National and international media news & headlines compiled by CLG
‘Massive fleet’ heading to Iran – Trump | 23 Jan 2026 | Washington is closely “watching” the situation in Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump has said, apparently renewing his threats of using military force against the Islamic Republic over its handling of the [CIA/Mossad-backed] violent unrest… The protests grew political and violent, with Tehran blaming meddling by the U.S. and Israel, as well as infiltration of terrorist elements, for the turmoil. According to the latest official figures, more than 3,000 people have been killed in the violence, including nearly 700 terrorists. Tehran has repeatedly alleged that organized groups of militants have received instructions, weaponry, and other equipment from abroad, as well as have been paid for acts of violence against government officials and public property. While the Pentagon has not confirmed Trump’s statements on the fleet movements, multiple media reports have indicated that the aircraft carrier group led by USS Abraham Lincoln has been sent to the Middle East from the South China Sea.
Israeli fire kills three in Gaza, medics say, as U.S. pushes deal | 25 Jan 2026 | Israeli fire killed three Palestinians in two separate incidents in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, while an Israeli drone wounded four others in Gaza City, the territory’s health ministry said on Sunday. Medics said Israeli fire killed at least two people east of Tuffah neighbourhood in the northern Gaza Strip, and a 41-year-old man was killed by Israeli forces in Khan Younis, in the south of the enclave. Earlier, medical workers said an Israeli drone exploded on the rooftop of a multi-floor building in Gaza City, wounding four civilians in the street nearby… U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel on Saturday, mainly to discuss Gaza, Witkoff said on Sunday.
BlackRock boss working on $800 billion plan for Ukraine’s economy – Witkoff | 23 Jan 2026 | BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has joined U.S. President Donald Trump’s Ukraine team as a “prosperity adviser,” U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff has announced. Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos on Thursday, Witkoff described Fink as “the best-in-class prosperity adviser,” adding that he “was good enough to volunteer for the job.” Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has spoken repeatedly about developing a “prosperity plan,” aimed at attracting 800 billion in foreign investment to Ukraine after a peace agreement with Russia is reached. While Ukrainian officials met with BlackRock executives to discuss this plan last month, it was unclear from reports about the closed-door meeting what level of involvement the firm would take in implementing it.
Ukrainian UAV kills Russian paramedics – governor | 24 Jan 2026 | Three medical personnel were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on an ambulance in Russia’s Kherson Region, Governor Vladimir Saldo has reported. In a post on his Telegram channel on Saturday, the official wrote that the vehicle was struck as it approached the city of Golaya Pristan. “The crew of three was trying to reach a seriously ill person in a zone where enemy drones are hunting for any vehicles around the clock,” the governor of Kherson Region stated. While the paramedics’ fate remained unknown for some time, Saldo said in another Telegram post later in the day that all three had perished in the attack. He described the drone strike as “yet another war crime by the Kiev regime’s militants and a crime against humanity.” “You can’t call this anything other than the murder of civilians who were saving lives and caring for the sick in the most dangerous area,” the governor added.
Deadly bat-borne virus with no cure is spreading in India with ‘epidemic potential’ as new cases emerge | 24 Jan 2026 | Indian health officials are scrambling to contain a deadly virus after five cases of the incurable disease were detected near one of the country’s biggest cities. The bat-borne Nipah virus has been identified in West Bengal, close to the state capital Kolkata, India’s third-most populous city, prompting urgent contact tracing and quarantines. Authorities confirmed that three new infections were reported this week, according to officials cited by the Press Trust of India news agency. They include a doctor, a nurse, and a health staff member. Two nurses – one male and one female — had already tested positive earlier… In response, officials have tested 180 people and quarantined 20 high-risk contacts as fears grow of further spread.
United States Completes WHO Withdrawal | 22 Jan 2026 | The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of State today announced the United States completion of its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) due to the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China [funded by Fauci], its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a joint statement on the termination of U.S. membership in the WHO. President Trump on January 20, 2025, announced the U.S. plan to leave the WHO. During the yearlong process, the U.S. stopped funding WHO, withdrew all personnel from WHO, and began pivoting activities previously conducted with WHO to direct bilateral engagements with other countries and organizations.
Children’s Health Defense Hits AAP With RICO Suit Over Fraudulent Vaccine Safety Claims | 21 Jan 2026 | In a lawsuit filed today in federal court, Children’s Health Defense (CHD) and five other plaintiffs accused the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) of running a decades-long racketeering scheme to defraud American families about the safety of the childhood vaccine schedule. The suit alleges that the AAP violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) by making “false and fraudulent” claims about the safety of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) childhood immunization schedule — while receiving funding from vaccine manufacturers and providing financial incentives to pediatricians who achieve high vaccination rates… The AAP’s conduct constitutes a pattern of fraud under RICO, a statute often used to prosecute organized crime, said Rick Jaffe, attorney for the plaintiffs.
Miami airport evacuated amid security alert as passengers deal with travel chaos from Winter Storm Fern | 25 Jan 2026 | Hordes of panicked fliers were evacuated from Miami International Airport on Sunday evening following a “security issue” amid travel chaos caused by Winter Storm Fern. Travelers were seen rushing out of the popular airport around 5:30 pm local time following safety concerns, according to authorities and various social media posts. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said they found an unattended luggage near a door at Departures and launched the evacuation as a precaution. Bomb Squad officials were also called to the scene. Authorities are investigating the incident. One mand and another witness claimed the security issue behind the confusion was a “bomb threat,” although officials have not yet confirmed the specific details of the situation.
Alex Pretti’s Sig handgun has history of accidentally firing – offering possible clue to why Border Patrol agent shot him | 25 Jan 2026 | Armed Minneapolis anti-ICE protester Alex Pretti was carrying a popular handgun that has a history of unintentionally firing — leading some gun experts to suggest that the gun might have accidentally discharged after a Border Patrol agent grabbed it from him, causing another agent to open fire, killing him Saturday. Pretti, 37, angry at President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration in Minnesota, was carrying a loaded Sig Sauer P320 9mm pistol when he allegedly tried to stop federal agents from arresting a woman on the street… Rob Doar, a lawyer for the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, said he believes that Pretti’s gun went off after the agent grabbed it, leading the other agent to open fire. “I believe it’s highly likely the first shot was a negligent discharge from the agent in the grey jacket after he removed the Sig P320 from Pretti’s holster while exiting the scene,” Doar said on X.
Chilling new video reveals new angle of fed shooting armed anti-ICE protester in Minneapolis | 24 Jan 2026 | Chilling videos captured new angles of the chaotic moments before federal agents fatally shot an armed man who they say attempted to interfere in the arrest of a criminal migrant in Minneapolis. Harrowing footage shared on social media shows a close-up of the explosive incident — which began as whistle-blowing protesters in the street looked on as about six federal agents pushed a man later identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretti to the ground. “What the f–k is wrong with you?” the woman recording the mayhem was heard yelling in the three-minute video. Agents then swarmed Pretti — who was shot in the chaos — and wrestled him onto the icy street before one immigration officer grabbed his gun and unleashed more than a dozen shots.
Officer ‘will lose finger’ after unhinged Minnesota rioters bite him during protests – DHS | 24 Jan 2026 | Chaos erupted in Minneapolis Saturday after hundreds of protesters faced off against federal agents in the wake of the fatal shooting of an armed man who allegedly tried to intervene in the arrest of a criminal migrant. One Homeland Security agent even lost a finger in the violence, according to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who posted photos of a sobbing demonstrator — and the bloody, severed digit. “In Minneapolis, these rioters attacked our law enforcement officer and one of them bit off our HSI officer’s finger,” she posted on X, adding, “He will lose his finger.” Tensions flared as law enforcement tried to secure the area around West 26th Street and Nicollet Ave in South Minneapolis Saturday morning — where Alex Jeffrey Pretti was shot and killed.
DHS arrests armed man with extra ammunition for alleged assault of officer at late-night Minneapolis riot | 15 Jan 2026 | The Department of Homeland Security says it arrested a man in Minneapolis Wednesday night who assaulted a federal immigration agent while carrying a gun and box of ammunition. The incident occurred several hours after DHS says a separate agent was attacked by an illegal migrant from Venezuela with a shovel. The illegal migrant was shot in the leg, prompting riots to escalate in the city shortly after. “Last night during a riot in Minneapolis, a U.S. citizen was arrested for assaulting officers while carrying a firearm,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. “The individual showed up to the protest with a gun and a box of ammunition in a bag. The individual threatened violence against law enforcement officers while pointing at his bag.”
FBI arrests anti-ICE activists over Minnesota ‘church riot’ | 22 Jan 2026 | The FBI and the US Department of Homeland Security have arrested three anti-ICE activists who invaded a Minnesota church and disrupted last week’s Sunday service. Nekima Levy Armstrong, William Kelly, and Chauntyll Louisa Allen have been charged under the 1994 FACE Act, which protects worshipers from intimidation and physical obstruction at religious sites. “Religious freedom is the bedrock of the United States — there is no First Amendment right to obstruct someone from practicing their religion,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X on Thursday. Attorney General Pam Bondi described the protest as a “coordinated attack” on a place of worship. The Department of Homeland Security said the activists took part in “church riots.”
DOJ Investigates Potential Violations of FACE Act, KKK Act After Don Lemon’s Anti-ICE Invasion of Minnesota Church | 19 Jan 2026 | The Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating potential violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and the “KKK Act” after anti-ICE protesters stormed a church in Minnesota on Sunday. The move is a stark departure from the authoritarian Biden DOJ, which used the same federal laws to prosecute and imprison nearly two dozen peaceful pro-life activists… Anti-ICE protesters stormed Cities Church in Minneapolis and accused the pastor of being a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. In a live YouTube video recorded by former CNN host Don Lemon, protesters were seen occupying the church and chanting. Jonathan Parnell, the lead pastor, described the protest as “unacceptable,” adding that it is “shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship.”
Man accused in bus rock attack remained free despite illegal status, violent past | 25 Jan 2026 | A New Jersey man accused of injuring a young girl by throwing a baseball-sized rock at a school bus is in the country illegally, according to federal officials. Hernando Garcia-Morales, 40, of Palisades Park, faces multiple charges in connection with a Jan. 7 motor vehicle incident on the northbound New Jersey Turnpike, the New Jersey State Police said. The third-grade children were traveling back to Yeshivat Noam Jewish day school in Paramus after a class trip to the Liberty Science Center when a large rock smashed through the bus window, the school previously told Fox News Digital. An 8-year-old girl suffered a skull fracture after being struck by the rock and was forced to have surgery, officials said.
More than 11,000 flights cancelled as Winter Storm Fern rages on – total approaching record cancellations during initial height of COVID pandemic | 25 Jan 2026 | More than 11,000 flights within and out of the US have been scrapped as Winter Storm Fern pummels the nation — with the cancellations nearing historic records. A total of 11,123 cancellations have been reported just before noon on Sunday, with American Airlines suffering the biggest blow as 1,489 flights — nearly half of all its flights today — have been called off, according to the FlightAware tracking site. The total is quickly approaching the record 12,143 cancellations that were seen on March 30, 2020, during the initial height of the COVID pandemic. LaGuardia Airport has seen 436 of its outgoing flights cancelled, with the JFK International airport cancelling 443 trips out of New York. Newark Liberty has canceled 83% of its flights, with 434 outgoing trips called off.
Winter storm turns deadly as bodies are found in freezing-cold temperatures and Trump declares emergency for ten states | 24 Jan 2026 | At least three people have died in New York City due to extreme cold as Winter Storm Fern heads toward the Big Apple. The NYPD confirmed that two people were discovered dead in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan on Saturday morning. One was a man in his 30s who was found near an outdoor staircase in Brooklyn. A woman believed to be in her 60s was found in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn. A 67-year-old man was discovered on Third Avenue in Manhattan as well, police said. Temperatures were below zero heading into Saturday morning, as New York braces for up to 18 inches of snow and brutally low temperatures. This comes as President Donald Trump declares emergencies in Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia.
Gas prices jump 70% in days as Arctic blast looms and power firms cash in as families fear $5k heating bills | 23 Jan 2026 | Americans are being warned to brace for sharply higher heating bills after natural gas prices surged just as the brutal Arctic freeze is set to grip the country. Natural gas prices have surged as much as 70 percent in just days, as forecasters warn of one of the coldest stretches in decades. The combination that threatens to push household heating bills hundreds of dollars or more higher for some families. The two weeks ending in early February are forecast to be the coldest since 1985, forcing families to have the heating on high almost nonstop across large parts of the country and sending demand for heating fuel soaring. “Yes – individual bills are likely to soar,” Eli Rubin, senior energy analyst at EBW Analytics Group, told Daily Mail about this weekend’s storm Fern.
Over 100 vehicles involved in I-196 pileup during dangerous snowy conditions in Michigan, injuries reported –According to the FOX Forecast Center, the crash happened amid heavy lake-effect snow. Heavy blowing snow was reported with visibility down to just a quarter-mile and winds gusting between 25-40 mph. | 19 Jan 2026 | A major multi-vehicle pileup shut down part of Interstate 196 southeast of Grand Rapids, Michigan amid heavy lake-effect snow Monday morning. The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office told FOX Weather that nine to 12 people are injured, but no fatalities have been reported. Deputies on scene initially estimated roughly 100 vehicles were involved in the pileup, the sheriff’s office said. Drone video of the scene showed at least six tractor-trailers in one section of the crash. Michigan State Police said between 30 and 40 semi-trucks were involved.