President Donald Trump signed a roughly $1.2 trillion spending package to end the partial government shutdown on Tuesday, hours after the House passed the bill in a bipartisan vote.
The measure funds most of the federal government through Sept. 30 while providing the Department of Homeland Security with short-term funding for two weeks. Lawmakers will return to negotiate potential changes for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as Democrats demand more restrictions on its operations.
Earlier in the afternoon, Speaker Mike Johnson managed to secure the near-unanimous GOP support needed to pass the bill through a procedural vote, despite some members of the party trying to tack unrelated priorities onto the funding package.
The Latest:
New York and New Jersey sue Trump administration over $16 billion funding freeze for Hudson River tunnels
The two states filed suit over the freeze in funds for a new rail tunnel under the river Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan. The complaint seeks a quick ruling to prevent construction from halting as early as Friday.
The administration put a hold on the funding in September, saying the project was under review for possible “unconstitutional practices.”
The project calls for building a new tunnel for Amtrak and area transit trains and repairing an existing one that was damaged by Superstorm Sandy.
Administration officials did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran steps down from White House post
The White House confirmed late Tuesday that Miran has stepped down as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, ending a controversial arrangement under which he held positions at both the White House and the Fed.
Trump appointed him in September to a seat on the Fed’s seven-member board of governors that ended Jan. 31. Yet he can remain on the board until a replacement is confirmed by the Senate. Miran said in September that he would step down from the CEA if he remained on the board after Jan. 31.
The resignation underscores the intrigue around the Fed and its upcoming personnel changes. Trump has nominated Kevin Warsh, a former Fed official, to replace current chair Jerome Powell, whose term atop the central bank ends May 15.
Complaint accuses Gabbard of playing politics with intelligence, which spy agency rejects
A complaint made about Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard months ago relates to an allegation that she withheld access to classified information for political reasons, according to a memo sent to lawmakers by the inspector general’s office and obtained by AP.
That allegation in the complaint appeared to not be credible, according to the former watchdog for the intelligence community that initially reviewed it. It has become a flashpoint for critics who accuse Gabbard of withholding information from lawmakers tasked with providing oversight of intelligence services.
Copies of the top-secret complaint are being delivered this week to the “Gang of Eight” lawmakers — the House and Senate leaders from both parties as well as the top Democrats and Republicans on intelligence committees.
Gabbard’s office has denied the allegations and disputed that it withheld the complaint, saying the delay was due to an extensive legal review necessitated by classified details as well as a government shutdown.
Trump again calls to ‘take over’ elections
The president repeated his desire for the federal government to be in charge of elections — something the U.S. Constitution largely entrusts to states — during his appearance with Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
Trump previously caused a stir Monday by saying Republicans should “take over” elections on a conservative podcast.
On Tuesday, like the prior day, Trump repeated his long-debunked claims that the 2020 election he lost was “rigged.” He then claimed that elections in Democratic states are run “horribly.”
“If they can’t count the votes legally and honestly,” Trump said, “then somebody else should take over.”
Earlier in the day White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt sought to clarify Trump’s Monday remarks, saying they were a reference to legislation tightening proof of citizenship requirements that some Republicans want to bring up for a congressional vote.
And Senate Majority Leader John Thune threw cold water on the idea, saying, “I’m not in favor of federalizing elections.”
The AP’s latest coverage of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown
— Immigration officers with guns drawn arrested activists who were trailing their vehicles in Minneapolis, while education leaders described anxiety and fear in Minnesota schools over the ongoing federal sweeps.
— A judge in Oregon temporarily restricted federal officers from using tear gas during protests at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland after agents launched gas at a crowd of demonstrators, including young children, that local officials said was peaceful.
— New York’s attorney general announced plans for legal observers to monitor federal immigration enforcement actions.
— Some state and local officials are pushing back against the administration’s attempt s to house thousands of detained immigrants in jails, converted warehouses and privately run facilities in their communities. A state-by-state look at what’s happening.
— Operation Dirtbag. Operation Catch of the Day. Operation Catahoula Crunch, also known as Swamp Sweep. DHS’ approach to naming immigrant enforcement operations elicits polarizing opinions: Are the names funny or offensive?
Judge: Deal reached to protect identities of Epstein victims in documents release
A federal judge who presided over the sex trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein said a Wednesday conference to address harm done to the financier’s victims by a massive release of records will not be needed after a deal was struck to protect their identities.
Judge Richard M. Berman canceled the hearing late Tuesday after he was notified by Florida attorney Brittany Henderson that “extensive and constructive discussions” with the Justice Department resulted in the agreement.
Henderson and attorney Brad Edwards sought judicial intervention Sunday, saying nearly 100 victims were harmed by sloppy redactions to the massive release of Epstein documents that began Friday.
Don’t tune in to the Super Bowl hoping for a break from tumultuous US politics
The NFL is facing pressure ahead of Sunday’s game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots to take a more explicit stance against the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement. More than 184,000 people have signed a petition calling on the league to denounce the potential presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Super Bowl, which is being held at Levi’s Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Meanwhile anticipation is building around how Bad Bunny, the halftime show’s headliner, will address the moment. He has criticized Trump on everything from the hurricane response in his native Puerto Rico to the treatment of immigrants. On Sunday he blasted ICE while accepting a Grammy, and his latest tour skipped the continental U.S. over fears his fans could be targeted by immigration agents.
Trump has said he doesn’t plan to attend the game, unlike last year, and has derided Bad Bunny as a “terrible choice.” A Republican senator is calling it “the woke bowl.” And a prominent conservative group plans an alternative show it hopes will steal attention from the main event.
▶ Read more about the Super Bowl and politics
Judge seems skeptical of legal justification for Pentagon’s punishment of Sen. Mark Kelly
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon says he knows of no U.S. Supreme Court precedent to justify the Pentagon’s censuring of the sitting U.S. senator, who joined a video plea for troops to resist unlawful orders from the Trump administration.
Kelly had a front-row seat in a courtroom Tuesday as his attorneys urged Leon to block the Pentagon from punishing the Arizona Democrat, a retired U.S. Navy pilot.
The judge did not immediately rule from the bench on Kelly’s claims that his First Amendment free speech rights were violated. But he appeared to be skeptical of a government attorney’s defense of Kelly’s Jan. 5 censure by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
▶ Read more about the dispute over Kelly’s censure
Petro asks Trump to declassify documents
In a letter, the Colombian president asked for the declassification of all reports on two violent episodes in his country’s history.
They are the assassination of political leader Jorge Eliécer Gaitán on April 9, 1948, and the takeover of the Palace of Justice in November 1985, first by the M-19 guerrilla group — to which Petro belonged as a young man — and then by the Colombian army.
Petro says UN agency monitoring cocaine production is ‘terrible’
Petro had sharp words for the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, which has said Colombia’s potential cocaine production rose by 65% over the past two years and its coca crop is at historically high levels.
“For more than a decade, UNODC’s numbers have been terrible,” Petro said. He did not provide any evidence to back his claim.
The Colombian president said that during his meeting with Trump, he tried to give the U.S. president more accurate information on his nation’s progress on fighting drugs.
Petro also said he spoke with Trump about coming up with a scientific and independent way to monitor cocaine production.
He added that upon returning home, he will launch an initiative to help farmers in remote areas stop working for drug traffickers and rebel groups that profit from the cocaine trade.
Petro discusses ways to ‘reactivate’ Venezuela with Trump
The Colombian president said that during their meeting, he suggested that the U.S. invest in renewable energy projects in northern Colombia that could export electricity to neighboring Venezuela.
“We looked at ways in which we can reactivate Venezuela,” Petro said in a news conference.
Petro has been an outspoken critic of the U.S. raid on Venezuela that led to the seizure and removal of President Nicolás Maduro, and he has called for Maduro’s return so he can be judged by the Venezuelan courts.
Petro said that during the meeting with Trump, they did not focus on their differences over the Venezuela raid. He also said he was looking for ways to work with the U.S to fight rebel groups and drug traffickers.
Petro: The real ‘kingpins’ live in Dubai, Madrid and Miami
Asked about drug trafficking in Colombia, President Gustavo Petro talked about the need to “target the true kingpins.”
Petro said there is a persistent belief — prevalent even within U.S. and Colombian intelligence circles — that the “capos” are those in uniforms carrying rifles in the Colombian jungle.
In reality, he said, “Those are merely the second or third tier. The primary leaders of the drug trade reside in Dubai, Madrid, and Miami. U.S. agencies are aware of them, and I have personally shared their names with President Trump.”
Petro wants an extra ‘s’ on MAGA hat
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that during his meeting with Trump, he was given a red MAGA hat. Petro said he told Trump there should be an “s” at the end of “America,” so it would say “Make (the) Americas Great Again.”
The two presidents had their first face-to-face meeting Tuesday as the countries try to shore up relations and look for ways to work together to fight drug trafficking.
Trump and Petro have had a rocky relationship that recently led to U.S. sanctions on the Colombian leader.
Petro said the meeting was positive.
‘It’s too bad,’ Trump says of Mandelson’s resignation over Epstein ties
The president was asked about British politician Peter Mandelson’s resignation Tuesday during a bill signing. Mandelson, who had a relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was in the Oval Office last year after playing a key role in securing a U.K.-U.S. trade agreement.
“I really don’t know too much about it. I know who he is. It’s too bad,” Trump said.
Trump had denied knowing Mandelson when he visited the UK last year for a state visit despite the photos of them together in the Oval Office.
Trump shares first public rendering of the ballroom he wants to build at the White House
The president released it on social media and boasted that the ballroom will be “The Greatest of its kind ever built!”
Plans call for it to go up on the site of the former East Wing, which Trump demolished last October.
He shared a view of the ballroom looking out from the Treasury Building across the street. He said it will be of an identical height and scale and “totally in keeping with our historic White House.”
One member of a federal arts panel that is reviewing the project described the ballroom as “immense” at a meeting last month.
Trump says he ‘got along very well’ with Petro
The president told reporters that during their Oval Office meeting, he and his Colombian counterpart talked about efforts to stem the flow of drugs — and got past a rough start to their relationship.
“He and I weren’t exactly the best of friends, but I wasn’t insulted, because I never met him. I didn’t know him at all,” Trump said. “And we got along very well.”
Trump claims Putin ‘kept his word’ on request to hold off Ukraine strikes during cold snap
Trump last Thursday said Putin had agreed on a weeklong pause in strikes on Ukrainian cities amid a particularly frigid stretch.
But Russia carried out a major overnight attack on Ukraine in what Ukraine’s Zelenskyy said Tuesday was a broken commitment to halt striking energy infrastructure.
Trump said the new strikes did not amount to a breach of the commitment Putin made to him.
“We’ll take anything because it’s really, really cold over there,” Trump said. “But it was on Sunday and he went from Sunday to Sunday.”
Trump ends partial government shutdown with stroke of pen
Trump signed a roughly $1.2 trillion government funding bill Tuesday that ends the partial federal shutdown that began over the weekend and sets the stage for an intense debate in Congress over Homeland Security funding.
The president moved quickly to sign the bill after the House approved it with a 217-214 vote.
“This bill is a great victory for the American people,” Trump said.
Federal judge gives ‘judicial shoutout’ to government attorney after ruling against Trump administration
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ruled against the administration when she blocked the end of protections that have allowed roughly 350,000 Haitians to live in the U.S.
But she decided to give a “judicial shoutout” to one of the government attorneys for his work on the high-profile case.
Reyes, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Joe Biden, heaped praise on Justice Department attorney Dhruman Sampat in a Tuesday court filing.
“His work has been, in a word, exemplary,” Reyes wrote, adding that he “exhibited mastery of an intricate statutory regime.”
“And, even with the Court lobbing endless questions at him, he did so with good humor throughout,” the judge added. “The Court has not before docketed this type of judicial shoutout, but Mr. Sampat’s effort demands no less.”
Reyes’ ruling on Monday dealt a blow to Trump’s immigration agenda. But her praise for Sampat marked a far more cordial exchange than she had last year, when the Justice Department filed a complaint accusing her of “hostile and egregious” misconduct during hearings for a lawsuit challenging Trump’s ban on transgender troops serving in the military.
Reyes ruled against the government in that case, too, and the complaint against her was ultimately dismissed.
Rep. Ilhan Omar demands Kristi Noem be fired or impeached
The Democratic congresswoman said she represents a city “under occupation” and said the Homeland Security secretary, along with Trump aide Stephen Miller, must be held accountable.
Speaking outside Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters in Washington, she said children are afraid to go to school, patients fear going to hospitals occupied by “paramilitary forces,” restaurants are shutting down, people are housing others who fear going home, “and that is all happening in an American city.”
“We have two neighbors, two of my constituents, who were shot by federal agents as cameras recorded, and their president maligned their names and told us not to believe our eyes,” she said.
Omar said Miller is “the architect of the terror” and Noem’s department is “not just rogue, but unlawful.”
“If Kristi Noem does not resign and the president doesn’t fire her, Democrats are ready and willing to impeach her,” Omar said.
Renee Good’s brothers remember their sister at Congressional hearing
Two brothers of Renee Good spoke lovingly of their sister during a hearing put on by Congressional Democrats.
Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer while protesting in Minneapolis on Jan. 7.
Her brother, Luke Ganger, spoke of the “deep distress” the family felt at their sister’s death in “such a violent and unnecessary way.”
He said the most important thing the two brothers could do during the hearing was to explain to those listening “what a beautiful American we have lost. A sister. A daughter. A mother. A partner and a friend.”
Another brother, Brett, spoke of Good’s hopeful spirit: “She believed that kindness mattered and she lived that belief.”
Trump declares February is Black History Month
The president issued a proclamation in which he wrote, “I call upon public officials, educators, librarians “and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities.”
But since returning to office, Trump has ended diversity, equity and inclusion programs throughout the U.S. government, and has pressured colleges and universities and other institutions that receive federal funding to do the same.
The administration has also removed Black history references at national parks, most recently removing an exhibit on slavery in Philadelphia.
Petro asks Trump to mediate trade dispute with Ecuador
Petro said he asked Trump to help mediate an escalating trade war with Ecuador during a meeting between both leaders in the White House
“I asked Trump to help me in that regard … he told me he was going to call (Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa),” Petro said in an interview with Colombian radio station Caracol Radio following their meeting.
Petro said he proposed the possibility of joint actions against rebel group ELN by the militaries of Colombia and Venezuela and described the U.S. president as “frank.”
The Colombian president said he wants to work with the U.S. to change ways in which cocaine production is monitored.
Leavitt says Trump’s demand to ‘nationalize’ elections was a reference to legislation
The White House spokeswoman tried to clarify the president’s statements after they sparked an uproar.
Trump on a podcast Monday called for Republicans to “take over” and “nationalize” elections.
The comments came in the wake of an FBI raid on a Georgia election office that has been the target of Trump’s often-debunked conspiracy theories to explain away his loss in the 2020 presidential election.
Leavitt said Trump was referring to the SAVE Act, legislation tightening proof of citizenship requirements that some Republicans want to bring up for a congressional vote. House Republicans also introduced a second bill last week to change election procedures nationwide.
