Amid Trump’s threats, Canada moves closer to India as PM Mark Carney set for first state visit
For India, the visit comes as another big boost as New Delhi is also facing sweeping tariffs from the US. The news comes at a time when India is set to sign with the European Union (EU) what has been described as the “mother of all deals.”
DMK warns against Hindi dominance, Tamil Nadu’s Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin says it ‘swallowed many mother languages’
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has asserted that the state would firmly oppose and not accept the “Hindi imposition” by the central government. He claimed that Hindu has finished many mother tongues. He remembered Natarajan and Thalamuthu, who died during the language movement
Nationwide bank strike on January 27: Know which banks are affected, and other details
Bank strike January 2026: Bank employees and unions nationwide have announced a pan India strike on 27 January 2026, Tuesday, which will likely affect bank related services at most public sector banks. The nationwide strike will be led by the United Forum of Bank Unions.
Anti-Islam rhetoric takes center stage in Texas Republican primary
As the GOP and its factions debate what constitutes American identity, opposition to Islam has become a key campaign pillar for some Texas Republicans in statewide races and beyond.
El Paso’s plan to build natural gas power plant for massive data center kicks up opposition
Meta’s planned data center could be El Paso’s biggest electricity user. Some residents worry that a new power plant to run it would worsen air pollution and guzzle water.
More than half of House Democrats back impeachment push against DHS chief Kristi Noem
More than half of all Democrats in the House of Representatives are now backing a resolution to impeach Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem in the wake of another federal law enforcement-involved shooting in Minneapolis. The push to impeach Noem, led by Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., has 133 Democrats as co-sponsors endorsing the effort as of Monday morning, her office told Fox News Digital. That’s out of 213 total lawmakers in the House Democratic Caucus. It’s gaining steam among both progressive and moderate Democrats, like Rep. Laura Gillen, D-N.Y., who announced on Sunday that she too would support impeaching Noem amid the chaos in Minneapolis. “Another U.S. citizen has been killed at the hands of ICE and there must be accountability, which is why Secretary Noem must be impeached immediately,” Gillen posted on X. BONDI BLAMES MINNEAPOLIS LEADERS AFTER ARMED SUSPECT KILLED, UNREST ERUPTS DURING ICE OPERATION It’s a notable expression of support; Gillen was one of only seven House Democrats to vote in favor of funding DHS last week as part of Congress’ yearly federal appropriations process. The surge of support comes after Alex Pretti, a nurse at Minneapolis’ Veterans Affairs Medical Center, was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent over the weekend during a wider demonstration against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the Midwest city. Noem said over the weekend that it appeared Pretti “arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.” “An individual approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun. The officers attempted to disarm this individual, but the armed suspect reacted violently. Fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him, an agent fired defensive shots,” she said. FREY, KLOBUCHAR CALL FOR ICE TO LEAVE MINNEAPOLIS FOLLOWING DEADLY CBP SHOOTING IN CITY But various eyewitness accounts and critics of the Trump administration have disputed claims that Pretti was brandishing a weapon, though he was confirmed to be in possession of a handgun with a legal permit to carry. Publicly circulated video of the incident shows him approaching federal officers holding what appeared to be his phone, filming as agents knocked a female agitator to the ground. Pretti appeared to attempt to help the female agitator when he was knocked to the ground himself. One video angle appears to show an officer removing Pretti’s weapon before he was shot. The majority of Republicans have criticized Democratic leaders in Minnesota for fomenting anger toward federal officers among the population and for refusing to cooperate in Trump’s offensive against illegal immigrants in the first place. Meanwhile, Democrats have accused Trump officials of letting federal agents run amok with impunity and cause chaos in Minneapolis. It’s not clear if House Democratic leaders will support Kelly’s push to impeach Noem now, but Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters to “stay tuned” last week when asked about the effort. Any push to impeach Noem during this congressional term would likely be largely symbolic, however. It’s highly unlikely that enough Republicans would vote with Democrats on the resolution to pass the House, or that it will get the 60 votes in the Senate needed for removal. House Democrats’ furor to boot Noem from her post has not quite made its way to the upper chamber, but it got support from one key moderate in the party. NOEM SAYS ‘ARRESTS COMING’ AFTER ANTI-ICE MOB TARGETED MINNESOTA CHURCH Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., echoed her colleagues in the lower chamber and demanded that the DHS head be impeached for being an “abject failure” at leading the agency. Rosen, like several other congressional Democrats, reacted sharply to Pretti’s killing and, so far, is the only Senate Democrat calling for Noem’s impeachment. The lawmaker argued that Noem’s usage of ICE in Minnesota was the “latest proof” of her losing control over her own agency. “Kristi Noem and her department’s latest attempt to mislead the American public regarding the brutal and unjustified killing of Alex Pretti is deeply shameful, and she must be impeached and removed from office immediately,” Rosen said. Rosen’s position carries weight, too, given that she is one of the more moderate members of the Senate Democratic caucus, and she was also one of a handful to cross the aisle to reopen the government during the longest closure in history last year. Senate Democrats are now ready to block the DHS funding bill as the deadline to fund the government and prevent another shutdown fast approaches. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital of Democrats’ efforts, “DHS enforces the laws Congress passes, period. If certain members don’t like those laws, changing them is literally their job.” “While ICE officers are facing a staggering 1,300% spike in assaults, too many politicians would rather defend criminals and attack the men and women who are enforcing our laws and did nothing while Joe Biden facilitated an invasion of tens of millions of illegal aliens into our country,” McLaughlin said. “It’s time they focus on protecting the American people, the work this Department is doing every day under Secretary Noem’s leadership.”
‘Michigan’s government is pathetic’: Perry Johnson mounts gubernatorial bid as Gov Whitmer’s exit approaches
Businessman Perry Johnson announced a Michigan gubernatorial bid on Monday. “I am running for Governor of Michigan. My business experience brought quality and efficiency to help save the auto industry. We can deliver better services at lower cost by running state government with efficiency, accountability, and a results-driven mindset,” he wrote in a post on X. The post featured a campaign video that asserted, “Michigan’s government is pathetic.” Johnson’s campaign site indicates that he supports the idea of eliminating Michigan’s state income tax. WHITE HOUSE SAYS TRUMP GAVE ‘APPROPRIATE’ RESPONSE AFTER HECKLER CONFRONTATION CAUGHT ON VIDEO AT FORD PLANT Johnson ran for president for part of 2023 before dropping out and endorsing President Donald Trump. Trump responded to the endorsement in a 2023 Truth Social post, calling Johnson “a brilliant Businessman who has enjoyed great success.” BUSINESSMAN PERRY JOHNSON ANNOUNCES 2024 PRESIDENTIAL BID Johnson tried to pursue the 2022 Michigan Republican gubernatorial nomination but was one of multiple candidates disqualified from the primary ballot, according to the Detroit Free Press. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, is currently serving her second term, and is thus not eligible to run again. Johnson is jumping into a crowded Republican gubernatorial field that includes former state Attorney General Mike Cox, U.S. Rep. John James, former State House Speaker Tom Leonard and State Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, according to the Detroit Free Press. GOV WHITMER SAYS AMERICA ‘READY FOR A WOMAN PRESIDENT,’ CONTRASTING MICHELLE OBAMA “Perry Johnson is just the latest extreme, out-of-touch candidate to join Michigan’s chaotic Republican primary,” Democratic Governors Association Communications Director Sam Newton said in a statement. “From being all-in on Donald Trump’s harmful, cost-raising agenda and supporting an abortion ban to spending over $7 million dollars on his last failed gubernatorial campaign, it’s clear Johnson will make Michigan Republicans’ already ugly and bruising primary even more chaotic and expensive,” Newton added. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
Battleground GOP lawmaker moves to block what he calls Democratic redistricting ‘power grab’
FIRST ON FOX: A battleground district House Republican is wading into the redistricting war that has seized the U.S. with his own new proposal to crack down on “partisan gamesmanship.” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., has introduced a bill called the Fair Apportionment and Independent Redistricting for Maps that Avoid Partisanship (FAIR MAP) Act, which would impose new guardrails on the process of changing congressional districts across all 50 states. The bill would bar states from drawing districts for or against a specific political party or candidate and ban the creation of new congressional maps more than once a decade following the U.S. census. It comes as election watchers eye Virginia and Maryland as the latest states whose Democrat-led legislatures could move to redraw their congressional boundaries ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. REDISTRICTING BATTLES BREWING ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS PARTIES COMPETE FOR POWER AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS Earlier this month, a state Supreme Court judge in Lawler’s own home turf of New York ruled that New York City’s lone Republican-held district is unconstitutional and must be redrawn — handing potentially a consequential win to Democrats. Lawler said of Democrats’ push in his state, “[Gov. Kathy Hochul] and [House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’] scheme to redraw New York’s congressional districts months before an election is a blatant power grab and misuse of public office.” The growing redistricting war was kicked off last year when Texas’ GOP-led legislature approved a new congressional map that could give Republicans as many as five new seats in the House of Representatives come the November elections. Redistricting normally occurs every 10 years after the U.S. census is taken to ensure that seats in the House are reflective of each state’s population. And while there’s a patchwork of state laws aimed at blocking those districts from being redrawn along partisan lines, there is no current federal standard. In addition to banning mid-decade redistricting in most cases and creating a federal gerrymandering standard, Lawler’s bill would also create a host of new provisions dictating how those populations are ultimately counted and how disputes can be resolved. The bill would block state and local courts from legal redistricting fights, for example, leaving it to federal judges to weigh in on those fights. DOJ URGES SUPREME COURT TO BLOCK CALIFORNIA MAP, CALLS NEWSOM-BACKED PLAN A RACIAL GERRYMANDER It would also mandate that just U.S. citizens are counted toward state populations when creating new maps — something that could take a significant amount of power away from sanctuary jurisdictions that can currently factor numbers of illegal immigrants who cannot vote when apportioning districts. The legislation also includes new electoral provisions like barring ranked-choice voting in federal elections, requiring photo ID for voting in those elections, and banning same-day registration in federal elections. Lawler was among the House Republicans who forcefully came out against the growing redistricting war last summer, when leaders in Texas and California were going toe-to-toe with threats to redraw their maps. But it does not appear likely as of now that his bill will get taken up for a House-wide vote, given House GOP leaders’ prior insistence that redistricting is a states’ issue. “Voting rights and equal representation only work if the system itself is fair, transparent, and trusted. My FAIR MAP Act puts clear guardrails around congressional redistricting, ends mid-decade political map rigging, and ensures that federal elections reflect the voices of lawful voters, not partisan gamesmanship,” Lawler told Fox News Digital. “Every voter deserves confidence that the system is fair and that their vote counts the same as anyone else’s.”
Trump deploys border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota as ICE operations face violent chaos
President Donald Trump is sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota, the president announced on Monday. Trump said Homan will report “directly to me” and will help lead the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The Justice Department and Congress are also investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Trump says. “I am sending Tom Homan to Minnesota tonight. He has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there. Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Separately, a major investigation is going on with respect to the massive 20 Billion Dollar, Plus, Welfare Fraud that has taken place in Minnesota, and is at least partially responsible for the violent organized protests going on in the streets,” he continued. GO BIG, THEN GO SMART: TRUMP, ICE AND THE LAW. HOW TO SKIP THE LEFT’S PR TRAP “Additionally, the DOJ and Congress are looking at ‘Congresswoman’ Illhan Omar, who left Somalia with NOTHING, and is now reportedly worth more than 44 Million Dollars. Time will tell all,” he added. Homan’s deployment comes amid widespread unrest in the Twin Cities over the deployment of ICE. Two anti-ICE protesters have been killed by federal agents this month, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. Pretti’s killing over the weekend is under fresh investigation. JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN FROM ‘DESTROYING OR ALTERING’ EVIDENCE IN DEADLY MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not clarify whether Homan’s deployment means Trump has lost confidence with existing ICE leadership in Minnesota. “Tom Homan will be managing ICE operations on the ground in Minnesota and coordinating with others on the ongoing fraud investigations,” Leavitt told Fox News Digital. The Trump administration blames organized agitators for harassing ICE operations, which are targeting criminal illegal aliens. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Trump has lost confidence with the federal law enforcement leaders already on the ground in Minnesota. Federal officials say violent unrest in Minneapolis directly derailed one immigration arrest last week, leaving an ICE agent permanently maimed after a protester bit off part of his finger. U.S. Border Patrol Commander at Large Greg Bovino said during a press conference on Sunday that Border Patrol and ICE agents were forced to abandon a targeted operation after crowds interfered, assaulted officers and turned the scene chaotic. As a result, he said, the suspect escaped custody. He blamed this solely on the decisions made by politicians, activists and those who confronted law enforcement officials. “This individual is still roaming the streets today,” Bovino said. “This individual walks the streets today because of those choices made by politicians and those, perhaps, weaker-minded constituents that chose to follow directions of those politicians. Sad state of affairs.”
GOP senators launch task force to crack down on fraud tied to Minnesota scandal
FIRST ON FOX: A cohort of Senate Republicans plans to launch a targeted task force aimed at tackling fraudsters in the wake of the Minnesota fraud scandal. Republican members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee announced that they would form a task force dedicated to rooting out fraudsters abusing federal funding. The seven-member panel will be led by HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, R-La., who has cranked up efforts in recent weeks to crack down on fraud, particularly in Minnesota. KEY SENATOR WON’T FUND DHS AS ICE, FEDERAL AGENTS ENTER HIS STATE “Our tax dollars are supposed to help American families, not line the pockets of fraudsters,” Cassidy said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “HELP Committee Republicans are committed to rooting out this fraud and ensuring Americans’ tax dollars are used responsibly.” The long-running, nearly six-year-long investigation into alleged fraud in Minnesota gained new attention and traction among Republicans and the White House earlier this year. The scandal, in which federal prosecutors estimate that up to $9 billion was stolen through a network of fraudulent fronts posing as daycare centers, food programs and health clinics, has dominated the bandwidth of many in the GOP and spurred the Trump administration’s deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents into Minneapolis. The majority of those charged, so far, in the ongoing investigation are part of Minnesota’s Somali population. The Trump administration has taken steps outside the deploying of ICE agents to target Somalis in the area, too, including ending protected status for the population and launching investigations into whether the fraudulent activity is connected to al-Shabab, a terrorist organization based in Somalia. SENATE DEMS REVOLT AGAINST DHS FUNDING BILL AMID MINNEAPOLIS CHAOS, HIKING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN RISK The task force will delineate its focus into three prongs: health, education and labor and pensions. Those three subgroups will be led by Sens. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., who will lead the health-focused section, Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Jon Husted, who will lead the education-focused group, and R-Ohio, Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., and Tim Scott, R-S.C., who will chair the labor-and-pensions-focused section. But the task force’s announcement comes at a precarious time, as lawmakers hurtle toward what could be another government shutdown fueled in large part by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) actions in Minnesota. SENATE DEMOCRATS REBEL AGAINST THEIR OWN LEADERSHIP OVER DHS FUNDING PACKAGE, INCREASING SHUTDOWN ODDS That situation comes after Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., signaled their plan to reject the DHS funding bill following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti on Saturday by a border patrol agent. Cassidy, along with a handful of other congressional Republicans, demanded that the incident receive a fulsome and thorough investigation. Still, Cassidy’s effort is not the first time he’s forayed into the Minnesota fraud scandal. Earlier this month, the lawmaker led the entire Senate GOP in a letter to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, demanding that he provide receipts on several issues, and warned that failure to do so could lead to several streams of federal money flowing to Minnesota drying up. That effort was centered on several requests, like how often the state conducted on-site monitoring, inspections or investigative visits to childcare facilities that received federal dollars. Senate Republicans specifically wanted examples of any information uncovered on fake children, false attendance records, over-billing, ineligible enrollments, and shell or fake business structures, among other demands from Walz.