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1 Minnesota And The Twin Cities File Lawsuit To Stop ICE Surge In State
Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul filed a lawsuit yesterday against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other federal officials. The lawsuit is aiming to stop the surge of federal agents coming into the state and asking a court to declare the operation unconstitutional. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the surge has had a reckless impact on schools and local law enforcement. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the city did not ask for the operation but is paying the price. St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her said the cities are taking a firm stance against what is happening. A DHS spokesperson called the lawsuit baseless.
2 Sen. Mark Kelly Sues Pete Hegseth Over Censure
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona filed a lawsuit yesterday against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a censure issued against him last week. Kelly says the censure violated his constitutional rights as an American, a retired veteran, and a sitting U.S. senator. Hegseth censured Kelly on Jan. 5th for what he called conduct that was "seditious in nature." The censure came after Kelly appeared in a November video with other Democratic veterans telling U.S. service members they have a right to refuse unlawful orders. The lawsuit also names the Department of Defense, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, and the Department of the Navy as defendants. The censure will result in a reduction in Kelly's military rank and retirement pay.
3 President Trump Announces 25-Percent Tariff On Any Country Doing Business With Iran
President Trump said Iran wants to negotiate but warned he may still carry out strikes against the country over its deadly crackdown on protests. Yesterday, Trump said in a Truth Social post that any countries doing business with Iran will pay a 25-percent tariff on “any and all business being done with the United States of America,” an attempt to put pressure on the Islamic Republic. Activists say at least 572 people have been killed as security forces try to stop the unrest, and an internet blackout has made it hard to know the full scale of the violence. Iran's foreign minister said the situation is under control and blamed the U.S. and Israel.