Minnesota Sues ICE - In the wake of a fatal ICE shooting in Minnesota, the state joined the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul in filing a lawsuit against ICE and requested that those forces leave the state. Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) Minnesota said, "This is, in essence, a federal invasion of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, and it must stop." He added, "These poorly trained, aggressive and armed agents of the federal state have terrorized Minnesota with widespread unlawful conduct." But Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said, "President Trump's job is to protect the American people and enforce the law -- no matter who your mayor, governor, or state attorney general is." She added, "That's what the Trump administration is doing; we have the Constitution on our side on this, and we look forward to proving that in court." No court date has been set, but I expect one soon, and whichever side loses will appeal. This will be fast-tracked to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Then, on Friday, the Trump Justice Department announced that it was investigating both Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
Prosecutors Quit - So far, five Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Minneapolis office have quit because they were not pleased with how the U.S. Department of Justice is handling the case. Meanwhile, the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ in Washington, DC, said there will be no federal investigation into whether the late Renee Good's civil rights were violated. At the same time, tensions remain high between protesters and ICE, who are engaged on the ground in Minnesota. Three protesters were arrested and accused of beating an ICE agent with shovels, and he, in turn, shot at them, wounding one in the leg. The trio from Venezuela, who are not in the U.S. legally, were charged with attempted murder. President Donald Trump is threatening to use the Insurrection Act to put military and more law enforcement on Minnesota streets. This controversy continues to simmer as the 2026 midterm election primaries begin soon. It will be a key issue.
Venezuelan Flop - Last week, the U.S. Senate passed a preliminary resolution saying that it was enforcing the War Powers Act, and that President Trump must consult and brief Congress before any additional military action in Venezuela. Five Republicans voted with all Democrats. But this week, in a stunning reversal, the final vote ended in a 50-50 tie. Vice President JD Vance cast the decisive no vote, and the resolution was defeated. Two senators who voted yes last week flipped and voted no on the final measure. They are Sens. Josh Hawley (R) Missouri and Todd Young (R) Indiana. And in unusual development, Venezuelan opposition leader Marchia Machado gave her Nobel Peace Pride medal to Trump at the White House, saying he earned it.
Probing the Fed Chief - On Sunday, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell revealed that the Department of Justice has issued subpoenas to his office, and that a federal investigation of him is underway. Powell has been under fire from President Donald Trump for not reducing interest rates often enough. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "One thing for sure, the president's made it quite clear, is Jerome Powell is bad at his job." Leavitt added, "As for whether or not Jerome Powell is a criminal, that's an answer the Department of Justice is going to have to find out." Critics in Congress were shocked, including key Republicans who believe Trump is "weaponizing" the Justice Department. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) Alaska said, "After speaking with Chair Powell this morning, it's clear the administration's investigation is nothing more than an attempt at coercion." Central bank heads from nine other nations have also signed a letter in support of Powell. This is far from over.
Treasury Secretary Not Happy - One of President Trump's favorite cabinet members is Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. Multiple media outlets have now reported that Bessent does not support the investigation into Charman Powell. "The secretary isn't happy, and he let the president know," one inside source told Axios News. At one point, Trump wanted Bessent to take the Federal Reserve Chair's job, but he deferred and is now not one of the five finalists. Bessent is a critical player on the Trump economic team. It will be interesting to see how long he stays.
Clintons Refuse Epstein Testimony - Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will not willingly testify about their friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, at least not before Congress. They are refusing to obey the subpoena issued by the House Oversight Committee. In a letter posted on social media, the Clintons called the subpoena "legally invalid." They further said the attempt to compel their testimony was "literally designed to result in our imprisonment." They added, "We will forcefully defend ourselves." Rep. James Comer (R) Kentucky who chairs the committee said, "No one's accusing the Clintons of any wrongdoing. We just have questions." Epstein and his convicted sex offender girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell were frequent guests in the Clinton White House and elsewhere. But the Clintons have denied any knowledge of the couple's illicit behavior.
Sen. Mark Kelly Sues Pentagon - The ongoing war of words between the Pentagon and Sen. Mark Kelly (D) Arizona has escalated even further. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had censured the retired Navy officer last week and is attempting to reduce his retirement rank and pay. This after Kelly appeared in a video with four other members of Congress, telling troops they could disobey orders from higher ups if they knew those orders would violate the law. Hegseth called it "sedition," but now Kelly is suing Hegseth and the Pentagon. In a filing with the federal court in Washington DC, Kelly asked a federal judge to rule that the censure letter and efforts to reduce his rank and pay are "unlawful and unconstitutional."
Iran Threats - As if there isn't enough turmoil at home, the Trump administration remains in a tense back-and-forth with Iran. Iranians government cried out, "Death to the enemies of God!" Iran's attorney general has warned that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an "enemy of God," a death penalty charge. More than 500 anti-Iranian leadership protesters have been killed by their own country. President Trump is threatening a U.S. response, saying, "The military is looking at it, and we're looking at some very strong options." Asked about Iran's threats of retaliation, Trump said, "If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they've never been hit before."
Transgender Sports - Should public school sports teams be allowed to let students play sports in the gender to which they identify? Or should it be determined by birth gender? West Virginia is among several states that enacted a transgender sports ban, which affirmed the birth gender rule. The case is now before the U.S. Supreme Court. The challenge was filed on behalf of 15-year-old Becky Pepper-Jackson, a track and field athlete on a West Virginia high school team, who placed third in the state women's discus event last year. She identifies as female but was born a biological male. In an interview with the Associated Press, she said, "It's something I'm here to do because... this is important to me. I know it's important to other people. So, like, I'm here for it." Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R) West Virginia supports the ban, saying "It's just not fair, what we've seen being allowed to happen, and 29 states across the nation have put into laws banning transgenders to play in women's sports." The Supreme Court will rule by this summer, but questions by the court's 6-3 conservative majority indicate the bans will likely be upheld.
President Trump and Sen. Warren Speak by Phone - President Trump and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) Massachusetts have had a heated, contentious relationship, often barking at rather than talking to each other. Warren claims a small Native American bloodline; then Trump mockingly gave her the nickname “Pocahontas.” But this week that changed when Trump phoned Warren. Oh to be a fly on that wall! Trump now says he wants to cap high interest rates on credit cards—many of which charge 25% to 30% or more. Warren has championed that issue for years and said: “I told him (Trump) that Congress can pass legislation to cap credit card rates if he will actually fight for it.” A White House official called the phone call “productive.” What’s the old saying: “Politics makes for strange bedfellows?” This will be interesting to watch.