Up First from NPR
DOJ Targets Minnesota Officials; Hash Ukraine Winter; AI Harmful In Child Education
17 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
The U.S.
Chapter 2: What is the DOJ investigating regarding Minnesota officials?
Justice Department is investigating Minnesota's Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frye.
The DOJ says they are impeding the work of federal law enforcement officers.
I'm Scott Simon.
And I'm Aisha Roscoe, and this is Up First from NPR News.
The DOJ is investigating Democratic officials in Minnesota.
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Chapter 3: How are Minnesota officials responding to the DOJ investigation?
Things remain tense there with more protests planned today. We'll have the latest.
And in Ukraine, a brutal winter there makes life during war even harder.
It's so frigid that things are icing up indoors.
Chapter 4: What challenges are Ukrainians facing during the harsh winter?
We'll tell you more.
Plus, the use of artificial intelligence in education can harm child development.
We'll tell you more about that study, which was done by actual humans.
What an idea. So please stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your weekend. The U.S. Justice Department has launched a probe into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry.
And tensions remain high there this weekend with an anti-immigration rally planned for later today.
And Fierce Cat Lonsdorf has been following these developments and joins us now from Minneapolis.
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Chapter 5: How are residents in Ukraine coping with power outages?
Cat, thanks for being with us.
Hey, good morning.
What's it like there?
Well, it was relatively quiet here last night. It's really cold. It's in the single digits and it's been snowing, so it's possible folks are hunkered down inside. But people are still really on edge. Just to give you a sense, Scott, driving around, you'll see people standing on the corners and neighborhoods wearing whistles, ready to blow them and alert their neighbors if ice shows up.
There's a lot of skepticism around unfamiliar cars in the areas, especially ones with out-of-state license plates. And many restaurants, if they're open, are keeping their doors locked, letting customers in as they come, but keeping federal agents out. It's just a pretty tense environment.
And all this occurs as federal immigration officers continue to arrive and make arrests, yes?
Yeah, exactly. There are some 2,500 federal immigration officers on the ground and more expected soon, according to DHS. That's more than four times the number of local Minneapolis police officers. And protests against that surge and the arrests are still happening, too, many of which have been met with aggression.
We've seen ICE officers using tear gas, flashbangs, pepper balls to disperse crowds. But late last night, a federal judge here issued a preliminary injunction restricting federal agents from retaliating against people, quote, engaging in peaceful and unobstructive protest activity.
And President Trump has at least been talking about invoking the Insurrection Act, which has happened some 30 times in U.S. history.
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Chapter 6: What does the new study say about AI's impact on children's education?
Any indications this would be the latest?
Well, it's really hard to say. The Insurrection Act is a 200-year-old law that, if invoked, would allow Trump to deploy the military to Minneapolis for law enforcement purposes, essentially. Many legal experts I've talked to in the past few days have told me that the situation here in Minneapolis right now just doesn't meet the criteria to justify that. Here's Joseph Nunn.
He's an attorney at the Brennan Center's Liberty and National Security Program.
I think if he does... it would be a flagrant abuse of the Insurrection Act, unlike anything that's ever happened before in the history of the country.
And yesterday, Trump walked back his threat earlier this week to do so, but also made it clear he's not taking it off the table.
If I needed it, I'd use it.
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Chapter 7: What are the risks associated with children's use of AI?
I don't think there's any reason right now to use it. But if I needed it, I'd use it.
Trump has threatened invoking the Insurrection Act many times in recent months for various situations. So we've heard this kind of talk before. If he did, it would be a highly controversial move and most definitely challenged in court.
And of course, late last night, there was news that the Department of Justice is investigating Mayor Fry and Governor Walz. Of course, both are Democrats. What's the latest?
We don't know much about the investigation. It centers on public statements the two made during recent ICE raids here.
Chapter 8: How can AI tools be improved for children's educational use?
Fry and Waltz both responded to the news in separate social media posts. Waltz wrote, quote, weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic. He urged calm. One last thing, Scott. There is an anti-immigration march planned later today here organized by Jake Lang. He's part of the January 6th insurrection on the Capitol, later pardoned by Trump.
It's not clear how many people will show up or if there will be counter protests, but it has many here worried it could be a kind of powder keg moment in the midst of all of this.
And Bearscat Lonsdorf in Minneapolis. Kat, thanks so much.
Thank you. Thank you.
Ukrainians are enduring an especially harsh winter. With Russians repeatedly attacking Ukraine's energy grid, residents of several cities are left without heating and electricity for extended periods of time.
NPR's Joanna Kakissis is there and has been talking to people in Kyiv about how they're all getting by. Joanna, thanks for being with us.
Thanks for having me on the show, Scott.
How cold is it? How are you and everyone else managing?
It's cold and the sun is shining today and that does make things a little better, but it's still 13 degrees Fahrenheit out. We're lucky at the Bureau because we have this backup battery for electricity. However, the heating is out for long periods, so it's really cold in our house and I am wearing my coat right now. And outside, businesses are using generators to keep operating.
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