Good morning — Hawk here. A deep freeze grips the U.S., Washington sprints to dodge a shutdown, and election flashpoints are back in the spotlight. Overseas, searing accounts from Iran’s unrest emerge, while a tragedy in Siliguri shocks a community.

What’s happening now

• Life-threatening cold returns: The Coast Guard deployed icebreakers in New York City as more than 150 million people face dangerous cold; NYC is enduring its harshest freeze in eight years. Airlines are still digging out, with the winter storm driving American Airlines’ largest operational disruption in its 100-year history. Another nor’easter is lining up more snow for the East Coast. [3]

• Shutdown brinkmanship eases — a bit: Senate Democrats say they’ve struck a deal to avert a partial government shutdown, though a standoff over Homeland Security funding continues to loom over broader negotiations. [3] [4]

• Fulton County election probe: The FBI searched for records related to the 2020 election in Georgia’s Fulton County, while a county commissioner publicly insisted the 2020 vote was fair amid renewed scrutiny and misinformation claims. [2] [4]

• Minneapolis drawdown after federal shootings: The administration’s border czar pledged to “draw down” the federal presence in Minneapolis following agent-involved shootings there, and sources say agents tied to the Alex Pretti shooting have been placed on leave as tensions remain high. [3] [4]

• Voices from Iran: Protesters and survivors of reported massacres are sharing harrowing, on-the-ground accounts as the world assesses the scope of the crackdown and its aftermath. [5]

• In India: A booth-level officer (BLO) in Siliguri died by suicide, with local reporting focusing attention on possible marital discord, according to the Times of India. Authorities are probing the circumstances. [1]

Travel and safety snapshot

• Air and ground: With more Arctic air surging south and a potential Southeast blizzard being tracked, travelers should expect residual delays and renewed cancellations through the weekend; check with carriers and consider rebooking windows. [3]

The bottom line

• Weather remains the immediate national stress test — for power, transit, and budgets — even as Washington eyes a fragile off-ramp from a shutdown and election integrity fights reheat. Abroad, the human toll of Iran’s unrest continues to surface in unflinching testimony, while a tragedy in Siliguri underscores how local crises demand care and clarity.

References

1. Siliguri BLO kills self, lens on marital discord — Times of India
2. ABC News Live Prime: Jan. 29, 2026 — ABC News
3. US Coast Guard deploys ice breaking ships in New York City amid Arctic blast — ABC News
4. 25-year-old American woman to finish solo row across Atlantic — ABC News (Top Stories module)
5. Iranian protesters and massacre survivors share haunting stories from the ground — ABC News