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Morning Brief: Trump Threatens Insurrection Act, Iran On Edge & Senators Scrutinize Abortion Pill
President Donald Trump weighs military action in Minneapolis, the White House maintains pressure on Iran as Trump ratchets down his rhetoric, and the Senate hears the testimony against mail-order abortion pills.
It’s Friday, January 16, 2026, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
Trump Threatens Insurrection Act
As tensions remain high in Minneapolis following another ICE shooting on Wednesday, President Trump is threatening to invoke a centuries-old law. According to the Department of Homeland Security, an agent was attempting to detain an illegal immigrant when the man fled on foot. As the agent caught up to him, two more illegal immigrants emerged from a nearby apartment and began attacking him with a snow shovel and broomstick, DHS said. The agent fired a shot in self-defense, striking the first man in the leg. All three men were eventually detained. On Thursday, Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act unless “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.” The 1807 law authorized the president to deploy the military on U.S. soil to suppress an insurrection or violent unrest when the state is unable to do so. It also applies to cases in which a state is unable or unwilling to enforce federal law.
Trump Eases Tensions With Iran, But Military Threat Remains
President Trump keeps the world on edge with his plans for Iran. On Tuesday, speculation circulated that an American strike against Iran is coming soon. Iran closed its airspace, and reports said some American personnel were evacuating the region. But Trump took a step back, telling reporters that his administration had been informed that the Iranian regime had stayed executions scheduled for Wednesday. Still, reports suggest the United States is moving military assets into the region, and the White House insists that Trump has not ruled out military action. The situation between Washington and Tehran remains tense.
Senators Scrutinize Abortion Pill
Senators heard testimony this week about the abortion pill, now by far the leading means of abortion in the United States. Particularly at issue is the Biden-era policy that stripped away the requirement that a woman consult with a physician in person before taking the pill, mifepristone. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a physician, spoke to Morning Wire about a recent congressional hearing on abortion pills. According to Cassidy, Americans need to be better informed about the risks. He also said that lawmakers need to reverse Biden-era rules that allow people to obtain the pills without an in-person interview with a doctor. That change would eliminate cases “in which someone else ordered the abortion pill and forced the pregnant woman to take them,” Cassidy said.