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Experts urge Trump administration to take tough stance against EU regulations targeting US
Temporary powers never stay temporary.

A new report casts light on several European Union regulations wielded to disproportionately harm U.S. companies and consumers and urges the Trump administration to take broad action against them.

As tensions with the EU remain high over President Donald Trump‘s recent moves to acquire Greenland, Consumers Defense released a report giving the president more ammunition for his grievances against the 27-nation bloc. The report, “Fines for Thee, Not for Me: How EU Digital Policies are Targeting Americans,” highlights regulations disproportionately targeting U.S. companies while letting China off the hook, hidden taxes targeting U.S. companies, and EU censorship having a chilling effect on U.S. speech.

The EU justifies the tech laws under “digital sovereignty” but shows an obvious double standard in its implementation, the report suggests.

“The European Union is attempting to achieve so-called ‘digital sovereignty’ by implementing laws and
regulations regarding data privacy, cybersecurity, and digital transactions, each specifically designed to break American dominance in technology. These protectionist schemes are tailored specifically to target large companies, which are almost exclusively American, rather than smaller European companies — or even Chinese competitors,” the report says.

Some of the worst offenders are the Digital Markets Act, the Digital Services Act, and the data privacy rules known as the “General Data Protection Regulation.” The report found that 16 of 25 platforms subject to the DSA’s most cumbersome requirements are based in the United States.

Worse yet, other regulatory proposals targeting or disproportionately affecting U.S. tech companies are in the works. France, Spain, and Italy have backed proposals to enact “Fair Share” fees, which charge large digital content producers a fee to support Europe-based telecom companies that provide access to their content. The Digital Network Act is also set to enact increasing burdens through network fees, IP dispute resolution, and other protectionist measures.

Many EU figures have been open about their targeting of U.S. companies, with one of the most prominent MEPs calling for regulations solely targeting the top U.S. tech companies.

The culminating effect is to discourage investment and harm both American and EU workers through exorbitant fines.

“Altogether, EU legislation targeting digital service platforms could lead to an accumulated loss of $2.2 trillion in digital services revenue …

Kristi Noem expected to testify before Senate Judiciary Committee in March
Who's accountable for the results?

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is expected to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee in March, giving lawmakers a rare chance to scrutinize her stewardship of the Department of Homeland Security after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

DHS’s Office of Legislative Affairs agreed to a March 3 date for the testimony, according to a spokesperson for Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), with each senator on the panel getting 10 minutes for questioning.

The testimony will bring intense scrutiny on Noem, who is facing growing calls for impeachment from Democrats critical of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s tactics. Republicans have also expressed growing frustration with Noem for declining to sit for a hearing last year.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks about the impending winter weather during a news conference at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

HOUSE REBELS PLAN FLOOR REVOLT OVER SENATE’S SAVE ACT INACTION

The Washington Examiner previously reported that Grassley was haggling with the administration over a date for testimony and that the length of questioning had become a sticking point. The breakthrough comes two days after Pretti was pinned and then killed by a Border Patrol agent, fanning weeks of protests in Minneapolis.

This story is breaking. Please check back for updates.

Rep. Randy Fine calls for inquiry into left-wing groups targeting ICE agents in Minnesota
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.

EXCLUSIVE – Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) is calling for a federal investigation into what he describes as organized left-wing groups operating in Minnesota, arguing they played a central role in unrest surrounding federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis.

In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Fine said the demonstrations that followed the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, coming just weeks after another Immigration and Customs Enforcement-related killing in the city, were not spontaneous protests but the result of coordinated activist networks that he believes warrant further scrutiny.

“It appears you’ve got organized militias engaged in this direction, and that’s not OK,” Fine said. “These are not spontaneous public protests. These are paramilitary organizations, and they need to be investigated and put down.”

Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was fatally shot during an altercation with Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis on Saturday. At the time of the incident, Pretti was recording a federal immigration operation and intervened before being taken to the ground by agents and repeatedly shot.

Pretti’s death came amid rising tensions between federal authorities and protesters who have been tracking immigration raids, after an ICE agent earlier this month fatally shot 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Renee Good during a similar encounter. 

Despite freezing temperatures, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in the days following Pretti’s death, intensifying a standoff between Minnesota officials, federal agents, and activists opposed to the administration’s immigration crackdown.

Fine pointed to reports that protesters were communicating through encrypted platforms and mobilizing rapidly at enforcement sites as evidence of broader coordination rather than organic demonstrations.

“This is all organized. It’s all funded,” Fine said. “What we really need to do is expose the protest scam so Americans understand what they’re seeing.”

A Fox News Digital investigation reported that far-left activists used encrypted messaging apps, street alerts, and coordinated tracking tools to mobilize at the Minneapolis location where Pretti was killed, indicating they were already on scene minutes before the confrontation escalated. According to that report, ICE and Border Patrol agents were attempting to arrest an undocumented criminal, while protesters gathered outside a nearby doughnut shop as part of a broader effort to interfere …

Fetterman urges Minneapolis ICE op to stand down as city spirals to ‘ungovernable and dangerous’ levels
This affects the entire country.

Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman is calling for an immediate end to the Minnesota immigration crackdown after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti Saturday by federal law enforcement, he said in comment to Fox News Digital. 
"The operation in Minneapolis should stand down and immediately end," Fetterman said Monday in a comment to Fox News Digital. "It has become an ungovernable and dangerous urban theatre for civilians and law enforcement that is incompatible with the American spirit." 
"As a very pro-immigration Democrat and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Border Management, I believe our nation deserves a secured border and that we should deport all criminal migrants," he continued. "I also believe there needs to be a path to citizenship for those hardworking families who are here." 
Fetterman's comments on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation follow his vocal support of federal law enforcement officers, breaking with many Democrat colleagues who have called for the end to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown and for ICE overall to be defunded. 
FORMER ICE AGENT CALLS POLICE NON-COOPERATION 'FORMULA FOR DISASTER' AFTER SECOND MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING DEATH
"Secure the border. Deport all the criminals. Stop targeting the hardworking migrants in our nation," Fetterman posted to X earlier in January. 
Fetterman added in his statement Monday that he continues to buck calls to defund ICE. 
Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman's office Monday morning inquiring about his wife's X post blasting the Trump administration’s immigration policies, even as her husband has publicly backed federal immigration officers.
"For more than a decade, I lived undocumented in the US. Every day carried the same uncertainty and fear lived in my body - a tight chest, shallow breaths, racing heart," the senator's wife, Gisele Barreto Fetterman, wrote Sunday. "What I thought was my private, chronic dread has now become a shared national wound."
"This now-daily violence is not 'law and order.' It is terror inflicted on people who contribute, love and build their lives here," she continued. "It's devastatingly cruel and unAmerican."
Gisele Barreto Fetterman previously has discussed moving to the U.S. from Brazil as a child, including as an illegal immigrant for a decade.  
Alex Pretti, 37, was fatally shot Saturday by Border Patrol agents in Minnesota while filming federal officers on a Minneapolis street. Federal officials say Pretti approached agents with a 9 mm handgun and resisted disarmament, while witnesses have cast doubt on if …

Kathy Hochul blasted for knocking ICE as DHS offered federal help during NY blizzard
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.

As this weekend’s blizzard blew through the Empire State, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul received blowback for her response to an offer of federal assistance from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose office oversees FEMA.
State snowfall totals topped 22 inches in West Shokan, Ulster County, outside Saugerties, while New City received 17.5 inches, Golden’s Bridge near the Connecticut line in Westchester County received 16.5 inches, Huguenot on Staten Island received 14 inches, and Levittown on Long Island received 13 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
Instead of confirming she accepted DHS’s offer to help, Hochul indicated she took the opportunity to criticize federal immigration enforcement:
"Secretary Noem offered assistance to New York ahead of the impending snowstorm," Hochul said over the weekend.
POTENTIAL GOP CHALLENGER WARNS HOCHUL THAT A CORPORATE TAX HIKE WOULD BE A 'DISASTER' FOR NEW YORK'S ECONOMY
"I shared that the fastest way to help is for ICE to back off so people feel safe accessing warming centers, shelters, hospitals, and houses of worship."
Her response was not well received by several prominent New Yorkers and New York entities.
"Worst governor in history," the Staten Island Young Republicans said in a statement on X.
TRUMP BRIEFED ON BORDER PATROL-INVOLVED SHOOTING AS MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR DEMANDS END TO ENFORCEMENT OPERATION
NYC Scoop, a popular account sharing events and happenings in New York City, similarly fumed at the governor.
"You literally just told a U.S. Cabinet Secretary offering FREE blizzard relief to f--- off because ICE might make your illegal alien constituents feel 'unsafe'," NYC Scoop said.
"You’re not a governor. You’re a border checkpoint for cartels. Resign, you treasonous ice queen."
LARA TRUMP SLAMS TIM WALZ, JACOB FREY FOR 'FANNING FLAMES' WHILE RED STATES COOPERATE WITH ICE
Conservative strategist and former Ted Cruz staffer Steve Guest said the governor is "prioritizing politics over her constituents, and people are already dying."
Guest included a screenshot of a WNBC report of three New Yorkers who had died from the sub-freezing temperatures during the storm.
When asked about the tweet, White House spokesman Kush Desai rebuked the governor:
"What a surprise — while President Trump and his entire Administration have taken steps to ensure all Americans have the resources they need to recover from this historic winter storm, Democrats instead are, once again, prioritizing the well-being of criminal illegal aliens."
Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman responded in a statement, …

What Did Trump and Walz Talk About on Monday?
Who's accountable for the results?

President Donald Trump said he had a “good call” with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Monday, just two days after a second fatal shooting in Minneapolis by a federal immigration officer.  

“Governor Tim Walz called me with the request to work together with respect to Minnesota. It was a very good call, and we, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength,” Trump posted on Truth Social.  

Trump said that he was going to have border czar Tom Homan call Walz, adding, “What we are looking for are any and all Criminals that they have in their possession,” noting that Walz understands.  


— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 26, 2026

Walz also acknowledged the call with Trump, calling it “a productive conversation,” adding, “I explained to him that his staff doesn’t have their facts straight about Minnesota.”  

On Saturday, Border Patrol agents shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.  

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti “approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun,” and DHS claimed the man “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”   

Video of the incident appears to conflict with the initial accounts of Noem and DHS, leading Democrats and some Republicans to criticize the Trump administration’s characterization of the incident.  

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., called the latest event in Minneapolis “incredibly disturbing,” adding that the “credibility of [Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security] are at stake. There must be a full joint federal and state investigation. We can trust the American people with the truth.”  

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said the shooting “should raise serious questions within the administration about the adequacy of immigration-enforcement training and the instructions officers are given on carrying out their mission.”  

Following the criticism of ICE and DHS, Trump announced Monday morning that he is sending Homan to Minnesota. 

Walz “was happy that Tom Homan was going to Minnesota, and so am I,” Trump said. “We have had such tremendous SUCCESS in Washington, D.C., Memphis, Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana, and virtually every other place that we have ‘touched’ and, even in Minnesota, Crime is way down, but both Governor Walz and I want to make it better!”  

The tone of Trump’s statement on Monday is in stark contrast to his social media posts from over the weekend, accusing Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of “inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric!”  

Walz and Frey have been critical of the Trump administration’s large immigration enforcement operation that began in the Twin Cities in December and has since been expanded to the rest of the state. Walz and Frey, both Democrats, have asked the Trump administration to end the operation, repeating their demands after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement-involved shooting in Minneapolis on Jan. 7 that killed 37-year-old Renee Good. 

“Minnesota believes in law and order. We believe in peace. And we believe that Trump needs to pull his 3,000 untrained agents out of …

Former Trail Blazer Chris Dudley to run again for governor of Oregon
This is why trust is collapsing.

Former Portland Trail Blazer center Chris Dudley has launched a second attempt to run for governor of Oregon as a Republican, a long-shot bid in a blue state even as the incumbent has struggled in polls.

Dudley, who played six seasons for the Trail Blazers and 16 for the NBA overall, said in an announcement video Monday that he would ease divisiveness and focus on public safety, affordability and education in a state where support for Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek has been low for her entire tenure.

“The empty promises, the name calling, the finger pointing and fear mongering that has solved nothing must stop,” said in his election announcement. “There are real solutions, and I have a plan.”

Dudley is one of the most successful Republicans of the last 25 years in Oregon, coming within 2 points of defeating Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber in 2010.

“I think it’s imperative that we get somebody from outside of Salem who’s away from the partisan politics, away from the name calling, the finger pointing,” Dudley told The Oregonian. “Who has the expertise and background and the ability to bring people together to solve these issues.”

In his election announcement, Dudley spoke about his love of the state and frustration people have with the current state of politics. He mentioned education, safety and affordability as key issues he plans to address but did not give any key policy specifics.

Dudley is a Yale graduate who worked in finance after leaving the NBA. A diabetic, he also founded a foundation focused on children with Type 1 diabetes.

In the GOP primary, Dudley faces a field that includes state Sen. Christine Drazan, who lost to Kotek by nearly 4 percentage points in 2022.

Other candidates include another state lawmaker, a county commissioner and a conservative influencer who was pardoned by President Donald Trump for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Kotek is a relatively unpopular governor. Her approval rating has consistently remained under 50 percent her entire term in office, according to polling analysis by Morning Consult. She has not announced her campaign but is expected to run for reelection.

Despite expectations that Democrats will do well in the midterms, a number of Oregon Republicans have become more involved in state politics since the last election. Phil Knight, a co-founder of Nike, donated $3 million to an Oregon Republican PAC focused on gaining seats in the state Legislature in October. It was his largest political donation to date, according to the Willamette Week.

Dudley received significant backing from Knight in his 2010 race, but it’s unclear if he will get the same level of support this time around.

Any Republican faces an uphill battle for governor in Oregon, where a GOP candidate has …

Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino to leave Minnesota, as Tom Homan takes over
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.

Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, the face of the Trump administration's campaign to arrest and deport criminal illegal immigrants, will be leaving Minnesota, along with some border agents, amid violent, and sometimes deadly, clashes between federal authorities and anti-ICE agitators.
Bovino and an unspecified number of U.S. Border Patrol agents will be leaving the state as soon as Tuesday, multiple federal sources told Fox News. 
The news came the same day that President Donald Trump announced that he would be deploying border czar Tom Homan to take point in Minnesota. 
White House Press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday defended Bovino, calling him a "wonderful man, and he's a great professional."
DEPUTY AG DEFENDS ICE AGENTS IN MINNESOTA, SAYS OFFICERS ARE 'ACTING HUMANELY'
"He is going to very much continue to lead Customs and Border Patrol, throughout and across the country," Leavitt said. "Mr. Homan will be the main point of contact on the ground in Minneapolis to follow up." 
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Before leading operations throughout the country, Bovino was chief of the Border Patrol's El Centro Sector in Southern California, which is responsible for 70 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border and covers Imperial and Riverside counties. 
Bovino has been criticized by opponents of Trump's deportation campaign over tactics used by federal immigration authorities to apprehend criminal illegal aliens. 
News of Bovino's departure came after a deadline weekend in which 37-year-old nurse Alex J. Pretti was fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent. Pretti, who was armed with a handgun, was filming federal officers on a Minneapolis street. 
TRUMP CONFIRMS FEDERAL REVIEW OF MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING THAT KILLED NURSE: 'REVIEWING EVERYTHING'
Authorities said Pretti was resisting disarmament when he was shot. 
At the time, authorities were targeting Jose Huerta-Chuma, an illegal immigrant with a criminal history including domestic assault for intentional conflict with bodily harm, disorderly conduct and driving without a valid license.
Trump said Homan will report "directly to me" and will help lead the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
"I am sending Tom Homan to Minnesota tonight. He has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there. Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"Separately, a major investigation is going on …

Virginia Democrats advance bill banning sale of assault-style weapons
Same show, different day.

Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly on Monday advanced legislation that would fundamentally alter the state’s firearm laws by outlawing the future sale and transfer of “assault-style” firearms in the Commonwealth. 

The Senate Courts of Justice Committee reported an amended version of Senate Bill 749, sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Saddam Salim, that would ban the sale of assault-style weapons regardless of their manufacture date. 

The amendment would also impose a 10-round magazine limit and make it a Class 1 misdemeanor to import, sell, manufacture, purchase, or transfer such weapons. 

Crucially for gun owners, the legislation clarifies that this limit does not include a grandfather provision for sales or transfers, effectively making the trade of high-capacity magazines illegal if the bill becomes law.  

The legislation would not ban possession of assault weapons already owned, and it would allow transfers between family members or via wills. 

During the debate, GOP lawmakers framed the proposal as an infringement on Second Amendment rights.

Republican state Sen. Mark Peake warned that disarming citizens weakens a check against “tyrannical government.” 

Conversely, Democratic state Sen. Creigh Deeds defended the necessity of the ban, pointing to the epidemic of gun violence, specifically citing the recent fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minnesota as an example of why high-capacity weapons should not be readily available to the public. 

The Virginia Senate Republicans Caucus was quick to condemn the legislation on social media, warning gun owners to “beware.”

“Virginia Democrats are targeting law-abiding gun owners while eliminating mandatory minimums for individuals who commit actual gun crimes,” the caucus posted on X.

Despite its success in committee, the bill faces an uphill battle. To become law, it must clear the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, pass a full Senate vote, and survive the House of Delegates.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), who has expressed strong support for “common-sense gun safety,” remains the final hurdle. 

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER’S VIRGINIA BAIT AND SWITCH

Spanberger has previously indicated that she is willing and ready to enforce gun safety measures in this session. 

“I am ready to sign these bills. Please send them,” Spanberger said during her first address to the General Assembly.

White House tries to split the baby on Minnesota shooting
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.

The White House blamed Democrats on Monday for the fatal shooting of anti-U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protester Alex Pretti in Minnesota, even as President Donald Trump spent much of the last 24 hours trying to calm tensions over the incident.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at the day’s press briefing that the escalation in Minnesota between federal immigration agents and protesters resulted from the actions of Democratic elected officials, specifically Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

“Nobody in the White House, including President Trump, wants to see people getting hurt or killed in America’s streets. This includes Renee Good, Alex Pretti, and the brave men and women of federal law enforcement,” Leavitt said. “But let’s be clear about the circumstances which led to that moment on Saturday: This tragedy occurred as a result of a deliberate and hostile resistance by Democrat leaders in Minnesota.”

Pretti, 37, was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent on Saturday in Minneapolis after becoming involved in an altercation with federal officials.

Leavitt said Walz, Frey, and other Minnesota Democrats had spent weeks “spreading lies about federal law enforcement officers who are risking their lives daily to remove the worst criminal illegal aliens from our streets.”

“Governor Walz and Mayor Frey have shamefully blocked local and state police from cooperating with ICE, actively inhibiting efforts to arrest violent criminals,” said Leavitt. “They have also used their platforms to encourage left-wing agitators to stalk, record, confront, and obstruct federal officers who are just trying to lawfully perform their duties, which has created dangerous situations threatening both these officers and the general public and Minnesotans alike.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Washington. (Graeme Jennings/Washington Examiner)

Leavitt’s remarks came hours after Trump told the Wall Street Journal he would consider recalling federal immigration law enforcement agents from Minnesota.

The president also announced via Truth Social Monday that he was deploying border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis amid ongoing protests against ICE. Trump said on the platform that he spoke to Walz on the phone, and the two leaders “seemed to be on a similar wavelength.”

During the press briefing, Leavitt was …