In a sweeping policy shift, the U.S. administration announced an indefinite halt on visa processing for immigrants originating from 75 countries across various continents. This pause affects applicants from nations including Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Haiti, Somalia, and Russia, impacting those seeking employment or family reunification in the United States. The suspension is scheduled to commence the week following the announcement.
In Minneapolis, tensions escalated when federal law enforcement officers shot a man in the leg during an attempt to apprehend him via a targeted traffic stop. The Department of Homeland Security identified the individual as a Venezuelan national who allegedly resisted arrest and engaged in a violent assault against one of the officers involved. Medical reports indicated the man sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a hospital for treatment.
Following this incident, demonstrators amassed near the location and confronted federal agents. Authorities deployed crowd control measures, including tear gas and pepper balls, and the sound of flash bang grenades was reported. These events unfolded amid ongoing nationwide demonstrations that arose in response to the recent fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.
A team of four NASA astronauts safely returned to Earth after completing a week-long mission aimed at accommodating an urgent medical evaluation of one crewmember. The astronauts departed the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle on Wednesday and undertook a transit lasting approximately 10 hours. They re-entered Earth's atmosphere and experienced splashdown near San Diego shortly after 3:40 a.m. Eastern Time, marking their first exposure to terrestrial air in five months.
The decision for the early return was prompted by a health issue affecting an unidentified astronaut, which led to the cancellation of a previously scheduled spacewalk. NASA has withheld details about the astronaut's condition and personal identity, focusing on the confidentiality of medical information.
Verizon Communications addressed and resolved a significant outage that persisted for several hours on Wednesday, disrupting service for an estimated tens of thousands of customers across the United States. The interruption inhibited voice calling, text messaging, and data transmission, leaving subscribers, particularly in cities such as New York, Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, and Dallas, unable to access essential communication services.
The telecommunications company has not detailed the root cause of the outage but publicly apologized for the inconvenience caused. Verizon announced plans to issue account credits to affected customers and pledged to provide additional information once the investigation is complete.
Amid a surge in civil unrest, the United States along with multiple European countries have advised their citizens to depart Iran promptly as the government escalates a harsh crackdown on protests. President Donald Trump stated that Iran had deferred executions scheduled for detained protestors and asserted that the lethal actions had ceased. Nevertheless, he affirmed that military options remain under consideration.
Concurrently, Iranian authorities have extended an internet blackout into its second week to suppress communication and information flow. Attempts by Iranians to circumvent the blackout using SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet system have been thwarted, reportedly through sophisticated radio frequency jamming classified as military-grade technology.
In a notable policy reversal, whole milk has been reinstated as an allowable component in school lunch programs following the signing of new legislation by President Trump. This law overturns prior Department of Agriculture regulations initiated during the Obama administration which mandated milk served in schools be fat-free or low-fat as part of efforts to address childhood obesity.
This legislative change aligns with updated dietary guidelines recently issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, which endorse the consumption of whole-fat dairy products. These recommendations have elicited a range of reactions from nutritionists and medical professionals, highlighting ongoing debate in dietary health circles.
These diverse developments across immigration, public safety, space exploration, communications infrastructure, international diplomatic advisories, and nutrition policy mark significant areas of public interest and governmental action as of January 15.