Breaking news always seems to happen on Saturdays I swear. 

On January 24, 2026, Customs and Border Protection shot and killed Alex Pretti, a VA ICU nurse based out of Minneapolis. 

Here is what else happened this week.

1) Congress has passed funding bills despite there being pushback on funding the Department of Homeland security out of protest of ICE and CBP raids in big cities.

• Senate fails to advance spending bills as Democrats push for DHS reforms – NPR (Jan. 29, 2026)
• Senate passes $1.2T government funding deal — but a brief shutdown is certain – Politico (Jan. 30, 2026)

2) Don Lemon, a former CNN anchor, and three others were arrested for alleged involvement in a protest at a St. Paul church.

• Don Lemon released without bond over Minnesota church protest – The New York Times (January 30, 2026). 

3) The death toll of protesters in Iran increased to almost 6,000; the death toll could be much higher and Trump has sent a Naval strike group into the region.

• Trump warns Iran with military muscle, but risks a regional war – The New York Times (Jan. 29, 2026)
• Is the US preparing to strike Iran again? – BBC (Jan. 28, 2026)
• Trump warns Iran ‘time is running out’ for nuclear deal as US military builds up in Gulf – BBC (Jan. 28, 2026)

4) Two Trinidadian families have filed wrongful death suits against the US government for the death of two men as a result of the October 14, 2025 airstrike off the coast of Venezuela. 

• Trinidadian families file wrongful death lawsuit over boat strike by US military – The New York Times (Jan. 27, 2026)

Listen to this week’s Unfiltered episode about the killing of Alex Pretti.

Sources:

• Biesecker, M., Bedayn, J. (2026). New videos show Alex Pretti scuffle with federal officers in Minneapolis 11 days before his death. The Associated Press. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/us/politics/trinidad-wrongful-death-lawsuit-boat-strike.html. Accessed January 29, 2026.
• Dell’orto, G., Santana R. (2026). Trump’s border czar suggests a possible drawdown in Minnesota, but only after ‘cooperation’. The Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/homan-minneapolis-immigration-enforcement-0d559bf53b630d7cc525fd3219f430ba. Accessed January 29, 2026.
• Barr, L., Rubin, O., Thomas, P. (2026). FBI seizes 2020 ballots in Georgia in apparently unprecedented action, alarming local officials. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fbi-conducting-court-ordered-activity-georgia-election-site/story?id=129644345. Accessed January 29, 2026.
• Barrett, D., Fausset, R., Corasaniti, N. (2026). Move to seize ballots thrusts FBI into Trump’s election conspiracy claim. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/28/us/politics/fbi-search-election-center-georgia.html. Accessed January 29, 2026. 
• Gerstein, J., Cheney, K. (2026). Trump, Bondi statements fuel legal case against Minnesota surge. Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/26/minnesota-operation-metro-surge-case-00746755. Accessed January 29, 2026. 
• Brooks, E. (2026). House Republicans unveil election reform bill dubbed Make Elections Great Again Act. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5712698-house-republicans-election-reform-bill/. Accessed January 29, 2026. 
• Ngo, M., Berzin, A., Aleaziz, H. (2026). DHS review does not say Pretti brandished gun, as Noem claimed. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/us/politics/pretti-shooting-minneapolis-dhs-report.html.Accessed January 29, 2026.
• Arkin, D. (2026). ‘Hit record’. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/renee-good-alex-pretti-shootings-spark-minneapolis-protesters-video-ic-rcna256350. Accessed January 29, 2026. 
• Erden, B., Lum, D., Rosales, H., Shao, E., Willis, H., Wu, A. (2026). Timeline: A moment-by-moment look the shooting of Alex Pretti. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/01/24/us/minneapolis-shooting-alex-pretti-timeline.html. Accessed January 29, 2026.
• Border czar plans for eventual drawdown of immigration agents in Minnesota. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/minneapolis-ice-trump-01-29-26?post-id=cmkzh2aic00003b6pjc6uyt5k.Accessed January 30, 2026.
• Kirby, P. (2026). US to send ICE agents to Winter Olympics, prompting Italian anger. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y29xzjdzvo. Accessed January 29, 2026. 
• Luna, J. (2026). Video shows Bovino giving orders to federal agents in Los Angeles. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000010676901/la-immigration-raids-greg-bovino.html. Accessed January 29, 2026. 
• Klippenstein, K. (2026). Immigration agents terrified of ICE backlash after shooting. Ken Klippenstein SubStack. https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/immigration-agents-terrified-by-ice. Accessed January 30, 2026. 
• An ICE agents in Portland, Maine reveals the reason why they film and photograph people. (2026). BT Newsroom Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DT5c9DmiXKp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link.Accessed January 30, 2026. 
• Jacobson, L. (2026). Are guns barred at protests, as Kash Patel said? In most states, no. PoliFact The Pointer Institute. https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2026/jan/27/kash-patel/gun-protest-concealed-carry-minneapolis-pretti/. Accessed January 30, 2026. 
• Armed Extremism. (n.d.) Everytown for Gun Safety. https://www.everytown.org/issues/armed-extremism/.Accessed January 30, 2026.