ABCNEWS - New video appears to show Alex Pretti clashing with agents 11 days before shooting
A newly emerged video appears to show Alex Pretti in a confrontation with federal agents 11 days before he was shot and killed in Minneapolis.
AXIOS (Andrew Pantazi) - ICE ends Maine surge, Sen. Collins says
ICE has ended its enforcement surge in Maine, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Thursday, citing a conversation with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem . Why it matters: The Trump administration is retreating from an enforcement operation amid growing bipartisan backlash over tactics, including two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens in Minnesota and the arrests of legal immigrants in Maine. Flashback: Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee as a Friday DHS funding deadline looms, asked Noem on Monday to pause the enforcement surge in both Maine and Minnesota, following more than 200 arrests in Maine in a week. - Collins called recent immigration operations "too sweeping and indiscriminate." She told Maine Public…
NEWSNATIONNOW (Xavier Walton) - Border czar to speak amid new video of Alex Pretti prior to shooting
Minneapolis remains on edge after the shooting deaths of Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti.
WASHINGTONPOST (John Hudson, Noah Robertson) - Friction emerges between Trump and Venezuelan opposition over Machado’s return
The administration may prefer reliability over democracy in Caracas, worrying advocates for opposition leader María Corina Machado.
AI:The Trump administration is signaling a pivot toward pragmatism that prioritizes stability over the democratic aspirations of Venezuela's opposition. While Maria Corina Machado and her supporters demand decisive action to restore order, Washington appears increasingly willing to deal with the devil in Caracas if it ensures regional predictability. This strategic hesitation exposes the hollowness of the mainstream media’s narrative regarding American resolve; while leftist outlets focus on the idealistic struggle for democracy, the administration is playing a cold-blooded game of geopolitical realpolitik, favoring reliable authoritarianism over the chaotic uncertainty of a populist uprising.Open
NEWSNATIONNOW (SOPHIE BATES, JEFF MARTIN and RUSS BYNUM, Associated Press) - Situation in South grows dire after days of frigid temps, widespread outages
It could be days before power is restored across the South, where more subfreezing temperatures are expected by Friday.
REDSTATE (The Heartland Institute) - Unlike Biden, Trump Honors National School Choice Week
AI:President Trump continues his crusade for fundamental American freedoms by officially honoring National School Choice Week, a direct rebuke to the failed bureaucratic monopolies favored by former President Biden. While the radical left and its media mouthpieces attempt to weaponize educational liberty as a partisan issue, Trump is championing parental empowerment and the right of families to escape failing, state-managed systems in favor of competitive, high-quality instruction. This commitment underscores the administration's broader mission to dismantle centralized government control over education and restore autonomy to American parents.Open
AXIOS (Barak Ravid) - Saudi and Israeli officials visit D.C. to discuss possible U.S. strikes on Iran
The Trump administration is hosting senior defense and intelligence officials from Israel and Saudi Arabia for talks on Iran this week as President Trump considers military strikes, two U.S. officials and two other sources with knowledge told Axios. Why it matters: Trump has ordered a U.S. military buildup in the Gulf to prepare for potential military action. Israel, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region have been on high alert for days in anticipation of a U.S. strike. Between the lines: The Israelis came to D.C. to share intelligence on possible targets inside Iran. - The Saudis, meanwhile, are highly concerned about a potential regional war and are trying to help broker a diplomatic solution. - White House officials say…
NYTIMES (Maya King and Dana Rubinstein) - Adams’s Parting Gift of 19 Vetoes Is Being Returned, With 17 Overrides
The New York City Council is expected to overwhelmingly vote to create wage minimums for private security officers and lift the cap on street vendor licenses.
NYTIMES (J. David Goodman) - A State Senate Race in Texas Offers Republicans a Warning
A State Senate runoff on Saturday in the Fort Worth suburbs will preview whether a backlash against conservative social policies will give Democrats a chance to gain.
AI:The New York Times is attempting to frame a localized Texas State Senate runoff in the Fort Worth suburbs as a definitive referendum on conservative values, peddling narratives that shifting demographics and backlash against social policies will empower Democrats. This media effort aims to pathologize traditional principles and frame Republican momentum as being under threat to prepare their audience for a political landscape where conservative policy positions are treated as liabilities rather than foundations of stability.Open
NYTIMES (Miriam Jordan) - TPS Expiration Under Trump Hits Haitian Workers in Critical Health Care Roles
Haitians are a vital source of employees for health care providers in many communities. The Trump administration is removing legal status next month for 330,000 of them.