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Republicans Scoff at Democrats’ Latest ICE Demands
This affects the entire country.

Senators left Washington Thursday afternoon with little progress on talks to fund the Department of Homeland Security, as Republicans scoffed at Democrats’ demands for restraints on immigration law enforcement agents.

On Thursday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, both D-N.Y., released a list of 10 demands they want satisfied before they’d vote to fund DHS.

If Congress does not come to agreement by end of February 13, the Coast Guard, national disaster response teams, and cybersecurity infrastructure could be left defunded.

SENATE AND HOUSE DEMOCRATS ARE UNITED ON REINING IN THE ABUSES OF ICE.

Americans have watched in horror as ICE has terrorized communities across the country.

Federal agents can’t continue to cause chaos in our cities while more Americans are killed. We must rein in ICE.

Here’s…
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 5, 2026

The demands include prohibiting agents from wearing masks, blocking agents from carrying out deportation activities at several types of “sensitive” locations, and insisting agents “Stop Racial Profiling.”

Additionally, Democrats have suggested requiring judicial warrants to carry out deportations, as opposed to administrative warrants issued by DHS itself.

Senate Republicans scoffed at the list of demands.

“That’s not a serious list that would pass,” Sen. John Husted, R-Ohio, told The Daily Signal.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., was similarly dismissive.

“Democrats want to lard up all of these procedures and legislative requirements that will be in law permanently, of course, to effectively prevent ICE and border patrol and other law enforcement agencies from doing their jobs,” Hawley said of Democrat demands.

How Did We Get Here?

It bears noting how Congress ended up in a situation where the only funding bill left to pass is the one Democrats have the most objections about.

Last week, Democrats demanded the homeland security bill be separated from a package of five other funding bills and threatened to tank the whole package unless Republicans obliged them.

Democrats got exactly what they wanted, as the Senate agreed by unanimous consent to proceed to a vote on a package which funded the five departments while providing a two-week funding extension for DHS. 

This bought time for the consideration of further Democrat demands on a bill which already came out of bipartisan negotiations.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

Now, Democrats no longer have to support DHS funding in order to get funding for liberal priorities such as maintaining funding for foreign aid and the Department of Education.

Hawley told The Daily Signal he still believes splitting off DHS was the correct approach.

“I mean, as opposed to shutting down the government? I’m opposed to government shutdowns, so I’m glad we’re not in a shutdown,” said Hawley. “Right now, everybody’s fully funded, and I hope the Democrats will actually vote for the bill they negotiated.”

Hawley also argued Republicans hold leverage on immigration since “ICE is fully funded” by the party-line budget reconciliation bill passed in July 2025 and told The …

Trump's geopolitical tensions spill into the Winter Olympics
What's the administration thinking here?

President Donald Trump won’t be representing the U.S. at the opening ceremony of the Italian Olympic Games in Milan’s famous San Siro Stadium. But his shadow will surely loom over the two-week-long sporting spectacle, which kicks off Friday.

The president’s repeated jabs at longtime partners, his inconsistent tariff policy and repeated plays for Greenland have shown just how much he's shifted the traditional world order. The resulting international “rupture,” as described by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Davos last month, has turned beating the Americans in Italy from a crowning sporting achievement to an even greater moral imperative for the president's rivals.

“This is life and death,” said Charlie Angus, a former member of Parliament in Canada with the New Democratic Party and prominent Trump critic. “If it’s the semifinals and we’re playing against the United States, it’s no longer a game. And that’s profound.”

The Trump administration has big plans for these Olympics, according to a State Department memo viewed by POLITICO. It hopes to “promote the United States as a global leader in international sports” and build momentum for what the White House sees as a “Decade of Sport in America,” which will see the country host the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2028 and the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in 2034, as well as the FIFA World Cup this summer.

But a combative administration may well complicate matters.

He’s sending Vice President JD Vance, a longtime critic of Europe’s leaders, to lead the presidential delegation in Milan. Then there’s ICE. News that American federal immigration agents would be on the ground providing security during the games sparked widespread fury throughout the country.

Trump has also clashed with many of the countries vying to top the leaderboards in Milan. Since returning to the White House in January, he’s antagonized Norway, which took home the most medals in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, over a perceived Nobel Peace Prize snub and clashed repeatedly with Canada, which finished fourth.

“We’re looking at the world in a very different light,” Angus said. “And we’re looking at a next-door neighbor who makes increasingly unhinged threats towards us. So to go to international games and pretend that we’re all one happy family, well, that’s gone.”

Trump has also sparred with Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, (the 13th-place finisher in Beijing) and threatened a military incursion in pushing Denmark (a Scandinavian country which curiously hasn’t medaled in the Winter Olympics since 1998) to cede Greenland.

All while seeming to placate Russia, whose athletes competed under a neutral flag in 2022 due to doping sanctions and secured the second-most medals in the Beijing games, which ended …

Slotkin refuses Bondi and Pirro’s inquiry request over ‘seditious six’ video
This looks less like justice and more like strategy.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) said on Thursday that she will not sit for an inquiry with Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro regarding the “seditious six” video last year.

Slotkin is under federal investigation for participating in a joint video message to the intelligence community and U.S. military members that they are not obligated to follow illegal orders. The video prompted pushback from the Trump administration, which dubbed the six lawmakers the “seditious six.” All of the lawmakers have been contacted by the Justice Department.

Slotkin, a former CIA officer, said she sent a letter to Bondi and Pirro saying she would not comply with their inquiry request. She said she did not want to “legitimize” the Trump administration’s actions.

“To be honest, many lawyers told me to just be quiet, keep my head down, and hopefully this will all just go away. But that’s exactly what the Trump administration and Jeanine Pirro want,” Slotkin said in a video on X. “They are purposefully using physical and legal intimidation to get me to shut up. But more importantly, they’re using that intimidation to deter others from speaking out against their administration.”

Today, I sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro informing them that I will not be sitting down with them for their inquiry over a 90-second video I filmed in November.

Here's why.
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) February 5, 2026

Slotkin said she would not go along with this “intimidation,” which is why she requested Bondi and Pirro to retain “all records on this case.” She contended that while the Supreme Court has provided the president with “near-immunity,” it has not done so for those “doing his bidding.”

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), who also participated in the viral November video, filed a lawsuit last month against War Secretary Pete Hegseth, the War Department, the Navy, and Navy Secretary John Phelan over the fallout from his participation. Kelly asked the court to rule that the war secretary’s decision to initiate retirement grade reduction proceedings and issue a censure letter was “unlawful and unconstitutional.”

JEFFRIES RISKS FRESH FRACTURE WITH SCHUMER OVER ICE FUNDING RED LINE

The other Democratic lawmakers in the “seditious six” video were Reps. Jason Crow (D-CO), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA).

The Washington Examiner …

Leavitt flips script on media for balking at Fulton election probe after years of promoting Russia claims
Law enforcement shouldn't be political.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt hit back at media outlets questioning the FBI's seizure of ballots and other documents related to the 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia, after years of the media claiming that Russia influenced the 2016 election.  
The FBI executed a search warrant in the Georgia county home to Atlanta in January, which included Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard deploying on the ground to carry out an election security assessment. Gabbard's presence has sparked outrage and questions from Democrats and the media over what they characterize as an unusual, politicized show of force.
"As the director of national intelligence, it is a part of Miss Gabbard's role to make sure that American elections are free of foreign interference and that American elections are safe and secure," Leavitt said of Gabbard's presence in Fulton County. "And so the ODNI director is working with the FBI on this effort, and the president wholeheartedly supports both Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard in ensuring that American elections are safe, secure, and free of foreign intervention."
GEORGIA'S FULTON COUNTY FILES MOTION SEEKING RETURN OF 2020 ELECTION MATERIALS SEIZED BY FBI
The reporter pushed back, "Is there any indication that there's foreign influence?"
Leavitt began taking another question before circling back to remind the reporter of the media's focus on claims Russia influenced the 2016 presidential election, when President Donald Trump ran against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 
PATEL DOUBLES DOWN ON FBI ELECTION HUB RAID, SAYS TRUMP CALLED AGENTS DIRECTLY TO THANK THEM FOR OPERATION
"Excuse me one second. It's the media who has said that there's Russian interference in American elections. You guys have been saying that for many, many years," Leavitt shot back. 
FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA TO SUE AFTER FBI SEIZES 2020 ELECTION RECORDS
"The people in this room, considering that you all, you all said for many years that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump, you should all be very happy that we finally have an administration that is looking into that, and we'll be happy to keep you posted," she continued. 
Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into claims Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with Russia to secure the election wrapped up in March 2019, determining there was no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Why the ACLU Is Demanding a UN Investigation of Trump
This affects the entire country.

One of America’s most well-known left-leaning legal groups has asked the United Nations to investigate the Trump administration, alleging human rights violations and racial discrimination by federal agents in Minnesota.  

The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Minnesota sent an “urgent submission” to the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, or CERD, regarding federal immigration enforcement and treatment of protesters in the state. 

The U.N. committee defines early warning measures as “aimed at preventing existing situations escalating into conflicts.” It defines urgent procedures as responding to “problems requiring immediate attention to prevent or limit the scale or number of serious violations.”

The ACLU request calls for the U.N. committee to use its early warning and urgent action procedures to probe alleged violations of international human rights obligations. 

“The Trump administration’s egregious crackdown in Minnesota is not only flouting the Constitution but also United States international human rights obligations that prohibit the use of racial and ethnic profiling, extra-judicial killings and unlawful use of force against protesters and observers,” said Jamil Dakwar, director the Human Rights Program at the American Civil Liberties Union.  

The ACLU’s submission argues that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have stopped and arrested residents of Minnesota based on race, ethnicity, and national origin, which is a violation of rights enshrined in the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, or ICERD.

The United States signed on to the convention in 1994. 

“We are calling on the United Nations to hold the U.S. government accountable for its blatant violations of international law and to officially report on its disregard for their human rights treaty obligations,” Dakwar added.  

Submission of the ACLU and ACLU MN to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination _ American Civil Liberties UnionDownload

Dakwar is a longstanding critic of President Donald Trump, posting on X, formerly Twitter, after the 2020 election, “No matter who wins, it’s deeply concerning that millions more Americans chose to support Trump since 2016 despite his clear record of mishandling the pandemic, endorsing racism, violence and misogyny, dehumanizing migrants, and defying scientists and public health experts.”  

In May 2020, after Trump announced Antifa would be classified as a domestic terrorist group, Dakwar posted, “We repeatedly warned against Trump’s authoritarianism but this move is very dangerous and seriously threatens basic civil liberties and human rights.”

“He is promoting white supremacy agenda and abusing presidential powers,” Dakwar said.

In December, ICE increased deployment to the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, but began a drawdown of agents this week. Also, ICE agents fatally shot two anti-ICE agitators in matters under internal investigation.  

The ACLU asserts federal agents ignored human rights in their enforcement activity, and have unfairly targeted Somali and Latino communities. 

Neither ICE nor the …

Harris relaunch of ‘Kamala HQ’ as Gen Z content hub stokes speculation on what’s next
Why resist verification?

Former Vice President Kamala Harris has reactivated her 2024 campaign social media accounts in a fresh effort to reach younger voters ahead of the midterm elections.

Every move Harris makes inevitably draws scrutiny that she will mount a second White House bid in 2028. Experts told the Washington Examiner that this signals that Harris is interested and that she is far from done in the political sphere, although they disagreed on what that might look like.

“I wouldn’t say this is proof she’s formally running again, but it’s clearly a signal of interest,” Ashleigh Ewald, who served as a Gen Z content creator for Harris’s 2024 Georgia office, told the Washington Examiner. “Vice presidents who are done don’t usually rebuild digital infrastructure or re-activate former campaign teams. This feels more like keeping the door open than closing it.”

On Wednesday night, teasers hinted at the return of her social media presence, which officially relaunched Thursday on X and TikTok under the new brand “Headquarters.” This rebrand, created with the progressive nonprofit organization People For the American Way, is described as both a “youth mobilization organization” and a “next-generation campaigning” initiative.

Welcome to Headquarters, the new Gen-Z led progressive content hub.
— HQ (@headquarters_67) February 5, 2026

The “headquarters_67” account already has five million followers on TikTok and 1.1 million on X. It’s unclear if the 67 is a reference to the viral internet meme that has been driving parents and teachers crazy for the best part of the past two years. The bio on the X account simply said “Elon [Musk] wouldn’t give us @headquarters.”

Introducing itself as a “Gen-Z led progressive content hub,” the account features a stylized banner with an inverted bald eagle, an American flag backdrop, and a light green “Headquarters” logo subtitled “A News Co.”

Ewald noted that the rebrand itself is what stands out most.

“Shifting from KamalaHQ to a broader ‘Headquarters’ suggests she’s thinking beyond a single campaign,” she added. “More about staying engaged, especially with Gen Z. Harris has long understood that younger voters aren’t just a future constituency, they’re an expanding one, and that engagement has to be a two-way conversation, not just messaging at them. At a moment when Democrats are still trying to catch up to Republicans online, this also reads as a practical move. Even if a 2028 run is still down the line, …

Los Angeles mayoral race upended by allegations Karen Bass altered fire report
Transparency shouldn't be controversial.

The Los Angeles mayoral race plunged into chaos this week after a series of dramatic developments: Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass (D) was accused of tampering with a vital wildfire report, a leading challenger abruptly exited the race following a personal tragedy, a new challenger threw his hat into the ring, and Bass’s 2022 opponent hinted at a possible last-minute entry just before the filing deadline.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stands during a press conference after a tunnel collapsed on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

The turmoil was sparked by a Los Angeles Times report on Feb. 4 that alleged Bass ordered edits to the after-action report on the catastrophic Palisades fire. The report claimed these changes were made to minimize the city and fire department’s failings. The January 2025 fire killed 12 people and destroyed approximately 6,800 structures in Pacific Palisades.

Within a day of the allegations dropping, the landscape in the mayoral contest shifted.

Austin Beutner, former Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent and a vocal Bass critic, withdrew from the race after the sudden death of his 22-year-old daughter. Meanwhile, billionaire developer Rick Caruso, the 2022 runner-up who had previously ruled out a 2026 run, announced he would reconsider a bid in light of the new allegations against Bass. And tech executive-turned-homeless advocate Adam Miller announced he would enter the race. Miller criticized Bass in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, claiming the city is on a downward trajectory, beset by problems, and needs strong leadership at City Hall.

The latest developments could significantly alter the June 2 primary election.

Bass has consistently denied any role in altering the after-action report on the Palisades fire to minimize the city and fire department’s shortcomings. However, sources familiar with the situation revealed that Bass expressed concerns to interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva after reviewing an early draft about possible legal risks if the report were released as written. She allegedly requested that critical findings regarding the Los Angeles Fire Department’s performance be removed or softened before the report was made public, a request that was ultimately fulfilled.

The Los Angeles Times uncovered these changes in a December 2025 investigation. The publication updated its findings when more sources came forward this week. 

Individuals close to Bass confirmed …

Bessent deflects Van Hollen’s attempt to corner him on Pretti’s Second Amendment right
Who's accountable for the results?

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent swerved a question from Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) during his Senate hearing on Thursday, bringing up Ashli Babbitt’s Jan. 6 Capitol attack death when asked a question about the Minneapolis shooting of Alex Pretti.

Bessent appeared before the Senate banking committee on Thursday to testify on the Financial Stability Oversight Council’s Annual Report for 2025. When Van Hollen began questioning Bessent, he first pressed him on his response to the January shooting of Pretti by multiple Border Patrol agents.

BESSENT TAKES FLAK FROM DEMOCRATS OVER AFFORDABILITY IN SENATE HEARING

“You suggested that Alex Pretti was culpable in his own killing because he had a gun in his waistband holster, which he was licensed to carry,” Van Hollen said. “So, Mr. Secretary, today, would you like to retract that statement?”

Van Hollen’s line of questioning was directed at a statement Bessent made the day after Pretti’s death, in which he said, “I am sorry that this gentleman is dead, but he did bring a 9mm semi-automatic weapon with two cartridges to what was supposed to be a peaceful protest.”

Pretti’s legally open-carrying has become a sticking point in conservatives’ response to the shooting.

“I would not. And would you like to express remorse over the death of Ashli Babbitt here in the Capitol?” Bessent asked Van Hollen in response, referring to Babbitt’s death by Capitol Police when trying to break into the Speaker’s Lobby.

“I have expressed remorse over that, so I’ve done that,” Van Hollen said. “I have other questions, but I actually would have expected you to take this opportunity to rephrase your response to that question. So you think the fact that he legally had a gun justified his killing?”

“I didn’t say that at all,” Bessent said.

The two went back and forth for a few moments before Van Hollen ultimately said, “I’m asking you a question now: Do you believe he was in any way culpable for his own killing because he legally carried a gun?”

“This is an FSOC hearing. Why don’t we talk about financial stability and oversight?” Bessent said.

Van Hollen dropped the line of questioning, saying, “Your credibility is important, and in that response, I think you let down the country because we expect honesty after that kind of terrible tragedy.”

Following Pretti’s death, several members of the Trump administration followed Bessent’s suit in raising questions over Pretti’s decision to carry a gun while protesting Immigration and …

The Media’s Double Standard Toward Obama and Trump on Deportations
This affects the entire country.

Those who claim President Barack Obama deported illegal aliens more “humanely” make the following assertions: a) Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn’t go into the streets under Obama; b) there were no street activists/protesters/agitators; c) ICE only deported those with criminal records beyond illegal entry or illegally overstaying; d) Obama’s deportation numbers largely include “returns” or those deported at the border; e) the Obama administration did not engage in “lawlessness”; and f) ICE and/or Customs and Border Patrol arrested only illegal aliens after first securing a judicial warrant.

As for a), under Obama, ICE did go into the streets, including into the interior and into “sanctuary” cities like Chicago. Watch “Lost in Detention,” a 2011 episode of the PBS “Frontline” program, where, for example, an illegal alien mother stopped in Illinois for making an illegal lane change was ultimately deported back to Mexico.

Consider this X post:

“ … As someone who worked during (the Obama administration), it’s simple. All the ‘sanctuary cities,’ including mine, cooperated fully with ICE and Homeland… So, this, in fact is politicians’ fault because they pick and choose who they want to cooperate with …”

As for b), the media/Dems loved Obama, so they looked the other way. Again, under Obama, there was greater cooperation between local, state, and federal officials. In fact, several cities and states adopted sanctuary policies because of this cooperation.

The think tank Niskanen Center writes: “The Secure Communities program allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue detainers for anyone detained by local law enforcement … Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano (in October 2010) stated that DHS ‘did not view (Secure Communities) as an opt-in, opt-out program …

“In response, multiple local jurisdictions, including Cook County, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., passed legislation to limit local compliance with immigration detainers, thus creating sanctuary cities.”

There was no “ICE Watch” to alert activists and protesters. And Obama did not inherit an administration that allowed in 10 million to 15 million illegal aliens.

As for c), deporting only those with “criminal records,” this is from the “nonpartisan” , in January 2026, about the Trump administration: ” … Those with criminal convictions or pending charges represented 66% of arrests, which the administration has rounded up to 70%.”

About deportations with criminal records under Obama, in April 2016, The Washington Post wrote:

“While the number of deportations of illegal immigrants with criminal records has declined in recent years, last year this group made up almost 60 percent of the total number expelled from the country, the largest percentage in recent memory …”

As for d) that Obama deportation numbers mostly included those at the border, the left-leaning fact-check site wrote:

“ … The claim that immigration authorities deported more than 3 million people during the Obama administration (2009-2017) is accurate based on ‘formal removal’ figures reported by the DHS. When including ‘returns’ (those removed at the border), however, …

FBI announces $50,000 reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery: ‘We’re still looking’
The headline tells the story.

The FBI announced on Thursday that it is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie or to the arrest of those involved in her abduction.

Heith Janke, the FBI special agent in charge of the federal investigation into the disappearance of Today show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, announced the monetary incentive during a press conference held by the Pima County Sheriff’s Office.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, appeared to be taken against her will from her Arizona home in the early hours of Sunday, sparking national scrutiny and a sweeping hunt for her kidnapper, as investigators warn time is running out for the elderly woman, due to her reliance on health medication. During the latest press briefing, Sheriff Chris Nanos continued to express confidence that “Nancy is still out there.” But he said authorities have yet to identify a person of interest or suspect in the case.

Nanos confirmed that DNA testing indicated the blood spotted at the porch area of Nancy Guthrie’s home had been traced back to Savannah Guthrie’s mother. Investigators are still waiting to probe other evidence that has been submitted for lab analysis but not processed at this point, the sheriff added.

Officials also provided a key update on numerous purported ransom notes. One of them was confirmed false, Janke and Nanos said, revealing that an arrest had been made in connection with the “impostor” demand on Thursday morning. But there are other purported ransom notes circulated this week to at least three media outlets that Janke said were all “the same.” The message to the media contained details about the floodlights hanging outside the home and Nancy Guthrie’s Apple Watch. “The one that went to the media is the one we’re currently investigating,” Janke said, noting it is “tricky” to authenticate the message because the details about the watch and floodlight were widely reported in press coverage surrounding the abduction. The note to media had a deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday and a second deadline of Monday if a money transfer was not made, Janke added.

“Those are the time frames we’re looking at as we move forward,” he said.

The FBI said the note to the media did not establish communication protocols and that no further contact was made with the Guthrie after the message was sent to the outlets.

“That is what I think is important, that if someone has Nancy and is demanding the ransom, that there is communication with the family,” Janke said. “We …