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At this time’s prime tales
White Home border czar Tom Homan introduced yesterday that the Trump administration will finish the immigration enforcement crackdown in Minnesota. The immigration exercise within the state prompted widespread protests and led to the deaths of two U.S. residents by the hands of federal brokers. Homan stated cooperation with native legislation enforcement has improved, permitting for extra immigration detentions to happen at jails quite than on the road.
White Home border czar Tom Homan holds a information convention on the Bishop Whipple Federal constructing on Feb. 12, 2026 in Minneapolis.
Steve Karnowski/AP
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Steve Karnowski/AP
- 🎧 Some officers say they’ve had productive talks with Homan, however a number of county sheriffs inform Minnesota Public Radio’s Estelle Timar-Wilcox that they have not modified any enforcement insurance policies. On Up First, Timar-Wilcox says the immigration operation within the state has brought about loads of worry amongst residents, particularly immigrants. Advocates inform her that trauma will not simply go away. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says he’ll ask the federal authorities and state legislature for emergency funding for “a protracted restoration forward.”
- 🎧 On Morning Version, Sen. Amy Klobuchar speaks to host Steve Inskeep in regards to the lasting results of the immigration crackdown on her state.
- ➡️ A Minneapolis physician tells NPR he is by no means seen something like the immigration crackdown within the greater than 20 years he is labored within the metropolis. Well being care professionals warn that there could also be lasting medical impacts on town’s residents.
The tip of the immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota comes as funding for the Division of Homeland Safety expires later right now. Congress failed yesterday to advance a spending invoice that will fund the division via the top of September, and Democrats have vowed to not help any invoice with out main modifications to immigration enforcement.
- ➡️ Final 12 months, Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out 37 investigations into officers’ use of drive. Of these, 18 are closed, and 19 are nonetheless pending additional investigation, performing ICE Director Todd Lyons informed lawmakers at a Senate committee listening to yesterday. Lyons didn’t say whether or not any of the investigations resulted in terminations. His feedback solely involved ICE; it isn’t clear what number of Customs and Border Safety officers are underneath evaluate. Lawmakers didn’t ask CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott about his company’s investigations.
- ➡️ The bipartisan effort to deal with immigration enforcement techniques is just not the primary time not too long ago that lawmakers have pledged to seek out consensus, just for negotiations to disintegrate. Enhanced Inexpensive Care Act subsidies expired on the finish of final 12 months, regardless of the vast majority of Individuals supporting their renewal. Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat who represented North Dakota within the Senate from 2013 via 2018, says lawmakers right now see little incentive to compromise. She provides that when Congress guarantees to behave and doesn’t, it erodes public belief.
The primary full week of the Milano Cortina Olympics is coming to an finish. Athletes from everywhere in the world have seen their justifiable share of drama, gorgeous upsets and emotional moments. You possibly can catch the most important moments of the Olympics each afternoon on Up First Winter Video games. Listed below are a couple of highlights:
- ➡️ U.S. skier Breezy Johnson skilled two of one of the best moments of her life this week: profitable a gold medal and getting engaged.
- ➡️ Ukrainians rallied in help of their skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych. He was disqualified from the Video games after he refused to switch his helmet, which options photographs of Ukrainian athletes killed throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion of his nation.
- ➡️ American Chloe Kim’s quest to grow to be the primary halfpipe snowboarder to win three consecutive gold medals was foiled by none different than her teenage protégé. The 17-year-old Gaon Choi of South Korea got here again from a dramatic fall to overhaul Kim within the last run.
- ➡️ Athletes say this 12 months’s Olympic medals ought to be handled with care. A number of have reported their medals detaching from their ribbons and, in a single case, even breaking in half.
Podcast suggestions
Hello! My identify is Lauren, and I am one of many writers of NPR’s Pod Membership e-newsletter. To have fun Valentine’s Day this 12 months, I made you a mixtape. I needed to re-create that center faculty feeling, solely now I am passing out pods as a substitute of sweet and playing cards.
No matter you are searching for this vacation, there is a podcast that’s positive to heat your coronary heart.
💏 When you’re craving for a Hallmark-worthy romance, tune in to Wild Card to your choose of meet-cutes and grand gestures. Highlights embrace actor Nick Offerman gushing about his spouse, Megan Mullally, and actor Jamie Lee Curtis reflecting on what age has taught her about love.
💔 Damaged-hearted? Then it’s possible you’ll be entitled to compensation. Tune in to Planet Cash’s explainer on the heart-balm tort, a kind of lawsuit reserved for financial entanglements of the guts. Revenge is a dish greatest served in court docket.
👀 In case you have a crush, this Life Equipment episode provides tips about easy methods to strategy a cute stranger with ease — and respect! For an additional dose of confidence, All Songs Thought of provides a playlist of songs that’ll allow you to channel your interior John Cusack from Say Something.
🥰 Whether or not you are single, taken or someplace in between, have fun love in all types on this episode of Important Salt from Maine Public Radio. Study Portland’s Valentine bandit, an nameless citizen who lined town in paper-shaped hearts for greater than 4 many years.
For extra of the easiest from NPR podcasts, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Membership e-newsletter!
Weekend picks
Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie play Heathcliff and Catherine in Wuthering Heights.
Warner Bros. Footage
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Warner Bros. Footage
Try what NPR is watching, studying and listening to this weekend:
🍿 Motion pictures: Critic Justin Chang says Emerald Fennell’s latest film, “Wuthering Heights,” might be the “most reductive” model of Emily Brontë’s beloved traditional ever made. However he cannot say he was ever bored. If that is not the ringing endorsement it’s good to head to the theaters, take a look at this weekend’s different new releases.
📺 TV: The Simpsons will air its milestone 800th episode this Sunday. The titular household finds themselves in Philadelphia for this episode, however a lot of the present’s true DNA is rooted 1000’s of miles west in Portland, Ore.
📚 Books: February often is the shortest month of the 12 months, however it’s not missing in new ebook suggestions. Dive into the checklist of recent releases, which incorporates extremely anticipated books from Michael Pollan, Tayari Jones and the late Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa.
🎵 Music: Dangerous Bunny lept up the Billboard charts after his historic Tremendous Bowl halftime efficiency. Nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient for him to reclaim the Billboard 200 prime spot.
🍰 Meals: Mardi Gras, or Fats Tuesday, is subsequent week on Feb. 17. In New Orleans, you will not see a celebration with out king cake on the desk. College students at New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute are studying the artwork of constructing the right one.
❓Quiz: How carefully have you ever been following the Olympics this week? You will have to brush up in your data if you need a gold medal rating on this week’s quiz.
3 issues to know earlier than you go
Stars within the Andromeda Galaxy, pictured right here, have been being studied by scientists who seen that one explicit star all of the sudden pale away and disappeared.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
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NASA/JPL-Caltech
- One of many brightest stars within the close by Andromeda galaxy has basically vanished. Scientists consider it died and collapsed on itself, remodeling right into a black gap.
- President Trump has pardoned 5 former skilled soccer gamers — one posthumously — for numerous crimes starting from perjury to drug trafficking.
- The way forward for the oldest minigolf course within the U.S. is doubtful after the Trump administration final 12 months terminated the lease held by the nonprofit Nationwide Hyperlinks Belief to handle D.C.’s three public golf programs.
This text was edited by Yvonne Dennis.
