Here are the AP's top stories and promotable content. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP's coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan.
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Here are the AP's top stories and promotable content. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP's coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan.
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NATIONAL
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Trump's Twin Cities immigration crackdown has made chaos and tension the new normal
SUMMARY: Work starts around sunrise for many of the federal officers carrying out the immigration crackdown in and around the Twin Cities, with people in tactical gear streaming from a bland office building. Soon they leave in the unmarked convoys which have quickly become feared and common sights in the streets of Minneapolis, St. Paul and their suburbs. Operation Metro Surge is the Trump administration’s latest and biggest crackdown yet, with more than 2,000 officers taking part. It has pitted local officials against the federal government, sparked daily clashes between activists and immigration officers, and left a mother of three dead. The crackdown is barely noticeable in some areas, but it can be felt across broad swaths of the Twin Cities area.
WORDS: 1263 - MOVED: 01/17/2026 5:01 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSImmigrationEnforcementANewNormalstLdWritethru/96888fbbf2b5939aa7abdc0380773e46/text___
ICE says Cuban immigrant died while attempting suicide. A witness says guards pinned and choked him
SUMMARY: A Cuban immigrant who lived in the U.S. for nearly three decades died in a Texas immigration facility during an altercation with guards. While the local medical examiner has indicated his death will likely be classified as a homicide, the federal government has given a different account of Geraldo Lunas Campos’ death, saying he was attempting suicide and staff tried to save him. But a witness tells The Associated Press the man died after being handcuffed, tackled and placed in a chokehold until losing consciousness. The death and different accounts have intensified scrutiny of immigration jails, especially as the government detains more immigrants nationwide.
WORDS: 1639 - MOVED: 01/16/2026 6:49 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSImmigrationEnforcementDetaineeDeaththLdWritethru/2bfb614b2b222803d309f338357d04eb/text___
Judge rules feds in Minneapolis immigration operation can’t detain or tear gas peaceful protesters
SUMMARY: A U.S. judge has ruled federal officers in a Minneapolis-area immigration operation can’t detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities, including when these people are observing the agents. U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez ruled Friday in a case filed in December on behalf of six Minnesota activists. Thousands of people have been observing the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officers enforcing the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area since early December. Government attorneys have argued the officers have been acting within their legal authority to enforce immigration laws and protect themselves.
WORDS: 517 - MOVED: 01/17/2026 1:42 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSImmigrationEnforcementLawsuitthLdWritethru/8805b301ff4a7bfb0058e085ffa8c034/text___
Justice Department investigating whether Minnesota's Walz and Frey impeded immigration enforcement
SUMMARY: The Justice Department is investigating whether Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have impeded federal immigration enforcement through public statements they have made, according to two people familiar with the matter. The investigation focused on potential violation of a conspiracy statute, the people said. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss a pending investigation by name. Walz and Frey both issued statements calling it an attempt to intimidate them. The investigation comes during a weekslong immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and St. Paul that the Department of Homeland Security has called its largest recent immigration enforcement operation.
WORDS: 982 - MOVED: 01/16/2026 4:53 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSImmigrationEnforcementthLdWritethru/25e46910fcc62fbf5ab341905af9891c/text___
Tennessee judge grants expanded media access to state-run executions
SUMMARY: A judge has ruled that Tennessee prison officials must grant expanded access to media members to view state-run executions. The ruling Friday comes after a coalition of news organizations including The Associated Press sued on claims that state execution protocols unconstitutionally limit thorough and accurate reporting. The coalition’s lawsuit argued that protocols limiting reporters' access to short time periods violate the public and press’s constitutional rights to witness the entirety of executions. Myles’ order granted a mandatory temporary injunction allowing media members and other witnesses to see more of the execution process, with security procedures in place for those carrying out the procedures.
WORDS: 597 - MOVED: 01/17/2026 12:59 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTennesseeExecutionsLawsuit/192bd70ed40b50a15379bf9815a77cff/text___
Ex-husband indicted by grand jury in slaying of couple found in their Ohio home
SUMMARY: An Ohio grand jury indicted a man in the double homicide of his ex-wife and her husband who were killed in their home last month. Court records show a Franklin County grand jury charged Michael David McKee on Jan. 16, with aggravated murder and aggravated burglary. McKee, a vascular surgeon who was living in Chicago, is charged in the shooting deaths of 39-year-old Monique Tepe and her 37-year-old husband, dentist Dr. Spencer Tepe, in their Columbus home on Dec. 30. Monique Tepe and McKee were divorced in 2017. Authorities apprehended McKee in Rockford, Illinois, last weekend, where he remains in custody. His next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 23.
WORDS: 363 - MOVED: 01/16/2026 7:19 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSDentistWifeKilledSuspectIndicted/ef5584f13a47deb5a13f512e9ba58aba/text___
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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FAA urges pilots to exercise caution over eastern Pacific, citing 'military activities'
SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration is urging U.S. aircraft operators to “exercise caution” when flying over the eastern Pacific Ocean near Mexico, Central America and parts of South America, citing “military activities” and satellite navigation interference. The warning was issued in a series of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) issued Friday. The notices come after nearly four months of U.S. military strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific that the U.S. alleged were trafficking drugs. Earlier this month, the U.S. conducted a “large-scale strike” against Venezuela. President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were seized and transported to New York, where they face drug trafficking charges.
WORDS: 235 - MOVED: 01/17/2026 3:00 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSFAAFlightWarningsstLdWritethru/dd0cbe105d75f6d8acf16f02884865c0/text___
How the Trump administration erased centuries of Justice Department experience
SUMMARY: As Attorney General Pam Bondi approaches her first anniversary on the job, the firings of career attorneys have defined her turbulent tenure. The terminations and a larger voluntary exodus of lawyers have erased centuries of combined experience. They have also left the department with fewer career employees to act as a bulwark defending the rule of law when President Donald Trump is testing the limits of executive power by demanding prosecutions of his political enemies. Interviews by The Associated Press of more than a half-dozen fired employees offer a snapshot of the toll throughout the department. The Justice Department has disputed the accounts of some of those who have been fired or quit.
WORDS: 2384 - MOVED: 01/16/2026 5:03 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSJusticeDepartmentFiringsthLdWritethru/b4134e5db9d9ff7963fc8c4bf7a0a166/text___
Venezuelan opposition leader is confident about return of democracy but says little of her plans
SUMMARY: Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado says she’s confident of her country’s eventual transition to democracy after the U.S. military ousted former President Nicolás Maduro. But when pressed, she took pains to avoid giving details on her plans to return home or any timetable for elections in Venezuela. Her remarks on Friday reflect how President Donald Trump’s endorsement of a Maduro loyalist to lead Venezuela for now has frozen out the nation’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning crusader for democracy. Still, Machado has looked to get closer to Trump, presenting her Nobel medal to him a day earlier at the White House.
WORDS: 789 - MOVED: 01/16/2026 7:03 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSVenezuelaUSMachadondLdWritethru/01083122cf909de030b4a3417274a452/text___
Supreme Court will hear appeal by maker of popular Roundup weedkiller to block thousands of lawsuits
SUMMARY: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from agrochemical manufacturer Bayer to block thousands of state lawsuits alleging it failed to warn people its popular weedkiller could cause cancer. The justices said Friday they'll consider whether the Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of the Roundup weedkiller without a cancer warning should rule out state court claims. The justices will hear a case from Missouri, where a man developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after spraying Roundup on a community garden. The Trump administration has weighed in on Bayer’s behalf, reversing the Biden administration’s position. Some studies associate Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate, with cancer. The EPA has said it's unlikely to be carcinogenic to humans when used as directed.
WORDS: 498 - MOVED: 01/16/2026 7:35 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSSupremeCourtPesticidesLiabilitythLdWritethru/2e8e03708f125a84999259e624fb695c/text___
Trump to pardon ex-Puerto Rico governor Vázquez in campaign finance case, official says
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump plans to pardon former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez, a White House official said. The official who confirmed the planned pardon on Friday wasn’t authorized to reveal the news by name and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Vázquez pleaded guilty last August to a campaign finance violation in a federal case that authorities say also involved a former FBI agent and a Venezuelan banker. Her sentencing was set for later this month. Federal prosecutors had been seeking one year behind bars. Vázquez was the U.S. territory’s first former governor to plead guilty to a crime, specifically accepting a donation from a foreigner for her 2020 political campaign.
WORDS: 498 - MOVED: 01/16/2026 5:44 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTrumpPardonVzquezthLdWritethru/4a94c15e82cabb5f8272f2d6ad19234d/text___
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INTERNATIONAL
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Trump says 8 European countries will be charged a 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump says he'll charge a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from eight European countries because of opposition to U.S. control of Greenland. He said in a social media post Saturday that Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland would face the tariff. He also says it would be raised to 25% on June 1 if a deal is not in place for “the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland” by the United States.
WORDS: 1099 - MOVED: 01/17/2026 11:28 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUDenmarkGreenlandUSthLdWritethru/4ad99ea3975a8b62d37bd04961feda55/text___
Ukrainian delegation arrives in US for peace talks as Russia hammers energy sites
SUMMARY: A Ukrainian delegation has arrived in the United States to discuss a U.S.-led diplomatic push to end the nearly 4-year-old war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, said the talks focus on peace agreement details. On Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that ongoing Russian strikes are undermining diplomacy. If U.S. officials approve the proposals, documents could be signed next week at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukraine's power grid have intensified, leaving many areas without electricity and heating. Ukraine is taking emergency measures to address the energy crisis.
WORDS: 610 - MOVED: 01/17/2026 11:29 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEURussiaUkraineWarthLdWritethru/c7fc7a01ac9976dd617482b6ef6f1fa0/text___
Trump confidants, former British leader and Middle East officials are at forefront of US Gaza plan
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump’s new Gaza ceasefire plan includes a committee to manage Gaza's daily affairs. The White House announced this on Friday. The plan features an executive committee with international experts and a "Board of Peace" led by Trump. Key figures named to the executive committee include Marco Rubio, Tony Blair, and Jared Kushner. The plan aims to disarm Hamas and rebuild Gaza. It also involves an international security force. The appointments mark a significant step in the plan's second phase. The committee includes officials with strong regional ties, aiming to leverage influence over Israel and Hamas.
WORDS: 863 - MOVED: 01/17/2026 1:42 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APMLMideastWarsBoardofPeacestLdWritethru/efe95e29fb1cfe099f44e3ac48d06fa2/text___
Iran's leader calls Trump a 'criminal' for backing protests and blames demonstrators for deaths
SUMMARY: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for supporting Iranian protesters. In a speech on Saturday, Khamenei accused Trump of encouraging unrest and labeled him a "criminal." He said the protests, which began on December 28, resulted in thousands of deaths. Trump had recently praised Iran for canceling planned executions, signaling a possible shift away from military action. Iran has returned to an uneasy calm after the protests, with authorities briefly restoring limited internet access. Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi's call for further protests has not gained traction.
WORDS: 829 - MOVED: 01/17/2026 12:44 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APMLIranProtestsstLdWritethru/fc11b1082fb75fca02205f668c822751/text___
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni wins seventh term as opposition rejects results
SUMMARY: Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has won his seventh term with 71.65% of the votes. His challenger, Bobi Wine, received 24.72% and rejected the results, calling for peaceful protests. Wine condemned the election process, alleging fraud and abductions of his polling agents. He claimed he had to escape arrest by security forces. Police denied he was under arrest, stating there was controlled access to his house. The election faced issues with biometric voter machines, leading to manual voting. Museveni, 81, has maintained power by changing constitutional rules, and Uganda has not seen a peaceful transfer of power since independence.
WORDS: 529 - MOVED: 01/17/2026 8:33 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APAFUgandaElectionthLdWritethru/7ba4e6d8ecf1eace2cb9c46453594346/text___
Family of Iranian protester searched for her body in a pile of corpses and buried her on a roadside
SUMMARY: The family of a 23-year-old Iranian college student believes she was killed by a bullet fired by Iranian security forces. Robina Aminian's relatives say the family had to search through bloodied corpses to find her and rushed out with her body because they feared authorities would demand payment to release her body. The family buried Aminian hastily in an unmarked pit. Aminian was studying fashion in Tehran. She is one of thousands reportedly killed since protests began in December. Her family says she wasn’t an activist and just joined in a protest. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not respond to questions about her death.
WORDS: 988 - MOVED: 01/17/2026 7:45 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APMLIranProtestsOneStudentsKillingstLdWritethru/3bcf37ee725bc59ac672b6a55f7cea56/text___
More than 100 dead in torrential rains and floods across southern Africa
SUMMARY: Authorities say torrential rains and flooding have killed more than 100 people in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe in recent weeks and are warning that more severe weather is expected across the southern African region. South Africa has reported at least 30 deaths in two of its northern provinces following heavy rains that began last month and led to severe flooding. Around 600 tourists and staff members have been evacuated in the renowned Kruger National Park. In neighboring Mozambique, the Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction says 103 people have died since late last year in an unusually severe rainy season.
WORDS: 813 - MOVED: 01/16/2026 12:41 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APAFSouthernAfricaFloodingthLdWritethru/1e22c38611b1c8aba3ce4f9cf37ab9df/text___
Actor Timothy Busfield's attorneys say an investigation undermines state's child sex abuse charges
SUMMARY: Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield’s attorneys told a court he should be released while he awaits the outcome of child sex abuse charges against him. Busfield's attorneys said in court filings Friday an independent investigation undermined the state’s allegations and the parents of his accusers have a history of fraud and dishonesty. His attorneys also say he passed a polygraph test. Busfield was ordered held without bond at his first court appearance earlier this week after he turned himself in to face charges stemming from allegations that he inappropriately touched a minor on the set of a TV series he was directing in New Mexico.
WORDS: 418 - MOVED: 01/17/2026 5:18 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSSexualMisconductTimothyBusfield/6f5db56a12be69202d14d07ee90d5010/text___
White House names some leaders with roles in next steps in Gaza, while Palestinian committee meets
SUMMARY: The White House has released the names of some of the leaders who will play a role in overseeing next steps in Gaza. Also Friday, the Palestinian committee set to govern Gaza under U.S. supervision has met for the first time in Cairo and pledged to get to work quickly. Its leader says he expects reconstruction and recovery to take about three years, with an initial focus on shelter and other immediate needs. Ali Shaath, an engineer and former Palestinian Authority official from Gaza, tells Egypt’s state-owned Al-Qahera News that Palestinians are eager for the committee to help them recover.
WORDS: 752 - MOVED: 01/16/2026 6:13 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APMLMideastWarsstLdWritethru/dce5a67ee31c5310149121baa52ea14a/text___
Cuba launches mass demonstration to decry US attack on Venezuela and demand Maduro's release
SUMMARY: Tens of thousands of Cubans have gathered in Havana to protest the killing of 32 Cuban officers in Venezuela. The demonstration took place Friday at the “José Martí Anti-Imperialist” plaza across from the U.S. Embassy. The crowd demanded the release of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, who was arrested by the U.S. on Jan. 3. Cuba’s Foreign Ministry described the protest as a response to threats against peace and sovereignty. President Miguel Díaz-Canel attended the event. The protest follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent demands for Cuba to negotiate with him amid tightened sanctions and economic struggles.
WORDS: 590 - MOVED: 01/16/2026 1:39 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APCBCubaUSVenezuelathLdWritethru/0b348a984cf70186e6b7a98e6ef5a427/text___
Canada agrees to cut tariff on Chinese EVs in return for lower tariffs on Canadian farm products
SUMMARY: Canada has agreed to cut its 100% tariff on Chinese electric cars in return for lower tariffs on Canadian farm products. Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement Friday after two days of meetings with Chinese leaders. He says there will be an initial annual cap of 49,000 vehicles on Chinese EV exports to Canada, growing to 70,000 over five years. China will reduce its tariff on the major Canadian export of canola seeds from about 84% to about 15%. Carney and Chinese leader Xi Jinping pledged earlier Friday to improve relations between their two nations after years of acrimony.
WORDS: 1049 - MOVED: 01/16/2026 5:33 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASChinaCanadathLdWritethru/b71c1b67d3489a8b4058c650152b0cb9/text___
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BUSINESS
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Stocks edge a bit below their latest records on Wall Street
SUMMARY: Stocks edged a bit lower on Wall Street as the first week of corporate earnings season closes out with markets trading near record levels. The S&P 500 slipped 0.1% Friday after a day of wavering between gains and losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Gains for several big tech companies helped offset weakness elsewhere. A handful of regional U.S. banks reported their earnings following mixed reports from their larger peers. Pittsburgh’s PNC jumped after it beat Wall Street’s fourth-quarter targets, but Regions Financial fell after reporting results that missed forecasts.
WORDS: 786 - MOVED: 01/16/2026 5:57 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APFinancialMarketsthLdWritethru/de230d7cc846c215b4d004416b12bf1e/text___
Trump says he wants to keep Hassett in White House, clouding Fed chair selection
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump on Friday said he would like to keep his top economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, at the White House rather than potentially nominate him to replace Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve. Trump’s comments, while not clearly definitive, have upended expectations around the extensive search the White House has undergone to find a new Fed chair, one of the most powerful financial positions in the world. The president’s remarks have boosted the prospects for Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor and already a top contender for the position.
WORDS: 506 - MOVED: 01/16/2026 7:28 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSFederalReserveHassettstLdWritethru/51dac6a9091a9605df967994a3003b0c/text___
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CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT
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Things to know about the High Seas Treaty as it takes effect
SUMMARY: The world’s first legally binding agreement to protect marine life in international waters takes effect Saturday. The High Seas Treaty governs nearly half the planet’s surface, addressing threats like destructive fishing, pollution, and climate change. The treaty entered into force after 60 countries ratified it, with 83 now on board, including China and Japan. It establishes a framework for Marine Protected Areas and requires environmental impact assessments for harmful activities. Countries must promote conservation goals in international bodies.
WORDS: 749 - MOVED: 01/17/2026 7:46 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APClimateHighSeasTreatyWhattoKnow/052f310eadaacf0bc1c48b8956e6eacb/text___
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