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Today's top stories
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is deploying more federal agents to Minnesota. The move comes as nationwide protests continued yesterday after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis last week. Some elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, are pushing back against DHS actions to bring in more agents and demanding a full investigation into Good's killing. U.S. representatives have typically been allowed to visit ICE detention facilities unannounced, but Homeland Security now requires elected officials to provide a seven-day notice to enter.
- 🎧 Tensions are high in Minneapolis, NPR's Jason DeRose tells Up First. The community can hear sirens and helicopters throughout the day and night, leaving people on edge. Though there is a lot of fear in the area, people are caring for their neighbors. Several hundred people gathered at a church near where the shooting took place last week and marched a mile loop to offer comfort. Along the route, they sang and held moments of silence at areas where ICE agents recently detained residents. DeRose says he will pay attention to what the additional agents are actually doing on the ground and how community members who oppose ICE's presence will respond in the coming days.
President Trump says he is not ruling out strikes on Iran despite saying Tehran asked to negotiate with the U.S. Iran has seen significant protests for several weeks in the biggest challenge to the theocratic regime in years. In response, the Iranian government has cracked down hard. Around 500 protesters have been killed, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
- 🎧 The regime's knowledge of the U.S.' capability to damage missile facilities and hit political targets may have led to the Iranians' request for talks with the Trump administration, Nader Habibi, who focuses on Middle East economics, tells NPR's Jackie Northam. Iran said it would consider U.S. military bases and ships as targets for preemptive strikes if the U.S. looked like it would strike. Currently, Iran's regime is vulnerable because its 12-day war with Israel last summer resulted in the deaths of many of the government's senior leadership and weakened its military capabilities
The Trump administration is escalating its pressure campaign on the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell confirmed that the Justice Department subpoenaed the central bank last week, seeking information about testimony that Powell gave to the Senate Banking Committee in June 2025.
- 🎧 At that time, lawmakers grilled Powell over the Fed headquarters' makeover costs, which ballooned from $1.9 billion to $2.5 billion. However, in an unusually combative video yesterday, Powell argued that the DOJ investigation is more than just about project spending. The president has said he wants lower interest rates and has threatened to fire Powell in the past, NPR's Scott Horsley says. However, the Fed was designed to be insulated from political pressure so that policymakers can do what they think is best for the economy long term.
U.S. figure skating is poised to send what some in the sport are calling its most dominant team in years to the Winter Olympics. Sixteen skaters will represent Team USA across all four disciplines: men's, women's, pairs, and ice dance. Meet the world champions, seasoned veterans, and rising stars who secured their spots on the roster.
- 📷 NPR's Brian Munoz attended the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. He left with a newfound love for the sport. See his photos of the athletes fiercely competing for a spot on the team.
Living better
Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America.
Conversations about women's health, including topics like breast cancer and menopause, have become more mainstream. But the cultural shift comes with a catch: Information can be oversimplified and sometimes outright wrong. As people focus on their New Year's health goals, doctors debunk some myths people should be aware of.
- 🩺 Annual mammograms are critical, but you need more to prevent breast cancer. Understand your lifetime risk to see if you need tailored screening.
- 🩺 Strength training doesn't trump cardio, especially in midlife. Aerobic exercise is still critical.
- 🩺 Women cannot maximize workouts based on their menstrual cycle. No good data shows significant changes in strength, endurance, or recovery across the menstrual cycle phases.
Picture show
Ariana Grande, Noah Wyle, Teyana Taylor and George Clooney were just some of the big names in TV and film who walked the red carpet last night before the 83rd annual Golden Globes in Beverly Hills, Calif. Among the stars were Morning Edition's own Michel Martin, Steve Inskeep, Leila Fadel and A Martínez. Take a look at all the dazzling looks.
➡️ Didn't watch the award show? Don't fret, these are all the winners of the Golden Globes.
3 things to know before you go
- The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., removed mentions of Trump's two impeachments and information about his presidency from the wall text next to his new portrait.
- The Washington National Opera is leaving the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, its home since 1971, in response to new policies that strain its financial model.
- Bob Weir has died at 78. He was a founding member of the influential rock band the Grateful Dead.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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