Month: January 2026

President Trump announced he signed an executive order to “bring back mental institutions and insane asylums,” saying, “Hate to build those suckers but you’ve got to get the people off the streets,” during a White House press briefing marking his first year back in office. (theguardian.com) He invoked Creedmoor in Queens as an example of past institutional care. (breitbart.com) The order reportedly emphasizes expanded civil‑commitment tools and directs agencies to pursue involuntary treatment options. (thunderreport.org) Advocates and legal experts warned of civil‑rights risks and feasibility concerns, while supporters argued renewed inpatient care could help address public‑safety and homelessness. (nwpb.org)

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested and taken into federal custody in Los Angeles on January 30, 2026, after a grand jury returned an indictment tied to a January 18 protest that disrupted a service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. (washingtonpost.com) His lawyer Abbe Lowell says Lemon was acting as a journalist and was in Los Angeles covering the Grammys. (theguardian.com) A magistrate judge had earlier declined to approve charges, but federal prosecutors persisted. (13abc.com) Authorities say the case alleges interference with worshippers’ civil rights; Lemon could appear in court as soon as Jan. 30, 2026. (latimes.com) Lemon denies any wrongdoing. (apnews.com)

Don Lemon was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles on January 30, 2026, in connection with a January 18 protest that disrupted a service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Authorities say he faces accusations of conspiring to deprive people of their civil rights and of interfering with First Amendment protections. Lemon’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said he was acting as a journalist and called the arrest an unprecedented attack on press freedom. A magistrate previously declined to approve charges, and the arrest—reported while Lemon was covering the Grammy Awards—has reignited debate over prosecutorial priorities and press protections nationally. (apnews.com)

Records show the Department of Homeland Security, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement named on the deed, paid just over $70 million in cash for a newly built 418,000‑square‑foot warehouse in Surprise, Arizona, near Dysart Road. The building, marketed as Surprise Pointe Commerce Center and completed in 2024, sits on about 24 acres with dozens of dock doors, truck courts and large parking areas. City officials say they were not notified and DHS/ICE have not disclosed intended uses, prompting local alarm and speculation that the structure could be retrofitted for immigration processing or detention operations, possibly by April 2026. (washingtonpost.com)

President Donald Trump announced on January 30, 2026, that he will nominate former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell as Fed chair when Powell’s term ends in May 2026. (apnews.com) Trump praised Warsh as “one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best,” calling him “central casting.” (washingtonpost.com) Warsh, 55, served on the Fed’s Board from 2006–2011 and was its youngest governor at 35. (en.wikipedia.org) Long affiliated with Stanford and the Hoover Institution, he has said Bitcoin “does not make me nervous” and sees it as a policy signal. (theblock.co) The nomination requires Senate confirmation and could move markets. (apnews.com)

President Donald Trump announced on January 30, 2026 that he will nominate Kevin Warsh to serve as Chair of the Federal Reserve, a move that would replace Jerome Powell when Powell’s term ends in May 2026. Warsh, a former Fed governor (2006–2011) and current Stanford/Hoover fellow with strong Wall Street ties, has advocated changes to Fed policy and critiqued post‑crisis monetary measures. The nomination, subject to Senate confirmation, underscores the White House’s push for different interest‑rate policies and intensifies debate over the Fed’s independence. Markets and lawmakers are expected to scrutinize Warsh’s record and the politicization concerns surrounding the appointment. (apnews.com)

Santa Clara County Sheriff Robert (Bob) Jonsen announced he will not change local policies or assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with immigration enforcement around Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium on February 8, 2026, saying, “We are not going to change our policies or protocols. We will not be working or supporting ICE.” (foxnews.com) He urged federal partners to communicate plans with local officials while assuring residents local deputies will patrol transit and event areas for public safety. (sheriff.santaclaracounty.gov) The Department of Homeland Security declined to confirm ICE’s role, prompting concerns after recent federal immigration operations elsewhere, sparking widespread debate nationwide. (sfchronicle.com)