A fresh Arctic blast has the East and Midwest in a stranglehold this weekend, while Washington weighs legal and geopolitical fights from Minneapolis to Greenland—and the world keeps a wary eye on Iran’s unrest. Here’s what’s moving now.

• Bitter cold and dangerous snow across the East and Midwest: ABC News reports snow and subzero wind chills are gripping broad swaths of the country, snarling travel and daily life [1]. A separate ABC update flagged the same powerful system turning eastward late week [3].

  
  
  
  

• DOJ probe targeting Minnesota leaders: The Justice Department has launched an investigation into Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and the mayor of Minneapolis, according to ABC News sources, underscoring the escalating scrutiny over public safety and governance in the Twin Cities [1]. Separately, new polling cited by ABC indicates a majority of Americans view the ICE agent’s shooting of Good as unjustified, a data point likely to fuel debate over federal enforcement tactics [2].

• Greenland back in play: Former President Trump is again pressing the idea of acquiring Greenland—this time floating tariffs as leverage, ABC reports [1]. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers have been meeting to discuss the strategic island amid those tariff threats, signaling the issue has migrated from the campaign trail into policy conversations [2].

• Health costs bite as ACA enrollment drops: Nearly 1.4 million fewer people signed up for Affordable Care Act coverage this cycle as premiums climbed, ABC reports, highlighting the pocketbook pressure voters are feeling early in 2026 [2]. ABC also featured an enrollee who said his monthly cost spiked from $18 to $650, a striking anecdote that underscores the broader trend [1].

• Space budget greenlit: Congress funded NASA’s budget—news that drew praise and context from Bill Nye in an ABC segment—keeping flagship missions on track amid broader fiscal fights [2].

• Seoul sends a message: In a major accountability case, a former South Korean president was sentenced to five years in prison over martial law, ABC reports—an outcome likely to reverberate through the country’s political and legal institutions [2].

• Iran watch: ABC’s latest snapshot examines where Iran’s protests stand after months of upheaval [3]. In Washington, ABC notes Trump publicly thanked Iran for canceling executions even as the U.S. moved additional military assets into the Middle East, underscoring the volatile mix of pressure and diplomacy at play [1].

• And finally, football: A big NFL divisional-round weekend is set, with frigid conditions potentially factoring into game plans in several cities [1].

What to watch: Whether the cold snap yields cascading infrastructure or grid stresses; how the DOJ’s Minnesota probe shapes 2026 politics; if Greenland chatter escalates into concrete policy; and whether Tehran’s street pressure ebbs or shifts amid international maneuvering.

References

1. ABC News – Snow and bitter cold grip East Coast, Mid-west (https://abcnews.go.com/world-news-tonight-with-david-muirT/video/snow-bitter-cold-grip-east-coast-mid-west-129318777)
2. ABC News – National Guard mobilized in Minnesota (video page with latest segments) (https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/national-guard-mobilized-minnesota-129318983)
3. ABC News – Where Iran’s protests stand (video page with latest segments) (https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/News/video/irans-protests-stand-129305958)