United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Jamaal McNeil, 48, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 29, 2026, in federal court in Lincoln for one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine actual with 1 prior conviction for a serious drug felony. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced McNeil to a total of 360 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After McNeil’s release from prison, he will begin a 10-year term of supervised release.

McNeil was responsible for selling methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana in Lincoln for at least six months in 2023.&nbsp; On November 29, 2023, he was contacted by the Lincoln Police Department in his vehicle.&nbsp; A probable cause search of the vehicle was conducted due to the odor of marijuana.&nbsp; Investigators found multiple plastic baggies.&nbsp; Six of the baggies field-tested positive for cocaine, six baggies field-tested positive for methamphetamine, and three baggies contained marijuana.&nbsp; Investigators also found four hydrocodone pills.&nbsp; McNeil was arrested and $853 was found on his person.

A search warrant was executed at McNeil’s residence in Lincoln.&nbsp; Investigators found additional quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana, as well as digital scales, and $2,495 in U.S. currency.&nbsp; The methamphetamine and cocaine were sent to the State Crime Lab.&nbsp; The lab confirmed there were at least 180 grams of methamphetamine actual and more than 212 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.&nbsp; Additionally, the lab confirmed McNeil possessed more than 50 grams of cocaine and at least 6 grams of cocaine base.

McNeil was convicted in 2007 in the Nebraska federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine as was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.

DOJ Release<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770056761467.png" alt="Jamaal McNeil" />
 <figcaption>Jamaal McNeil</figcaption>
 </figure>United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Jamaal McNeil, 48, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 29, 2026, in federal court in Lincoln for one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine actual with 1 prior conviction for a serious drug felony. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced McNeil to a total of 360 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After McNeil’s release from prison, he will begin a 10-year term of supervised release.McNeil was responsible for selling methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana in Lincoln for at least six months in 2023.&nbsp; On November 29, 2023, he was contacted by the Lincoln Police Department in his vehicle.&nbsp; A probable cause search of the vehicle was conducted due to the odor of marijuana.&nbsp; Investigators found multiple plastic baggies.&nbsp; Six of the baggies field-tested positive for cocaine, six baggies field-tested positive for methamphetamine, and three baggies contained marijuana.&nbsp; Investigators also found four hydrocodone pills.&nbsp; McNeil was arrested and $853 was found on his person.A search warrant was executed at McNeil’s residence in Lincoln.&nbsp; Investigators found additional quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana, as well as digital scales, and $2,495 in U.S. currency.&nbsp; The methamphetamine and cocaine were sent to the State Crime Lab.&nbsp; The lab confirmed there were at least 180 grams of methamphetamine actual and more than 212 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.&nbsp; Additionally, the lab confirmed McNeil possessed more than 50 grams of cocaine and at least 6 grams of cocaine base.McNeil was convicted in 2007 in the Nebraska federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine as was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.

Lincoln Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Drug Charge

KANSAS CITY—Kansas City, Missouri mayor Quinton Lucas joined CBS Face The Nation on Sunday to discuss critical issues facing American cities. From immigration policy and housing affordability to crime reduction and preparing for the 2026 World Cup.

On the proposed federal detention center for the region, Mayor Lucas said, "Converting a gigantic distribution facility into a warehouse for 10,000 people for which it was never designed is not right, and it is fundamentally something that is inhumane."

ICE was given $45 billion for detention centers in the tax and spending bill that President Trump signed last year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1769999366187.png" alt="Photo from Mayor Lucas' social media page" />
 <figcaption>Photo from Mayor Lucas' social media page</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Kansas City, Missouri mayor Quinton Lucas joined CBS Face The Nation on Sunday to discuss critical issues facing American cities. From immigration policy and housing affordability to crime reduction and preparing for the 2026 World Cup.On the proposed federal detention center for the region, Mayor Lucas said, "Converting a gigantic distribution facility into a warehouse for 10,000 people for which it was never designed is not right, and it is fundamentally something that is inhumane."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Mayor Lucas on the proposed federal detention center for Face the Nation: &quot;Converting a gigantic distribution facility into a warehouse for 10,000 people for which it was never designed is not right, and it is fundamentally something that is inhumane.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/JTY0PDnKys">pic.twitter.com/JTY0PDnKys</a>&mdash; Mayor Quinton Lucas (@MayorLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorLucasKC/status/2018087502104371704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>ICE was given $45 billion for detention centers in the tax and spending bill that President Trump signed last year.

🎥KCMO Mayor talks proposed federal detention center on Face The Nation

LINCOLN —&nbsp;State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg is making a push to connect Nebraskans with their “lost cash.”

The effort marks National Unclaimed Property Day on Feb. 1, also recognized in Nebraska via a Gov. Jim Pillen proclamation Spellerberg requested.

The proclamation says Nebraska currently holds more than $250 million in unclaimed property that includes uncashed checks, insurance proceeds and other financial assets considered lost or abandoned when an owner can not be found. Spellerberg urged Nebraskans to search&nbsp;<a href="http://nebraskalostcash.gov/" target="_blank">NebraskaLostCash.gov</a>.

“You might just find a surprise waiting for you,” said Meaghan Aguirre, Nebraska’s unclaimed property director. Aguirre was recently elected president of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators.

Nebraskans who have lived in multiple states can check the national database,&nbsp;<a href="http://missingmoney.com/" target="_blank">MissingMoney.com</a>. Searches on both sites are free of charge.

Nebraska for more than five decades has received millions of dollars annually turned over by entities that can not find the owners, according to the proclamation. The state has returned more than $300 million to rightful owners since implementation of its Unclaimed Property Program.

In 2025, the state returned nearly $20 million through 19,952 claims.

“Nebraska has streamlined the claims process, because we want these unclaimed dollars back in our local economies,” Spellerberg said.&nbsp;

He said unclaimed property exists in all of the state’s 93 counties, including $96 million in assets in the Omaha metro area, $28.6 million in Lincoln, $7 million in Bellevue, $5.1 million in Grand Island and $3.7 million in Kearney.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1769986946254.png" alt=" Top of proclamation declaring Feb. 1 “Unclaimed Property Day” in Nebraska. (Courtesy of Nebraska State Treasurer)" />
 <figcaption> Top of proclamation declaring Feb. 1 “Unclaimed Property Day” in Nebraska. (Courtesy of Nebraska State Treasurer)</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN —&nbsp;State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg is making a push to connect Nebraskans with their “lost cash.”The effort marks National Unclaimed Property Day on Feb. 1, also recognized in Nebraska via a Gov. Jim Pillen proclamation Spellerberg requested.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1769986915442.png" alt="State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg. (Courtesy of Treasurer’s Office)" />
 <figcaption>State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg. (Courtesy of Treasurer’s Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>The proclamation says Nebraska currently holds more than $250 million in unclaimed property that includes uncashed checks, insurance proceeds and other financial assets considered lost or abandoned when an owner can not be found. Spellerberg urged Nebraskans to search&nbsp;<a href="http://nebraskalostcash.gov/" target="_blank">NebraskaLostCash.gov</a>.“You might just find a surprise waiting for you,” said Meaghan Aguirre, Nebraska’s unclaimed property director. Aguirre was recently elected president of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators.Nebraskans who have lived in multiple states can check the national database,&nbsp;<a href="http://missingmoney.com/" target="_blank">MissingMoney.com</a>. Searches on both sites are free of charge.Nebraska for more than five decades has received millions of dollars annually turned over by entities that can not find the owners, according to the proclamation. The state has returned more than $300 million to rightful owners since implementation of its Unclaimed Property Program.In 2025, the state returned nearly $20 million through 19,952 claims.“Nebraska has streamlined the claims process, because we want these unclaimed dollars back in our local economies,” Spellerberg said.&nbsp;He said unclaimed property exists in all of the state’s 93 counties, including $96 million in assets in the Omaha metro area, $28.6 million in Lincoln, $7 million in Bellevue, $5.1 million in Grand Island and $3.7 million in Kearney.

Nebraska treasurer wants to find owners of ‘lost cash,’ unclaimed assets

United States Department of Treasury

History will remember President Trump as the leader who brought financial market opportunity to all American families. It will remember him as the President who oversaw the largest merger in history between Main Street and Wall Street. And it will remember him for redefining the social contract through the creation of a shareholder society.&nbsp;

And how did he achieve all this? Through Trump Accounts.&nbsp;

Trump Accounts are among the most significant policy innovations of modern times. They mark a&nbsp;singular moment&nbsp;in economic history by expanding the benefits of private ownership and compound growth to all Americans. Today, I will explain where Trump Accounts came from, how they work, and why they will render socialist notions moot by making every citizen a shareholder. &nbsp;

The idea of opening investment accounts for young Americans first arose in the form of “Baby Bonds” decades ago. But the idea was flawed because the accounts could be invested only in US government bonds.&nbsp;

President Trump recognized the shortcomings of this idea while also grasping its promise. So he set out to perfect it.&nbsp;

Working with some of the most talented businessmen in the country, including Brad Gerstner and Michael Dell, he pioneered Trump Accounts—investment accounts that newborn Americans can receive on Day 1. Trump Accounts allow for private ownership, multiple funding pathways, and direct investment across a broad swath of the American economy. &nbsp;

Where President Trump’s predecessors created debt and dependency, President Trump creates assets and expands ownership. This is a signature characteristic of his presidency.&nbsp;

With Trump Accounts,&nbsp;every&nbsp;American child born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, is eligible to receive a $1,000 contribution from the Treasury Department that will be immediately invested in an index fund. To claim this investment, most families need merely check a box on Form 4547, the most aptly named tax document of all time. We are just three days into the 2026 tax filing season—and already, approximately 500,000 Americans have elected to open a Trump Account for their children.&nbsp;

The compound growth from Treasury’s initial seed funding alone stands to make young Americans wealthy. Assuming historical growth rates continue, a single $1,000 deposit into a Trump Account at birth should grow to an&nbsp;estimated&nbsp;amount of at least half a million dollars by the age of retirement.

The $1,000 seed from Treasury is exclusive to newborns. But keep in mind that&nbsp;any&nbsp;American below the age of 18 is also eligible to receive a tax-advantaged Trump Account to begin saving for the future. Philanthropists, family, friends, employers, and states can backfill Trump Accounts for these children to help them build a strong financial foundation before graduating high school. Our objective is to provide every American child with a Trump account. And the men and women in this audience will help make that possible.&nbsp; &nbsp;

In addition to the $1,000 seed from Treasury, there are three other channels for funding Trump Accounts: first, through the donations of parents, friends, and employers; second, through the generous donations of wealthy Americans and philanthropic organizations; and third, through donations from state governments.&nbsp;

Funding through Family, Friends, and Employers

President Trump wanted to make it especially easy for family, friends, and employers to give to Trump Accounts. And he has succeeded in that goal. Donations to a Trump Account will soon be the best gift a child could ever receive.

Starting July 4—our nation’s 250th anniversary—family, friends, and employers will be able to contribute up to $5,000 to each Trump Account each year. By contributing the maximum amount annually, the Council of Economic Advisers estimates that a child’s Trump Account could be worth more than $1 million at age 28 and tens of millions by the age of retirement.&nbsp;

Donations from employers are essential to bringing the President’s vision to life.&nbsp; Already, we have seen a large number of US businesses across a wide range of industries step up to support Trump Accounts.

Companies like Charles Schwab, Uber, Charter Communications, Bank of New York Mellon, State Street, Mastercard, Visa, Block, Robinhood, SoFi, Chime, Russel Investments, and Dell Technologies have all announced that they will match employee contributions to Trump Accounts in a variety of forms that work best for their employees. And today, Steak ‘n Shake, Broadcom, Intel, IBM, JP Morgan, Chipotle, Coinbase, and Comcast all announced that they will offer matching contributions as well. The President foresees a day where matching contributions to Trump Accounts will be as integral to an employee benefits package as a matching 401(k).&nbsp;

Through Trump Accounts, our President is putting the American Dream within reach of every citizen, no matter the circumstances of birth. When young Americans turn 18, they can use their Trump Accounts to keep saving for their retirement. Or they can use them to help purchase a new home or further their education—two hallmarks of the American Dream.

Funding through Philanthropists and Charitable Organizations

The next means of funding is through generous donations from wealthy Americans and charitable organizations. Consider how Trump Accounts are revolutionizing not only investing but philanthropy as well.&nbsp;

The United States is the most generous country in the history of the world. In 2024 alone, our citizens gave over half a trillion dollars to charity. That’s more than the GDP of advanced countries like Singapore, Austria, and the UAE.&nbsp;

Many Americans want to give back to their fellow citizens through charitable donations. But our country has long lacked a platform of private ownership from birth that facilitated philanthropy at-scale direct to American children.

Trump Accounts are the most capital-efficient form of philanthropy ever devised.&nbsp;

Typically, middlemen, overhead costs, and administrative expenses dilute the money Americans donate to charity. But Trump Accounts remove those obstacles entirely to put money directly in the hands of American children.&nbsp;

That’s why America’s savviest capital allocators have devoted enormous sums of wealth to seeding Trump Accounts.&nbsp;

Michael and Susan Dell led the way by pledging to donate $6.25 billion of their own money to help fund Trump Accounts for 25 million children under the age of 10. Ray and Barbara Dalio then followed suit by pledging $75 million to help fund Trump Accounts for more than 300,000 children in Connecticut.&nbsp;

The Dalios were among the first to join “The 50 State Challenge”—a special initiative Treasury has launched to rally the nation’s philanthropists around a common cause. As the President said in his remarks earlier today, the 50 State Challenge is a crucial element of this revolutionary program. Expect to see more philanthropists adopting states in the months to come as the Administration prepares to launch Trump Accounts on the Fourth of July.&nbsp;

The final way of funding Trump Accounts is through state governments.&nbsp;

The administration has been working closely with a number of governors to determine the best way states can work with the federal government to expand access to Trump Accounts to as many children as possible. States are the laboratories of our democracy, and their experiments with Trump Accounts will surface the best methods for funding over time.&nbsp;

Why Trump Accounts Mark A Singular Moment in Economic History

At their core, Trump Accounts represent the triumph of capitalism over socialism.&nbsp;

Socialism left in its wake a trail of economic ruin, all in pursuit of the belief that abolishing private ownership would lead to greater equality and human flourishing. In fact, the opposite was true. &nbsp;

The last century of economic history showed us that the answer was never to abolish private ownership; it was to&nbsp;democratize&nbsp;it. To protect, strengthen, and&nbsp;expand&nbsp;it to as many people as possible so that everyone can benefit from the prosperity only capitalism can provide.

Trump Accounts do exactly that. They collapse the distinction between earners and owners by making everyone an owner—all while keeping ownership private. In the decades-long contest between capitalism and socialism, this is the Trump card.&nbsp;

Through Trump Accounts, our President is creating an ownership economy where all citizens become shareholders in America’s wealth. Today, 38% of American adults do not own stocks. But with Trump accounts, over time, we can get that number down to zero.&nbsp;

I have talked in the past about the importance of promoting Parallel Prosperity—an era of economic expansion where Wall Street and Main Street grow together. But the beauty of Trump Accounts is that prosperity no longer runs parallel; it fuses together. Under Trump Accounts, Wall Street’s success becomes Main Street’s success and vice versa. This is the greatest merger in world history, the merger of Wall Street and Main Street. And it will forever change the relationship Americans have with their own economy.&nbsp;

Trump Accounts represent a fundamental redefinition of the social contract. They offer a radically new platform that returns us to a social contract anchored in individual ownership where everyone starts life on an investing journey.&nbsp;

Creating Laboratories of Financial Literacy

Trump Accounts also create a real-time laboratory of financial literacy for all Americans.&nbsp;

Consider an alarming statistic: Approximately two-thirds of Generation Z Americans fail to answer more than half of the basic financial literacy questions on the Nation’s Personal Finance Index. We need to better educate the generation of Americans being born now. Trump Accounts will give us an opportunity to correct course by instilling financial literacy in America’s youth in a way no book, test, or school curriculum could.&nbsp;

Trump Accounts will achieve this goal by providing students with a hands-on education in the power of compound growth. Students with Trump Accounts will be able to watch their investment accounts compound in real time—from a value of a couple thousand dollars in kindergarten to potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Importantly, students will not be able to access their accounts during this time. Keeping accounts locked until age 18 will require Americans to learn the art of long-term savings and compound growth. States, philanthropists, and charitable organizations can also tie funding of individual Trump Accounts to students passing financial literacy courses. This flexibility creates space for states, philanthropies, and educators to innovate and identify what works best in building financial skills.

Three pillars of America’s social contract are embedded in the Declaration of Independence: “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Few know that Jefferson borrowed this phrase from John Locke, who famously underscored the centrality of “life, liberty, and&nbsp;property.”&nbsp;

Property and the pursuit of happiness, in other words, are deeply intertwined—and for our Founding Fathers, they were one and the same. Property, or put another way,&nbsp;ownership&nbsp;is essential to dignity and human flourishing. This was the ideal our nation was founded on in 1776. And it is the ideal our nation is being re-founded on in 2026.&nbsp;

In that sense, Trump Accounts are&nbsp;the&nbsp;defining policy of America’s 250th&nbsp;anniversary. By expanding equity ownership to all citizens, President Trump is restoring the promise of our Founding, revitalizing the social contract, and helping secure American prosperity for the next 250 years. All families can participate and own part of the American Dream.&nbsp;

Whether you are a philanthropist, a family member, or an employer, all of you here will play a critical role in this effort. So join us in growing economic opportunity, future-proofing capitalism, and carrying the promise of the Founding forward for the next century. Join us by investing in Trump Accounts.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769636019017.png" alt="President Donald Trump celebrates the launch of “Trump Accounts” for newborn children. During the summit, President Trump was joined by rapper Nicki Minaj, who proclaimed herself “his number one fan.”-image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>President Donald Trump celebrates the launch of “Trump Accounts” for newborn children. During the summit, President Trump was joined by rapper Nicki Minaj, who proclaimed herself “his number one fan.”-image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>United States Department of TreasuryHistory will remember President Trump as the leader who brought financial market opportunity to all American families. It will remember him as the President who oversaw the largest merger in history between Main Street and Wall Street. And it will remember him for redefining the social contract through the creation of a shareholder society.&nbsp;And how did he achieve all this? Through Trump Accounts.&nbsp;Trump Accounts are among the most significant policy innovations of modern times. They mark a&nbsp;singular moment&nbsp;in economic history by expanding the benefits of private ownership and compound growth to all Americans. Today, I will explain where Trump Accounts came from, how they work, and why they will render socialist notions moot by making every citizen a shareholder. &nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpAccounts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TrumpAccounts</a>: &quot;Every President in modern history has left our children with nothing but debt — but under this Administration, we&#39;re going to leave every child with real assets and a shot at financial freedom.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/FG9YkGWk56">pic.twitter.com/FG9YkGWk56</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2016548765159608437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: Dozens of major employers have signed up to add <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpAccounts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TrumpAccounts</a> contributions to their employee benefit packages — including Uber, Schwab, Charter, Intel, Nvidia, Broadcom, IBM, Steak &#39;n Shake, Coinbase, Continental Resources, Comcast, and many others. <a href="https://t.co/U2a0o1CKtK">pic.twitter.com/U2a0o1CKtK</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2016554283630579843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/NICKIMINAJ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NICKIMINAJ</a>: &quot;I am probably <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>&#39; number one fan, and that’s not going to change... We&#39;re not going to let them get away with bullying him, and the smear campaigns... He has a lot of force behind him, and God is protecting him.&quot; ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/kQaNgCx4eO">https://t.co/kQaNgCx4eO</a> <a href="https://t.co/jUAZlwbIOW">pic.twitter.com/jUAZlwbIOW</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2016553004220964978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on Trump Accounts: &quot;For the first time ever, we&#39;re going to give every newborn American child a financial stake in the future, a head start at life, and a fair shot at the American Dream.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Kw1RaFg5BL">pic.twitter.com/Kw1RaFg5BL</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2016546217237369225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Origin of Trump AccountsFirst, the origin story.&nbsp;The idea of opening investment accounts for young Americans first arose in the form of “Baby Bonds” decades ago. But the idea was flawed because the accounts could be invested only in US government bonds.&nbsp;President Trump recognized the shortcomings of this idea while also grasping its promise. So he set out to perfect it.&nbsp;Working with some of the most talented businessmen in the country, including Brad Gerstner and Michael Dell, he pioneered Trump Accounts—investment accounts that newborn Americans can receive on Day 1. Trump Accounts allow for private ownership, multiple funding pathways, and direct investment across a broad swath of the American economy. &nbsp;Where President Trump’s predecessors created debt and dependency, President Trump creates assets and expands ownership. This is a signature characteristic of his presidency.&nbsp;How Trump Accounts WorkWith Trump Accounts,&nbsp;every&nbsp;American child born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, is eligible to receive a $1,000 contribution from the Treasury Department that will be immediately invested in an index fund. To claim this investment, most families need merely check a box on Form 4547, the most aptly named tax document of all time. We are just three days into the 2026 tax filing season—and already, approximately 500,000 Americans have elected to open a Trump Account for their children.&nbsp;The compound growth from Treasury’s initial seed funding alone stands to make young Americans wealthy. Assuming historical growth rates continue, a single $1,000 deposit into a Trump Account at birth should grow to an&nbsp;estimated&nbsp;amount of at least half a million dollars by the age of retirement.The $1,000 seed from Treasury is exclusive to newborns. But keep in mind that&nbsp;any&nbsp;American below the age of 18 is also eligible to receive a tax-advantaged Trump Account to begin saving for the future. Philanthropists, family, friends, employers, and states can backfill Trump Accounts for these children to help them build a strong financial foundation before graduating high school. Our objective is to provide every American child with a Trump account. And the men and women in this audience will help make that possible.&nbsp; &nbsp;In addition to the $1,000 seed from Treasury, there are three other channels for funding Trump Accounts: first, through the donations of parents, friends, and employers; second, through the generous donations of wealthy Americans and philanthropic organizations; and third, through donations from state governments.&nbsp;Funding through Family, Friends, and EmployersPresident Trump wanted to make it especially easy for family, friends, and employers to give to Trump Accounts. And he has succeeded in that goal. Donations to a Trump Account will soon be the best gift a child could ever receive.Starting July 4—our nation’s 250th anniversary—family, friends, and employers will be able to contribute up to $5,000 to each Trump Account each year. By contributing the maximum amount annually, the Council of Economic Advisers estimates that a child’s Trump Account could be worth more than $1 million at age 28 and tens of millions by the age of retirement.&nbsp;Donations from employers are essential to bringing the President’s vision to life.&nbsp; Already, we have seen a large number of US businesses across a wide range of industries step up to support Trump Accounts.Companies like Charles Schwab, Uber, Charter Communications, Bank of New York Mellon, State Street, Mastercard, Visa, Block, Robinhood, SoFi, Chime, Russel Investments, and Dell Technologies have all announced that they will match employee contributions to Trump Accounts in a variety of forms that work best for their employees. And today, Steak ‘n Shake, Broadcom, Intel, IBM, JP Morgan, Chipotle, Coinbase, and Comcast all announced that they will offer matching contributions as well. The President foresees a day where matching contributions to Trump Accounts will be as integral to an employee benefits package as a matching 401(k).&nbsp;Through Trump Accounts, our President is putting the American Dream within reach of every citizen, no matter the circumstances of birth. When young Americans turn 18, they can use their Trump Accounts to keep saving for their retirement. Or they can use them to help purchase a new home or further their education—two hallmarks of the American Dream.Funding through Philanthropists and Charitable OrganizationsThe next means of funding is through generous donations from wealthy Americans and charitable organizations. Consider how Trump Accounts are revolutionizing not only investing but philanthropy as well.&nbsp;The United States is the most generous country in the history of the world. In 2024 alone, our citizens gave over half a trillion dollars to charity. That’s more than the GDP of advanced countries like Singapore, Austria, and the UAE.&nbsp;Many Americans want to give back to their fellow citizens through charitable donations. But our country has long lacked a platform of private ownership from birth that facilitated philanthropy at-scale direct to American children.Not anymore.Trump Accounts are the most capital-efficient form of philanthropy ever devised.&nbsp;Typically, middlemen, overhead costs, and administrative expenses dilute the money Americans donate to charity. But Trump Accounts remove those obstacles entirely to put money directly in the hands of American children.&nbsp;That’s why America’s savviest capital allocators have devoted enormous sums of wealth to seeding Trump Accounts.&nbsp;Michael and Susan Dell led the way by pledging to donate $6.25 billion of their own money to help fund Trump Accounts for 25 million children under the age of 10. Ray and Barbara Dalio then followed suit by pledging $75 million to help fund Trump Accounts for more than 300,000 children in Connecticut.&nbsp;The Dalios were among the first to join “The 50 State Challenge”—a special initiative Treasury has launched to rally the nation’s philanthropists around a common cause. As the President said in his remarks earlier today, the 50 State Challenge is a crucial element of this revolutionary program. Expect to see more philanthropists adopting states in the months to come as the Administration prepares to launch Trump Accounts on the Fourth of July.&nbsp;Funding through StatesThe final way of funding Trump Accounts is through state governments.&nbsp;The administration has been working closely with a number of governors to determine the best way states can work with the federal government to expand access to Trump Accounts to as many children as possible. States are the laboratories of our democracy, and their experiments with Trump Accounts will surface the best methods for funding over time.&nbsp;Why Trump Accounts Mark A Singular Moment in Economic HistoryAt their core, Trump Accounts represent the triumph of capitalism over socialism.&nbsp;Socialism left in its wake a trail of economic ruin, all in pursuit of the belief that abolishing private ownership would lead to greater equality and human flourishing. In fact, the opposite was true. &nbsp;The last century of economic history showed us that the answer was never to abolish private ownership; it was to&nbsp;democratize&nbsp;it. To protect, strengthen, and&nbsp;expand&nbsp;it to as many people as possible so that everyone can benefit from the prosperity only capitalism can provide.Trump Accounts do exactly that. They collapse the distinction between earners and owners by making everyone an owner—all while keeping ownership private. In the decades-long contest between capitalism and socialism, this is the Trump card.&nbsp;Redefining the Social ContractThrough Trump Accounts, our President is creating an ownership economy where all citizens become shareholders in America’s wealth. Today, 38% of American adults do not own stocks. But with Trump accounts, over time, we can get that number down to zero.&nbsp;I have talked in the past about the importance of promoting Parallel Prosperity—an era of economic expansion where Wall Street and Main Street grow together. But the beauty of Trump Accounts is that prosperity no longer runs parallel; it fuses together. Under Trump Accounts, Wall Street’s success becomes Main Street’s success and vice versa. This is the greatest merger in world history, the merger of Wall Street and Main Street. And it will forever change the relationship Americans have with their own economy.&nbsp;Trump Accounts represent a fundamental redefinition of the social contract. They offer a radically new platform that returns us to a social contract anchored in individual ownership where everyone starts life on an investing journey.&nbsp;Creating Laboratories of Financial LiteracyTrump Accounts also create a real-time laboratory of financial literacy for all Americans.&nbsp;Consider an alarming statistic: Approximately two-thirds of Generation Z Americans fail to answer more than half of the basic financial literacy questions on the Nation’s Personal Finance Index. We need to better educate the generation of Americans being born now. Trump Accounts will give us an opportunity to correct course by instilling financial literacy in America’s youth in a way no book, test, or school curriculum could.&nbsp;Trump Accounts will achieve this goal by providing students with a hands-on education in the power of compound growth. Students with Trump Accounts will be able to watch their investment accounts compound in real time—from a value of a couple thousand dollars in kindergarten to potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars.Importantly, students will not be able to access their accounts during this time. Keeping accounts locked until age 18 will require Americans to learn the art of long-term savings and compound growth. States, philanthropists, and charitable organizations can also tie funding of individual Trump Accounts to students passing financial literacy courses. This flexibility creates space for states, philanthropies, and educators to innovate and identify what works best in building financial skills.ConclusionThree pillars of America’s social contract are embedded in the Declaration of Independence: “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Few know that Jefferson borrowed this phrase from John Locke, who famously underscored the centrality of “life, liberty, and&nbsp;property.”&nbsp;Property and the pursuit of happiness, in other words, are deeply intertwined—and for our Founding Fathers, they were one and the same. Property, or put another way,&nbsp;ownership&nbsp;is essential to dignity and human flourishing. This was the ideal our nation was founded on in 1776. And it is the ideal our nation is being re-founded on in 2026.&nbsp;In that sense, Trump Accounts are&nbsp;the&nbsp;defining policy of America’s 250th&nbsp;anniversary. By expanding equity ownership to all citizens, President Trump is restoring the promise of our Founding, revitalizing the social contract, and helping secure American prosperity for the next 250 years. All families can participate and own part of the American Dream.&nbsp;And with your help, we will succeed.Whether you are a philanthropist, a family member, or an employer, all of you here will play a critical role in this effort. So join us in growing economic opportunity, future-proofing capitalism, and carrying the promise of the Founding forward for the next century. Join us by investing in Trump Accounts.&nbsp;

How your baby could qualify for $1,000 with a Trump Account

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a> <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — The federal government began a partial shutdown early Saturday, even though Senate Democrats and President Donald Trump reached a deal that allows lawmakers more time to negotiate new constraints on immigration enforcement.&nbsp;

The Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1192/vote_119_2_00020.htm" target="_blank">voted 71-29</a>&nbsp;on Friday evening to pass the reworked government funding package before a midnight deadline. But the earliest the House could clear it for Trump’s signature is Monday evening, when members return from a recess.

The scheduling problem guarantees the current spending law, which Congress approved in November at the end of the last shutdown, will expire without a replacement.&nbsp;

However, the effects on the nation are not expected to be as dramatic as those during the historic 43-day shutdown last year. Since Congress has already passed half of the dozen annual appropriations bills, this shutdown will only affect part of the government, and possibly with moderate impacts since it may only last a few days until the House acts.

The unexpected hitch in progress toward passing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7148/text" target="_blank">the $1.2 trillion package</a>&nbsp;came about after immigration agents killed a second person in Minneapolis and Senate Democrats demanded reforms be included in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill. Trump has agreed to two weeks of negotiations on the DHS bill, which includes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and other immigration enforcement agencies.

Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, said the full-year measures are “fiscally responsible bills that reflect months of hard work and deliberation from members from both parties and both sides of the Capitol.”

“The package also continues funding for the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks to allow us additional time to evaluate further changes in ICE procedures beyond those that we have already included in this bill,” she said.&nbsp;

Once the package becomes law, she said, 96% of government will be funded for the fiscal year that began back on Oct. 1.&nbsp;

Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said approving the five full-year bills and a stopgap for the Homeland Security Department represented “a simple, commonsense path forward.”

“It is good news we have a deal to fund these key programs families count on while work continues on serious DHS accountability over the next two weeks,” Murray said. “It could not be more clear that ICE and CBP are out of control and that we cannot just wait for the same president who caused this mess to address it.”

Senators from North Carolina, South Carolina tangle

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said in a floor speech several hours before voting began that he would hold up quick consideration of the funding package until leaders agreed to schedule floor votes on two separate proposals.&nbsp;

The first would establish some sort of criminal penalty for local or state officials who do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement agents, often called sanctuary cities. The second would clear the way for conservative organizations to file lawsuits against former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith for his investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.&nbsp;

“What is the right answer when a state or a mayor says, ‘I don’t like this federal law, I’m not going to do it because there’s good politics for me.’ I think you risk going to jail,” Graham said. “We cannot live in a country this way, where you get to pick and choose the laws you don’t like.”

A spokesperson for Graham later confirmed to States Newsroom that the senator didn’t want the votes Friday but “just sometime down the road.” Graham released a statement later in the afternoon that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., had agreed to schedule floor votes “at a time to be determined.”

North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis spoke directly after Graham and rebuked him for delaying the entire funding package.&nbsp;

Tillis called on senators from both political parties to start negotiations about “common sense sorts of ways to lower the temperature” on immigration enforcement.

He said officials should “hold people accountable when they’re harming ICE agents, and hold ICE agents accountable if they reacted in a way that’s not consistent with their law enforcement training.”

Tillis argued that Graham’s approach to pushing for amendment votes that are unlikely to succeed wouldn’t have any tangible, real-world impacts.&nbsp;

“One senator has a lot of power. And if you use it judiciously, you can be productive and make a difference,” Tillis said. “But if you use it in the heat of the moment, you can make a point that not a damn person is going to remember a month later.”

The departments of Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, State, Transportation and Treasury will all experience the funding lapse. The Executive Office of the President, Supreme Court and judicial branch will also be affected.&nbsp;

All other federal programs will continue uninterrupted, since their spending bills have become law, including those at the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Interior, Justice and Veterans Affairs, as well as military construction projects and funding for Congress.&nbsp;

A spokesperson for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts wrote in a statement earlier this week that “operations would continue using court fees and other available balances through Wednesday, February 4.&nbsp;

“The following day, on February 5, the Judiciary would begin operating under the terms of the Anti-Deficiency Act. Federal courts would continue operating, but would be limited to activities needed to support the exercise of the Judiciary’s constitutional functions and to address emergency circumstances.”

House Democrats demand changes in DHS bill

A spokesperson for the White House budget office said the departments and agencies affected by the funding lapse can use their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/how-federal-shutdown-playing-out-across-government" target="_blank">contingency plans from the last shutdown</a>&nbsp;unless they had “big changes.”

Those documents detail how many employees continue working without pay during a shutdown and how many are furloughed.&nbsp;

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats wouldn’t support the spending bill unless major reforms are made in the way immigration officers conduct enforcement.

“We’re going to have to evaluate what the real opportunity is to get dramatic changes at the Department of Homeland Security. It has to be bold,” he said during a morning press conference. “The Senate has to do its thing before we have anything to evaluate.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759315749226.png" alt="Photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a> <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — The federal government began a partial shutdown early Saturday, even though Senate Democrats and President Donald Trump reached a deal that allows lawmakers more time to negotiate new constraints on immigration enforcement.&nbsp;The Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1192/vote_119_2_00020.htm" target="_blank">voted 71-29</a>&nbsp;on Friday evening to pass the reworked government funding package before a midnight deadline. But the earliest the House could clear it for Trump’s signature is Monday evening, when members return from a recess.The scheduling problem guarantees the current spending law, which Congress approved in November at the end of the last shutdown, will expire without a replacement.&nbsp;However, the effects on the nation are not expected to be as dramatic as those during the historic 43-day shutdown last year. Since Congress has already passed half of the dozen annual appropriations bills, this shutdown will only affect part of the government, and possibly with moderate impacts since it may only last a few days until the House acts.The unexpected hitch in progress toward passing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7148/text" target="_blank">the $1.2 trillion package</a>&nbsp;came about after immigration agents killed a second person in Minneapolis and Senate Democrats demanded reforms be included in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill. Trump has agreed to two weeks of negotiations on the DHS bill, which includes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and other immigration enforcement agencies.Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, said the full-year measures are “fiscally responsible bills that reflect months of hard work and deliberation from members from both parties and both sides of the Capitol.”“The package also continues funding for the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks to allow us additional time to evaluate further changes in ICE procedures beyond those that we have already included in this bill,” she said.&nbsp;Once the package becomes law, she said, 96% of government will be funded for the fiscal year that began back on Oct. 1.&nbsp;Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said approving the five full-year bills and a stopgap for the Homeland Security Department represented “a simple, commonsense path forward.”“It is good news we have a deal to fund these key programs families count on while work continues on serious DHS accountability over the next two weeks,” Murray said. “It could not be more clear that ICE and CBP are out of control and that we cannot just wait for the same president who caused this mess to address it.”<h2>Senators from North Carolina, South Carolina tangle</h2>South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said in a floor speech several hours before voting began that he would hold up quick consideration of the funding package until leaders agreed to schedule floor votes on two separate proposals.&nbsp;The first would establish some sort of criminal penalty for local or state officials who do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement agents, often called sanctuary cities. The second would clear the way for conservative organizations to file lawsuits against former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith for his investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.&nbsp;“What is the right answer when a state or a mayor says, ‘I don’t like this federal law, I’m not going to do it because there’s good politics for me.’ I think you risk going to jail,” Graham said. “We cannot live in a country this way, where you get to pick and choose the laws you don’t like.”A spokesperson for Graham later confirmed to States Newsroom that the senator didn’t want the votes Friday but “just sometime down the road.” Graham released a statement later in the afternoon that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., had agreed to schedule floor votes “at a time to be determined.”North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis spoke directly after Graham and rebuked him for delaying the entire funding package.&nbsp;Tillis called on senators from both political parties to start negotiations about “common sense sorts of ways to lower the temperature” on immigration enforcement.He said officials should “hold people accountable when they’re harming ICE agents, and hold ICE agents accountable if they reacted in a way that’s not consistent with their law enforcement training.”Tillis argued that Graham’s approach to pushing for amendment votes that are unlikely to succeed wouldn’t have any tangible, real-world impacts.&nbsp;“One senator has a lot of power. And if you use it judiciously, you can be productive and make a difference,” Tillis said. “But if you use it in the heat of the moment, you can make a point that not a damn person is going to remember a month later.”<h2>Some departments, judiciary affected</h2>The departments of Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, State, Transportation and Treasury will all experience the funding lapse. The Executive Office of the President, Supreme Court and judicial branch will also be affected.&nbsp;All other federal programs will continue uninterrupted, since their spending bills have become law, including those at the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Interior, Justice and Veterans Affairs, as well as military construction projects and funding for Congress.&nbsp;A spokesperson for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts wrote in a statement earlier this week that “operations would continue using court fees and other available balances through Wednesday, February 4.&nbsp;“The following day, on February 5, the Judiciary would begin operating under the terms of the Anti-Deficiency Act. Federal courts would continue operating, but would be limited to activities needed to support the exercise of the Judiciary’s constitutional functions and to address emergency circumstances.”<h2>House Democrats demand changes in DHS bill</h2>A spokesperson for the White House budget office said the departments and agencies affected by the funding lapse can use their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/how-federal-shutdown-playing-out-across-government" target="_blank">contingency plans from the last shutdown</a>&nbsp;unless they had “big changes.”Those documents detail how many employees continue working without pay during a shutdown and how many are furloughed.&nbsp;House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats wouldn’t support the spending bill unless major reforms are made in the way immigration officers conduct enforcement.“We’re going to have to evaluate what the real opportunity is to get dramatic changes at the Department of Homeland Security. It has to be bold,” he said during a morning press conference. “The Senate has to do its thing before we have anything to evaluate.”

Partial federal government shutdown begins, amid hopes it won’t last long

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today published over 3 million additional pages responsive to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on November 19, 2025.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein">Click here t</a>o view the latest files

More than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images are included in today’s additional publication. Combined with prior releases, this makes the total production nearly 3.5 million pages released in compliance with the Act, according to a media release on the DOJ website.

These files were collected from five primary sources including the Florida and New York cases against Epstein, the New York case against Maxwell, the New York cases investigating Epstein’s death, the Florida case investigating a former butler of Epstein, Multiple FBI investigations, and the Office of Inspector General investigation into Epstein’s death.

The Department erred on the side of over-collecting materials, and any materials not produced fall within one of the following categories:

More than 500 attorneys and reviewers from the Department contributed to this effort. In addition, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (USAO-SDNY) employed an additional review protocol to ensure compliance with a Court order requiring United States Attorney Jay Clayton to certify that no victim identifying information would be produced unredacted as part of the public production.

Through the process, the Department provided clear instructions to reviewers that the redactions were to be limited to the protection of victims and their families. Some pornographic images, whether commercial or not, were redacted, given the Department treated all women in those images as victims. Notable individuals and politicians were not redacted in the release of any files.

This production may include fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos, as everything that was sent to the FBI by the public was included in the production that is responsive to the Act. Some of the documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear, the claims are unfounded and false, and if they have a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already.

To access the full letter the Justice Department sent to Congress today, visit:

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/letter-to-congress.pdf">https://www.justice.gov/letter-to-congress.pdf</a>

To access all files produced, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein">https://www.justice.gov/epstein</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769812323594.png" alt="Image previously released by the U.S. Department of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Image previously released by the U.S. Department of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today published over 3 million additional pages responsive to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on November 19, 2025.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein">Click here t</a>o view the latest filesMore than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images are included in today’s additional publication. Combined with prior releases, this makes the total production nearly 3.5 million pages released in compliance with the Act, according to a media release on the DOJ website.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769817863085.png" alt="Email exchange from Elon Musk in the files released Friday" />
 <figcaption>Email exchange from Elon Musk in the files released Friday</figcaption>
 </figure>These files were collected from five primary sources including the Florida and New York cases against Epstein, the New York case against Maxwell, the New York cases investigating Epstein’s death, the Florida case investigating a former butler of Epstein, Multiple FBI investigations, and the Office of Inspector General investigation into Epstein’s death.The Department erred on the side of over-collecting materials, and any materials not produced fall within one of the following categories:<ul>
 <li>Duplicate documents between SDNY and SDFL investigations.</li><li>Withheld under privilege- deliberative process privilege, attorney client privilege.</li><li>Withheld based upon exceptions under the act (depictions of violence);</li><li>Items that were that are not part of the case file for Epstein or Maxwell and were completely unrelated to these cases.</li>
 </ul>More than 500 attorneys and reviewers from the Department contributed to this effort. In addition, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (USAO-SDNY) employed an additional review protocol to ensure compliance with a Court order requiring United States Attorney Jay Clayton to certify that no victim identifying information would be produced unredacted as part of the public production.Through the process, the Department provided clear instructions to reviewers that the redactions were to be limited to the protection of victims and their families. Some pornographic images, whether commercial or not, were redacted, given the Department treated all women in those images as victims. Notable individuals and politicians were not redacted in the release of any files.This production may include fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos, as everything that was sent to the FBI by the public was included in the production that is responsive to the Act. Some of the documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear, the claims are unfounded and false, and if they have a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already.To access the full letter the Justice Department sent to Congress today, visit:<a href="https://www.justice.gov/letter-to-congress.pdf">https://www.justice.gov/letter-to-congress.pdf</a>To access all files produced, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein">https://www.justice.gov/epstein</a>

View the latest release of millions of pages of Epstein file documents

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769780223167.png" alt="File -Don Lemon from a 2022 interview- photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File -Don Lemon from a 2022 interview- photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">At my direction, early this morning federal agents arrested Don Lemon, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. More details soon.&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2017238803639845115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769780098867.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">When life gives you lemons... ⛓️ <a href="https://t.co/wxry0fudOj">pic.twitter.com/wxry0fudOj</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2017248964878143741?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/moL7xr4jZJ">pic.twitter.com/moL7xr4jZJ</a>&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2017277024235040888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://t.co/Yy9IOZRpJU">pic.twitter.com/Yy9IOZRpJU</a>&mdash; CNN Communications (@CNNPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNPR/status/2017257849592721642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Former CNN anchor arrested after protest that disrupted church service

District judge does not rule on temporary injunction with secretary of state expected to share voter records Feb. 12

By Erin Bamer <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A public advocacy nonprofit argued Thursday that the federal government must comply with Nebraska statutes when requesting the state’s voter records.

Lancaster County District Court Judge Lori Maret heard arguments from Common Cause Nebraska and the state in the group’s legal challenge to the U.S. Department of Justice requesting voter registration data from all 50 states.

Common Cause&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/09/22/voting-advocacy-group-sues-to-block-nebraska-from-giving-voter-data-to-feds/">seeks an injunction</a>&nbsp;to prevent Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen from sharing the data Feb. 12, which Evnen has stated his intention to do. In turn, the state has filed a motion to dismiss the case.

Maret issued no immediate ruling after Thursday’s hearing, saying she would take the arguments from both sides under advisement.

Federal officials have asked states for names, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of voters’ Social Security numbers, saying they want the information to ensure accurate voter registration rolls.

Common Cause asked the court to find that the DOJ request violates Nebraska law protecting data privacy. Its lawsuit asks the court to prohibit the Secretary of State from providing the voter data or to limit the types of data shared with the DOJ.

The Justice Department has requested voter data from 44 states and Washington, D.C. so far, with plans to ask for that information from all 50 states. A few GOP states have declined or not responded, citing privacy concerns, and a majority of Democratic-run states have refused to do so.

Critics have questioned the safety of letting any presidential administration consolidate state voter data in one place. The federal government has sued more than 20 states and the District of Columbia for not complying.

Recently, the DOJ asked&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/01/24/us/pam-bondi-walz-doc.html" target="_blank">Minnesota</a>&nbsp;to hand over its voter rolls as part of a federal offer to reduce the presence of&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/29/homan-im-staying-til-the-problem-is-gone/" target="_blank">thousands of immigrants in the state.</a>

Solicitor General Cody Barnett, representing Nebraska in Thursday’s case, mentioned the federal lawsuits in arguing that the Common Cause lawsuit should be dismissed. He argued that all indispensable parties should be present, and the federal government qualifies as one because it has an “obvious stake” in the case.

“They have a seat at this table, and yet plaintiffs have not brought them into this lawsuit,” Barnett said.

Daniel Gutman, an attorney representing Common Cause, countered that Nebraska law offers federal officials no special rights when it comes to accessing private information, so he does not believe that the federal government is a necessary party.

The Justice Department initially sent a letter to Nebraska’s secretary of state last year and set a Sept. 22 deadline to provide the data. Evnen has not yet provided the data due to the lawsuit, but he has said he intends to release Nebraska’s voter file to the federal government Feb. 12 “unless the court orders otherwise.”

Common Cause filed paperwork seeking a temporary restraining order over concerns that the court might not rule before the secretary releases the data.

Gutman said the federal government doesn’t have access to Nebraska’s voter information under the U.S. Constitution, which gives states the authority to administer elections. Because of this, he argued that to receive such information, federal officials must comply with Nebraska law, and they have not.

According to Nebraska’s election statutes, Gutman said, voter files are considered a public record, and thus can be inspected by members of the public. State officials can even get copies of the records under specific circumstances.

However, state law also says public voter information cannot include confidential information, including digital signatures, Gutman said. The DOJ has asked for an unredacted file of Nebraska’s voter rolls, which Gutman argued would violate state statute.

Barnett said though states administer elections, federal agencies still play a role. He said the federal government has a bevy of information and resources that can help states with their election systems.

Barnett argued Common Cause failed to prove a “concrete injury” to warrant an injunction, and said its requested relief was too broad. He argued the nonprofit could only request an injunction to prevent Evnen from releasing data pertaining to specific individuals — like the members of Common Cause itself — but not all voters in the state.

He further argued that there are multiple examples of federal law that prove the sharing of voter data is legally sound, particularly the Civil Rights Act of 1960. In it, Barnett said the U.S. Attorney General has the right to inspect records within 22 months of a federal election.

Barnett described several of the arguments Common Cause made in court documents as “speculative,” including allegations that the DOJ may share voter information to third parties. Siding with this argument would ignore the “presumption of good faith” that he said is usually afforded to government agencies throughout Nebraska’s legal history.

“The U.S. DOJ maintains that it will maintain the registry in accordance with all the privacy statutes that the federal government has enacted and that state law respects,” Barnett said. “And there’s no reason to doubt the government’s word on that point.”

This isn’t the first time President Donland Trump has asked for Nebraska’s voter rolls.

The Trump administration made a similar request to then-Secretary of State John Gale in 2017. Gale declined to turn over Nebraska’s full voter information, because he argued doing so wouldn’t comply with state law. He also expressed concerns about data privacy.

A public and more limited version of Nebraska’s voter file, including names and addresses, is available for a fee. Registered voters can request that the state withhold their phone numbers and email addresses.

Evnen’s intention to release the data led the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/01/09/dnc-threatens-to-sue-nebraska-over-potential-deal-to-remove-voters-flagged-by-feds/">Democratic National Committee to threaten to sue Nebraska</a>&nbsp;over any potential agreement with the Justice Department requiring election officials to remove allegedly ineligible voters the federal government identifies during federal reviews of state voter rolls.

The letter, sent earlier this month, says the DNC wants to “ensure” the state and secretary of state are aware of federal constraints on voter registration list maintenance and wants the state not to pursue any “unlawful removals from its official list of eligible voters in elections for federal office.”

Evnen described the letter as “grandstanding.”

“I have always been proactive in securing our elections … we won’t be pressured by the DNC, Common Cause, or anyone else into compromising the integrity of our voter registration list maintenance process,” he said.

The latest DOJ move is another issue for Evnen to balance as he seeks reelection in 2026. He is trying to defend as secure the state’s elections that his office administers and respond to the concerns of some Republicans and Trump over election integrity since the 2020 presidential election, a national framing that some election experts have warned could undermine public trust.

Examiner political reporter Juan Salinas II contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730813165690.jpeg" alt="Post File Photo" />
 <figcaption>Post File Photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>District judge does not rule on temporary injunction with secretary of state expected to share voter records Feb. 12</h2>By Erin Bamer <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A public advocacy nonprofit argued Thursday that the federal government must comply with Nebraska statutes when requesting the state’s voter records.Lancaster County District Court Judge Lori Maret heard arguments from Common Cause Nebraska and the state in the group’s legal challenge to the U.S. Department of Justice requesting voter registration data from all 50 states.Common Cause&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/09/22/voting-advocacy-group-sues-to-block-nebraska-from-giving-voter-data-to-feds/">seeks an injunction</a>&nbsp;to prevent Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen from sharing the data Feb. 12, which Evnen has stated his intention to do. In turn, the state has filed a motion to dismiss the case.Maret issued no immediate ruling after Thursday’s hearing, saying she would take the arguments from both sides under advisement.Federal officials have asked states for names, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of voters’ Social Security numbers, saying they want the information to ensure accurate voter registration rolls.Common Cause asked the court to find that the DOJ request violates Nebraska law protecting data privacy. Its lawsuit asks the court to prohibit the Secretary of State from providing the voter data or to limit the types of data shared with the DOJ.The Justice Department has requested voter data from 44 states and Washington, D.C. so far, with plans to ask for that information from all 50 states. A few GOP states have declined or not responded, citing privacy concerns, and a majority of Democratic-run states have refused to do so.Critics have questioned the safety of letting any presidential administration consolidate state voter data in one place. The federal government has sued more than 20 states and the District of Columbia for not complying.Recently, the DOJ asked&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/01/24/us/pam-bondi-walz-doc.html" target="_blank">Minnesota</a>&nbsp;to hand over its voter rolls as part of a federal offer to reduce the presence of&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/29/homan-im-staying-til-the-problem-is-gone/" target="_blank">thousands of immigrants in the state.</a>Solicitor General Cody Barnett, representing Nebraska in Thursday’s case, mentioned the federal lawsuits in arguing that the Common Cause lawsuit should be dismissed. He argued that all indispensable parties should be present, and the federal government qualifies as one because it has an “obvious stake” in the case.“They have a seat at this table, and yet plaintiffs have not brought them into this lawsuit,” Barnett said.Daniel Gutman, an attorney representing Common Cause, countered that Nebraska law offers federal officials no special rights when it comes to accessing private information, so he does not believe that the federal government is a necessary party.The Justice Department initially sent a letter to Nebraska’s secretary of state last year and set a Sept. 22 deadline to provide the data. Evnen has not yet provided the data due to the lawsuit, but he has said he intends to release Nebraska’s voter file to the federal government Feb. 12 “unless the court orders otherwise.”Common Cause filed paperwork seeking a temporary restraining order over concerns that the court might not rule before the secretary releases the data.YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.SUPPORTGutman said the federal government doesn’t have access to Nebraska’s voter information under the U.S. Constitution, which gives states the authority to administer elections. Because of this, he argued that to receive such information, federal officials must comply with Nebraska law, and they have not.According to Nebraska’s election statutes, Gutman said, voter files are considered a public record, and thus can be inspected by members of the public. State officials can even get copies of the records under specific circumstances.However, state law also says public voter information cannot include confidential information, including digital signatures, Gutman said. The DOJ has asked for an unredacted file of Nebraska’s voter rolls, which Gutman argued would violate state statute.Barnett said though states administer elections, federal agencies still play a role. He said the federal government has a bevy of information and resources that can help states with their election systems.Barnett argued Common Cause failed to prove a “concrete injury” to warrant an injunction, and said its requested relief was too broad. He argued the nonprofit could only request an injunction to prevent Evnen from releasing data pertaining to specific individuals — like the members of Common Cause itself — but not all voters in the state.He further argued that there are multiple examples of federal law that prove the sharing of voter data is legally sound, particularly the Civil Rights Act of 1960. In it, Barnett said the U.S. Attorney General has the right to inspect records within 22 months of a federal election.Barnett described several of the arguments Common Cause made in court documents as “speculative,” including allegations that the DOJ may share voter information to third parties. Siding with this argument would ignore the “presumption of good faith” that he said is usually afforded to government agencies throughout Nebraska’s legal history.“The U.S. DOJ maintains that it will maintain the registry in accordance with all the privacy statutes that the federal government has enacted and that state law respects,” Barnett said. “And there’s no reason to doubt the government’s word on that point.”This isn’t the first time President Donland Trump has asked for Nebraska’s voter rolls.The Trump administration made a similar request to then-Secretary of State John Gale in 2017. Gale declined to turn over Nebraska’s full voter information, because he argued doing so wouldn’t comply with state law. He also expressed concerns about data privacy.A public and more limited version of Nebraska’s voter file, including names and addresses, is available for a fee. Registered voters can request that the state withhold their phone numbers and email addresses.Evnen’s intention to release the data led the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/01/09/dnc-threatens-to-sue-nebraska-over-potential-deal-to-remove-voters-flagged-by-feds/">Democratic National Committee to threaten to sue Nebraska</a>&nbsp;over any potential agreement with the Justice Department requiring election officials to remove allegedly ineligible voters the federal government identifies during federal reviews of state voter rolls.The letter, sent earlier this month, says the DNC wants to “ensure” the state and secretary of state are aware of federal constraints on voter registration list maintenance and wants the state not to pursue any “unlawful removals from its official list of eligible voters in elections for federal office.”Evnen described the letter as “grandstanding.”“I have always been proactive in securing our elections … we won’t be pressured by the DNC, Common Cause, or anyone else into compromising the integrity of our voter registration list maintenance process,” he said.The latest DOJ move is another issue for Evnen to balance as he seeks reelection in 2026. He is trying to defend as secure the state’s elections that his office administers and respond to the concerns of some Republicans and Trump over election integrity since the 2020 presidential election, a national framing that some election experts have warned could undermine public trust.Examiner political reporter Juan Salinas II contributed to this report.

Court hears lawsuit seeking to stop Nebraska from releasing voter data to federal government

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>-

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate was unable to advance a funding package Thursday, pushing the federal government closer to a partial shutdown as Democrats press for restrictions on immigration enforcement.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1192/vote_119_2_00013.htm" target="_blank">The 45-55 vote&nbsp;</a>needed at least 60 senators to agree to move forward with debate on the six appropriations bills that have been bundled together ahead of a Friday midnight deadline.&nbsp;

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said shortly before the vote that he’s optimistic Democrats and President Donald Trump can broker some sort of agreement that avoids a shutdown. The package’s progress was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/deadly-shooting-minneapolis-could-lead-partial-government-shutdown-over-ice-funding" target="_blank">thrown into doubt</a>&nbsp;after the deadly shooting of a second U.S. citizen by immigration agents in Minneapolis on Saturday.

“I’ll let the White House speak for themselves. But there have been very constructive discussions and conversations I’ve been part of, and so let’s just say I’m hopeful,” Thune said. “But I don’t want to get the cart ahead of the horse.”

That deal would likely swap out the full-year funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security and replace it with a brief stopgap spending measure, giving lawmakers and the administration more time to broker a bipartisan deal.

The House would need to approve any changes to the package before it could head to Trump for his signature, which could lead to a funding lapse over the weekend and into Monday when that chamber is scheduled to return from a recess.&nbsp;

Thune said the changes to immigration enforcement that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., detailed earlier this week will not be included in this government funding package, but could be taken up in a bill later this year.&nbsp;

“That’s not going to happen in this bill,” Thune said. “But there’s a path to consider some of those things and negotiate that out between Republicans, Democrats, House, Senate and White House.”

Thune said negotiators hadn’t yet determined how long the stopgap spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security would be, but said he hoped the House&nbsp; — narrowly controlled by Republicans — would be able to quickly clear a reworked package after changes are finalized in the Senate.&nbsp;

Congress has approved half of the dozen annual government funding bills, but needs to clear the remaining measures before the stopgap spending bill keeping those departments running expires Friday at midnight.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A partial government shutdown would impact the Departments of Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, State, Transportation and Treasury. The Executive Office of the President, Supreme Court and judicial branch would also go without funding.&nbsp;

Schumer said in a floor speech the Trump administration’s handling of immigration enforcement has been a “moral abomination.”&nbsp;

“Enough is enough. What (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is doing outside the law is state-sanctioned thuggery and it must stop,” Schumer said. “Congress has the authority and the moral obligation to act.”

Schumer reiterated that Democrats support five of the funding bills in the package and will help advance them but said the Homeland Security bill “still needs a lot of work.”

During a Cabinet meeting Thursday morning, Trump said that he does not want a partial government shutdown and is working with Senate Democrats.&nbsp;

“Hopefully we won’t have a shutdown, we’re working on that right now,” Trump said. “I think we’re getting close, the Democrats, I don’t believe want to see it either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way.”

A White House official wrote in a statement that “President Trump has been consistent — he wants the government to remain open, and the Administration has been working with both parties to ensure the American people don’t have to endure another shutdown.”&nbsp;

“A shutdown would risk disaster response funding and more vital resources for the American people,” the official added. Funds for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is aiding states after a major winter storm last weekend, are included in the DHS bill.

Democrats and Republicans reached consensus on some changes to the Homeland Security appropriations bill after the&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/07/ice-officer-fatally-shoots-driver-through-car-window-in-minneapolis/" target="_blank">Jan. 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good</a>, including funding for body cameras and additional oversight of detention facilities.&nbsp;

The House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/many-dems-refuse-vote-fund-ice-us-house-passes-4-spending-bills" target="_blank">approved that bill</a>&nbsp;last week and sent it to the Senate as part of the larger package.&nbsp;&nbsp;

But border patrol agents’&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/24/another-minnesotan-shot-and-killed-by-feds/" target="_blank">shooting of Alex Pretti</a>&nbsp;Saturday led Democrats to call for the DHS spending bill to be pulled to give lawmakers time to negotiate additional guardrails on federal immigration actions.&nbsp;

Schumer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-dems-demand-mask-ban-body-camera-requirement-ids-immigration-agents" target="_blank">outlined</a>&nbsp;a list of proposed changes Tuesday that included:&nbsp;

In response to immigration agents who shot and killed Pretti, the president directed his border czar Tom Homan to head to Minneapolis.&nbsp;

Homan said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/border-czar-tom-homan-im-staying-til-problem-gone" target="_blank">during a morning press conference</a>&nbsp;that immigration enforcement would only end if state officials cooperate and aid the federal government in the Trump administration’s immigration campaign. States and localities are not required to enforce immigration law, as it’s a federal responsibility.&nbsp;

Homan did not specify how long he would remain in Minnesota, only “until the problem’s gone.”

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, urged lawmakers to advance the entire package ahead of the vote, noting that changes to the Homeland Security funding bill cannot be made if senators don’t agree to formally begin debate first.&nbsp;

“My hope is that we can come up with an agreement that allows us to proceed to this bill and provide some additional safeguards and those negotiations are underway right now,” Collins said. “But if we don’t get on to this package we cannot change this package. And I think that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle need to recognize and acknowledge that.”

Collins noted that a stopgap spending bill for DHS wouldn’t implement the changes in the full-year bill, including body cameras, deescalation training and empowering the Inspector General to review and investigate detention centers.&nbsp;

“These are all critical reforms but it does not mean that we cannot do more,” Collins said. “But to do more we need to get on to the bill so that we can make the critical decisions that are being negotiated by leadership in both the House and the Senate and the White House.”

Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said during floor debate that she would not vote for the package until the Homeland Security bill is removed.&nbsp;

“While I am very glad to see the White House and Republicans are now talking with Democrats to finalize a plan and pass the five bills and split off DHS, until that deal is finalized, I will be a no on this bill,” Murray said.&nbsp;

The full-year spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security, she said, should not become law until senators make “real progress on accountability.”

“ICE and (Customs and Border Protection) are out of control and we cannot approve that bill until common sense reforms are included,” Murray added.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759315749226.png" alt="Photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>-WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate was unable to advance a funding package Thursday, pushing the federal government closer to a partial shutdown as Democrats press for restrictions on immigration enforcement.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1192/vote_119_2_00013.htm" target="_blank">The 45-55 vote&nbsp;</a>needed at least 60 senators to agree to move forward with debate on the six appropriations bills that have been bundled together ahead of a Friday midnight deadline.&nbsp;Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said shortly before the vote that he’s optimistic Democrats and President Donald Trump can broker some sort of agreement that avoids a shutdown. The package’s progress was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/deadly-shooting-minneapolis-could-lead-partial-government-shutdown-over-ice-funding" target="_blank">thrown into doubt</a>&nbsp;after the deadly shooting of a second U.S. citizen by immigration agents in Minneapolis on Saturday.“I’ll let the White House speak for themselves. But there have been very constructive discussions and conversations I’ve been part of, and so let’s just say I’m hopeful,” Thune said. “But I don’t want to get the cart ahead of the horse.”That deal would likely swap out the full-year funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security and replace it with a brief stopgap spending measure, giving lawmakers and the administration more time to broker a bipartisan deal.The House would need to approve any changes to the package before it could head to Trump for his signature, which could lead to a funding lapse over the weekend and into Monday when that chamber is scheduled to return from a recess.&nbsp;<h2>Senate Dem immigration reforms may wait</h2>Thune said the changes to immigration enforcement that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., detailed earlier this week will not be included in this government funding package, but could be taken up in a bill later this year.&nbsp;“That’s not going to happen in this bill,” Thune said. “But there’s a path to consider some of those things and negotiate that out between Republicans, Democrats, House, Senate and White House.”Thune said negotiators hadn’t yet determined how long the stopgap spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security would be, but said he hoped the House&nbsp; — narrowly controlled by Republicans — would be able to quickly clear a reworked package after changes are finalized in the Senate.&nbsp;Congress has approved half of the dozen annual government funding bills, but needs to clear the remaining measures before the stopgap spending bill keeping those departments running expires Friday at midnight.&nbsp;&nbsp;A partial government shutdown would impact the Departments of Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, State, Transportation and Treasury. The Executive Office of the President, Supreme Court and judicial branch would also go without funding.&nbsp;<h2>‘Enough is enough’</h2>Schumer said in a floor speech the Trump administration’s handling of immigration enforcement has been a “moral abomination.”&nbsp;“Enough is enough. What (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is doing outside the law is state-sanctioned thuggery and it must stop,” Schumer said. “Congress has the authority and the moral obligation to act.”Schumer reiterated that Democrats support five of the funding bills in the package and will help advance them but said the Homeland Security bill “still needs a lot of work.”During a Cabinet meeting Thursday morning, Trump said that he does not want a partial government shutdown and is working with Senate Democrats.&nbsp;“Hopefully we won’t have a shutdown, we’re working on that right now,” Trump said. “I think we’re getting close, the Democrats, I don’t believe want to see it either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way.”A White House official wrote in a statement that “President Trump has been consistent — he wants the government to remain open, and the Administration has been working with both parties to ensure the American people don’t have to endure another shutdown.”&nbsp;“A shutdown would risk disaster response funding and more vital resources for the American people,” the official added. Funds for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is aiding states after a major winter storm last weekend, are included in the DHS bill.<h2>Some consensus</h2>Democrats and Republicans reached consensus on some changes to the Homeland Security appropriations bill after the&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/07/ice-officer-fatally-shoots-driver-through-car-window-in-minneapolis/" target="_blank">Jan. 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good</a>, including funding for body cameras and additional oversight of detention facilities.&nbsp;The House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/many-dems-refuse-vote-fund-ice-us-house-passes-4-spending-bills" target="_blank">approved that bill</a>&nbsp;last week and sent it to the Senate as part of the larger package.&nbsp;&nbsp;But border patrol agents’&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/24/another-minnesotan-shot-and-killed-by-feds/" target="_blank">shooting of Alex Pretti</a>&nbsp;Saturday led Democrats to call for the DHS spending bill to be pulled to give lawmakers time to negotiate additional guardrails on federal immigration actions.&nbsp;Schumer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-dems-demand-mask-ban-body-camera-requirement-ids-immigration-agents" target="_blank">outlined</a>&nbsp;a list of proposed changes Tuesday that included:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>The end of roving patrols;</li><li>Tightening the rules governing the use of warrants;</li><li>Requiring Immigration and Customs Enforcement to coordinate with state and local law enforcement;</li><li>Implementing a uniform code of conduct that holds federal law enforcement to the same set of standards that apply to state and local agencies;</li><li>Barring the wearing of masks;</li><li>Requiring the use of body cameras; and</li><li>Mandating immigration agents carry proper identification.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>In response to immigration agents who shot and killed Pretti, the president directed his border czar Tom Homan to head to Minneapolis.&nbsp;Homan said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/border-czar-tom-homan-im-staying-til-problem-gone" target="_blank">during a morning press conference</a>&nbsp;that immigration enforcement would only end if state officials cooperate and aid the federal government in the Trump administration’s immigration campaign. States and localities are not required to enforce immigration law, as it’s a federal responsibility.&nbsp;Homan did not specify how long he would remain in Minnesota, only “until the problem’s gone.”<h2>Collins urges lawmakers to back package</h2>Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, urged lawmakers to advance the entire package ahead of the vote, noting that changes to the Homeland Security funding bill cannot be made if senators don’t agree to formally begin debate first.&nbsp;“My hope is that we can come up with an agreement that allows us to proceed to this bill and provide some additional safeguards and those negotiations are underway right now,” Collins said. “But if we don’t get on to this package we cannot change this package. And I think that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle need to recognize and acknowledge that.”Collins noted that a stopgap spending bill for DHS wouldn’t implement the changes in the full-year bill, including body cameras, deescalation training and empowering the Inspector General to review and investigate detention centers.&nbsp;“These are all critical reforms but it does not mean that we cannot do more,” Collins said. “But to do more we need to get on to the bill so that we can make the critical decisions that are being negotiated by leadership in both the House and the Senate and the White House.”Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, said during floor debate that she would not vote for the package until the Homeland Security bill is removed.&nbsp;“While I am very glad to see the White House and Republicans are now talking with Democrats to finalize a plan and pass the five bills and split off DHS, until that deal is finalized, I will be a no on this bill,” Murray said.&nbsp;The full-year spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security, she said, should not become law until senators make “real progress on accountability.”“ICE and (Customs and Border Protection) are out of control and we cannot approve that bill until common sense reforms are included,” Murray added.&nbsp;

US Senate fails to advance spending package, with partial shutdown looming Friday night

The proposal has the support of the head of the U.S. Department of Education

By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/jsalinas/">Juan Salinas II</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/01/05/nebraska-report-examines-state-impacts-if-u-s-enters-armed-conflict/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraska is looking to require students to retake third grade if they fail a&nbsp;state-mandated reading test — with some exceptions.&nbsp;

The proposal is from the Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, carried by State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, chair of the Legislature’s Education Committee.&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=63185" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 1050</a>&nbsp;would require schools to help students who fail to meet the new benchmarks with an “intensive acceleration class” featuring a smaller student-teacher ratio to focus on improving students’ reading level.&nbsp;

Students could be held back once between third and fourth grade, determined by three reading assessments during the school year. The new requirements would begin fall of 2027.&nbsp;

Nebraska students in kindergarten through second grade would also take three reading assessments three times during the school year to determine whether they were at the correct reading level. Students receiving special education services or accommodations would be exempt under the proposal.&nbsp;

The proposal is a part of the governor’s&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/gov-pillen-advocates-education-bills" target="_blank">focus on education for this session</a>.

Trump Education Secretary Linda McMahon&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/edsecmcmahon/status/2016210242128789511?s=46&amp;t=B4v5xSml401BbJ1-tGAokQhttps://x.com/edsecmcmahon/status/2016210242128789511?s=46&amp;t=B4v5xSml401BbJ1-tGAokQ" target="_blank">posted her support</a>&nbsp;for Pillen’s proposal on social media Tuesday, saying, “Accountability partnered with focused tutoring for students who need additional help will provide an education Nebraska’s students deserve.”

The bill had its hearing before the Education Committee on Tuesday.&nbsp;Both supporters and opponents of the bill looked toMississippi as an example.&nbsp;Mississippi turned around&nbsp;its near-dead-last ranking on national tests in 2013 to a top 10 state for fourth-grade reading. It&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/us/mississippi-schools-transformation.html" target="_blank">has been dubbed the “Mississippi Miracle</a>.”

Supporters and Murman used the southern state and its “miracle” to say that retention was the reason it worked, while opponents said it was extra services that led to success.&nbsp;Some of Murman’s committee members hinted that the bill might need some tweaks.&nbsp;

“A child who cannot read by third grade is not failing the system. The system is failing that child,” Heather Schmidt of Lincoln, a supporter of the bill, said during the hearing.&nbsp;

Schmidt said the proposal should be strengthened by amending the bill so schools are required to screen for dyslexia, an issue she and her daughter, who has dyslexia, have asked the Legislature to provide more support around. She said the bill is an “opportunity” to help struggling readers.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769702320488.jpeg" alt=" Brian Maher, Nebraska’s education commissioner, reads a book to a group of mostly 3-year-olds Monday as he and others launch a statewide project to boost reading skills of pre-kindergarteners. The kickoff was at an Educare of Omaha at Indian Hill, 3110 W St., on Oct. 30, 2023. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> Brian Maher, Nebraska’s education commissioner, reads a book to a group of mostly 3-year-olds Monday as he and others launch a statewide project to boost reading skills of pre-kindergarteners. The kickoff was at an Educare of Omaha at Indian Hill, 3110 W St., on Oct. 30, 2023. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The proposal has the support of the head of the U.S. Department of Education</h2>By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/jsalinas/">Juan Salinas II</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/01/05/nebraska-report-examines-state-impacts-if-u-s-enters-armed-conflict/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraska is looking to require students to retake third grade if they fail a&nbsp;state-mandated reading test — with some exceptions.&nbsp;The proposal is from the Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, carried by State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, chair of the Legislature’s Education Committee.&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=63185" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 1050</a>&nbsp;would require schools to help students who fail to meet the new benchmarks with an “intensive acceleration class” featuring a smaller student-teacher ratio to focus on improving students’ reading level.&nbsp;Students could be held back once between third and fourth grade, determined by three reading assessments during the school year. The new requirements would begin fall of 2027.&nbsp;Nebraska students in kindergarten through second grade would also take three reading assessments three times during the school year to determine whether they were at the correct reading level. Students receiving special education services or accommodations would be exempt under the proposal.&nbsp;The proposal is a part of the governor’s&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/gov-pillen-advocates-education-bills" target="_blank">focus on education for this session</a>.Trump Education Secretary Linda McMahon&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/edsecmcmahon/status/2016210242128789511?s=46&amp;t=B4v5xSml401BbJ1-tGAokQhttps://x.com/edsecmcmahon/status/2016210242128789511?s=46&amp;t=B4v5xSml401BbJ1-tGAokQ" target="_blank">posted her support</a>&nbsp;for Pillen’s proposal on social media Tuesday, saying, “Accountability partnered with focused tutoring for students who need additional help will provide an education Nebraska’s students deserve.”The bill had its hearing before the Education Committee on Tuesday.&nbsp;Both supporters and opponents of the bill looked toMississippi as an example.&nbsp;Mississippi turned around&nbsp;its near-dead-last ranking on national tests in 2013 to a top 10 state for fourth-grade reading. It&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/us/mississippi-schools-transformation.html" target="_blank">has been dubbed the “Mississippi Miracle</a>.”Supporters and Murman used the southern state and its “miracle” to say that retention was the reason it worked, while opponents said it was extra services that led to success.&nbsp;Some of Murman’s committee members hinted that the bill might need some tweaks.&nbsp;“A child who cannot read by third grade is not failing the system. The system is failing that child,” Heather Schmidt of Lincoln, a supporter of the bill, said during the hearing.&nbsp;Schmidt said the proposal should be strengthened by amending the bill so schools are required to screen for dyslexia, an issue she and her daughter, who has dyslexia, have asked the Legislature to provide more support around. She said the bill is an “opportunity” to help struggling readers.&nbsp;Lisa Schonhoff of Bennington, an elected member of the State Board of Education speaking in her personal capacity, expressed her support of the governor’s proposal. The former teacher said “a lot” of parents come to her asking why their children are so behind in reading when she offers outside tutoring.“Accountability is paramount,”&nbsp; Schonhoff said. “This is the accountability piece that we need.”&nbsp;Other supporters of the proposal said it can help students who need it to catch up.&nbsp;Opponents of the bill said holding kids back is ineffective and harmful and questioned if the state has the money for those “acceleration” classes. Stacy Lovelace, for example, said her dad was held back because he didn’t read at grade level.&nbsp;“It didn’t make him a better reader or a better student,” Lovelace said. “Instead, it left him with a lifetime of shame and a mantra of ‘I’m stupid.’”She asked the committee why they are proposing to use “1950s tactics” when there are 21st-century treatments and supports available for kids.Since 2018, schools have been required to identify K-3 students with reading deficiencies and put them on “reading improvement plans.” That was the result of legislation from then-State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of the Elkhorn area. In her freshman year in 2017, she initially proposed mandatory holding back of struggling third-grade readers before scaling back.In his tele-town hall from earlier this month, Pillen said that the state doesn’t need more “self-esteem crap.”“When third graders can’t read in third grade, they are not going on to fourth grade,” Pillen said last week. “I believe this policy will help educators.”