Top U.S. & World Headlines — January 13, 2026

The state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul initiated a lawsuit against the federal government to stop an 'unprecedented surge' of federal immigration agents. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison described the deployment of ICE agents as a 'federal invasion' causing 'serious harm' and 'chaos and terror'. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey characterized the actions as 'unconstitutional conduct' and 'wildly disproportionate' to normal immigration enforcement, citing incidents like 50 agents arresting one person and warrant-less home invasions.

AG Keith Ellison's statement: 'Deployment of thousands of armed mass DHS agents to Minnesota has done our state serious harm. This is, in essence, a federal invasion of the Twin Cities and Minnesota, and it must stop.' Mayor Jacob Frey's statement: 'What we are seeing right now is not normal immigration enforcement. We are asking this federal government to stop the unconstitutional conduct that is invading our streets each and every day.'

A bipartisan group of former Treasury secretaries and top economic officials criticized the Trump administration for launching a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The probe was initiated after Powell refused Trump's demands to lower interest rates. The officials labeled the investigation an 'unprecedented attempt to use prosecutorial attacks to undermine the independence of the Federal Reserve.' Even Trump's own Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, privately warned against the move.

Former officials described the investigation as an 'unprecedented attempt to use prosecutorial attacks to undermine the independence of the Federal Reserve.' Signatories included former Fed Chairs Janet Yellen, Ben Bernanke, and Alan Greenspan.

The House Oversight Committee faced criticism for subpoenaing investigative journalist Seth Harp. Harp had published publicly available information about a Delta Force commander reportedly involved in the US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Twenty press freedom and First Amendment groups, including the ACLU and Reporters Without Borders, called for the subpoena's rescission, arguing Harp's reporting is 'fully and squarely within the protections of the First Amendment.'

Chip Gibbons of Defending Rights and Dissent stated: 'The subpoena against Seth Harp has few parallels in recent memory. We have to remember, Seth Harp has done some of the most important investigative reporting on US foreign policy.'

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reversed its policy on regulating air pollution from new power plants. The agency will no longer consider health impacts and lives saved in its regulatory process. Instead, the EPA will focus primarily on the cost to industry when regulating pollutants like fine particulate matter and ozone.

The EPA is 'no longer considering health impacts and lives saved when regulating air pollution from new power plants. Instead, the EPA will focus on the cost to industry.'

Nearly 15,000 nurses initiated the largest nursing strike in New York City's history. The striking nurses accused management at six private New York hospitals of refusing to negotiate fair contracts. Their demands included improved safe staffing levels, fully funded health benefits, and protection from workplace violence. New York City Mayor Eric Adams publicly supported the striking nurses.

A striking nurse stated: 'We are fighting for patient safety.' New York City Mayor Eric Adams joined the striking nurses and praised their work, stating: 'New Yorkers have a right to quality health care, as do the nurses who provide that care.'