Top 5 US news stories
January 12 2026
Iran's Deadly Crackdown On Protesters Pushes Death Toll Above 500
Trump Considers Military Options As Iran Threatens Regional Retaliation
Justice Department Subpoenas Federal Reserve Chair Powell, Escalating Trump's Pressure Campaign
UnitedHealth's Aggressive Diagnosis Tactics Triggered Billions In Extra Medicare Payments
Phoenix Apartment Glut Forces Landlords To Offer Record Free Rent Deals
Iran's Deadly Crackdown On Protesters Pushes Death Toll Above 500
Iran's violent suppression of economic protests has claimed more than 500 lives in two weeks, according to human rights groups, as President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed to address economic grievances while refusing to allow demonstrations to destabilize the country. Despite a near-complete internet blackout, verified videos have emerged showing protester deaths and bodies in bags outside hospitals, with Human Rights Activists in Iran reporting approximately 490 protesters and 48 security personnel killed. The crisis, which began as economic demonstrations, represents one of the gravest challenges to Iranian authorities since the Islamic Revolution nearly five decades ago.
NYT, WSJ
Footage dated Friday, January 9, shows dozens, if not hundreds, of bodies at the Kahrizak Forensic Medical Center to the south of the Iranian capital of Tehran, as families search for loved ones who have been killed during the ongoing anti-government protests in Iran. pic.twitter.com/PIk9rLsXnF
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 11, 2026
Trump Considers Military Options As Iran Threatens Regional Retaliation
President Trump will meet Tuesday with senior administration officials to discuss potential responses to Iran's deadly crackdown on protesters, including possible military strikes, cyber operations, and other non-kinetic options. Iran has warned it would strike U.S. military bases in the Middle East, shipping lanes, and Israel if America attacks first, with Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf specifically mentioning U.S. facilities in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar. Trump stated Sunday he is reviewing military options after Iran began crossing his red line on killing protesters, warning that any Iranian retaliation against U.S. troops would result in unprecedented strikes.
WSJ
Justice Department Subpoenas Federal Reserve Chair Powell, Escalating Trump's Pressure Campaign
The Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas Friday to the Federal Reserve threatening criminal indictment of Chair Jerome Powell over his congressional testimony about the central bank's building-renovation project, marking the most aggressive step yet in President Trump's campaign to influence monetary policy. In an extraordinary video statement Sunday night, Powell characterized the investigation as a pretext for political pressure aimed at forcing the Fed to lower interest rates and ending the central bank's independence, stating the issue is whether the Fed can set rates based on economic conditions or political intimidation. Trump denied knowledge of the subpoenas in an NBC interview, claiming any investigation would be unrelated to disagreements over interest rates, though he has publicly criticized Powell and threatened legal action while his administration simultaneously attempts to remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook through Supreme Court proceedings.
WSJ
UnitedHealth's Aggressive Diagnosis Tactics Triggered Billions In Extra Medicare Payments
UnitedHealth Group systematically added diagnoses to Medicare Advantage patients' records to collect billions of dollars in additional federal payments, turning the government's risk-adjustment system into a profit center rather than its intended purpose of covering costly medical conditions, according to a Senate Judiciary Committee report. The investigation, based on 50,000 pages of company documents reviewed by Chair Chuck Grassley, found that in many cases the added diagnoses were questionable or inaccurate and patients received no treatment for the conditions, corroborating a 2024 Wall Street Journal investigation. Medicare Advantage, through which the federal government pays insurers lump sums to manage care for seniors and disabled people, accounts for over $400 billion in annual federal spending—roughly 10% of the total federal budget—with extra payments provided for patients with certain costly conditions. UnitedHealth faces multiple Justice Department investigations, including civil and criminal probes the company disclosed in July.
WSJ
Phoenix Apartment Glut Forces Landlords To Offer Record Free Rent Deals
An oversupply of luxury apartments built during the pandemic has transformed Phoenix into the nation's most renter-friendly market, with 54% of metro area rentals offering at least one month of free rent alongside perks like Amazon gift cards and sports tickets. Developers flooded Sunbelt cities with high-end buildings and amenities when remote workers were relocating during the pandemic, creating a record surge of new construction that now lacks sufficient tenants to fill available units. The discounts range from one month to more than three months of free rent, the highest percentage nationwide according to October data from Apartment List.
WSJ
January 2 1888: Blizzard brings tragedy to Northwest Plains
The sudden “Schoolchildren’s Blizzard” swept the Northwest Plains, dropping temperatures nearly 100 degrees in 24 hours and creating blinding conditions with high winds and heavy snow. Many—especially children heading home from rural schools and farm workers—were caught in the storm, leading to 235 deaths despite heroic rescues like teachers sheltering students and guiding them to safety.
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