Only one House Democrat joined GOP to repeal ‘short-circuiting’ Biden-era regulation
Only one House Democrat joined Republicans on Wednesday in a vote to repeal a Biden-era regulation on public lands in Minnesota. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., passed in a 214-208 vote. Rep. Jarred Golden, D-Maine, voted in favor of the legislation while one Republican, Don Bacon, R-Neb., voted against it. The public lands bill is the most recent in a string of regulations Republicans have undone in the 119th Congress — accounting for at least 10 such measures in 2025. ZELDIN OVERHAULS BIDEN-ERA WATER RULE TO END ‘WEAPONIZATION’ THAT LED ‘PUDDLES’ TO TRIGGER PRICY PERMITS In this case, lawmakers voted to reopen the door to mineral development on federal lands in the North Star State. “The resolution before us today does not mandate projects, mining sites, firms, or schedules — it simply reverses the Biden administration’s unilateral short-circuiting of the normal permitting process,” House Natural Resource Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., said on the House floor. “It’s a step towards the mineral abundance that the American people deserve and that Washington, [D.C.] has denied them for too long,” Westerman added. Stauber, the sponsor, framed access to Minnesota’s deposits as a part of larger national interests. “America’s national security depends on securing our own critical minerals — not just relying on imports from adversaries,” Stauber said in a post to X. “We must unleash domestic production, including in Minnesota’s Iron Range, to power our military, energy grid and future [technology.]” TRUMP ADMIN IMPLODES LITERAL BIDEN ROADBLOCK WITH POTENTIAL TO UNLEASH MAJOR MINING WINDFALL According to the Minnesota government website, the state has rich deposits of gold, silver, zinc, copper, nickel, titanium and other precious metals. Democrats opposed to the measure argued that it would open up Minnesota’s land to development, casting aside safeguards for environmental protections. That was the position of Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee. “The Boundary Waters have been under threat for years,” Huffman said, referring to the area near the northern tip of the state. “They draw more visitors than any other wilderness in the country. Millions of Americans have paddled, fished, swum and found pristine solace in [its] forests. It supports a billion-dollar outdoor economy.” In addition to pollution concerns, Huffman noted that the bill would allow mining access to groups with longstanding interests in the area — some of which, he warned, might not be aligned with national interests. “Twin Metals, a mining company with close ties to China, has been lobbying for years to set up a mine just outside the wilderness area,” Huffman said. “There’s no guarantee that the precious minerals produced from this mine would stay in the U.S. at all.” Having passed the House, the measure now heads to the Senate for the upper chamber’s consideration.
Goa inks MoU with Starlink to explore satellite internet for smart governance, disaster response
In a move aimed at strengthening digital infrastructure and connectivity across the state, the Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (DITE&C), Government of Goa, on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited.
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Gov. Abbott endorses Nate Sheets over Sid Miller for agriculture commissioner
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How Texans can prepare for this weekend’s winter weather
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Texas counties, auto industry push back on proposed ID restrictions on car registration tied to immigration
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An arctic storm is expected to blanket the state. Here’s what Texans can expect.
Texas is preparing for the coldest temperatures of the season, and forecasters are warning of possible power outages and icy roads in much of the state.
Barron Trump reportedly saved woman’s life after witnessing violent assault on FaceTime call
A woman who said she was violently attacked by her ex-boyfriend last year told a London court that her friend Barron Trump unexpectedly saved her life after she managed to call him during the assault, United Kingdom media outlet Metro reported Wednesday. After answering the FaceTime call and witnessing the alleged assault, the 19-year-old son of President Donald Trump reportedly contacted emergency operators, prompting UK police to respond to the scene on Jan. 18, 2025, shortly after 2 a.m. local time. The woman, who cannot be named, reportedly claimed that her former Russian partner, 22-year-old Matvei Rumianstev, of east London, was jealous of her friendship with Trump. She added that she was raped on the day she called Trump and alleged that her ex-boyfriend, who first became violent six months into their relationship, had a history of assaulting her, including stranglings, Metro said, citing hearings at Snaresbrook Crown Court. BARRON TRUMP SPOTTED ON NYU CAMPUS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE INAUGURATION According to bodycam footage from the day of the alleged attack, Trump was heard over the phone telling officials, “I just saw a ceiling and could hear screaming. I could see a guy’s head on the phone, and then the camera turns to her crying and getting hit.” Trump, who reportedly attempted to call his friend for a casual conversation before finally receiving a callback, said the call lasted only 10 to 15 seconds, after which he contacted the authorities. According to the 999 emergency call played in court, Trump reportedly said, “I just got a call from a girl I know. She’s getting beaten up.” After giving them her address, he emphasized that, “It’s really an emergency, please. I got a call from her with a guy beating her up.” When police arrived, the woman identified their anonymous caller as Trump, explaining, “I am friends with Barron Trump, Donald Trump’s son.” An officer was later heard on bodycam footage telling a colleague, “So apparently, this informant from America is likely to be Donald Trump’s son,” he said. “This female is friends with Donald Trump’s son. She was on a Facetime with him when this assault happened, and he’s called us.” ‘CLASS ACT’: BARRON TRUMP SETS SOCIAL MEDIA ABLAZE FOR SHAKING HANDS WITH BIDEN AT DAD’S INAUGURATION To confirm to the police, the woman called Trump again, asking, “Hello, Barron, did you call the police or anything?” “I had someone call the police,” Trump said. “I called you guys, that was the best thing I could do. I wasn’t going to call back and threaten things to him because that would just make the situation worse.” During her testimony, the woman said Trump “helped save my life. That call was like a sign from God at that moment.” BARRON TRUMP, CELEBRATING 19TH BIRTHDAY, PRAISED AS ‘SMART GUY’ BY HIS FATHER The trial between Trump’s friend and Rumianstev remains ongoing. While Rumianstev has denied the allegations, the woman said she has been repeatedly attacked and sexually abused, including being raped in November 2024 and on January 18. She also alleged that Rumianstev has been pressuring her to withdraw her complaints. The Russian defendant, of New Providence Wharf, east London, has denied assault, actual bodily harm, two counts of rape, intentional strangulation and perverting the course of justice. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for more information.
Fed’s Cook doubles down on her role after SCOTUS wraps
Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook doubled down on the legitimacy of her role on the nation’s central bank Wednesday, stressing what she said was the importance of keeping the bank insulated against political pressures — in direct response to President Donald Trump and his months-long effort to fire her. “Research and experience show that Federal Reserve independence is essential to fulfilling the congressional mandate of price stability and maximum employment,” Cook said Wednesday following nearly two hours of Supreme Court oral arguments, centered on Trump’s attempt to fire her — and more narrowly, whether Cook can remain in her post pending review of her case on its merits. “That is why Congress chose to insulate the Federal Reserve from political threats, while holding it accountable for delivering on that mandate,” Cook said in a statement. “For as long as I serve at the Federal Reserve, I will uphold the principle of political independence in service to the American people,” she added. SCOTUS SIGNALS SKEPTICISM IN ALLOWING TRUMP’S FED FIRING TO PROCEED Cook’s statement, released shortly after arguments concluded, capped a day in which justices weighed the unprecedented question of whether a president can fire a sitting Federal Reserve governor “for cause” and what process, if any, must accompany such a move. The case is the first attempt by a president to fire a sitting Fed governor in the 112-year history of the nation’s central bank. Justices on the high court did not seem inclined to side with Trump’s request to immediately remove Cook from her post as arguments wrapped. They cited concerns not only about a lack of process and the precedent that could be created by her firing, including the notion of at-will removal, but also on the importance of protecting the independence of the Fed. Justice Amy Coney Barrett cited issues with “public confidence,” should Trump be cleared to fire a sitting Fed governor without fully explaining or justifying the reasons. LAWYERS FOR COOK, DOJ TRADE BLOWS AT HIGH-STAKES CLASH OVER FED FIRING “We have amicus briefs from economists who tell us that, if [Cook]” is fired, then it “can trigger a recession,” Barrett said. “How should we think about the public interest in a case like this?” The Federal Reserve System was created by Congress in 1913 as a wholly independent entity, to insulate it from political influence, and from presidents “stacking the deck” with their own nominees. Justices pressed the Trump administration’s lawyer over what process it believes Cook should be provided to challenge her removal, and cited concerns about the downstream effects of allowing Cook to be fired. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, meanwhile, stressed the importance of balancing Cook’s conduct and the independence of the Fed. “It’s less important that the president have full faith in every single governor, and it’s more important that the markets and the public have faith in the independence of the Fed from the president and from Congress,” he said. SCOTUS POISED TO SIDE WITH TRUMP ON FTC FIRING — A SHOWDOWN THAT COULD TOPPLE 90-YEAR PRECEDENT Though Trump administration officials have framed the case as narrowly focused on Cook’s removal, the oral arguments were widely expected to be closely watched by major players in financial markets, as several justices noted. The short-term ripple effects could be felt sooner than later. The next Federal Open Market Committee meeting is slated for later this month, and Cook, barring any eleventh-hour intervention from the high court, will otherwise participate in the meeting as normal. The fight over Cook’s status is part of a bigger clash looming between Trump and the Fed. It comes as Trump has repeatedly assailed Fed Chair Jerome Powell and other members of the central bank, criticizing its reluctance to lower benchmark interest rates as aggressively as he would like, deepening the fast-growing fault lines that have routinely pitted Trump against Fed leaders. Powell said the agency was subpoenaed by the Justice Department last week over allegations that he lied to Congress about the costs of a massive renovation of its headquarters. Powell also attended Wednesday’s hearing in a show of support for Cook.
Mayor Frey shares highly produced video speaking on Latino radio station: ‘You’re brave and you’re tough’
In a highly produced social media video posted Wednesday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey sat down with a local Latino radio station to blast ICE, promise sanctuary-style protections and portray himself as a defender of immigrant communities. “Let me tell you very clearly: I am proud to have you in our city, to call you my neighbor, to call you my family,” Frey told La Raza listeners in the video. “We don’t back down when it comes to helping our family. You all make our city a better place.” He added the Latino community “can feel safe calling 911, because the [Minneapolis Police Department] (MPD) does not do immigration enforcement work,” noting “their job is to keep people safe.” “You have an entire city that is standing strong with you, and we won’t back down,” Frey said. “You are part of the fabric of who we are, as Minneapolis.” NOEM HAMMERS WALZ, FREY FOR IGNORING 1,360 ICE DETAINERS FOR CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS Frey then hugged a man sitting next to him at the table during the video, saying, “You’ve got a lot of people that care about you. You’re brave and you’re tough.” He also grabbed the man’s hand and put his arm around him during the videotaped discussion. Frey started the video speaking Spanish but then appeared to switch to using his phone to translate the conversation. DOJ LAUNCHES CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION AFTER MINNESOTA AGITATORS STORM CHURCH Along with the video, Frey wrote a message to Minneapolitans, accusing ICE of causing “real harm.” “Yesterday I sat down with La Raza… a trusted voice for our Latino community,” he wrote in the post. “We talked honestly about the real harm federal immigration agents are causing in our neighborhoods — spreading fear and hurting families. That’s not who we are, and I’ll keep standing with our community.” The video was posted less than a day after the mayor publicly responded to federal prosecutors launching a probe into his alleged impeding of law enforcement efforts in the state. “When the federal gov weaponizes its power to intimidate local leaders for doing their jobs, every American should be concerned,” Frey wrote in an X post Tuesday. “We shouldn’t live in a country where federal law enforcement is used to play politics or crack down on local voices they disagree with. “In Minneapolis, we won’t be afraid,” Frey continued. “We know the difference between right and wrong and, as Mayor, I’ll continue doing the job I was elected to do: keeping our community safe and standing up for our values.”