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Spanberger tapped to deliver Democrats’ rebuttal to Trump’s State of the Union
1 day ago•Source: BBC
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Florida Judge Blocks Release of Smith’s Volume II in Trump Documents Case
Florida Judge Aileen Cannon permanently blocks the Justice Department from releasing Volume II of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents, saying disclosure would breach the dismissal order and cause irreparable harm; the decision keeps parts of Smith’s work secret amid criticism from watchdog groups and Trump allies.
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Federal Judge Finds DOJ Lawyer in Civil Contempt Over Detention Documents
The New York Times•6 days ago
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Democrats dismiss White House ICE offer as funding deadline looms
Democrats say the White House’s counterproposal on ICE is incomplete and lacks details or legislative text, failing to address demands for judicial warrants, clearer DHS officer identification, new use‑of‑force standards, and an end to racial profiling as a DHS funding deadline approaches and a potential partial government shutdown looms; the offer has not been publicly released and talks are continuing.
DOJ Moves to Dismiss Bannon Conviction, Erasing Jan. 6 Contempt Verdict
The DOJ signaled it will seek to dismiss Steve Bannon’s 2022 contempt conviction for defying the Jan. 6 committee, a move that would erase the conviction (Bannon has already served four months in prison) with limited practical effect and reflects ongoing political-legal maneuvering around Jan. 6 and Trump-era clemency patterns.
DHS funding stalemate threatens a federal shutdown as negotiations stall
Live US politics update: lawmakers face a potential Department of Homeland Security shutdown if a full-year funding bill isn’t approved by Friday, with a stopgap keeping DHS funded through Feb. 13 as Democrats press for guardrails on ICE/CBP and judicial warrants while Republicans resist new conditions. The feed also covers Ghislaine Maxwell invoking the Fifth Amendment in a House deposition, reactions to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, and related immigration and political developments.
Democrats roll out Local Listeners to re-engage infrequent voters ahead of 2026
The Democratic National Committee launched Local Listeners, a seven-week outreach program that trains 2,000 volunteers to contact more than one million infrequent voters in key battleground districts, aiming for at least 250,000 phone conversations and 50+ grassroots events by March to win back Biden 2020 voters who sat out in 2024 and shore up support ahead of the 2026 midterms. The effort emphasizes early, local outreach to rebuild trust and ballots amid a competitive political landscape.
Gabbard Arranges Direct Trump-FBI Call After Georgia Election Center Search
The New York Times reports that Tulsi Gabbard, serving as director of national intelligence, met with FBI agents at the Fulton County election center in Georgia and helped arrange a direct call between President Trump and those agents about the investigation, a level of on-site involvement unusual for her role and prompting scrutiny as Trump presses officials over 2020 election claims.
DOJ Posts Dozens of Epstein Nude Photos, Prompting Privacy Scrutiny
The Justice Department posted dozens of unredacted nude images from Epstein files on its website; some appear to depict young women or possibly teenagers. After The New York Times alerted officials, most were removed or redacted, highlighting concerns about victim privacy and how sensitive material is disclosed.
Courts curb Trump’s mass detention push as detainee releases surge
Federal judges are undermining the Trump administration’s mass detention drive by ordering releases for detainees who post bond, citing long-standing legal interpretations that require release; the rising volume of cases is straining courts and complicating immigration enforcement.
Trump’s 2025 fundraising surge creates record-breaking war chest for a lame-duck president
Campaign-finance disclosures show Donald Trump’s fundraising network swollen to roughly $375 million across committees in late-2025, built from about $26 million via his joint fundraising committee, $8 million to his Never Surrender leadership PAC, and more than $300 million in MAGA Inc. The total dwarfs other Republican or Democratic war chests and could be deployed to influence the 2026 midterms or future elections, even though Trump cannot run again.
Tom Homan Arrives in Minneapolis to Lead Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
Tom Homan, Trump’s border tsar, has been deployed to Minneapolis to lead the on-the-ground immigration crackdown, signaling a shift to targeted operations and closer jail cooperation, and vowing to stay until the “problem” is gone amid local pushback after two fatal shootings by federal agents in the city.
Video surfaces of Alex Pretti clashing with federal agents days before fatal Minneapolis shooting
A newly published video from The News Movement appears to show Alex Pretti, the Minneapolis nurse later fatally shot by federal agents, confronting ICE officers and kicking a government vehicle 11 days before his death, with reports he carried a gun and was tackled by agents. CNN cited his family confirming the man in the clip is Pretti and a facial‑recognition match reportedly at 97%, while DHS says it has no record of the incident. The footage has been used to argue that Pretti was not a peaceful protester, even as his family says he was attacked by agents prior to his killing, against the backdrop of intensified immigration enforcement in Minnesota.