šļø Senate Passes Funding Package, But Partial Shutdown Looms Over Weekend
The Senate voted 71-29 on Friday to approve a compromise spending deal that funds most federal agencies through September while carving out the Department of Homeland Security for a two-week continuing resolution, allowing more time to negotiate restrictions on immigration enforcement amid Democratic concerns over recent agent-involved incidents; President Trump endorsed the bipartisan arrangement, but with the House not scheduled to return until Monday, a brief partial government shutdown is set to begin at midnight Friday as funding lapses for affected operations despite the Senateās action.
Sources: FOX News, The Epoch Times
š³ļø House Republicans Introduce Election Reform Bill Mandating Voter ID and Citizenship Proof
House Republicans, led by Rep. Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, have rolled out the Make Elections Great Again Act, a broad election overhaul package that imposes photo ID requirements for voting, mandates citizenship verification during voter registration, bans universal mail-in voting, restricts ballot handling to prevent harvesting, requires auditable paper ballots, tightens voter roll maintenance, and prohibits ranked-choice voting in federal elections. The bill, announced in late January 2026 and set for introduction during a pro-forma session, aims to shore up election integrity ahead of the midterms by making voting straightforward for citizens while closing potential loopholes for fraud, as supporters argue current systems leave too much room for abuse despite noncitizen voting being already illegal and rare.
š Trump Orders Federal Preemption of California Wildfire Rebuilding Permits
President Trump has signed an executive order directing federal agencies like FEMA and the Small Business Administration to preempt state and local permitting processes for rebuilding homes and businesses destroyed in the 2025 Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon wildfires in Los Angeles, allowing builders using federal funds to self-certify compliance with health, safety, and building standards while bypassing what the administration calls obstructive bureaucratic delays from California officials; the move also mandates an audit of nearly $3 billion in unspent federal hazard mitigation grants held by the state, amid accusations that Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass have presided over painfully slow recovery with only a fraction of the roughly 16,000 destroyed structures receiving permits and fewer than a handful fully rebuilt after a year, though California counters that permitting has accelerated and the real holdup is withheld federal disaster aid.
Sources: The New York Post, The Daily Wire
šļø Minnesota Governor Walz and AG Ellison Set for Sworn Testimony on Massive Welfare Fraud Probe
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison have agreed to appear under oath before the House Oversight Committee on March 4, 2026, for a hearing titled āOversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part II,ā where they will face questions about an alleged multi-billion-dollar scandal involving rampant fraud in the stateās social services programs, with estimates of taxpayer losses reaching up to $9 billion amid claims that state leaders failed to act and even retaliated against whistleblowers who flagged the issues.
Sources: US House Oversight Committee, The Washington Examiner
š³ļø Maryland House Democrats Push Forward Mid-Decade Redistricting Plan
Maryland House Democrats are advancing House Bill 488, a measure to redraw the stateās eight congressional districts mid-decade, based on a map from Gov. Wes Mooreās advisory commission that would likely make the lone Republican-held seat (the 1st District, represented by Rep. Andy Harris) more competitive or flip it, shifting the delegation toward an all-Democratic lean; the bill, which has cleared committee and preliminary votes with GOP amendments rejected, now heads toward a final House vote, but faces potential resistance in the Senate where leaders like President Bill Ferguson oppose mid-cycle changes amid warnings from Republicans that this sets a risky precedent for partisan map-drawing outside the normal census cycle, all in response to similar Republican efforts in other states.
Sources: Maryland Matters, The Epoch Times
āļø Federal Judge Rejects Minnesotaās Bid to Halt ICE Surge in Twin Cities
A federal judge in Minnesota has turned down the stateās urgent plea to slap a temporary block on the Trump administrationās Operation Metro Surge, which has flooded the Twin Cities with thousands of federal immigration agents to tackle what the feds call a law-enforcement vacuum created by local sanctuary-style policies; the ruling from U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez, while recognizing the āprofound and even heartbreakingā fallout for communities including protests and disruptions, found that Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul failed to meet the steep legal threshold for such an injunction under the 10th Amendmentās anti-commandeering claims, allowing the enforcement push to roll on as the larger lawsuit unfolds.
Sources: The Epoch Times, Reuters
š³ļø Missouri AG Hanaway Sues to Halt Census Counting of Illegal Aliens
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Census Bureau, arguing that the longstanding practice of including illegal aliens and temporary visa holders in the decennial census for apportionment purposes is unconstitutional under Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment and violates the Administrative Procedure Act. The suit, filed January 30, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, claims this policy artificially inflates populations in sanctuary states, dilutes the voting power and representation of U.S. citizens in states like Missouri that enforce immigration laws, and has already cost Missouri an extra congressional seat and Electoral College vote following the 2020 census and 2021 apportionmentāpotentially shifting billions in federal funding as well. Hanaway demands a court-ordered recount of the 2020 census excluding non-citizens without legal status, a recalculation of apportionment, and an injunction barring such inclusion in the 2030 census, framing it as a defense of citizensā right to self-government against a system that rewards open-border policies.
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, The Washington Examiner
š Utah GOP Signature Gatherers Face Assaults in Push to Repeal Redistricting Law
GOP-aligned signature gatherers in Utah have reported multiple incidents of harassment, threats, and physical assaults while collecting signatures to qualify a ballot initiative repealing Proposition 4, the 2018 voter-approved law establishing an independent commission for recommending congressional districts to promote partisan fairness; a judge recently applied the law to reject legislative maps and impose one creating a likely Democratic-leaning district in Salt Lake County ahead of the 2026 midterms, prompting the repeal effort needing about 141,000 signatures by mid-February amid claims of escalating aggression in areas like Springville, American Fork, Centerville, and Salt Lake City, including one case where a gatherer was pushed and had materials thrown, another where a packet was torn and an assault led to charges, and instances of stolen or destroyed petitions, all while the Utah GOP contrasts this with no reported violence during the original Prop 4 campaign.
Sources: The Post Millennial, Deseret
š„ Minneapolis Anti-ICE Manual Urges Creation of āFlashpointsā for Militant Escalation
A leaked activist document circulating among anti-ICE groups in Minneapolis outlines deliberate tactics to confront federal immigration agents, including tailing ICE operations to disrupt them, alerting communities to their presence, and intentionally escalating encounters at abductions to manufacture āflashpointsāādefined as crisis moments where crowds directly challenge state force to spark wider, more militant resistance and inspire organized action. The guide lists goals like wasting agentsā time, rallying neighborhoods to resist, and preparing strategically for high-risk confrontations at sites such as federal buildings or agent hotels, framing these dangerous opportunities as chances to push back harder against enforcement amid ongoing Operation Metro Surge tensions.
Sources: FOX9 Minneapolis, The Post Millennial
šØ Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson Directs Police to Monitor and Document ICE Enforcement Operations
Seattleās newly installed Mayor Katie Wilson has rolled out measures to curb federal immigration enforcement in the city, including an executive order banning ICE and other federal agents from using city-owned or controlled properties for such activities, while directing the Seattle Police Department to respond to reports of enforcement actions by documenting them via body and in-car cameras, verifying agentsā identities, and securing scenes for potential evidence collectionāprompted by concerns over recent violent incidents in Minneapolis and perceived federal overreach that threatens community safety and local businesses, though police maintain they lack authority to interfere with federal operations and will prioritize resident protection without aiding immigration enforcement.
Sources: FOX News, KOMO-TV Seattle
šØ President Trump Declares National Emergency Over Cuba, Targets Oil Suppliers With Tariffs
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 29, 2026, declaring a national emergency with respect to Cuba, citing the communist regimeās alignment with hostile powers like Russia, China, and Iran, its hosting of intelligence facilities and alleged support for groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, along with internal repression of dissent. The order establishes a mechanism for imposing additional tariffs on imports from any country that directly or indirectly supplies oil to Cuba, aiming to choke off the islandās energy lifeline amid its ongoing shortages, while the Commerce and State Departments will assess violations and recommend duties to protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interestsābecause apparently the regimeās antics are still worth the paperwork.
Sources: The White House, Reuters
š UN Chief Guterres Warns of Imminent Financial Collapse for the Organization
UN Secretary-General AntĆ³nio Guterres has issued a stark warning that the United Nations faces imminent financial collapse due to a deepening liquidity crisis, driven by record unpaid assessed contributions from member states totaling $1.57 billion (or higher in some reports) at the end of 2025, combined with an outdated budget rule that forces the return of unspent funds even when cash is short, creating a absurd cycle of returning money that doesnāt exist; he cautioned that without full and timely payments or a fundamental overhaul of financial rules, the organizationās cash could run out by July, threatening program delivery and overall operations amid pressures including reduced U.S. funding and broader retreat from multilateral commitments.
Sources: The Straits Times, Reuters
āļøāš„ Venezuelaās Interim Government Proposes Amnesty for Prisoners and Helicoide Prison Conversion
Venezuelaās interim president Delcy RodrĆguez announced a proposed general amnesty law to cover cases from 1999 onward, potentially benefiting hundreds of remaining detainees and conditionally released former prisoners, while excluding serious offenses like homicide, human rights abuses, and drug trafficking; the move aims to heal political divisions and promote coexistence amid ongoing releases of hundreds since early January, though rights groups note about 711 political prisoners still held and call for inclusive terms without impunity. In a related step, the notorious Helicoide detention center in Caracasālong criticized for alleged abuses and tortureāwill be shut down and repurposed as a center for sports and social services.
Sources: The Miami Herald, The Straits Times
š¢ Panama Supreme Court Voids Hong Kong Firmās Canal Port Concession
Panamaās Supreme Court has ruled that the concession allowing a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings to operate the key ports of Balboa and CristĆ³bal at either end of the Panama Canal is unconstitutional, invalidating the underlying laws and the 2021 25-year extension amid findings of irregularities from a government audit that alleged financial shortfalls and procedural violations harming national interests; the decision, which follows U.S. pressure including diplomatic efforts to curb Chinese influence near this vital waterway and comes after a stalled sale to a consortium involving American firms, has been welcomed in Washington as a setback for Beijingās regional footprint while Panamaās president assured uninterrupted operations at the facilities.
Sources: ZeroHedge, The Wall Street Journal
š Ex-Google Engineer Convicted in Chinese AI Secrets Theft Case
A federal jury in San Francisco has convicted Linwei Ding, a 38-year-old Chinese national and former Google software engineer, on seven counts of economic espionage and seven counts of theft of trade secrets after he stole more than 2,000 pages of confidential Google AI technology between May 2022 and April 2023, uploading the files to his personal cloud account while secretly working with Chinese tech firms and reportedly aiming to aid Beijingās AI ambitions; the secrets covered critical details on hardware infrastructure, software platforms for training large AI models, custom SmartNICs, Tensor Processing Units, GPU systems, and supercomputing orchestration, marking what officials call the first U.S. conviction tied to AI-related economic espionage amid the heated U.S.-China tech rivalry, with Ding facing potentially decades in prison though sentencing awaits a February status conference.
Sources: The Washington Times,