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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal officer shot a person in the leg in Minneapolis after being attacked with a shovel during an arrest Wednesday, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.The person cautioned the information was still preliminary, and the investigation was in its early stages. The person could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.The shooting took place about 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) north of where an immigration agent fatally shot Renee Good in the head on Jan. 7 as she drove away.A large group of federal agents and Minneapolis Police wearing gas masks fired tear gas into a crowd gathered at a north Minneapolis intersection near where Wednesday's shooting took place.The city of Minneapolis said on the social media platform X that, “We are aware of reports of a shooting involving federal law enforcement in North Minneapolis. We are working to confirm additional details.”Clashes in court and on streetsEarlier Wednesday, a judge gave the Trump administration time to respond to a request to suspend its immigration crackdown in Minnesota, while the Pentagon looked for military lawyers to join what has become a chaotic law enforcement effort in the state.Plumes of tear gas, bursts of chemical irritants and the screech of protest whistles have become common on the streets of Minneapolis, especially since Good's shooting.Agents have yanked people from cars and homes and been confronted by angry bystanders who are demanding that officers pack up and leave.“What we need most of all right now is a pause. The temperature needs to be lowered," state Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter said during the first hearing in a lawsuit filed by Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.Local leaders say the government is violating free speech and other constitutional rights with the surge of law enforcement. U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez promised to keep the case “on the front burner” and gave the U.S. Justice Department until Monday to file a response to a request for a restraining order.The judge said these are "grave and important matters,” and that there are few legal precedents to apply to some of the key points in the case.Justice Department attorney Andrew Warden suggested the approach set by Menendez was appropriate.The judge is also handling a separate lawsuit challenging the tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal officers when they encounter protesters and observers. A decision could be released this week.During a televised speech Wednesday evening, Gov. Tim Walz described Minnesota as being in chaos, saying what's happening in the state “defies belief.”“Let’s be very, very clear, this long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement," he said. "Instead, it’s a campaign of organized brutality against the people of Minnesota by our own federal government.”Walz added that “accountability” will be coming through the courts.Military lawyers may join the surgeThe Department of Homeland Security says it has made more than 2,000 arrests in the state since early December and is vowing to not back down. The Pentagon is preparing to send military lawyers to Minneapolis to assist.CNN, citing an email circulating in the military, says Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is asking the branches to identify 40 lawyers known as judge advocate general officers or JAGs, and 25 of them will serve as special assistant U.S. attorneys in Minneapolis.Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson appeared to confirm the CNN report by posting it on X with a comment that the military “is proud to support” the Justice Department.The Pentagon did not immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press seeking more details.It’s the latest step by the Trump administration to dispatch military and civilian attorneys to areas where federal immigration operations are taking place. The Pentagon last week sent 20 lawyers to Memphis, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said.Mark Nevitt, an associate professor at Emory University School of Law and a former Navy JAG, said there's concern that the assignments are taking lawyers away from the military justice system.“There are not many JAGs but there are over one million members of the military, and they all need legal support,” he said.An official says the agent who killed Good was injuredJonathan Ross, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who killed Good, suffered internal bleeding to his torso during the encounter, a Homeland Security official told The Associated Press.The official spoke to AP on condition of anonymity in order to discuss Ross’ medical condition. The official did not provide details about the severity of the injuries, and the agency did not respond to questions about the extent of the bleeding, exactly how he suffered the injury, when it was diagnosed or his medical treatment.There are many causes of internal bleeding, and they vary in severity from bruising to significant blood loss. Video from the scene showed Ross and other officers walking without obvious difficulty after Good was shot and her Honda Pilot crashed into other vehicles.She was killed after three ICE officers surrounded her SUV on a snowy street a few blocks from her home.Bystander video shows one officer ordering Good to open the door and grabbing the handle. As the vehicle begins to move forward, Ross, standing in front, raises his weapon and fires at least three shots at close range. He steps back as the SUV advances and turns.Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said Ross was struck by the vehicle and that Good was using her SUV as a weapon — a self-defense claim that has been deeply criticized by Minnesota officials.Chris Madel, an attorney for Ross, declined to comment on any injuries.‘An agent of peace’Good’s family, meanwhile, has hired a law firm, Romanucci & Blandin, that represented George Floyd’s family in a $27 million settlement with Minneapolis. Floyd, who was Black, died after a white police officer pinned his neck to the ground in the street in May 2020.The firm said Good was following orders to move her car when she was shot. It said it would conduct its own investigation and publicly share what it learns.“They do not want her used as a political pawn,” the firm said, referring to Good and her family, “but rather as an agent of peace for all.”Students march against ICEWaving signs reading “Love Melts ICE” and “DE-ICE MN,” hundreds of teenagers left school in St. Paul and marched in freezing temperatures to the state Capitol for a protest and rally.The University of Minnesota, meanwhile, informed its 50,000-plus students that there could be online options for some classes when the new term starts next week. President Rebecca Cunningham noted that “violence and protests have come to our doorstep.” The campus sits next to the main Somali neighborhood in Minneapolis.___Associated Press reporters Julie Watson in San Diego, California; Rebecca Santana in Washington, D.C.; Ed White in Detroit; Giovanna Dell’Orto in Minneapolis; Graham Lee Brewer in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.

NEW YORK (AP) — Losses for several banks and Big Tech stocks pulled indexes lower on Wednesday, even though the majority of stocks on Wall Street rose.The S&P 500 slipped 0.5% for its second straight loss after setting its all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 42 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite lost 1%.Wells Fargo helped pull the market lower after falling 4.6%. The San Francisco-based bank reported weaker profit and revenue for the latest quarter than expected, with analysts citing lower trading fees and other miscellaneous items.Bank of America fell 3.8% despite reporting a stronger profit than analysts expected, with some consternation about the size of its upcoming expenses. Citigroup, which is in the midst of a turnaround under Chair and CEO Jane Fraser, fell 3.3% following its own profit report.Companies across industries are under pressure to report strong growth in profits to justify how high their stock prices have run recently. Analysts are looking for businesses across the S&P 500 to report earnings per share for the final three months of 2025 that are roughly 8% higher than a year earlier, according to FactSet.Biogen sank 5% after the biotechnology company said it expects to take a hit to its profit for the fourth quarter of 2025 due to research and development expenses and other costs that it acquired.The heaviest weights on the market were tech stocks, which gave back a bit of their huge gains from recent years created by the frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology. Such stellar performances caused some critics to say their stock prices had become too expensive.Nvidia fell 1.4%, and Broadcom sank 4.2%.Still, more stocks rose on Wall Street than fell, and the strongest forces keeping the S&P 500 from steeper losses were Exxon Mobil and other oil companies.Exxon Mobil rose 2.9%, and Chevron climbed 2.1% as the price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. oil rose 1.4% to settle at $62.02.Stocks of smaller companies also did better than the rest of the market, with the Russell 2000 index rising 0.7%.All told, the S&P 500 fell 37.14 points to 6,926.60. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 42.36 to 49,149.63, and the Nasdaq composite fell 238.12 to 23,471.75.Oil prices have rallied recently after protests swept Iran, which is a member of the OPEC group that helps set crude prices. The protests could lead to disruptions in production and squeeze supplies of crude.Brent crude, the international standard, rose 1.6% and briefly brought its gain for the year so far to nearly 10%, before prices for both it and U.S. oil fell back later in the afternoon.In the bond market, Treasury yields sank as investors sought investments seen as safer. Several reports on the U.S. economy also came in mixed.One said that shoppers spent more at U.S. retailers in November than economists expected. That could be an encouraging signal about the main engine of the U.S. economy.A separate report said prices rose modestly at the U.S. wholesale level in November. It followed data on Tuesday that said inflation at the U.S. consumer level was close last month to economists’ expectations, though it remained above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.Taken altogether, the reports did little to change Wall Street’s expectation that the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate at least twice this year to shore up the job market, likely beginning around June, according to CME Group.The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.14% from 4.18% late Tuesday.In stock markets abroad, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rallied 1.5% to another record as expectations grew that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi may call general elections soon.Indexes were mixed elsewhere. Stocks rose 0.6% in Hong Kong but fell 0.3% in Shanghai after a report showed China’s trade surplus surged 20% in 2025 to a record despite President Donald Trump’s tariffs.___AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.

Officials from Greenland and Denmark met in Washington on Wednesday with top White House officials as President Donald Trump moved to ratchet up the pressure by suggesting that NATO should help the United States acquire the world’s largest island and saying anything less than it being under American control is unacceptable.Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are participating in the talks with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt to discuss Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark.A few hours before the talks could begin, Trump reiterated on his social media site that the U.S. “needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security.” He added that “NATO should be leading the way for us to get it” and that otherwise Russia or China would — “AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!”In response, Greenland’s representatives to the U.S. and Canada posted on social media, “Why don’t you ask us?” and noted the low percentage of island residents who favor becoming part of the U.S.The Latest:Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez on Wednesday vowed to continue releasing prisoners detained under former President Nicolás Maduro during her first press conference since Maduro was ousted by the United States earlier this month.Rodríguez served as Maduro’s vice president since 2018, running Venezuela’s feared intelligence service and managing its crucial oil industry. A 56-year-old lawyer and politician, Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president two days after the Trump administration snatched Maduro from his fortified compound and claimed the U.S. would be calling the shots in Venezuela.Addressing journalists from a podium at the presidential palace, Rodríguez said the process of releasing prisoners had begun under Maduro and “has not yet concluded.”“That process remains open,” she said, adding that the releases sent a message that Venezuela was opening “to a new political moment.”▶ Read more about Venezuela prisoner releaseSen. Susan Collins says she’ll continue to support war powers resolutionThe Maine Republican is one of five GOP senators whom Trump is trying to pressure to change their vote Wednesday on a war powers resolution that would require congressional approval before any further attacks on Venezuela.Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, who voted to advance the legislation last week, has indicated he may vote to dismiss the measure. Meanwhile, Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have both indicated they are also sticking to their votes in favor.That likely leaves Sen. Todd Young, an Indiana Republican, with the crucial vote. He has repeatedly declined to discuss his position, saying he was “giving it some thought.”Voto Latino supports articles of impeachment against Secretary Noem, urges constituents to demand support from elected officialsVoto Latino leaders announced their full support for the three articles of impeachment introduced by Rep. Robin Kelly to remove Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.“The impeachment articles brought forward by Representative Kelly today have been a long time coming,” Voto Latino leaders said in a statement. “Since taking office Secretary Kristi Noem has operated without restraint or accountability. Secretary Kristi Noem has used her cabinet position to benefit herself at the expense of the American people — regardless of immigration status.”Along with their support, Voto Latino leaders are launching a digital campaign in Republican led districts, aimed at pressuring members of Congress to support the impeachment efforts. The digital campaign urges constituents in the districts to contact their representative and demand support for the impeachment efforts.Vast majority of voters oppose taking Greenland using military force, new poll findsAbout 9 in 10 registered voters oppose the U.S. trying to take Greenland by military force, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll, while only 9% are in favor.Buying Greenland is still not broadly popular, but voters are more divided about an acquisition involving money. Just over half, 55%, of voters oppose the U.S. trying to buy Greenland, while 37% are in favor.Republican voters, in particular, are much keener on the idea of an attempt to buy Greenland, rather than a military invasion. About two-thirds of Republican voters oppose trying to take Greenland by military force.On the other hand, a similar percentage of Republican voters support an attempt to buy Greenland.Democrats launch longshot impeachment effort to remove NoemRep. Robin Kelly of Illinois says she has introduced three articles of impeachment to remove Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from office and that she has support from almost 70 Democrats so far.A growing number of Democrats are calling for Noem’s impeachment in the wake of the killing of a Minnesota woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, though the effort stands little chance in a Republican-controlled House and Senate.Kelly said in a press conference Wednesday announcing her resolution that “real people are being hurt and killed” from ICE enforcement actions. She was joined by 10 other Democrats at the event who voiced frustration and anger with the Trump administration’s deportation efforts – many focused on their districts.“If we do nothing, nothing will happen,” Kelly said.It’s unclear when Kelly may seek to force a vote on her resolution.Rep. Angie Craig, who represents a swing district in Minnesota, said ICE actions “have crossed a line.”“Minnesotans, we want safe and secure borders. We want violent criminals to not be in our country. But this is not what we signed up for.”US to suspend immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose nationals are deemed likely to require public assistanceThe State Department will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries whose nationals are deemed likely to require public assistance while living in the United States.The State Department said Wednesday that it had instructed consular officers to halt immigrant visa applications from the countries affected in accordance with a broader order issued in November that tightened rules around potential immigrants who might become “public charges” in the U.S. The suspension will begin Jan. 21 and will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant, or temporary tourist or business visas.“The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people,” the department said in a statement. “Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”The statement did not identify which countries would be affected by the pause, but the administration has already severely restricted immigrant and non-immigrant visa processing for citizens of dozens of countries, many of them in Africa.Trump envoy says Gaza is entering second phase of ceasefire planTrump envoy Steve Witkoff said in a post on the social platform X that the ceasefire deal was entering a phase focused on demilitarizing Gaza, establishing a technocratic government and reconstruction.Witkoff did not offer any details Wednesday about the new transitional Palestinian administration that would govern Gaza.The White House did not immediately offer any details, either. Witkoff said that the U.S. expects Hamas to immediately return the final deceased hostage as part of its obligations under the deal.Vance and Rubio’s meeting with Denmark, Greenland officials has endedDenmark’s Rasmussen and Greenland’s Motzfeldt were spotted exiting the Eisenhower Executive Office Building about an hour after the talks started.The two foreign ministers are scheduled to head to Capitol Hill later in the day for talks on Capitol Hill.Landry says he wants to meet Greenlanders and not diplomatsWhile Trump says he will take action on Greenland whether its people “like it or not,” his new handpicked U.S. special envoy is setting off on his own approach.Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who was appointed as U.S. special envoy to Greenland in December, has not visited the Arctic island but plans to attend a dogsled race there in March. He has suggested Greenlanders would feel right at home in Louisiana, saying he heard they like to hunt, fish and “have a good time.”Landry has brought his thick Cajun accent and reputation for confrontational politics to the effort to acquire the world’s largest island, elevating his national profile on a mission that has showcased his ties to the president and rattled partners in the military alliance.‘Escalation in the Arctic must be avoided,’ Russian ambassador says“Russia does not harbor aggressive plans toward its Arctic neighbors, does not threaten them with military action, and does not seek to seize their territory,” Russia’s ambassador to Copenhagen, Vladimir Barbin, told TV2, according to a statement published on social media by the Russian Embassy in Denmark.“To successfully develop its Arctic potential, Russia is interested in stability and good relations between the states in the Arctic region,” he said.“Disputes and disagreements between Arctic states should be resolved in accordance with international law and through negotiations. Escalation in the Arctic must be avoided. It is necessary to restore broad international cooperation in the Arctic, which is capable of ensuring security more reliably and at lower cost than the unchecked drive by NATO countries to militarize the region.”Foreign ministers meeting at the White House is underwayDenmark’s Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Vivian Motzfeldt are now at the White House campus for their high-stakes meeting with Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.Ahead of their arrival, the office of Greenland Representation to the U.S. and Canada pushed back against Trump’s continued insistence that the Arctic territory become part of the United States.“Why don’t you ask us, kalaallit?” the office said in a social media post, referring to the island’s indigenous Inuit people. The office noted that polling showed a vast majority of Kalaallit and Greenlanders oppose joining the United States.Senate majority leader criticizes Venezuela war powers voteRepublican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota is venting some of his frustration in a Senate floor speech, sharply criticizing a war powers resolution vote that would require Trump to get congressional approval before carrying out further attacks on Venezuela.The president has been hurling insults at five Senate Republicans who voted to advance the measure last week, and Republican Senate leaders were looking for ways to defuse the conflict, including possibly challenging whether the war powers resolution should be prioritized under chamber rules.“We have no troops on the ground in Venezuela. We’re not currently conducting military operations there,” Thune said. “But Democrats are taking up this bill because their anti-Trump hysteria knows no bounds.”Republican leaders could move to dismiss the measure under the argument that it is irrelevant to the current situation, but that procedure would still receive a vote.The Trump administration moves closer to permitting sales of Nvidia’s H200 chips to ChinaThe Trump administration is easing the review process to allow U.S. chip company Nvidia to sell advanced chips such as H200 and its equivalents to China. The move is a reversal from the Biden administration’s policy to restrict China’s access to advanced chips when the two countries are locked in a tech rivalry.A rule by the Bureau of Industry and Security at the Department of Commerce this week says it would no longer presume denial on exports of H200 chips to China but conduct a case-by-case review on criteria such as whether the needs of U.S. users have been sufficiently met and if security concerns are addressed. The change has raised concerns among U.S. lawmakers, who are worried it could boost China’s computing powers, which are crucial in developing artificial intelligence capabilities.It’s unclear if China would allow the imports of H200 chips, as it pursues self-sufficiency in high technology.Hillary Rodham Clinton defies House subpoena for testimonyThe Democratic former secretary of state did not show up for a scheduled deposition by the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday morning despite threats from Republicans to hold her and former President Bill Clinton in contempt of Congress.The Clintons released a letter this week to Rep. James Comer, the committee chairman, explaining that they see the attempt to force their testimonies in the committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein as “legally invalid” and biased against them. Bill Clinton also did not show up for a scheduled deposition on Tuesday morning.Comer is planning to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against the Clintons next week.The clash showed how House Republicans are using the powers of the oversight panel to focus on high-profile Democrats who are associated with Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender who killed himself in 2019.On the ground at the US embassy in CopenhagenDozens of people holding Greenlandic flags have gathered to protest against U.S. militant rhetoric as Danish and Greenlandic officials are preparing to meet their counterparts in Washington.Bondi says search of Washington Post reporter’s home was done at the Pentagon’s requestThe FBI searched journalist Hannah Natanson’s devices and seized a phone and a Garmin watch at her Virginia home, the Post said. Natanson covers the Trump administration’s transformation of the federal government and recently published a piece describing how she gained hundreds of new sources, leading a colleague to call her “the federal government whisperer.”While classified documents investigations aren’t unusual, the search of a reporter’s home marks an escalation in the government’s efforts to crack down on leaks.An affidavit says the search was related to an investigation into a system administrator in Maryland who authorities allege took home classified reports, the newspaper reported. The system administrator, Aurelio Perez-Lugones, was charged earlier this month with unlawful retention of national defense information, according to court papers.Perez-Lugones, who held a top secret security clearance, is accused of printing classified and sensitive reports at work. In a search of his Maryland home and car this month, authorities found documents marked “SECRET,” including one in a lunchbox, according to court papers.Schumer tells the AP that Democrats are preparing for Trump to disrupt the midtermsSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says he expects Trump to try to interfere with the midterm elections, and he says raids by immigration agents in major cities are creating a sense of chaos that voters will reject in November.The comments were part of a wide-ranging, 20-minute Associated Press telephone interview with the New York Democrat, who argued former Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola’s entry into the Senate race gives his party a path to the majority.Schumer said that economic concerns have begun to cement in the minds of voters and that Democrats have plans to build their campaign around the costs, chaos and corruption they attribute to the Trump administration.The White House has called such Democratic statements “fearmongering” to score political points.▶ Read more from AP’s interview with SchumerDemocrats see a path to win the Senate. It’s narrow and has little room for errorSenate Democratic leaders believe they have a path to winning the majority in November, though it’s one with very little wiggle room.The party got a new burst of confidence when former Rep. Mary Peltola announced Monday she’ll run for the Senate in Alaska. Her bid gives Democrats a critical fourth candidate with statewide recognition in states where Republican senators are seeking reelection this year. Nationally, Democrats must net four seats to edge Republicans out of the majority.That possibility looked all but impossible at the start of last year. And while the outlook has somewhat improved as 2026 begins, Democrats still almost certainly must sweep those four seats.First, they must settle some contentious primaries, the mark of a party still struggling with its way forward after Republicans took full control of Washington in 2024. Importantly, they must also beat back challenges to incumbents in some of the most competitive states on the map.▶ Read more about what Democrats are facingThe Trump administration is investigating Sen. Slotkin for Democrats’ video to troopsMichigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin has been notified that the Trump administration is investigating her after she organized and appeared in a video with other Democrats urging military service members to resist “illegal orders.”Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, first disclosed to The New York Times that prosecutors were investigating her. A person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak about it publicly confirmed the matter to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.Slotkin, who organized the 90-second video and first posted it on her X account in November, learned this month of the inquiry from the office of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the Justice Department’s chief prosecutor in the nation’s capital. Pirro’s office did not immediately respond Wednesday to messages seeking comment.▶ Read more about the inquiryFBI searches home of Washington Post reporterThe Washington Post says FBI agents have searched a reporter’s home as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of sharing government secrets.The Post says journalist Hannah Natanson had her phone and a Garmin watch seized by agents at her Virginia home.An FBI affidavit says the search was related to an investigation into a system administrator in Maryland who, authorities allege, took classified reports home.An FBI spokesperson declined to comment. Justice Department officials haven’t responded to an Associated Press request for comment.Natanson covers the Trump administration’s transformation of the federal government and recently published a piece describing how she gained hundreds of new sources, leading a colleague to call her “the federal government whisperer.”FACT FOCUS: Trump repeats false claims when discussing Greenland’s security in the ArcticU.S. President Donald Trump has made an American takeover of Greenland a focus of his second term in the White House, calling it a national security priority while repeating false claims about the strategic Arctic island.In recent comments, he has floated using military force as an option to take control of Greenland. He has said that if the U.S. does not acquire the island, which is a self-governing territory of NATO ally Denmark, then it will fall into Chinese or Russian hands.▶ Take a closer look at the factsChina’s trade surplus surges 20% to a record $1.2 trillion, even with Trump’s tariffsChina’s trade surplus surged to a record of almost $1.2 trillion in 2025, the government said Wednesday, as exports to other countries made up for slowing shipments to the U.S. under President Donald Trump’s onslaught of higher tariffs.China’s exports rose 5.5% for the whole of last year to $3.77 trillion, customs data showed, as Chinese automakers and other manufacturers expanded into markets across the globe. Imports flatlined at $2.58 trillion. The 2024 trade surplus was over $992 billion.In December, China’s exports climbed 6.6% from the year before in dollar terms, better than economists’ estimates and higher than November’s 5.9% year-on-year increase. Imports in December were up 5.7% year-on-year, compared to November’s 1.9%.▶ Read more about how economists expect exports to impact China’s economyTrump seems undeterred by the potential blowbackAlthough he doesn’t always follow through, Trump seems intent on doubling and tripling down whenever possible.“Right now I’m feeling pretty good,” Trump said Tuesday in Detroit. His speech was ostensibly arranged to refocus attention on the economy, which the president claimed is surging despite lingering concerns about higher prices.Trump has repeatedly insisted he’s only doing what voters elected him to do, and his allies in Washington remain overwhelmingly united behind him.Republican National Committee spokesperson Kiersten Pels predicted that voters will reward the party this year.“Voters elected President Trump to put American lives first — and that’s exactly what he’s doing,” she said. “President Trump is making our country safer, and the American people will remember it in November.”From Minneapolis to Venezuela, Trump piles up risks as he faces midterm verdictIt’s only two weeks into the new year, and Trump has already claimed control of Venezuela, escalated threats to seize Greenland and flooded American streets with masked immigration agents. That’s not even counting an unprecedented criminal investigation at the Federal Reserve, a cornerstone of the national economy that Trump wants to bend to his will.Even for a president who thrives on chaos, Trump is generating a stunning level of turmoil as voters prepare to deliver their verdict on his leadership in midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.Each decision carries tremendous risks, from the possibility of an overseas quagmire to undermining the country’s financial system, but Trump has barreled forward with a ferocity rattling even some of his Republican allies.“The presidency has gone rogue,” said historian Joanne B. Freeman, a Yale University professor.▶ Read more about the turmoil Trump is creating ahead of this year’s votesMost Americans don’t want greater US involvement in world affairsNearly half of Americans — 45% — want the U.S. to take a “less active” role in solving the world’s problems, the new AP-NORC poll found.About one-third say its current role is “about right,” and only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults say they want the country to be more involved globally.Democrats and independents are driving the desire for the U.S. to take a “less active” role. At least half of them now want the U.S. to do less, a sharp shift from a few months ago.Republicans, meanwhile, have grown more likely to indicate that Trump’s level of involvement is right. About 6 in 10 Republicans — 64% — say the country’s current role in world affairs is “about right,” which is up slightly from 55% from September.Many Americans see some benefits from US intervention in VenezuelaAbout half of Americans believe the U.S. intervening in Venezuela will be “mostly a good thing” for halting the flow of illegal drugs into the country, according to a new AP-NORC poll.And 44% believe the U.S. actions will do more to benefit than harm the Venezuelan people. But U.S. adults are divided on whether intervention will be good or bad for U.S. economic and national security interests, or if it simply won’t have an impact.Republicans are more likely than Democrats and independents to see benefits to the U.S. action, particularly its effects on drug trafficking. About 8 in 10 Republicans say America’s intervention will be “mostly a good thing” for stopping the flow of illegal drugs into the country.▶ Read more about the poll’s findingsMost say Trump has ‘gone too far’ on military interventions abroadMost U.S. adults — 56% — say President Trump has “gone too far” in using the U.S. military to intervene in other countries, according to a new AP-NORC poll conducted from Jan. 8-11, after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s capture.Democrats and independents are driving the belief that Trump has overstepped. About 9 in 10 Democrats and roughly 6 in 10 independents say Trump has “gone too far” on military intervention, compared with about 2 in 10 Republicans.The vast majority of Republicans — 71% — say Trump’s actions have been “about right,” and only about 1 in 10 want to see him go further.▶ Read more about the poll’s findingsTrump pressures Iran with tariffs that could raise prices in the USPresident Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House, Jan. 9, 2026, in Washington, as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio listen. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)Trump said in a social media post on Monday that he would impose a 25% tax on imports to the United States from countries that do business with Iran. The sanctions could hurt the Islamic Republic by reducing its access to foreign goods and driving up prices, which would likely inflame tensions in a country where inflation is running above 40%.But the tariffs could create blowback for the United States, too, potentially raising the prices Americans pay for imports from Iranian trade partners such as Turkish textiles and Indian gemstones and threatening an uneasy trade truce Trump reached last year with China.The Trump administration has offered scant details since announcing the new tariffs targeting Iran. It’s also unclear what legal authority the president is relying on to impose the import taxes. He invoked the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify his most sweeping tariffs last year. But businesses and several states have gone to court arguing that Trump overstepped his authority in doing so.▶ Read more about Trump’s threat of new tariffsSmithsonian responds to White House pressure by handing over more plans on its exhibitsThe Smithsonian Institution gave the White House new documents on its planned exhibits Tuesday in response to a demand to share precise details of what its museums and other programs are doing for America’s 250th birthday.For months, Trump has been pressing the Smithsonian to back off “divisive narratives” and tell an upbeat story on the country’s history and culture, with the threat of holding back federal money if it doesn’t.By Tuesday, the Smithsonian was supposed to provide lists of all displays, objects, wall text and other material dedicated to this year’s anniversary and other purposes. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III told staff, in an email obtained by The New York Times and The Washington Post, that “we transmitted more information in response to that request.”The White House did not respond to a request for comment, leaving it unclear whether it was satisfied with the material it received.▶ Read more about the SmithsonianTrump says anything less than having Greenland in the United States’ hands is ‘unacceptable’Trump said Wednesday that anything less than U.S. control of Greenland is “unacceptable,” hours before Vice President JD Vance was to host Danish and Greenlandic officials for talks.In a post on his social media site, Trump reiterated his argument that the U.S. “needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security.” He added that “NATO should be leading the way for us to get it” and that otherwise Russia or China would.“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” Trump wrote. “Anything less than that is unacceptable.”Greenland is at the center of a geopolitical storm as Trump is insisting he wants to own the island, and the residents of its capital, Nuuk, say it is not for sale. The White House has not ruled out taking the Arctic island by force.▶ Read more about Trump’s comments

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi plans to dissolve the lower house of Parliament soon to pave the way for a snap election to seek the public's mandate for her policies, a top party official said Wednesday.Takaichi was elected as Japan's first female prime minister in October. A snap election is seen as an attempt to capitalize her still strong approval ratings of around 70% to help her beleaguered governing party gain more seats.Shunichi Suzuki, secretary general of the governing Liberal Democratic Party, told reporters that Takaichi told him and other top officials her plan to dissolve the lower house “soon” after it convenes on Jan. 23.Suzuki did not give dates for a dissolution or a snap election, and said Takaichi will explain her plans at a news conference next Monday.Her scandal-tainted LDP and its coalition has a slim majority in the lower house, the more powerful of Japan's two-chamber Parliament, after an election loss in 2024.With an early election, Takaichi appeared to be aiming for securing a bigger share for the LDP and its new junior partner.Opposition lawmakers criticized the plan as a selfish move that would delay parliamentary discussion on the budget, which needs to be approved as soon as possible.Media reports have said Takaichi plans to dissolve the house on Jan. 23, the first day of this year's ordinary session, paving the way for a snap election as early as Feb. 8.Takaichi wants to seek the public’s mandate for her policies including “proactive” fiscal spending and plans to further accelerate the ongoing military buildup under the coalition with a new partner, the Japan Innovation Party, Suzuki said.The conservative JIP joined the ruling bloc after the centrist Komeito left due to disagreements over Takaichi’s ideological views and anti-corruption measures.Takaichi met with Suzuki and other coalition officials Wednesday after holding talks in Nara with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at a summit intended to deepen ties between the neighboring countries as she faces intensifying trade and political tension with China over a remark about Taiwan that angered Beijing days after she took office.Winning an upcoming election also would help Takaichi and her governing bloc to pass the budget and other legislation more easily.In late December, her Cabinet approved a record 122.3 trillion yen ($770 billion) budget that needs to be approved before the upcoming fiscal year starting April to fund measures to fight inflation, support low-income households and projects to help economic growth.Takaichi, known for her hawkish and nationalistic views and is ultra-conservative on social issues such as gender and sexual diversity, wants to win back conservative voters wooed by emerging populist parties in recent major elections.The LDP has since handpicked a number of independents to join the governing coalition to reach a slim majority, but still is a minority in the upper house.

President Donald Trump was in Michigan Tuesday to promote his efforts to boost U.S. manufacturing, as he tries to counter fears about a weakening job market and worries that still-rising prices are hurting Americans’ pocketbooks. The day trip included a tour of a Ford factory in Dearborn that makes the best-selling F-150 pickups.Speaking to the Detroit Economic Club, the president essentially accused the Fed of stealing his joy by not being bullish about lowering interest rates.It comes as the Trump administration’s criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has sparked an outcry, with defenders of the U.S. central bank pushing back against Trump’s efforts to exert more control over it. Federal data from December showed inflation declined a bit last month as prices for gas and used cars fell — a sign that cost pressures are slowly easing.After last year’s election losses for the GOP, the White House said Trump would put a greater emphasis on talking directly to the public about his economic policies after doing relatively few events around the country earlier in his term.The Latest:House passes bill codifying Trump order to rinse away showerhead regulationsThe Republican-controlled House on Tuesday advanced legislation aimed at fulfilling Trump’s long-running desire to “make showers great again” by voting to loosen federal efficiency standards for showerheads.The bill — dubbed the Saving Homeowners from Overregulation With Exceptional Rinsing, or Shower ACT — passed 226-197, with 11 Democrats crossing the aisle in support.Republicans have argued the measure would wash away unnecessary regulations and allow more water to flow through showerheads. Democrats warn the relaxed standards could soak consumers with higher utility bills and worsen environmental impacts.The legislation is light on details, and its prospects in the Senate are uncertain. Still, it’s part of a broader effort by House Speaker Mike Johnson to codify Trump’s executive actions in federal law.In April, Trump signed an executive order calling for an immediate end to water conservation standards that limit the gallons per minute flowing through showerheads and other household appliances.Multiple Americans detained in Venezuela have been released, the Trump administration says“This is an important step in the right direction by the interim authorities,” the State Department said Tuesday.It comes after the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a nighttime raid earlier this month.The head of Venezuela’s national assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, said last week that a “significant number” of Venezuelans and foreigners imprisoned in the country would be released as a gesture to “seek peace” following the military operation that deposed Maduro.As of Tuesday evening, the Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal had confirmed 56 prisoners it said were detained for political reasons had been freed. The group criticized the lack of government transparency over the releases. Venezuela’s government negated the organization’s count, and reported a far higher figure of 400 Tuesday afternoon.But the government did not provide evidence of the releases or a time range in which they were carried out, nor did it identify those freed.Trump says Renee Good may have in ‘normal circumstances’ been a ‘solid’ personBut, the president said in his interview, “her actions were pretty tough.”He said that video of the moment when an immigration agent fatally shot her in Minneapolis, “can be viewed two ways, I guess,” but said “there are a couple of versions of that tape that are very, very bad.”It wasn’t completely clear what he meant by that.Trump offers little defense when questioned on whether Powell investigation appears to be retributionThe president was asked in an interview that aired Tuesday night on the “CBS Evening News” about the Justice Department’s investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.Trump was asked if the probe appeared to be political retribution for Powell having resisted Trump’s repeated hectoring to lower interest rates.Trump said Powell is “either corrupt or incompetent.” When asked again about the appearance of retribution, he said, “I can’t help what it looks like.”White House responds to Trump flipping off heckler at Ford plantWhile Trump was in Michigan, someone at the auto plant yelled something at the president that included the words “pedophile protector.”Trump, in a video published by TMZ, appeared to respond by mouthing the F-bomb at the person and raising his middle finger.White House spokesman Steven Cheung said, “A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response.”It’s not the first time Trump has dropped an expletive with cameras rolling.‘No basis’ for civil rights probe in Minnesota ICE shooting, Justice Department official saysDeputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement that “there is currently no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation.” The statement, first reported by CNN, did not elaborate on how the department had reached a conclusion that no investigation was warranted.The decision to keep the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division out of the investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Good marks a sharp departure from past administrations, which have moved quickly to probe shootings of civilians by law enforcement officials for potential civil rights offenses.Federal officials have said that the officer acted in self-defense and that Good was engaging in “an act of domestic terrorism” when she pulled forward toward him.Trump says JPMorgan Chase CEO is wrong in criticizing his moves against PowellTrump said he thinks JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is wrong in saying it’s not a great idea to chip away at the Federal Reserve’s independence by going after Chair Jerome Powell.“Yeah, I think it’s fine what I’m doing,” Trump said Tuesday in response to a reporter’s question at Joint Base Andrews after returning from a day trip to Michigan. He called Powell “a bad Fed person” who has “done a bad job.”“We should have lower rates. Jamie Dimon probably wants higher rates. Maybe he makes more money that way,” Trump said.Trump: US is awaiting ‘accurate’ numbers of protesters killed in Iran before actingTrump told reporters Tuesday afternoon that he is expecting a report on the number of protesters who have been killed in Iran since protests began last month as the internet blackout has complicated the death toll.“The killing looks like it’s significant, but we don’t know yet for sure,” he said. “I’ll know within 20 minutes. We will act accordingly.”In the last week, the Republican president has escalated threats of U.S. intervention in Iran, saying as recently as this morning that the Islamic Republic will “pay the price” for the hundreds of Iranians that have been killed. But Trump appeared to use more careful rhetoric when pushed by reporters late Tuesday about what kind of action he will take.“It would seem to me that they have been badly misbehaving, but that is not confirmed,” he said.RFK Jr. shares the supplements he takes, but cautions he shouldn’t be seen as a role modelThe health secretary was open about his dietary supplement routine on The Katie Miller Podcast — but he warned that he shouldn’t be seen as a pinnacle for what others should take.In response to Miller asking, Kennedy said he takes Vitamin D, quercetin, zinc, magnesium, Vitamin C and “a bunch of other stuff.”How does he choose which supplements to take? In a relatable way — and one that’s not necessarily medically advised.“My method is I read an article about something, you know, and I get convinced that, oh, I gotta have this stuff,” he said. “And then I get it and then six months later I’m still taking it. I don’t remember what the article said. So, I end up with a big crate of vitamins that I’m taking, and I don’t even know why.”RFK Jr. on Trump’s diet: ‘I don’t know how he’s alive, but he is’Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on a podcast posted online Tuesday said the president eats healthily at Mar-a-Lago and at the White House — but not when he’s traveling.In the interview with Katie Miller, who is married to top Trump adviser Stephen Miller, Kennedy said people who travel with the president get the idea that he’s “pumping himself full of poison all day long.” He said that while on the road, the president tries not to get sick by eating food he trusts from McDonald’s and other “big corporations.”“He has the constitution of a deity,” Kennedy said of Trump. “I don’t know how he’s alive, but he is.”Still, Kennedy praised Trump’s overall health and said he eats well “usually.”Trump is “the most energetic person” that “any of us have met,” Kennedy added.Plane used in boat strike off Venezuela was painted to look like a civilian aircraft, AP sources sayThe plane used by the U.S. military to strike a boat accused of smuggling drugs off the coast of Venezuela last fall also was carrying munitions in the fuselage, rather than beneath the aircraft.That raises questions about the extent to which the operation was disguised in ways that run contrary to military protocol.Details of the plane’s appearance, first reported Monday by The New York Times, were confirmed by two people familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson says “the U.S. military utilizes a wide array of standard and nonstandard aircraft depending on mission requirements.”U.S. military guidelines on the laws of war prohibit troops from pretending to be civilians while engaging in combat. The practice is legally known as “perfidy.”The Defense Department manual specifically notes that “feigning civilian status and then attacking” is an example of the practice.FACT FOCUS: Trump repeats false claims when discussing Greenland’s security in the ArcticTrump has made an American takeover of Greenland a focus of his second term in the White House, calling it a national security priority while repeating false claims about the strategic Arctic island.In recent comments, he has floated using military force as an option to take control of Greenland. He has said if the U.S. does not acquire the island, which is a self-governing territory of NATO ally Denmark, then it will fall into Chinese or Russian hands.Here’s a closer look at the facts.Trump criticizes 5 Republican senators who voted to limit his ability to attack Venezuela againTrump questioned why they would be against what he says was the most successful U.S. military attack in 100 years, the operation that captured Nicolas Maduro and brought him to New York to face drug charges.Congress has the authority to declare war but the president didn’t give any lawmakers advance warning of the operation.“It’s one thing if the attack failed,” Trump said. “But here we have one of the most successful attacks ever and they find a way to be against it. It’s pretty amazing. And it’s a shame.”Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Todd Young of Indiana last week voted with Democrats to send a message of disapproval about Trump’s actions against the South American nation.The measure still must clear the Republican-controlled House and be signed into law by the Republican president — steps that appear unlikely.Republican-controlled North Carolina elections board rejects Sunday voting in several countiesTuesday’s state board decisions apply to early in-person voting for a handful of mostly rural counties in the March 3 primary only.But the refusals signal possible broader clashes ahead for the fall general elections. The U.S. Senate seat held by departing Republican Thom Tillis will be atop ballots.North Carolina Democrats and allies have been historically favorable to Sunday voting, “Souls to the Polls” drives occur in African American churches.But many state and county boards are reconsidering Sunday voting after a 2024 law stripped board appointment powers from Democratic Gov. Josh Stein. Many Republicans don’t like voting on a church day and say election workers need rest.The state board also rejected efforts to place primary early-vote sites on some university campuses. Students backing school sites in Greensboro attended the meeting. Early in-person voting begins Feb. 12.___This entry has been updated to correct that it was a 2024 law that stripped board appointment powers from Stein, not a 2025 law.Trump says he plans to announce health care plan this weekThe president didn’t specify when he will announce his plan but he and Republicans have been under increasing pressure to address Americans’ health care costs, especially as subsidies for those who get coverage under the Affordable Care Act expired at the end of last year.Trump reiterated his wish to have money be sent directly to consumers to buy health insurance rather than sending money to insurers.He also promoted his agreements with various drug manufacturers to lower the costs of their prescription drugs in the U.S. and said his party should win midterm elections this year based on that alone.“We should win the midterms in a landslide,” he said.Lawsuit seeks to block new rules requiring states to comply with Trump order rolling back transgender protectionsA group of Democratic attorneys general on Tuesday filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s requirement that states must recognize that male and female are the only two immutable sexes to receive certain federal funds.According to the complaint, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services informed states last year that they must certify compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order that rolled back protections for transgender people to receive federal health, education and research funds.The definition was based on whether people are born with eggs or sperm, rather than on their chromosomes, and pitched as a way to protect women from “gender extremism.”The states are asking a federal court to block HHS from enforcing the new conditions.An email was sent to HHS seeking comment.The attorneys general involved in the lawsuit are from California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.Trump lashes out at Federal Reserve in Detroit speechThe president essentially accused the Fed of stealing his joy by not being bullish about lowering interest rates.“If you announce great numbers, they raise interest rates,” Trump said in the speech. “When the market goes up, they should lower rates.”Trump has disagreed sharply with the interest rate strategy of the independent Fed, chaired by Jerome Powell, and has pressed for lower rates, faster. He maintains that a rising stock market should cause the Fed to cut its benchmark interest rates in order to further boost economic growth.But the Fed has the legal responsibility of keeping prices stable and maximizing employment. Slashing rates as Trump has suggested could push more money into the U.S. economy and worsen inflation.Trump starts address to Detroit Economic ClubThe president opened with introductions and a few jokes, then immediately shifted to talking about his elections and voter ID laws, instead of the economy.He then resumed recognizing some of the more notable people in the audience in Detroit.Trump dismissive of Canada and Mexico free-trade agreementThe president stopped to speak to reporters while touring the auto factory and was indifferent to the idea of renegotiating the United States-Mexico-Canada trade pact, or USMCA, which is up for review this year.“I think they want it,” he said of the other nations. “I don’t really care.”Trump said the U.S. doesn’t need cars made in Canada or Mexico, but he wants to see them made in the U.S.Beijing opposes Trump’s threatening 25% tariff on Iran’s trading partnersBeijing on Tuesday criticized President Donald Trump’s plan to impose an additional 25% tariff on Iran’s trading partners, which includes China, Iran’s largest trading partner.“Tariff wars have no winners,” said Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry. “China will firmly protect its legitimate and lawful rights and interests.”It’s not immediately clear if the tariff on Chinese goods will go up, because the two governments have agreed to a yearlong truce in their trade war following a summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in October in South Korea.On Tuesday, the Chinese commerce ministry extended anti-dumping tariffs on U.S. solar polysilicon imports. The rates are 53.3% to 57%.Kennedy adds 2 more to his replacement version of federal vaccine panelU.S. Health Secretary has added two more members to his controversial vaccine advisory panel.Dr. Kimberly Biss and Dr. Adam Urato on Tuesday were named to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The committee recommends how vaccines should be used.Kennedy — a leading antivaccine activist before becoming the nation’s top health official — last year fired all 17 of the panel’s previous members, replacing them now with 13 that includes several anti-vaccine voices.Biss, based in Florida, has urged pregnant women not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Urato, based in Massachusetts, has warned about medications taken during pregnancy — particularly antidepressants.Clintons refuse to testify in House Epstein investigationThe Clintons, in a letter released on social media, are slamming a subpoena for their testimony as “legally invalid” even as Republican lawmakers prepared contempt of Congress proceedings against them.The Clintons wrote that the chair of the House Oversight Committee, Republican Rep. James Comer, is on the cusp of a process “literally designed to result in our imprisonment” and vowed to “forcefully defend” ourselves.After Bill Clinton failed to show up for scheduled deposition Tuesday morning, Comer says he will being contempt of Congress proceedings next week. That would start a complicated and politically messy process that Congress has rarely reached for and could result in prosecution from the Justice Department.EPA says it will stop calculating how much money is saved in health costs from key air pollution rulesThe change means EPA rules for fine particulate matter and ozone will focus only on the cost to industry.It’s part of a broader realignment under Trump toward a business-friendly approach that has included the rollback of multiple policies meant to safeguard human health and the environment and slow climate change.The agency said in a statement that it “absolutely remains committed to our core mission of protecting human health and the environment” but “will not be monetizing the impacts at this time.”Environmental and public health advocates called the action a dangerous abdication of one of EPA’s core missions, to protect public health. They said the change could lead to more asthma attacks, heart disease and premature deaths.Republican senator warns against US military action in IranSen. Rand Paul, a Republican who has been outspoken against the Trump administration’s overseas military pursuits, said an attack on Iran would likely harm U.S. interests and could backfire.“I hope they are able to rise up in sufficient force to actually topple the regime,” he said about the Iranian people protesting.“But once we start dropping bombs on their government, I mean, it can create the opposite of the intended effect, because when people — no matter who they are, whether they’re pro or against the regime — tend to be unhappy when foreign bombs are dropping on them.”Trump administration ending protected immigration status for small group of Somali immigrants“Temporary means temporary,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement to The Associated Press.DHS told Fox News separately that Somalis with Temporary Protected Status must leave the U.S. by March 17, when existing protections expire. The TPS move comes amid Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, where many Somalis have U.S. citizenship. Trump has targeted Somali immigrants with racist rhetoric and accused them of defrauding federal programs.A congressional report last year estimated the Somali TPS population at 705 people. Noem insisted that circumstances in Somalia “have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status.”Located in the horn of Africa, Somalia is one of the world’s poorest nations and has for decades been beset by chronic strife and insecurity exacerbated by multiple natural disasters, including severe droughts.Following Minnesota ICE killing, Democrats renew aim at qualified immunity for law enforcementA bill introduced by Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts would allow people to sue federal law enforcement officers for civil rights violations and remove their qualified immunity protections in such cases.“When masked ICE agents are allowed to kill and harm people with impunity, we have crossed a dangerous threshold in our nation,” Markey said in a statement.The bill “sends a powerful message to everyone in America — citizen or not — that when ICE agents break the law, they should and will be held accountable” Pressley said.The bill stands little chance of passage in the GOP-controlled Congress.Qualified immunity protects government agents from lawsuits unless they violate “clearly established” constitutional or statutory protections. Debates over the scope of the legal doctrine have held up bipartisan negotiations over policing reforms.Democratic Party to spend millions to own voter registration efforts it previously outsourcedThe Democratic National Committee will spend millions of dollars to cement control of voter registration efforts that have traditionally been entrusted to nonprofit advocacy groups and individual political campaigns. Party leaders hope the shift will increase their chances this year and cement successes for many elections to come.The initiative being announced on Tuesday in Arizona and Nevada could become the DNC’s largest-ever push to sign up new voters. The focus is on young people, voters of color and people without college educations — demographics that drifted away from Democrats in the last presidential race, which returned Trump to the White House.“It’s a crisis. And for our party to actually win elections, we have to actually create more Democrats,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said in an interview with The Associated Press. Party leaders want a more explicitly partisan approach like the one used by Republicans, who have relied less on outside groups to register and mobilize their voter base.Trump sends a message to the citizens of IranTrump said Tuesday he’s canceled talks with Iranian officials amid their protest crackdown and promised help to protesters in the country after human rights monitors said Tuesday that the death toll spiked to 2,000.Trump did not offer any details about what the help would entail, but it comes after Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic. Trump’s latest message on social media appeared to make an abrupt shift about his willingness to engage with the Iranian government.“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” Trump wrote in morning post on Truth Socia. “Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”Denmark provided support to US forces intercepting oil tanker, Danish official saysThe Danish government official who confirmed the support on Tuesday was not authorized to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity.The official didn’t provide details about the support, which comes at a moment of tension between the NATO allies as Trump repeatedly calls for the U.S. to take over Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are set to meet Wednesday in Washington with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt to discuss the matter.Officials with Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly said the island is not for sale and expressed frustration that Trump isn’t ruling out military force to take the territory.The White House and Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Danish support for the U.S. operation was first reported by Newsmax.— By Aamer MadhaniTrump warns Minnesota that day of ‘retribution’ is comingIn a social media post, Trump defended the aggressive immigration enforcement actions being carried out across Minneapolis as part of his deportation agenda.Throngs of people have taken to the streets of Minneapolis to protest the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after a woman was shot and killed during an operation last Wednesday.The president asserted in the post that the anti-ICE activity is also shifting the spotlight away from alleged fraud in the state and said, “FEAR NOT, GREAT PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA, THE DAY OF RECKONING & RETRIBUTION IS COMING!”Trump blames what he calls “professional agitators” for the protests. He has not provided evidence to support his claims.Michigan Democratic party chair pans the president’s trip“Michiganders are feeling the effects of Trump’s economy every day,” Michigan Democratic Party chair Curtis Hertel said in a statement, singling out Republican opposition to extending health care subsidies.“After spending months claiming that affordability was a ‘hoax’ and creating a health care crisis for Michiganders, Donald Trump is now coming to Detroit — a city he hates — to tout his billionaire-first agenda while working families suffer,” Hertel said.Microsoft pushes Big Tech to ‘pay our way’ for AI data centers amid rising oppositionIt won’t be easy for Big Tech companies to win the hearts and minds of Americans who are angry about massive artificial intelligence data centers sprouting up in their neighborhoods, straining electricity grids and drawing on local reservoirs.Microsoft is trying anyway. The software giant’s president, Brad Smith, is meeting with federal lawmakers Tuesday, pushing for the industry, not taxpayers, to pay the full costs of the vast network of computing warehouses needed to power AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s own Copilot. Trump gave the effort a nod with a Truth Social post saying he doesn’t want Americans to “pick up the tab” for data centers and pay higher utility costs.“Local communities naturally want to see new jobs but not at the expense of higher electricity prices or the diversion of their water,” Smith said in an interview with The Associated Press.▶ Read more from the AP’s interview with Microsoft’s presidentCentral bankers back US Fed Chair Jerome Powell in clash with TrumpCentral bankers from around the world said Tuesday they “stand in full solidarity” with U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, after Trump dramatically escalated his confrontation with the Fed with the Justice Department investigating and threatening criminal charges.Powell “has served with integrity, focused on his mandate and an unwavering commitment to the public interest,” read the statement signed by nine national central bank heads including European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey.They added that “the independence of central banks is a cornerstone of price, financial and economic stability in the interest of the citizens that we serve. It is therefore critical to preserve that independence, with full respect for the rule of law and democratic accountability.”▶ Read more about the central bankers supporting Federal Reserve independenceInflation cooled slightly in December though remains above Fed’s targetInflation declined a bit last month as prices for gas and used cars fell, a sign that cost pressures are slowly easing.Consumer prices rose 0.3% in December from the prior month, the Labor Department said Tuesday, the same as in November. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 0.2%, also matching November’s figure.Even as inflation has eased, the large price increases for necessities such as groceries, rent, and health care have left many American households feeling squeezed, turning “affordability” issues into high-profile political concerns.▶ Read more about the latest data on U.S. consumer pricesUS labels 3 Muslim Brotherhood branches as terror organizationsTrump’s administration has made good on its pledge to label the Lebanese, Jordanian and Egyptian chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, imposing sanctions on them and their members. The decision could please the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, but complicate U.S. relations with allies Qatar and Turkey.The State Department designated the Lebanese branch a foreign terrorist organization, the most severe of the labels, which makes it a criminal offense to provide material support to the group. Treasury listed the Jordanian and Egyptian branches as specially designated global terrorists for providing support to Hamas.Nathan Brown, a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, said the sanctions may impact visa and asylum claims for people entering not just the U.S. but also Western European countries and Canada.▶ Read more about the terrorist designationsSupreme Court takes up culture war battle over transgender athletes in school sportsThe Supreme Court is hearing arguments Tuesday over state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams. Lower courts ruled for the transgender athletes in Idaho and West Virginia who challenged the state bans, but the conservative-dominated Supreme Court might not follow suit.In just the past year, the justices ruled in favor of state bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youths and allowed multiple restrictions on transgender people to be enforced.The legal fight is playing out amid a broad effort by Trump to target transgender Americans, beginning on the first day of his second term and including the ouster of transgender people from the military and declaring that gender is immutable and determined at birth.Pentagon embraces Musk’s Grok AI as chatbot draws global outcryDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok will join Google’s generative AI engine in operating inside the Pentagon network, as part of a broader push to feed as much of the military’s data as possible into the developing technology.“Very soon we will have the world’s leading AI models on every unclassified and classified network throughout our department,” Hegseth said in a speech at Musk’s space flight company, SpaceX, in South Texas.The announcement comes just days after Grok — which is embedded into X, the social media network owned by Musk — drew global outcry and scrutiny for generating highly sexualized deepfake images of people without their consent.Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked Grok, while the U.K.’s independent online safety watchdog announced an investigation Monday. Grok has limited image generation and editing to paying users.Hegseth said Grok will go live inside the Defense Department later this month and announced that he would “make all appropriate data” from the military’s IT systems available for “AI exploitation.” He also said data from intelligence databases would be fed into AI systems.▶ Read more about Grok’s new role in the Defense DepartmentTrump holds off on military action against Iran messagesTrump has arrived at a delicate moment as he weighs whether to order a U.S. military response against the Iranian government as it continues a violent crackdown on protests.He has repeatedly threatened Tehran with military action if his administration found the Islamic Republic was using deadly force against antigovernment protesters. It’s a red line that Trump has said he believes Iran is “starting to cross” and has left him and his national security team weighing “very strong options.”But the U.S. military — which Trump has warned Tehran is “locked and loaded” — appears, at least for the moment, to have been placed on standby mode as Trump ponders next steps, saying that Iranian officials want to have talks with the White House.Trump announced Monday on social media that he would slap 25% tariffs on countries doing business with Tehran “effective immediately” — his first action aimed at penalizing Iran for the protest crackdown, and his latest example of using tariffs as a tool to force friends and foes on the global stage to bend to his will.▶ Read more about Trump and IranThe BBC seeks to dismiss Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuitThe BBC plans to ask a court to throw out U.S. President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the British broadcaster, court papers show.Trump filed a lawsuit in December over the way the BBC edited a speech he gave on Jan. 6, 2021. The claim, filed in a Florida federal court, seeks $5 billion in damages for defamation and $5 billion for unfair trade practices.The broadcaster has apologized to Trump over the edit of the Jan. 6 speech. But the publicly funded BBC rejects claims it defamed him. The furor triggered the resignations of the BBC’s top executive and its head of news.Papers filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Miami say the BBC will file a motion to dismiss the case on March 17 on the basis that the court lacks jurisdiction and Trump failed to state a claim.The broadcaster’s lawyers will argue that the BBC did not create, produce or broadcast the documentary in Florida and that Trump’s claim the documentary was available in the U.S. on streaming service BritBox is not true.▶ Read more about the lawsuitTrump will visit a Ford factory and promote manufacturing in DetroitTrump will travel to Michigan on Tuesday to promote his efforts to boost U.S. manufacturing, trying to counter fears about a weakening job market and worries that still-rising prices are taking a toll on Americans’ pocketbooks.The day trip will include a tour of a Ford factory in Dearborn that makes F-150 pickups, the bestselling domestic vehicle in the U.S. The Republican president is also set to address the Detroit Economic Club at the MotorCity Casino.November’s off-year elections showed a shift away from Republicans as public concerns about kitchen table issues persist. In their wake, the White House said Trump would put a greater emphasis on talking directly to the public about his economic policies after doing relatively few events around the country earlier in his term.Trump’s Michigan swing follows economy-focused speeches he gave last month in Pennsylvania — where his gripes about immigrants arriving to the U.S. from “filthy” countries got more attention than his pledges to fight inflation — and North Carolina, where he insisted his tariffs have spurred the economy, despite residents noting the squeeze of higher prices.▶ Read more about Trump’s trip to Michigan

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Claudette Colvin, whose 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus helped spark the modern civil rights movement, has died. She was 86.Her death was announced Tuesday by the Claudette Colvin Legacy Foundation. Ashley D. Roseboro of the organization confirmed she died of natural causes in Texas.Colvin, at age 15, was arrested nine months before Rosa Parks gained international fame for also refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus.Colvin had boarded the bus on March 2, 1955, on her way home from high school. The first rows were reserved for white passengers. Colvin sat in the rear with other Black passengers. When the white section became full, the bus driver ordered Black passengers to relinquish their seats to white passengers. Colvin refused.“My mindset was on freedom,” Colvin said in 2021 of her refusal to give up her seat.“So I was not going to move that day,” she said. “I told them that history had me glued to the seat.”At the time of Colvin's arrest, frustration was mounting over how Black people were treated on the city bus system. Another Black teenager, Mary Louise Smith, was arrested and fined that October for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger.It was the arrest of Parks, who was a local NAACP activist, on Dec. 1, 1955, that became the final catalyst for the yearlong Montgomery Bus Boycott. The boycott propelled the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. into the national limelight and is considered the start of the modern civil rights movement.Colvin was one of the four plaintiffs in the landmark lawsuit that outlawed racial segregation on Montgomery’s buses. Her death comes just over a month after Montgomery celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Bus Boycott.Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said Colvin's action “helped lay the legal and moral foundation for the movement that would change America.”Colvin was never as well-known as Parks, and Reed said her bravery “was too often overlooked.”“Claudette Colvin’s life reminds us that movements are built not only by those whose names are most familiar, but by those whose courage comes early, quietly, and at great personal cost," Reed said. “Her legacy challenges us to tell the full truth of our history and to honor every voice that helped bend the arc toward justice.”Colvin in 2021 filed a petition to have her court record expunged. A judge granted the request.“When I think about why I’m seeking to have my name cleared by the state, it is because I believe if that happened it would show the generation growing up now that progress is possible, and things do get better," Colvin said at the time. “It will inspire them to make the world better.”

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is questioning whether a proposal from his own lieutenant governor to ban federal immigration enforcement actions around courthouses, schools, day cares and other locations can, or should, be done.Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, a Democrat, is running for governor this year after Evers decided against seeking a third term. She is one of several Democrats vying to succeed Evers in the open race. Evers and Rodriguez were elected together in 2022 after Rodriguez won the lieutenant governor primary.Rodriguez proposed Monday that civil immigration enforcement actions in Wisconsin should be banned around courthouses, hospitals and health clinics, licensed child care centers and day cares, schools and institutions of higher learning, domestic violence shelters and places of worship. Rodriguez said there would be exceptions if there is a judicial warrant or an immediate threat to public safety.“I’m not sure we have the ability to do that,” Evers said when asked about her proposal at a Monday news briefing.Evers also expressed concern about how such a move would be received by President Donald Trump's administration.“We can take a look at that, but I think banning things absolutely will ramp up the actions of our folks in Washington, D.C.,” Evers told reporters. “They don’t tend to approach those things appropriately.”Rodriguez said Tuesday that she respected Evers' position but did not back down. Wisconsin should join other states looking to rein in federal officers, she said.“For too long Democrats have dialed back actions in hopes President Trump doesn’t escalate, and that’s not what happens,” she said in a statement. “He always escalates.”Rodriguez put out her plan after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot Renee Good in neighboring Minnesota last week. That killing sparked protests across the country, including in Wisconsin, in opposition to Trump’s aggressive deportation operations.Minnesota, joined by Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, sued the Trump administration Monday to try to stop an immigration enforcement surge. The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order to halt the enforcement action or limit the operation.Rodriguez's proposal to limit ICE actions in Wisconsin is largely based on proposals being offered in other Democratic-controlled states including California, New York, Illinois and New Jersey. Even if introduced in Wisconsin, they would go nowhere in the Republican-controlled Legislature.Rodriguez is also calling for all ICE agents operating in Wisconsin to be unmasked, clearly identified and wearing a body camera.“No one should be afraid to drop off their kids at school, seek medical care, go to court, or attend worship because enforcement actions are happening without clear rules or accountability,” Rodriguez said.When asked if ICE agents were welcome in Wisconsin, Evers said, “I think we can handle ourselves, frankly. I don't see the need for the federal government to be coming into our state and making decisions that we can make in the state.”

ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV met with Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado in a private audience at the Vatican on Monday, during which the Venezuelan leader asked him to intercede for the release of hundreds of political prisoners held in the Latin American country.The meeting, which hadn’t been previously included in the list of Leo’s planned appointments, was later listed by the Vatican in its daily bulletin, without adding details.Machado is touring Europe and the United States after she reemerged in December after 11 months in hiding to accept her Nobel Peace Prize in Norway.“Today I had the blessing and honor of being able to share with His Holiness and express our gratitude for his continued support of what is happening in our country," Machado said in a statement following the meeting."I also conveyed to him the strength of the Venezuelan people who remain steadfast and in prayer for the freedom of Venezuela, and I asked him to intercede for all Venezuelans who remain kidnapped and disappeared,” she added.Machado also held talks with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, who was Nuncio in Venezuela from 2009 to 2013.Pope Leo has called for Venezuela to remain an independent country after U.S. forces captured former President Nicolás Maduro in his compound in Caracas and took him to New York to face federal charges of drug-trafficking.Leo had said he was following the developments in Venezuela with “deep concern,” and urged the protection of human and civil rights in the Latin American country.Venezuela’s opposition, backed by consecutive Republican and Democratic administrations in the U.S., had vowed for years to immediately replace Maduro with one of their own and restore democracy to the oil-rich country. But U.S. President Donald Trump delivered them a heavy blow by allowing Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to assume control.Meanwhile, most opposition leaders, including Machado, are in exile or prison.After winning the 2025 Nobel Prize for Peace, Machado said she’d like to give it to or share with Trump.Machado dedicated the prize to Trump, along with the people of Venezuela, shortly after it was announced. Trump has coveted and openly campaigned for winning the Nobel Prize himself since his return to office in January 2025.The organization that oversees the Nobel Peace Prize — the Norwegian Nobel Institute — said, however, that once it's announced, the prize can’t be revoked, transferred or shared with others.“The decision is final and stands for all time,” it said in a short statement last week.