Live updates: Supreme Court lets new congressional map for California move forward
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Ryan Routh, who attempted to murder Trump in 2024, was sentenced to life in prison plus a mandatory additional 7 years for a firearm charge.
What to know today
- TRUMP INTERVIEW: President Donald Trump sat for a wide-ranging interview with NBC News, in which he said he learned that his administration "could use a little bit of a softer touch” while it was carrying out its immigration enforcement agenda.
- INTEREST RATES: In his interview with NBC News, Trump said he would not have picked Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve if Warsh had shown a desire to raise interest rates. "I just think they’re going to be lowered," Trump said. "I mean, they should be lower.”
- MINNESOTA DRAWDOWN: Border czar Tom Homan said at a news conference this morning in Minneapolis that the Trump administration is withdrawing 700 immigration agents from enforcement operations in the state. The announcement comes after the Border Patrol’s Gregory Bovino was removed as head of the operations following a series of deadly incidents.
- CALIFORNIA REDISTRICTING: The Supreme Court allowed California to use a new congressional map that voters approved in November. The map, drawn by Democratic lawmakers, gives the Democratic Party an opportunity to pick up as many as five House seats amid a nationwide redistricting push.
- ROUTH SENTENCING: Ryan Routh was sentenced to life in prison plus a mandatory additional seven years for a firearm charge after he was found guilty last year of attempting to assassinate Trump when he was a presidential candidate in September 2024.
Trump endorses candidate in race to fill Marjorie Taylor Greene's vacant House seat
Trump has endorsed Republican Clay Fuller to fill the seat left empty by former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., his ally-turned-critic.
“It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot, Clay Fuller, who is running to represent the wonderful people of Georgia’s 14th Congressional District,” Trump said on Truth Social tonight.
Greene left her seat last month. She announced she was resigning in November after weeks of fighting with Trump. Greene carried her Republican-heavy district by about 29 points in 2024.
A special election to fill Greene’s vacant seat is scheduled for March. The winner will serve until the end of this Congress next January.
Fuller, the district attorney for a four-county circuit in Northwest Georgia, is one of 17 Republicans who have qualified for the special election, which will not have a primary beforehand, according to The Associated Press. A total of 22 candidates will appear on the ballot. If no candidate wins a majority, the top two candidates will proceed to a runoff.
CIA responds to Sen. Ron Wyden's letter on 'deep concerns' about agency activities
The CIA tonight took a dig at Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., over his letter today voicing “deep concerns” about unspecified activities at the spy agency.
In an email, CIA spokesperson Liz Lyons said that lawmakers have praised the agency under Director John Ratcliffe and that Wyden is outlier.
“Ironic but unsurprising that Senator Wyden is unhappy. Badge of honor,” she wrote.
Wyden, a member of the Intelligence Committee, sent a classified letter to Ratcliffe today, his office said in a news release.
“I write to alert you to a classified letter I sent you earlier today, in which I express deep concerns about CIA activities,” Wyden wrote in an unclassified letter to Ratcliffe, his office said.
Wyden’s office declined to comment further on the exact nature of his concerns.
Whistleblower alleges distribution of intel report was restricted for 'political purposes'
An intelligence official who filed a whistleblower complaint against National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard has alleged that the distribution of a highly classified intelligence report was restricted for “political purposes” and that the office’s top lawyer failed to report a potential crime to the Justice Department, also for allegedly “political purposes,” according to the intelligence community’s inspector general.
In a letter this week to top lawmakers obtained by NBC News, the inspector general, Christopher Fox, described the whistleblower complaint and informed them he had approved its delivery to leaders of the House and the Senate and congressional intelligence committees.
A previous inspector general initially found that the IG's office could not determine whether it was credible that the whistleblower’s allegation that the distribution of an intelligence report was restricted for political reasons and then later concluded in a subsequent assessment based on new evidence that the allegation “did not appear credible,” according to Fox’s letter.
As for the second allegation that a potential crime was not reported for political reasons, the previous inspector general could not determine whether it was credible, Fox wrote.
The whistleblower complaint against Gabbard was first filed in May, and the whistleblower had asked that it be transmitted to Congress in June. But the complaint was shared with lawmakers only this week after The Wall Street Journal first reported its existence.
The whistleblower’s lawyer, Andrew Bakaj, has accused Gabbard of trying to bury the complaint and stonewall Congress, but her office has vehemently denied the accusation, NBC News has reported. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has called the complaint politically motivated and baseless.
Bakaj, chief counsel with Whistleblower Aid, a nonprofit group that seeks to help government and private-sector employees expose wrongdoing, says he plans to provide an unclassified briefing about the case to lawmakers next week if Gabbard fails to provide security guidance that would allow the whistleblower to speak directly to members of Congress.
“The law requires that Director Gabbard provide the whistleblower with security guidance on contacting the congressional intelligence committees. We cannot wait another eight months,” Bakaj said in a statement.
Bakaj informed Gabbard of his plans in a letter.
Schumer and Jeffries unveil their list of reforms to unlock DHS funding
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., released their list of 10 reforms they want enacted before they deliver the votes to fund the Department of Homeland Security past the Feb. 13 deadline.
The question now is whether the reforms can get 60 votes in the Senate and a majority in the House, which will be particularly tough.
Here are the changes Schumer and Jeffries want, according to a news release from their offices:
- Targeted Enforcement — DHS officers cannot enter private property without a judicial warrant. End indiscriminate arrests and improve warrant procedures and standards. Require verification that a person is not a U.S. citizen before holding them in immigration detention.
- No Masks — Prohibit ICE and immigration enforcement agents from wearing face coverings.
- Require ID — Require DHS officers conducting immigration enforcement to display their agency, unique ID number and last name. Require them to verbalize their ID number and last name if asked.
- Protect Sensitive Locations — Prohibit funds from being used to conduct enforcement near sensitive locations, including medical facilities, schools, child-care facilities, churches, polling places, courts, etc.
- Stop Racial Profiling — Prohibit DHS officers from conducting stops, questioning and searches based on an individual’s presence at certain locations, their job, their spoken language and accent or their race and ethnicity.
- Uphold Use of Force Standards — Place into law a reasonable use of force policy, expand training and require certification of officers. In the case of an incident, the officer must be removed from the field until an investigation is conducted.
- Ensure State and Local Coordination and Oversight — Preserve the ability of State and local jurisdictions to investigate and prosecute potential crimes and use of excessive force incidents. Require that evidence is preserved and shared with jurisdictions. Require the consent of States and localities to conduct large-scale operations outside of targeted immigration enforcement.
- Build Safeguards into the System — Make clear that all buildings where people are detained must abide by the same basic detention standards that require immediate access to a person’s attorney to prevent citizen arrests or detention. Allow states to sue DHS for violations of all requirements. Prohibit limitations on Member visits to ICE facilities regardless of how those facilities are funded.
- Body Cameras for Accountability, Not Tracking — Require use of body-worn cameras when interacting with the public and mandate requirements for the storage and access of footage. Prohibit tracking, creating or maintaining databases of individuals participating in First Amendment activities.
- No Paramilitary Police — Regulate and standardize the type of uniforms and equipment DHS officers carry during enforcement operations to bring them in line with civil enforcement.
CIA ends publication of its popular World Factbook reference tool
Close the cover on the CIA World Factbook: The spy agency announced today that after more than 60 years, it is shuttering the popular reference manual.
The announcement posted to the CIA’s website offered no reason for the decision to end the Factbook, but it follows a vow from Director John Ratcliffe to end programs that don’t advance the agency’s core missions.
Fact-checking Trump’s interview with NBC News
Trump sat down in the Oval Office with “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas for a wide-ranging interview that touched on the administration’s immigration operations in Minnesota, his plans for the Federal Reserve and tensions between the United States and Iran.
At times, Trump made false, exaggerated or misleading claims while discussing the economy, the southern border, crime, election security and a variety of other topics.
House Republican Barry Loudermilk says he won't seek re-election
Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., announced today that he will not seek re-election this year.
“Although I continue to have strong support from the people of the Eleventh Congressional District, I believe it is time to contribute to my community, state, and nation in other ways.” Loudermilk wrote in a statement.
Loudermilk’s retirement adds to a growing headache for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., as 29 Republicans have announced they are retiring or seeking other office. Republicans hold a slim four-seat majority over Democrats in the House.
Twenty-three House Democrats have announced that they are retiring or seeking other office.
“Thank you to the great people of Georgia’s Eleventh Congressional District for allowing me to serve you, and to my incredible staff for your years of outstanding service to our district, state, and nation,” Loudermilk added.
Loudermilk has served in Congress since 2015. He won re-election in 2024 by more than 33 points.
Trump talks Minneapolis, Joe Rogan, the Fed, AI and 2028 in a wide-ranging interview
Trump said today that he hopes to push his immigration crackdown into five more cities, previewing an ongoing and growing footprint for federal agents around the country.
“We have five cities that we’re looking at very strongly, but we want to be invited,” Trump told “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas in an exclusive interview, signaling a reluctance to go into places where he would face resistance from local officials, as he has in Minnesota. He declined to name the cities.
At the same time, he said his experience with Minneapolis taught him that he may need “a softer touch” after federal agents shot and killed two American citizens last month.
In a wide-ranging Oval Office interview that lasted nearly an hour, Trump claimed credit for the state of the American economy — including the effects of the artificial intelligence revolution he has embraced — threatened that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, should be “very worried” about possible U.S. attacks on his country and, with a knowing nod to the value of suspense, declined to rule out attempting to remain president beyond the end of his current term.
Trump says he’ll stay out of the Netflix-Paramount fight over Warner Bros.
Trump said he plans to stay out of Netflix and Paramount Skydance’s battle over Warner Bros. Discovery, a shift from his comments late last year that suggested he could personally weigh in on a deal set to reshape the media landscape.
“I haven’t been involved,” Trump told “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas in an exclusive interview today. “I must say, I guess I’m considered to be a very strong president. I’ve been called by both sides. It’s the two sides, but I’ve decided I shouldn’t be involved. The Justice Department will handle it.”
Pressed about the competing arguments around the deal, Trump acknowledged the sharp divide between the bidders.
“There’s a theory that one of the companies is too big and it shouldn’t be allowed to do it, and the other company is saying something else,” he said. “They’re beating the hell out of each other — and there’ll be a winner.”
Trump tries a third time to move hush-money case to federal court
A federal judge tangled with attorneys for Trump today and appeared skeptical of his arguments in a bid to erase Trump’s 2024 hush-money conviction.
At a hearing that lasted more than three hours in lower Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein said Trump’s personal attorneys at the time, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, made a strategic and fatal mistake in July 2024 by going to the trial judge for relief in the hush-money case following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling giving Trump immunity, rather than going directly to federal court.
“You made your choice and sought two bites of the apple; you should have gone to federal court first,” Hellerstein said at the hearing as Trump tries for a third time to move the case to federal court in an effort to overturn 34 guilty counts.
Iran and the U.S. will hold nuclear talks Friday in Oman as tensions remain high
Nuclear talks between Iran and the United States will take place Friday in Oman, Iran's foreign minister said today, as tensions between the countries remain high following Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the announcement after hours of indications that the anticipated talks were faltering over changes in the format and content of the talks.
”I’m grateful to our Omani brothers for making all necessary arrangements,” Araghchi wrote on X this evening.
Secret money roils Democratic primaries
Super PACs powered by unknown funders are roiling Democratic politics in Illinois, diving into a trio of open House primaries six weeks before voters effectively pick their new members of Congress in the deep-blue-district primary elections.
Two groups, Elect Chicago Women and Affordable Chicago Now, just blinked into existence in recent days and quickly started six-figure television buys backing three candidates in key Chicago-area races over Democratic primary opponents, including progressives who have been critical of Israel.
There’s no hard evidence about who is funding the groups. But some candidates have pointed their fingers at AIPAC, the pro-Israel advocacy group whose aligned super PAC has spent tens of millions of dollars in Democratic congressional primaries in recent years.
Given how rarely members of Congress lose primaries — and how those seats can serve as launchpads for higher office — open-seat primaries have become important battlegrounds for different interests across both parties, with groups competing to shape the attitudes of their representatives in Washington.
Exclusive Trump interview with NBC News to air tonight
Trump's interview with NBC News' Tom Llamas will air tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET on "NBC Nightly News." An extended version will air at 7 p.m. on NBC News Now.
Trump sat down with Llamas for a wide-ranging interview earlier today. The president touched on topics including immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, his choice for Fed chair and U.S. tensions with Iran.
Vance on Minneapolis ICE activity: 'We're not surrendering'
In an interview with the Daily Mail yesterday, Vice President JD Vance was asked whether Trump's decision to send border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis was a sign that the Trump administration was planning to retreat from its deportation agenda in the state.
"No, it doesn't at all," Vance said, adding: "We're not surrendering. ... We’re not moving back on anything. We’re just trying to actually encourage cooperation so that we get a little bit less chaos."
He spoke before Homan announced this morning that the administration will withdraw 700 federal immigration agents from Minnesota.
Trump calls on Republicans to ‘nationalize’ future elections
Trump escalated his push to nationalize future elections in a podcast interview with Dan Bongino, his former deputy FBI director.
New body-camera video of the FBI's search of the Fulton County, Georgia, election office showed police approaching FBI agents and questioning them about their operation. Agents later seized hundreds of boxes of ballots and other documents related to the 2020 election. NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez reports for the "TODAY" show.
After the Minneapolis shootings, Trump says his administration could use ‘a softer touch’ on immigration
Trump told NBC News today that he believes his administration could use “a softer touch” in its immigration enforcement operations after federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis last month.
“I learned that maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch. But you still have to be tough,” Trump said in an Oval Office interview with “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas. “We’re dealing with really hard criminals. But look, I’ve called the people. I’ve called the governor. I’ve called the mayor. Spoke to ’em. Had great conversations with them. And then I see them ranting and raving out there. Literally as though a call wasn’t made.”
Latest Jeffrey Epstein file disclosures rock the rich and powerful: top takeaways
The Justice Department last week released over 3 million files related to its investigations into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein over the past two decades, with revelations that have rattled the highest level of government and the tech, business and sports worlds.
It’s also caused trauma for a number of Epstein’s victims who said they were assured their names would not be included in the disclosures — and were anyway. In other instances, other investigative documents were so heavily redacted that it’s impossible to know what’s in them.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., one of the co-authors of the law that led to the files’ production, told “Meet the Press“ on Sunday that the Justice Department has “released at best half the documents” it’s supposed to under the law. “But even those shock the conscience of this country,” Khanna said.
An NBC News review of the files is ongoing.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey challenges drawdown claims
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey challenged Homan's claims that the Trump administration was drawing down its immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Kevin Wolf / AP
Videos of confrontations between immigration authorities and residents of the Twin Cities have continued to go viral nearly daily since talk of a drawdown began last week.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Monday that federal immigration authorities in Minnesota will be equipped with body cameras. Homan reiterated that funding is coming to the area for the equipment.
"The drawdown and body-worn cameras are a step in the right direction, but 2,000 ICE officers still here is not de-escalation," Frey said in a statement. "My message to the White House has been consistent — Operation Metro Surge has been catastrophic for our residents and businesses. It needs to end immediately."
Supreme Court allows California to use new congressional map, giving Democrats a boost
The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed to California to use a new congressional map that voters approved, delivering a major victory for Democrats ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
The decision came down in a one-sentence order that provided no explanation or dissents. Republicans had asked the high court to block the district lines, alleging they were racially gerrymandered.
The map, drawn by Democratic lawmakers and passed by voters last November through the Proposition 50 ballot measure, gives the party an opportunity to pick up as many as five House seats as they seek to win a majority in the chamber this fall.
Democrats ready to negotiate DHS funding demands, Schumer says
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Nogales, Ariz. Rebecca Noble / Bloomberg via Getty Images file
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said House and Senate Democrats would submit a proposal to Republicans about DHS funding “within the next 24 hours” and are "ready to site down and negotiate."
“We’re united with the American people,” Schumer said at a news conference with Democratic leaders from both chambers. “We’re united as House and Senate Democrats. We’re going to have tough, strong legislation. We hope to have it within the next 24 hours, that we will submit together, and then we want our Republican colleagues to finally get serious about this, because this is turning America inside out in a way we haven’t seen in a very long time.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said congressional Democrats had a “very productive discussion” about DHS funding. Democrats will make several demands for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he said, including “mandatory body cameras, judicial warrants, which, in our view, should be required before everyday Americans are ripped out of their homes or snatched out of cars violently.”
“I think the American people believe that ICE shouldn’t be able to detain and deport American citizens,” Jeffries said.
Yesterday, Congress passed a bill to end a partial government shutdown that began over the weekend after lawmakers advanced the spending legislation without DHS funds. Those funds must be passed by Feb. 13 to avoid shutting down the department.
Routh's lawyer says he plans to appeal case
Routh's lawyer Martin Roth told reporters that he plans to appeal the case.
Asked by a reporter whether Routh regretted his actions, Roth said that Routh should not have been permitted to represent himself in court. He continued, arguing that Routh was "trying to tell people that might be influenced by him that political violence is never helpful."
"It’s harmful to the democratic process," Roth said. "And I think he was renouncing the thought that a political assassination is ever appropriate."
GOP Sen. Roger Wicker opposes converting Mississippi warehouse into ICE facility
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem expressing his opposition to a DHS plan to purchase a warehouse in Mississippi to convert it into an ICE detention center.
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss. Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images file
“Converting this industrial asset into an ICE detention center forecloses economic growth opportunities and replaces them with a use that does not generate comparable economic returns or community benefits,” Wicker wrote.
“From my understanding, the ICE detention facility would have a capacity exceeding 8,500 beds,” he added. “Existing medical and human services infrastructure in Byhalia is insufficient to support such a large detainee population. Establishing a detention center at this site would place significant strain on local resources.”
“I strongly urge ICE to reconsider this acquisition and the development of a detention center in Byhalia, Mississippi,” Wicker wrote.
N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul picks former NYC Council President Adrienne E. Adams as re-election running mate
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., announced today that former New York City Council President Adrienne Adams will be her running mate as Hochul seeks a second full term as governor in this year's midterm elections.
Former New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. Barry Williams / New York Daily News via Getty Images file
"Exciting announcement: I have a running mate. I picked a New Yorker from Southeast Queens. Someone who grew up in a union household, just like I did. A fighter who knows how to deliver for New York. Welcome to the team my friend — and our next Lieutenant Governor — @AdrienneEAdams," Hochul wrote in a post on X.
Hochul's current lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, is running in the primary against the governor. Earlier this week, he selected former Buffalo mayoral candidate India Walton as his running mate.
Hochul and Delgado, alongside their running mates, will face off in a June primary.
Adams most recently ran unsuccessfully for mayor of New York City last year.
Border Patrol chief: "If you think 2025 was a good year, 2026 says, ‘Hold my beer'"
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks praised the administration's work on border security, saying in remarks in Arizona that "we're just getting started."
"If you think 2025 was a good year, 2026 says, 'Hold my beer,'" he said.
The phrase "hold my beer" is typically used to refer to bad decisions.
Banks and other officials praised Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and highlighted the administration's efforts to continue building the border wall. At the same time, immigration enforcement is facing heightened scrutiny in the aftermath of the killings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.
Ryan Routh sentenced to life in prison for Trump golf course assassination attempt
Ryan Routh was sentenced to life in prison today in federal court after he was found guilty last year of attempting to assassinate Trump.
Ryan Wesley Routh. Efrem Lukatsky / AP
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon handed down the sentence plus a mandatory additional seven years for a firearm offense.
Prosecutors had been asking for a life sentence for Routh, who was convicted of trying to kill Trump, then a presidential candidate, at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach in September 2024.
Prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum that Routh “remains totally unrepentant” and that “the heinous nature of this assassination attempt — his selfish, violent decision to prevent the American voters from electing President Trump by killing him first — that warrants severe criminal punishment.”
Chuck Schumer says Minnesota drawdown 'is not close to enough'
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in floor remarks this morning that the Trump administration's announcement of an immigration enforcement drawdown in Minnesota “is not close to enough,” adding, “They all have to leave now.”
Schumer said the presence of the more than 2,000 remaining agents could continue to escalate tensions.
“The chaos is going to continue,” Schumer said. “The danger that someone gets killed — God forbid — continues. All of ICE needs to leave Minneapolis now. They are not needed. Residents don’t want them patrolling the streets like a military occupation.”
In a news conference this morning, Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, announced the withdrawal of 700 immigration agents from Minnesota. He added that he wanted to end the surge of federal agents in the state as soon as possible, but said regular immigration activity would continue.
Trump’s Kennedy Center closure shocks the National Symphony Orchestra
Workers adjust the name of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, in Washington, D.C., in December. Heather Diehl / Getty Images
Trump’s decision to close the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for two years starting this summer came with no notice to its largest tenant, the National Symphony Orchestra.
The symphony, known as the NSO, began playing at the Kennedy Center in 1971, 55 years ago. According to multiple members of the orchestra, they and their leaders only first learned of the plan from Trump’s Sunday night social media post. In it, Trump said that the arts center would close July 4 “for an approximately two year period of time.”
One person familiar told NBC News, “No one knew this was coming. We had no idea.”
Keeping an orchestra going, this person continued, “is not something you can just turn on and off.”
John Thune says Democrats 'aren't serious' about ICE reform talks
Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., was deeply critical of Democrats’ delay in putting forward demands on what reforms they want make to ICE operations in exchange for votes to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security.
Thune keyed in on House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., in particular when asked if he thinks Jeffries has been a good faith partner in the negotiations.
“Not on this, no. I mean, he’s not,” Thune said.
"He, and for that matter leader Schumer, both are afraid of their shadows, and they’re getting a lot of blowback and pressure from their left," Thune said, referring to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "So I don’t think they want to, at least particularly in his case, I don’t think he wants to make a deal at all. I think he wants the issue.”
Thune said he thinks Democrats are not serious about the negotiations.
“It doesn’t seem like it given the fact that, you know, they signed off on the original proposal, which then they backed away from, and then wanted to split them up, and then now they oppose that, oppose doing a longer time-period," he said. "So everything they’ve done suggests to me that they aren’t serious.”
Asked if he was concerned the Department of Homeland Security could be shut down for an extended period, Thune said, "I do. I mean, I think that that’s, based on the way the Democrats are acting, a real consideration."
"But at some point, they’re going to own it," Thune said. "We’re open for doing business, as you know, and if necessary, if we had to do a full year CR, we are, I think our members would, by and large, support that a yearlong CR. But at least right now, we’re not seeing, like I said, a whole lot of evidence that want to play ball on this. And I just think that any time they’re negotiating in any way with the Trump administration, their base has a melt down and and these guys seem to be very, very afraid of that."
NBC News has reached out to Jeffries' office for comment.
Trump tried to gut science research funding. Courts and Congress have rebuffed him.
The crew of spacecraft Artemis II during a countdown demonstration test in Cape Canaveral, Fla., in December. Phelan M. Ebenhack / AP file
About a year ago, it seemed the sky was falling for American scientific research.
The Trump administration last February cut thousands of workers at federal science agencies, squeezed the flow of grant money to universities and tried to slash funding for the overhead costs of research. In the months that followed, it targeted elite universities over allegations of antisemitism; clawed back grants on topics it saw as related to diversity, equity and inclusion; and proposed a budget with drastic cuts to agencies such as NASA and the National Science Foundation.
To many, science appeared under assault. The model the federal government had used to outsource research to universities since World War II seemed to be collapsing.
A former Democrat and the Trump factor scramble Michigan’s race for governor
Michigan could do something this fall that it hasn’t done in more than 65 years: elect a Democrat to succeed a Democratic governor.
Term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has high approval ratings, polling shows. A majority of voters believe the state is on the right track after seven years of her leadership.
But former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat who is running for governor as an independent, stands in the way of his former party’s plans.
Marco Rubio says the U.S. is 'prepared to engage' with Iran
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a news conference this morning that the U.S. "is prepared to engage, and has always been prepared to engage, with Iran."
Rubio's remarks came in response to a reporter's question about whether the Trump administration would be open to any compromises in potential talks with Tehran, including on its missile and nuclear enrichment programs, to avoid U.S. military action.
Rubio said that for U.S.-Iran talks to lead to a "meaningful" outcome, the countries would need to discuss several key issues, including "the range of their ballistic missiles," Iran's "sponsorship of terrorist organizations across the region," its nuclear program and "the treatment of their own people."
"If the Iranians want to meet, we’re ready," Rubio said. "They’ve expressed an interest in meeting and talking."
"If they change their mind, we’re fine with that too," he added. "We prefer to meet and talk. I’m not sure you can reach a deal with these guys, but we’re going to try to find out."
Trump posts about 'excellent' phone call with China's Xi
Trump said in a Truth Social post that he had an "excellent" phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping this morning.
The two leaders held a "long and thorough call" and discussed trade, the military, Taiwan, the Russia-Ukraine war, Iran, U.S. oil exports, Chinese soybean imports, Trump's planned April trip to China "and numerous other subjects, all very positive!" Trump wrote.
"The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realize how important it is to keep it that way," Trump wrote. "I believe that there will be many positive results achieved over the next three years of my Presidency having to do with President Xi, and the People’s Republic of China!"
According to Chinese state media, Xi stressed during the call that Taiwan is the most important issue in its relations with the U.S. Xi claimed that Taiwan is part of China and that it can never be separated from its territory.
Fulton County official says Tulsi Gabbard's presence at FBI search of election records suggests 'something sinister' is afoot
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard outside the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center, in Union City, Ga., on Jan. 28. Elijah Nouvelage / Reuters
The chairman of the Fulton County, Georgia, Board of Commissioners said this morning that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's involvement in the FBI's search last week signaled that the federal action was "bigger than just the confiscation of our records."
Gabbard's presence during the search last week "leads me to believe — and any rational thinking person — that there’s something sinister going on here," Rob Pitts said. "There’s something bigger than just the FBI confiscating the record records that they took."
Pitts was speaking to reporters about the county decision to file a motion in federal court today to get hundreds of boxes of its 2020 election files returned.
"They showed up and took the 700 boxes that they wanted," Pitts said about the FBI. "So what they're doing with them now, we don't know. Typically, we're given copies. We don't even have copies of what they took, so it's a problem. What are they doing with it? Where are they? We don't know."
Pitts said the seizure of the records has implications far beyond Fulton County.
"This case is not only about Fulton County, it's about elections across Georgia and across the nation," he said.
Gabbard has been under scrutiny for showing up at the FBI search. She told top Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees earlier this week that her role as DNI gives her broad oversight to ensure U.S. elections are secure against potential foreign threats.
Trump administration to withdraw 700 immigration agents from Minnesota
The Trump administration will withdraw 700 federal immigration agents from Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan said today. The move comes weeks after two U.S. citizens were killed by agents, sparking protests around the country.
“My goal, with with the support of President Trump, is to achieve a complete drawdown and end this surge as soon as we can,” Homan said at a news conference, adding that a full removal of federal agents was still contingent on progress made in the immigration enforcement operation.
Homan said that the drawdown is partly the result of cooperation between Minnesota county jails and federal immigration officials, making it easier for immigration authorities to apprehend targets. Homan asked for such cooperation from state and local authorities over the last week.
“This is smarter enforcement, not less enforcement,” he said.
N.Y. and N.J. sue the Trump administration over halt to tunnel project funds
The states of New York and New Jersey sued the Trump administration yesterday over a $16 billion federal funding freeze for the new rail tunnel that will run under the Hudson River, according to court documents filed in federal court.
The complaint says the federal government had pledged billions of dollars to the project through a series of grants and loan agreements, but the Transportation Department then announced in September that it would indefinitely suspend payments for the project, pending “review of compliance with certain regulations related to contracting with disadvantaged business enterprises.”
Soon after, the states notified the federal government that the requested steps had been taken, according to the filing. But as of today, federal funding has yet to resume for the project.
Unless the Trump administration resumes funding, the project will be paused Friday, the lawsuit says.
“The Project is the most essential component of a set of railway projects in the northeast known as the Gateway Program," the filing says. "From 2023 to 2060, the construction and operation of the full Gateway Program is expected to generate and sustain 90,000 jobs and $19.6 billion in economic activity generated by the construction. The success of all these other projects depends on the Project."
The states' lawsuit alleges the funding has been halted “because President Trump is engaged in political retribution.”
“Suspending the funding for this monumental project based on the President’s desire to punish political rivals violates the Administrative Procedure Act many times over. In this Complaint, Plaintiffs New Jersey and New York ask the Court to stay, vacate, declare unlawful, and enjoin the September 30 decision to suspend federal funding for the Project,” filing says.
NBC News has reached out to the Transportation Department, Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Transit Administration and White House for comment.
Fulton County files lawsuit seeking return of 2020 election files
FBI officers at the Fulton County election hub and operation center, in Union City, Ga., on Jan. 28. Mike Stewart / AP
Fulton County, Georgia, officials have filed a motion in federal court seeking the return of all files from the 2020 election that were seized by the FBI last week, according to county spokeswoman Jessica Corbitt.
The motion, filed in the Northern District of Georgia, also seeks the unsealing of the affidavit that was submitted support of the search warrant. The case is under seal.
Parties to the motion include Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts and the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections.
Government attorney who told judge in ICE case, ‘This job sucks,’ removed from detail
A government attorney who was representing the Justice Department in court is no longer detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota after telling a judge her job “sucks” and asking to be held in contempt so she “could get 24 hours of sleep.”
Julie Le, who is listed in public records as a Department of Homeland Security attorney, had been detailed to the office, but an official familiar with the matter told NBC News early today that Le’s detail was now over in the wake of the comments.
Le, who according to an NBC News review of court records picked up 88 cases in less than a month, expressed frustration at her job during an immigration hearing yesterday in Minneapolis, where the Trump administration is carrying out a sweeping immigration enforcement operation.
“The system sucks. This job sucks. I wish you could hold me in contempt so that I could get 24 hours of sleep,” Le said, according to reporting by Lou Raguse of NBC affiliate KARE.
Raguse, who was in the courtroom, reported that Le said it was like “pulling teeth” to get the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Justice Department to follow court orders.
DHS, which oversees ICE, and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Le could not be reached for comment.
Border czar Tom Homan to hold news conference in Minnesota
Trump border czar Tom Homan will hold a news conference in Minneapolis this morning, his second since the Border Patrol’s Gregory Bovino was removed from leading immigration enforcement operations in the state.
Homan held a press conference in the state last week, when he told reporters that officials are working toward a "drawdown plan." He was sent to Minneapolis in the aftermath of Alex Pretti's killing, which sparked protests and increased scrutiny of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies.
Bovino, who oversaw immigration enforcement operations as the Border Patrol's commander-at-large, was removed from Minneapolis operations following Pretti's killing and returned to a previous position.
Kremlin says it hasn't heard from India on Trump's claim that it's halting Russian oil purchases
The Kremlin said it had not heard anything from India about suspending its purchases of Russian oil after Trump said New Delhi had agreed to halt them as part of a U.S. trade deal.
“We have not heard statements from Delhi on this,” spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow yesterday after being asked whether India had stopped buying Russian oil.
Trump has criticized India’s oil purchases as supporting Russia’s war on Ukraine, doubling the U.S. tariff on Indian goods to 50% last year as punishment. Earlier this week, Trump said in a social media post that he was lowering the original U.S. tariff from 25% to 18% after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed in a phone call to stop buying Russian oil.
In his own social media post about the call, Modi confirmed the reduced tariff but did not mention the Russian oil purchases, which his government says had been encouraged by U.S. officials seeking to keep global oil prices from rising after the U.S. and other Western countries stopped buying oil from Russia.
Peskov said Russia was carefully analyzing Trump’s comments and that while it respects U.S.-India relations, “we intend to continue to comprehensively develop our bilateral relations with India.”
Former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn launches another run for Congress in Maryland
Harry Dunn, a former Capitol Police officer who was on duty during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot that interrupted Congress’ certification of the 2020 presidential vote, announced today that he is running for Congress again in Maryland.
Dunn, a Democrat, is jumping into the race to replace retiring Rep. Steny Hoyer in Maryland’s 5th District. Dunn told NBC News that he thinks he’s the right person to help his party stand up to “this administration’s unrelenting assault on the rule of law, democracy and, shoot, decency.”
“I’ve been a fighter my whole life, but the world knew me as a fighter on Jan. 6,” he said.
Ryan Routh, convicted in Trump golf course assassination attempt, faces sentencing
Ryan Routh will be back in federal court this morning for the first time since he was found guilty last year of attempting to assassinate Trump.
Prosecutors are asking for a life sentence for Routh, who was convicted of trying to kill Trump, then a presidential candidate, at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach in September 2024.
Prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum that Routh “remains totally unrepentant” and that “the heinous nature of this assassination attempt — his selfish, violent decision to prevent the American voters from electing President Trump by killing him first — that warrants severe criminal punishment.”
Routh, who represented himself during the trial, has been assigned a court-appointed attorney to help him prepare for his sentencing hearing.
Ukraine, Russia begin second round of U.S.-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators began a second round of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi today, seeking to advance efforts to end Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II.
The two-day trilateral meetings come after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia had exploited a U.S.-backed energy truce last week to stockpile munitions, attacking Ukraine with a record number of ballistic missiles yesterday.
Over the past year, the Trump administration has pushed both Kyiv and Moscow to find a compromise to end the four-year conflict, triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but the two sides remain far apart on key points despite several rounds of talks with U.S. officials.
