Approximately 15,000 nurses in hospitals across New York City went on strike Monday over pay, staffing, and other issues. The strike affects five privately run hospitals in the five boroughs, including Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West, and NewYork-Presbyterian in Manhattan, as well as Montefiore Einstein in the Bronx. According to The New York Times, the union representing the nurses is fighting for minimum staffing ratios to prevent nurses from becoming overwhelmed, higher wages, and more security at hospitals. BREAKING: Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals after weekend negotiations over contract disputes fail. https://t.co/7BX14sJrW5 — The Associated Press (@AP) January 12, 2026 More from The New York Times: It poses an early test for Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who took office two weeks ago and spoke at a rally Monday in a show of support for the striking nurses. Before his election, Mr. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, had said that the city “needs to reconsider its relationship to wealthy private hospital systems” and questioned whether such hospitals deserved to keep their tax exemptions. The striking hospitals include some of the city’s leading medical institutions and are among its largest employers. For weeks, hospital executives had been preparing to keep hospitals running and medical care accessible in the event of a strike. They secured contracts with staffing agencies to provide travel nurses and reserved hotel rooms for them, according to officials at the Greater New York Hospital Association, a trade group. NewYork-Presbyterian spent $60 million preparing for the strike, hiring more than 1,700 contingency nurses, according to a hospital spokeswoman. Some hospitals canceled scheduled surgeries and accelerated discharges over the weekend to reduce patient counts. The affected hospitals have also been transferring some patients in highly specialized units, such as neonatal intensive care units, according to Elisabeth R. Wynn, an executive vice president at the hospital association. At NewYork-Presbyterian, more than 100 patients were transferred during the last 10 days in preparation for the strike. On Monday morning, when the strike began, ambulances diverted some patients to other hospitals “to help with the transition to a strike,” according to Brian Conway, a spokesman for the hospital association. One of the hospitals had “an extended diversion” for pediatric critical care in the morning before resuming services, Mr. Conway said. The emergency departments at the hospitals with striking nurses were open and staffed. Nearly 15,000 nurses went on strike Monday in New York because management refused to agree to safe staffing levels for patients, the union said. It could evolve into a protracted labor battle coinciding with a severe flu season. https://t.co/3RA8SP8va7 pic.twitter.com/3N0ubTKb1Y — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 12, 2026 “Nurses show up in our darkest moments. 9/11. The pandemic. Every illness and emergency. Their worth is not negotiable. Fair pay, safe conditions, dignity now. NYC stands with nurses and demands good faith bargaining for justice and care for all,” Mamdani said. Nurses show up in our darkest moments. 9/11. The pandemic. Every illness and emergency. Their worth is not negotiable. Fair pay, safe conditions, dignity now. NYC stands with nurses and demands good faith bargaining for justice and care for all. pic.twitter.com/sWLnyrulA4 — Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) January 12, 2026 The Associated Press shared further: Some other Democratic city and state politicians also visited striking nurses, while New York Gov. Kathy Hochul sent state health officials to the hospitals to keep watch over patient care. She called in a statement for the sides to negotiate a deal that “recognizes the essential work nurses do.” The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances, though the medical centers insisted they were prepared and committed to meet patients’ needs. The walkout could also put a strain on other city hospitals if patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike. The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but staffing levels are a top issue. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads. Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents such as an episode last week when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police. The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence. The hospitals say that they’ve improved staffing in recent years and that the union’s demands overall are too costly. Mount Sinai said the union was making “extreme economic demands.” Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said the union was pressing ”$3.6 billion in reckless demands,” including exorbitant raises. The union didn’t immediately respond to a question about its salary proposal and current wage levels. According to the hospitals, unionized registered nurses now average $165,000 a year at Montefiore, $162,000 at Mount Sinai, and $163,000 at NewYork-Presbyterian’s Columbia University Irving Medical Center; none of the numbers includes benefits. Montefiore says the union’s asks would raise the average to $220,000 in three years. Mount Sinai says the average there would hit $275,000. Watch additional coverage below:

The Secret Service investigated a death threat against Vice President JD Vance reportedly made by a volunteer radio show host. According to Fox News, the individual made the threat on the social media app Bluesky. “It’s simple, we kill JD Vance,” the account’s now-deleted post read, according to the outlet. The individual identified themselves as a WUML radio show host, which is funded by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. Secret Service investigates after radio DJ at UMass Lowell calls to ‘kill JD Vance’ https://t.co/3lm18VP7Sw pic.twitter.com/m0Z83kWAIT — New York Post (@nypost) January 12, 2026 Fox News has more: The comment was made in response to another Bluesky user who claimed that, “JD VANCE THINKS BRITAIN & FRANCE ARE AMERICAS [sic] LIKELY ENEMIES.” WUML’s website says that it has “given a voice to both the student body of UMass Lowell, and the greater Lowell community” for more than six decades. “Founded in 1952, WUML functions as a non-commercial FM station located in Lowell, Massachusetts, funded by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and fully managed and operated by student members, broadcasting both terrestrially and online,” the description says. When the school learned of the post, it contacted authorities, according to a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “UMass Lowell police promptly coordinated with the FBI, Secret Service and Haverhill police the same day to ensure an appropriate response,” the school said. “Contact was made with the individual in question, and the necessary assessments were conducted in collaboration with federal partners. Authorities confirmed there was no immediate threat.” The radio DJ later resigned, according to Boston 25 News. DJ with UMass Lowell student radio resigns after posting threat against JD Vance https://t.co/7dScCQe9Zj — Boston 25 News (@boston25) January 13, 2026 The death threat against Vance follows the damage at his residence in Cincinnati, Ohio, where authorities took a suspect into custody. One person arrested after windows broken at JD Vance Cincinnati home https://t.co/0I6INxcThD pic.twitter.com/WedZohyKhy — New York Post (@nypost) January 5, 2026 WLWT shared further info: The man accused of smashing windows at Vice President JD Vance’s home in East Walnut Hills made his first appearances in both county and federal courts Tuesday. William DeFoor, 26, who has a history of encounters with law enforcement, faces both state and federal charges. On Tuesday morning, he appeared in court for the first time on state charges, which include vandalism, criminal damaging and trespassing. There, a judge set DeFoor’s bond at $11,000. Prosecutors say he used a hammer to smash windows at Vance’s home early Monday morning. He’s also accused of trying to break the window of a federal agent’s car. Vance and his family were not at home at the time. DeFoor is also facing more serious federal charges, including damaging government property and assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers. Prosecutors say he refused commands to drop a hammer and also tried to run away. They say he caused around $28,000 in damage. If convicted, those federal charges could land him in prison for decades.

A city council in Oklahoma denied a rezoning request for a proposed Islamic center that would include a mosque. Broken Arrow City Council members denied the request in a 4-1 vote. Breaking News: The Broken Arrow City Council in Oklahoma has voted against moving forward with building the proposed Mosque in a 4-1 vote pic.twitter.com/SI1Lu68CnP — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) January 13, 2026 News On 6 has more: The city council says the proposal did not meet the standards for the land use it is asking to rezone. The meeting turned contentious toward the end of the meeting once a city councilor called for public comment to end. Some people started yelling and had to be removed from the room. After a nearly four-hour meeting, the city council voted 4-1 to deny the rezoning request. One councilor said this isn’t about freedom of religion, but about the facts. That councilor said the project isn’t acceptable for the current land use at Olive and the Creek Turnpike. An architect behind the proposal assured the council that their plan follows all the proper requirements and regulations. The group says it changed its plan slightly to decrease the number of parking spaces from about 600 to fewer than 200. The Islamic Society of Tulsa says it needs a second mosque aside from the one in Midtown Tulsa because of overcrowding issues and says half of its members live in Broken Arrow. More than 1,000 people attended the meeting, with over 400 individuals signed up to share their feedback in public comment. “Tonight the Broken Arrow City Council did the right thing and voted down a proposed Mosque in their city. I agree with the vote. The people I met tonight in Broken Arrow simply wanted a safe family oriented city, keeping with their values. Enjoyed meeting all the BA residents that made their voice heard,” Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate Chip Keating, the son of former Republican Gov. Frank Keating, commented. “For years, the Council on American-Islamic Relations had regular, annual access to the Capitol while Charles McCall was Speaker, lobbying his Republican caucus without objection. If he believes CAIR should be designated a terrorist organization now, why were they given access for years? McCall is a Democrat at heart. He donated thousands to them, and ask him which Dem he voted for in the 2008 Democrat presidential primary (Obama or Hillary)?” he continued. “Be cautious of career politicians rewriting their past when it’s election season!” he added. Tonight the Broken Arrow City Council did the right thing and voted down a proposed Mosque in their city. I agree with the vote. The people I met tonight in Broken Arrow simply wanted a safe family oriented city, keeping with their values. Enjoyed meeting all the BA residents… pic.twitter.com/YOwK6pCY1J — Chip Keating for Governor (@ChipKeatingOK) January 13, 2026 FOX23 shared further: FOX23 first reported on this project in December. Records show the land was bought in 2014 by the North American Islamic Trust. Since the announcement, the proposal has drawn both support and opposition from members of the community. Many of the concerns were geared toward possible traffic issues, economic discussions, sewer, parking, and the overall uncertainty of what would happen in the building or on the land. Others who were in favor of the proposal reminded the council and those in the meeting that they too call Broken Arrow home and are wanting a second place to worship. “We are asking nothing more than what this country [has] — the freedom to worship peacefully and to continue positively in the community. Regardless, religious freedom does not exist only when it is comfortable or popular; it exists for moments like this,” said one meeting attendee. “Tonight is not just zoning, it is who we are as a community. We respectfully ask the council [for]…approval and allow this…place of worship. We are here to be good neighbors, to serve and to…reflect the values Broken Arrow stands for: fairness, inclusion and respect for the rule of law.” City leaders acknowledged that while development projects often bring differing opinions, this proposal has gained a level of attention unlike previous projects. Watch the full meeting below:

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, named Dina Powell McCormick its new president and vice chairman. “Dina served as an invaluable member of Meta’s Board of Directors, and she’s been deeply engaged as we’ve accelerated our pursuit of frontier AI and personal superintelligence,” the company said in a release. “As we scale, the complexity of what we’re building is changing. Meta is creating the massive physical and financial model that will power the next decade of computing — including data centers, energy systems, and global connectivity at an unprecedented scale,” it added. Meta taps Wall Street dealmaker Dina Powell McCormick as company’s first president https://t.co/h7ql09fUgj pic.twitter.com/zXWH7KYZmz — New York Post (@nypost) January 12, 2026 More from the New York Post: Dina Powell McCormick, the former Goldman Sachs executive with deep ties to large pools of capital, and leaders around the world, who has advised two US presidents, is joining as the company’s first-ever president and vice chairman. Powell McCormick, who spent decades cultivating relationships with sovereign wealth funds at Goldman Sachs, is expected to focus on securing strategic partnerships and overseeing Meta’s $600 billion infrastructure buildout over the next decade. And that is welcome news to investors. The deal signals that Meta — which has been spending billions on AI talent over the last year — is now open to global partnerships and capital. “Dina’s experience at the highest levels of global finance, combined with her deep relationships around the world, makes her uniquely suited to help Meta manage this next phase of growth as the company’s President and Vice Chairman,” said Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Powell McCormick, who is married to Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA), served as Deputy National Security Advisor to President Trump. She also served as a Senior White House Advisor and Assistant Secretary of State for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice under President George W. Bush. I am incredibly proud of my wife Dina and all that she has accomplished. She’s incredible! Congratulations, Dina!https://t.co/XrVHKmEERz — Dave McCormick (@DaveMcCormickPA) January 12, 2026 CNBC shared further: Powell McCormick is the second former member of the Trump administration that Meta has hired in recent weeks. The company said earlier this month that it has hired a new chief legal officer, Curtis Joseph Mahoney, who previously served as a deputy U.S. trade representative during Trump’s first term. “Congratulations to DINA POWELL MCCORMICK, WHO HAS JUST BEEN NAMED THE NEW PRESIDENT OF META. A great choice by Mark Z!!! She is a fantastic, and very talented, person, who served the Trump Administration with strength and distinction!,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Monday. Powell McCormick also spent 16 years in senior leadership roles at Goldman Sachs, and most recently acted as an executive at BDT & MSD Partners. Hours after Meta announced Powell McCormick’s role, Zuckerberg unveiled a new artificial intelligence infrastructure initiative at the company called Meta Compute. Meta has poured billions of dollars into datacenter buildouts in recent years as it races to keep up with AI rivals like Google, OpenAI and Anthropic.

‘Home Alone’ actor Daniel Stern is in hot water after he was criminally charged for allegedly soliciting prostitution. According to the Daily Mail, the Ventura County District Attorney filed a misdemeanor charge against the 68-year-old. “Stern is scheduled to be arraigned at nine a.m. on Tuesday,” the outlet stated. Stern was allegedly cited at a hotel in Camarillo, California. Sounds like Daniel Stern didn't want to be home alone … because cops issued him a citation for allegedly trying to hire an escort. Read more: https://t.co/iHgOLuJKbt pic.twitter.com/hkGjd9fK8W — TMZ (@TMZ) January 10, 2026 TMZ has more: Daniel’s had a few notable incidents in Ventura County — about an hour northwest of Los Angeles — in recent months … as we first reported, he was rushed to the hospital back in October after the Ventura County Fire Department responded to a residence in Somis for a medical emergency. If the solicitation allegation is true, seems Daniel was trying to take the Wet and Sticky Bandit thing too far. We reached out to Daniel’s camp … so far, no word back. ‘Home Alone’ star Daniel Stern hospitalized for medical emergency: report https://t.co/Pi6Va8VXYq pic.twitter.com/OaaBV0N3ro — New York Post (@nypost) October 15, 2025 Stern did not have a mugshot taken. He was issued a ticket instead of being booked. Prosecutors expect Stern’s attorney to appear in his place inside the courtroom. Daily Mail shared further info: In December, Stern revealed he has left Hollywood behind and now lives on a farm and grows tangerines. Despite being a recognizable star of multiple Hollywood blockbusters, he now works as a cattle rancher, grows tangerines and works as a sculptor. Stern previously revealed he had to fight to get a raise for the Home Alone sequel. When the original 1990 Home Alone movie became a box office hit and a sequel was immediately greenlit, Stern previously recalled the studios approaching him with an offer of $600,000. In his memoir Home And Alone, the actor revealed the offer was double his salary from the first movie, but his co-stars had received multi-million starting offers. He said he asked Twentieth Century Fox for more money because Joe Pesci, who played his Wet Bandits sidekick Harry, was making around $2 to $3 million. He also wrote in his book that leading star Macaulay Culkin, now 43, got a sequel deal for $5 million plus 5 percent of the gross box office earnings. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York premiered in November 1992, two years after the first movie — which was almost canned before production even began — was released. Initially, Stern recalled producers taking six months just to make him the offer of $600,000, which he added was ‘double my original salary, but not quite the pot of gold I was hoping for.’