Democrat Taylor Rehmet wins a reliably Republican Texas state Senate seat, stunning GOP  —  Democrat Taylor Rehmet won a special election for the Texas state Senate on Saturday, flipping a reliably Republican district that President Donald Trump won by 17 points in 2024.

Democrats hit historic high in Fox News Poll as GOP loses ground on key issues  —  Plus: Trump's approval among independents falls to a record low, and the issue landscape shifts ahead of 2026.  Your weekly political data roundup for February 1, 2026.  —  This is my weekly roundup …

Shutdown likely to continue at least into Tuesday … But that plan was complicated by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries telling Speaker Mike Johnson in a private conversation Saturday that Democratic leadership would not help Johnson secure the 70 or so Democratic votes to get the measure over the line …

‘Spy Sheikh’ Bought Secret Stake in Trump Company  —  $500 million investment for 49% of World Liberty came months before U.A.E. won access to tightly guarded American AI chips  —  Four days before Donald Trump's inauguration last year, lieutenants to an Abu Dhabi royal secretly signed …

Liam Ramos Is Just One of Hundreds of Children at This Detention Center.  Release Them All.  —  The arrest and detention of Liam Conejo Ramos, the Minnesota 5-year-old in a blue bunny hat and a Spider-Man backpack, has drawn the attention — and the ire — of the nation.

Despite ‘Wrong’ Comments, Gun Rights Groups Say Trump Has Their Back  —  Activists criticized the president after he blamed Alex Pretti for carrying a gun in Minneapolis before federal agents killed him.  But there is little sign of a lasting rupture.  —  In 1980, 19 states did not allow residents to carry concealed firearms.

They Said They Weren't Close to Epstein.  New Documents Show Otherwise.  —  Materials released by the Justice Department revealed that leading business and political figures had enduring relationships with the disgraced financier.  —  They said they didn't really know Jeffrey Epstein that well.

Minnesota citizens detained by ICE are left rattled, even weeks later  —  It's a video many saw on social media soon after it happened: Officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, dragging a woman out of her car and forcing her to the ground.  —  The woman in the video is Aliya Rahman …

RFK Jr. is now a wellness guru for Republicans in Washington … Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has turned GOP policy orthodoxy on its head with his attacks on food and pharma.  —  He's also turning Republicans into advocates of eating more vegetables, drinking raw milk and eschewing pharmaceuticals.

Trump Jokes About Suing Warsh if He Doesn't Lower Interest Rates  —  President later says he didn't extract any concessions from the Fed nominee  —  President Trump joked during a speech Saturday night that he would sue Kevin Warsh, his nominee to chair the Federal Reserve, if he didn't lower interest rates.

U.S. citizen injured by federal agents in Salem who demanded to see “papers,” union says  —  A woman who's a U.S. citizen needed medical help Thursday, Jan. 29, after federal agents pulled her from her car after demanding to see her “papers,” one of the state's largest unions said Saturday.

Resistance erupts over ICE's warehouse buying spree  —  A massive buyer has entered the market for commercial warehouses, sparking furious local protests:  — The Department of Homeland Security has scouted dozens of locations to retrofit into ICE detention centers.

Black philanthropy races to save history as Trump cuts support  —  Private nonprofits and Black philanthropists are stepping in to save endangered Black history touchstones as the Trump administration orders agencies to scrub or rewrite “equity-related” public history.

Thousands of new ICE watchers hit the streets after two killings  —  Minnesotans outraged by the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti have signed up in large numbers to monitor and protest ICE with other activists.  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Jordan's parents didn't want her to become an ICE watcher.

How Alex Pretti's Death Became a National Tipping Point  —  Several factors converged to force a remarkable shift in the federal government's aggressive efforts in Minnesota.  —  Renee Good was killed on Jan. 7.  Alex Pretti on Jan. 24.  Federal agents killed both of them …

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller posted on social media this morning:  —  “Plenty of countries in history have experimented with importing a foreign labor class.  The West is the first and only civilization to import a foreign labor class that is granted full political rights, including welfare & the right to vote.

Xi Jinping calls for China's renminbi to attain global reserve currency status  —  Latest commentary details ambitions for ‘powerful currency’ to play a greater role in trade and forex  —  Xi Jinping has called for the renminbi to become a global reserve currency, in some of his clearest comments …

DOJ misconduct complaint against D.C. federal judge dismissed  —  The unusual complaint against Chief Judge James Boasberg, tossed out for lack of evidence, illustrated how Trump officials have ramped up attacks against federal judges.  —  A judicial misconduct complaint …