While some states are seeing more enrollees, there has been a drop nationwide.

By:<a href="https://stateline.org/author/nhassanein/">Nada Hassanein</a>

Nationwide, the number of people buying health plans on Obamacare insurance marketplaces is down by about 833,000 compared with a year ago, according to federal data released this week.

Many states are reporting fewer new enrollees, more people dropping their coverage, and more people choosing cheaper and less generous health insurance plans with higher deductibles.

Across most states, Thursday was the last day to enroll for plans that start in February. But nine states and Washington, D.C., have deadlines later this month, so the numbers could change.

There are 21 states with state-run health insurance marketplaces, and the rest use the federal website. The vast majority of states have seen declines in enrollment&nbsp;so far, compared with around this time last year.

Preliminary data&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/marketplace-2026-open-enrollment-period-report-national-snapshot-0#AnchorFour" target="_blank">released</a>&nbsp;Monday by the federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services shows 22.8 million enrollees, down from a record total of 24.3 million last year.

Premiums have surged as a result of the expiration of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/issue-brief/inflation-reduction-act-health-insurance-subsidies-what-is-their-impact-and-what-would-happen-if-they-expire/#:~:text=The%20Inflation%20Reduction%20Act%20(IRA,three%20years%2C%20ending%20after%202025." target="_blank">enhanced federal subsidies</a>&nbsp;first made available by the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021 and later extended through the end of 2025 by the Inflation Reduction Act. The availability of the subsidies spurred a sharp increase in the number of people buying health plans on the marketplaces. In 2020, 11.4 million people were enrolled in marketplaces through Obamacare, formally known as the Affordable Care Act. More than double that amount enrolled last year.

Congress failed to reach an agreement on extending the subsidies before the end of last year and still hasn’t reached one. As a result, premiums were expected to increase this year by 114% on average — from $888 last year to about $1,904, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-premium-payments-would-more-than-double-on-average-next-year-if-enhanced-premium-tax-credits-expire/" target="_blank">estimates</a>&nbsp;made in September by health policy research organization KFF.

The higher costs appear to be driving many people to forgo insurance or opt for cheaper, less generous plans this year, health officials and analysts say. Several states with state-based marketplaces — including Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, Virginia and Washington — are reporting fewer enrollments this year in comparison with enrollments through early January 2025, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/state-indicator/marketplace-enrollment-snapshot-for-open-enrollment-2026/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D" target="_blank">early data</a>. Other states, such as California, are reporting fewer new enrollees.

“It’s important to consider that this is preliminary data, so this represents people who have signed up and selected the plan — but they probably haven’t received their first premium bill,” said Elizabeth Lukanen, executive director of the health policy research organization State Health Access Data Assistance Center at the University of Minnesota. “Once that happens, I think there’s concern — and it seems very possible — that people may decide to drop coverage. So, the decline could get bigger.

“On the other hand, open enrollment hasn’t closed, so you have two things sort of competing. It seems pretty likely that there will be a decline,” she said.

If the downward trend continues, the nation could see the first decline in enrollment since 2020, Lukanen said, adding that a full picture of income levels and demographics of people who have dropped coverage&nbsp;won’t be clear&nbsp;until the summer.

In Pennsylvania, data updated through Tuesday shows more than 15,000 previously enrolled adults between the ages of 55 and 64 have dropped coverage entirely — the most of any age bracket.

Pennsylvania’s state-based exchange, Pennie, has seen about 15% fewer new enrollments compared with last year. The state is also reporting 1,000 residents dropping coverage per day during open enrollment — with the most coverage losses among people with incomes 150% to 200% of the poverty level. These could include families of two adults and two children with an income between $48,225 and $64,300.

The state is seeing an “unprecedented” number of previously enrolled people dropping coverage, said Devon Trolley, executive director of the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority.

California is reporting 31% fewer new enrollees this year compared with last year, and more than a third of new enrollees are choosing bronze plans — the lowest, least generous coverage tier — up from less than a quarter at this time last year.

In Minnesota, data as of Dec. 3 shows more than half of active enrollees are opting to keep their coverage tier. But of those changing plans, more than a third — 37% — are going to cheaper plans. The state notes a full picture won’t be available until March.

Meanwhile, some states are seeing roughly the same number of enrollees or more. Texas, for example, is reporting about 4.1 million people enrolling this year compared with 4 million last year.

Charles&nbsp;Miller, health and economic mobility policy director at&nbsp;Texas 2036, a policy research nonprofit, said it’s unclear why enrollments are up, but pointed to some clues.

“Texas had a uniquely large population of uninsured individuals eligible for free and inexpensive plans that hadn’t enrolled previously … [and] has more affordable bronze and gold plans than many states,” he said.

He attributes that to a bipartisan state law, enacted in 2021, that had the effect of increasing subsidies for those plans, Miller said.

Nevada is seeing fewer enrollees overall. But compared with this time last year, the state is seeing 29% more people who are actively shopping the website to explore plans, said Katie Charleson, communications officer at the Nevada Health Authority Division of Consumer Health Services.

The state introduced a new public option, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://nevadacurrent.com/2026/01/08/with-health-insurance-premiums-rising-nevadas-new-public-option-is-proving-popular/" target="_blank">Nevada Current</a>, and health officials told lawmakers last week that about 1 in 5 active shoppers are opting for that plan.

In addition to the expiration of the subsidies, the cost of coverage has risen because of other factors, according to insurers. They say&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/how-much-and-why-aca-marketplace-premiums-are-going-up-in-2026/#Distribution%20of%20proposed%202026%20rate%20changes%20among%20312%20ACA%20Marketplace%20insurers" target="_blank">they’ve had to raise premiums</a>&nbsp;because of rising prescription drug costs, inflation and workforce challenges, such as provider shortages.

But the enhanced premium tax credits were aimed at buffering those year-to-year changes for Americans with lower incomes, said Trolley, adding that the tax credit structure “helps make sure that [enrollees] don’t see those really larger drops that happen from time to time, sort of from those market forces.”

“When there are broader rate increases of … the total cost of the coverage, the tax credits are structured so that people who get a tax credit don’t feel a lot of that increase. They’re sort of sheltered from it on a year to year basis,” Trolley said. “The tax credit is tied to someone’s income and limits what they pay as part of their income, not necessarily tied to the cost of the coverage.”

She added that she’s also heard from some residents who say they are waiting to enroll in a plan to see if Congress takes action.

“People are leaving the ACA marketplace because the trade-offs have just become harder to justify,” Lukanen said. “What worries me is that when the coverage becomes unaffordable, it isn’t that people suddenly stop needing care. They just lose the protection that insurance offers, and those health care costs don’t go away.”

Lukanen added that if more people forgo coverage, health care services may end up costing the nation more overall.

“If people are going to the doctor and they don’t have insurance, these costs are then just shifted. They’re shifted to hospitals, ultimately to the community and the taxpayer.”

Trolley echoed that, saying she’s concerned about the overall burden on providers in rural counties, which are seeing the highest drops in Obamacare coverage in Pennsylvania.

“Any increase in the uninsured rate is going to further strain providers that are in rural areas, especially — further strain their financial situation,” she said. “We are very concerned about that in Pennsylvania.”

Stateline reporter Nada Hassanein can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:nhassanein@stateline.org">nhassanein@stateline.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758122115940.jpg" alt="Image Pixaby" />
 <figcaption>Image Pixaby</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>While some states are seeing more enrollees, there has been a drop nationwide.</h2>By:<a href="https://stateline.org/author/nhassanein/">Nada Hassanein</a>Nationwide, the number of people buying health plans on Obamacare insurance marketplaces is down by about 833,000 compared with a year ago, according to federal data released this week.Many states are reporting fewer new enrollees, more people dropping their coverage, and more people choosing cheaper and less generous health insurance plans with higher deductibles.Across most states, Thursday was the last day to enroll for plans that start in February. But nine states and Washington, D.C., have deadlines later this month, so the numbers could change.There are 21 states with state-run health insurance marketplaces, and the rest use the federal website. The vast majority of states have seen declines in enrollment&nbsp;so far, compared with around this time last year.Preliminary data&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/marketplace-2026-open-enrollment-period-report-national-snapshot-0#AnchorFour" target="_blank">released</a>&nbsp;Monday by the federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services shows 22.8 million enrollees, down from a record total of 24.3 million last year.Premiums have surged as a result of the expiration of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/issue-brief/inflation-reduction-act-health-insurance-subsidies-what-is-their-impact-and-what-would-happen-if-they-expire/#:~:text=The%20Inflation%20Reduction%20Act%20(IRA,three%20years%2C%20ending%20after%202025." target="_blank">enhanced federal subsidies</a>&nbsp;first made available by the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021 and later extended through the end of 2025 by the Inflation Reduction Act. The availability of the subsidies spurred a sharp increase in the number of people buying health plans on the marketplaces. In 2020, 11.4 million people were enrolled in marketplaces through Obamacare, formally known as the Affordable Care Act. More than double that amount enrolled last year.Congress failed to reach an agreement on extending the subsidies before the end of last year and still hasn’t reached one. As a result, premiums were expected to increase this year by 114% on average — from $888 last year to about $1,904, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-premium-payments-would-more-than-double-on-average-next-year-if-enhanced-premium-tax-credits-expire/" target="_blank">estimates</a>&nbsp;made in September by health policy research organization KFF.The higher costs appear to be driving many people to forgo insurance or opt for cheaper, less generous plans this year, health officials and analysts say. Several states with state-based marketplaces — including Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, Virginia and Washington — are reporting fewer enrollments this year in comparison with enrollments through early January 2025, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/state-indicator/marketplace-enrollment-snapshot-for-open-enrollment-2026/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D" target="_blank">early data</a>. Other states, such as California, are reporting fewer new enrollees.“It’s important to consider that this is preliminary data, so this represents people who have signed up and selected the plan — but they probably haven’t received their first premium bill,” said Elizabeth Lukanen, executive director of the health policy research organization State Health Access Data Assistance Center at the University of Minnesota. “Once that happens, I think there’s concern — and it seems very possible — that people may decide to drop coverage. So, the decline could get bigger.“On the other hand, open enrollment hasn’t closed, so you have two things sort of competing. It seems pretty likely that there will be a decline,” she said.If the downward trend continues, the nation could see the first decline in enrollment since 2020, Lukanen said, adding that a full picture of income levels and demographics of people who have dropped coverage&nbsp;won’t be clear&nbsp;until the summer.In Pennsylvania, data updated through Tuesday shows more than 15,000 previously enrolled adults between the ages of 55 and 64 have dropped coverage entirely — the most of any age bracket.Pennsylvania’s state-based exchange, Pennie, has seen about 15% fewer new enrollments compared with last year. The state is also reporting 1,000 residents dropping coverage per day during open enrollment — with the most coverage losses among people with incomes 150% to 200% of the poverty level. These could include families of two adults and two children with an income between $48,225 and $64,300.The state is seeing an “unprecedented” number of previously enrolled people dropping coverage, said Devon Trolley, executive director of the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority.California is reporting 31% fewer new enrollees this year compared with last year, and more than a third of new enrollees are choosing bronze plans — the lowest, least generous coverage tier — up from less than a quarter at this time last year.In Minnesota, data as of Dec. 3 shows more than half of active enrollees are opting to keep their coverage tier. But of those changing plans, more than a third — 37% — are going to cheaper plans. The state notes a full picture won’t be available until March.Meanwhile, some states are seeing roughly the same number of enrollees or more. Texas, for example, is reporting about 4.1 million people enrolling this year compared with 4 million last year.Charles&nbsp;Miller, health and economic mobility policy director at&nbsp;Texas 2036, a policy research nonprofit, said it’s unclear why enrollments are up, but pointed to some clues.“Texas had a uniquely large population of uninsured individuals eligible for free and inexpensive plans that hadn’t enrolled previously … [and] has more affordable bronze and gold plans than many states,” he said.He attributes that to a bipartisan state law, enacted in 2021, that had the effect of increasing subsidies for those plans, Miller said.Nevada is seeing fewer enrollees overall. But compared with this time last year, the state is seeing 29% more people who are actively shopping the website to explore plans, said Katie Charleson, communications officer at the Nevada Health Authority Division of Consumer Health Services.The state introduced a new public option, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://nevadacurrent.com/2026/01/08/with-health-insurance-premiums-rising-nevadas-new-public-option-is-proving-popular/" target="_blank">Nevada Current</a>, and health officials told lawmakers last week that about 1 in 5 active shoppers are opting for that plan.In addition to the expiration of the subsidies, the cost of coverage has risen because of other factors, according to insurers. They say&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/how-much-and-why-aca-marketplace-premiums-are-going-up-in-2026/#Distribution%20of%20proposed%202026%20rate%20changes%20among%20312%20ACA%20Marketplace%20insurers" target="_blank">they’ve had to raise premiums</a>&nbsp;because of rising prescription drug costs, inflation and workforce challenges, such as provider shortages.But the enhanced premium tax credits were aimed at buffering those year-to-year changes for Americans with lower incomes, said Trolley, adding that the tax credit structure “helps make sure that [enrollees] don’t see those really larger drops that happen from time to time, sort of from those market forces.”“When there are broader rate increases of … the total cost of the coverage, the tax credits are structured so that people who get a tax credit don’t feel a lot of that increase. They’re sort of sheltered from it on a year to year basis,” Trolley said. “The tax credit is tied to someone’s income and limits what they pay as part of their income, not necessarily tied to the cost of the coverage.”She added that she’s also heard from some residents who say they are waiting to enroll in a plan to see if Congress takes action.“People are leaving the ACA marketplace because the trade-offs have just become harder to justify,” Lukanen said. “What worries me is that when the coverage becomes unaffordable, it isn’t that people suddenly stop needing care. They just lose the protection that insurance offers, and those health care costs don’t go away.”Lukanen added that if more people forgo coverage, health care services may end up costing the nation more overall.“If people are going to the doctor and they don’t have insurance, these costs are then just shifted. They’re shifted to hospitals, ultimately to the community and the taxpayer.”Trolley echoed that, saying she’s concerned about the overall burden on providers in rural counties, which are seeing the highest drops in Obamacare coverage in Pennsylvania.“Any increase in the uninsured rate is going to further strain providers that are in rural areas, especially — further strain their financial situation,” she said. “We are very concerned about that in Pennsylvania.”Stateline reporter Nada Hassanein can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:nhassanein@stateline.org">nhassanein@stateline.org</a>.

Far fewer people buy Obamacare coverage as insurance premiums spike

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education, for now, is backtracking on plans to garnish wages and seize tax refunds of student loan borrowers in default, the department announced Friday.

<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-administration-garnish-wages-defaulted-student-loans" target="_blank">Less than a month</a>&nbsp;after the agency said it would begin garnishing wages by sending notices to roughly 1,000 borrowers in default the first full week of January, the department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-delays-involuntary-collections-amid-ongoing-student-loan-repayment-improvements" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;that the temporary delay would allow it to implement “major student loan repayment reforms” under Republicans’ tax and spending cut bill that President Donald Trump signed into law in 2025.

The delay would “give borrowers more options to repay their loans,” the department said.&nbsp;

It was not immediately clear from the announcement how long the pause would last.&nbsp;

Education Secretary Linda McMahon signaled&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/AsuO9zf7WxY?t=685s" target="_blank">earlier this week</a>&nbsp;during the&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2026/01/12/us-education-secretary-promotes-returning-school-autonomy-to-states/" target="_blank">Rhode Island</a>&nbsp;portion of her Returning Education to the States Tour that wage garnishment has been “put on pause for a bit.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The agency resumed collections for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-education-department-restart-defaulted-student-loan-collections" target="_blank">defaulted federal student loans</a>&nbsp;in May after a pause that began during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A borrower can have their wages garnished as a consequence of defaulting on their loans, and a loanholder can order an employer to withhold up to 15% of their disposable pay to collect defaulted debt without being taken to court, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/what-is-wage-garnishment" target="_blank">Federal Student Aid</a>, an office of the Education Department.

The delay also applies to the Treasury Offset Program, which “allows the federal government to collect income tax refunds and certain government benefits (for example, Social Security benefits) from individuals who owe debts to the federal government,” per&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/offset" target="_blank">FSA</a>.&nbsp;

Aissa Canchola Bañez, policy director for the advocacy group Protect Borrowers, said in a Friday statement that “after months of pressure and countless horror stories from borrowers, the Trump Administration says it has abandoned plans to snatch working people’s hard-earned money directly from their paychecks and tax refunds simply for falling behind on their student loans.”&nbsp;

“Amidst the growing affordability crisis, the Administration’s plans would have been economically reckless and would have risked pushing nearly 9 million defaulted borrowers even further into debt,” she added, while pointing to a&nbsp;<a href="https://protectborrowers.org/new-analysis-finds-that-a-student-loan-borrower-defaulted-every-nine-seconds-in-2025-as-trump-restarts-wage-garnishment/" target="_blank">Jan. 7 letter</a>&nbsp;from Protect Borrowers and other organizations calling on McMahon to “immediately halt its plan to resume garnishment of millions of struggling borrowers’ wages.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768689690412.png" alt="U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon takes in a selection of grade school students’ patriotic artworks and high schoolers’ recent output in a special installation set up at Exeter-West Greenwich Regional Junior High and High School in Rhode Island on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon takes in a selection of grade school students’ patriotic artworks and high schoolers’ recent output in a special installation set up at Exeter-West Greenwich Regional Junior High and High School in Rhode Island on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education, for now, is backtracking on plans to garnish wages and seize tax refunds of student loan borrowers in default, the department announced Friday.<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-administration-garnish-wages-defaulted-student-loans" target="_blank">Less than a month</a>&nbsp;after the agency said it would begin garnishing wages by sending notices to roughly 1,000 borrowers in default the first full week of January, the department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-delays-involuntary-collections-amid-ongoing-student-loan-repayment-improvements" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;that the temporary delay would allow it to implement “major student loan repayment reforms” under Republicans’ tax and spending cut bill that President Donald Trump signed into law in 2025.The delay would “give borrowers more options to repay their loans,” the department said.&nbsp;It was not immediately clear from the announcement how long the pause would last.&nbsp;Education Secretary Linda McMahon signaled&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/AsuO9zf7WxY?t=685s" target="_blank">earlier this week</a>&nbsp;during the&nbsp;<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2026/01/12/us-education-secretary-promotes-returning-school-autonomy-to-states/" target="_blank">Rhode Island</a>&nbsp;portion of her Returning Education to the States Tour that wage garnishment has been “put on pause for a bit.”&nbsp;&nbsp;The agency resumed collections for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-education-department-restart-defaulted-student-loan-collections" target="_blank">defaulted federal student loans</a>&nbsp;in May after a pause that began during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.A borrower can have their wages garnished as a consequence of defaulting on their loans, and a loanholder can order an employer to withhold up to 15% of their disposable pay to collect defaulted debt without being taken to court, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/what-is-wage-garnishment" target="_blank">Federal Student Aid</a>, an office of the Education Department.The delay also applies to the Treasury Offset Program, which “allows the federal government to collect income tax refunds and certain government benefits (for example, Social Security benefits) from individuals who owe debts to the federal government,” per&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/offset" target="_blank">FSA</a>.&nbsp;Aissa Canchola Bañez, policy director for the advocacy group Protect Borrowers, said in a Friday statement that “after months of pressure and countless horror stories from borrowers, the Trump Administration says it has abandoned plans to snatch working people’s hard-earned money directly from their paychecks and tax refunds simply for falling behind on their student loans.”&nbsp;“Amidst the growing affordability crisis, the Administration’s plans would have been economically reckless and would have risked pushing nearly 9 million defaulted borrowers even further into debt,” she added, while pointing to a&nbsp;<a href="https://protectborrowers.org/new-analysis-finds-that-a-student-loan-borrower-defaulted-every-nine-seconds-in-2025-as-trump-restarts-wage-garnishment/" target="_blank">Jan. 7 letter</a>&nbsp;from Protect Borrowers and other organizations calling on McMahon to “immediately halt its plan to resume garnishment of millions of struggling borrowers’ wages.”

US Education Dept. delays plan to garnish wages of student borrowers in default

DAMASCUS — U.S. forces conducted a strike in northwest Syria on Friday that resulted in the death of a leader affiliated with Al-Qaeda who had direct ties to an ISIS terrorist responsible for an ambush which killed two U.S. service members and an American interpreter on Dec. 13, 2025, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

Bilal Hasan al-Jasim was an experienced terrorist leader who plotted attacks and was directly connected with the ISIS gunman who killed and injured American and Syrian personnel last month in Palmyra, Syria.

“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. “There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot, or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you.”

CENTCOM launched large-scale strikes in Syria in response to the Dec. 13 attack. The operation, dubbed Hawkeye Strike, resulted in U.S. and partner forces hitting more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons site targets with over 200 precision munitions.

Additionally, U.S. and partner forces have captured more than 300 ISIS operatives and killed over 20 across Syria during the past year, removing terrorists who posed a direct threat to the United States and regional security.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739746302792.png" alt="File photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>File photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>DAMASCUS — U.S. forces conducted a strike in northwest Syria on Friday that resulted in the death of a leader affiliated with Al-Qaeda who had direct ties to an ISIS terrorist responsible for an ambush which killed two U.S. service members and an American interpreter on Dec. 13, 2025, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.Bilal Hasan al-Jasim was an experienced terrorist leader who plotted attacks and was directly connected with the ISIS gunman who killed and injured American and Syrian personnel last month in Palmyra, Syria.“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. “There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot, or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you.”CENTCOM launched large-scale strikes in Syria in response to the Dec. 13 attack. The operation, dubbed Hawkeye Strike, resulted in U.S. and partner forces hitting more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons site targets with over 200 precision munitions.Additionally, U.S. and partner forces have captured more than 300 ISIS operatives and killed over 20 across Syria during the past year, removing terrorists who posed a direct threat to the United States and regional security.

U.S. forces kill Al-Qaeda affiliate leader linked to ISIS ambush on Americans

On Friday, President Donald J. Trump congratulated the formation of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a vital step forward in implementing Phase Two of his Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict—a 20-point roadmap for lasting peace, stability, reconstruction, and prosperity in the region, according to statement from the White House.

The NCAG will be led by Dr. Ali Sha’ath, a widely respected technocratic leader who will oversee the restoration of core public services, the rebuilding of civil institutions, and the stabilization of daily life in Gaza, while laying the foundation for long-term, self-sustaining governance. Dr. Sha’ath brings deep experience in public administration, economic development, and international engagement, and is widely respected for his pragmatic, technocratic leadership and understanding of Gaza’s institutional realities.

This milestone perfectly aligns with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025), which endorsed President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan and welcomed the establishment of the Board of Peace. The Board of Peace will play an essential role in fulfilling all 20 points of the President’s plan, providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources, and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development.

To operationalize the Board of Peace’s vision—under the chairmanship of President Donald J. Trump—a founding Executive Board has been formed, composed of leaders with experience across diplomacy, development, infrastructure, and economic strategy. The appointed members are:

Each Executive Board member will oversee a defined portfolio critical to Gaza’s stabilization and long-term success, including, but not limited to, governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilization.

In support of this operating model, the Chairman has appointed Aryeh Lightstone and Josh Gruenbaum as senior advisors to the Board of Peace, charged with leading day-to-day strategy and operations, and translating the Board’s mandate and diplomatic priorities into disciplined execution.

H.E. Nickolay Mladenov, an Executive Board member, will serve as the High Representative for Gaza. In this capacity, he will act as the on-the-ground link between the Board of Peace and the NCAG. He will support the Board’s oversight of all aspects of Gaza’s governance, reconstruction, and development, while ensuring coordination across civilian and security pillars.

To establish security, preserve peace, and establish a durable terror-free environment, Major General Jasper Jeffers has been appointed Commander of the International Stabilization Force (ISF), where he will lead security operations, support comprehensive demilitarization, and enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials.

In support of the Office of the High Representative and the NCAG, a Gaza Executive Board is being established. The Board will help support effective governance and the delivery of best-in-class services that advance peace, stability, and prosperity for the people of Gaza. The appointed members are:

The United States remains fully committed to supporting this transitional framework, working in close partnership with Israel, key Arab nations, and the international community to achieve the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan. The President calls on all parties to cooperate fully with the NCAG, the Board of Peace, and the International Stabilization Force to ensure the swift and successful implementation of the Comprehensive Plan.

Additional Executive Board and Gaza Executive Board members will be announced over the coming weeks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768660024282.png" alt="File photo Jared Kushner-photo White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo Jared Kushner-photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>On Friday, President Donald J. Trump congratulated the formation of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a vital step forward in implementing Phase Two of his Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict—a 20-point roadmap for lasting peace, stability, reconstruction, and prosperity in the region, according to statement from the White House.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768659635415.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The NCAG will be led by Dr. Ali Sha’ath, a widely respected technocratic leader who will oversee the restoration of core public services, the rebuilding of civil institutions, and the stabilization of daily life in Gaza, while laying the foundation for long-term, self-sustaining governance. Dr. Sha’ath brings deep experience in public administration, economic development, and international engagement, and is widely respected for his pragmatic, technocratic leadership and understanding of Gaza’s institutional realities.This milestone perfectly aligns with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025), which endorsed President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan and welcomed the establishment of the Board of Peace. The Board of Peace will play an essential role in fulfilling all 20 points of the President’s plan, providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources, and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development.To operationalize the Board of Peace’s vision—under the chairmanship of President Donald J. Trump—a founding Executive Board has been formed, composed of leaders with experience across diplomacy, development, infrastructure, and economic strategy. The appointed members are:<ul>
 <li>Secretary Marco Rubio</li><li>Steve Witkoff</li><li>Jared Kushner</li><li>Sir Tony Blair</li><li>Marc Rowan</li><li>Ajay Banga</li><li>Robert Gabriel</li>
 </ul>Each Executive Board member will oversee a defined portfolio critical to Gaza’s stabilization and long-term success, including, but not limited to, governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilization.In support of this operating model, the Chairman has appointed Aryeh Lightstone and Josh Gruenbaum as senior advisors to the Board of Peace, charged with leading day-to-day strategy and operations, and translating the Board’s mandate and diplomatic priorities into disciplined execution.H.E. Nickolay Mladenov, an Executive Board member, will serve as the High Representative for Gaza. In this capacity, he will act as the on-the-ground link between the Board of Peace and the NCAG. He will support the Board’s oversight of all aspects of Gaza’s governance, reconstruction, and development, while ensuring coordination across civilian and security pillars.To establish security, preserve peace, and establish a durable terror-free environment, Major General Jasper Jeffers has been appointed Commander of the International Stabilization Force (ISF), where he will lead security operations, support comprehensive demilitarization, and enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials.In support of the Office of the High Representative and the NCAG, a Gaza Executive Board is being established. The Board will help support effective governance and the delivery of best-in-class services that advance peace, stability, and prosperity for the people of Gaza. The appointed members are:<ul>
 <li>Steve Witkoff</li><li>Jared Kushner</li><li>Minister Hakan Fidan</li><li>Ali Al-Thawadi</li><li>General Hassan Rashad</li><li>Sir Tony Blair</li><li>Marc Rowan</li><li>Minister Reem Al-Hashimy</li><li>Nickolay Mladenov</li><li>Yakir Gabay</li><li>Sigrid Kaag</li>
 </ul>The United States remains fully committed to supporting this transitional framework, working in close partnership with Israel, key Arab nations, and the international community to achieve the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan. The President calls on all parties to cooperate fully with the NCAG, the Board of Peace, and the International Stabilization Force to ensure the swift and successful implementation of the Comprehensive Plan.Additional Executive Board and Gaza Executive Board members will be announced over the coming weeks.

Who is on Trump's 'Board of Peace' for Gaza?

By:<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/j-patrick-coolican/">J. Patrick Coolican</a> <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/">Minnesota Reformer</a>

The U.S. Justice Department has issued subpoenas to Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey as part of a criminal investigation into whether they’ve impeded federal immigration enforcement, the&nbsp;Washington Post&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/01/16/trump-minnesota-walz-frey-criminal-investigation/" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;Friday.

The investigation intensifies an already combustible conflict between the feds and Minnesota, while also adding to the DOJ’s list of targets deemed enemies by President Donald Trump and his administration.&nbsp;

A DOJ spokesperson declined comment.&nbsp;

Walz’s office said he hadn’t received any notice of investigation.&nbsp;

Walz replied in a statement to the news: “Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly,” he said, referring to the&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/3-democratic-lawmakers-federal-investigation-illegal-orders-social/story?id=129244803" target="_blank">U.S. senators</a>&nbsp;who made a video telling U.S. servicemembers that&nbsp;they can and must refuse illegal orders, as well as the&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5687457-fed-jerome-powell-justice-department-gop-criticism/" target="_blank">chairman</a>&nbsp;of the Federal Reserve, who has refused to lower interest rates as quickly as Trump desires. “Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic,” Walz said.&nbsp;

Frey called the investigation “an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement and our residents against the chaos and danger this administration has brought to our streets.”&nbsp;

He added: “I will not be intimidated.”&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Post&nbsp;reported that “the&nbsp;subpoenas suggest that the Justice Department is examining whether Walz’s and Frey’s public statements disparaging the surge of officers and federal actions have amounted to criminal interference in law enforcement work.”

Walz, who announced earlier this month he&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/05/minnesota-gov-tim-walz-ends-campaign-for-third-term/">won’t seek</a>&nbsp;a third term, also used his statement to criticize the federal government for not properly investigating the killing of Renee Good by federal immigration officer Jonathan Ross. “The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her,” he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Six prosecutors in the Minnesota Office of U.S. Attorney quit this week,&nbsp;The New York Times&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/us/prosecutors-doj-resignation-ice-shooting.html#:~:text=Six%20Prosecutors%20Quit%20Over%20Push,supposed%20ties%20to%20activist%20groups." target="_blank">reported</a>, because they objected to their bosses’ push to investigate the widow of Good and their ties to anti-ICE groups.&nbsp;

The ICE surge, which has put as many as 3,000 federal agents in the state — or nearly five times the number of sworn officers with the Minneapolis Police Department —&nbsp;is just the latest round of an ongoing conflict between Minnesota and the federal government. Fraud in Minnesota’s social programs —&nbsp;often funded in whole or part by the federal government —&nbsp;has caught the attention of right-wing media and activists, and the Trump administration has followed with a wide array of investigations of Minnesota programs across a range of agencies.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/15/homeland-security-audits-hennepin-healthcares/">auditing Hennepin Healthcare</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;Minnesota’s largest safety net hospital —&nbsp;for compliance with immigrant employment eligibility laws.

The<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/01/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-establishes-new-department-of-justice-division-for-national-fraud-enforcement/" target="_blank">&nbsp;Trump administration</a>&nbsp;has frozen child care payments and halted small business grants. The administration also says it’s investigating possible housing assistance fraud and looking into Minnesota’s&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/trump-admin-announces-target-review-of-minnesotas-unemployment-insurance-program/">unemployment insurance program</a>. The federal government has also attempted to withhold funds to Minnesota for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, but a federal court issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/15/federal-judge-blocks-usda-from-cutting-snap-benefits-in-minnesota" target="_blank">preliminary injunction.</a>

Earlier this week, Trump said he would cut all federal funding to Minnesota and other states that have sanctuary cities beginning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/13/white-house-end-funding-sanctuary-cities-states-00726557" target="_blank">Feb. 1,</a>&nbsp;but it’s unclear what that means and few details have been released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768610962226.png" alt="Minnesoty Gov. Tim Walz-photo from video provided by the governor's office" />
 <figcaption>Minnesoty Gov. Tim Walz-photo from video provided by the governor's office</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/j-patrick-coolican/">J. Patrick Coolican</a> <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/">Minnesota Reformer</a>The U.S. Justice Department has issued subpoenas to Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey as part of a criminal investigation into whether they’ve impeded federal immigration enforcement, the&nbsp;Washington Post&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/01/16/trump-minnesota-walz-frey-criminal-investigation/" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;Friday.The investigation intensifies an already combustible conflict between the feds and Minnesota, while also adding to the DOJ’s list of targets deemed enemies by President Donald Trump and his administration.&nbsp;A DOJ spokesperson declined comment.&nbsp;Walz’s office said he hadn’t received any notice of investigation.&nbsp;Walz replied in a statement to the news: “Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly,” he said, referring to the&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/3-democratic-lawmakers-federal-investigation-illegal-orders-social/story?id=129244803" target="_blank">U.S. senators</a>&nbsp;who made a video telling U.S. servicemembers that&nbsp;they can and must refuse illegal orders, as well as the&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5687457-fed-jerome-powell-justice-department-gop-criticism/" target="_blank">chairman</a>&nbsp;of the Federal Reserve, who has refused to lower interest rates as quickly as Trump desires. “Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic,” Walz said.&nbsp;Frey called the investigation “an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement and our residents against the chaos and danger this administration has brought to our streets.”&nbsp;He added: “I will not be intimidated.”&nbsp;The&nbsp;Post&nbsp;reported that “the&nbsp;subpoenas suggest that the Justice Department is examining whether Walz’s and Frey’s public statements disparaging the surge of officers and federal actions have amounted to criminal interference in law enforcement work.”Walz, who announced earlier this month he&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/05/minnesota-gov-tim-walz-ends-campaign-for-third-term/">won’t seek</a>&nbsp;a third term, also used his statement to criticize the federal government for not properly investigating the killing of Renee Good by federal immigration officer Jonathan Ross. “The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her,” he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Six prosecutors in the Minnesota Office of U.S. Attorney quit this week,&nbsp;The New York Times&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/us/prosecutors-doj-resignation-ice-shooting.html#:~:text=Six%20Prosecutors%20Quit%20Over%20Push,supposed%20ties%20to%20activist%20groups." target="_blank">reported</a>, because they objected to their bosses’ push to investigate the widow of Good and their ties to anti-ICE groups.&nbsp;The ICE surge, which has put as many as 3,000 federal agents in the state — or nearly five times the number of sworn officers with the Minneapolis Police Department —&nbsp;is just the latest round of an ongoing conflict between Minnesota and the federal government. Fraud in Minnesota’s social programs —&nbsp;often funded in whole or part by the federal government —&nbsp;has caught the attention of right-wing media and activists, and the Trump administration has followed with a wide array of investigations of Minnesota programs across a range of agencies.&nbsp;&nbsp;The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/15/homeland-security-audits-hennepin-healthcares/">auditing Hennepin Healthcare</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;Minnesota’s largest safety net hospital —&nbsp;for compliance with immigrant employment eligibility laws.The<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/01/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-establishes-new-department-of-justice-division-for-national-fraud-enforcement/" target="_blank">&nbsp;Trump administration</a>&nbsp;has frozen child care payments and halted small business grants. The administration also says it’s investigating possible housing assistance fraud and looking into Minnesota’s&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/trump-admin-announces-target-review-of-minnesotas-unemployment-insurance-program/">unemployment insurance program</a>. The federal government has also attempted to withhold funds to Minnesota for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, but a federal court issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/15/federal-judge-blocks-usda-from-cutting-snap-benefits-in-minnesota" target="_blank">preliminary injunction.</a>Earlier this week, Trump said he would cut all federal funding to Minnesota and other states that have sanctuary cities beginning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/13/white-house-end-funding-sanctuary-cities-states-00726557" target="_blank">Feb. 1,</a>&nbsp;but it’s unclear what that means and few details have been released.

Minnesota gov. to receive subpoena in criminal matter related to ICE

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/nlGbtxEp3G">pic.twitter.com/nlGbtxEp3G</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2011964069075448319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Donald J. Trump meets with María Corina Machado of Venezuela in the Oval Office, during which she presented the President with her Nobel Peace Prize in recognition and honor.🕊️ <a href="https://t.co/v7pYHjVNVO">pic.twitter.com/v7pYHjVNVO</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2012006221340164338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

What President Trump said about gift of Machado's Nobel Peace Prize

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the recovery of stolen government property and/or the arrest of individuals responsible for the destruction and theft of government property in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

On January 14, 2026, at approximately 7:00 p.m., FBI personnel responded to an assault on a federal officer investigation in North Minneapolis, Minnesota.&nbsp; Several government vehicles were subsequently vandalized and broken into, and government property was stolen from inside the vehicles.&nbsp; The FBI seeks information that will lead to the recovery of the stolen government property and/or the arrest of the individuals responsible for the destruction and theft of government property.

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). You may also contact your<a href="http://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field/" target="_blank">local FBI office</a>, the nearest&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/legat/" target="_blank">American Embassy or Consulate</a>, or you can submit a tip online at&nbsp;<a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/" target="_blank">tips.fbi.gov</a>.

Field Office:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/minneapolis">Minneapolis</a>

<a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/?fugitive_type=fbi&amp;fugitive_name=VANDALISM%2C+DESTRUCTION%2C+AND+THEFT+OF+GOVERNMENT+PROPERTY" target="_blank">Submit an anonymous Tip online</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768524103609.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the recovery of stolen government property and/or the arrest of individuals responsible for the destruction and theft of government property in Minneapolis, Minnesota.On January 14, 2026, at approximately 7:00 p.m., FBI personnel responded to an assault on a federal officer investigation in North Minneapolis, Minnesota.&nbsp; Several government vehicles were subsequently vandalized and broken into, and government property was stolen from inside the vehicles.&nbsp; The FBI seeks information that will lead to the recovery of the stolen government property and/or the arrest of the individuals responsible for the destruction and theft of government property.<h2>Submit a Tip:</h2>If you have any information concerning this case, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). You may also contact your<a href="http://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field/" target="_blank">local FBI office</a>, the nearest&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/legat/" target="_blank">American Embassy or Consulate</a>, or you can submit a tip online at&nbsp;<a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/" target="_blank">tips.fbi.gov</a>.Field Office:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/minneapolis">Minneapolis</a><a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/?fugitive_type=fbi&amp;fugitive_name=VANDALISM%2C+DESTRUCTION%2C+AND+THEFT+OF+GOVERNMENT+PROPERTY" target="_blank">Submit an anonymous Tip online</a>

FBI offering reward to find items taken from federal  vehicles

By:<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/max-nesterak/">Max Nesterak</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/alyssachen/">Alyssa Chen</a> <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/">Minnesota Reformer</a>

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday morning to send the military into Minnesota to stop protests, following another shooting by immigration agents that injured one person, seven days after an agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis.

Writing on his own social media platform, Trump said he would invoke the Insurrection Act, a 19th-century law empowering the government to deploy the military domestically to “repress insurrections and repel invasions.”

“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State. Thank you for you attention to this matter! President DJT,” Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115899252938886431" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;on Truth Social.

The law grants an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the military from performing domestic law enforcement.

The Insurrection Act was last invoked in 1992 under President George H. W. Bush in response to civil unrest that included the deaths of 63 people, following the acquittal of four white police officers charged with beating to death Black driver Rodney King. The statute has been used about 30 times since the country’s founding, according to records kept by the Brennan Center for Justice.

Protests erupted across the Twin Cities after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/07/ice-officer-fatally-shoots-driver-through-car-window-in-minneapolis/">shot and killed</a>&nbsp;37-year-old Renee Good in south Minneapolis on Jan. 7.

The demonstrations escalated Wednesday night after a federal immigration agent shot and injured a man in north Minneapolis.&nbsp;

According to a statement issued by the Department of Homeland Security, a man crashed his vehicle and ran away as agents were “conducting a targeted traffic stop” at 6:50 p.m. Central time. An agent fired “a defensive shot to defend his life” after the man and two bystanders “attacked the law enforcement officer with a snow shovel and broom handle,” according to the statement.&nbsp;

The agent shot the man in the leg, according to the department. The statement described the man as “an illegal alien from Venezuela who was released into the country by Joe Biden in 2022.”

States Newsroom’s Minnesota Reformer was unable to confirm the account.&nbsp;

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said in a late-night press conference that the man was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Reformer&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/14/second-person-in-a-week-shot-by-federal-immigration-agent-in-minneapolis/">reported</a>&nbsp;that scores of demonstrators arrived at the scene, sparking a back-and-forth with agents, who deployed tear gas and flash bangs. Agents detained at least two people after someone threw fireworks at the agents. At least two vehicles believed to be used by federal officers were vandalized. The clashes largely stopped by 11:30 p.m., according to the Reformer.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey asked for calm and reiterated his call for the Trump administration to remove ICE from the city.

Trump surged more ICE agents to Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Good, bringing the total to roughly 3,000 — far outnumbering the city’s 600 local police officers.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768497897095.jpeg" alt="Federal Bureau of Prisons officers on the scene where a federal immigration agent shot a man Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in north Minneapolis. (Photo by Max Nesterak/Minnesota Reformer)" />
 <figcaption>Federal Bureau of Prisons officers on the scene where a federal immigration agent shot a man Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in north Minneapolis. (Photo by Max Nesterak/Minnesota Reformer)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/max-nesterak/">Max Nesterak</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/alyssachen/">Alyssa Chen</a> <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/">Minnesota Reformer</a>WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday morning to send the military into Minnesota to stop protests, following another shooting by immigration agents that injured one person, seven days after an agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768498113412.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Writing on his own social media platform, Trump said he would invoke the Insurrection Act, a 19th-century law empowering the government to deploy the military domestically to “repress insurrections and repel invasions.”“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State. Thank you for you attention to this matter! President DJT,” Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115899252938886431" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;on Truth Social.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/EFBOPpNluy">pic.twitter.com/EFBOPpNluy</a>&mdash; Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz/status/2011832759522615367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The law grants an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the military from performing domestic law enforcement.The Insurrection Act was last invoked in 1992 under President George H. W. Bush in response to civil unrest that included the deaths of 63 people, following the acquittal of four white police officers charged with beating to death Black driver Rodney King. The statute has been used about 30 times since the country’s founding, according to records kept by the Brennan Center for Justice.Protests erupted across the Twin Cities after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/07/ice-officer-fatally-shoots-driver-through-car-window-in-minneapolis/">shot and killed</a>&nbsp;37-year-old Renee Good in south Minneapolis on Jan. 7.The demonstrations escalated Wednesday night after a federal immigration agent shot and injured a man in north Minneapolis.&nbsp;According to a statement issued by the Department of Homeland Security, a man crashed his vehicle and ran away as agents were “conducting a targeted traffic stop” at 6:50 p.m. Central time. An agent fired “a defensive shot to defend his life” after the man and two bystanders “attacked the law enforcement officer with a snow shovel and broom handle,” according to the statement.&nbsp;The agent shot the man in the leg, according to the department. The statement described the man as “an illegal alien from Venezuela who was released into the country by Joe Biden in 2022.”States Newsroom’s Minnesota Reformer was unable to confirm the account.&nbsp;Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said in a late-night press conference that the man was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.The Reformer&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/14/second-person-in-a-week-shot-by-federal-immigration-agent-in-minneapolis/">reported</a>&nbsp;that scores of demonstrators arrived at the scene, sparking a back-and-forth with agents, who deployed tear gas and flash bangs. Agents detained at least two people after someone threw fireworks at the agents. At least two vehicles believed to be used by federal officers were vandalized. The clashes largely stopped by 11:30 p.m., according to the Reformer.Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey asked for calm and reiterated his call for the Trump administration to remove ICE from the city.Trump surged more ICE agents to Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Good, bringing the total to roughly 3,000 — far outnumbering the city’s 600 local police officers.&nbsp;

President Trump threatens to use Insurrection Act, deploy military in Minnesota

&nbsp;In another pre-dawn action Thursday, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, launched from USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and apprehended Motor/Tanker Veronica without incident, according to a statement from the U.S. Southern Command.

The Veronica is the latest tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean, proving the effectiveness of Operation Southern Spear yet again.  

These operations are backed by the full power of the U.S. Navy’s Amphibious Ready Group, including the ready and lethal platforms of USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), USS San Antonio (LPD 17), and USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28). 

"The only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully. The Department of War in coordination with interagency partners, will defend our homeland by ending illicit activity and restoring security in the Western Hemisphere."

&nbsp;In another pre-dawn action Thursday, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, launched from USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and apprehended Motor/Tanker Veronica without incident, according to a statement from the U.S. Southern Command.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Through <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OpSouthernSpear?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OpSouthernSpear</a>, the Department of War is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere in partnership with <a href="https://twitter.com/USCG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USCG</a> through <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DHSgov</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheJusticeDept</a>. In another pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear,… <a href="https://t.co/brxO9xXUu3">pic.twitter.com/brxO9xXUu3</a>&mdash; U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/2011798070816612578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Veronica is the latest tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean, proving the effectiveness of Operation Southern Spear yet again. 

These operations are backed by the full power of the U.S. Navy’s Amphibious Ready Group, including the ready and lethal platforms of USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), USS San Antonio (LPD 17), and USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28). "The only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully. The Department of War in coordination with interagency partners, will defend our homeland by ending illicit activity and restoring security in the Western Hemisphere."

🎥  US seizes in Caribbean Sea another sanctioned oil tanker

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>

WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance broke a tied Senate vote to block advancement of a war powers resolution that would have stopped President Donald Trump from taking further military action against Venezuela without congressional authorization.

Senate Republicans used a procedural maneuver Wednesday night to halt debate on the Vietnam War-era&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47603" target="_blank">statute</a>&nbsp;that gives Congress a check on the president’s deployments abroad.&nbsp;

Sens. Todd Young of Indiana and Josh Hawley of Missouri flipped on their previous votes to advance the resolution, splitting support at 50-50 — and delivering a victory to Trump, who had strongly criticized Republican senators who earlier defected from the administration.

Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky voted to keep the effort alive in the Senate. Paul is the only Republican co-sponsor of the bill. Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia was the leading Democratic co-sponsor.

Young said while he “strongly” believes Congress must be involved in any decisions about the commitment of U.S. troops, administration officials assured him that is not the state of play in Venezuela.

“After numerous conversations with senior national security officials, I have received assurances that there are no American troops in Venezuela. I’ve also received a commitment that if President Trump were to determine American forces are needed in major military operations in Venezuela, the Administration will come to Congress in advance to ask for an authorization of force,” Young said in a written statement after he cast his vote.

The vote came less than a week after Young and Hawley were among the&nbsp; five Senate Republicans who broke with party ranks to move the resolution across an initial procedural hurdle — a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-gop-support-advances-war-powers-resolution-rebuking-trump-venezuela" target="_blank">rare rebuke</a>&nbsp;of Trump from some in his own party.

Trump pointedly attacked the five GOP senators after they voted, writing on his Truth Social platform that the lawmakers “should never be elected to office again.”&nbsp;

Senate Republicans argued a resolution to rein in Trump’s military actions against Venezuela is not relevant because “there’s no troops there, there is nothing to terminate,” as Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Jim Risch said on the floor ahead of the vote.

“Now, I know some of my colleagues will argue that a vote for this resolution is a prospective statement about limiting future action in Venezuela. That’s not what it says. They argue, ‘we still have ships in the Caribbean, and clearly the president is ready to invade again,’ they say. But again, that is not what the resolution says. … No language in this resolution addresses future action,” said Risch, R-Idaho, who moved to table the measure.

The vote came 11 days after U.S. special forces apprehended Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their bedroom during a surprise overnight raid. The couple was wanted by U.S. authorities on federal drug and conspiracy charges.

The vote also comes after a monthslong bombing campaign on small boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean in which U.S. strikes killed more than 115 alleged “narco-terrorists,” according to U.S. Southern Command.

Within an hour before senators voted to block any advancement of the war powers resolution, Trump posted on social media that he “had a very good call” Thursday morning with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez.

“We are making tremendous progress, as we help Venezuela stabilize and recover. Many topics were discussed, including Oil, Minerals, Trade and, of course, National Security. This partnership between the United States of America and Venezuela will be a spectacular one FOR ALL. Venezuela will soon be great and prosperous again, perhaps more so than ever before!” Trump wrote on his own platform, Truth Social.

Trump hosted oil executives at the White House Friday for a meeting on potential investment in Venezuela’s oil industry. Prior to the meeting, the president announced the South American nation had already agreed to give the U.S. between 30 million and 50 million barrels of oil. Trump said he would control the money made from the sale.

Paul and Democratic sponsors of the war powers resolution vehemently disagreed with the GOP statements about the U.S. presence in and around Venezuela.

“You don’t have to be a great expert in military affairs to know that we are heavily engaged,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, ahead of the vote.

“Donald Trump says we’re not engaged in hostilities? Tell that to the 16,000 U.S. service members currently deployed in the Caribbean. Tell that to our service members on the Ford carrier strike force. Look at the Marine expeditionary unit operating in the region,” Schumer said. “Donald Trump is turning the Caribbean into a dangerous powder keg — and Congress must rein him in before one mistake ignites a larger, more unstable conflict.”

Kaine likened the Republicans’ procedural move to “a parliamentary gag rule on discussion of this military operation.”

“If this cause and if this legal basis were so righteous and so lawful, the administration and its supporters would not be so afraid to have this debate before the public and the United States Senate,” Kaine said on the floor ahead of the vote.

Paul said the administration’s claim that Venezuela is not an official war is “an absurdity.”

“The invasion of another country, blockading of a country and removing another country’s leader, to my mind, clearly, is war,” Paul said on the floor ahead of the vote.

U.S. Southern Command declined to confirm Wednesday the exact number of troops and warships present in the region.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said more than 100 were killed in the raid, according to numerous media outlets that posted a&nbsp;<a href="https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2026/01/07/venezuela/video/venezuela-ataques-muertos-estados-unidos-diosdado-cabello" target="_blank">video</a>&nbsp;of his statement. The Cuban government announced on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JzbcBUyHz/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;32 of its citizens were among the dead.

Seven U.S. troops were injured in the incursion, according to the Pentagon. Five returned to work within days after the attack, while two were still recovering as of Jan. 8. Pentagon officials declined to comment further on their conditions Wednesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768445947287.png" alt=" U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., talks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on June 28, 2025 (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)." />
 <figcaption> U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., talks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on June 28, 2025 (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom).</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance broke a tied Senate vote to block advancement of a war powers resolution that would have stopped President Donald Trump from taking further military action against Venezuela without congressional authorization.Senate Republicans used a procedural maneuver Wednesday night to halt debate on the Vietnam War-era&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47603" target="_blank">statute</a>&nbsp;that gives Congress a check on the president’s deployments abroad.&nbsp;Sens. Todd Young of Indiana and Josh Hawley of Missouri flipped on their previous votes to advance the resolution, splitting support at 50-50 — and delivering a victory to Trump, who had strongly criticized Republican senators who earlier defected from the administration.Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky voted to keep the effort alive in the Senate. Paul is the only Republican co-sponsor of the bill. Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia was the leading Democratic co-sponsor.Young said while he “strongly” believes Congress must be involved in any decisions about the commitment of U.S. troops, administration officials assured him that is not the state of play in Venezuela.“After numerous conversations with senior national security officials, I have received assurances that there are no American troops in Venezuela. I’ve also received a commitment that if President Trump were to determine American forces are needed in major military operations in Venezuela, the Administration will come to Congress in advance to ask for an authorization of force,” Young said in a written statement after he cast his vote.<h2>Rare rebuke doesn’t last</h2>The vote came less than a week after Young and Hawley were among the&nbsp; five Senate Republicans who broke with party ranks to move the resolution across an initial procedural hurdle — a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-gop-support-advances-war-powers-resolution-rebuking-trump-venezuela" target="_blank">rare rebuke</a>&nbsp;of Trump from some in his own party.Trump pointedly attacked the five GOP senators after they voted, writing on his Truth Social platform that the lawmakers “should never be elected to office again.”&nbsp;Senate Republicans argued a resolution to rein in Trump’s military actions against Venezuela is not relevant because “there’s no troops there, there is nothing to terminate,” as Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Jim Risch said on the floor ahead of the vote.“Now, I know some of my colleagues will argue that a vote for this resolution is a prospective statement about limiting future action in Venezuela. That’s not what it says. They argue, ‘we still have ships in the Caribbean, and clearly the president is ready to invade again,’ they say. But again, that is not what the resolution says. … No language in this resolution addresses future action,” said Risch, R-Idaho, who moved to table the measure.The vote came 11 days after U.S. special forces apprehended Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their bedroom during a surprise overnight raid. The couple was wanted by U.S. authorities on federal drug and conspiracy charges.The vote also comes after a monthslong bombing campaign on small boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean in which U.S. strikes killed more than 115 alleged “narco-terrorists,” according to U.S. Southern Command.Within an hour before senators voted to block any advancement of the war powers resolution, Trump posted on social media that he “had a very good call” Thursday morning with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez.“We are making tremendous progress, as we help Venezuela stabilize and recover. Many topics were discussed, including Oil, Minerals, Trade and, of course, National Security. This partnership between the United States of America and Venezuela will be a spectacular one FOR ALL. Venezuela will soon be great and prosperous again, perhaps more so than ever before!” Trump wrote on his own platform, Truth Social.Trump hosted oil executives at the White House Friday for a meeting on potential investment in Venezuela’s oil industry. Prior to the meeting, the president announced the South American nation had already agreed to give the U.S. between 30 million and 50 million barrels of oil. Trump said he would control the money made from the sale.<h2>‘We are heavily engaged’</h2>Paul and Democratic sponsors of the war powers resolution vehemently disagreed with the GOP statements about the U.S. presence in and around Venezuela.“You don’t have to be a great expert in military affairs to know that we are heavily engaged,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, ahead of the vote.“Donald Trump says we’re not engaged in hostilities? Tell that to the 16,000 U.S. service members currently deployed in the Caribbean. Tell that to our service members on the Ford carrier strike force. Look at the Marine expeditionary unit operating in the region,” Schumer said. “Donald Trump is turning the Caribbean into a dangerous powder keg — and Congress must rein him in before one mistake ignites a larger, more unstable conflict.”Kaine likened the Republicans’ procedural move to “a parliamentary gag rule on discussion of this military operation.”“If this cause and if this legal basis were so righteous and so lawful, the administration and its supporters would not be so afraid to have this debate before the public and the United States Senate,” Kaine said on the floor ahead of the vote.Paul said the administration’s claim that Venezuela is not an official war is “an absurdity.”“The invasion of another country, blockading of a country and removing another country’s leader, to my mind, clearly, is war,” Paul said on the floor ahead of the vote.U.S. Southern Command declined to confirm Wednesday the exact number of troops and warships present in the region.Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said more than 100 were killed in the raid, according to numerous media outlets that posted a&nbsp;<a href="https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2026/01/07/venezuela/video/venezuela-ataques-muertos-estados-unidos-diosdado-cabello" target="_blank">video</a>&nbsp;of his statement. The Cuban government announced on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JzbcBUyHz/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;32 of its citizens were among the dead.Seven U.S. troops were injured in the incursion, according to the Pentagon. Five returned to work within days after the attack, while two were still recovering as of Jan. 8. Pentagon officials declined to comment further on their conditions Wednesday.

War powers resolution fails after Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley flips his vote

At&nbsp;3:41&nbsp;a.m.&nbsp;EST,&nbsp;the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying&nbsp;NASA astronauts <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/people/zena-cardman/" target="_blank">Zena&nbsp;Cardman</a> and&nbsp;Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)&nbsp;astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov&nbsp;splashed down&nbsp;off the coast of&nbsp;San Diego, California, according to a statement from NASA.

This completes a stay&nbsp;in space&nbsp;of&nbsp;167&nbsp;days&nbsp;for&nbsp;the four-person crew.&nbsp;The mission returned to Earth&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/01/08/nasa-shares-latest-update-on-international-space-station-operations-2/" target="_blank">earlier than originally planned</a>&nbsp;as teams&nbsp;monitored&nbsp;a medical concern with a crew member living and working aboard the orbital laboratory. The crew member is stable.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Teams&nbsp;aboard&nbsp;the recovery ship, including two fast boats, are securing the SpaceX Dragon and ensuring the spacecraft is safe for the recovery effort. As the fast boat teams complete their work, the recovery ship will move into position to hoist Dragon onto the main deck with the astronauts inside. Once on the main deck, the crew will egress the spacecraft.&nbsp;&nbsp;

NASA previously announced all four crew members will be transported to a local hospital for&nbsp;additional&nbsp;evaluation, taking advantage of medical resources on Earth to provide the best care possible.&nbsp;

Following a planned overnight hospital stay, the crew will return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they will reunite with their families and undergo standard post-flight reconditioning and evaluations. Due to medical privacy, it is not&nbsp;appropriate for&nbsp;NASA to share more details about the crew member.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768444979570.png" alt="The official portrait of the four members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission aboard the International Space Station. From left, are Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman. NASA/Robert Markowitz" />
 <figcaption>The official portrait of the four members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission aboard the International Space Station. From left, are Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman. NASA/Robert Markowitz</figcaption>
 </figure>At&nbsp;3:41&nbsp;a.m.&nbsp;EST,&nbsp;the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying&nbsp;NASA astronauts <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/people/zena-cardman/" target="_blank">Zena&nbsp;Cardman</a> and&nbsp;Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)&nbsp;astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov&nbsp;splashed down&nbsp;off the coast of&nbsp;San Diego, California, according to a statement from NASA.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768445083052.png" alt="This photo provided by NASA shows clockwise from bottom left are, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui gathering for a crew portrait wearing their Dragon pressure suits during a suit verification check inside the International Space Station’s Kibo laboratory module, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026." />
 <figcaption>This photo provided by NASA shows clockwise from bottom left are, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui gathering for a crew portrait wearing their Dragon pressure suits during a suit verification check inside the International Space Station’s Kibo laboratory module, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.</figcaption>
 </figure>This completes a stay&nbsp;in space&nbsp;of&nbsp;167&nbsp;days&nbsp;for&nbsp;the four-person crew.&nbsp;The mission returned to Earth&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/01/08/nasa-shares-latest-update-on-international-space-station-operations-2/" target="_blank">earlier than originally planned</a>&nbsp;as teams&nbsp;monitored&nbsp;a medical concern with a crew member living and working aboard the orbital laboratory. The crew member is stable.&nbsp;&nbsp;Teams&nbsp;aboard&nbsp;the recovery ship, including two fast boats, are securing the SpaceX Dragon and ensuring the spacecraft is safe for the recovery effort. As the fast boat teams complete their work, the recovery ship will move into position to hoist Dragon onto the main deck with the astronauts inside. Once on the main deck, the crew will egress the spacecraft.&nbsp;&nbsp;NASA previously announced all four crew members will be transported to a local hospital for&nbsp;additional&nbsp;evaluation, taking advantage of medical resources on Earth to provide the best care possible.&nbsp;Following a planned overnight hospital stay, the crew will return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they will reunite with their families and undergo standard post-flight reconditioning and evaluations. Due to medical privacy, it is not&nbsp;appropriate for&nbsp;NASA to share more details about the crew member.&nbsp;

NASA's first medical evacuation: Ailing astronaut returns to Earth early 

Women in nearby states with abortion bans might not have to travel so far for the procedure.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/khardy/">Kevin Hardy</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/"></a><a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The outcome of a trial over Missouri’s abortion regulations could ripple far beyond the state, potentially creating new availability for women in the Midwest and South who can’t access abortion close to home.

As a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/01/12/missouri-abortion-rights-trial-focuses-on-two-decades-of-state-restrictions/" target="_blank">weighs the constitutionality</a>&nbsp;of a litany of state restrictions on abortion, the stakes are clear for Missouri women: The decision could hamper access for nearly everyone in the state — or greatly broaden it in ways not seen in decades. That would allow women in a dozen nearby states with abortion bans to travel a shorter distance to access the procedure.

“Opening and reestablishing rights in the state of Missouri would help to alleviate some of the pressure that other states have since so many Southern states have banned abortion,” said Julie Burkhart, the co-owner of Hope Clinic in Granite City, Illinois. “It just seems logical that we would see a shift in migration patterns of patients in the country.”

At her clinic, about a 15-minute drive from downtown St. Louis, Missourians account for about half of all patients, Burkhart said. Though Missouri voters in 2024 enshrined a right to abortion in the state constitution, access has remained&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/05/missouri-abortion-legal-access-hinges-courts-rebuilding/" target="_blank">highly limited because of restrictive state laws</a>. Only procedural abortions are available on a limited basis across three Planned Parenthood clinics in the state.

Many of those state laws face legal scrutiny this week as a Missouri judge weighs the constitutionality of regulations targeting abortion providers. Those include a 72-hour waiting period between initial appointments and procedures, mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions and a ban on telemedicine appointments for medication abortions.

Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri argue state restrictions are unconstitutional under 2024’s voter-approved constitutional amendment. Over decades, state restrictions have gutted Missouri’s provider networks, limited appointment availability and ultimately forced abortions to a halt in 2022, before a limited number resumed after the 2024 vote.

Experts and advocates are closely monitoring the Missouri case, which is expected to be appealed regardless of the outcome, because of its practical implications on access in the region. While many women now rely on abortion medication, procedural abortion is still crucial for those seeking later-term abortions or who prefer an in-clinic procedure.

But the two-week bench trial in downtown Kansas City also tests lawmakers’ ability to put in place rules so restrictive that they effectively ban abortion — a practice used by anti-abortion lawmakers in other states looking to limit access to the procedure.

“Judges do not operate in a vacuum,” Burkhart said, “ … and we know for a fact that judges look outside the borders of their state for information and for guidance. I do see this as having national importance.”

That’s especially true in other states also litigating abortion access, including Arizona, Michigan and Ohio, said Rebecca Reingold, an associate director at Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law.

While state judges are not bound by the decisions of judges in other states, their deliberations can be informed by court rulings, particularly involving novel legal questions or areas of the law that are evolving.

“There is little doubt that advocates and decision-makers in other states navigating similar legal challenges are closely monitoring the litigation over Missouri’s abortion regulations,” Reingold said.

In the first days of the trial, Planned Parenthood leaders argued that ever-changing state laws and agency regulations have drastically limited access, caused needless red tape and posed privacy risk for their patients.

Dr. Margaret Baum, chief medical officer with St. Louis-based Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, said the Missouri requirements specifically target abortion rather than all other kinds of medical care.

“I provide vasectomies routinely. … And I am not required to have a complication plan, contact a primary care physician, even ask the patient how many miles they live from the health center.”

Baum said state-mandated reporting rules unique to abortion require clinicians to ask the race, education level, marital status and specific location of each patient — none of which is relevant to their care.

Planned Parenthood Great Rivers would like to offer abortion services in Springfield, Baum testified. Access in that region would provide an option for rural Missourians, and also could help serve residents in nearby Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, where abortion is almost universally banned.

But the organization’s facilities there do not meet state abortion regulations for physical attributes, including hallway size, doorway size and the number of recliners in recovery rooms, Baum testified.

Lawyers for the state defended Missouri’s restrictions as commonsense safeguards aimed at protecting vulnerable women. The attorney general’s office argued that complication risks of abortion justify additional state regulation — despite professional medical associations saying it’s generally safe. The AG’s office also maintained that Planned Parenthood faced a conflict of interest because of its financial motivations.

“Abortion is a business,” Deputy Solicitor General Peter Donohue said during a procedural argument on Monday. “Your Honor, the plaintiffs are asking to deregulate their profession in order to make more money.”

The state was expected to call as witnesses anti-abortion doctors and activists later in the trial.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that overturned federal constitutional protections for abortion in June 2022, the number of abortions has increased slightly across the country, according to the health research nonprofit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/abortion-trends-before-and-after-dobbs/" target="_blank">KFF</a>.

The group points to expanded telehealth, which can offer medication abortion more affordably through virtual appointments.

Since the 2022 ruling and subsequent state abortion bans, patients have experienced higher travel costs for abortions and delays in care, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2025/07/16/travel-time-costs-for-abortions-increased-after-state-bans-researchers-find/">research</a>&nbsp;published in the American Journal of Public Health in July.

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco found that travel time to access abortion increased from 2.8 hours to 11.3 hours for residents in states with abortion bans. Travel costs increased from $179 to $372. And more than half of survey respondents said their abortion care required an overnight hotel stay, compared with 5% before an abortion ban.

In 2024, an estimated 7,880 Missourians traveled to Illinois and 3,960 traveled to Kansas to access abortion, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/monthly-abortion-provision-study" target="_blank">Guttmacher Institute</a>, a research and policy organization focused on advancing reproductive rights.

Those Missourians were among the approximate 155,000 people who crossed state lines to access abortion care that year, representing 15% of all abortions provided in states without total bans.

Regardless of its outcome, the Missouri case is expected to be appealed. Even if the plaintiffs are ultimately successful, it may take a long time to restore care networks across the state, said Isaac Maddow-Zimet, a data scientist at the Guttmacher Institute.

“And that’s particularly the case when there are states that have a lot of legal uncertainty or restrictions coming into effect and then coming out of effect,” he said. “It’s not quick to open up a clinic. It’s not quick to even necessarily expand the kinds of services, or the kinds of the number of people that a clinic can see.”

Kimya Forouzan, the organization’s principal state policy adviser, said Missouri’s landscape is evidence that lawmakers can drastically curb abortion access without total bans. And despite an overwhelming vote to amend the constitution, legal battles can follow.

Even if the state’s laws are found unconstitutional, Forouzan said, lawmakers will likely still push anti-abortion measures. She noted that several bills have already been introduced in this year’s just-convened legislative session, and that Republican lawmakers are pushing a ballot&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/04/missouri-appeals-court-rejects-abortion-ban-ballot-language/" target="_blank">measure to repeal</a>&nbsp;2024’s reproductive rights amendment.

“There’s very much a push to pass as many restrictions as possible and kind of see what happens later and how things shape up later. … Time will tell, but we do know that they’re still pushing forth restrictions,” she said.

Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:khardy@stateline.org">khardy@stateline.org</a>. Missouri Independent reporter Anna Spoerre can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:aspoerre@missouriindependent.com">aspoerre@missouriindependent.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768404776458.png" alt="A trial over Missouri’s abortion regulations began Monday at the Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas City, Mo. Experts are watching the case, which could impact abortion access across the Midwest and South. (Photo by Kevin Hardy/Stateline)" />
 <figcaption>A trial over Missouri’s abortion regulations began Monday at the Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas City, Mo. Experts are watching the case, which could impact abortion access across the Midwest and South. (Photo by Kevin Hardy/Stateline)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Women in nearby states with abortion bans might not have to travel so far for the procedure.</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/khardy/">Kevin Hardy</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/"></a><a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The outcome of a trial over Missouri’s abortion regulations could ripple far beyond the state, potentially creating new availability for women in the Midwest and South who can’t access abortion close to home.As a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/01/12/missouri-abortion-rights-trial-focuses-on-two-decades-of-state-restrictions/" target="_blank">weighs the constitutionality</a>&nbsp;of a litany of state restrictions on abortion, the stakes are clear for Missouri women: The decision could hamper access for nearly everyone in the state — or greatly broaden it in ways not seen in decades. That would allow women in a dozen nearby states with abortion bans to travel a shorter distance to access the procedure.“Opening and reestablishing rights in the state of Missouri would help to alleviate some of the pressure that other states have since so many Southern states have banned abortion,” said Julie Burkhart, the co-owner of Hope Clinic in Granite City, Illinois. “It just seems logical that we would see a shift in migration patterns of patients in the country.”At her clinic, about a 15-minute drive from downtown St. Louis, Missourians account for about half of all patients, Burkhart said. Though Missouri voters in 2024 enshrined a right to abortion in the state constitution, access has remained&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/05/missouri-abortion-legal-access-hinges-courts-rebuilding/" target="_blank">highly limited because of restrictive state laws</a>. Only procedural abortions are available on a limited basis across three Planned Parenthood clinics in the state.Many of those state laws face legal scrutiny this week as a Missouri judge weighs the constitutionality of regulations targeting abortion providers. Those include a 72-hour waiting period between initial appointments and procedures, mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions and a ban on telemedicine appointments for medication abortions.Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri argue state restrictions are unconstitutional under 2024’s voter-approved constitutional amendment. Over decades, state restrictions have gutted Missouri’s provider networks, limited appointment availability and ultimately forced abortions to a halt in 2022, before a limited number resumed after the 2024 vote.Experts and advocates are closely monitoring the Missouri case, which is expected to be appealed regardless of the outcome, because of its practical implications on access in the region. While many women now rely on abortion medication, procedural abortion is still crucial for those seeking later-term abortions or who prefer an in-clinic procedure.But the two-week bench trial in downtown Kansas City also tests lawmakers’ ability to put in place rules so restrictive that they effectively ban abortion — a practice used by anti-abortion lawmakers in other states looking to limit access to the procedure.“Judges do not operate in a vacuum,” Burkhart said, “ … and we know for a fact that judges look outside the borders of their state for information and for guidance. I do see this as having national importance.”That’s especially true in other states also litigating abortion access, including Arizona, Michigan and Ohio, said Rebecca Reingold, an associate director at Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law.While state judges are not bound by the decisions of judges in other states, their deliberations can be informed by court rulings, particularly involving novel legal questions or areas of the law that are evolving.“There is little doubt that advocates and decision-makers in other states navigating similar legal challenges are closely monitoring the litigation over Missouri’s abortion regulations,” Reingold said.<h2>Restrictions targeting abortion</h2>In the first days of the trial, Planned Parenthood leaders argued that ever-changing state laws and agency regulations have drastically limited access, caused needless red tape and posed privacy risk for their patients.Dr. Margaret Baum, chief medical officer with St. Louis-based Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, said the Missouri requirements specifically target abortion rather than all other kinds of medical care.“I provide vasectomies routinely. … And I am not required to have a complication plan, contact a primary care physician, even ask the patient how many miles they live from the health center.”Baum said state-mandated reporting rules unique to abortion require clinicians to ask the race, education level, marital status and specific location of each patient — none of which is relevant to their care.Planned Parenthood Great Rivers would like to offer abortion services in Springfield, Baum testified. Access in that region would provide an option for rural Missourians, and also could help serve residents in nearby Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, where abortion is almost universally banned.But the organization’s facilities there do not meet state abortion regulations for physical attributes, including hallway size, doorway size and the number of recliners in recovery rooms, Baum testified.Lawyers for the state defended Missouri’s restrictions as commonsense safeguards aimed at protecting vulnerable women. The attorney general’s office argued that complication risks of abortion justify additional state regulation — despite professional medical associations saying it’s generally safe. The AG’s office also maintained that Planned Parenthood faced a conflict of interest because of its financial motivations.“Abortion is a business,” Deputy Solicitor General Peter Donohue said during a procedural argument on Monday. “Your Honor, the plaintiffs are asking to deregulate their profession in order to make more money.”The state was expected to call as witnesses anti-abortion doctors and activists later in the trial.<h2>Patients traveling for care</h2>Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that overturned federal constitutional protections for abortion in June 2022, the number of abortions has increased slightly across the country, according to the health research nonprofit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/abortion-trends-before-and-after-dobbs/" target="_blank">KFF</a>.The group points to expanded telehealth, which can offer medication abortion more affordably through virtual appointments.Since the 2022 ruling and subsequent state abortion bans, patients have experienced higher travel costs for abortions and delays in care, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2025/07/16/travel-time-costs-for-abortions-increased-after-state-bans-researchers-find/">research</a>&nbsp;published in the American Journal of Public Health in July.Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco found that travel time to access abortion increased from 2.8 hours to 11.3 hours for residents in states with abortion bans. Travel costs increased from $179 to $372. And more than half of survey respondents said their abortion care required an overnight hotel stay, compared with 5% before an abortion ban.In 2024, an estimated 7,880 Missourians traveled to Illinois and 3,960 traveled to Kansas to access abortion, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/monthly-abortion-provision-study" target="_blank">Guttmacher Institute</a>, a research and policy organization focused on advancing reproductive rights.Those Missourians were among the approximate 155,000 people who crossed state lines to access abortion care that year, representing 15% of all abortions provided in states without total bans.<h2>Ongoing uncertainty</h2>Regardless of its outcome, the Missouri case is expected to be appealed. Even if the plaintiffs are ultimately successful, it may take a long time to restore care networks across the state, said Isaac Maddow-Zimet, a data scientist at the Guttmacher Institute.“And that’s particularly the case when there are states that have a lot of legal uncertainty or restrictions coming into effect and then coming out of effect,” he said. “It’s not quick to open up a clinic. It’s not quick to even necessarily expand the kinds of services, or the kinds of the number of people that a clinic can see.”Kimya Forouzan, the organization’s principal state policy adviser, said Missouri’s landscape is evidence that lawmakers can drastically curb abortion access without total bans. And despite an overwhelming vote to amend the constitution, legal battles can follow.Even if the state’s laws are found unconstitutional, Forouzan said, lawmakers will likely still push anti-abortion measures. She noted that several bills have already been introduced in this year’s just-convened legislative session, and that Republican lawmakers are pushing a ballot&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/04/missouri-appeals-court-rejects-abortion-ban-ballot-language/" target="_blank">measure to repeal</a>&nbsp;2024’s reproductive rights amendment.“There’s very much a push to pass as many restrictions as possible and kind of see what happens later and how things shape up later. … Time will tell, but we do know that they’re still pushing forth restrictions,” she said.Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:khardy@stateline.org">khardy@stateline.org</a>. Missouri Independent reporter Anna Spoerre can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:aspoerre@missouriindependent.com">aspoerre@missouriindependent.com</a>.

Missouri trial could affect abortion access across the Midwest and South

By:<a href="https://stateline.org/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>

WASHINGTON — A pair of blockbuster cases to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court could carry far-reaching implications for transgender rights, even as the Trump administration during the past year has rolled out a broad anti-trans agenda targeting everything from sports to military service.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-38">Click here to listen to a replay of the argument in Little vs. Hecox</a>

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-43">Click here to listen to a replay of the argument in West Virginia vs. B.P.J.</a>

The court on Jan. 13 will hear challenges to laws in&nbsp;<a href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/07/03/u-s-supreme-court-takes-up-trans-athlete-ban-in-idaho-west-virginia/" target="_blank">Idaho</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://westvirginiawatch.com/2025/07/03/scotus-to-take-up-west-virginias-transgender-athlete-ban/" target="_blank">West Virginia</a>&nbsp;banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. Both cases center on whether the laws violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

The West Virginia case before the Supreme Court also questions whether the state’s law violates Title IX — a landmark federal civil rights law that bars schools that receive federal funding from practicing sex-based discrimination.&nbsp;

Lower court rulings have temporarily blocked the states from implementing the bans, to varying extents, and Republican attorneys general in Idaho and West Virginia have asked the Supreme Court to intervene.&nbsp;

“We know we have an uphill fight, and our hope is certainly that we prevail,” Joshua Block, senior counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT &amp; HIV Project, who will be presenting oral arguments in the West Virginia case, said at a Jan. 8 ACLU press briefing.&nbsp;

“But we also hope that regardless of what happens, this case isn’t successfully used as a tool to undermine the rights of transgender folks more generally in areas far beyond just athletics.”&nbsp;

The outcome of the oral arguments before a court dominated 6-3 by conservative justices will be closely watched. Nearly 30 states have laws that ban trans students’ participation in sports consistent with their gender identity, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/youth/sports_participation_bans" target="_blank">Movement Advancement Project</a>, an independent think tank.

The justices are taking up both cases in one day. First will be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24-38.html" target="_blank">Little v. Hecox,&nbsp;</a>which contests a 2020 Idaho law that categorically bans trans athletes from competing on women’s and girls’ sports teams.&nbsp;

Lindsay Hecox sued over the ban in 2020, just months before the law was set to take effect.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768315435044.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://stateline.org/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>WASHINGTON — A pair of blockbuster cases to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court could carry far-reaching implications for transgender rights, even as the Trump administration during the past year has rolled out a broad anti-trans agenda targeting everything from sports to military service.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-38">Click here to listen to a replay of the argument in Little vs. Hecox</a><a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-43">Click here to listen to a replay of the argument in West Virginia vs. B.P.J.</a>The court on Jan. 13 will hear challenges to laws in&nbsp;<a href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/07/03/u-s-supreme-court-takes-up-trans-athlete-ban-in-idaho-west-virginia/" target="_blank">Idaho</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://westvirginiawatch.com/2025/07/03/scotus-to-take-up-west-virginias-transgender-athlete-ban/" target="_blank">West Virginia</a>&nbsp;banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. Both cases center on whether the laws violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.The West Virginia case before the Supreme Court also questions whether the state’s law violates Title IX — a landmark federal civil rights law that bars schools that receive federal funding from practicing sex-based discrimination.&nbsp;Lower court rulings have temporarily blocked the states from implementing the bans, to varying extents, and Republican attorneys general in Idaho and West Virginia have asked the Supreme Court to intervene.&nbsp;“We know we have an uphill fight, and our hope is certainly that we prevail,” Joshua Block, senior counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT &amp; HIV Project, who will be presenting oral arguments in the West Virginia case, said at a Jan. 8 ACLU press briefing.&nbsp;“But we also hope that regardless of what happens, this case isn’t successfully used as a tool to undermine the rights of transgender folks more generally in areas far beyond just athletics.”&nbsp;The outcome of the oral arguments before a court dominated 6-3 by conservative justices will be closely watched. Nearly 30 states have laws that ban trans students’ participation in sports consistent with their gender identity, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/youth/sports_participation_bans" target="_blank">Movement Advancement Project</a>, an independent think tank.<h2>Idaho case&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>The justices are taking up both cases in one day. First will be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24-38.html" target="_blank">Little v. Hecox,&nbsp;</a>which contests a 2020 Idaho law that categorically bans trans athletes from competing on women’s and girls’ sports teams.&nbsp;Lindsay Hecox sued over the ban in 2020, just months before the law was set to take effect.&nbsp;Though Hecox wanted to try out for the women’s track and cross-country teams at Boise State University, the Idaho law — the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/sports/transgender-idaho-ban-sports.html" target="_blank">first of its kind</a>&nbsp;in the nation — would have prevented her from doing so because she is transgender.&nbsp;A federal court in Idaho halted the law from taking effect later that year. A federal appeals court initially upheld the ruling in 2023 but later adjusted the scope of it in 2024 to only apply to Hecox, not other athletes.&nbsp;Idaho appealed to the Supreme Court in July 2024.Since that time, Hecox has asked both an Idaho federal court and the Supreme Court to drop the case.&nbsp;An&nbsp;<a href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/10/15/idaho-federal-judge-keeps-transgender-athletics-lawsuit-open/" target="_blank">Idaho federal judge</a>&nbsp;in October rejected that attempt, but the Supreme Court deferred the request until after oral argument — meaning justices could still dismiss the case.“The Supreme Court is trying to decide whether Idaho can preserve women’s sports based on biological sex, or must female be redefined based on gender identity,” Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador said at a Jan. 8 press briefing ahead of the oral arguments.“I think Idaho is just trying to protect fairness, safety and equal protection for girls and women in sports,” Labrador said at the briefing alongside West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey, hosted by the conservative legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>West Virginia case</h2>After the Idaho case, the justices will hear arguments in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24-43.html" target="_blank">West Virginia v. B.P.J.</a>, which centers on a 2021 Mountain State law that also bans trans athletes from participating on women’s and girls’ sports teams.&nbsp;McCuskey argued that his state’s law “supports and bolsters the original intent and the continuing intent and purpose of Title IX.”&nbsp;McCuskey said the law complies with the Equal Protection Clause because it “treats all biological males and all biological females identically” and “doesn’t ban anyone from playing sports.”&nbsp;Becky Pepper-Jackson, who was 11 at the time, wanted to try out for the girls’ cross-country team when starting middle school, but would have been prevented from doing so under the West Virginia law because she is transgender.&nbsp;Her mother sued on her behalf in 2021.A federal appeals court in 2024 barred West Virginia from enforcing the ban, prompting the state to ask the nation’s highest court to intervene.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>White House, Congress zero in on trans athletes</h2>Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s administration has taken steps at the federal level to prohibit trans athletes’ participation in women’s sports teams aligning with their gender identity.&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-signs-executive-order-banning-transgender-athletes-womens-school-sports" target="_blank">signed an executive order</a>&nbsp;in February 2025 that banned such participation and made it the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/keeping-men-out-of-womens-sports/" target="_blank">policy</a>&nbsp;of the United States to “rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls and deprives them of privacy.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/2/6/media-center-ncaa-announces-transgender-student-athlete-participation-policy-change.aspx" target="_blank">NCAA promptly changed its policy</a>&nbsp;to comply with the order, limiting “competition in women’s sports to student-athletes assigned female at birth only.”&nbsp;In late 2024, prior to the policy shift, NCAA President Charlie Baker&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6062855/2025/01/14/ncaa-transgender-athlete-policy-charlie-baker/" target="_blank">told Congress</a>&nbsp;that of the more than half-million total athletes in NCAA schools, he knew of fewer than 10 who were transgender.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-passes-bill-banning-trans-athletes-competing-womens-school-sports" target="_blank">GOP-led House</a>&nbsp;passed a measure in January 2025 that would bar transgender students from participating on women’s school sports teams consistent with their gender identity.&nbsp;But Senate Democrats in March&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-democrats-block-bill-banning-transgender-athletes-womens-school-sports" target="_blank">blocked an attempt</a>&nbsp;at imposing such a ban and codifying Trump’s executive order.&nbsp;Forty-eight GOP members of Congress argued in a September&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-38/375168/20250919112943701_CongressIdaho_Amicus%20Document%20September%2019%202025%20EFile.pdf" target="_blank">amicus brief</a>&nbsp;supporting Idaho and West Virginia that “if allowed to stand, the interpretation of the lower courts will unsettle the very promises that Congress made to generations of young women and men through Title IX.”&nbsp;On the flip side,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-43/384769/20251117150239241_MembersofCongressAmici.pdf" target="_blank">130 congressional Democrats</a>&nbsp;stood behind the two transgender athletes in a November amicus brief, noting that “categorical bans preventing transgender students from participating on sports teams consistent with their gender identity impose significant harm on all children — especially girls.”&nbsp;The group argued that such bans “do not meet the standards this Court has put in place to assess discrimination based on sex — whether as a matter of Title IX or under the Equal Protection Clause.”&nbsp;Trump’s broader anti-trans agenda has extended beyond athletic participation in the nearly one year since he took office.&nbsp;He signed executive orders that:<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/" target="_blank">&nbsp;make it</a>&nbsp;the “policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female;” restrict access to<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/newest-round-trump-moves-targets-federal-employees-care-transgender-kids" target="_blank">&nbsp;gender-affirming care</a>&nbsp;for kids; and aim to bar openly<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-issues-order-prohibiting-openly-transgender-service-members-military" target="_blank">&nbsp;transgender service members</a>&nbsp;from the U.S. military.&nbsp;<h2>‘Textbook discrimination’&nbsp;</h2>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hrc.org/resources/get-the-facts-about-transgender-non-binary-athletes" target="_blank">Human Rights Campaign</a>, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, has noted that there has been “considerable disinformation and misinformation about what the inclusion of transgender youth in sports entails” and that trans students’ sports participation “has been a non-issue.”In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/backgrounder-supreme-court-to-hear-oral-arguments-for-west-virginia-v-bpj-and-little-v-hecox-key-cases-on-the-inclusion-of-transgender-youth-in-sports" target="_blank">statement</a>&nbsp;ahead of oral arguments, HRC’s senior director of legal policy Cathryn Oakley said “every child, no matter their background, race, or gender, should have access to a quality education where they can feel safe to learn and grow — and for many kids that involves being a part of a school sports team.”Oakley added that “to deny transgender kids the chance to participate in school sports alongside their peers simply because of who they are is textbook discrimination — and it’s unconstitutional.”&nbsp;