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Since December, the U.S. has been stopping and seizing oil tankers traveling in and out of Venezuela. They are part of what is known as a ghost fleet — tankers that try to secretly move oil around the world, funding states such as Venezuela, Iran and Russia.

Christiaan Triebert, a reporter on the Visual Investigations team, explains what these ghost fleets are and why their days might now be numbered.

Guest: Christiaan Triebert, a reporter for The New York Times working on the Visual Investigations team.

Background reading: 

• U.S. forces seized its sixth oil tanker linked to Venezuela.
• What are “ghost fleet” ships?

Photo: Andy Buchanan/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

In the face of bipartisan backlash, President Trump recalls Border Patrol commander-at-large Greg Bovino from Minneapolis. Minnesota officials mount a court challenge to the Trump administration’s presence on the streets. And dozens of states are recovering from an icy winter storm.

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Federal agents killed a second civilian observer in Minneapolis this weekend. Now, the Trump administration is feeling the political pressure.

This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto and Miles Bryan with help from Ariana Aspuru, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Andrea Lopez-Cruzado, engineered by David Tatasciore and Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Noel King.

A makeshift memorial for Alex Pretti after he was shot dead by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. Photo by Octavio JONES / AFP via Getty Images.

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Warning: This episode contains strong language.

Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a Minneapolis resident, on Saturday. It was the second fatal shooting by federal agents in the city during protests against a ramped-up immigration enforcement effort by the Trump administration.

Devon Lum, from the Visual Investigations team, and Ernesto Londoño, who covers the Midwest, explain how the shooting unfolded and what may come next.

Guest:

• Devon Lum, a New York Times reporter working on the Visual Investigations team.
• Ernesto Londoño, a reporter for The New York Times based in Minnesota, covering news in the Midwest.

Background reading: 

• Timeline: A moment-by-moment look at the shooting Mr. Pretti.
• Here’s what we know about the shooting.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

Another demonstrator has been killed by federal agents in Minneapolis - and several videos seem to contradict the Trump administration’s initial claims. Revelations about Alex Pretti’s concealed carry permit spark a debate over Second Amendment rights at protests. And congressional Democrats threaten a potential government shutdown over ICE funding.

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Bland colors, AI summaries, and declining literacy rates have lots of us worried that we’re losing our intelligence to the modern world. Can we get it back?

This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo By BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images. 

If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545 or send us a note here. 

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