Trump News for Tuesday, February 3, 2026

ICE Is A Paramilitary Force, And Those Don’t End Well

Erica De Bruin, Techdirt

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. As the operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement have intensified over the past year, politicians and journalists alike have begun referring…

Donald Trump Willing to Dedicate Federal Resources to Hunt for Nancy Guthrie

TMZ Staff, TMZ

President Donald Trump says he's willing to put even more federal resources forward in order to help Savannah Guthrie's missing mother ... and, he says he even plans to call Savannah later in the day. POTUS answered several questions from reporters…

Trump doubles down on suggesting federal government 'get involved' in state elections

Michelle Stoddart, Emily Chang, Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that somebody should "take over" some state elections, repeating his his controversial calls to 'nationalize' voting.

Donald Trump To Sit Down With Anchor Tom Llamas For Super Bowl Pregame And ‘Nightly News’ Interview

Ted Johnson, Deadline

Donald Trump will sit down for an interview with NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas, with a portion of the interview set to air as part of the network’s Super Bowl pre-game coverage on Sunday. This will be Llamas first interview with Trump since becoming anch…

WATCH: Brothers of Renee Good speak in Washington after deadly ICE shooting

ABC News

Renee Good's brothers spoke at a forum in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, weeks after the fatal shooting of Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis in January.

Trump Attacks Kaitlan Collins Again As CNN Anchor Asks About Epstein Survivors: You Are The Worst Reporter …I Don’t Think I’ve Ever Seen You Smile”

Dominic Patten, Deadline

A question to Donald Trump today from Kaitlan Collins about the recently released and heavily redacted Epstein Files really got under POTUS’ notoriously thin skin. The immediate result was an unhinged Trump once again demeaning the CNN anchor as she asked him…

Trump’s New Threats to American Elections

David A. Graham, The Atlantic

The reasons to worry about election integrity are becoming more urgent.

What Washington Landmark Will Donald Trump Destroy Next?

Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic

No building is safe.

A victory for Haitian immigrants, briefly explained

Cameron Peters, Vox

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: The Trump administration’s attempt to end deportation …

DEPUTY AG: NOT A CRIME TO PARTY WITH JEFFREY...

Craig Hoyle, The-independent.com

DEPUTY AG: NOT A CRIME TO PARTY WITH JEFFREY... (Top headline, 6th story, link) Related stories:VANCE RAGES AT 'INCESTUOUS ELITES'... '[TRUMP] KNOWS A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE'... CALLS FOR TESTIMONY... CLINTONS TO SING... EPSTEIN: 'I've …

Federal Agents Left Behind “Death Cards” After Capturing Immigrants

Nick Turse, The Intercept

ICE agents dropped customized ace of spades playing cards, recalling a practice by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War. The post Federal Agents Left Behind “Death Cards” After Capturing Immigrants appeared first on The Intercept.

ICE Director Says Officers Are Now Allowed To Make Arrests Without Warrants

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

The administration’s racist goon squads have absolutely been steamrolling the Constitution since Trump’s return to office. When ICE et al started roving throughout the nation looking for anyone non-white enough to be foreign, all rights were considered expend…

Senators Open Netflix Hearing With Serious Concerns Over Warner Bros. Deal: “Extraordinary In Both Scale And Potential Consequence”

Ted Johnson, Deadline

As Netflix co-CEO faced a Senate subcommittee over its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros., lawmakers in both parties pressed serious concerns over the combination, citing in particular the streaming giant’s dominance. The chair of the Senate Judiciary antit…

UN chief urges Gaza aid as Israel blocks most medical evacuees at Rafah

Stephen Quillen, Al Jazeera English

Al-Shifa Hospital director says blocking medical evacuations through Rafah crossing could be 'death sentence' for many.

The Paramilitary ICE and CBP Units at the Center of Minnesota's Killings

Ali Winston, Wired

Two agents involved in the shooting deaths of US citizens in Minneapolis are reportedly part of highly militarized DHS units whose extreme tactics are generally reserved for war zones.

Walmart hits trillion dollar market cap for the first time

Andy Hirschfeld, Al Jazeera English

Walmart stock surged as a new CEO takes the helm and on news of a trade deal with India, a key supplier.

This Is What Putin Thinks of Trump’s Peace Talks

Simon Shuster, The Atlantic

President Trump asked Putin to hold off attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine, which has been gripped by bitter cold. Putin showed his contempt by launching a massive overnight attack.

Trump administration's tongue-in-cheek names for immigration operations praised and slammed

MATT BROWN and TERRY TANG, Yahoo Entertainment

Operation Catahoula Crunch, also known as Swamp Sweep, in Louisiana. The Department of Homeland Security's approach to naming immigrant enforcement...

Families of dead and missing Iranian protesters detail human rights abuses

Sarah Baniak, Somayeh Malekian, ABC News

Thousands of protesters were killed during a crackdown, activists said.

Turns Out They Didn’t Really Want You To Bring Your Whole Self To Work

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

For years, we watched Silicon Valley executives perform elaborate corporate theater about “values” and “belonging” and “bringing your whole self to work.” If you were skeptical that any of that was real, well, congrats. Aaron Zamost, a longtime tech communica…

The Take: Will the US force regime change in Cuba?

Al Jazeera English

US president wages maximum pressure campaign on Cuba’s already faltering economy.

Next-gen nuclear reactors safe enough to skip full environmental reviews, says Trump admin

Brandon Vigliarolo, Theregister.com

DoE trims NEPA paperwork for advanced reactors The Department of Energy says advanced nuclear reactor designs - many of which have so far existed mainly at the experimental, testing, or demonstration stage - generally pose limited environmental risk and can q…

Ukraine’s strategy is to kill 50,000 Russian soldiers a month. A sign of confidence or an indicator of weakness?

Andrew Carey, CNN

Volodymyr Zelensky has been talking up Russia’s battlefield fatalities and has asked his new Defense Minister to make it a priority.

An F-35 stealth fighter shot down an Iranian drone flying toward a US Navy aircraft carrier

Jake Epstein, Business Insider

A defense official said the drone's intent was unclear. It was shot down after it "unnecessarily maneuvered" toward the carrier.

What would be the impact of a US attack on Iran?

Ali A Ghareh Daghi, Al Jazeera English

Whatever post-attack scenario unfolds in Iran - regime consolidation or turmoil - the region would suffer.

Judge Censored an ICE Agent’s Face Over “Threats.” His Info Was a Google Search Away.

Seth Stern, The Intercept

Unsealed transcript reveals a judge bought the DOJ’s arguments about “bounties” on an ICE agent, when his name and location were on LinkedIn. The post Judge Censored an ICE Agent’s Face Over “Threats.” His Info Was a Google Search Away. appeared first on The …

“Serves Him Right”: MAGA Influencer Detained By ICE After Saying Only “Crooks” Get Deported

Lei RV, Boredpanda.com

Júnior Pena, a Brazilian influencer known for his outspoken support of ICE, was detained by the agency after reportedly missing a court hearing related to legalizing his stay.

MN Police Chief Intervenes To Free A US Citizen Arrested By Federal Officers

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

No doubt this will be spun as some form of Minnesota-specific obstruction, but until that happens, let’s just appreciate the fact that not all cops are willing to be appendages of the Trump administration’s bigoted migrant purge. Here are the details, courtes…

Global conflicts pushing humanitarian law to breaking point, report warns

Simon Speakman Cordall, Al Jazeera English

As armed groups target civilians unchecked, Geneva Academy warn of humanitarian law's collapse and its ramifications.

WATCH: Possible biological lab found inside Las Vegas home, FBI says

ABC News

Investigators are working to determine what substances were found inside a home described as a possible biological lab, with over 1,000 samples sent for testing, authorities said.

Patti LuPone Makes Fiery Speech From Carnegie Hall Stage Urging Protection Of Kennedy Center From Donald Trump

Greg Evans, Deadline

Patti LuPone brought her Carnegie Hall concert to a close last night – and the New York audience to its feet – with a fervent call to protect the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. from President Donald Trump. After a two-hour show that included virtually no o…

More Corruption Allegations Levied at Trump Over Newly Revealed UAE Crypto Deal

Kyle Torpey, Gizmodo.com

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy called the reported deal “mind-blowing corruption.”

Jon Stewart Breaks Silence After His Name Pops Up In The Epstein Files

Rocio Corsi, Boredpanda.com

Jon Stewart addressed his appearance in the Epstein files while slamming the lack of accountability.

House to hold votes on funding package to end partial government shutdown

Lauren Peller, ABC News

The House will hold votes on Tuesday to try to reopen the government after it partially shut down over the weekend.

NATO scrambles fighters as Russia launches major strike on Ukrainian energy targets

David Brennan, ABC News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged "maximum pressure" on Russia after Moscow fired hundreds of drones and missiles into Ukraine.

Trump Admin Sued For Defunding the “Most Important Infrastructure Project in the Country”

Ece Yildirim, Gizmodo.com

The project would improve the most heavily traveled portion of the national passenger rail system.

Disney’s Theme Parks Chief Is Now Running the Whole Show

James Whitbrook, Gizmodo.com

Josh D'Amaro will take over from CEO Bob Iger this year, with TV studio chief Dana Walden serving as president.

Military stands down troops ordered to prep to deploy to Minneapolis

Steve Beynon, ABC News

The Pentagon has stood down more than 1,500 federal troops placed on alert for potential deployment to Minneapolis, according to two U.S. officials

Trump family’s $4 billion graft shows no signs of stopping

Heather Digby Parton, Salon

The multibillion-dollar profiteering is snowballing in an anything-goes presidency

Don Lemon Recounts Arrest by Federal Agents on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Don Lemon is speaking out for the first time about his arrest by the feds ... telling Jimmy Kimmel he was bombarded by agents in an elevator in L.A. and was never given the chance to turn himself in ... all so they could allegedly "embarrass" him.…

WATCH: Houses washed away in North Carolina's Outer Banks

ABC News

Waterfront houses collapsed into the ocean as a powerful winter storm lashed North Carolina's Outer Banks.

LIVE: Trump, Petro to meet at the White House after months of tensions

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

US President Donald Trump is set to welcome Colombian President Gustavo Petro to Washington, DC for talks.

An Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill With a Cruel New Twist

Natasha Lennard, The Intercept

A new Kansas law lets those “aggrieved” by the presence of a trans person in a bathroom to file a civil suit for monetary damages. The post An Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill With a Cruel New Twist appeared first on The Intercept.

Trump-Petro meeting: Just how icy are US-Colombia relations?

Priyanka Shankar, Al Jazeera English

Colombian President Gustavo Petro will meet US President Donald Trump on February 3 amid tensions over drug trafficking.

Last US-Russia nuclear treaty is expiring: Does it really matter?

Sarah Shamim, Al Jazeera English

The New START treaty, which limits strategic nuclear weapons, is to expire this week.

Disney Names Josh D’Amaro CEO, Dana Walden President & Chief Creative Officer

Dade Hayes, Deadline

Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro has been elevated to CEO of the Walt Disney Co., capping a closely watched multi-year process of identifying Bob Iger’s successor. Dana Walden, Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman, has been named President and Chief Creat…

Modi, Trump announce India-US ‘trade deal’: What we know and what we don’t

Yashraj Sharma, Al Jazeera English

US president says deal reached with India after Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil. But details are scarce.

Will Trump gut the Kennedy Center? What to know about his construction plans for the D.C. institution

Associated Press, Ap.org

President Donald Trump said Monday that he’s “not ripping down” the Kennedy Center but insisted the performing arts venue needs to shut down for about two years for construction and other work without patrons coming and going and getting in the way.The commen…

Russia ready to respond to any US weapons deployment in Greenland: Ryabkov

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

With New START, the last nuclear treaty between Russia and US ending, Moscow says it's ready for more dangerous world.

The End of the Nuclear-Arms-Control Era

Tom Nichols, The Atlantic

The last significant treaty is about to expire, and Trump isn’t putting anything in its place.

Democrats face a defining choice on immigration

Chauncey DeVega, Salon

Party leaders must decide whether to press their moral advantage or default to performative bipartisanship

States and medical societies are stepping up to fill the CDC’s data void

Lauren J. Young, Scientific American

Dozens of routinely updated CDC databases have gone quiet. Here’s what states and medical societies are doing to preserve U.S. public health

The Moltbook creator sees a future where every human has a bot that creates content on their own platforms

Katherine Li, Business Insider

Matt Schlicht, the Moltbook creator, envisions a future where bots live a "parallel life" with humans and hangout with each other to create content.

How Taylor Rehmet upset a MAGA candidate to flip a North Texas Senate district

Alejandro Serrano, Salon

Rehmet won a district Donald Trump carried by 17 points.

Not enough student-loan borrowers know about this way to get rid of their debt

Ayelet Sheffey, Business Insider

Biden's reforms to the bankruptcy process for student-loan borrowers are working. The main issue: not enough people know about it.

Is Trump worse than Biden? Here’s what U.S. voters really think in new poll

Lauren Sforza, nj.com

U.S. voters are split on whether President Donald Trump is handling his job better than his former President Joe Biden.

Trump Announces Minerals Stockpile Way Too Late for It to Spare Him From Embarrassment by China

Mike Pearl, Gizmodo.com

China whacked Trump on the head with rare earth mineral restrictions during the trade war. He's finally buying a hard hat.

Trump Blames Republican’s U-Turn on His MAGA-Voting Wife

Yahoo Entertainment

Energy Star has emerged stronger after Trump's EPA tried to end it

Jeff Brady, NPR

The Trump administration tried to end or privatize the government Energy Star efficiency program. But now Trump has signed a budget bill that fully funds the program and leaves it even stronger.

Trump Says Cuba Won't "Survive." Just How Many Cubans Will Not Survive?

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

Cuba doesn't have electricity or food, but Trump's executive order claims it's "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to the United States.

Gold and silver prices soared, then plummeted. What’s going on?

John Power, Al Jazeera English

Analysts see various factors at play for price swings, from Trump's unpredictability to distrust in economic systems.

Absences and loss of innocence: ICE raids leave behind a heavy weight in Minnesota schools

Chelsea Bailey, CNN, CNN

Minnesota parents and teachers say the ICE arrests are not only robbing students of their opportunity to learn, but also of their innocence.

The Powerful Messages That Woody Guthrie & Pete Seeger Inscribed on Their Guitar & Banjo: “This Machine Kills Fascists” and “This Machine Surrounds Hate and Forces it to Surrender”

OC, Openculture.com

Photo by Al Aumuller, via Wikimedia Commons Like another famous Okie from Muskogee, Woody Guthrie came from a part of Oklahoma that the U.S. government sold during the 1889 land rush away from the Quapaw and Osage nations, as well as the Muscogee, a people w…

Russia renews attacks on frozen Ukrainian cities

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Hundreds of drones and missiles struck Kyiv and Kharkiv overnight, leaving thousands of homes without heat.

Don Lemon Addresses Arrest on ‘Kimmel’: ‘I Am Not a Protester’

Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone

Don Lemon appeared on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' to discuss being arrested for covering an anti-ICE protest in Minnesota.

‘Melania’ Director Brett Ratner Says It’s “Crazy” He’s Been Embroiled In Epstein Files

Jake Kanter, Deadline

Brett Ratner, director of Amazon MGM Studios documentary Melania, has denied having a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein after appearing in Department of Justice files on the late sex offender. The millions of documents released by the DoJ featured an image of…

Trump announces plan to sue Harvard for $1bn damages

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The US president writes on Truth Social that he wants 'nothing further to do, into the future' with the university.

Uruguay President Orsi deepens ties with China’s Xi despite Trump threats

Erin Hale, Al Jazeera English

Yamandu Orsi is the first Latin American leader to visit China since the US abducted Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro.

Trump seeks $1bn in damages from Harvard

BBC News

The announcement is the latest development in the White House's ongoing feud with the Ivy League institution.

Clintons agree to testify in House Epstein investigation ahead of contempt of Congress vote

The Associated Press, NPR

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed to testify in a House investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but the Republican leading the probe said an agreement had not yet been finalized.

Judge blocks Trump administration from ending protections for Haitians

The Associated Press, NPR

A federal judge on Monday blocked the end of protections that have allowed roughly 350,000 Haitians to live in the U.S., dealing President Donald Trump's immigration agenda another legal setback.

Trump says Powell probe should continue: 'Take it to the end and see'

Aditi Bharade, Business Insider

Earlier in January, the DOJ served the Federal Reserve subpoenas threatening criminal indictment over the Fed's renovation expenses.

How to tear gas children

Sarah Jeong, The Verge

The day after the second general strike in Minneapolis, the labor unions of Portland, Oregon, marched in solidarity. It was the warmest day that Portland had seen in a while, with sun peeking out from the clouds here and there. Many people had brought their e…

US judge temporarily blocks lifting of deportation protections for Haiti migrants

BBC News

The judge said the Department of Homeland Security Secretary did not have facts or law on her side.

Cuba in contact with US, diplomat says, as Trump issues threat to block oil

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Cuban diplomat says Havana ready for dialogue with US, but certain things are off the table, including the constitution.

Ex-US President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton to testify in Epstein probe

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The Clintons agree to testify in congressional probe of high-society sex offender Jeffrey Epstein amid contempt threat.

Artificial Intelligence helps fuel new energy sources

Fox News

AI and data centers drive electricity costs up 42% in a decade, as Americans face unprecedented bills as the power grid struggles with surging demand.

Banning lead in gas worked. The proof is in our hair

Utah.edu

Researchers analyzed samples of Utahns' hair going back a century to document a 100-fold decrease in lead concentrations.

Palantir Touts $2 Billion in Revenue from Aiding Trump Administration’s ‘Unusual’ Operations

Ece Yildirim, Gizmodo.com

Whether the efforts targeted immigrants or transgender people, Palantir was there to supply the technology in 2025.

Zohran Mamdani Is The Latest Victim of Epstein Files AI Slop

Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone

A torrent of AI-generated images, including some featuring Zohran Mamdani, have followed the government's latest Epstein files dump.

Trump urges Republicans to 'take over' and 'nationalize' voting

Emily Chang, Michelle Stoddart, Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News

President Trump called on Republicans to "nationalize" voting with the 2026 midterm elections on the horizon.

FBI agents who searched Georgia election site spoke afterward with Trump: Sources

Luke Barr, Rachel Scott, Beatrice Peterson, ABC News

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard arranged for agents who searched a Georgia election site last week to have a phone call with President Trump, sources say.

Jesse Ventura Says The United States Is Getting What It Deserves With Donald Trump

Manik Aftab, Wrestlezone.com

Jesse Ventura drops another hot take on Donald Trump. WWE Hall of Famer Jesse Ventura believes the American public shares responsibility for Donald Trump...

“We want to take over”: Trump says Republicans should move to “nationalize” elections

Garrett Owen, Salon

Trump pushed for taking elections away from the states in an interview with Dan Bongino.