MORNING NEWS UPDATE: JANUARY 25, 2026
- A massive winter storm is impacting large parts of the U.S., bringing heavy snow, ice, frigid temperatures, and widespread power outages (over 730,000 reported without power in some updates), affecting travel and daily life from the Midwest to the East Coast and beyond.
- President Trump approved an emergency declaration for West Virginia as the winter storm approaches, with similar preparations in other states.
- A Border Patrol agent fatally shot a man in Minneapolis, escalating tensions and a state-federal standoff, sparking protests and calls for federal agents to leave the area.
- Federal agents were involved in another high-profile shooting incident, with new video angles emerging of the event.
Massive Winter Storm Paralyzes East: A "catastrophic" winter storm stretching 2,000 miles has left 213 million people under weather warnings. Over 800,000 customers are without power, primarily in Tennessee, Texas, and Mississippi.
Nationwide Protests Following Fatal Shooting: Major protests have erupted in Minneapolis, NYC, and San Francisco after video evidence contradicted federal claims regarding the shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse.
Sundance Assault Incident: Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost was assaulted at the Sundance Film Festival by an individual shouting racist remarks and deportation threats; the suspect has been arrested.
- Congress is engaging in "shadow diplomacy" to reassure NATO allies amid President Trump's threats toward NATO countries and related policies.
- Discussions continue around President Trump's first year in office, with analyses from outlets like the Washington Examiner and political reports.
- Trump heads to Iowa amid a partial government shutdown looming as senators return to Capitol Hill.
- At Davos, Trump's "shock therapy" approach (including tariff threats and statements on issues like Greenland) has left Europe shaken but potentially healthier in response.
New National Defense Strategy (NDS 2026): The Trump administration released its roadmap for 2026, signaling a major shift by "dialing down" on China confrontation to prioritize Western Hemisphere dominance and domestic security.
"Shock Therapy" at Davos: At the World Economic Forum, European officials described the current U.S. approach to trade and security as "shock therapy," forcing rapid transitions in the transatlantic partnership.
U.S. Withdrawal from WHO: Reports continue to detail the logistical and public health fallout as the U.S. formalizes its exit from the World Health Organization.
- U.S. military pressure is intensifying in the Middle East, with a massive American naval buildup, top commanders arriving in Israel, and Iran on high alert amid discussions of Trump's Gaza plans.
- Syria extended a truce with Kurdish forces by 15 days to facilitate the transfer of Islamic State (IS) detainees to Iraq.
- Ongoing developments in Ukraine and regional conflicts, including reports of Russian missile actions (though specifics vary by source).
Iran Uprising Casualties: Local reports suggest the death toll from ongoing protests in Iran could reach 30,000 as international pressure on the regime intensifies.
U.S. Operations in Venezuela: Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, educators and world leaders are debating the implications of the U.S. plan to oversee a transition government in the country.
UN Water Conference Prep: Global stakeholders have gathered in Dakar to prepare for the 2026 UN Water Conference, identifying water scarcity as the "defining business issue of the decade."
- Education leaders are drawing lessons from the "AI gold rush," with increasing school engagement levels and AI becoming a pillar of institutional strategy in edtech for 2026.
- Discussions in publications like NEA Today on improving outreach to boys, AI's impact on teaching, and debates over later school start times.
- Various school assembly headlines compilations highlight national/international education updates for late January.
Dismantling the Education Department: Secretary Linda McMahon is continuing her "Returning Education to the States" tour as the administration moves to decentralize federal school oversight and freeze research cash.
School Safety & Immigration: A new national survey reveals that 70% of high school principals report students from immigrant families are missing school due to fear of federal enforcement.
Teacher Strike Threats: Following a "victory" strike in California, unions in major districts like Los Angeles and Oakland are declaring impasses, signaling a wave of potential walkouts in early 2026.
- Economic updates reflect on 2025's market performance (e.g., strong S&P 500 returns despite volatility from tariffs) and projections for 2026 growth around 2.1%.
- Fed surveys indicate modest U.S. economic expansion recently, with stable employment and divided policymaker views on rates.
- Ongoing analyses of FED concerns, including interest rates, inflation, unemployment, and productivity in today's economic landscape.
AI Productivity Gains: At Davos, tech giants including Cisco and ServiceNow committed to a joint initiative to train 120 million people in AI by 2030, citing cases where AI saved companies over $100M in tax analysis.
RAM Price Crisis: A significant shortage in DDR5 memory has hit a new high, driving up the cost of enterprise servers and consumer PCs globally.
Global Growth Forecast: The IMF has slightly upwardly revised global growth to 3.3% for 2026, citing front-loading ahead of expected tariff implementations.
- Advances in understanding how the human brain may work more like AI than previously thought, per new scientific insights.
- In healthcare tech, 35% of patients might switch doctors due to frustrating digital tools, and 20% of healthcare workers use unauthorized AI tools.
- White House tech advisors emphasizing U.S. leadership across the AI stack.
Gemini-Powered EVs: The world’s first electric vehicle powered by Google’s Gemini AI is launching this week, promising a more integrated voice-and-vision driving assistant.
Room-Temperature Laser Magnets: Researchers have produced nanometer-thick magnets at room temperature using lasers, a breakthrough that could lead to faster non-silicon processors.
Workday/NetSuite Spoofing: A new wave of malicious Chrome extensions has been identified that specifically spoof corporate software like Workday to steal employee credentials.
- New research reveals how pancreatic cancer evades the immune system using a molecular trick, aiding potential future treatments.
- NIH ends funding for all research using human fetal tissue.
- Patient and worker frustrations with digital health tools could drive changes in doctor selection and AI usage in healthcare settings.
- Colorectal cancer rising as a leading cause in some cancer statistics.
Alzheimer's Memory Breakthrough: Scientists identified a natural "aging molecule" that, when targeted, can restore early memory abilities by improving communication between brain cells.
Dangerous Amoebas Spreading: Health officials issued an urgent warning regarding heat-resistant "free-living amoebae" that are surviving modern water chlorination systems globally.
Cancer's "Immune Shield": New research into pancreatic cancer has revealed how the protein MYC allows tumors to hide from the immune system, opening a new door for targeted immunotherapy.
- No. 1 Arizona men's basketball team dominates West Virginia in a key matchup.
- Big 12 and Big Ten conference updates, including Arizona's unanimous No. 1 ranking in the AP Top 25 for the first time in program history.
- Ongoing college basketball odds and games highlighted for January 25.
NFL Championship Sunday: The sports world is focused on today's high-stakes matchups: Patriots vs. Broncos and Rams vs. Seahawks to determine the Super Bowl LX contenders.
NCAA Scoring Record: BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa made history yesterday with a 43-point game, breaking the school record previously held by Danny Ainge.
UFC 324 Results: Justin Gaethje outlasted Paddy Pimblett in a "main event thriller" in Las Vegas, while Dominick Cruz was announced as the headline inductee for the 2026 Hall of Fame class.
