Top Stories • January 26, 2026

A massive winter storm has moved offshore, but dangerous Arctic cold remains locked across much of the United States, with nearly 210 million Americans under cold weather alerts and wind chills plunging as low as minus 40 to minus 50 degrees in the northern Plains as power outages and flight cancellations continue. In Minnesota, federal court hearings began in lawsuits seeking to curb federal immigration operations after the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent, with state officials demanding preservation of evidence and greater oversight. New polling shows economic anxiety surging, driven by rising housing, health care, education, and retirement costs. Overseas, Europe’s growing reliance on U.S. natural gas is giving President Trump expanding geopolitical leverage, heightening concerns over energy security and tensions tied to Greenland.