First lady Melania Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday to promote her new documentary.

<p>First lady Melania Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday to promote her new documentary.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The NYSE welcomes Melania Trump, First Lady of the United States, to celebrate <a href="https://twitter.com/AmazonMGMStudio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmazonMGMStudio</a>’s launch of her new film MELANIA, opening in theaters globally this Friday, January 30th. <br> <a href="https://twitter.com/MELANIATRUMP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MELANIATRUMP</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MELANIAMOVIE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MELANIAMOVIE</a> <a href="https://t.co/M4PKHeX4sB">https://t.co/M4PKHeX4sB</a></p>&mdash; NYSE 🏛 (@NYSE) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYSE/status/2016518877937631327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Opening the global markets - The First Lady of the United States, <a href="https://twitter.com/MELANIATRUMP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MELANIATRUMP</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/AmazonMGMStudio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmazonMGMStudio</a>’s launch of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MELANIA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MELANIA</a> premieres globally in theaters this Friday, January 30th. <a href="https://t.co/QIbiInQ4rK">pic.twitter.com/QIbiInQ4rK</a></p>&mdash; NYSE 🏛 (@NYSE) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYSE/status/2016554126298042547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Watch the trailer to the film below.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The trailer for Melania’s movie is out. <a href="https://t.co/CLyyvrH2TL">pic.twitter.com/CLyyvrH2TL</a></p>&mdash; Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) <a href="https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/2001270810606965080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥First lady rings opening bell at New York Stock Exchange

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/j-patrick-coolican/">J. Patrick Coolican</a><br><a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/">Minnesota Reformer</a>

During a town hall in Minneapolis Tuesday, a man rushed at U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and squirted an unknown substance at her using a syringe before he was apprehended by her security and Minneapolis police.

Video of the event shows Omar, a Minneapolis Democrat, cock her fist to launch a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/WedgeLIVE/status/2016333574861902109?s=20" target="_blank">haymaker</a>&nbsp;as the man’s tackled by officers.

After the incident, she went on talking to constituents.

In a statement, her office said, “The congresswoman is OK. She continued with her town hall because she doesn’t let bullies win.”

After the town hall,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/IlhanMN/status/2016333960939262423?s=20" target="_blank">Omar wrote on X</a>, “I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work…. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.”

Omar has been the subject of relentless Republican vitriol since her 2018 election, including by President Donald Trump in recent weeks. He’s called her “garbage” and said she should be jailed or sent to her native Somalia. While announcing on Monday that he’d be changing personnel to carry out his federal immigration crackdown here — widely viewed as an acknowledgment of error following the killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers — Trump also threw in a shot at Omar and her family’s newfound wealth.

Omar responded in kind: “Sorry, Trump, your support is collapsing and you’re panicking,”&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/IlhanMN/status/2015818278728257569" target="_blank">she wrote on X</a>. “Right on cue, you’re deflecting from your failures with lies and conspiracy theories about me. Years of ‘investigations’ have found nothing. Get your goons out of Minnesota.”

<p>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/author/j-patrick-coolican/">J. Patrick Coolican</a><br><a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/">Minnesota Reformer</a></p><p>During a town hall in Minneapolis Tuesday, a man rushed at U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and squirted an unknown substance at her using a syringe before he was apprehended by her security and Minneapolis police.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) assaulted during town hall meeting: &quot;Here&#39;s the reality that people like this ugly man don&#39;t understand; we are Minnesota strong and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Ud5l3yP4lQ">pic.twitter.com/Ud5l3yP4lQ</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2016320453132869910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Video of the event shows Omar, a Minneapolis Democrat, cock her fist to launch a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/WedgeLIVE/status/2016333574861902109?s=20" target="_blank">haymaker</a>&nbsp;as the man’s tackled by officers.</p><p>After the incident, she went on talking to constituents.</p><p>In a statement, her office said, “The congresswoman is OK. She continued with her town hall because she doesn’t let bullies win.”</p><p>After the town hall,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/IlhanMN/status/2016333960939262423?s=20" target="_blank">Omar wrote on X</a>, “I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work…. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.”</p><p>Omar has been the subject of relentless Republican vitriol since her 2018 election, including by President Donald Trump in recent weeks. He’s called her “garbage” and said she should be jailed or sent to her native Somalia. While announcing on Monday that he’d be changing personnel to carry out his federal immigration crackdown here — widely viewed as an acknowledgment of error following the killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers — Trump also threw in a shot at Omar and her family’s newfound wealth.</p><p>Omar responded in kind: “Sorry, Trump, your support is collapsing and you’re panicking,”&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/IlhanMN/status/2015818278728257569" target="_blank">she wrote on X</a>. “Right on cue, you’re deflecting from your failures with lies and conspiracy theories about me. Years of ‘investigations’ have found nothing. Get your goons out of Minnesota.”</p>

🎥U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar assaulted during town hall meeting

President Trump announced on Monday he received a phone call with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768610962226.png" alt="File photo Minnesota Gov. Walz-from his social media page" />
                        <figcaption>File photo Minnesota Gov. Walz-from his social media page</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>President Trump announced on Monday he received a phone call with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;Governor Tim Walz called me with the request to work together with respect to Minnesota. It was a very good call, and we, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength... Crime is way down, but both Governor Walz and I want to make it better!&quot; - President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/ZjrSDU8uAz">pic.twitter.com/ZjrSDU8uAz</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2015831102095491330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I spoke to the President earlier. We had a productive conversation and I explained to him that his staff doesn’t have their facts straight about Minnesota. My thoughts in the Wall Street Journal:<a href="https://t.co/Prlt2mu8Bx">https://t.co/Prlt2mu8Bx</a> <a href="https://t.co/XFJyv6V1yH">pic.twitter.com/XFJyv6V1yH</a></p>&mdash; Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz/status/2015853141661454605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/1INsSU22rR">pic.twitter.com/1INsSU22rR</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2015780108733235225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

President Trump shares details of phone call from Gov. Tim Walz

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a><br><a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

A partial federal government shutdown appeared Sunday to unexpectedly be on the horizon, after another fatal shooting by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis led key U.S. Senate Democrats to say they will oppose a spending package that includes immigration enforcement funds.

Senators have until a Friday deadline to clear a package of six House-passed funding measures, including the $64.4 billion Homeland Security appropriations bill that includes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol.

Republicans hold a majority in the chamber but would need at least seven Democrats to join them in voting for the package in order to clear the chamber’s 60-vote threshold to advance legislation.&nbsp;

The agreement had appeared to be on track for easy passage by the Senate by Friday, when a stopgap spending law expires.&nbsp;

But after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-agents-shoot-and-kill-man-minneapolis-rousing-more-demonstrations" target="_blank">Saturday’s killing of 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti,</a>&nbsp;the second by Homeland Security Department officers in Minneapolis this month, key moderate Democrats, appropriators and leaders said they would not support the package if it includes the Homeland Security legislation in its current form.&nbsp;

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also said his caucus would not provide the votes needed, citing the killings of Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, and called for the DHS bill to be split from the five spending bills with broad bipartisan support.

“Senate Democrats will not allow the current DHS funding bill to move forward,” Schumer said in a Sunday statement. “The appalling murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti on the streets of Minneapolis must lead Republicans to join Democrats in overhauling ICE and CBP to protect the public. People should be safe from abuse by their own government.

“Senate Republicans must work with Democrats to advance the other five funding bills while we work to rewrite the DHS bill,” he added. “This is (the) best course of action, and the American people are on our side.”

A complicating factor is the DHS bill also includes funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, even as a major winter storm swept through a large swath of the nation Saturday and Sunday, triggering disaster declarations in multiple states.

President Donald Trump and key administration officials committed to a robust media strategy over the weekend, defending the officers involved and smearing Pretti, despite contradictory evidence in available video.

Some elected Republicans backed the administration’s account, but an unusual number of GOP members of Congress and at least one governor called for accountability.

Five of the eight Democrats and independents who voted with Republicans to end a shutdown in November have said they will not support the package if it includes DHS funding.

Maine independent Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that he would vote against the package.

“I hate shutdowns,” King said in a video interview on the Sunday morning show. “I’m one of the people that helped negotiate the solution to the end of the last shutdown, but I can’t vote for a bill that includes ICE funding under these circumstances.”

Nevada Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, a former federal prosecutor, criticized Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and called for blocking the funding package.

“The Trump administration and Kristi Noem are putting undertrained, combative federal agents on the streets with no accountability,” she said. “They are oppressing Americans and are at odds with local law enforcement. This is clearly not about keeping Americans safe, it’s brutalizing U.S. citizens and law-abiding immigrants. I will not support the current Homeland Security funding bill.”

Cortez Masto called for the DHS bill to be split off from the rest of the package.&nbsp;

“We have bipartisan agreement on 96% of the budget. We’ve already passed six funding bills,” she said. “Let’s pass the remaining five bipartisan bills and fund essential agencies while we continue to fight for a Department of Homeland Security that respects Americans’ constitutional rights and preserves federal law enforcement’s essential role to keep us safe.”&nbsp;

Fellow Nevada Democrat Jacky Rosen, who also voted to end the shutdown in November, said “enough is enough” and that she would oppose a funding package that did not “rein in ICE’s out-of-control conduct.”

“As a member of the U.S. Senate, I have the responsibility to hold the Trump Administration accountable when I see abuses of power — like we are seeing from ICE right now,” she said. “That is why I’ll be voting against any government funding package that contains the bill that funds this agency, until we have guardrails in place to curtail these abuses of power and ensure more accountability and transparency.

“My personal guiding principle has always been ‘agree where you can and fight where you must,’” she added. “And I believe this is a time when we must fight back.”

Virginia’s Tim Kaine said in a Friday statement — before Pretti’s killing — that he would oppose the package for several reasons, including as a check on ICE.

“We are not living in normal times,” he said. “The President is acting chaotically and unlawfully and we shouldn’t give his deranged decisions the imprimatur of congressional approval by passing this legislation without significant amendment.”

Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois also said after Pretti’s killing early Saturday — the third shooting by immigration officers in Minneapolis in three weeks — that he would vote against the package. Durbin is a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.

The House last week&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/many-dems-refuse-vote-fund-ice-us-house-passes-4-spending-bills" target="_blank">passed the DHS funding bill</a>, with seven Democrats voting to approve it, and a separate package of three other appropriations bills that passed with broad bipartisan support. House members passed two other funding bills the week before.

The fiscal 2026 Homeland Security spending bill cuts funding for Customs and Border Protection by $1.3 billion, and maintains flat funding for ICE at $10 billion.

The bill attempts to put guardrails around immigration enforcement by allocating $20 million for body cameras for ICE and CBP officers.&nbsp;

But even if the funding bill doesn’t pass or gets held up, the immigration enforcement agencies are still flush with cash after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that Republicans passed last year allocated $190 billion for DHS. ICE is slated to receive about $75 billion over four years, or $18.7 billion a year.

Any Senate amendment to the House-passed package would require another House vote. The House is scheduled to be out this week and the chamber, narrowly controlled by Republicans, may be unwilling to cooperate with Senate changes.

Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, a Maine Republican up for reelection this year in one of the nation’s most closely watched races, did not dismiss the possibility of changes in the spending bill package, telling The New York Times on Saturday she was “exploring all options” for passage.

The major winter storm also hit Washington, D.C., and could further complicate the Senate vote or potential House consideration. All flights into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were canceled Sunday as snow and sleet covered the region.&nbsp;

A handful of GOP officials, including Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska called for more scrutiny into Pretti’s killing and ICE’s conduct more generally.&nbsp;

“There must be a thorough and impartial investigation into yesterday’s Minneapolis shooting, which is the basic standard that law enforcement and the American people expect following any officer-involved shooting,” Tillis<a href="https://x.com/SenThomTillis/status/2015435983316189686" target="_blank">&nbsp;said on social media.</a>

“For this specific incident, that requires cooperation and transparency between federal, state, and local law enforcement. Any administration official who rushes to judgment and tries to shut down an investigation before it begins are doing an incredible disservice to the nation and to President Trump’s legacy.”

Cassidy&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenBillCassidy/status/2015247523003162922" target="_blank">posted on social media</a>: “The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing. The credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake. There must be a full joint federal and state investigation. We can trust the American people with the truth.”

Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican who is a former chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said on social media he was “troubled by the events that have unfolded in Minneapolis.”

“As an attorney and former federal prosecutor, I believe a thorough investigation is necessary—both to get to the bottom of these incidents and to maintain Americans’ confidence in our justice system,” he said.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, was among those who said he was troubled by the shooting.

“I think the death of Americans, what we’re seeing on TV, it’s causing deep concerns over federal tactics and accountability,” Stitt said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “Americans don’t like what they’re seeing right now.”

Administration, some allies defend shooting&nbsp;

Many others, including Republican senators and Trump administration officials speaking on Sunday talk shows — Noem, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche — defended the agents involved and blamed Pretti and state and local Democrats in Minneapolis.&nbsp;

“Democrats are now backing out of a bipartisan agreement to fund DHS, which makes sure our border is secure and our immigration laws are enforced,” Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/2015428526829133864" target="_blank">wrote on social media.</a>

“This is reckless and quite frankly, very disappointing. It appears that Democrats are so wedded to supporting people carrying guns trying to interfere with a lawful arrest that they will shut down the government.”

Patel, on “Sunday Morning Futures” on Fox News, said DHS is investigating the shooting but the FBI is processing physical evidence. “No one who wants to be peaceful shows up in a protest with a firearm that is loaded with two full magazines,” Patel said, referring to reports that Pretti was carrying a handgun for which he had a concealed carry license, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.

Spokespeople for Collins, Schumer and Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota did not return messages seeking comment Sunday. Senate Democrats were set to meet virtually on Sunday night, according to multiple media reports.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769276764745.png" alt="Photo of the weapon seized in shooting- photo DHS" />
                        <figcaption>Photo of the weapon seized in shooting- photo DHS</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a><br><a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a></p><p>A partial federal government shutdown appeared Sunday to unexpectedly be on the horizon, after another fatal shooting by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis led key U.S. Senate Democrats to say they will oppose a spending package that includes immigration enforcement funds.</p><p>Senators have until a Friday deadline to clear a package of six House-passed funding measures, including the $64.4 billion Homeland Security appropriations bill that includes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What’s happening in Minnesota is appalling—and unacceptable in any American city. Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans’ refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to…</p>&mdash; Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/2015211069493350505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Republicans hold a majority in the chamber but would need at least seven Democrats to join them in voting for the package in order to clear the chamber’s 60-vote threshold to advance legislation.&nbsp;</p><p>The agreement had appeared to be on track for easy passage by the Senate by Friday, when a stopgap spending law expires.&nbsp;</p><p>But after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-agents-shoot-and-kill-man-minneapolis-rousing-more-demonstrations" target="_blank">Saturday’s killing of 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti,</a>&nbsp;the second by Homeland Security Department officers in Minneapolis this month, key moderate Democrats, appropriators and leaders said they would not support the package if it includes the Homeland Security legislation in its current form.&nbsp;</p><p>Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also said his caucus would not provide the votes needed, citing the killings of Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, and called for the DHS bill to be split from the five spending bills with broad bipartisan support.</p><p>“Senate Democrats will not allow the current DHS funding bill to move forward,” Schumer said in a Sunday statement. “The appalling murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti on the streets of Minneapolis must lead Republicans to join Democrats in overhauling ICE and CBP to protect the public. People should be safe from abuse by their own government.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695393380394.jpeg" alt=" The U.S. Capitol. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)" />
                        <figcaption> The U.S. Capitol. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>“Senate Republicans must work with Democrats to advance the other five funding bills while we work to rewrite the DHS bill,” he added. “This is (the) best course of action, and the American people are on our side.”</p><p>A complicating factor is the DHS bill also includes funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, even as a major winter storm swept through a large swath of the nation Saturday and Sunday, triggering disaster declarations in multiple states.</p><p>President Donald Trump and key administration officials committed to a robust media strategy over the weekend, defending the officers involved and smearing Pretti, despite contradictory evidence in available video.</p><p>Some elected Republicans backed the administration’s account, but an unusual number of GOP members of Congress and at least one governor called for accountability.</p><h2>Latest shooting a turning point</h2><p>Five of the eight Democrats and independents who voted with Republicans to end a shutdown in November have said they will not support the package if it includes DHS funding.</p><p>Maine independent Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that he would vote against the package.</p><p>“I hate shutdowns,” King said in a video interview on the Sunday morning show. “I’m one of the people that helped negotiate the solution to the end of the last shutdown, but I can’t vote for a bill that includes ICE funding under these circumstances.”</p><p>Nevada Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, a former federal prosecutor, criticized Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and called for blocking the funding package.</p><p>“The Trump administration and Kristi Noem are putting undertrained, combative federal agents on the streets with no accountability,” she said. “They are oppressing Americans and are at odds with local law enforcement. This is clearly not about keeping Americans safe, it’s brutalizing U.S. citizens and law-abiding immigrants. I will not support the current Homeland Security funding bill.”</p><p>Cortez Masto called for the DHS bill to be split off from the rest of the package.&nbsp;</p><p>“We have bipartisan agreement on 96% of the budget. We’ve already passed six funding bills,” she said. “Let’s pass the remaining five bipartisan bills and fund essential agencies while we continue to fight for a Department of Homeland Security that respects Americans’ constitutional rights and preserves federal law enforcement’s essential role to keep us safe.”&nbsp;</p><p>Fellow Nevada Democrat Jacky Rosen, who also voted to end the shutdown in November, said “enough is enough” and that she would oppose a funding package that did not “rein in ICE’s out-of-control conduct.”</p><p>“As a member of the U.S. Senate, I have the responsibility to hold the Trump Administration accountable when I see abuses of power — like we are seeing from ICE right now,” she said. “That is why I’ll be voting against any government funding package that contains the bill that funds this agency, until we have guardrails in place to curtail these abuses of power and ensure more accountability and transparency.</p><p>“My personal guiding principle has always been ‘agree where you can and fight where you must,’” she added. “And I believe this is a time when we must fight back.”</p><p>Virginia’s Tim Kaine said in a Friday statement — before Pretti’s killing — that he would oppose the package for several reasons, including as a check on ICE.</p><p>“We are not living in normal times,” he said. “The President is acting chaotically and unlawfully and we shouldn’t give his deranged decisions the imprimatur of congressional approval by passing this legislation without significant amendment.”</p><p>Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois also said after Pretti’s killing early Saturday — the third shooting by immigration officers in Minneapolis in three weeks — that he would vote against the package. Durbin is a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.</p><h2>DHS funding</h2><p>The House last week&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/many-dems-refuse-vote-fund-ice-us-house-passes-4-spending-bills" target="_blank">passed the DHS funding bill</a>, with seven Democrats voting to approve it, and a separate package of three other appropriations bills that passed with broad bipartisan support. House members passed two other funding bills the week before.</p><p>The fiscal 2026 Homeland Security spending bill cuts funding for Customs and Border Protection by $1.3 billion, and maintains flat funding for ICE at $10 billion.</p><p>The bill attempts to put guardrails around immigration enforcement by allocating $20 million for body cameras for ICE and CBP officers.&nbsp;</p><p>But even if the funding bill doesn’t pass or gets held up, the immigration enforcement agencies are still flush with cash after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that Republicans passed last year allocated $190 billion for DHS. ICE is slated to receive about $75 billion over four years, or $18.7 billion a year.</p><h2>Path forward</h2><p>Any Senate amendment to the House-passed package would require another House vote. The House is scheduled to be out this week and the chamber, narrowly controlled by Republicans, may be unwilling to cooperate with Senate changes.</p><p>Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, a Maine Republican up for reelection this year in one of the nation’s most closely watched races, did not dismiss the possibility of changes in the spending bill package, telling The New York Times on Saturday she was “exploring all options” for passage.</p><p>The major winter storm also hit Washington, D.C., and could further complicate the Senate vote or potential House consideration. All flights into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were canceled Sunday as snow and sleet covered the region.&nbsp;</p><p>A handful of GOP officials, including Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska called for more scrutiny into Pretti’s killing and ICE’s conduct more generally.&nbsp;</p><p>“There must be a thorough and impartial investigation into yesterday’s Minneapolis shooting, which is the basic standard that law enforcement and the American people expect following any officer-involved shooting,” Tillis<a href="https://x.com/SenThomTillis/status/2015435983316189686" target="_blank">&nbsp;said on social media.</a></p><p>“For this specific incident, that requires cooperation and transparency between federal, state, and local law enforcement. Any administration official who rushes to judgment and tries to shut down an investigation before it begins are doing an incredible disservice to the nation and to President Trump’s legacy.”</p><p>Cassidy&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenBillCassidy/status/2015247523003162922" target="_blank">posted on social media</a>: “The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing. The credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake. There must be a full joint federal and state investigation. We can trust the American people with the truth.”</p><p>Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican who is a former chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said on social media he was “troubled by the events that have unfolded in Minneapolis.”</p><p>“As an attorney and former federal prosecutor, I believe a thorough investigation is necessary—both to get to the bottom of these incidents and to maintain Americans’ confidence in our justice system,” he said.</p><p>Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, was among those who said he was troubled by the shooting.</p><p>“I think the death of Americans, what we’re seeing on TV, it’s causing deep concerns over federal tactics and accountability,” Stitt said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “Americans don’t like what they’re seeing right now.”</p><h2>Administration, some allies defend shooting&nbsp;</h2><p>Many others, including Republican senators and Trump administration officials speaking on Sunday talk shows — Noem, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche — defended the agents involved and blamed Pretti and state and local Democrats in Minneapolis.&nbsp;</p><p>“Democrats are now backing out of a bipartisan agreement to fund DHS, which makes sure our border is secure and our immigration laws are enforced,” Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/2015428526829133864" target="_blank">wrote on social media.</a></p><p>“This is reckless and quite frankly, very disappointing. It appears that Democrats are so wedded to supporting people carrying guns trying to interfere with a lawful arrest that they will shut down the government.”</p><p>Patel, on “Sunday Morning Futures” on Fox News, said DHS is investigating the shooting but the FBI is processing physical evidence. “No one who wants to be peaceful shows up in a protest with a firearm that is loaded with two full magazines,” Patel said, referring to reports that Pretti was carrying a handgun for which he had a concealed carry license, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.</p><p>Spokespeople for Collins, Schumer and Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota did not return messages seeking comment Sunday. Senate Democrats were set to meet virtually on Sunday night, according to multiple media reports.</p>

Deadly shooting in Minneapolis could lead to partial government shutdown over ICE funding

By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cami-koons/">Cami Koons</a><br><a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/01/22/house-bill-would-lead-iowa-to-explore-wildlife-overpasses/" target="_blank">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>

An Iowa House subcommittee advanced a bill Thursday that would initiate a state committee to study the feasibility of adding wildlife crossings on certain highways.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ba=HSB562" target="_blank">House Study Bill 562</a>&nbsp;calls for an analysis of animal-vehicle collisions along highways, a ranking of high-crash corridors and suggestions for animal crossing solutions, which could include wildlife overpasses, underpasses or improved fencing along a highway corridor.

Wildlife overpasses are popular in some&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nina.no/english/About-NINA/News/article/wildlife-overpass-in-trondheim-norway-enhances-habitat-connectivity" target="_blank">European</a>&nbsp;countries and have been adopted in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/world-s-largest-wildlife-crossing-set-to-open-this-fall-price-tag-climbs/ar-AA1Ueapq" target="_blank">handful</a>&nbsp;of U.S. states.&nbsp;

At the end of 2025, Colorado completed a wildlife overpass across a stretch of Interstate 25 between Denver and Colorado Springs. According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.codot.gov/projects/archives/i25greenlandwildlifeoverpass" target="_blank">state transportation department</a>, the $15 million project was completed within a year and it, combined with wildlife underpasses and other crossing systems, is expected to reduce animal collisions along the stretch of interstate by 90%.&nbsp;

Several environmental and wildlife conservation groups, including the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter, Humane World for Animals and Animal Rescue League Iowa, registered in support of the bill.&nbsp;

Humane World for Animals’ Iowa State Director Preston Moore said in an emailed statement that as human development continues to expand, wildlife are left with fewer “wild and open spaces.”&nbsp;

“Developing safe wildlife road crossings as well as restoring and conserving critical habitat and wildlife corridors are essential to ensure wildlife are protected from increased human development and climate change,” Moore said. “Road development and vehicle collisions with wildlife can be quite damaging to populations, especially those that are already small and fragile.”&nbsp;

According to a 2024 population density&nbsp;<a href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/DF/1462727.pdf" target="_blank">survey</a>&nbsp;conducted by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources,&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/10/11/iowa-dnr-releases-first-county-level-deer-density-report/" target="_blank">deer cause at least $129 million&nbsp;</a>in vehicle collision costs in Iowa annually.

Moore said while deer account for the vast majority of animal-vehicle collisions, “many other species are struck on roadways.”&nbsp;

The bill also calls for the development of a grant request strategy aligned with the federal department of transportation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/wildlife-crossings" target="_blank">wildlife crossing program</a>.&nbsp;

State natural resources and transportation department directors would be asked to serve on the study committee. Rep. Norlin Mommsen, R-DeWitt, chaired the House subcommittee and asked if lower-level staff from the departments should instead sit on the committee.&nbsp;

“We’re pulling in all the directors for – I’m not trying to minimize – but is this the best use of state resources?” Mommsen asked.&nbsp;

Subcommittee members asked for additional information about animal-vehicle collisions in the state and on the success of wildlife overpasses. Mommsen advanced the bill, but said he would speak with additional stakeholders about it.&nbsp;

This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/01/22/house-bill-would-lead-iowa-to-explore-wildlife-overpasses/" target="_blank">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Nebraska Examiner, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

<p>By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cami-koons/">Cami Koons</a><br><a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/01/22/house-bill-would-lead-iowa-to-explore-wildlife-overpasses/" target="_blank">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a></p><p>An Iowa House subcommittee advanced a bill Thursday that would initiate a state committee to study the feasibility of adding wildlife crossings on certain highways.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ba=HSB562" target="_blank">House Study Bill 562</a>&nbsp;calls for an analysis of animal-vehicle collisions along highways, a ranking of high-crash corridors and suggestions for animal crossing solutions, which could include wildlife overpasses, underpasses or improved fencing along a highway corridor.</p><p>Wildlife overpasses are popular in some&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nina.no/english/About-NINA/News/article/wildlife-overpass-in-trondheim-norway-enhances-habitat-connectivity" target="_blank">European</a>&nbsp;countries and have been adopted in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/world-s-largest-wildlife-crossing-set-to-open-this-fall-price-tag-climbs/ar-AA1Ueapq" target="_blank">handful</a>&nbsp;of U.S. states.&nbsp;</p><p>At the end of 2025, Colorado completed a wildlife overpass across a stretch of Interstate 25 between Denver and Colorado Springs. According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.codot.gov/projects/archives/i25greenlandwildlifeoverpass" target="_blank">state transportation department</a>, the $15 million project was completed within a year and it, combined with wildlife underpasses and other crossing systems, is expected to reduce animal collisions along the stretch of interstate by 90%.&nbsp;</p><p>Several environmental and wildlife conservation groups, including the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter, Humane World for Animals and Animal Rescue League Iowa, registered in support of the bill.&nbsp;</p><p>Humane World for Animals’ Iowa State Director Preston Moore said in an emailed statement that as human development continues to expand, wildlife are left with fewer “wild and open spaces.”&nbsp;</p><p>“Developing safe wildlife road crossings as well as restoring and conserving critical habitat and wildlife corridors are essential to ensure wildlife are protected from increased human development and climate change,” Moore said. “Road development and vehicle collisions with wildlife can be quite damaging to populations, especially those that are already small and fragile.”&nbsp;</p><p>According to a 2024 population density&nbsp;<a href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/DF/1462727.pdf" target="_blank">survey</a>&nbsp;conducted by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources,&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/10/11/iowa-dnr-releases-first-county-level-deer-density-report/" target="_blank">deer cause at least $129 million&nbsp;</a>in vehicle collision costs in Iowa annually.</p><p>Moore said while deer account for the vast majority of animal-vehicle collisions, “many other species are struck on roadways.”&nbsp;</p><p>The bill also calls for the development of a grant request strategy aligned with the federal department of transportation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/wildlife-crossings" target="_blank">wildlife crossing program</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>State natural resources and transportation department directors would be asked to serve on the study committee. Rep. Norlin Mommsen, R-DeWitt, chaired the House subcommittee and asked if lower-level staff from the departments should instead sit on the committee.&nbsp;</p><p>“We’re pulling in all the directors for – I’m not trying to minimize – but is this the best use of state resources?” Mommsen asked.&nbsp;</p><p>Subcommittee members asked for additional information about animal-vehicle collisions in the state and on the success of wildlife overpasses. Mommsen advanced the bill, but said he would speak with additional stakeholders about it.&nbsp;</p><p>This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/01/22/house-bill-would-lead-iowa-to-explore-wildlife-overpasses/" target="_blank">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Nebraska Examiner, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.</p>

House bill would lead Iowa to explore wildlife overpasses

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">DHS Secretary Kristi Noem (<a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sec_Noem</a>) on Minneapolis shooting: &quot;This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/feQF14gZWh">pic.twitter.com/feQF14gZWh</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2015191779675423218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Q: &quot;Did he brandish a gun? At what point did law enforcement retrieve the gun and also the magazines...?<br><br>Secretary Noem: &quot;This individual showed up to impede a law enforcement operation and assaulted our officers. They responded according to their training...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/vPRUsBIBru">pic.twitter.com/vPRUsBIBru</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2015193659595977150?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Today, DHS law enforcement was conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault.<br><br>During the operation, an individual approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. The officers attempted to disarm the… <a href="https://t.co/i0bsQY3i5O">pic.twitter.com/i0bsQY3i5O</a></p>&mdash; Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/2015202988923711951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sec_Noem</a>: &quot;This individual came with a weapon, and dozens of rounds of ammunition, and attacked THEM.&quot; <br><br>&quot;Don&#39;t let political corrupt leaders who are just trying to cover up their theft of American taxpayer dollars try to distract you from the facts of the situation.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/DGZykTiILS">pic.twitter.com/DGZykTiILS</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2015197852004241459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sec_Noem</a>: &quot;The two things that we&#39;ve asked <a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovTimWalz</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorFrey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MayorFrey</a> for is that they would partner with us and before they let somebody dangerous out of their jails, that they would let us know so we can deport them out of our country. I do not know why they continue to… <a href="https://t.co/tCmSKMWbD4">pic.twitter.com/tCmSKMWbD4</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2015196395267895670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥What DHS Secretary Noem said about the fatal CBP shooting 

By Cindy Gonzalez<br><a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — Nebraska officials seek to sweeten corporate tax incentives that spur job growth in the state, targeting Union Pacific Railroad in particular as it merges with another railroad giant that just five years ago opened a new headquarters in Atlanta.

Gov. Jim Pillen, Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr., and the heads of the Omaha and Nebraska business chambers of commerce held a news conference in Omaha Friday touting&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LB1165.pdf" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 1165</a>, newly introduced by State Sen. Brad von Gillern on behalf of the Pillen administration.

Dubbed the “Grow the Good Life Act,” the proposal modifies three existing business incentive laws. Key changes ensure that a large employer undergoing a merger or acquisition gains benefits that might encourage them to stay and grow in Nebraska, said von Gillern, chair of the Legislature’s Revenue Committee.

While U.P. is not identified by name, portions of the bill appear tailor-made for the Omaha-based railroad company as it seeks federal approval of an $85 billion merger with Georgia-based Norfolk Southern to create the nation’s first single-line coast-to-coast rail system. The merged systems would create a combined enterprise of more than $250 billion.

The union of two Fortune 500 transportation companies faces opponents and saw a setback recently when the Surface Transportation Board rejected an initial application as incomplete. U.P. said it will provide the necessary information.&nbsp;

On Friday, Pillen proclaimed as “groundbreaking” the initiative that addresses&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/12/08/brain-drain-alarm-escalates-omaha-and-business-leaders-flag-job-lag/">pressure business groups</a>&nbsp;have put on his administration to focus more on economic development, as he has concentrated on property tax relief measures.

This is more aggressive and assertive than anything we’ve ever done before,” Pillen said at the event, which used vintage U.P. railcars as a backdrop at Omaha’s Durham Museum.

An estimated cost has yet to be attached to the new incentives, said von Gillern, who emphasized that provisions were sure to change as the measure advances through the law-making process.&nbsp;

He called it a pay-for-performance plan — “not welfare, not a give-away.”

Ewing said he hopes for a “Super Bowl” business climate.&nbsp;

“We have to run new plays. We have to expect to win companies, jobs and people,” the mayor said. “We’ve got to be willing to have the courage to go for it on fourth down.”

In response to a reporter’s question, Pillen said the state had not negotiated an incentive package with U.P. He said other businesses could benefit from the legislation as well, and mentioned HDR and Kiewit Corp. as among growing companies that could perhaps tap revamped incentives.

U.P., in a statement to the Examiner, said the railroad was “excited to grow with Nebraska.”&nbsp;

“We support Governor Pillen and the Legislature’s goals of attracting and retaining high-paying jobs in the state.”

Upon announcing the acquisition plan last July, U.P. leaders said the combined company would be headquartered in Omaha and that Atlanta will remain a “core location” with a focus on technology, operations and innovation.&nbsp;

U.P. employs more than 5,500 people in Nebraska (about 33,000 nationwide) and operates more than 1,000 miles of track in the state. The railroad has maintained operational headquarters in Omaha for more than 160 years, and moved into a then-new downtown Omaha headquarters in 2004.

Nationally, Norfolk Southern has more than 20,000 employees, with more than 3,000 at its Atlanta headquarters that the company opened in 2021.

Von Gillern said possible relocation should be a concern, noting that Georgia has been “very aggressive “with incentive offerings. He said the Norfolk Southern Atlanta campus is “pretty stunning.”

“We have to be ahead of our competition,” von Gillern said. “This bill will benefit the employees of Union Pacific and Nebraska taxpayers by ensuring that a high-caliber, high-paying great corporate citizen stays here in our home state.”&nbsp;

Incentives laid out in LB 1165 include sales and use tax credits and grants, and modify the Key Employer and Jobs Retention Act, the ImagiNE Act, and Site Building Development Act.

Key provisions apply to private employers in the state that have more than 3,000 full-time workers and an enterprise value of more than $25 billion after a merger. As currently written, von Gillern said, those employers could be eligible for a 10% tax credit for bringing to the state 1,000 full-time jobs with $90,000 salaries over a seven year period.&nbsp;

Another change, not to exceed $5 million in 2026-27 fiscal year, would provide capital improvement grants to employers following a change of ownership.&nbsp;

The Department of Labor also would establish a grant program, not to exceed $300,000 annually for any employer, to provide workforce retention and recruitment support to businesses undergoing an ownership change.

LB 1165 responds to pressure from Nebraska business leaders who have been releasing studies showing the state falling behind some of its peers in job growth and economic development.

Heath Mello, a former senator who had led the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee and is now CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber, said the legislation reflects months of discussion with the Pillen team to retain and expand jobs and talent.

Tax incentives, Mello said, are usually the first thing companies look for in deciding where to build a workforce and commercial enterprise.&nbsp;

He noted that “some of Nebraska’s most iconic employers” currently are navigating major ownership changes, and mentioned U.P.&nbsp;

“This legislation sends a very clear message: Nebraska is prepared to meet change with confidence,” Mello said.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769376691208.png" alt="The Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern Railroads announce plans in July 2025 to create the first transcontinental railroad. (Courtesy of Norfolk Southern)" />
                        <figcaption>The Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern Railroads announce plans in July 2025 to create the first transcontinental railroad. (Courtesy of Norfolk Southern)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By Cindy Gonzalez<br><a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/">Nebraska Examiner</a></p><p>OMAHA — Nebraska officials seek to sweeten corporate tax incentives that spur job growth in the state, targeting Union Pacific Railroad in particular as it merges with another railroad giant that just five years ago opened a new headquarters in Atlanta.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769395723758.jpeg" alt=" Gov. Jim Pillen speaks at a news conference at the Durham Museum in Omaha, with Union Pacific vintage railroad cars as a backdrop. Those attending included State Sen. Brad von Gillern, chair of the Legislature’s Revenue Committee, who introduced an incentives-focused bill on Pillen’s behalf. Shown on far right is Heath Mello, CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and left of von Gillern is Todd Bingham, CEO of Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Also speaking was Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
                        <figcaption> Gov. Jim Pillen speaks at a news conference at the Durham Museum in Omaha, with Union Pacific vintage railroad cars as a backdrop. Those attending included State Sen. Brad von Gillern, chair of the Legislature’s Revenue Committee, who introduced an incentives-focused bill on Pillen’s behalf. Shown on far right is Heath Mello, CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and left of von Gillern is Todd Bingham, CEO of Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Also speaking was Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Gov. Jim Pillen, Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr., and the heads of the Omaha and Nebraska business chambers of commerce held a news conference in Omaha Friday touting&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/109/PDF/Intro/LB1165.pdf" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 1165</a>, newly introduced by State Sen. Brad von Gillern on behalf of the Pillen administration.</p><p>Dubbed the “Grow the Good Life Act,” the proposal modifies three existing business incentive laws. Key changes ensure that a large employer undergoing a merger or acquisition gains benefits that might encourage them to stay and grow in Nebraska, said von Gillern, chair of the Legislature’s Revenue Committee.</p><p>While U.P. is not identified by name, portions of the bill appear tailor-made for the Omaha-based railroad company as it seeks federal approval of an $85 billion merger with Georgia-based Norfolk Southern to create the nation’s first single-line coast-to-coast rail system. The merged systems would create a combined enterprise of more than $250 billion.</p><p>The union of two Fortune 500 transportation companies faces opponents and saw a setback recently when the Surface Transportation Board rejected an initial application as incomplete. U.P. said it will provide the necessary information.&nbsp;</p><h2>‘Aggressive, assertive’</h2><p>On Friday, Pillen proclaimed as “groundbreaking” the initiative that addresses&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/12/08/brain-drain-alarm-escalates-omaha-and-business-leaders-flag-job-lag/">pressure business groups</a>&nbsp;have put on his administration to focus more on economic development, as he has concentrated on property tax relief measures.</p><p>This is more aggressive and assertive than anything we’ve ever done before,” Pillen said at the event, which used vintage U.P. railcars as a backdrop at Omaha’s Durham Museum.</p><p>An estimated cost has yet to be attached to the new incentives, said von Gillern, who emphasized that provisions were sure to change as the measure advances through the law-making process.&nbsp;</p><p>He called it a pay-for-performance plan — “not welfare, not a give-away.”</p><p>Ewing said he hopes for a “Super Bowl” business climate.&nbsp;</p><p>“We have to run new plays. We have to expect to win companies, jobs and people,” the mayor said. “We’ve got to be willing to have the courage to go for it on fourth down.”</p><p>In response to a reporter’s question, Pillen said the state had not negotiated an incentive package with U.P. He said other businesses could benefit from the legislation as well, and mentioned HDR and Kiewit Corp. as among growing companies that could perhaps tap revamped incentives.</p><p>U.P., in a statement to the Examiner, said the railroad was “excited to grow with Nebraska.”&nbsp;</p><p>“We support Governor Pillen and the Legislature’s goals of attracting and retaining high-paying jobs in the state.”</p><p>Upon announcing the acquisition plan last July, U.P. leaders said the combined company would be headquartered in Omaha and that Atlanta will remain a “core location” with a focus on technology, operations and innovation.&nbsp;</p><p>U.P. employs more than 5,500 people in Nebraska (about 33,000 nationwide) and operates more than 1,000 miles of track in the state. The railroad has maintained operational headquarters in Omaha for more than 160 years, and moved into a then-new downtown Omaha headquarters in 2004.</p><p>Nationally, Norfolk Southern has more than 20,000 employees, with more than 3,000 at its Atlanta headquarters that the company opened in 2021.</p><h2>Staying ahead of competition</h2><p>Von Gillern said possible relocation should be a concern, noting that Georgia has been “very aggressive “with incentive offerings. He said the Norfolk Southern Atlanta campus is “pretty stunning.”</p><p>“We have to be ahead of our competition,” von Gillern said. “This bill will benefit the employees of Union Pacific and Nebraska taxpayers by ensuring that a high-caliber, high-paying great corporate citizen stays here in our home state.”&nbsp;</p><p>Incentives laid out in LB 1165 include sales and use tax credits and grants, and modify the Key Employer and Jobs Retention Act, the ImagiNE Act, and Site Building Development Act.</p><p>Key provisions apply to private employers in the state that have more than 3,000 full-time workers and an enterprise value of more than $25 billion after a merger. As currently written, von Gillern said, those employers could be eligible for a 10% tax credit for bringing to the state 1,000 full-time jobs with $90,000 salaries over a seven year period.&nbsp;</p><p>Another change, not to exceed $5 million in 2026-27 fiscal year, would provide capital improvement grants to employers following a change of ownership.&nbsp;</p><p>The Department of Labor also would establish a grant program, not to exceed $300,000 annually for any employer, to provide workforce retention and recruitment support to businesses undergoing an ownership change.</p><p>LB 1165 responds to pressure from Nebraska business leaders who have been releasing studies showing the state falling behind some of its peers in job growth and economic development.</p><h2>Clear message</h2><p>Heath Mello, a former senator who had led the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee and is now CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber, said the legislation reflects months of discussion with the Pillen team to retain and expand jobs and talent.</p><p>Tax incentives, Mello said, are usually the first thing companies look for in deciding where to build a workforce and commercial enterprise.&nbsp;</p><p>He noted that “some of Nebraska’s most iconic employers” currently are navigating major ownership changes, and mentioned U.P.&nbsp;</p><p>“This legislation sends a very clear message: Nebraska is prepared to meet change with confidence,” Mello said.</p>

Nebraska seeks to sweeten corporate incentives, partly to ensure Union Pacific stays and grows

MINNEAPOLIS —At <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/2015115351797780500?t=545">9:05</a>a.m. CST on Saturday, as DHS law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault, an individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.


The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted. More details on the armed struggle are forthcoming. 

Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots. 

Medics on scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject but was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;



The suspect also had 2 magazines and no ID—this looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
About 200 rioters arrived at the scene and began to obstruct and assault law enforcement on the scene, crowd control measures were deployed for the safety of the public and law enforcement.&nbsp;

This situation is evolving, and more information is forthcoming.

<p>MINNEAPOLIS —At <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/2015115351797780500?t=545">9:05</a>a.m. CST on Saturday, as DHS law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault, an individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovTimWalz</a>: &quot;Quit referring to these folks as law enforcement, they are not law enforcement. We have law enforcement.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/vomrqwxILh">pic.twitter.com/vomrqwxILh</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2015166653449765272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/CMDROpAtLargeCA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CMDROpAtLargeCA</a> on the shooting death in Minneapolis: &quot;The agents attempted to disarm the individual, but he violently resisted. Fearing for his life, and the lives and safety of fellow officers, a border patrol agent fired defensive shots.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/2wCjqyPMFe">pic.twitter.com/2wCjqyPMFe</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2015166010668490834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovTimWalz</a>: &quot;This federal occupation of Minnesota long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement. It&#39;s a campaign of organized brutality against the people of our state and today that campaign claimed another life...Donald Trump...remove this force from Minnesota!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/hoMTy060Sr">pic.twitter.com/hoMTy060Sr</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2015166113361834463?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/CMDROpAtLargeCA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CMDROpAtLargeCA</a> in Minneapolis: &quot;An individual approached U.S. Border Patrol agents with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. The agents attempted to disarm the individual, but he violently resisted. Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, a Border Patrol… <a href="https://t.co/drOu5FQMSZ">pic.twitter.com/drOu5FQMSZ</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2015142522016735281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">At 9:05 AM CT, as DHS law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault, an individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, seen here. <br><br>The officers attempted to… <a href="https://t.co/5Y50mYONGH">pic.twitter.com/5Y50mYONGH</a></p>&mdash; Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/2015115351797780500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>
The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted. More details on the armed struggle are forthcoming. 

Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots. </p><p>Medics on scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject but was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;
</p><p>
The suspect also had 2 magazines and no ID—this looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
About 200 rioters arrived at the scene and began to obstruct and assault law enforcement on the scene, crowd control measures were deployed for the safety of the public and law enforcement.&nbsp;

This situation is evolving, and more information is forthcoming.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Minneapolis <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorFrey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MayorFrey</a>: &quot;I just saw a video of more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents and shooting him to death. How many more residents, how many more Americans need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/DgEo5mpm2N">pic.twitter.com/DgEo5mpm2N</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2015132705248215174?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥DHS: Man shot by federal agents in Minneapolis has died

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> at the March For Life: &quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/SLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SLOTUS</a> and I announced this week that we&#39;re expecting our 4th, and it will be our 3rd baby boy, so we&#39;ll take whatever prayers you can give — we certainly need them.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/0NWAsCsQLb">pic.twitter.com/0NWAsCsQLb</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2014751902957715919?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> at the March For Life: &quot;All of us in the Trump administration from the President on down, we thank you for your prayers, we thank you for your perseverance, and we thank you that for today, we are ALL marching for life.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/X8ID6xiPaY">pic.twitter.com/X8ID6xiPaY</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2014752695836356709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> delivered, and his Supreme Court Justices delivered, the most important Supreme Court decision of my lifetime — because what the Dobbs decision did was put a definitive end to the tyranny of judicial rule on the question of human life. <a href="https://t.co/F8pcViTZlh">pic.twitter.com/F8pcViTZlh</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2014753301854617692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;Under this administration... you have an ally in the White House!&quot;<br><br>At the March For Life, <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> touts some of the many pro-life victories achieved in the first year of the Trump Administration: <a href="https://t.co/XPSU9JZKsB">pic.twitter.com/XPSU9JZKsB</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2014756011182100937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &quot;Today, the Far-Left in this country tells our young people that marriage and children are obstacles—that it&#39;s irresponsible, even immoral...to encourage our young people to raise a family... But we here at this march, we know that it&#39;s a lie. We know that life is a gift.… <a href="https://t.co/JT90ktvV9S">pic.twitter.com/JT90ktvV9S</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2014756657281032500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥March for Life: Vance touts Trump admin. record against abortion

On Jan. 23, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations, according to a statement from the U.S. Southern Command.

 Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Two narco-terrorists were killed and one survived the strike. Following the engagement, U.S. Southern Command immediately notified the Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor.&nbsp;

<p>On Jan. 23, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations, according to a statement from the U.S. Southern Command.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">On Jan. 23, at the direction of <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a> Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern… <a href="https://t.co/BzeBBapfMQ">pic.twitter.com/BzeBBapfMQ</a></p>&mdash; U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/2014825085425877224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p> Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Two narco-terrorists were killed and one survived the strike. Following the engagement, U.S. Southern Command immediately notified the Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor.&nbsp;</p>

🎥US carries out first deadly strike on drug boat since Maduro’s capture

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>

WASHINGTON — The House Thursday passed four appropriations bills to fund the government and avert a partial shutdown, but Democrats largely objected to spending on the Department of Homeland Security amid aggressive immigration enforcement in communities across the country.&nbsp;

Democrats have pushed for tougher oversight of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. In addition,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/progressives-congress-vow-oppose-immigration-enforcement-funding" target="_blank">members of the progressive wing</a>&nbsp;of the caucus vowed to not approve any funding for DHS after federal immigration agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis earlier this month.&nbsp;

The 37-year-old mother’s death led to massive community protests and&nbsp; thousands of ICE agents have aggressively descended into Minnesota.

“(Homeland Security Secretary) Kristi Noem and ICE are out of control,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement. “Taxpayer dollars are being misused to brutalize U.S. citizens, including the tragic killing of Renee Nicole Good. This extremism must end.”&nbsp;

<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20260119/DEF%20LHHS%20HS%20THUD%20-%20Bill%20Text%20-%201-19-2026.PDF" target="_blank">The four bills</a>&nbsp;— Defense; Homeland Security; Labor, Health and Human Services and Education; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development — are the last remaining appropriations bills needed to avoid a partial government shutdown by Jan. 30.&nbsp;

The Homeland Security funding bill passed&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202642?Page=2" target="_blank">220-207</a>. The remaining bills passed&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202645?Page=2" target="_blank">341-88.</a>

Democrats who joined Republicans in voting for the Homeland Security bill included Reps. Jared Gold of Maine,&nbsp;Henry&nbsp;Cuellar of Texas, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington state, Tom Suozzi of New York, Don Davis of North Carolina, Laura Gillen of New York and&nbsp;Vicente Gonzalez of Texas.

Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky voted against the DHS funding bill.

Separately, GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx, chairwoman of the Rules Committee, added a provision to repeal a law that allows members of the U.S. Senate to sue for up to half a million dollars if their phone records were obtained by special counsel Jack Smith during his investigation into President Donald Trump’s efforts to subvert the 2020 presidential election. In a rare move, the&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202640" target="_blank">provision passed unanimously.&nbsp;</a>

Smith was also on Capitol Hill Thursday to testify about his investigation before lawmakers on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.&nbsp;

The Senate will take up the appropriations bills when senators return from recess next week.

What does the Homeland Security bill include?

The Homeland Security bill provides $64.4 billion in funding for fiscal year 2026. It cuts funding for Customs and Border Protection by $1.3 billion, and maintains flat funding for ICE at $10 billion.

It also requires DHS to provide monthly updates on how the agency is spending the $190 billion it received from the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” the president’s signature tax and spending cuts package signed into law last summer.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The bill also restricts ICE to spending only $3.8 billion of its fiscal budget on detention. However, the agency will still be able to pull $75 billion from OBBBA, including for detention.

Most Dems say they can’t back any ICE funding

During Thursday’s debate of the bill, Republicans supported the Homeland Security bill, and argued that it contains other agencies beside immigration enforcement.&nbsp;

But a majority of Democrats said they could not vote to approve the agency’s funding because of ICE’s actions.

“I think we should look at the bill in its totality,” GOP Appropriations Chair Tom Cole of Oklahoma said. “Encouraging people to believe we have massive bad actors in a particular agency… comparing law enforcement officers to the Gestapo or Nazis, that’s not true. The right thing to do is to fund the people who protect America.”

Foxx criticized Democrats for their concerns over ICE enforcement tactics. On the House floor, she defended the agency, arguing that “ICE agents are arresting some of the worst criminals imaginable.”

“The issue is that ICE is terrorizing communities and attacking people, including U.S. citizens,” countered the top Democrat on the Rules Committee, Jim McGovern of Massachusetts. “This is an out-of-control agency at war with communities across the country and they don’t give a damn that you are a U.S. citizen.”

The top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, said he could not support voting for the bill because the Trump administration has weaponized the agency and “DHS has strayed from its core mission.”

“Republicans in control of Congress, however, are conducting zero oversight and do nothing but send blank check after blank check to DHS,” he said in a statement. “I have consistently supported the DHS workforce over the past two decades and continue to do so, but I cannot – in good conscience – vote to send another dime to CBP and ICE as they terrorize our communities and sully the constitution.”

Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said she will vote against the bill, even though she is proud of several provisions, such as the increase to Federal Emergency Management Agency funding and a pay raise for air traffic controllers.&nbsp;

But, she said, “It is impossible to ignore the impact ICE has had.”

“ICE is an agency that has shown itself to be lawless,” she said.

GOP Rep. Mark Amodei of Nevada, the chair of the panel that deals with funding for Homeland Security, defended the funding bill, and noted that it provides immigration officers with body cameras. He said funds are also provided in the measure for the Coast Guard and agencies dealing with cybersecurity.&nbsp;

Cuellar of Texas, the top Democrat on that same panel, acknowledged that “this bill is not perfect.”&nbsp;

“It’s better than the alternative, leaving the department with a blank check,” he said. “This bill flat funds ICE but at the same time, we strengthen oversight of ICE.”

Minnesota Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum said the ICE enforcement in Minnesota and across the country is one of the “worst cases of civil rights violations by the federal government in recent history.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Minnesotans are being racially profiled on a mass scale, assaulted on our streets, kidnapped from our communities,” she said.&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768672710821.png" alt="Photo U.S. Homeland Security" />
                        <figcaption>Photo U.S. Homeland Security</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a></p><p>WASHINGTON — The House Thursday passed four appropriations bills to fund the government and avert a partial shutdown, but Democrats largely objected to spending on the Department of Homeland Security amid aggressive immigration enforcement in communities across the country.&nbsp;</p><p>Democrats have pushed for tougher oversight of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. In addition,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/progressives-congress-vow-oppose-immigration-enforcement-funding" target="_blank">members of the progressive wing</a>&nbsp;of the caucus vowed to not approve any funding for DHS after federal immigration agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis earlier this month.&nbsp;</p><p>The 37-year-old mother’s death led to massive community protests and&nbsp; thousands of ICE agents have aggressively descended into Minnesota.</p><p>“(Homeland Security Secretary) Kristi Noem and ICE are out of control,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement. “Taxpayer dollars are being misused to brutalize U.S. citizens, including the tragic killing of Renee Nicole Good. This extremism must end.”&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20260119/DEF%20LHHS%20HS%20THUD%20-%20Bill%20Text%20-%201-19-2026.PDF" target="_blank">The four bills</a>&nbsp;— Defense; Homeland Security; Labor, Health and Human Services and Education; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development — are the last remaining appropriations bills needed to avoid a partial government shutdown by Jan. 30.&nbsp;</p><p>The Homeland Security funding bill passed&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202642?Page=2" target="_blank">220-207</a>. The remaining bills passed&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202645?Page=2" target="_blank">341-88.</a></p><p>Democrats who joined Republicans in voting for the Homeland Security bill included Reps. Jared Gold of Maine,&nbsp;Henry&nbsp;Cuellar of Texas, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington state, Tom Suozzi of New York, Don Davis of North Carolina, Laura Gillen of New York and&nbsp;Vicente Gonzalez of Texas.</p><p>Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky voted against the DHS funding bill.</p><p>Separately, GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx, chairwoman of the Rules Committee, added a provision to repeal a law that allows members of the U.S. Senate to sue for up to half a million dollars if their phone records were obtained by special counsel Jack Smith during his investigation into President Donald Trump’s efforts to subvert the 2020 presidential election. In a rare move, the&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202640" target="_blank">provision passed unanimously.&nbsp;</a></p><p>Smith was also on Capitol Hill Thursday to testify about his investigation before lawmakers on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.&nbsp;</p><p>The Senate will take up the appropriations bills when senators return from recess next week.</p><h2>What does the Homeland Security bill include?</h2><p>The Homeland Security bill provides $64.4 billion in funding for fiscal year 2026. It cuts funding for Customs and Border Protection by $1.3 billion, and maintains flat funding for ICE at $10 billion.</p><p>The bill attempts to put guardrails around immigration enforcement by allocating $20 million for body cameras for ICE and CBP officers.&nbsp;</p><p>It also requires DHS to provide monthly updates on how the agency is spending the $190 billion it received from the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” the president’s signature tax and spending cuts package signed into law last summer.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The bill also restricts ICE to spending only $3.8 billion of its fiscal budget on detention. However, the agency will still be able to pull $75 billion from OBBBA, including for detention.</p><h2>Most Dems say they can’t back any ICE funding</h2><p>During Thursday’s debate of the bill, Republicans supported the Homeland Security bill, and argued that it contains other agencies beside immigration enforcement.&nbsp;</p><p>But a majority of Democrats said they could not vote to approve the agency’s funding because of ICE’s actions.</p><p>“I think we should look at the bill in its totality,” GOP Appropriations Chair Tom Cole of Oklahoma said. “Encouraging people to believe we have massive bad actors in a particular agency… comparing law enforcement officers to the Gestapo or Nazis, that’s not true. The right thing to do is to fund the people who protect America.”</p><p>Foxx criticized Democrats for their concerns over ICE enforcement tactics. On the House floor, she defended the agency, arguing that “ICE agents are arresting some of the worst criminals imaginable.”</p><p>“The issue is that ICE is terrorizing communities and attacking people, including U.S. citizens,” countered the top Democrat on the Rules Committee, Jim McGovern of Massachusetts. “This is an out-of-control agency at war with communities across the country and they don’t give a damn that you are a U.S. citizen.”</p><p>The top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, said he could not support voting for the bill because the Trump administration has weaponized the agency and “DHS has strayed from its core mission.”</p><p>“Republicans in control of Congress, however, are conducting zero oversight and do nothing but send blank check after blank check to DHS,” he said in a statement. “I have consistently supported the DHS workforce over the past two decades and continue to do so, but I cannot – in good conscience – vote to send another dime to CBP and ICE as they terrorize our communities and sully the constitution.”</p><p>Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said she will vote against the bill, even though she is proud of several provisions, such as the increase to Federal Emergency Management Agency funding and a pay raise for air traffic controllers.&nbsp;</p><p>But, she said, “It is impossible to ignore the impact ICE has had.”</p><p>“ICE is an agency that has shown itself to be lawless,” she said.</p><h2>Republicans tout body camera provision</h2><p>GOP Rep. Mark Amodei of Nevada, the chair of the panel that deals with funding for Homeland Security, defended the funding bill, and noted that it provides immigration officers with body cameras. He said funds are also provided in the measure for the Coast Guard and agencies dealing with cybersecurity.&nbsp;</p><p>Cuellar of Texas, the top Democrat on that same panel, acknowledged that “this bill is not perfect.”&nbsp;</p><p>“It’s better than the alternative, leaving the department with a blank check,” he said. “This bill flat funds ICE but at the same time, we strengthen oversight of ICE.”</p><p>Minnesota Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum said the ICE enforcement in Minnesota and across the country is one of the “worst cases of civil rights violations by the federal government in recent history.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“Minnesotans are being racially profiled on a mass scale, assaulted on our streets, kidnapped from our communities,” she said.&nbsp;</p>

Many Dems refuse to vote to fund ICE as US House passes 4 spending bills

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769089086118.png" alt="Image courtesy White House" />
                        <figcaption>Image courtesy White House</figcaption>
                    </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump Participates in the Board of Peace Charter Announcement <a href="https://t.co/CJz0CmePJq">https://t.co/CJz0CmePJq</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2014279910278225942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> arrives for the signing ceremony of the Board of Peace! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/X5mXCxT9NT">pic.twitter.com/X5mXCxT9NT</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/2014283215075246426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Board of Peace signing ceremony! 🕊️ <a href="https://t.co/w92RRIGYnM">pic.twitter.com/w92RRIGYnM</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/2014287123759747504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump thanks each Board of Peace member 🕊️ <a href="https://t.co/2ePy4XkCR7">pic.twitter.com/2ePy4XkCR7</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/2014304577105866883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“We are here today because of President Trump’s vision” <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a> 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/qXnkbuN2Fn">pic.twitter.com/qXnkbuN2Fn</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/2014305225574580385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/jaredkushner?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jaredkushner</a> thanks President Trump for his leadership 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/ncYhJ2SbtP">pic.twitter.com/ncYhJ2SbtP</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/2014308526416396558?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;This board has the chance to be one of the most consequential bodies ever created.&quot; - Board of Peace Chairman, President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/xo7AwSDdeV">pic.twitter.com/xo7AwSDdeV</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2014299643723543021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥President Trump signs his Gaza 'Board of Peace' into being

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced in a social media post Wednesday that he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte brokered a possible agreement on Greenland, though Trump provided few details or a timeline.&nbsp;

Trump’s comments came just hours after he took his case for acquiring the Arctic island to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, urging European leaders to begin negotiations while appearing to rule out a military takeover.&nbsp;

A few hours later, Trump wrote after meeting one-on-one with Rutte that the two “have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region.”&nbsp;

“This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations,” Trump wrote. “Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st.”

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-says-people-will-find-out-how-far-hes-willing-go-acquire-greenland" target="_blank">threatened over the weekend</a>&nbsp;to place a 10% tariff on goods coming into the United States from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom if they continued to oppose his attempts to acquire Greenland. Trump wrote he would increase the tariffs to 25% in June if a deal hadn’t been brokered before then.

Trump wrote in his most recent&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115934734335579278" target="_blank">social media post</a>&nbsp;that further negotiations about Greenland will be handled by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and several other officials.&nbsp;

“Additional discussions are being held concerning The Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland,” Trump wrote, referring to a possible missile defense system. “Further information will be made available as discussions progress.”

Asked by reporters if the framework includes U.S. ownership of Greenland, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/white-house-event/president-trump-comments-on-reported-greenland-deal/672046" target="_blank">declined to say directly</a>.

“It’s a long-term deal. It’s the ultimate long-term deal. And I think it puts everybody in a really good position, especially as it pertains to security and minerals and everything else,” Trump said, later adding it would last “forever.”&nbsp;

Trump insisted during the 75-minute, wide-ranging speech he gave a few hours before his announcement that Greenland represents “a core national security interest” that “would greatly enhance the security of the entire” NATO alliance if it were fully controlled by the United States.&nbsp;

“I’m seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States,” Trump said. “Just as we have acquired many other territories throughout our history, as many of the European nations have … there’s nothing wrong with it.”

Trump signaled he will likely not use the U.S. military to take over Greenland, saying, “I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”

But he indicated any European country that objects to the U.S. making Greenland part of the country will face repercussions.

“You can say ‘yes,’ and we will be very appreciative, or you can say ‘no’ and we will remember,” Trump said.&nbsp;

Greenland would become the site of a missile defense system that Trump refers to as the Golden Dome, which he said could “keep our very energetic and dangerous potential enemies at bay” if the island becomes part of the United States.&nbsp;

Trump repeatedly criticized the other NATO countries during his speech, falsely claiming more than once the United States has never benefited from the military alliance formed following World War II.&nbsp;

“What we have gotten out of NATO is nothing, except to protect Europe from the Soviet Union and now Russia,” Trump said. “I mean, we’ve helped them for so many years.”

The United States is the only country in the history of the alliance&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bushcenter.org/publications/nato-has-invoked-article-5-only-once-in-its-history" target="_blank">to invoke Article 5</a>, which says that an attack against one is an attack against all.

That led NATO countries to send their military members to fight alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan following the 2001 terrorist attacks. More than 1,000 of those NATO troops died,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.911memorial.org/learn/resources/digital-exhibitions/digital-exhibition-revealed-hunt-bin-laden/international-community-responds" target="_blank">according to</a>&nbsp;the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.&nbsp;

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte sought to reassure Trump of NATO’s security commitment to all of its member countries later in the day, when the two met one-on-one during the forum.&nbsp;

“Let me tell you, they will. And they did in Afghanistan, as you know,” Rutte said, according to audio of the exchange shared by the White House pool.

Rutte noted that for “every two Americans who paid the ultimate price, there was one soldier from another NATO country” or Australia.&nbsp;

“So you can be assured, absolutely, if ever the U.S. will be under attack, your allies will be with you. Absolutely. There’s an absolute guarantee,” Rutte said. “I really want to tell you this, because this is important. It pains me if you think it is not.”

Trump told reporters ahead of his meeting with Rutte that he “could see” paying a price for Greenland, though he did not elaborate. He said he had “no idea” when he might speak directly with leaders of Denmark about trying to acquire Greenland. He said he believes Rutte is “frankly more important.”

Trump focused some of his speech in Davos on domestic issues, talking briefly about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/01/stopping-wall-street-from-competing-with-main-street-homebuyers/" target="_blank">an executive order</a>&nbsp;he signed this week focused on the availability of housing within the United States.&nbsp;

“I have signed an executive order banning large institutional investors from buying single-family homes. It’s just not fair to the public. They’re not able to buy a house,” Trump said. “And I’m calling on Congress to pass that ban into permanent law, and I think they will.”

Trump said he wanted to take steps to help Americans afford homes, but that he didn’t want those actions to reduce the value of homes people already own. He didn’t elaborate on how that would work.&nbsp;

“I am very protective of people that already own a house, of which we have millions and millions and millions. And because we have had such a good run, the house values have gone up tremendously, and these people have become wealthy. They weren’t wealthy. They become wealthy because of their house,” he said. “And every time you make it more and more and more affordable for somebody to buy a house cheaply, you’re actually hurting the value of those houses, obviously, because the one thing works in tandem with the other.”

Trump said if he wanted to, he could “really crush the housing market” and decrease housing prices, though he didn’t say how exactly he would go about doing that if he wanted to.&nbsp;

Trump said he’s ordered “government-backed institutions to purchase up to $200 billion in mortgage bonds,” and that he expects to announce a new Federal Reserve chairman “in the not-too-distant future,” who he believes will decrease interest rates. Trump has been feuding over interest rates with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalreservehistory.org/people/jerome-h-powell" target="_blank">Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell</a>, whose term as chair ends in May although Powell can remain as a governor.&nbsp;

Trump also called on Congress to approve legislation that would prevent credit card companies from hiking their interest rates above 10% for one year, saying that would help people save some money that they could use for buying a house.&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769004214648.png" alt="President Trump speaking Wednesday at Davos-Photo by Margo Martin, Special Assistant to the President" />
                        <figcaption>President Trump speaking Wednesday at Davos-Photo by Margo Martin, Special Assistant to the President</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a></p><p>WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced in a social media post Wednesday that he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte brokered a possible agreement on Greenland, though Trump provided few details or a timeline.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on Greenland: &quot;The deal is going to be put out pretty soon... it gets us everything we needed to get.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/S3X95XCm1S">pic.twitter.com/S3X95XCm1S</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2014069502615466111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">🚨 <a href="https://t.co/3FM8el4RAe">pic.twitter.com/3FM8el4RAe</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2014057541215408154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on Greenland: &quot;Well, we have a concept of a deal. I think it’s going to be a very good deal for the United States, also for them, and we&#39;re going to work together on something having to do with the arctic as a whole... it has to do with the security — great security.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/hpCQNmcAjV">pic.twitter.com/hpCQNmcAjV</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2014071312797278380?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Trump’s comments came just hours after he took his case for acquiring the Arctic island to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, urging European leaders to begin negotiations while appearing to rule out a military takeover.&nbsp;</p><p>A few hours later, Trump wrote after meeting one-on-one with Rutte that the two “have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region.”&nbsp;</p><p>“This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations,” Trump wrote. “Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st.”</p><p>Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-says-people-will-find-out-how-far-hes-willing-go-acquire-greenland" target="_blank">threatened over the weekend</a>&nbsp;to place a 10% tariff on goods coming into the United States from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom if they continued to oppose his attempts to acquire Greenland. Trump wrote he would increase the tariffs to 25% in June if a deal hadn’t been brokered before then.</p><p>Trump wrote in his most recent&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115934734335579278" target="_blank">social media post</a>&nbsp;that further negotiations about Greenland will be handled by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and several other officials.&nbsp;</p><p>“Additional discussions are being held concerning The Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland,” Trump wrote, referring to a possible missile defense system. “Further information will be made available as discussions progress.”</p><p>Asked by reporters if the framework includes U.S. ownership of Greenland, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/white-house-event/president-trump-comments-on-reported-greenland-deal/672046" target="_blank">declined to say directly</a>.</p><p>“It’s a long-term deal. It’s the ultimate long-term deal. And I think it puts everybody in a really good position, especially as it pertains to security and minerals and everything else,” Trump said, later adding it would last “forever.”&nbsp;</p><h2>‘I don’t have to use force’</h2><p>Trump insisted during the 75-minute, wide-ranging speech he gave a few hours before his announcement that Greenland represents “a core national security interest” that “would greatly enhance the security of the entire” NATO alliance if it were fully controlled by the United States.&nbsp;</p><p>“I’m seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States,” Trump said. “Just as we have acquired many other territories throughout our history, as many of the European nations have … there’s nothing wrong with it.”</p><p>Trump signaled he will likely not use the U.S. military to take over Greenland, saying, “I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”</p><p>But he indicated any European country that objects to the U.S. making Greenland part of the country will face repercussions.</p><p>“You can say ‘yes,’ and we will be very appreciative, or you can say ‘no’ and we will remember,” Trump said.&nbsp;</p><p>Greenland would become the site of a missile defense system that Trump refers to as the Golden Dome, which he said could “keep our very energetic and dangerous potential enemies at bay” if the island becomes part of the United States.&nbsp;</p><h2>Trump bashes NATO</h2><p>Trump repeatedly criticized the other NATO countries during his speech, falsely claiming more than once the United States has never benefited from the military alliance formed following World War II.&nbsp;</p><p>“What we have gotten out of NATO is nothing, except to protect Europe from the Soviet Union and now Russia,” Trump said. “I mean, we’ve helped them for so many years.”</p><p>The United States is the only country in the history of the alliance&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bushcenter.org/publications/nato-has-invoked-article-5-only-once-in-its-history" target="_blank">to invoke Article 5</a>, which says that an attack against one is an attack against all.</p><p>That led NATO countries to send their military members to fight alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan following the 2001 terrorist attacks. More than 1,000 of those NATO troops died,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.911memorial.org/learn/resources/digital-exhibitions/digital-exhibition-revealed-hunt-bin-laden/international-community-responds" target="_blank">according to</a>&nbsp;the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.&nbsp;</p><p>NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte sought to reassure Trump of NATO’s security commitment to all of its member countries later in the day, when the two met one-on-one during the forum.&nbsp;</p><p>“Let me tell you, they will. And they did in Afghanistan, as you know,” Rutte said, according to audio of the exchange shared by the White House pool.</p><p>Rutte noted that for “every two Americans who paid the ultimate price, there was one soldier from another NATO country” or Australia.&nbsp;</p><p>“So you can be assured, absolutely, if ever the U.S. will be under attack, your allies will be with you. Absolutely. There’s an absolute guarantee,” Rutte said. “I really want to tell you this, because this is important. It pains me if you think it is not.”</p><p>Trump told reporters ahead of his meeting with Rutte that he “could see” paying a price for Greenland, though he did not elaborate. He said he had “no idea” when he might speak directly with leaders of Denmark about trying to acquire Greenland. He said he believes Rutte is “frankly more important.”</p><h2>Investors and single-family homes</h2><p>Trump focused some of his speech in Davos on domestic issues, talking briefly about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/01/stopping-wall-street-from-competing-with-main-street-homebuyers/" target="_blank">an executive order</a>&nbsp;he signed this week focused on the availability of housing within the United States.&nbsp;</p><p>“I have signed an executive order banning large institutional investors from buying single-family homes. It’s just not fair to the public. They’re not able to buy a house,” Trump said. “And I’m calling on Congress to pass that ban into permanent law, and I think they will.”</p><p>Trump said he wanted to take steps to help Americans afford homes, but that he didn’t want those actions to reduce the value of homes people already own. He didn’t elaborate on how that would work.&nbsp;</p><p>“I am very protective of people that already own a house, of which we have millions and millions and millions. And because we have had such a good run, the house values have gone up tremendously, and these people have become wealthy. They weren’t wealthy. They become wealthy because of their house,” he said. “And every time you make it more and more and more affordable for somebody to buy a house cheaply, you’re actually hurting the value of those houses, obviously, because the one thing works in tandem with the other.”</p><p>Trump said if he wanted to, he could “really crush the housing market” and decrease housing prices, though he didn’t say how exactly he would go about doing that if he wanted to.&nbsp;</p><p>Trump said he’s ordered “government-backed institutions to purchase up to $200 billion in mortgage bonds,” and that he expects to announce a new Federal Reserve chairman “in the not-too-distant future,” who he believes will decrease interest rates. Trump has been feuding over interest rates with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalreservehistory.org/people/jerome-h-powell" target="_blank">Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell</a>, whose term as chair ends in May although Powell can remain as a governor.&nbsp;</p><p>Trump also called on Congress to approve legislation that would prevent credit card companies from hiking their interest rates above 10% for one year, saying that would help people save some money that they could use for buying a house.&nbsp;</p>

Trump announces ‘framework of a deal’ on Greenland, relents on 8-nation tariffs

Through Operation Souther Spear, the Department of War is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard,Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department.&nbsp; 

Tuesday morning, U.S. military forces, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended Motor Vessel Sagitta without incident, according to a social media report from the U.S. Southern Command. 

"The apprehension of another tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean demonstrates our resolve to ensure that the only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully."

"As the joint force operates in the Western Hemisphere, we reaffirm that the security of the American people is paramount, demonstrating our commitment to safety and stability.

These operations are backed by the full power our elite joint force team deployed in the Caribbean."

<p>Through Operation Souther Spear, the Department of War is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard,Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department.&nbsp; </p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Through <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OpSouthernSpear?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OpSouthernSpear</a>, the <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeptofWar</a> is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere in partnership with <a href="https://twitter.com/USCG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USCG</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DHSgov</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheJusticeDept</a>.<br><br>This morning, U.S. military forces, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended… <a href="https://t.co/UPADtiw681">pic.twitter.com/UPADtiw681</a></p>&mdash; U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/2013718812424630376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Tuesday morning, U.S. military forces, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended Motor Vessel Sagitta without incident, according to a social media report from the U.S. Southern Command. </p><p>"The apprehension of another tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean demonstrates our resolve to ensure that the only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully."</p><p>"As the joint force operates in the Western Hemisphere, we reaffirm that the security of the American people is paramount, demonstrating our commitment to safety and stability.

These operations are backed by the full power our elite joint force team deployed in the Caribbean."</p>