Evening Brief: Trump Halts Iran Talks, Russia Pounds Ukraine’s Power Grid, Winter Storms Kill Displaced Palestinians in Gaza

NORAD to Fly F-16s Over D.C. in Overnight Air Defense Drill North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will conduct a routine air defense exercise over Washington, D.C., and the surrounding region between midnight and 2 a.m. local time Wednesday to practice protecting restricted airspace. The drill, known as Exercise FALCON VIRGO, will involve F-16 fighter jets, US Coast Guard and Air Force helicopters, and a Civil Air Patrol aircraft flying at low altitudes that may be visible from the ground. Officials said the training simulates responses to potential airspace threats, including unidentified or hijacked aircraft, to ensure readiness and security in the national capital region.   Clintons Defy Epstein Subpoena as House Panel Threatens Contempt Former US President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday they will not comply with a House Oversight Committee subpoena seeking their testimony in the investigation into convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. In a public letter, the Clintons called the probe legally invalid and accused committee Chairman James Comer of selectively targeting them while allowing others to submit written statements. Comer said the committee will move toward contempt of Congress proceedings next week after Bill Clinton declined to appear for a scheduled deposition. 🚨Democrats and Republicans approved subpoenas in July for Bill and Hillary Clinton. After good-faith efforts to schedule depositions, further delays aren’t acceptable. Given their Epstein ties, avoiding Congress would be in defiance of subpoenas & warrant contempt proceedings. pic.twitter.com/mxxgq3GX7v — Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) November 21, 2025 The standoff unfolds amid broader bipartisan frustration over delayed Justice Department releases of Epstein-related records and renewed debate over Congress’s authority to compel testimony from former presidents.   Lawmakers Move to Block Funds for Any US Military Seizure of Greenland A bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced legislation this week to prevent US President Donald Trump from using federal funds to invade or seize territory belonging to NATO allies, a move widely seen as aimed at blocking any US takeover of Greenland. Led by Representative Bill Keating of Massachusetts, the bill would bar funding for military action against allied nations as the Trump administration openly weighs options, including force, to acquire the Danish territory for strategic and economic reasons. The proposal comes amid growing alarm in Congress and Europe following Trump’s repeated threats and a recent US military operation in Venezuela. A House Democrat Rep. Jimmy Gomez introduces ‘Greenland Sovereignty Protection Act’ — Axios The bill would BLOCK federal funds from being used to finance ‘invasion, annexation, purchase, or other form of acquisition of Greenland’ by US https://t.co/gCvUMBBItU pic.twitter.com/0MPU8lOYPw — RT (@RT_com) January 13, 2026 As Denmark and Greenland reject US claims and warn of damage to NATO, lawmakers remain divided, with some Republicans backing Trump’s Arctic ambitions and others pressing to reinforce alliance commitments and congressional authority over military action.   Denmark Backed US in Atlantic Tanker Seizure Despite Greenland Tensions Denmark provided support last week to US forces intercepting an oil tanker in the east Atlantic for allegedly violating US sanctions, a Danish government official confirmed Tuesday, deepening cooperation even as relations with Washington strain over US President Donald Trump’s pursuit of Greenland. The official, speaking anonymously because of the operation’s sensitivity, did not detail the type of support but confirmed Danish assistance in the episode that capped a prolonged US pursuit of the vessel linked to Venezuela. Denmark provided U.S. forces in the east Atlantic support last week as they intercepted an oil tanker for violations of U.S. sanctions, a Danish government official confirmed on Tuesday. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke… pic.twitter.com/jikjN8snKU — Yahoo News (@YahooNews) January 13, 2026 The acknowledgment comes amid heightened diplomatic friction as Trump continues to push for control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, prompting planned meetings in Washington between US leaders and Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers to discuss the issue.   Russia Pounds Ukraine’s Power Grid in Winter Barrage, Defying Peace Push Russia launched a large-scale drone and missile attack on Ukraine overnight into Tuesday, striking eight regions and targeting energy infrastructure as freezing temperatures grip the country. Ukrainian officials said Moscow fired nearly 300 drones and dozens of missiles, killing at least four people in the Kharkiv region, wounding others in Odesa, and leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity or heat in Kyiv and surrounding areas. The assault came just days after a similar barrage and as the Trump administration presses for peace talks, prompting US officials to accuse Russia of escalating the war nearly four years after its full-scale invasion began. Almost 300 attack drones, most of them “shaheds,” along with 18 ballistic and 7 cruise missiles, were launched by the Russians against Ukraine last night. Once again, the main target of the strike was our energy – generation facilities and substations. Sadly, there has been… pic.twitter.com/NK69hHb9R0 — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 13, 2026 Ukraine said it responded with drone strikes on Russian military-industrial sites, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy renewed calls for faster delivery of air defense systems from Western allies.   Winter Storms Kill Displaced Palestinians in Gaza as Aid and Shelter Fall Short Strong winter winds killed at least four Palestinians in Gaza on Tuesday after walls collapsed onto makeshift tents housing families displaced by the war, according to hospital officials. The deaths occurred in Gaza City as storms battered the territory, where most residents live in fragile shelters following more than two years of Israeli bombardment and widespread destruction. Despite a ceasefire in place since October 10, aid groups say insufficient shelter materials and ongoing insecurity leave civilians vulnerable, especially children, as cold temperatures persist. 🚨 24 people, including 21 children, have died from the cold in Gaza since the beginning of winter ❄️ Freezing temperatures and a lack of shelter have led to an increase in winter-related fatalities among displaced families https://t.co/cNWp54Rigq pic.twitter.com/sF9pnRWS3R — Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) January 13, 2026 Gaza health officials reported a rise in child deaths from hypothermia and continued fatalities from Israeli fire since the truce, underscoring the dire humanitarian conditions facing Gaza’s more than 2 million residents.   Prosecutors Seek Death Sentence for Former South Korean President Over Martial Law Bid An independent counsel on Tuesday asked a Seoul court to sentence former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to death on rebellion charges tied to his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. Prosecutors accused Yoon of attempting a self-coup to extend his rule by undermining constitutional governance, after he ordered troops into Seoul and surrounded the National Assembly before lawmakers voted down the decree. A special counsel on Tuesday asked a court in Seoul to sentence South Korea’s impeached and ousted former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, to death, on the charge of leading an insurrection when he briefly imposed martial law ​on his country in late 2024. https://t.co/FV367A9Cdz — New York Times World (@nytimesworld) January 13, 2026 Yoon, who was impeached, removed from office, and jailed last year, rejected the charges, saying he acted within presidential emergency powers to counter what he viewed as obstruction by the opposition. The court is expected to rule in February, though experts say a life sentence is more likely, as South Korea has not carried out executions since 1997.   Sources: News Agencies