đď¸ Partial Government Shutdown Begins as Funding Lapses, House Republicans Divided
A partial government shutdown took effect at midnight on January 31, 2026, after federal funding expired for numerous agencies, while the House remained in recess until Monday. The Senate passed a bipartisan compromise package funding most of the fiscal year 2026 budget but excluding the Department of Homeland Security, which received only a two-week extension amid Democratic demands for reforms to immigration enforcement following recent fatal incidents involving federal agents. House Republicans face internal pushback from conservatives unhappy with the DHS carve-out and insisting on additions like stricter voting rules or sanctuary city bans, though President Trump endorsed the deal and urged quick passage under expedited rules requiring a two-thirds majority. The lapse is expected to remain mostly technical with limited immediate impacts, but ongoing negotiations over DHS could prolong uncertainty if the House fails to approve the bill swiftly.
Sources: Deseret News, Reuters
âď¸ SCAM Act Targets Citizenship Revocation for Naturalized Immigrants Committing Fraud or Serious Crimes
Republican lawmakers have introduced the Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation (SCAM) Act, which would expand grounds for denaturalizing naturalized U.S. citizens who commit substantial welfare fraud, aggravated felonies, espionage, or affiliate with foreign terrorist organizationsâincluding gangs and cartelsâwithin 10 years of naturalization. Sponsored by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) in the Senate and Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) in the House, the bill creates a presumption that such post-naturalization offenses indicate the individual never truly met requirements for good moral character and attachment to the Constitution, allowing easier revocation of citizenship and deportation proceedings; it has White House backing and responds to high-profile cases like welfare fraud scandals involving naturalized Somali immigrants in Minnesota.
đđź ICE Acquires Warehouses for Expanded Immigrant Detention Network
The Trump administration, through Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has begun purchasing large industrial warehouses to convert into detention centers as part of a broader effort to ramp up deportation operations and increase holding capacity amid record-high detainee numbers. Recent acquisitions include a facility near Hagerstown, Maryland, for $102 million and one in Surprise, Arizona, for $70 million, with plans potentially involving up to 23 such sites nationwide that could hold thousands eachâranging from 1,500 to 10,000 detainees per locationâto support goals of over one million deportations annually and requiring more than 100,000 beds overall. This expansion, funded in part by significant congressional allocations, has sparked local protests in affected communities over suitability, proximity to schools and homes, infrastructure strains, and humanitarian concerns, though some Republican-leaning areas show mixed or supportive reactions from officials.
Sources: ZeroHedge, The Washington Post
âď¸ DOJ Indicts 31 More in Tren de Aragua-Linked ATM Jackpotting Scheme
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that a federal grand jury in Nebraska returned an indictment charging 31 additional individualsâmany Venezuelan and Colombian nationals, including members of the Tren de Aragua gangâwith roles in a nationwide conspiracy to use Ploutus malware to hack ATMs and force them to dispense millions in cash through a method known as jackpotting. This brings the total charged in the case to 87, building on prior indictments from October and December 2025. Conspirators allegedly conducted reconnaissance on ATM security, tampered with hardware by removing components or using external devices like thumb drives to install malware, triggered unauthorized cash withdrawals, and deleted evidence to cover tracks, with proceeds funneled to support Tren de Araguaâs broader criminal activities as a designated terrorist organization.
Sources: US Justice Dept, The Epoch Times
đ Florida Ends Multilingual Driverâs License Exams in Favor of English Only
Floridaâs Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has eliminated all non-English options for driverâs license knowledge and skills tests, requiring everything to be conducted exclusively in English starting February 6, 2026. The policy removes printed exams in other languages, bans interpreters and translation services for oral exams, and applies to all license classifications, including non-commercial and commercial learnerâs permits. Previously, non-commercial tests were available in multiple languages such as Spanish, Haitian Creole, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian, while commercial ones were limited to English and Spanish. Officials emphasize that this promotes highway safety through a better understanding of traffic laws, road signs, emergency alerts, and police instructions, with the statewide testing system already updated to enforce the change.
Sources: The Daily Wire, FOX35 Orlando
đ¨ LAPD Arrests Violent Agitators After Anti-ICE Protests Turn Chaotic in Downtown Los Angeles
Los Angeles police arrested several individuals during protests on January 30, 2026, outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown LA as part of nationwide âICE Outâ demonstrations against immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. Thousands gathered peacefully at City Hall before some marched to the federal facility, where agitators pushed a construction dumpster to block a loading dock entrance, threw bottles, rocks, debris, and in some reports fireworks at officers and federal agents, prompting tactical alerts, multiple dispersal orders, declarations of unlawful assembly, and the use of pepper balls, tear gas, and less-lethal force to disperse the crowd; arrests ranged from at least five for failure to disperse according to Mayor Karen Bass to eight total per LAPD details, including one for assault with a deadly weapon using a slingshot and another for curfew violation, with no major injuries widely reported beyond the chaos.
Sources: ABC7 Los Angeles, FOX News
𤥠Long Beach Mayoral Hopeful Urges Cityâs 55 Gang Leaders to Unite Against ICE
A fringe candidate running for mayor of Long Beach, California, released a campaign video imploring representatives from the cityâs claimed 55 gangsâincluding Latino, Cambodian, Filipino, Black, and Pacific Islander groupsâto meet him at City Hall and help drive out federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Rogelio Martinez, a first-time contender with no prior elected experience, framed the appeal as a peaceful yet forceful community effort to âtake back the cityâ since local leaders and police have supposedly failed, emphasizing the need to make Long Beach âICE freeâ amid frustration over immigration enforcement.
Sources: Legal Insurrection, VidMax
đŠ LinkedIn Briefly Censors Pro-ICE Post, Blames Mistake After Backlash
LinkedIn temporarily yanked a post from the conservative State Freedom Caucus Network that praised ICE and CBP efforts under President Trump to deport illegal immigrantsâincluding those described as violent criminals and pedophilesâflagging it as hateful speech in violation of platform rules, even as the same message stayed up on X; the group blasted the move as woke overreach, sarcastically noting that protecting kids apparently counts as hate while predators get a pass, threatened to delete their account, and drew amplified outrage from conservatives urging mass exodus from the âgarbageâ platform, until LinkedIn sheepishly reinstated it hours later, admitted the removal was an error, apologized, and claimed quick correction.
Sources: The New York Post, The Federalist
đ˘ New York Preschool Classroom Hosts Anti-ICE Chant Session
A progressive public preschool in New York City, the Chloe Day School, featured young children in a classroom activity where a teacher guided them to voice opposition to ICE and express anger toward immigration enforcement under the current administration. Video footage shows the teacher prompting the kids with questions, leading to group chants like âEnough is enough! Stop hurting people!â and âLove is enough! Stop hurting people!â while one child stated feeling angry about families being separated. The school promotes a Reggio Emilia-inspired, trauma-informed approach focused on diversity and inclusion, but critics see this as inappropriate political coaching of toddlers amid broader national tensions over ICE operations.
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, The New York Post
𤥠Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Signs âICE On Noticeâ Executive Order Targeting Federal Agents
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order on January 31, 2026, directing the Chicago Police Department to document and investigate any alleged illegal activity by federal immigration agents, including ICE, and to refer evidence of felony violations to the Cook County Stateâs Attorney for potential prosecution. The order, dubbed âICE On Notice,â establishes procedures for CPD officers to follow when witnessing or receiving reports of misconduct, such as preserving evidence and making referrals, while claiming Chicago as the first city to create local accountability mechanisms for federal agents. Johnson stated that no one is above the law and accused Trumpâs immigration enforcement of lawlessness that endangers residents, though federal officials have pushed back by calling such claims false and emphasizing ICEâs professional standards.
Sources: The Chicago Sun-Times, The Gateway Pundit
𧧠Chinaâs Military Hits âNear-Warâ Internal Alert After Top Generalâs Ouster
Insiders from Chinaâs military report that the Central Military Commission kicked things into a so-called ânear-warâ status on January 24 right after the removal of Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia was announced, ramping up security around headquarters with extra guards, document lockdowns, and a palpable sense of tensionânot because of any outside enemy, but to head off potential trouble from within the ranks. This heightened internal control mode, typically reserved for politically dicey moments, underscores worries about regime stability now that Zhang, long seen as a stabilizing force for Xi Jinpingâs grip on the armed forces, is out of the picture; analysts point out the shift exposes cracks in command loyalty and factional balance, with newer figures stepping up lacking the same clout to keep things locked down.
Sources: The Epoch Times, The South China Morning Post
đď¸ Trump Announces Initial Talks With Cuba Amid Oil Supply Squeeze
President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Florida that the United States has begun preliminary discussions with Cuban officials, a shift that comes after his administration halted Venezuelan oil shipments to the island and imposed new tariffs on any nation supplying fuel to Havanaâs communist regime. The remark follows weeks of escalating pressure, including the redirection of Venezuelaâs oil exports to American markets after NicolĂĄs Maduroâs removal and a recent executive order targeting alternative suppliers like Mexico, which had stepped in to fill part of the gap. Trump offered no specifics on the talksâ scope or participants, but the timing suggests Havanaâs worsening energy crisisâexacerbated by blackouts and shortagesâmay finally be prying open a door the regime has kept slammed shut for decades. Cubaâs leaders, predictably, remain dug in like itâs still 1962.
Sources: The Epoch Times, FOX News
âď¸ Colombian Mercenary Pipeline Supplies Fighters to Ukraineâs Front Lines
A recruitment network channels South American combatants, mainly former Colombian soldiers, into Ukraineâs armed forces, with estimates of around 2,000 Colombians serving as contract soldiers drawn by a monthly pay of about $3,000 or moreâfar exceeding typical earnings back home. Many arrive with limited or no recent combat experience beyond Colombiaâs internal conflicts, though some bring special forces or police backgrounds, and they often integrate into Spanish-speaking units or specific brigades facing heavy frontline duty. Reports highlight harsh realities, including poor treatment of the wounded, where pay halts after injury, leading to destitute conditions in cities like Kiev, alongside high casualty risks in a grueling war of attrition. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has publicly criticized their use as expendable forces and called for their return, while open-source evidence from social media shows these fighters in action, sometimes suffering losses.
Sources: ZeroHedge, The Defense Post
đĽ Convicted Terrorist Who Plotted To Bomb British Consulate Is Standing For Election In UK
A 60-year-old Muslim activist named Shahid Butt, convicted in Yemen in 1999 and sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a plot to bomb the British consulate in Aden, along with an Anglican church and a Swiss-owned hotel, is now running as an independent candidate affiliated with the Independent Candidates Alliance in the Sparkhill ward for Birmingham City Councilâs May elections. Butt, who has ties to the late extremist preacher Abu Hamza and claims his confession was coerced under torture while denying the terrorism allegations, has drawn criticism from victims of Islamist attacks and others who argue his past undermines the political system, though UK law imposes no disqualification for such overseas convictions; he positions his candidacy as an effort to unify the community, support local youth, and push back against perceived far-right threats in a heavily Muslim ward.
Sources: GB News, The Telegraph
âŞď¸ Iran Relocating Nuclear Materials from Struck Sites Amid Khameneiâs Regional War Warning
Satellite imagery reveals activity at Iranâs damaged Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities, where makeshift roofs have been erected over affected structures since late last year, likely to conceal salvage operations for surviving enriched uranium and other assets following U.S. and Israeli strikes in June 2025. This comes as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any U.S.-initiated conflict would escalate into a broader regional war, leveraging Iranâs proxy network, while rejecting American demands to abandon the nuclear program and halt protester crackdowns amid heightened U.S. military presence in the region.
Sources: Legal Insurrection, The Times of Israel