How a digital dragnet is powering Trump’s immigration crackdown
The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis is providing insights into the surveillance technologies the government is using in its mass deportation campaign. Department of Homeland Security officials insist their immigration enforcement operations are “highly targeted.” But some American citizens have been caught up in the raids as the Trump administration has built new surveillance tools and fused together datasets on citizens and noncitizens alike. Over the last year, the agency’s expanding digital dragnet has empowered federal agents to collect and analyze vast volumes of information. The Department of Homeland Security says it will not disclose law enforcement-sensitive methods.
Minnesota activist Nekima Levy Armstrong shares arrest video after White House posts doctored image
A Minnesota activist who was charged for her role in an anti-immigration enforcement protest at a church has released her own video of her arrest, after the White House posted a manipulated image online. The video, shot by civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong's husband and released by her organization, shows her being approached by federal agents. At no point does she appear to cry, contradicting the White House's portrayal. In the video, she asks agents not to record and they say the video will not end up on Twitter, now called X.
US citizen says ICE detained him in underwear in frigid cold with no warrant
Federal immigration agents have detained a U.S. citizen in Minnesota at gunpoint without a warrant. That's according to ChongLy “Scott” Thao, who says agents forced open his door, entered with guns drawn and led him outside in his underwear in freezing conditions. The detention is part of a larger surge of federal agents in the Twin Cities, leading to backlash over warrantless arrests and aggressive tactics. The Department of Homeland Security says the operation targeted two sex offenders. Thao disputes this, saying he lives with his family, none of whom are listed as offenders. Thao plans to file a civil rights lawsuit.
YouTuber's livestream appears on White House website
A YouTube content creator whose livestream talking about investments mysteriously appeared to take over a White House website says he has no idea how it happened. The livestream appeared for at least eight minutes late Thursday on whitehouse.gov/live, raising questions about whether the site was hacked. The site is where the White House usually streams live video of the president speaking. It's unclear if the website was breached or the video was linked accidentally by someone in the government. The YouTube content creator says if he'd known his stream would go “super public like that” he'd have dressed nicer and had "more pointed topics!” The White House says it's "looking into what happened.”
7.0 earthquake hits in remote area near Alaska-Yukon border
A powerful, magnitude-7.0 earthquake has struck in a remote area near the border between Alaska and the Canadian territory of Yukon on Saturday. No tsunami warning has been issued, and there are no immediate reports of damage or injury. The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake struck about 230 miles northwest of Juneau, Alaska, and 155 miles west of Whitehorse, Yukon. It was also about 56 miles from Yakutat, Alaska, which the USGS said has a population of 662. The quake struck at a depth of about 6 miles and was followed by multiple smaller aftershocks.
TSA sets $45 fee for USA passengers without a REAL ID
The Transportation Security Administration has announced that U.S. air travelers without a REAL ID will face a $45 fee starting in February. The REAL ID has been required since May, but passengers without it have been allowed to clear security with extra screening. The Department of Homeland Security says 94% of passengers are already compliant. The new fee aims to encourage travelers to obtain a REAL ID, which requires more documentation than regular IDs. The fee is non-refundable and doesn't guarantee verification. Other accepted IDs include passports and military IDs. TSA also accepts digital IDs through platforms like Apple Wallet at participating airports.
Settlement calls for NPR to get $36M in government funds
National Public Radio will receive approximately $36 million in government funding to operate the nation’s public radio interconnection system under the terms of a court settlement. Monday's settlement resolves a legal dispute in which NPR accused the Corporation for Public Broadcasting of bowing to pressure from President Donald Trump to cut off its funding. On March 25, Trump said at a news conference that he wants to defund NPR and PBS because he believes they are biased in favor of Democrats. NPR accused the CPB of violating its First Amendment free speech rights when it moved to cut off its access to grant money appropriated by Congress.
Settlement calls for NPR to get $36M in government funds
National Public Radio will receive approximately $36 million in government funding to operate the nation’s public radio interconnection system under the terms of a court settlement. Monday's settlement resolves a legal dispute in which NPR accused the Corporation for Public Broadcasting of bowing to pressure from President Donald Trump to cut off its funding. On March 25, Trump said at a news conference that he wants to defund NPR and PBS because he believes they are biased in favor of Democrats. NPR accused the CPB of violating its First Amendment free speech rights when it moved to cut off its access to grant money appropriated by Congress.
Fannie Mae officials ousted after concerns over confidential data
A confidant of Bill Pulte, the Trump administration’s top housing regulator, provided confidential mortgage pricing data from Fannie Mae to a principal competitor. Emails reviewed by The Associated Press reveal the disclosure alarmed senior officials of the government-backed lending giant, who warned it could expose the company to claims that it colluded with a rival to fix mortgage rates. The emails show the data was shared with rival government-backed lender Freddie Mac by an associate of Bill Pulte, who was working on the Federal Housing Finance Agency director's behalf. Fannie Mae and the FHFA both say they take compliance with the law seriously.
How leaders of the MAHA movement benefit from anti-science advocacy
Powerful anti-vaccine advocates and people selling potentially harmful goods such as raw milk are profiting from the push to write anti-science policies into law across the U.S. They portray the Make America Healthy Again movement as grassroots, but it’s fueled by a web of well-funded national groups led by people who’ve profited – financially and otherwise – from sowing distrust of medicine and science. The Associated Press found state legislation that includes language in the text or public testimony that explicitly spells out that a reason to change the law is to make money or increase sales for dairy farmers.
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