Monday, January 12, 2026

Powell, Fed targeted by DOJ

Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve are being investigated by the Dept. of Justice in what the chair called "a pretext" for presidential pressure. ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 
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The Short List

Mon Jan 12 2026

 

Phaedra Trethan National Correspondent

@wordsbyphaedra

👋🏼 Hi and welcome to a new week! I'm Phaedra Trethan, and I probably belonged to the We Do Not Care Club for a long time, but I feel it a lot more acutely than ever.

In Monday's news:

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the agency is being investigated by the Department of Justice.
Minnesota is bracing for increased ICE operations, after nationwide protests over the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by a federal agent.
The Golden Globe Awards brought out the stars Sunday.

But first: Barbie has been an icon for generations of American kids. Now she's helping another group of kids feel seen, understood and appreciated. 💙

Fed, Powell investigated

The Department of Justice is investigating the Federal Reserve, its chair Jerome Powell said this weekend , and has served it with subpoenas and threatened a criminal indictment. The probe is related to Powell's testimony before Congress last summer about a renovation project at the Fed building.

Powell, a frequent target of President Donald Trump (who's pressured the Fed, an independent agency, to lower interest rates), called the threats "a pretext" for more pressure on the agency.

Watch: Powell reacts to the DOJ inquiry.
Trump has called for a 10% cap on credit card interest rates.

Usa Trump Fed

U.S. President Donald Trump points to a document as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell fact-checks the numbers on it during a tour of the Federal Reserve Board building, which is currently undergoing renovations, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 24, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura

Kent Nishimura, REUTERS

More ICE in Minnesota

Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem said this weekend hundreds more federal agents would arrive soon in Minnesota , a state reeling from the fatal shooting last week of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE agent.

Photos: Nationwide anti-ICE protests erupted after the fatal shooting of Renee Good.
The ICE agent who shot Good got a huge donation from a billionaire.
Could the agent who shot Good face state charges?
What do polls say about federal immigration tactics?

minneapolis ICE protest.jpg

Minnesota residents rally after ICE officer fatally shoots Renee Good, condemning ICE's actions in the state.

Reuters

Real quick

As protests escalate in Iran, President Trump says U.S. military intervention is "on the table."
Nearly 1,500 New York City nurses are on strike.
An alleged arson at Mississippi synagogue was an act of "religious hatred," a local official said.
Sen. Mark Kelly is suing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over the latter's military censure.

A Golden night in Hollywood

The 83rd Golden Globe Awards brought the glamor — and the drama, the humor, the fashion and the fun. Hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser, the show honored the best of TV, movies and streaming. Here are all the winners.

The best and worst moments of the night.
Photos: Behind the scenes at the Golden Globes.
The most lavish looks on the Golden Globes' red carpet.

83rd Annual Golden Globes

(L-R) Benicio del Toro, Teyana Taylor, Sara Murphy, Chase Infiniti, Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul Thomas Anderson and Sean Penn accept the Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy Award for "One Battle After Another" from Julia Roberts onstage during the 83rd Annual Golden Globes in Beverly Hills, Calif on Jan. 11, 2026.

Kevork Djansezian, CBS

A wild Wildcard weekend

🏈 🏈 🏈 The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles only have a few more weeks with that title — after a loss Sunday night to the San Francisco 49ers . They were eliminated from the NFL playoffs (and as I write that sentence I can hear the collective groans, moans and gnashing of teeth throughout the Philadelphia region, where I live). Who's in, who's out and who's playing tonight.

How the Eagles can soar again next season. 🦅
Tom Brady is winning again — in the broadcast booth. 📺
Da Bears beat the Packers, and QB Caleb Williams said the team just wanted to "be legendary."

Nfl San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy 1/11/26

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) passes the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field.

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

A break from the news

Football, schmootball: I'm already thinking about baseball. ⚾️ ❤️ ⚾️ ❤️
It's National Pizza Week! Here are some tasty deals. 🍕 🍕 🍕
A brawl broke out at a hockey game. Why this one was unusual. 🏒

Phaedra Trethan is a national correspondent at USA TODAY. She'd love to hear from readers about The Short List, story ideas from across the nation and your favorite kinds of pizza (margherita and tomato pie are hers.) Email her at ptrethan@usatoday.com.

Front view of damaged Border Patrol vehicle in Jan. 8, 2026, Portland, Oregon double shooting involving federal law enforcement.

Before the arrest, Luis David Nino-Moncada had been in an Oregon hospital for a gunshot wound to the arm.

People walk near a U-Haul truck near a crowd during an anti-Iranian regime rally in Los Angeles on Jan. 11, 2026
 

U-Haul truck plowed into LA crowd supporting Iran protests

Hundreds of people were demonstrating in Los Angeles in support of Iranian protesters when a driver plowed into the group, KNBC and KABC-TV reported.

Law enforcement and rescue teams respond to avalanche incident in central Washington on Jan. 10. Two men were killed while backcountry snowmobiling and two others were rescued from the scene.
 

2 dead after avalanche in central Washington state, authorities say

Four men were recreating in backcountry snow in the mountains of Kittitas County when they were caught in an avalanche on Jan. 9, authorities said.

This aerial view shows snow-covered buildings in Nuuk, Greenland on March 7, 2025.
 

The US has tried to acquire Greenland for more than 150 years. See how.

President Donald Trump is not the first U.S. government official interested in Greenland. The first major attempt to control the island was in 1868.

President Donald Trump speaks with members of the media aboard Air Force One en route from Florida to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., January 11, 2026.
 

Trump threatens to sideline ExxonMobil from accessing Venezuela's oil

President Trump said he's "inclined" to shut ExxonMobil out from accessing oil in Venezuela, saying the company is "playing too cute."

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado speaks during a press conference in Oslo, Norway December 11, 2025.
 

Nobel Institute says Machado cannot transfer Peace Prize to Trump

The Norwegian Nobel Institute said in a statement that Nobel Prizes cannot be 'revoked, shared, nor transferred to others' once awarded.

Former FBI Director James Comey testifies in 2017 in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee in Washington, DC.
 

Prosecutor reported fired by Trump admin after hesitancy on Comey case

A Justice Department prosecutor was reportedly fired after saying he would struggle to take on the James Comey case alongside other responsibilities.

A general view shows Chevrolet vehicles being displayed at Surman Chevrolet car dealership in Mexico City, Mexico.
 

These are the cars dealers couldn't give away in 2025

A vehicle that takes a long time for dealers to sell can be telling. Some have sold like hotcakes, while others have sat on dealer lots collecting dust.

Rachel Hunt, creator of Tiny Kindness, in a provided photo.
 

Her brother's overdose hit hard. An act of kindness changed everything.

Rachel Hunt's brother died of a heroin overdose in 2018. To heal, she launched Tiny Kindnesses on Instagram to share small ways we spread joy.

Millie Bobby Brown in "Stranger Things" Season 5.
 

'Stranger Things' final season documentary reveals surprising secrets

A new documentary about the making of "Stranger Things" Season 5 includes some surprising behind-the-scenes revelations.

Play Your Way to a Relaxing Break

Unwind with crosswords and challenges that recharge you. 

Crosswords, Puzzles, Comics & Horoscopes

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4 violent robbery suspects arrested; but when jailer opens cell to check on 1 suspect, more violence — and an escape — ensues

Police in Sugar Land, Texas, View this email in your browser   Trending story January 12, 2026   4 violent robbery suspects arrested...