Many are considered, few can be chosen: Meet the six distinctive Wisconsin voices behind the 2026 "Larry Meiller Show" book club selections.
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Last month, Wisconsin’s Office of Violence Prevention officially began operations to spend $10 million in grants that will go to organizations and local governments across the state working to combat violence.
The post State violence prevention offices have existed for decades. How does Wisconsin’s compare? appeared first on WPR.
State Republican lawmakers are floating a new bill to pave the way for self-driving cars on Wisconsin roads.
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Nice Girls of the North is a women’s collective hosting a monthly marketplace of eclectic creative wares, whose members help each other by sharing business tips and resources.
The post From mushrooms to makeup, Twin Ports ‘Nice Girls’ marketplace builds women-run businesses appeared first on WPR.
A recently introduced Wisconsin bill would require kindergarten through sixth-grade students to get at least 60 minutes of recess every day.
The post Wisconsin bill would require K-6 schools to offer at least 60 minutes of recess every day appeared first on WPR.
The album includes delicate instrumentals and field recordings of birdsong, making it a standout.
The post WPR Music new album of the week: ‘Birds of Paradise’ from trio Ember appeared first on WPR.
Anticipated spikes in demand for energy to supply Wisconsin's data center building boom come on the heels of decades of declining power and water use, according to a new report.
The post Data center boom follows decades of declining electricity and water use in Wisconsin appeared first on WPR.
Former Judge Hannah Dugan handed in her immediate resignation on Saturday after she was convicted of a felony last month.
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The blackcurrant, once federally banned and now the Flavor of the Year, is having a moment. Staffers of the Savanna Institute visited "The Larry Meiller Show" to talk about the fruit's comeback.
The post Flavor of the Year — blackcurrant — has growth specialists in Wisconsin appeared first on WPR.
Republicans state lawmakers are considering proposals that would increase access to guns in Wisconsin, including one that would make it easier to carry concealed weapons and another that would further enshrine gun rights in the state constitution.
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In a letter sent today to congressional leadership, a coalition of more than 70 biofuel groups and agricultural organizations called for the immediate passage of legislation to allow year-round nationwide sales of the American-made E15 fuel blend, containing 15 percent ethanol. Year-round E15 would benefit drivers with savings of 10 to 30 cents per gallon and improve markets for America’s farmers.
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects a record 16.8-billion-bushel corn harvest in 2025—up roughly 13 percent from 2024,” the groups wrote. “While this demonstrates the strength and productivity of America’s farmers, it also intensifies pressure on corn prices and farm incomes. Expanding E15 access is one of the most immediate and practical ways to address this imbalance. When fully scaled, year-round, nationwide E15 is poised to create new domestic demand for billions of bushels of corn and sorghum, help stabilize markets, support farmers, and deliver consumer savings at the pump.”
The letter was led by Growth Energy, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Corn Growers Association, and the Renewable Fuels Association.
In recent years, the organizations noted, E15 availability during the summer driving season has depended on temporary emergency waivers. While these annual actions provide short-term relief, they are not a sustainable or reliable solution. Year-to-year uncertainty discourages investment in fuel infrastructure, confuses consumers, and undermines confidence among retailers and refiners.
“With a record corn crop filling bins across America, farmers cannot afford another season of uncertainty and negative margins. Markets need consistency and predictability, which requires permanent legislative action by Congress. We respectfully urge you to act this year to pass year-round E15 legislation,” the groups wrote.
Read the full letter here.
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated its website with a statement that a “revamped and modernized Clean School Bus Program” is coming soon.
The five-year, $5-billion fund has been on hiatus since President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office last January, days after the application period for the 2024 Clean School Bus Rebates closed.
But funding ground to a halt, leaving hundreds of school districts waiting to see if their electric and propane school bus projects could continue.
EPA said last summer it has been working with school districts to award rebate and grant awards for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, while holding off on providing details for new funding, pending a program review. The new website statement, reiterated to School Transportation News by the EPA press office, indicates an update on the Clean School Bus Program is in the works.
“EPA is actively reviewing and revamping the Clean School Bus Program in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order Unleashing American Energy to ensure hard-earned American tax dollars are being put to the best use possible and not frivolously wasted as was often the case under the previous administration,” the statement reads. “Under Administrator [Lee] Zeldin’s leadership, EPA is committed to being exceptional stewards of taxpayer dollars and delivering measured results for American families, while still fulfilling Congressional intent. Administrator Zeldin has cancelled roughly $30 billion in wasteful grants and contracts since being confirmed as EPA Administrator. EPA anticipates providing additional information about the revamped and modernized Clean School Bus Program in the near future.”
The EPA website says 1,152 school districts have received 888 awards valued at over $2.62 billion to replace 8,236 school buses. The World Resource Institute’s Electric School Bus Initiative indicates via its Electric School Bus Data Dashboard that over 2,000 of those are electric school buses in operation or on order. Electric school buses have accounted for about 95 percent of Clean School Bus Program awards to date.
Related: Future of Clean School Bus Program?
Related: Deploying Electric School Buses in Rural and Suburban Districts
Related: New Resource Helps Connecticut Districts Transition to Electric School Buses
Related: Transportation Director Shares How Propane Buses Benefit Special Needs Routes
The post EPA ‘Revamping’ Clean School Bus Program appeared first on School Transportation News.
Smoke is seen over buildings after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard on Jan. 3, 2026 in Caracas, Venezuela. According to some reports, explosions were heard in Caracas and other cities near airports and military bases around 2 a.m. (Photo by Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)
The U.S. military action to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Saturday night has divided the candidates running for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District.
The swing district is set to be among the most high profile congressional races in the 2026 midterm elections as Democrats try for a third time to unseat incumbent Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden. President Donald Trump won the district in 2024 with 53% of the vote.
Since Trump’s inauguration, Van Orden has positioned himself as a vocal supporter of the president, often appearing at White House events and loudly defending Trump on social media.
That defense extended to the Venezuelan raid, of which Van Orden, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, described on X as “perfect.”
“I would like to commend @realDonaldTrump, @SecWar, and the members of our glorious military that conducted the raid in Venezuela to capture the narcoterrorist Maduro,” Van Orden wrote on X shortly after the news of the action was announced. “Perfect operational security and execution.”
Despite regularly criticising American “forever wars,” Van Orden has praised the Venezuela attack as part of an effort to prevent the flow of drugs into the U.S.
“This operation sends a clear message to America’s adversaries: harming U.S. citizens carries consequences,” Van Orden said in a statement. Nicolás Maduro operated as a narco-terrorist under the false cover of political authority. His criminal network helped fuel the drug trafficking that has killed thousands of Americans. He is now detained and no longer in a position to threaten American lives. President Trump’s decisive leadership made this possible. His administration has made it clear that America will no longer tolerate narco-terrorists who profit from the deaths of our citizens.”
While Van Orden’s defense of the president is expected, two of the Democrats running in the primary to succeed him have diverged on the issue.
Rebecca Cooke, who ran against Van Orden in 2024 and is widely seen as the frontrunner, criticized the lack of a long term plan in Venezuela and the break from Trump’s campaign promise to stay out of foreign wars, but celebrated the unseating of Maduro despite the lack of congressional involvement in the decision to approve military action on a foreign country.
“Donald Trump and I don’t agree on much, but one thing we used to agree on is ending American involvement in endless foreign wars,” Cooke said in a statement. “I applaud the excellent work of the CIA and Delta teams in capturing a ruthless dictator in Nicolas Maduro — but where is the concrete plan for stability in the region? We haven’t seen one yet. Without it, our nation involves itself in another foreign conflict. I am disappointed — as I’m sure many Wisconsinites are disappointed — to see this administration betray a central promise when communities across Western Wisconsin are struggling.”
Cooke also said she thinks the president should be more focused on domestic issues.
Emily Berge, the president of the Eau Claire City Council who is running against Cooke in the Democratic primary, criticized the military action without any laudatory comments about deposing Maduro.
“Derrick Van Orden and Donald Trump promised to be ‘America First’ and to end the longstanding waste of our tax dollars bombing other countries based on fabricated stories all in the pursuit of foreign oil,” Berge said in a statement. “They are both breaking their promises to the American people.”
Across the country, criticism of the attack has focused on the president’s decision to go into Venezuela without approval from Congress — which under the U.S. Constitution retains the authority to approve the use of military force.
On X, Van Orden supported the lack of congressional notification before the operation, agreeing with a post that stated telling Congress would have resulted in details being leaked to the press.
However, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin has co-sponsored legislation prohibiting the use of military force in Venezuela without authorization by Congress.
“President Trump stormed into Venezuela and is drawing the U.S. into another forever war just to take Venezuela’s oil and enrich his big oil buddies,” Baldwin said in a statement. “Simply put, this is not what Wisconsin families signed up for. This puts all the men and women who don the uniform at risk, reeks of corruption, and just shows the President is focused on everything except lowering costs and the issues that keep Wisconsin families up at night. The President cannot just start wars at a whim; he needs to get the people’s approval – and that means Congress signing off.”
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A change in federal recommendations for childhood vaccines has concerned public health experts nationwide. (Getty Images)
This story was originally reported by Barbara Rodriguez of The 19th. Meet Barbara and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy.
The federal government is reducing the number of vaccines it formally recommends to all children in the United States, which public health experts say is an abrupt, potentially dangerous change that will sow confusion among families.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that the agency now recommends vaccines against 11 diseases instead of the 17 previously suggested under America’s childhood vaccine schedule. Acting Director Jim O’Neill says the decision is based on a “comprehensive scientific assessment,” though the agency publicly bypassed a key federal vaccine panel that has long voted on recommendations that shape vaccine policy.
Federal officials claim the altered vaccine schedule will not impact vaccine access for the general public. But medical groups say they’re still determining how it might impact long-term vaccine supply, access and insurance coverage. And they worry how families with small children — many of whom are vaccinated against multiple diseases within the first two years — are interpreting the changes.
“We recognize parents are hearing a lot of information right now, and a lot of it is really confusing and really misleading,” said Dr. Sean T. O’Leary, chair of the Committee on Infectious Diseases for the American Academy of Pediatrics during a media briefing Monday. “Our role as pediatricians is to cut through all that noise and understand what the science actually shows so that parents can make informed decisions with confidence alongside with their pediatrician.”
Wisconsin health department: Vaccine recommendation changes spark ‘great concern’
Here’s what we know about the changes so far and what they mean for families with young kids.
The childhood vaccine schedule is a series of recommended shots, historically set by the medical community and the federal government, for children as they age. Vaccines are not mandated in the United States, but the CDC’s recommendations impact the cost and availability for everyday people, since insurance companies turn to agency guidance to determine what they will cover. Individual states also require immunizations against several diseases in settings where infections can spread quickly, including at schools and day cares.
The CDC now recommends vaccines to all children against 11 diseases:
Officials will also recommend just one dose of the HPV vaccine instead of two. (A study published last month by the New England Journal of Medicine found one dose is highly effective).
Federal officials are recommending children who are part of “certain high-risk groups or populations” get vaccinated against six diseases:
Officials will also recommend immunizations based on “shared clinical decision-making” for several vaccines that were once suggested for all:
Previously, COVID-19, influenza and rotavirus were all included in general vaccine recommendations. The change comes amid an uptick in flu activity around the country. And before the rotavirus vaccine — which helps prevent a disease that causes severe diarrhea in young children — there were reportedly 70,000 related hospitalizations.
The changes, according to the CDC, are effective immediately and aimed at aligning the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule to those of “peer” countries. That follows a directive last month from President Donald Trump, after weeks of spreading disinformation about vaccines, to better reflect America’s schedule with other countries, including Denmark — an idea that public health experts warn is ignoring the United States’ lack of a comprehensive health care system.
The change was celebrated by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has repeatedly dismissed the effectiveness of routine childhood vaccines.
“This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health,” he said in a statement.
Vaccination against six diseases is now recommended only for children part of “certain high-risk groups or populations.”
HHS said in accompanying documentation that for people in this category, “risk factors can include unusual exposure to the disease, underlying comorbidities, or the risk of disease transmission to others.”
The updated CDC site lists some of these new parameters:
Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine, said some of these new definitions lack critical context. He noted people can get hepatitis A through food contamination.
“So basically you’re in a high-risk group for hepatitis A assuming you eat food,” he said. “Are they going to make that clear?”
Dr. Lori Handy, an associate director at the same center as Offit, said the new recommendations do not have the typical level of detail that accompanies the immunization schedule.
Handy added that the RSV monoclonal antibodies were previously recommended for all newborns, with a second dose during the next RSV season recommended for high-risk children.
“In my clinical opinion, all infants are at high risk of RSV infection, being that virtually all children are infected by age 2,” she said.
HHS says shared clinical decision-making is between a health care provider and the patient, or the parent or guardian: “It is not always possible or pragmatic for public health officials to clearly define who will benefit from a vaccine, who has the relevant risk factors, or who are at risk for exposure. Parents and physicians, who know the child, may be better placed to make that judgment.”
On a CDC website dated January 2025, shared clinical decision-making is defined as “individually based and informed by a decision process between the health care provider and the patient or parent/guardian that may be informed by factors like an individual’s “characteristics, values, and preferences” and a health care provider’s clinical discretion as well as the “characteristics of the vaccine being considered.”
O’Leary said “shared clinical decision-making” is a confusing phrase for parents and health care providers.
“The fact is, pediatricians already do this all day every day. They routinely have long, detailed conversations with families about vaccines,” he said. “Changing a recommendation to shared clinical decision-making doesn’t change that. It just makes things more confusing for parents and clinicians.”
Survey data released last year by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) on the general public’s understanding of new COVID-19 guidelines found there was confusion over what such decision-making means.
“Expecting parents to engage in shared decision-making with health care providers about routine, thoroughly studied childhood vaccinations suggests that the public health community has doubts about the safety and efficacy of these vaccines when it does not,” said Patrick E. Jamieson, director of APPC’s Annenberg Health and Risk Communication Institute, in a statement. “These vaccines have been part of the recommended childhood schedule because the benefits of taking them substantially outweigh the risks.”
HHS officials claim that anyone who wants a vaccine as previously recommended will be able to access it without additional cost, adding that all vaccines will still be covered by insurance companies.
“While non-consensus immunizations are not routinely recommended for all children, all these vaccines will continue to be available for anyone who wants them and will be covered by Medicaid, CHIP, the Vaccines for Children Program, and private health insurance,” according to HHS.
O’Leary said that claim doesn’t take into account some potential downstream consequences. He worries that some clinicians, who already face logistical costs with ordering and storing certain vaccines, may decide to stop stocking vaccines that are now under shared clinical decision-making because there could be a drop in demand. He also worries that pharmacists in certain pockets of the country may be unable to administer vaccines that are not universally recommended because of local laws and rules over who gives shots and under what circumstances. Others have noted that some combination shots are for diseases that now fall under different CDC categories.
Given HHS’s claim that this altered schedule will not impact access for anyone, that technically means a parent who wants a vaccine that isn’t part of the non-consensus category — whether as a high-risk group or population or under shared clinical decision-making — should be able to access it.
“Parents can still choose to give their children all of the Vaccinations, if they wish, and they will still be covered by insurance,” Trump wrote on this Truth Social account on Monday. His post included a reference to “MAHA Moms” who he seemed to credit for the change, alongside Kennedy and other federal officials.
A spokesperson for HHS did not immediately respond to a request for clarification about access changes, but several officials emphasized on Monday that all vaccines listed on the schedule under any category would be available at no-cost. A major insurance group said last year that they would cover vaccines recommended through September 2025 into the end of 2026.
Trump and Kennedy have both claimed without evidence that childhood vaccines are unsafe and that the country is an outlier compared to other nations — though the number of vaccines available in the United States is similar to countries like Australia and Germany. It follows years of anti-vaccine activism by Kennedy, who previously helped run an anti-vaccine group.
With Monday’s announcement, federal officials including Kennedy claimed the change would restore trust in vaccines — an assertion that medical groups said ignored the impact of vaccine messaging by Kennedy himself. Those groups have criticized Kennedy’s handling of a measles outbreak that began last year and continues to spread.
In the final months of the year, Kennedy directed the CDC to update its website to claim, without evidence, that vaccines cause autism. That follows his department’s guidance in the fall to warn pregnant people that taking over-the-counter pain relief medication could cause autism, which is false.
AAP described the changes as “dangerous and unnecessary.”
Dr. Ronald G. Nahass, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, called it “irresponsible” for the federal government “to haphazardly change vaccine recommendations without a solid scientific basis and transparent process.” He worried it would further decrease vaccination rates and increase disease.
The Big Cities Health Coalition, whose members represent local health departments with roughly 61 million residents, said the announcement makes those local officials’ jobs harder amid confusion.
“We will continue to do everything in our power to ensure that those who live in our jurisdictions continue to have access to vaccines that protect their health and save lives,” said the group in a statement.
O’Leary noted that AAP continues to publish its own vaccination schedule. Several states, particularly those run by Democrats, have announced regional health alliances — both in the west and east — aimed at ensuring access to vaccines recommended by groups like AAP.
“It remains the trusted gold standard for keeping children healthy,” he said. “Following our schedule on time remains the best way to ensure children receive the strongest possible protection.”
Offit said parents with young children should turn to their pediatrician or family doctor, many of whom already seek guidance from groups like AAP, if they have questions about the changes and future availability.
“I do think that on the ground, I’ll be curious to see how much things change,” he said. “We’ll see.”
O’Leary added that AAP will be working with its partners across medicine and public health to ensure that parents have “credible science-backed vaccine recommendations they can trust.”
“Tragically, our federal government can no longer be trusted in this role,” he said.
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Eau Claire County Government Center, which was visited by ICE agents Monday, Jan. 5. | Photo by Frank Zufall/Wisconsin Examiner
Eau Claire County Sheriff Dave Riewestahl confirmed that on Monday, Jan. 5, federal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were sighted within the city of Eau Claire at the Eau Claire County Courthouse, but he noted the sheriff’s office had no contact or coordination with the federal agents and he was not aware of other activity by ICE agents in the county.
Riewestahl said the ICE agents were identified when they arrived at the courthouse and parked a vehicle in the parking lot.
The federal agents “entered on the ground floor and stood in the vestibule,” Riewestahl said. “Some were making phone calls, others were just on their phones and/or talking amongst themselves.”
He added that a “few went further into the courthouse,” probably to use the restrooms.
Concerning whether the ICE agents had contacted his office requesting help to detain people, Riewestahl said, “They have not, nor have we assisted with anything related to ICE.”
Riewestahl shared that the office’s policy manual for field services (patrol) and security services (jail) regarding immigration status directs patrol officers not to detain anyone accused of a “civil violation of federal immigration laws or a related civil warrant,” and the jail is only allowed to hold individuals who have “been charged with a federal crime,” or has been issued “a warrant, affidavit of probable cause or removal order.”
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A child receives a COVID-19 shot in Annandale, Va., in 2021. A reduction in the list of federally recommended childhood immunization has sparked alarm among public health experts. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
A federal government announcement this week dropping some vaccines from the list recommended for routine childhood immunization has drawn opposition from medical professionals nationwide and concern from the Wisconsin health department.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is reviewing information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the change in vaccine recommendations “and is doing so with great concern for the health of children in our state,” Jennifer Miller, a DHS communications specialist, told the Wisconsin Examiner in an email message Tuesday.
“Health professionals and parents deserve accurate, credible information,” Miller wrote. “We have not yet seen new scientific evidence that would justify changes to longstanding recommendations that have and continue to protect the health of children in the United States.”
The decision to stop recommending certain vaccines is “dangerous and unnecessary,” the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a statement posted Monday at the professional association’s website.
What does the new childhood vaccine schedule actually mean for your family?
Among the diseases dropped from those recommended for routine immunization are hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), flu, and meningococcal disease.
“AAP continues to recommend that children be immunized against these diseases, and for good reason; thanks to widespread childhood immunizations, the United States has fewer pediatric hospitalizations and fewer children facing serious health challenges than we would without this community protection,” said Dr. Andrew Racine, AAP president, in the statement.
Miller said that DHS will continue its assessment of the CDC’s recommendation changes as well as those from “other trusted medical and public health agencies.” The department plans to issue more information on Thursday, she said.
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People gather around the south Minneapolis site where a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a woman on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump defended a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis Wednesday, while congressional Democrats universally condemned the action.
Video obtained by the Minnesota Reformer shows an ICE officer demanding the driver of a maroon SUV get out of the vehicle. As the vehicle begins to pull away, an officer fires three shots through the windshield and driver-side window. The video shows no apparent harm to the officer, who walked away from the vehicle shortly after the shooting.
But Trump wrote on social media that “it is hard to believe he is alive.”
“The woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense,” Trump wrote.
Minnesota’s Democratic congressional delegation, and other Democrats in Washington, D.C., strongly condemned the incident and questioned the subsequent comments from the administration.
“We need full transparency and an investigation of what happened, and I am deeply concerned that statements made by DHS do not appear to reflect video evidence and on-the-ground accounts,” Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the state’s senior senator, said in a statement.
A statement from several Minneapolis City Council members identified the victim as Renee Nicole Good, 37. A photo of the SUV shows several stuffed animals hanging out of the glove compartment.
Congressional Republicans largely backed Trump’s version of events, calling the shooting self-defense and blaming Democrats for rhetoric they said inspired violence.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said that the woman tried to run over the agent.
“One of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism,” McLaughlin said. “An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called the victim a “domestic terrorist.”
House Republican Whip Tom Emmer gave his support to the ICE officer.
“Our brave ICE agents put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities from dangerous criminals,” he said in a statement. “May God bless and protect them in their efforts. Shame on the elected officials who endanger these agents by spewing lies and hateful rhetoric.”
Democrats on Capitol Hill denounced the attack and the administration’s response.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called for the ICE officer who shot the woman to be criminally investigated.
“There is no evidence that has been presented to justify this killing,” Jeffries, a New York Democrat, said in a statement. “Secretary Kristi Noem is a stone-cold liar and has zero credibility. The masked ICE agent who pulled the trigger should be criminally investigated to the full extent of the law for acting with depraved indifference to human life.”
Minnesota Democrats said the ongoing immigration enforcement campaign in the Twin Cities had heightened tensions.
“For weeks, Donald Trump has directed ICE and DHS agents to racially profile and arrest Minnesotans in their homes, their workplaces, and on our streets,” Minnesota Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum said in a statement, adding that more than 2,000 federal immigration agents are in the state.
“Trump’s reckless and dangerous immigration policies do nothing to make us safer,” she continued. “Today in Minneapolis, these actions resulted in a masked federal agent fatally shooting a woman in the head.”
Democratic Sen. Tina Smith said the woman fatally shot by an ICE officer was a U.S. citizen. She called for ICE to leave Minnesota.
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American woman elected to Congress and whose district includes the site of the shooting, said the woman was a legal observer, which is a neutral third party who attends protests or other public demonstrations to observe and record law enforcement actions towards protesters.
“ICE’s actions today were unconscionable and reprehensible,” Omar said.
DHS received billions for immigration enforcement in last year’s tax and spending cuts package passed by congressional Republicans. The funding can be used for hiring new ICE officers and detention and removal of immigrants.
On Jan. 3, ICE announced it hired 12,000 new officers, doubling from 10,000 agents to 22,000.
A top Senate Democratic appropriator, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, wrote on social media that “Democrats cannot vote for a DHS budget that doesn’t restrain the growing lawlessness of this agency.”
New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker said in a statement that he was concerned the aggressive DHS practices will lead to more tragedies.
“All evidence indicates that hiring standards have been lowered, training is inadequate, and internal controls are insufficient,” he said. “These conditions have allowed agents to operate without proper oversight, and, in some cases, unlawfully.”
Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego also criticized the hiring practices of ICE, specifically calling out White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a lead architect of the Trump administration’s immigration policy.
“What happened is a disgrace and we need an investigation immediately,” Gallego said on social media. “It’s clear that that agent didn’t have the proper training, and that’s because Stephen Miller is going full speed ahead to hire as many agents as possible.”
The federal immigration operation in Minneapolis began last month but intensified this week after a right-wing influencer reported day care centers run by members of the Somali community as fraudulent.
In response, the Trump administration directed states to provide “justification” that federal child care funds they receive are spent on “legitimate” providers and Noem has zeroed in on the city, which has a large Somali community, for immigration enforcement.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a Wednesday hearing on the issue of fraud in Minnesota.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stands to the side in the U.S. Senate basement following a classified briefing on President Donald Trump's foreign policy plans on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday he will meet with Danish officials next week, following a recent push from the Trump administration to annex or even use the military against Greenland — a course of action questioned by several Republican senators.
Senators sat through a closed, classified briefing Wednesday with Rubio about ongoing U.S. intervention in Venezuela launched over the weekend, and Democrats said afterward that he did not address their concerns about the operation.
In addition, President Donald Trump is considering options to acquire Greenland, including possible military operations, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday.
Danish officials have repeatedly stressed any move to take the sovereign nation by force would violate NATO bylaws, which bar members from acts of aggression against each other. Greenland, with a population of about 56,000, has its own local government but is also part of the Realm of Denmark.
Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski told reporters she does not support Trump’s goals for Greenland.
“I hate the rhetoric around either acquiring Greenland by purchase or by force. And you know I don’t use the word hate very often. But I think that it is very, very unsettling,” Murkowski said. “And certainly concerning as one who has actually been to Greenland.”
Rubio told reporters following the Venezuela briefing — open to all senators — that Energy Secretary Chris Wright will outline the Trump administration’s plans for that nation’s oil reserves later Wednesday. Trump said Saturday that the United States will “run the country” of Venezuela until “a proper transition can take place.”
“We feel very positive that not only will that generate revenue that will be used for the benefit of the Venezuelan people … but it also gives us an amount of leverage and influence and control over how this process plays out,” Rubio said.
The Senate meeting with Rubio, which also included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, followed days of escalation by the Trump administration abroad that included capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and bringing him to the United States to face criminal charges, threatening to take Greenland by force from NATO member Denmark and seizing a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic sea as well as a second tanker tied to Venezuela.
Hegseth after the briefing defended the U.S. capture of the vessels, arguing the Trump administration was enforcing sanctions placed on Venezuelan oil.
The episode with the oil tankers was disclosed early Wednesday when the U.S. military issued a social media statement that the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security apprehended a “stateless” ship in the Caribbean Sea and another in the North Atlantic.
Leavitt said during an afternoon press briefing that Trump officials will meet with oil executives on Friday to discuss an “immersive opportunity.”
Hours after the Jan. 3 military operation to capture Maduro, Trump stressed that Venezuela’s oil reserves were a major factor in U.S. plans. Trump told reporters that major oil companies were notified before and after the operation in Venezuela.
Besides Murkowski, a handful of other Senate Republicans also expressed concern about the White House statement leaving open the possibility of military action on Greenland.
Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford said “we need to not threaten a peaceful nation that’s an ally where we have a military base already.”
Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins said she also disagreed with the Trump administration’s push to acquire Greenland and said she’s not sure if the Trump administration is serious about using military force.
“It surprises me every time it comes up,” she said.
GOP Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota said he doesn’t “think military intervention is on the table” for Greenland.
Louisiana’s Republican Sen. John Kennedy said “to invade Greenland would be weapons grade stupid, and I don’t think President Trump is weapons grade stupid, nor is Marco Rubio.” He instead suggested possibly purchasing the territory, an offer that Denmark has already rejected.
Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, wrote in a critical statement that “cooperation with Arctic allies from Canada to the Nordics already grants the United States sweeping access to positions of strategic importance.”
“Threats and intimidation by U.S. officials over American ownership of Greenland are as unseemly as they are counterproductive,” McConnell wrote. “And the use of force to seize the sovereign democratic territory of one of America’s most loyal and capable allies would be an especially catastrophic act of strategic self-harm to America and its global influence.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters following his weekly press conference he couldn’t comment on hypotheticals about a military takeover of Greenland, including whether Congress must approve such an action.
“No, I can’t because it depends on what that is. The Congress has a responsibility to declare war and I think there is no scenario where we’d be at war with Greenland,” Johnson said. “Under Article II, as we talked about in the room, the president has broad authority as commander-in-chief, as all previous presidents have. No one can forecast what is going to happen in Greenland. You’re asking a hypothetical that I cannot answer.”
Johnson said during the press conference that he doesn’t believe anyone in the Trump administration is “seriously considering” military action in Greenland. “And in the Congress, we’re certainly not.”
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut called the administration’s plan regarding Venezuelan oil “insane.”
“They are talking about stealing the Venezuelan oil at gunpoint for a period of time undefined as leverage to micromanage the country,” he said. “The scope and insanity of that plan is absolutely stunning.”
Though Murphy said he was glad administration officials held a briefing, he also said he envisioned a “very, very rough ride” ahead.
Senate Democrats are gearing up to take another vote on a war powers resolution intended to curb Trump’s military actions abroad. An earlier attempt to pass a resolution was prompted by the administration’s multiple boat strikes in the Caribbean, which officials claimed were carrying drugs to the U.S., but backers failed to reach the 60-vote threshold in the Senate.
The next vote, led by Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, is expected to take place this week.
Walking out of the briefing, Kaine said “it’s time to get this out of the (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) and get it in public hearings where senators can ask questions and the American public can learn what the hell is going on.” Such facilities are secure settings where classified information can be shared.
Kaine said he could not get a clear answer from the briefing if the Trump administration’s actions in Venezuela will be replicated for other countries like Greenland or Cuba.
Sen. Jacky Rosen questioned what the administration’s actions mean for the U.S., despite consensus Maduro is a “very brutal dictator” and satisfaction among many that he’s no longer governing Venezuela. While Maduro is no longer in charge, his vice president was sworn in, Delcy Rodríguez, effectively continuing the regime.
“We have problems right here at home,” the Nevada Democrat said, pointing to the recent expiration of enhanced tax credits for people who purchase their health insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
“Last time anybody checked, December 31st was just about a week ago, and how many people lost their health insurance because they couldn’t afford it because Donald Trump’s so busy, and Pete Hegseth’s so busy with the visuals of all these bombs going off all around the world that they’re not paying attention to people who are going to lose their health care?” asked Rosen.
Murphy, Kaine and Rosen all sit on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Jacob Fischler contributed to this report.
The crashed SUV after an ICE agent shot the driver at point-blank range through the window. The driver died, according to the Department of Homeland Security. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
An ICE officer fatally shot a woman driving an SUV through her car window in south Minneapolis on Wednesday morning.
The deadly confrontation immediately ratcheted up the intensity of what was already a brutal crackdown on Minnesota and its immigrants by the Trump administration — and in a community with raw memories of the police murder of George Floyd.
Video of the incident shared with the Reformer shows masked ICE officers approach a Honda Pilot stopped in the middle of Portland Avenue near 34th Street. One officer tells the driver to “get out of the f*cking car” and tries to open the door. The driver then slowly backs up and then pulls forward, appearing to try to leave. An officer at the front of the vehicle fires three shots and the SUV travels a short distance before crashing into a parked car.
The woman was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, the Minneapolis chief of police said.
A group of Minneapolis City Council members identified her in a statement as Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis resident. They said she was a “member of our community” and demanded justice for her killing. She was 37 years old, according to the Minneapolis mayor.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant Secretary Dept. of Homeland Security, writing on X, gave a different version of what happened: “One of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them — an act of domestic terrorism. An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots.”
MAGA supporters showed video from different angles that purported to show the officer acting in self-defense, while former senior Obama administration official Tommy Vietor reshared the Reformer video on X and called the incident, “an execution by this ICE officer.” Americans can expect a debate over the shooting for years to come, regardless of the outcome of any investigations.
The witness who took the video, Caitlin Callenson, said she was on a walk when she saw an ICE vehicle stuck in the snow. As more ICE vehicles arrived, bystanders blew whistles in protest, and the driver of the SUV tried to block the ICE vehicles.
Callenson said she did not see ICE agents attempting to detain anyone leading up to or after the shooting.
After the shots were fired, the driver “then was completely slumped over in the vehicle,” said Emily Heller, another witness.
Federal agents wouldn’t allow a man who said he is a physician to examine the driver, Heller said. Emergency medical technicians arrived 15 minutes later, she said. First responders were unable to get close to the scene because ICE agents did not move their cars to let them through.
“There was chaos and ambulance and fire trucks couldn’t get through,” Callenson said. “They had to walk through all of the ICE vehicles on foot to try to administer first aid.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he had been dreading this moment since the Department of Homeland Security began ramping up immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities in recent weeks, sending thousands of officers to the state in what the Department of Homeland Security is calling its “largest operation ever.”
Frey called ICE’s statement saying the shooting was in self-defense was “bullsh*t” and blasted the agency’s presence in the city saying they’re only “causing chaos and distrust.”
“To ICE, get the f*ck out of Minneapolis,” Frey said.
He urged residents to remain peaceful and not “take the bait” from the federal government.
“They want us to respond in a way that creates a military occupation in our city,” Frey said. “Let’s not let them.”
Dozens of federal agents from ICE and the FBI, as well as Minneapolis police officers and Hennepin County sheriff deputies responded to the scene.
As some federal officers attempted to leave, protestors blocked their vehicle. The officers fired a noxious gas at close range, causing distress and vomiting for many demonstrators and journalists.
Protesters hurled insults at Minneapolis Police officers, who are not supposed to assist with immigration enforcement, but were on the scene Wednesday morning.
After law enforcement cleared the scene, demonstrators placed white roses where blood stained the snow.
City Council members including Robin Wonsley and Jamal Osman addressed the crowd, saying the area was an active crime scene, and that MPD was present to investigate.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at a Wednesday press conference that they have yet to see information indicating that the shooting was justified and there was nothing to indicate the woman was a target of immigration enforcement activity, O’Hara said.
Minneapolis police officers secured the crime scene to preserve evidence, O’Hara said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is now jointly conducting an investigation into the use of deadly force with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt emphasized the need for local involvement in the investigation for transparency: “With all due respect to the federal level, we do need to make sure that our local agencies are involved.”
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty issued a statement soon after the shooting saying “pushing hard for a local investigation which is the only way to ensure full transparency and review by our office.”
U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, a St. Paul Democrat, called on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who filmed herself observing ICE actions in Minneapolis on Tuesday, to immediately stop the ICE operation “to restore order and prevent further injuries.”
This story was originally produced by Minnesota Reformer, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Wisconsin Examiner, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.
ICE agents stage outside of Hibachi Buffet in South Minneapolis Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026 as an estimated 2,000 more federal agents are deployed in the metropolitan area. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was in the Twin Cities Tuesday as the Trump administration launches what it’s calling “the largest DHS operation ever.”
CBS News reported over the weekend that around 2,000 Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents are being deployed in Minnesota, in addition to the 700 already present in the state as part of “Operation Metro Surge,” which began in December.
In a video posted to the Department of Homeland Security’s official X account, Noem and several heavily armed and masked agents arrested a man in St. Paul. In another video, Noem appeared to greet and thank local ICE staff.
One photo showed Noem meeting with Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, who is leading the prosecutions of people accused of defrauding Minnesota’s social services programs.
The Trump administration’s focus on Minnesota was sparked by unsubstantiated allegations shared by right-wing media figures that Somali Americans who committed fraud were using the proceeds to fund terrorist organizations abroad.
“@POTUS Trump and @Sec_Noem have rallied DHS law enforcement personnel to keep Americans safe and ERADICATE fraud,” DHS posted on X.
ICE did not respond to the Reformer’s requests for comment.
Immigrant rights organizations have been fielding many reports of ICE arrests around the metro, but an exact number of arrests is difficult to confirm. Unlike a few high-profile raids in Minneapolis and St. Paul in 2025, which involved dozens of agents and attracted large crowds, ICE appears to be focused on conducting smaller and faster operations.
Walz blasted the deployment as a waste of government resources on social media, sharing a video from a little over a week ago showing dozens of agents leading a single person out of a Hennepin County government building. He said the Trump administration did not give his office advance notice or any additional information on the operation.
“We have a ridiculous surge of apparently 2,000 people not coordinating with us that are for a show of the cameras,” Walz said at a news conference on Tuesday. “We don’t even know they are, they’ll be wearing masks.”
Noem fired back at the governor for accusing them of misusing taxpayer dollars given the widening scandal of fraud in state-run social service programs that led him to end his campaign for a third term on Monday.
Around the country and in Minnesota, immigration agents have been accused of violating constitutional rights: detaining U.S. citizens for days, targeting individuals based on their speech; and arresting and holding people without probable cause.
In late December, ICE agents entered a private area of the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis without a judicial warrant, according to immigrant rights activists and Democratic elected officials, who urged Hennepin Healthcare to adopt a clear policy and train employees on how to interact with immigration agents.
Janna Gewirtz O’Brien, a pediatrician and president-elect of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said fear of ICE is keeping immigrant families from seeking health care.
“There is a sense of fear that has been perpetuated by our administration, and we need hospitals to step up,” Gewirtz O’Brien said.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota and three Minnesota-based law firms recently sued federal immigration authorities, alleging that ICE agents and their leaders are also routinely violating the constitutional rights of the people protesting their actions.
Minnesota Reformer is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Minnesota Reformer maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor J. Patrick Coolican for questions: info@minnesotareformer.com.
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