.

    At least one person died in the Barcelona-area crash, and 37 others were injured as crews worked at night to complete the rescue effort. The train hit a retaining wall that fell onto the tracks, authorities said.

    The news late Tuesday of another train crash mere days after Spain’s worst railway disaster since 2013 left many Spaniards in disbelief. Emergency workers were still searching for victims in the wreckage from Sunday’s high-speed crash in southern Spain that killed at least 42 people and injured dozens some 800 kilometers (497 miles) away.

    Three days of national mourning were underway, and the cause of that crash was being investigated.

    The victim of the Tuesday-night crash was a trainee train driver, regional authorities said. Of the 37 people affected, five were seriously injured. Six others were in less serious condition, emergency services said. Most of the injured had ridden in the first train car.

    The suspension of commuter trains Wednesday morning caused significant traffic jams on roads leading into Barcelona. Regional authorities in Catalonia asked people to reduce unnecessary travel and companies to allow remote work while the disruptions continued.

    Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez acknowledged the Barcelona area crash, writing on X on Tuesday night: “All my affection and solidarity with the victims and their families.”

    While Spain’s high-speed rail network generally runs smoothly, and at least until Sunday had been a source of confidence, commuter rail services are plagued by reliability issues. However, accidents causing injury or death are not common in either.

    The commuter train crashed near the town of Gelida, located about 37 kilometers (23 miles) outside Barcelona.

    Spain’s railway operator ADIF said the containment wall likely collapsed due to heavy rainfall that swept across the northeastern Spanish region this week.

    Naishadham reported from Madrid.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Trump’s Plane Turns Around Due to ‘Minor Electrical Issue,’ White House Says

    WASHINGTON, Jan ‌20 (Reuters) – ​President Donald ‌Trump was ​returning to Joint ‍Base Andrews in ​Maryland ​to ⁠change aircraft after crew on his Air Force One ‌identified “a minor electrical issue” ​on the ‌aircraft ‍shortly after ⁠taking off to fly to the World Economic Forum in ​Switzerland, the White House said Tuesday evening.

    The trip will continue on a new aircraft, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt ​said.

    (Reporting by Jeff Mason, Ismail Shakil, Kanishka Singh; ​editing by Scott Malone)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

    Reuters

    Source link

  • Han Kang, Angela Flournoy, Arundhati Roy Nominated for National Book Critics Circle Awards

    The critics association announced nominees in eight competitive categories and three honorary winners, including the celebrated author-journalist Frances Fitzgerald, who will receive a lifetime achievement award.

    “Out of the many hundreds of titles that our organization carefully considered this year, these singular and striking finalists rose to the top,” NBCC President Adam Dalva said in a statement Tuesday. “They interrogate the lives we lead, broaden our creative and social horizons, move us, and continually surprise us. Especially in this difficult time, every one of these writers and translators deserves to be celebrated -– and to be widely read.”

    Han’s “We Do Not Part” (translated from the Korean by e. yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris) is a fiction finalist, along with Karen Russell’s “The Antidote”; Katie Kitamura’s “Audition”; Solvej Balle’s “On the Calculation of Volume (Book III),” translated from the Danish by Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell; and Flournoy’s “The Wilderness.”

    Roy is a nominee in autobiography for “Mother Mary Comes to Me,” with other books cited including Geraldine Brooks’ “Memorial Days”; Beth Macy’s “Paper Girl”; Hanif Kureishi’s “Shattered”; and Miriam Toews’ “A Truce That Is Not Peace.”

    Finalists in other categories range from Viet Thanh Nguyen’s “To Save and to Destroy” for criticism to Nicholas Boggs’ “Baldwin: A Love Story” for best first book to Kevin Young’s “Night Watch” for poetry.

    Winners will be announced March 26.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Suspect Charged in Vandalism of Vice President JD Vance’s Ohio Home Pleads Not Guilty

    William D. DeFoor, 26, entered pleas to three counts in federal court in Cincinnati. Prosecutors have charged DeFoor with damaging government property, engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds, and assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers.

    The suspect faces up to 10 years in prison on each of the first two charges and up to 20 years on the third.

    Federal prosecutors allege the Secret Service saw someone run along the front fence of Vance’s residence in Cincinnati’s upscale East Walnut Hills neighborhood just after midnight on Jan. 5 and then breach the property line. The person later identified as DeFoor was armed with a hammer and tried to break out the window of an unmarked Secret Service vehicle on the way up the driveway. The person then moved toward the front of the home and broke 14 historic window panes, according to a federal affidavit.

    Damage done to security enhancements around the windows was valued at $28,000, according to the filing.

    DeFoor’s attorney, Paul Laufman, has said in court that the situation represents “purely a mental health issue” and that his client was not motivated by politics.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Bessent Says US-Europe Relations Have ‘Never Been Closer’ Despite Greenland Crisis

    DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday said America’s relations with Europe remain strong and urged trading partners to “take a deep breath” and let tensions driven by the Trump administration’s new tariff threats over Greenland “play out.”

    “I think our relations have never been closer,” he said, speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

    On Saturday, Trump announced a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from eight European nations that have rallied around Denmark in the wake of his stepped up calls for the United States to take over the semi-autonomous territory of Greenland.

    Trump has insisted the U.S. needs the territory for security reasons against possible threats from China and Russia.

    The American leader’s threats have sparked outrage and a flurry of diplomatic activity across Europe, as leaders consider possible countermeasures, including retaliatory tariffs and the first-ever use of the European Union’s anti-coercion instrument.

    The EU has three major economic tools it could use to pressure Washington: new tariffs, suspension of the U.S.-EU trade deal, and a “trade bazooka,” the unofficial term for the bloc’s Anti-Coercion Instrument that could sanction individuals or institutions found to be putting undue pressure on the EU.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    Associated Press

    Source link