U.S. Briefs: Anti-ICE protests erupt after Minnesota shooting

Over the weekend of Jan. 9, tens of thousands took to the streets in Minneapolis to protest an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer’s fatal shooting of 37-year-old Twin Cities resident and U.S. citizen Renee Good. These demonstrations were just a handful of the estimated 1,000 events planned across the country from Houston to Seattle. In early January, the Trump administration deployed about 2,000 federal troops to Minneapolis amid sweeping allegations of social services fraud involving Somali immigrants. During a Jan. 10 news conference, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey reported protests remained largely peaceful, although police arrested 29 people for vandalizing a hotel. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said her agency will send hundreds more officers to Minnesota to continue ICE operations. Noem and White House officials have defended the officer who fired at Good, arguing she tried to run him over with her vehicle. Gov. Tim Walz and others dispute that characterization, saying Good was merely trying to drive away. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the officer had been previously dragged by a car driven by someone trying to flee an ICE traffic stop. —Grace Snell

Utah

AI may soon start refilling some prescription drugs for state residents. On Jan. 6, Utah announced a pilot program with tech-startup Doctronic. The company’s website allows patients to get AI-generated diagnoses and treatment plans. According to the company, human doctors agree with its AI-generated treatment recommendations over 99% of the time. Now in Utah, Doctronic can refill roughly 200 eligible drugs for patients with chronic health conditions. Doctronic will have human doctors review the first 250 refills in eligible drug classes before AI fully takes the reins. Some medical professionals worry about the implications of autonomous healthcare. But it may cut down on busywork since prescription refills account for about 80% of medication activity, per a press release from Utah’s Department of Commerce. —Bekah Bernhardt

Indiana

State lawmakers could approve the use of firing squads for executions if the drugs used for lethal injections are not available. Indiana spent about $1 million on execution drugs in 2025. But Gov. Mike Braun said at least $600,000 worth of pentobarbital expired before it could be used. State Sen. Mike Young, who proposed the bill authorizing firing squads, said they would provide a “fail safe” option for the state. Young told lawmakers not to debate the issue in light of their own beliefs about the already legal death penalty. “The question here is, ‘What do we do if we only have one option in which to carry out a legal order by the courts in the state of Indiana?’” he asked. Five states—Idaho, Utah, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and South Carolina—already use firing squads under certain circumstances. —Leigh Jones

Michigan

Influenza cases have risen exponentially across the state, one of the hardest hit at the start of the new year, according to flu data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This year, the United States has logged its highest level of respiratory illness since the 1997–98 flu season. That’s based on the number of doctor visits for fever plus cough or sore throat, according to CDC data published Jan. 5. The national public health agency estimates that at least 11 million people have had the flu this season, resulting in 120,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. In Michigan, pediatric hospitals reported an influx in their intensive care units due to children needing ventilator support, said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state’s chief medical executive. Hospital capacity is “getting a little tight,” she said. Statewide, adult and pediatric hospitalizations from the flu are up 40% compared with the same time last year, according to Ryan Malosh, director of the division of immunization for the state Department of Health and Human Services. Public health officials say a new mutation of influenza, called subclade K, is driving much of this year’s illness. —Mary Jackson

Wyoming

The state Supreme Court in January struck down two pro-life laws when four of the five justices concluded they violated the state’s constitution. In its majority opinion, the court wrote that women have a fundamental right to make their own healthcare decisions, including the choice to kill their unborn babies. One of the laws would have protected all babies from abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. The other measure was the first bill in the United States to make it illegal to prescribe, dispense, or use abortion drugs. Lawmakers passed both laws in 2023, and pro-abortion groups quickly filed suit. The state Supreme Court’s decision upholds an earlier ruling by a state district judge. Republican Gov. Mark Gordon urged state legislators to introduce a pro-life constitutional amendment for voters to consider later this year. A judge last year temporarily blocked two other pro-life laws that would have required abortion facilities to be licensed as ambulatory surgical centers and required women to have an ultrasound at least 48 hours before obtaining abortion pills. —Lauren Canterberry

Rhode Island

On Jan. 7, a federal judge granted the state’s request to join a lawsuit seeking to block federal efforts to stop work on a nearly complete offshore wind farm. Neighboring Connecticut also joined the legal fight. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) ordered Revolution Wind’s developer, Orsted, to immediately stop construction Aug. 22, even though the agency approved the 65-turbine project in 2023. It is 80% complete and is designed to have enough capacity to power 350,000 homes when finished. The state attorneys general and the developer sued the federal government separately, alleging the order violated federal laws and procedures. The judge ruled in September that construction could continue while the developer lawsuit proceeds, but BOEM issued a second 90-day stop-work order Dec. 22 that also affects four other offshore wind-turbine projects, citing national security concerns. The combined lawsuit will be heard in the Federal District Court of Washington, D.C. —Todd Vician