5 things to know for Jan. 15: Minneapolis protests, NASA astronauts, Verizon network outage, Iran unrest, Whole milk

By CNN Newsource

Published January 15, 2026 4:54 AM

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

The Trump administration is indefinitely suspending visa processing for immigrants from 75 countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Haiti, Somalia and Russia. Starting next week, the move will block visas for many people seeking to work in the US or reunite with their families.

Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.

1️⃣ Minneapolis protests

Clashes erupted in Minneapolis on Wednesday after a federal agent shot a man in the leg during an arrest attempt. The Department of Homeland Security said agents were conducting a “targeted traffic stop” when the man, a Venezuelan national, was shot after he resisted arrest and “violently assaulted” one of its officers. The man was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the city of Minneapolis said. In the hours that followed, demonstrators gathered near the scene and faced off against federal agents, who deployed tear gas, pepper balls and what sounded like flash bangs. The incident comes amid ongoing nationwide protests over last week’s fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE agent.

2️⃣ NASA astronauts

Four NASA astronauts returned to Earth today, concluding a weeklong effort to bring one crew member home to evaluate a medical issue. The crew departed the International Space Station on Wednesday aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and completed a 10-hour journey before reentering Earth’s atmosphere and splashing down off the coast of San Diego just after 3:40 a.m. ET. Today marks the crew’s first time breathing fresh air in five months. NASA decided to bring the astronauts home after canceling a planned spacewalk due to a health concern. The space agency has not disclosed which astronaut is affected or provided details about the crewmate’s condition.

3️⃣ Verizon network outage

Verizon says it has resolved an hourslong outage that is believed to have affected tens of thousands of people in the US. The disruption cut off access to voice and data services for much of Wednesday, leaving Verizon customers without the ability to make phone calls, send text messages or use data. Verizon has not revealed the cause of the outage but apologized in a statement, saying, “We let many of our customers down and for that, we are truly sorry.” Customers in New York City, Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston and Dallas seemed to have been most impacted. Verizon said it plans to provide account credits to those affected and will share more details soon.

4️⃣ Iran unrest

The US and several European countries are urging their citizens to leave Iran as a deadly government crackdown intensifies. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran had called off scheduled executions of detained protesters and that he was told “the killing has stopped” in the country, but added he is still weighing military action. Meanwhile, an internet blackout imposed by Iranian authorities has stretched into its second week. Even SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet terminals — used by Iranians to circumvent the restrictions — have been jammed using what experts describe as military-grade technology.

5️⃣ Whole milk

Whole milk is now allowed in school lunches after President Trump signed a bill on Wednesday reversing previous limits. The new legislation, which passed Congress last year by unanimous consent, rolls back Department of Agriculture rules approved by the Obama administration that required milk served in schools to be fat-free or low-fat, part of efforts to fight the childhood obesity epidemic. Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services also released new US dietary guidelines promoting whole-fat dairy products, a recommendation that has drawn mixed reactions from nutritionists and medical experts.

Breakfast browse

More parents are skipping kids’ shots

Opting out of childhood vaccines is becoming more common across the US, even as measles spreads at record levels. Read why vaccine hesitancy is on the rise.

Ukrainian girl sets sights on tennis stardom

This 9-year-old girl escaped war in Ukraine. Now in the US, she’s tipped to be a future tennis superstar.

What fashion experts say men will be wearing in 2026

A new generation of men is dressing for success — and the quarter zip was just the beginning.

Diet supplement powder sickens dozens with salmonella

This recalled greens powder has been linked to at least 45 salmonella cases, federal health officials say.

Amazon’s big plan to beat ChatGPT: Give Alexa a better memory

Amazon executives laid out their vision for Alexa’s future in an interview with CNN at the CES tech convention.

Weather

🌤️ Check your local forecast to see what you can expect.

And finally…

▶️ Buddhist monks on a pilgrimage for peace

Meet the Buddhist monks on a pilgrimage for peace from Texas to Washington, DC, who are inspiring thousands along their journey.

Today’s edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN’s Andrew Torgan.

Article Topic Follows: CNN - National

Jump to comments ↓