6 Big News Stories Overnight - Friday, January 30, 2026

U.S.: Senate Democrats and White House Reach Deal to Avoid Shutdown

Politico Reports: 

President Donald Trump and Senate Democrats said Thursday an agreement has been reached to fund the federal government as a Friday midnight deadline for a partial shutdown approaches.

The deal would provide funding through Sept. 30 for most departments and agencies, while providing a short-term stopgap for the Department of Homeland Security.

“I am working hard with Congress to ensure that we are able to fully fund the Government, without delay,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Hopefully, both Republicans and Democrats will give a very much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ Vote.”

A spokesperson for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the deal would provide a two-week extension of current DHS funding levels, giving lawmakers time to negotiate new restrictions on the department’s immigration enforcement operations.

U.S.: Kevin Warsh Expected to be Named Chair of Fed by Trump

Economist Kevin Warsh is expected to be named by President Donald Trump as the next chair of the Federal Reserve, replacing Jerome Powell. 

During and in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Warsh acted as the central bank's primary liaison to Wall Street[4] and served as the Federal Reserve's representative to the Group of Twenty (G20) and as the Board's emissary to the emerging and advanced economies in Asia. Prior, he served as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Executive Secretary of the White House National Economic Council.

He formally served as a Federal Governor.

He presently teaches at Stanford.

Globe: US Trade Deficit Widens by the Most in Nearly 34 years in November

Reuters reports:

The U.S. trade deficit widened by the most in nearly 34 years in November amid a surge in capital goods imports, likely driven ​by an artificial intelligence investment boom, which could prompt economists to ‌trim their economic growth estimates for the fourth quarter.
The trade gap increased 94.6% to $56.8 billion, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau said on Thursday. The percentage change was the largest since March 1992. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the ‌trade deficit would rise to $40.5 billion.

U.S.: Washington Post Facing More Major Cuts

Puck and CNN have reported on the latest cuts at the Washington Post. The paper has seen a significant decline under owner Jeff Bezos. The New York Times posted on Thursday Night:

Fewer reporters are being sent to the Super Bowl. Foreign correspondents are being asked to hold off on trips to conflict zones. And editors are being encouraged to experiment with new forms of storytelling.

They are signs of things to come at The Washington Post.

The Post’s leadership is expected to announce significant layoffs in the newsroom and the business sides of the paper in the coming days, as part of an effort to end years of financial losses, according to three people with direct knowledge of the changes. But the cuts also appear to be aimed at something else: reorienting The Post’s coverage.

The sports, local and international sections are preparing to take a disproportionate share of the pain.

EU and Iran: Tension Heating Up

The EU's decision on Thursday to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization is a "major strategic mistake", Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned. The Iranian army also blasted the move as "irresponsible and spite-driven" while Israel hailed it as "historic" -- France 24.

Protest in Iran - PHOTO: Artin Bakhn Unsplash

Iran: Russia and Turkey Want U.S. to Negotiate with Iran

Times of Israel:

Russia and Turkey are pushing for negotiations in the standoff between Tehran and Washington after US President Donald Trump threatened new military strikes on Iran.

“It is clear that the potential for negotiations is not exhausted,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Thursday, adding: “Any use of force can only create chaos in the region and lead to very dangerous consequences.”

Peskov’s comments came a day after Trump urged Iran to come to the table and make a deal on nuclear weapons or face a possible US attack.

PHOTO: Kremlin News Service