★★ My Country, 'Tis of Thee mikepasini.com about
A S C R A P B O O K O F R E P O R T I N G O N T H E C O U N T R Y
Friday
6 Feb 2026
UPDATED
Fri 4:14 pm PST
My country, 'tis of thee,
sweet land of liberty,
of thee I sing:
land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrims' pride,
from every mountainside
let freedom ring!
No more shall tyrants here
With haughty steps appear,
And soldier bands;
No more shall tyrants tread
Above the patriot dead—
No more our blood be shed
By alien hands.
Let music swell the breeze,
and ring from all the trees
sweet freedom's song:
let mortal tongues awake,
let all that breathe partake;
let rocks their silence break,
the sound prolong.
Samuel Smith
1831
Beyond the headlines, these interviews and reports detail with lucidity what's happening now in the United States. A brief intro follows the head that takes you directly to the story, video or audio recording. Dotted red lines are day breaks.
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January January F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 6
Trump Says He'll Free Infrastructure Funds for New York if Penn Station Is Renamed After HimThe Guardian
CHRIS STEIN
ReportingDonald Trump has told the Senate's top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, that he will unfreeze funds for major infrastructure projects in New York and New Jersey if he supports renaming Dulles international airport in Virginia and Penn Station in New York City after him, according to media reports. The demand, which was first reported on Thursday by Punchbowl News, comes after the president in October halted $18bn in funding for a major subway line expansion in New York City as well as a new rail tunnel connecting the city to New Jersey. The funding freeze was announced on the first day of a 43-day government shutdown in which Schumer, who represents New York, played a major role.
Trump Administration's Visa Freeze Upends Work and Life for Many U.S. FamiliesPBS News Hour
LIZ LANDERS
ReportingThis week, the Trump administration was sued for a sweeping pause of immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries. The freeze, which began last month, comes on top of full or partial travel and visa restrictions on citizens from 39 countries. We hear from some of the people left in limbo by the bans and suspensions and Liz Landers speaks with David Bier at the Cato Institute for more.
How Effective Will TrumpRX Be at Lowering Prescription Drug Prices for Americans?PBS News Hour
STEPHANIE SY
ReportingTrumpRX is now online. The new Web site lists drugs at reduced rates, with coupon codes to be used at participating pharmacies or directly through manufacturers' sites. It's part of Trump's pledge to lower prescription drug prices, but health policy experts caution the impact will likely be muted for many Americans. Stephanie Sy speaks with Washington Post reporter Dan Diamond for more.
A Drop in CDC Health Alerts Leaves Doctors 'Flying Blind'All Things Considered
ROB STEIN
ReportingThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been alerting the nation about health threats much less frequently since President Trump returned to office, raising concerns among doctors and public health authorities. The CDC issued just six alerts from the agency's Health Alert Network in 2025. The number of these HANs, as the alerts are known, varies from year to year. But the agency typically issues many more -- sometimes dozens. "We're absolutely flying blind," says Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. "We're blind to a whole range of health risks that are entering our community or re-emerging in our community."
U.S. Moves to Deport 5-Year-Old Detained in MinnesotaReuters
JASPER WARD
ReportingThe U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on Friday it is seeking to deport a 5-year-old Ecuadorean boy who was detained in Minnesota last month. The department, which has federal oversight of immigration enforcement, denied that it was seeking expedited removal after a lawyer for the boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, told the New York Times that the Trump administration was seeking an expedited deportation. The lawyer, Danielle Molliver, described the move as "extraordinary" and possibly "retaliatory." Department spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, "These are regular removal proceedings." She added, "This is standard procedure and there is nothing retaliatory about enforcing the nation's immigration laws."
Trump's Racist Post About Obamas Is Deleted After Backlash Despite White House Earlier Defending ItThe Associated Press
BILL BARROW
JOSH BOAK
ReportingPresident Trump's racist social media post featuring former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, as primates in a jungle was deleted after a backlash from both Republicans and Democrats who criticized the video as offensive. The Republican president's Thursday night post was deleted Friday and blamed on a staffer after widespread backlash, from civil rights leaders to veteran Republican senators, for its treatment of the nation's first Black president and first lady. The deletion, a rare admission of a misstep by the White House, came hours after press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed "fake outrage" over the post. After calls for its removal for being racist -- including by Republicans -- the White House said a staffer had posted the video erroneously and it had been taken down. The post was part of a flurry of social media activity on Trump's Truth Social account that amplified his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, despite courts around the country and a Trump attorney general from his first term finding no evidence of fraud that could have affected the outcome.
With Funding Deadline Days Away, Lawmakers Debate Reforms to Immigration EnforcementNPR Morning Edition
CLAUDIA GRISALES
LEILA FADEL
ReportingThe clock is ticking for the Department of Homeland Security. The agency is days away from running out of funding, but Democrats and Republicans remain far apart on changes to immigration enforcement.
In Trump's War on Global Justice, Court Staff and U.N. Face Terrorist‑Grade SanctionsReuters
ANDREW MARSHALL
HUMEYRA PAMUK
JOHN SHIFFMAN
S. VAN DEN BERG
ReportingThe Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court staff for their "illegitimate and baseless" attempts to investigate alleged crimes by Israel's leaders in Gaza and by U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan. The U.S. State Department said Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur for Palestine, had encouraged the ICC to investigate American companies and executives after making "extreme and unfounded accusations" in her letters to them. "We will not tolerate these campaigns of political and economic warfare," it said in a statement announcing the sanctions. But Reuters found deep divisions within the U.S. government over the scope and timing of the sanctions against Albanese and the ICC. The plan to punish them was hatched in November 2024, when Trump was re-elected and the ICC indicted his ally, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. While some career U.S. diplomats urged restraint, senior Trump appointees pressed for tougher measures to cripple the ICC and punish Albanese. In addition to Albanese, the Trump administration sanctioned eight ICC judges and three prosecutors last year, in a blow to international judicial and human rights bodies.
Trump Administration Names 33 New Immigration Judges, Most With Military BackgroundsReuters
NATE RAYMOND
ReportingThe Justice Department has hired 33 new immigration judges, including 27 temporary ones, after firing or pushing out more than 100 others as the Trump administration seeks out new recruits to serve as what it dubs "deportation judges." The Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review said the new immigration judges were sworn in on Thursday, following the October hiring of 36 immigration judges, including 25 temporary ones, after months of workforce cuts. The new judges will serve in immigration courts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington. Half of the new permanent judges have a military background, as do 100 percent of the temporary judges who can serve up to six months. The immigration courts face a backlog of about 3.2 million cases as of Dec. 31, according to data from Mobile Pathways, a nonprofit that analyzes immigration court data and promotes access to justice for immigrants.
Previously on My Country, 'Tis of Thee...We've archived 278 legitimate stories January, 211 in December, 219 in November, 290 in October, 268 in September, 293 in August, 272 in July, 253 in June, 308 in May, 277 in April, 110 in March and 9 in February. Access them from the blue monthly title bar above.
Russia Says It Regrets Expiration of Last Nuclear Arms Treaty, but Trump Says He Wants a New PactPBS News Hour
VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
ReportingThe Kremlin said Thursday it regretted the expiration of the last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States, while U.S. President Trump declared he was against keeping its limits and wants a better deal. The pact's termination left no caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century, fueling fears of an unconstrained nuclear arms race. Russian President Vladimir Putin last year declared his readiness to stick to the treaty's limits for another year if Washington followed suit, but Trump has ignored the offer and argued that he wants China to be a part of a new pact -- something Beijing has rebuffed.
How Public Opinion Shifting Against ICE May Affect the DHS Funding Showdown in CongressPBS News Hour
LISA DESJARDINS
ReportingAs immigration crackdowns spread to new cities across the country, Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, according to a new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll. Lisa Desjardins joins William Brangham to discuss how public opinion is shifting and how it may play into the debate on Capitol Hill.
Poll: Two-Thirds of Americans Say ICE Has 'Gone Too Far' in Immigration EnforcementNPR Morning Edition
DOMENICO MONTANARO
ReportingOn the heels of two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens in Minnesota at the hands of federal immigration agents, 65 percent of Americans said Immigration and Customs Enforcement has "gone too far," according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll. And President Trump is facing the highest intensity of disapproval since just after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Minnesota AG Keith Ellison on Withdrawal of Federal Immigration AgentsNPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingNPR's Leila Fadel asks Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison what concessions leaders in his state are willing to make to secure a further withdrawal of federal immigration agents.
Trump Tightens Control Over 50,000 Federal WorkersReuters
COURTNEY ROZEN
ReportingThe Trump administration on Thursday finalized its overhaul of the U.S. government's civil service system, according to a government statement, giving the president the power to hire and fire an estimated 50,000 career federal employees. The overhaul, released by the Office of Personnel Management, fulfills a campaign promise for President Trump to strip job protections from federal workers that his team deems to be "influencing" government policy. It is the biggest change to the rules governing the civil service in more than a century. Trump called the overhaul "Schedule F" during his first administration. The rule will be scrutinized by a federal judge. Federal worker unions and their allies sued in January to stop the policy before it was fully developed. Federal judges paused the litigation while the Trump administration finalized the changes. A court challenge will resume in the coming days, said Skye Perryman of Democracy Forward, one of the groups behind the lawsuit.
Justice Department Unit on Police Misconduct Sees Staffing Plunge and Probes Scaled Back, Sources SayReuters
ANDREW GOUDSWARD
ReportingThe U.S. Justice Department unit responsible for prosecuting potential wrongdoing by law enforcement, including during the crackdown on illegal immigration in Minneapolis, has lost two-thirds of its prosecutors and is under orders to scale back its investigations of excessive force, people familiar with its work told Reuters. The unit, which typically plays a leading role in reviewing cases nationwide in which law enforcement officers appear to violate people's rights, has lost significant capacity to pursue investigations because of staff departures and new guidance under President Trump's administration curtailing its mandate, according to interviews with seven former lawyers in the section.
Stephen Miller's Rise to Prominence and Influence on the Trump AdministrationPBS News Hour
LIZ LANDERS
ReportingWhite House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller is one of Washington's most polarizing power brokers. A chief architect of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, his portfolio has expanded to include foreign policy as well.
Prosecutor Fired After Voicing Frustration With Immigration CaseloadThe New York Times
ALAN FEUER
GLENN THRUSH
HAMED ALEAZIZ
ReportingIn an extraordinary outburst, the prosecutor, Julie T. Le, told a judge during a hearing on Tuesday in Federal District Court in St. Paul that she and her colleagues in the local U.S. attorney's office were completely overwhelmed by the number of cases they had been forced to handle because of the White House's widespread immigration sweeps in Minnesota. Le's painfully personal remarks came as the judge, Jerry W. Blackwell, was grilling her about why she and other prosecutors had ignored his orders in five separate cases to free immigrants he had determined were illegally detained by federal agents. "What do you want me to do?" Le asked the judge at one point. "The system sucks. This job sucks. And I am trying every breath that I have so that I can get you what you need." After her remarks in court, Le's temporary post at the U.S. attorney's office was ended, according to the people familiar with the matter. It remained unclear whether she had also been fired from her job at ICE. "The D.O.J., the D.H.S. and ICE are not above the law," Judge Blackwell said during the hearing on Tuesday. "They do wield extraordinary power and that power has to exist within constitutional limits. When court orders are not followed, it's not just the court's authority that's at issue. It is the rights of individuals in custody and the integrity of the constitutional system itself."
Educators Sue to Keep Immigration Agents From Schools and Bus StopsThe New York Times
SARAH MERVOSH
ReportingEducators in Minnesota on Wednesday filed a federal lawsuit seeking to stop federal agents from conducting immigration enforcement near schools and bus stops. The lawsuit is being brought by Education Minnesota, a teachers' union group and the school districts in Duluth and Fridley, a Minneapolis suburb. The suit names federal agencies and officials, including the Department of Homeland Security, as defendants. The education groups accuse the Trump administration of unlawfully sending federal agents to schools and bus stops in Minnesota, making arrests near schools and creating "an atmosphere of fear for native-born citizens, naturalized citizens and legally present immigrants alike."
The Trump Administration's Efforts to End TPS for Haitians Was Blocked -- for NowAll Things Considered
JEFFREY PIERRE
SCOTT DETROW
JEANETTE WOODS
ReportingA federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's efforts to revoke Temporary Protected Status for some 330,000 Haitian immigrants in the U.S., for now.
Congress Fully Funds Health Agencies, Restoring RFK Jr.'S CutsAll Things Considered
SELENA SIMMONS-DUFFIN
ReportingThe bipartisan budget that Trump just signed is a 180-turn from how funding for health agencies were slashed in 2025. But grantees and people in the agencies remain suspicious.
For the First Time in Decades, the U.S. And Russia Have No Limits on Nuclear WeaponsAll Things Considered
GEOFF BRUMFIEL
ReportingThe last major arms control treaty between Russian and the U.S. will expire on Thursday, but experts are cautiously optimistic that there won't be another arms race. At least not right away.
Lawsuit From Families of Men Killed in Boat Strikes Is the First to Reach U.S. CourtAll Things Considered
CARRIE JOHNSON
ReportingRelatives of two Trinidadian men killed in a U.S. airstrike last year are suing over what they call extrajudicial killings. It's the first such case to land in an American courthouse.
Fulton County in Georgia Challenges the F.B.I.'s Seizure of 2020 BallotsThe New York Times
NICK CORASANITI
RICHARD FAUSSET
ReportingFulton County in Georgia took legal action on Wednesday demanding that the federal government return ballots and other election materials from the 2020 presidential contest that the F.B.I. seized last week. The motion was filed under seal in federal court in Georgia, according to Jessica Corbitt, a spokeswoman for Fulton County. The motion also seeks the unsealing of the affidavit that was filed in support of the search warrant that allowed F.B.I. agents to conduct an extraordinary search of the county's election headquarters. At a news conference on Wednesday morning, Robb Pitts, the chair of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, cast the legal action as a means of upholding the Constitution, as well as the rights of Fulton County voters. "We will fight using all resources against those who seek to take over our elections," he said. "Our Constitution itself is at stake in this fight."
'It's an Absolute Bloodbath': Washington Post Lays Off Hundreds of WorkersThe Guardian
JEREMY BARR
ReportingThe Washington Post laid off hundreds of employees on Wednesday, which Martin Baron, the Post's executive editor until 2021, said "ranks among the darkest days" in the newspaper's history. Approximately one-third of employees were affected. "The Washington Post's ambitions will be sharply diminished, its talented and brave staff will be further depleted and the public will be denied the ground-level, fact-based reporting in our communities and around the world that is needed more than ever." Baron called out Bezos for an ill-timed decision to pre-empt the Post's planned endorsement of Kamala Harris for president in fall 2024, as well as a decision to narrowly focus its opinion page to prioritize writing "in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets," decisions that led to the resignation of a top editor and quickly cost the Post hundreds of thousands of subscribers. "Bezos's sickening efforts to curry favor with President Trump have left an especially ugly stain of their own," Baron said. "This is a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction."
Trump Says GOP Should Nationalize Elections in Another Attempt to Influence ElectionsNPR Morning Edition
MILES PARKS
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingPresident Trump's statements that the GOP should nationalize elections was accompanied by false claims about election integrity. Trump's efforts to change voting rules have mostly been blocked so far.
Director of Advocacy Group Talks About Trump's Statements on Nationalizing ElectionsNPR Morning Edition
STEVE INSKEEP
ReportingNPR's Steve Inskeep asks David Becker of the Center for Election Innovation and Research for his response to President Trump's assertion that some elections should be nationalized.
Haitians in Ohio City Live in Fear and Uncertainty Amid Court Fight Over Protected StatusPBS News Hour
STEPHANIE SY
ReportingA federal court has blocked the Trump administration's plan to end temporary protected status for Haitians in the U.S. -- a move that would have left roughly 350,000 people vulnerable to deportation. As the administration plans to appeal, the uncertainty has one Ohio city bracing as it fears becoming the next focus of immigrant enforcement.
'No Excuse' for Immigration Agents' Excess Use of Force, Says Former DHS Head NapolitanoPBS News Hour
AMNA NAWAZ
ReportingIn a forum on federal agents' use of force in Trump's immigration crackdown, Democratic lawmakers heard from Americans who have been directly affected. No officials from the Department of Homeland Security appeared at Tuesday's forum on Capitol Hill. Amna Nawaz speaks with Janet Napolitano, who served as DHS secretary in the Obama administration, for more.
Minneapolis Has Daily Deportation Flights. One Man Is Documenting ThemAll Things Considered
KAT LONSDORF
ReportingA professional airplane enthusiast has been tracking the federally chartered deportation flights out of the Minneapolis airport as DHS sends detainees to other states and, eventually, other countries.
It's Hard to Tell, So Far, What Trump Has Planned for the Kennedy CenterAll Things Considered
HENRY LARSON
SCOTT DETROW
SARAH HANDEL
ReportingNPR's Scott Detrow talks with David Graham of The Atlantic about President Trump's vision for the Kennedy Center and the intersection of art and politics.
Trump Says He Wants Republicans to 'Nationalize' ElectionsAll Things Considered
MILES PARKS
ReportingPresident Trump said in an interview he wants Republicans to "nationalize" elections. It's the latest instance of Trump's willingness to meddle in election administration.
Federal Agents Must Limit Tear Gas for Now at Protests Outside Portland ICE Building, Judge SaysThe Associated Press
CLAIRE RUSH
ReportingU.S. District Judge Michael Simon ordered federal officers to not use chemical or projectile munitions unless the person targeted poses an imminent threat of physical harm. Simon also limited federal officers from firing munitions at the head, neck or torso "unless the officer is legally justified in using deadly force against that person." Simon, whose temporary restraining order is in effect for 14 days, wrote that the nation "is now at a crossroads." He added, "In a well-functioning constitutional democratic republic, free speech, courageous newsgathering and nonviolent protest are all permitted, respected and even celebrated. In helping our nation find its constitutional compass, an impartial and independent judiciary operating under the rule of law has a responsibility that it may not shirk."
Trump, in an Escalation, Calls for Republicans to 'Nationalize' ElectionsThe New York Times
REID J. EPSTEIN
NICK CORASANITI
ReportingPresident Trump called in a new interview for the Republican Party to "nationalize" voting in the United States, an aggressive rhetorical step that was likely to raise new worries about his administration's efforts to involve itself in election matters. Under the Constitution, American elections are governed primarily by state law, leading to a decentralized process in which voting is administered by county and municipal officials in thousands of precincts across the country. Trump, however, has long been fixated on the false claims that U.S. elections are rife with fraud and that Democrats are perpetrating a vast conspiracy to have undocumented immigrants vote and lift the party's turnout. The Justice Department, which has been newly politicized under Trump, is demanding that numerous states, including Minnesota, turn over their full voter rolls as the Trump administration tries to build a national voter file. In March, Trump signed an executive order that tried to make significant changes to the electoral process, including requiring documentary proof of citizenship and demanding that all mail ballots be received by the time polls close on Election Day. But that effort has largely been rebuffed by courts. The president's claims of election fraud have been debunked over and over, by both independent reviews and Republican officials. There is no evidence that a significant number of noncitizens have voted in any American election.
'They Couldn't Break Me': A Protester, the White House and a Doctored PhotoThe New York Times
ERICA L. GREEN
ReportingWhen Nekima Levy Armstrong was transported from the federal courthouse in St. Paul, Minn., to the Sherburne County Jail with three layers of shackles on her body -- around her wrists, waist and feet -- it was the closest, she said, that she had ever felt to slavery. Still, she walked calmly, her face resolute, her head held high. The White House posted a manipulated photo of her arrest to its official social media account, depicting Levy Armstrong, a civil rights attorney and activist, as hysterical -- tears streaming down her face, her hair disheveled, appearing to cry out in despair. "ARRESTED" was emblazoned across the photo, along with a misleading description of Levy Armstrong as a "far-left agitator" who was "orchestrating church riots in Minnesota." Levy Armstrong, a 49-year-old mother of four, said she learned about the photo while she was in jail, during a phone call with her husband. "Reducing my image to some scared crying woman was just so degrading and it just shows how far the office of the president has fallen," Levy Armstrong said. "The presidency, the White House is supposed to symbolize the world's greatest superpower, but instead they acted like a $2 tabloid."
'We Want Our Kids to Be Happy': School Staff React to Release of Five-Year-Old From ICENPR Morning Edition
LEILA FADEL
ReportingNPR's Leila Fadel speaks to two staff members of the Minnesota school attended by Liam Conejo Ramos, the 5-year-old boy who made headlines when he was detained by ICE.
Rep. Jim McGovern Discusses the Ongoing Partial Government ShutdownNPR Morning Edition
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingRep. Jim McGovern, D- Mass., talks about the ongoing partial government shutdown and the negotiations over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Law That Would Ban Police From Working Formally With ICENPR Morning Edition
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingNPR's A Martinez speaks with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul about new legislation that would block police departments from collaborating formally with federal immigration authorities.
The Trump Administration Exempts New Nuclear Reactors From Environmental ReviewNPR Morning Edition
GEOFF BRUMFIEL
ReportingThe Trump administration has created an exclusion for new experimental reactors being built at sites around the U.S. from a major environmental law. The law would have required them to disclose how their construction and operation might harm the environment and it also typically required a written, public assessment of the possible consequences of a nuclear accident. The exclusion announcement comes just days after NPR revealed that officials at the Department of Energy had secretly rewritten environmental, safety and security rules to make it easier for the reactors to be built.
Trump Administration Sued Over Visa Freeze on Immigrants From 75 CountriesNPR Morning Edition
VANESSA ROMO
ReportingA group of civil rights organizations and U.S. citizens is suing the State Department over its sweeping suspension of immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries, arguing the new policy attempted to "eviscerate decades of settled immigration law."
Intelligence Director Says Trump Requested Her Presence at FBI Search of Georgia Election CenterThe Associated Press
ERIC TUCKER
ReportingDirector of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told lawmakers in a letter Monday that she attended an FBI search of the elections hub in Fulton County, Georgia, last week because President Trump asked for her to be there. She also acknowledged that she "facilitated" what she described as a brief phone call between Trump and FBI agents who carried out the search but insisted that neither she nor the president had issued any directives. The letter to top Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees marked Gabbard's first detailed explanation for her unusual presence at an FBI search during which agents armed with a warrant seized hundreds of boxes containing ballots and other documents related to the 2020 election in Georgia's most populous county.
Former Federal Prosecutor Analyzes Legal Questions Over the DOJ's Epstein Files ReleasePBS News Hour
GEOFF BENNETT
ReportingFor a closer look at legal issues surrounding the Justice Department's latest release of Epstein files, Geoff Bennett speaks with Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor and a professor at the University of Michigan Law School.
Trump Announces Two-Year Closure of Kennedy Center After Multiple Cancellations by ArtistsPBS News Hour
LIZ LANDERS
ReportingThe John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will likely close its doors for two years this summer. President Trump made the announcement on social media Sunday, claiming it is necessary for renovations. Liz Landers speaks with former Republican congresswoman Barbara Comstock, who served on the Kennedy Center board, for more.
How State Officials Are Taking Action Against Federal AgentsAll Things Considered
MAWA IQBAL
M. BACALLAO
ReportingIn the wake of Minnesota, several Democratic-led states are looking for ways to limit immigration agents' activities. Some Republican-led states are ordering local governments to cooperate with them.
U.S. Ultimatum to Vaccine Group: No More Funds Unless You Stop Using ThimerosalAll Things Considered
GABRIELLE EMANUEL
ReportingThe U.S. government has given an ultimatum to the international group that helps provide vaccines to children in the world's poorest countries. In a statement sent to NPR, The Department of Health and Human Services said that Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance must remove the ingredient thimerosal from its vaccines -- or else the U.S. will "withhold future new funding." Although thimerosal has been used safely in medications and vaccines since the 1930s, it's also been the topic of a long-simmering debate that has reignited domestically in the past year. With this week's demand from HHS, the controversy is going global. And, experts say, the potential impact is substantially greater abroad than in the U.S. That's because this ingredient is critical for preventing contamination of vaccines in vials containing multiple doses that are often used in the Global South. "The stakes are much higher in low-income countries," says Dr. William Moss, a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center.
Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Ending Protections for HaitiansThe Associated Press
LUIS ANDRES HENAO
ReportingA federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary protections that have allowed roughly 350,000 Haitians to live and work in the U.S. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington granted to pause the termination of temporary protected status for Haitians while a lawsuit challenging it proceeds. The TPS designation for people from the Caribbean island country was scheduled to end on Feb. 3. Reyes said in an accompanying 83-page opinion that plaintiffs were likely to prevail on the merits of the case and that she found it "substantially likely" that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem preordained her termination decision because of "hostility to nonwhite immigrants." "During the stay, the Termination shall be null, void and of no legal effect," the judge said in her two-page order, adding that for now, the termination has no bearing on their ability to work and to be protected from detention and deportation.
The Effects of Tariffs, One Year Into Trump's Trade ExperimentThe New York Times
ANA SWANSON
ReportingOver the past year, President Trump carried out what was essentially a grand experiment with the U.S. economy, by raising tariffs to levels not seen in a century. Trump raised average U.S. tariffs to about 17 percent, the highest level since 1932, in the wake of the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act. These new surcharges have had a significant impact. They have caused businesses to speed up, delay and cancel purchases or find new countries to source products from. They have raised a significant amount of revenue for the government, much of it from American businesses. And they have caused the U.S. trade deficit to shrink and prices of American goods to rise. At the same time, they have not yet been the panacea for the factory sector that Trump had promised.
We Were Top Homeland Security Lawyers. You Can't Wish Away the Fourth Amendment.The New York Times
STEVAN BUNNELL
GUS COLDEBELLA
IVAN FONG
KARA LYNUM
JONATHAN MEYER
JOHN MITNICK
Reporting"Immigration and Customs Enforcement has reportedly issued a memorandum that authorizes its agents to enter private residences forcibly without a judicial warrant. James Percival, the general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security, recently defended the department's policy and wrote that "deep-state actors in the federal government have for decades told ICE officers that they may not enter a fugitive alien's home even with a final order of removal and administrative warrant." We disagree. We previously sat in the seat he now occupies, serving in both Republican and Democratic administrations; this is not a partisan issue. We disagree not only with Percival's position but also with his characterization of lawyers at the Department of Homeland Security and elsewhere who seek to uphold the rule of law. It is not the so-called deep state that has restrained ICE from entering homes using only administrative warrants. It is the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution -- and the lawyers who took an oath to support and defend it."
The Education Department's Efforts to Fire Staff Cost Over $28 Million, Watchdog SaysNPR Morning Edition
CORY TURNER
ReportingA new report from the nonpartisan U.S. Government Accountability Office suggests the Trump administration's efforts to fire staff at the U.S. Department of Education cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. The report focuses on the department's Office for Civil Rights, which investigates complaints of discrimination in schools based on students' sex, race, national origin, disability and more. In March, the administration attempted to fire more than half of OCR's civil rights attorneys and staff. At the time, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the cuts reflected the department's commitment to "efficiency" and "accountability." But, when that reduction-in-force was blocked by the courts and the Education Department was forced to retain and continue paying these staff, the department prohibited them from returning to work. For nearly nine months, from March 21 to mid-December, "there were 247 people on administrative leave from OCR who were being paid while not being allowed to work," says Jackie Nowicki, lead investigator of K-12 issues at GAO, "and that decision came with a cost." A cost of between $28.5 million and $38 million, according to GAO.
Former Director of National Intelligence Talks About Election Interference ConcernsNPR Morning Edition
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingDirector of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was seen at the Georgia election office raided by the FBI. Dennis Blair, who also served in the role, shares whether he found her presence concerning.
Art Critic on the Impact the Planned Closure of the Kennedy Center Could HaveNPR Morning Edition
A MARTÍNEZ
ReportingNPR's A Martinez speaks with Washington Post art and architecture critic Philip Kennicott about President Trump's plan to temporarily close the Kennedy Center.
Legal Analyst on the Latest Release of Jeffrey Epstein DocumentsNPR Morning Edition
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingNPR's Michel Martin talks to CNN legal analyst Elie Honig about whether more charges could be coming following the release of millions of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Judge Rules Immigration Enforcement Surge Can Continue in MinnesotaNPR Morning Edition
KAT LONSDORF
MICHEL MARTIN
ReportingA federal judge in Minnesota has ruled the Trump administration can continue its immigration enforcement surge. That's as a different judge ruled a 5-year-old boy be released from detention.
New York Republican Met With Jeers During Town Hall in Hotly Contested DistrictNPR Morning Edition
STEVE KASTENBAUM
ReportingRepublican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York held his first town hall of the year Sunday, but he faced jeers, insults and questions about the recent events in Minneapolis and ICE tactics.
Public Health Crisis Unfolding in Minneapolis as Residents Avoid HealthcareThe Guardian
MELODY SCHREIBER
ReportingA public health crisis is unfolding in Minnesota as people targeted by federal agents are afraid to seek healthcare while some healthcare staff are also fearful for their safety at work. Community organizations and health providers are now arranging home visits, telehealth appointments and other alternate care. "We're seeing residents not wanting to leave their homes, not go to work, not go to their doctor appointments, not going to their regularly scheduled checkups, postponing surgeries, postponing care," said Angela Conley, Hennepin county commissioner for district 4, where Renee Good was killed. People who have been targeted by federal agents because of the color of their skin, their accent or their immigration status are now avoiding leaving their homes to seek routine or even emergency healthcare. They fear unfamiliar cars idling outside clinics and in hospital parking garages. Pregnant patients are laboring at home; diabetic patients are diluting or forgoing their insulin; injured and sick people are avoiding the hospital and postponing surgeries. "They are afraid of being pulled out of their car and taken to the Whipple building and sent on a flight to Texas, even our legal permanent residents, United States citizens. Everybody is afraid," Conley added.
Judge Who Ruled Against Trump Administration Cleared of Justice Dept. ComplaintThe New York Times
MATTATHIAS SCHWARTZ
ReportingA high-ranking federal appeals judge dismissed an ethics complaint filed by the Justice Department against Judge James E. Boasberg, whose rulings repeatedly raised questions about the Trump administration's respect for the rule of law, including regarding the deportation of Venezuelans to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. The seven-page dismissal order found that Chad Mizelle, the former chief of staff to Attorney General Pam Bondi, failed to substantiate allegations that Judge Boasberg had violated the Code of Conduct for United States Judges with comments he was accused of making at a private meeting of judges. Even if the comments had been substantiated, the order said, there was nothing inappropriate about them. The order was signed by Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton, the chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which posted it to its Web site this weekend. Mizelle, the Justice Department and Judge Boasberg did not respond to requests for comment on Sunday.
Kennedy Center to Close for Two Years for Renovations, Trump Says, After Performers' BacklashThe Associated Press
MICHELLE L. PRICE
ReportingPresident Trump said Sunday he will move to close Washington's Kennedy Center performing arts venue for two years starting in July for construction. Trump's announcement on social media follows a wave of cancellations since Trump ousted the previous leadership and added his name to the building. Trump made no mention in his post of the recent cancellations. Trump announced his plan days after the premiere of "Melania" a documentary of the first lady was shown at the storied venue. The proposal, he said, is subject to approval by the board of the Kennedy Center, which has been stocked with his hand-picked allies. Trump himself chairs the center's board of trustees.
Mayor of Portland, Oregon, Demands ICE Leave the City After Federal Agents Gas ProtestersThe Associated Press
STAFF
ReportingThe mayor of Portland, Ore., demanded U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement leave his city after federal agents launched tear gas at a crowd of demonstrators -- including young children -- outside an ICE facility during a weekend protest that he characterized as peaceful. Witnesses said agents deployed tear gas, pepper balls and rubber bullets as thousands of marchers arrived at the South Waterfront facility on Saturday. Erin Hoover Barnett, a former OregonLive reporter who joined the protest, said she was about 100 yards from the building when "what looked like two guys with rocket launchers" started dousing the crowd with gas. "To be among parents frantically trying to tend to little children in strollers, people using motorized carts trying to navigate as the rest of us staggered in retreat, unsure of how to get to safety, was terrifying," Barnett wrote in an email to OregonLive. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said the daytime demonstration was peaceful, "where the vast majority of those present violated no laws, made no threat and posed no danger" to federal agents. "To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave," Wilson wrote in a statement Saturday night. "Through your use of violence and the trampling of the Constitution, you have lost all legitimacy and replaced it with shame."
S.F. Protesters Spell Out 'Abolish ICE' in Human Banner on Ocean BeachMission Local
JAY A. MARTIN
ReportingHundreds of protesters formed a human banner on Ocean Beach in San Francisco Saturday, part of a weekend of actions nationwide targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the wake of two killings of U.S. citizens by federal agents. The crowd spelled out "ABOLISH!" with their bodies and created signs reading "We have eyes, no more lies." Others held up a large American flag. Some members of the crowd carried upside-down flags, the traditional signal of distress. The San Francisco Chronicle photographed the human banner from the air.
Texas Stunner: Democrat Taylor Rehmet Flips Republican State Senate District Trump Won by 17 PointsThe Associated Press
JOHN HANNA
JULIE CARR SMYTH
ReportingDemocrat Taylor Rehmet flipped a reliably Republican state Senate district in Texas in Saturday's special election, continuing a string of surprise victories for Democrats across the U.S. in the year since Donald Trump returned to the White House. The Republican president immediately distanced himself from the loss. It's a district he had won by 17 points in 2024.
Five-Year-Old Liam Conejo Ramos and Father Return to Minnesota From Texas Detention FacilityThe Associated Press
STAFF
ReportingFive-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, who were detained by immigration officers in Minnesota and held at an ICE facility in Texas, have been released following a judge's order. They have returned to Minnesota, according to Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro. The boy and his dad, Adrian Conejo Arias, who is originally from Ecuador, were detained in a Minneapolis suburb on Jan. 20. They were taken to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas. The Associated Press emailed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for comment on the father and son's release. There was no immediate response.
Politics Chat: Trump Clarifies Directions to DHS, House to Take Up Spending PackageNPR Weekend Edition
AYESHA RASCOE
TAMARA KEITH
ReportingDemocrats want changes to how federal immigration agents operate before agreeing to DHS funding. President Trump says his MAGA base hasn't softened on his immigration crackdown.
Minnesota Citizens Detained by ICE Are Left Rattled, Even Weeks LaterNPR Weekend Edition
MEG ANDERSON
ReportingIn recent days, federal officials have signaled a willingness to reduce the large number of immigration agents in Minnesota, though they say any decrease will depend on state and local cooperation. Even if a draw-down occurs, they'll leave behind a changed community, including many citizens questioned and detained by immigration officers in recent weeks. The Fourth Amendment protects people from being stopped without reasonable suspicion and arresting without probable cause, a higher standard. Courts in the U.S. have decided skin color alone does not meet either bar. Last fall, however, the Supreme court ruled that "apparent ethnicity" could be used to determine reasonable suspicion, as long as there were other factors too. Legal experts say the decision may give ICE more discretion.