NPR News: 01-16-2026 8PM EST
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What criminal investigation is the DOJ launching against Minnesota officials?
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. The Department of Justice is launching a criminal investigation into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frye. The Trump administration alleges that the Democratic leaders are impeding federal law enforcement's ability to do their jobs. Waltz and Fry have publicly criticized Trump's immigration crackdown. The state and city are suing to block it, arguing agents are unconstitutionally stopping and arresting people. The Justice Department has not yet responded to NPR's inquiries about the investigation. There's growing concern about the treatment of people held at a massive immigration detention facility in Texas after the death of a Cuban man earlier this month.
The tent facility at Fort Bliss is run by a private contractor. Angela Kacherga with member station KTEP has more.
There are conflicting reports about how the 55-year-old man died. A detainee at the camp told the Associated Press he witnessed Geraldo Lunas Campos in an altercation with guards and heard him say in Spanish... He could not breathe. The Department of Homeland Security says Lunas Campos tried to take his own life and staff intervened to save him. Marisa Limon Garza is the director of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center.
There will be more deaths, that there will be more harm, that this is not an anomaly, unfortunately, unless ICE changes course, there's more oversight, there's more accountability, and there's more protection of people in detention.
This is the second death at the detention camp where more than 3,800 people are being held. For NPR News, I'm Angela Kocherga in El Paso.
Republicans in California are appealing a federal court ruling upholding the state's new congressional map. It's the latest in a legal battle over California's Democratic-led redistricting plan, known as Proposition 50, designed to counter President Trump's redistricting efforts in red states. CAP Radio's Laura Fitzgerald reports.
Republicans in California sued immediately following the passage of Proposition 50 in November. They argue the new congressional map voters overwhelmingly approved— unfairly favors Latino voters over other racial groups. A federal court rejected that argument earlier this week, finding no evidence of racial gerrymandering, instead describing the new map as partisan gerrymandering. Now, Republican plaintiffs have appealed the ruling, which could send the case to the US Supreme Court. The Trump administration supports the Republican-led lawsuit challenging Prop 50. California's new congressional map could yield up to five new seats for Democrats. For NPR News, I'm Laura Fitzgerald in Sacramento.
President Trump says he may punish countries with tariffs if they don't back his plan for the U.S. to control Greenland. He has for months insisted the U.S. should control the semi-autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark. Earlier this week, the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland said they made no progress dissuading U.S. officials from the idea. Stocks edged a bit lower on Wall Street today. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both slipped a fraction. This is NPR News. Ukraine's energy minister says Russia has attacked every Ukrainian power plant since its invasion began nearly four years ago. Recent bombings have left hundreds of thousands of people without heat or light during one of the coldest winters in years.
Kiev officials describe Russia's strategy as weaponizing winter. Hospitals and schools remain the top priority for energy suppliers. California health officials issued a second warning to avoid mushroom foraging this season as more people have become ill from eating death caps. They say it's the largest outbreak of mushroom poisonings in the country. From member station KQED, April Demboski reports.
Early rains and warm temperatures sparked a super bloom of death caps in the fall.
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