Protesters, expected in the tens of thousands, took to the streets in Minneapolis and other cities Saturday to participate in "ICE Out For Good" protests and vigils, following the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE agent.
The big picture: The death of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good and a separate Border Patrol shooting in Portland have ignited widespread outrage over the Trump administration's immigration tactics — and fueled criticism of federal agencies' defense of the incident.
Three Minnesota congressional Democrats — including Rep. Ilhan Omar — were denied access to an ICE detention facility just outside Minneapolis on Saturday morning.
Axios' Jim VandeHei & Mike Allen write: We're taking a break from the chaos of news and life in January of 2026, and stepping back — way back — to think about where America stands on the 250th anniversaries of both Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" manifesto (Saturday) and the signing of our Declaration of Independence (July 4).
Doom and gloom often light up our screens. But that shouldn't — and doesn't — define us. Never forget: This is a great country with exceptional promise.
Why it matters: We're the most perfect, imperfect experiment in self-governance, freedom and progress in the history of humanity.
Our founders fled royalty, fought wars, formed a republic and a democracy, against all odds, all logic, all hope. They built the most powerful, prosperous, promising nation known to man.
President Trump said on Saturday that his administration is ready to help the protesters in Iran get the freedom they are looking for.
Why it matters: In his remarks, Trump went further than he has so far and suggested the U.S. could intervene in favor of the protesters regardless of whether the regime uses violence against them.
President Trump declared a national emergency to shield Venezuelan oil revenue held by the U.S. government from seizure by private creditors, framing it as critical to U.S. national security and regional stability.
The big picture: Control of Venezuelan oil — some $2.5 billion worth — is now a cornerstone of the White House's strategy in the Western Hemisphere and an opening for U.S. companies in the wake of Nicolás Maduro's capture.
U.S. oil giants signaled interest in Venezuela on Friday but stopped well short of committing to massive and rapid new investments there during a meeting with President Trump.
Why it matters: The White House envisions a key role for U.S. companies in reviving output from Venezuela following the toppling of President Nicolás Maduro.
Former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon is laying the groundwork for a 2028 run for president, two people familiar with his thinking tell Axios.
Why it matters: The MAGA godfather isn't serious about becoming president — that's not the point. Instead, he's told allies he wants to shape the debate and pressure Republican candidates to embrace an "America First" agenda — including a non-interventionist foreign policy, economic populism and opposition to Big Tech.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who has appeared on Bannon's "War Room" podcast, said: "The Bannon campaign will merge the foreign policy of Rand Paul with the tax policy of Elizabeth Warren."
MAGA is pressing the Trump administration to write a new chapter in America's expansionist history — one that adds territory and influence as part of a new Western empire.
Why it matters: On its face, MAGA's imperial turn is a head-spinning reversal for a movement built around hostility to "endless wars" in the Middle East.
A drug marketed as "pink cocaine" is turning up more often in U.S. nightclubs and busts, alarming health officials because it's usually not cocaine at all. And no two batches are the same.
Why it matters: The potent powder — part of a new wave of polydrugs — is a dangerous cocktail of drugs, commonly ketamine and ecstasy, sometimes mixed with methamphetamine or fentanyl.
Former prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys are alarmed by the Trump administration's "highly unusual" decision to kick local investigators off the probe into the deadly ICE shooting in Minneapolis.
Why it matters: Politicians on both sides rushed to weigh in on whether the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was justified. With so many officials making snap judgments — and the feds' lockdown of the evidence — widespread acceptance of the results seems unlikely.
The Trump administration on Friday was blocked from freezing roughly $10 billion in federal funding for child care and social services in five Democratic-led states, a federal judge ordered.
The big picture: Judge Arun Subramanian decided that the administration must release funds for three social service programs that serve low-income families and individuals with disabilities for the next two weeks, despite President Trump's efforts to withhold the funds.
