AURN News

The House voted to end the partial government shutdown, narrowly passing a $1.2 trillion funding package that keeps most of the federal government funded through September. The measure now heads to President Donald Trump, who has said he will sign it immediately. However, the deal excludes the Department of Homeland Security, which is operating under a two-week stopgap set to expire Feb. 13 following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. The killings prompted national outrage and renewed calls for accountability, setting up a tense negotiation period over how ICE and Border Patrol conduct raids. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries warned that full-year DHS funding could collapse without reforms.

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Howard University announced that its Gallery of Art will lend three works by alumna and artist Elizabeth Catlett to the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum in Annapolis, Maryland. The pieces will be featured in the exhibition “She Speaks: Black Women Artists and the Power of Historical Memory,” opening this weekend and running through January 2027. University officials say the collaboration will provide students with hands-on experience while highlighting Catlett’s legacy as one of the most influential Black artists of the 20th century.

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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that the Trump administration illegally stripped Temporary Protected Status from Venezuelans and Haitians, finding that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem overstepped her legal authority. Judges said federal law does not allow DHS to undo or erase TPS protections once they have been lawfully granted. The court set aside the administration’s actions under the Administrative Procedure Act, leaving hundreds of thousands of immigrants protected and able to work, remain with their families and avoid deportation.

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A federal judge has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to restore full congressional oversight of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities, including unannounced inspections. The emergency ruling followed reports that members of Congress were blocked from entering a detention facility in Minnesota despite presenting a valid court order. The judge ruled that DHS and ICE unlawfully interfered with Congress’ authority to investigate detention conditions, raising renewed concerns about transparency, accountability and conditions inside immigration detention centers.

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According to NBC News, Donald Trump is threatening to sue comedian Trevor Noah over a joke Noah made while hosting Sunday night’s Grammy Awards that referenced Jeffrey Epstein’s island. In a Truth Social post, Trump called the remark “false and defamatory” and denied ever visiting Epstein’s private island. Trump later escalated his response online, while Noah’s representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Parts of the federal government are shut down as Congress remains deadlocked over immigration enforcement following the deadly shooting of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis. While essential programs such as SNAP and WIC continue, funding lapses are affecting the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation. Many federal workers remain on the job but could miss paychecks if the shutdown continues. Democrats are refusing to back new DHS funding without changes to immigration enforcement, while the White House has agreed to a temporary two-week funding extension as negotiations continue.

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Democrats scored a major victory in Texas after Christian Menefee won the runoff in the special election for Texas’ 18th Congressional District. Menefee, the first Black man elected Harris County attorney, will serve the remainder of the late Rep. Sylvester Turner’s term. His campaign centered on civil rights, health care and the future of social safety net programs. Another election is scheduled for March as Menefee prepares to compete in the Democratic primary for the newly redrawn district.

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The Justice Department has released more than 3 million additional pages from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, describing the disclosure as the final phase required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the release includes millions of pages, videos and images, much of it seized from Epstein’s devices. The disclosure came weeks after a December deadline, prompting criticism that the DOJ is slow-walking transparency. Advocacy groups also raised concerns that some documents may expose survivors’ identities, including unredacted personal information.

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Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested by federal authorities Thursday night in connection with a protest at a Minnesota church service earlier this month, according to NBC News. Lemon was taken into custody in Los Angeles while covering the Grammy Awards, his attorney said. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Lemon and three others were arrested in connection with what she described as a coordinated attack on a St. Paul church. Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, criticized the arrest as a First Amendment violation and accused the Trump administration of using the case to distract from its immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

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Two journalists were among four people arrested following a protest against ICE enforcement at St. Paul Church. Former CNN anchor Don Lemon and independent reporter Georgia Fort were taken into custody by federal agents, along with two others. Lemon’s attorney called the arrest an “unprecedented attack on the First Amendment,” while Fort said she was targeted after recording the protest. Charges remain unclear as federal officials confirm the arrests but offer few details, raising renewed questions about press freedom and the rights of journalists covering protests.

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