Thursday, January 29, 2026. Chump's back to attacking, Congress has questions about the murder of Alex Pretti, "Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller break out into a nasty cat fight," Bruce Springsteen releases a new song, and much more.
That's Bruce stepping up and showing the way. Last night in "Patti Smith, Chris Hemsworth, Giancarlo Esposito, Tatiana Maslany, Martha Stewart, John Leguizamo, Jimmy Kimmel, Andy Cohen," Kat noted some like Bruce who have already been speaking out and others who are joining in.
The actions of ICE and Border Patrol do not belong in a democracy and Chump's gestapo is facing real pushback including from judges.
Late last night, Reis Thebault, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Chelsia Rose Marcius and Alan Feuer (NEW YORK TIMES) reported:
The chief judge in Minnesota condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday for violating more than 100 court orders in January alone, while Trump administration lawyers argued to another judge that the surge of federal agents in the state were a legitimate exercise of law enforcement power.
In the ICE case, Judge Patrick J. Schiltz said the agency had violated more judicial directives in a month than “some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence.” But the Trump administration defended its actions in Minnesota in a court filing in another case, in which state officials are aiming to block the immigration crackdown.
The court actions came as Senate Democrats threatened to withhold votes for a spending package that would avert a government shutdown unless changes were made in the wake of Alex Pretti’s killing by federal agents. Democrats are trying to use the budget vote to ensure that federal agents remove their masks and end roving immigration patrols, according to Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader. They also want agents to observe conventional law enforcement standards on use of force and to begin carrying proper identification.
The Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown has prompted an outpouring of anger in Minnesota and beyond, especially after the fatal shootings of Mr. Pretti and Renee Good, another U.S. citizen.
Here's Ben and MEIDASTOUCH NEWS reporting on it.
As Aaron Blake (CNN) observed earlier this week:
But on Monday night, a Republican-appointed federal judge delivered a fresh reminder that the administration’s fast-and-loose approach isn’t going to stop giving it problems any time soon.
Patrick Schiltz, the chief US district judge in Minnesota, has become increasingly exasperated with the administration’s actions — and appears primed to be a thorn in its side.
He’s now taken the extraordinary step of summoning acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to court on Friday, threatening him with contempt ahead of what will surely be a much-watched hearing.
The hearing raises the prospect that a top federal official could be sanctioned for his agency’s failures to obey the courts. And at the very least, he’ll be forced to begin accounting for an extraordinary number of cases — more than 2,000, according to Politico’s Kyle Cheney — in which judges have ruled that ICE has illegally detained people.
And Schiltz’s actions in recent days suggest he’s ready to hold the administration’s feet to the fire in a way few other judges could — or would.
And while a judge’s personal politics and the president they were appointed by shouldn’t matter, in this case they very much do.
Schiltz was not only nominated by George W. Bush, but he’s a former clerk for the conservative icon, the late Justice Antonin Scalia. He becomes the latest Republican-appointed judge to cry foul about what the administration is doing.
Across the country, people of all political stripes are reeling as ICE continues to kill on the streets of America. That includes clergy. From last night's THE NEWSHOUR (PBS):
Geoff Bennett: One of the country's highest-ranking Catholic leaders and a top ally of Pope Leo is sharply criticizing the Trump administration's immigration enforcement, calling ICE a lawless organization.
During an interfaith service this week, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the head of the Archdiocese of Newark, urged members of the church to pressure lawmakers to block funding for ICE. His remarks come after the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, and after the detention of Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old boy who was taken into custody by federal agents after arriving home from preschool and sent with his father to a family detention center in Texas.
For more now, we're joined by Cardinal Joseph Tobin.
Thanks for being with us.
Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark: Good evening.
Geoff Bennett: Before speaking out, I imagine you must have weighed the implications. What specific moral and theological convictions ultimately compelled you to speak publicly?
Cardinal Joseph Tobin: I think the principle motivator was a concern for the common good.
In the Catholic way of thinking and approaching social-moral questions, it's not simply the vindication of competing rights, but it's rather the preservation of the common good. And so to look at how the actions in Minneapolis or anywhere else affect the common good, those are people like whom you mentioned, the refugees, people without legal status, as well as the citizens of the United States.
Geoff Bennett: And you have called not just for prayer, but for political action, calling for the defunding of ICE, as we mentioned.
What concrete changes do you envision?
Cardinal Joseph Tobin: Well, I think what we want to do is -- as much as possible, is use as a principal motivator the human dignity of people.
And I think what I was calling for and I still call for and will call for is the recognition of the dignity of human beings, no matter what their legal status may be.
Geoff Bennett: How do you reconcile this call to push back against actions you believe are unjust with the church's teaching and the Scripture's teaching of respect for government authority?
Cardinal Joseph Tobin: Well, I think that we pray for our government officials. And as St. Paul says in First Timothy, we pray that in order that we can live tranquil and decent lives and following our values.
And so we not only pray for ourselves, but we pray for others, because we recognize, in human dignity, the dignity of especially people who don't -- do not necessarily look like us.
Let's turn to another piece of garbage trash, Douglas Collins. Scaredy cat 'served' in the military as a chaplain -- continues to do so. He wasn't acting like a chaplain in Congress yesterday, he was acting like the lying coward he is. And Senator Elissa Slotkin wasn't having it.
Senator Patty Murray was also at the hearing. Her office notes:
***WATCH: Senator Murray’s exchange at the hearing***
Washington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)—a former chair and senior member of the committee—spoke forcefully about the murder of Alex Pretti and Secretary Collins’ insulting and inadequate response, and pressed Secretary Collins on VA’s response to employees at the Minneapolis VA who are mourning the death of their colleague. Senator Murray also pressed Secretary Collins on the Trump administration’s extreme VA abortion ban, which prohibits abortion even in cases of rape or incest.
In opening comments, Senator Murray said:
“Before I begin my questions—people across America are really reeling from the horrifying murder of Alex Pretti by federal agents.
“As we all know, Alex Pretti was an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. He is remembered by colleagues and friends as a calm presence amid the chaos of the hospital, someone who cared deeply for the veterans he served. He was remembered as a mentor, a caretaker, and someone who wanted to make a difference in the world. The father of one veteran Mr. Pretti cared for until the end, described him as‘the sweetest person you can imagine.’
“Alex Pretti spent his last minutes trying to help a woman, she was a bystander who was being assaulted by federal agents. He was killed by those federal agents moments later.
“Immediately after he was killed—the Trump administration began spreading sickening lies about him. They lied about who he was, what he was holding, what he was doing in the moments before his death.
“Trump and the miserable folks at the DHS showed right away they didn’t care about getting the facts—any facts. They told Americans not to believe what we all saw and heard with our own eyes and ears. We all saw an American shot and killed by federal agents in broad daylight.
“Mr. Secretary, your initial response to a VA nurse being killed by federal agents was to blame it on Minnesota officials. You didn’t say a word about who Alex Pretti was, or the incredible work that he did for veterans. You mentioned him today but still didn’t refer to that. That is certainly a choice.
“Words cannot describe how outraged I am—and how outraged we all should be—at the killing of Alex Pretti, who simply did not have to die, and at this administration’s rush to spread lies about American citizens—whose only crime was peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights.
“Joining ICE or Border Patrol does not give you a license to murder. So I want to reiterate to all of you that there must be an independent investigation and real accountability here.
“This can’t continue—and I hope that we agree on that basic point, and Republicans join us to work with us to make that happen.”
[VA STAFF MOURNING ALEX PRETTI]
Senator Murray began her questioning by pressing Secretary Collins on reports that Minneapolis VA employees have not been granted personal leave to mourn their colleague, saying: “It is my understanding that Minneapolis VA employees have not been granted personal leave to mourn their colleague because they’re subject to mandatory overtime due to staffing shortages. Are you allowing any of the employees there to get personal help, to take any time off, or to offer them your support as they go through a very trying time of losing a very close colleague?”
“Yes, we are providing all that we can through the Minneapolis VA to those workers,” Secretary Collins said, before turning the question to Gregory Goins, Acting Chief Operating Officer at the Veterans Health Administration. Mr. Goins replied that, “When… these tragedies occur; they’re offered employee assistance programs, they’re offered Whole Health employee assistance programs, they’re also offered things through community partners, if necessary. If anybody comes forward to want to take leave because of a coworker, a close coworker, we always have empathy in allowing them to do so.”
“And if I could just add—and I apologize—they just had a memorial service for Alex Pretti yesterday at noon, where over 300 employees attended and were able to memorialize and remember him,” Mr. Goins continued.
Later in the hearing, Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) followed up on Senator Murray’s line of questioning, grilling Secretary Collins on an email received by staff at the Minneapolis VA yesterday that said in part, “we have been instructed to pause the memorial planned for today.” The vigil was held anyway. Secretary Collins and Mr. Goins placed the blame for the email on “a leadership official in Minneapolis,” denying they had instructed staff at the Minneapolis VA to pause the memorial for Alex Pretti that they had referenced in their testimony.
[VA ABORTION BAN]
Senator Murray continued her questioning by pressing Secretary Collins on the Trump administration’s decision to implement a near-total ban on abortion care at VA, and ban providers from even discussing abortion with their veteran patients— moves Senator Murray has repeatedly and forcefully spoken out against:
“In late December, not long ago, the Trump administration quietly implemented a near-total abortion ban at the VA,” Senator Murray said. “VA’s final rule prevents the more than 460,000 women veterans of reproductive age—over half of whom live in states with abortion bans—from receiving abortion care at the VA now. VA providers aren’t even allowed to discuss abortion as an option with veteran patients.”
Senator Murray asked, “Secretary Collins, a simple question, if a veteran has been raped, is she able to get abortion care at the VA under current policy? Yes or No?”
“The VA was up until ‘22, was not doing any abortions at all. This was a decision by the previous administration to bend the law to go back, something that had been of over generations of both Democrat and Republican administration, that the VA was not in the issue of abortion,” answered Secretary Collins in part.
Senator Murray reiterated, “No. A simple question, if you are raped, can you get abortion care?”
Secretary Collins replied in part, “There are no abortions to be done at the VA medical centers, except the ones that are the life threatening of a mother.”
“I just want everyone to know, under this VA Final Rule – no exceptions for rape or incest. And I find that outrageous,” Senator Murray responded.
“Up until October, or until ‘22 when Secretary McDonough changed what was the high precedent and law of this country, there were no abortions of any kind for any excuse or any reason,” said Secretary Collins in part.
“And he rightfully corrected that to make sure that if someone was raped or a victim of incest, they could get health care,” Senator Murray corrected Secretary Collins.
Senator Murray was the first woman to join the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the first woman to chair the Committee—as the daughter of a World War II veteran, supporting veterans and their families has always been an important priority for her. Senator Murray has been outspoken in standing up for veterans, VA employees, and VA researchers against Trump and Elon Musk’s indiscriminate mass layoffs this year—forcefully denouncing the administration’s plans, pressing administration witnesses at every opportunity, and holding multiple press conferences with VA employees and veterans in Washington state who were abruptly laid off for no reason. Earlier this year, Senator Murray forcefully denounced the Trump administration’s initial plan to fire 80,000 employees at VA. Toward the end of last year, Senator Murray released a videoslamming the Trump administration’s new plan not to fill thousands of open positions at VA, and demanding answers.
Advocating for women veterans and their access to reproductive health care has also been a longtime focus for Senator Murray. Senator Murray called on VA to provide abortion care to veterans early in the Biden administration, and she applauded the Biden administration’s announcement later in the year that would begin to provide abortion care for veterans and their eligible dependents to protect the health and life of the individual and in cases of rape or incest. Murray has helped lead the charge in calling out Republicans for their attacks on, and attempts to undo, this limited and commonsense policy. Senator Murray also leads the Veteran Families Health Services Act, comprehensive legislation that would expand fertility treatments—including IVF—and family-building services for servicemembers and veterans who are unable to conceive without assistance, and she has sought unanimous consent to pass the legislation on multiple occasions. She introduced new legislation last summer with Senator Duckworth to help cover IVF costs for servicemembers and military families—and slammed Speaker Johnson from working behind the scenes to strip an amendment mirroring that legislation from the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026. Senator Murray voted against the NDAA last year, citing—among other things—the failure to include her provision to expand IVF care for servicemembers and veterans. Yesterday, Senator Murray introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn the Trump Administration’s new rule ending abortion counseling entirely and abortion care for veterans who have been raped or whose pregnancy is threatening their health.
Senator Murray slammed the Trump administration’s initial move to ban abortion care at VA in August, and sounded the alarm again in December when the Trump administration quietly implemented a near-total abortion ban at VA.
###
Senator Amy Klobuchar took to the floor of the Senate to call for ICE out of her state now:
January 28, 2026
WATCH KLOBUCHAR’S FULL REMARKS HERE
WASHINGTON — On the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) delivered remarks honoring Renee Good and Alex Pretti, calling for ICE to leave Minnesota, and opposing the ICE funding bill.
“In the last year, we have too often come to the floor to discuss tragedies in our state. This summer, an assassin killed our friend Melissa Hortman, the former Speaker of the Minnesota House, and her husband, Mark. And we were once again shaken to our core when a mass shooter attacked Annunciation Catholic Church right in the middle of mass. Children in their first week of school — two children murdered, 21 more people injured, including 18 kids.
In recent weeks, Minnesota has once again been at the center of America's heartbreak, but we are also at the center of America's courage and hope.
We honor Renee Good today. Renee Good, who left behind three children, including a six year old when she was shot and killed by an ICE agent. Her wife said this: ‘kindness radiated out of her. … She literally sparkled.’ And asked everyone to ‘honor her memory by living her values: rejecting hate and choosing compassion.’
We also honor the memory of Alex Pretti, a VA intensive care nurse who did one of the most selfless jobs people could think of: caring for our veterans, often in their final hours. A man described by his friends and family as ‘a kindhearted soul.’
Both Renee and Alex should be alive today.
…
Anyone who cares about federalism, about freedoms, about liberties should be horrified by what is happening. If you care about the Constitution, I say to our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, you should be horrified because what is happening in our state has been a violation of the First Amendment, the right to assemble. … The Second Amendment — Alex was a lawful gun owner, but he was immediately criticized for that.… They've been violating the Fourth Amendment, ramming into people's homes without a judicial warrant. … And this administration is going after the Fifth Amendment, the right to due process.
…
There are 3,000 federal officers in Minnesota, and I can not state it more unequivocally: ICE must leave Minnesota.
Law enforcement has made this clear. They can't do their jobs, they can't investigate burglaries, they can't help on some of the complex cases, because they're being called to people's homes all the time, because of the ICE agents hanging around homes of just regular citizens in parking lots, chasing people down local businesses.
Business leaders have come out and said, enough. Police chiefs in our state have joined together. Police chiefs across the nation have joined together and said: we believe in proper police procedures and the rule of law.
But the biggest story out of this is the everyday people, the ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They've rallied together, brought food to their neighbors, drove other kids to school, showed up for small businesses and marched -- 50,000 strong.”
Download Klobuchar's full remarks from HERE.
###
January 28, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), along with every other Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to heed the calls of career prosecutors and open a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Good by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Minneapolis earlier this month.
In their letter to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, the Senators emphasize that DOJ’s decision not to investigate Ms. Good’s killing represents a broader trend of how the Department is neglecting the enforcement of civil rights laws.
The Senators’ letter comes after Assistant AG Dhillon announced that DOJ’s Civil Rights Division would not investigate Ms. Good’s killing—reportedly ignoring the recommendations of career prosecutors, including the head of the Criminal Section, and despite the leading role the Civil Rights Division office normally assumes in investigating potential civil rights violations. The letter was sent last week, before a Border Patrol agent shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
Along with Klobuchar the letter was signed by Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).
“Your decision not to investigate the ICE agent’s conduct is a marked departure from past administrations of both parties, which historically have taken swift action to open civil rights reviews of many fatal interactions with law enforcement. These investigations have been conducted even when criminal charges were considered unlikely,” wrote the Senators. “After you informed Division personnel that you would not consider opening an investigation into whether the ICE agent violated federal law, several career prosecutors —including the head of the Criminal Section, which is responsible for these investigations—accelerated planned departures from the Division.”
“Instead of investigating Ms. Good’s killing, DOJ has announced the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota would investigate alleged connections between Ms. Good and her widow and groups that have been monitoring ICE activity in Minneapolis. DOJ ordered federal agents to conduct its investigation without Minnesota’s local authorities,” the Senators continued. “Refusing to share investigative materials or permit a joint investigation is highly unusual. Six lawyers from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota have also resigned in protest of this investigation.”
The full letter is here and below.
Dear Assistant Attorney General Dhillon:
On January 7, 2026, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Two days later, you announced the Division would not investigate the fatal incident—despite the reported request of career prosecutors in your office to do so and despite the leading role your office normally assumes in investigating potential violations of 18 U.S.C. 242.
Your decision not to investigate the ICE agent’s conduct is a marked departure from past administrations of both parties, which historically have taken swift action to open civil rights reviews of many fatal interactions with law enforcement. These investigations have been conducted even when criminal charges were considered unlikely.
According to public reporting, multiple career prosecutors in the Division offered to lead an inquiry into the shooting. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, second-in-command at the Department of Justice (DOJ), reinforced your decision to take an investigation off the table when he publicly claimed there was “no basis” for a civil rights probe into Ms. Good’s death. His assertion is contradicted by a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent’s determination—after an initial review—that sufficient grounds existed to open a civil rights investigation into the ICE agent who shot Ms. Good.
After you informed Division personnel that you would not consider opening an investigation into whether the ICE agent violated federal law, several career prosecutors—including the head of the Criminal Section, which is responsible for these investigations—accelerated planned departures from the Division.
Instead of investigating Ms. Good’s killing, DOJ has announced the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota would investigate alleged connections between Ms. Good and her widow and groups that have been monitoring ICE activity in Minneapolis. DOJ ordered federal agents to conduct its investigation without Minnesota’s local authorities. Refusing to share investigative materials or permit a joint investigation is highly unusual. Six lawyers from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota have also resigned in protest of this investigation.
Your decision not to investigate Ms. Good’s killing reflects a trend in the Division under your leadership of ignoring the enforcement of civil rights laws in favor of carrying out President Trump’s political agenda. This trend, combined with apparent political interference in investigative and prosecutorial decisions, undermines public trust, the legitimacy of our institutions, and the rule of law. We urge you to listen to career prosecutors and open a civil rights investigation into the death of Ms. Good.
###
The following sites updated:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Green Day7 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
Jessica Jones and Daredevil7 hours ago
-
Con artist Melania7 hours ago
-
-
-
-
