America's Talking

(The Center Square) - Several blue states appear set to lose electoral college votes while red states will make sweeping gains, new data from the U.S. Census Bureau suggests. On Tuesday, the U.S. Census Bureau announced a significant decrease in U.S. population growth, largely due to less international immigration. However, analysis of the census data revealed several noteworthy takeaways in domestic migration trends that could affect electoral college and congressional makeup. 

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(The Center Square) – U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked at a town hall event in Minneapolis on Tuesday night. During a call for the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and for the resignation of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, a man stood up and yelled at Omar. He also sprayed an unknown substance on her with a syringe. 

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(The Center Square) – The U.S. Senate failed to advance a package of the six remaining federal funding bills Thursday, leaving less than 40 hours until the federal government partially shuts down. More than $1.2 trillion is at stake in the House-passed legislation, funding State-Foreign Affairs, Financial Services, Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, Transportation-HUD, and Homeland Security throughout fiscal year 2026. After the second fatal shooting of a protester in Minneapolis, Democrats are demanding that the Homeland Security appropriations bill include new restrictions on immigration enforcement officers. 

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(The Center Square) – Illinois diversity commissioners are paid tens of thousands more than other state boards but aren't required to work full time, allowing them to run a digital media company, freelance as a human resources contractor, teach and consult for universities, direct a play and run a business hosting Dungeons and Dragons games at bars, an investigation by The Center Square found. Lawmakers of both parties expressed concern about what the TCS three-month investigation found – with one state representative calling for an audit of the agency.

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Read more: https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_bd52a909-1a01-4e40-b445-3c6545ce06be.html

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(The Center Square) – Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s decision to rescind former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 47 does not immediately end state or local law enforcement cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to law enforcement officials and the order itself. Executive Order 47, issued by Youngkin in February 2025, required the Virginia State Police and the Virginia Department of Corrections to enter into 287(g) agreements with ICE. The order also encouraged local law enforcement agencies to participate in the federal immigration enforcement program. Spanberger rescinded the order as part of her first round of executive actions after taking office.

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(The Center Square) – Federal officials have made three arrests in connection with a protest that disrupted a Sunday morning church service in St. Paul. U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi made two of the announcements Thursday morning, with a third announced Thursday afternoon.

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(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump said Thursday a deal structure regarding Greenland is developing after he stepped back from threatened tariffs on European allies, which he previously linked to Denmark handing over control of the semi-autonomous Arctic island. Danish officials say Greenland's sovereignty is non-negotiable. Trump, however, asserts that an agreement is being worked on, but he gave no additional details. This all unfolded around President Trump's visit to Davos for the World Economic Forum.

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(The Center Square) – With the U.S. Senate sending a roughly $180 billion funding package to the president’s desk Thursday, Congress has now knocked out half of the annual appropriations bills funding federal agencies in fiscal year 2026. The three-bill minibus, which passed the House last week, grants full-year appropriations for the departments of Commerce; Justice; Energy; Interior; the Environmental Protection Agency, and more.

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(The Center Square) - The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in two cases on transgender athletes participating in girls' and women’s sports. Advocates for state laws banning transgender participation said the definition of "sex" under Title IX will be central to a favorable ruling from the court. Little v. Hecox and B.P.J. v. West Virginia dealt with whether preventing transgender athletes from competing in girls' and women's sports violated Title IX, a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination.

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The Center Square staff discuss federal scrutiny of Minnesota childcare fraud and increasing unrest in Minnesota.

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