Good evening, everyone. Today was an extremely busy and consequential day, and there are several major developments you need to know.
Donald Trump has managed to isolate himself not only from world leaders abroad but increasingly from Republicans at home over his obsession with taking Greenland. Europe is standing unified against the United States. China and Russia are exploiting the growing rift with our allies. Even Republican lawmakers are now calling Trump’s Greenland push one of the dumbest ideas they have ever heard.
At the same time, the Trump administration has opened a criminal investigation into the spouse of Renee Good, while Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger moved decisively to end cooperation between ICE and Virginia law enforcement.
I also want to take a moment to share something deeply troubling with you. In the clip below, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tells CBS News that if they do not air Trump’s interview in full, the administration will “sue their ass.” This is how they treat the press, even media outlets that are often favorable to them.
On her first day in office, Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed Executive Order 47, ending Virginia’s participation in the federal 287(g) program that allowed local police to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a move hailed by immigrant advocacy groups as a major step toward reducing deportation fears and limiting voluntary ICE collaboration.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned Tony Dokoupil and CBS News that the network must air its interview with President Donald Trump in full or face a lawsuit, according to reporting by The New York Times, escalating tensions between the administration and the press.
NBC News has confirmed that the Trump Administration has launched an investigation into Becca Good, the widow of Renee Nicole Good, to determine whether she impeded a federal officer moments before an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis—a probe that critics say is politically driven and has shifted focus away from the officer’s actions, fueling protests, internal Justice Department turmoil, and broader concerns about accountability in immigration enforcement.
Amid a surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in and around Minneapolis schools, parents and community volunteers have begun informal street patrols—using walkie-talkies, group chats, and whistles—to warn families and staff of enforcement presence, following thousands of arrests statewide and heightened fear after a recent fatal shooting involving an ICE officer.
According to CNN, Tim Walz mobilized the Minnesota National Guard to support state and local law enforcement amid ongoing protests in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer, as demonstrations continue under new federal court limits on crowd-control tactics and heightened scrutiny of federal immigration operations.
A right-wing Jan. 6 provocateur, Jake Lang, claimed he was stabbed during a pro-Immigration and Customs Enforcement rally outside Minneapolis City Hall, as clashes erupted between a small group of pro-ICE demonstrators and hundreds of counterprotesters amid heightened tensions following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer earlier this month.
President Donald Trump issued an unusual double pardon to Adriana Camberos—first erasing a 2021 fraud conviction and then pardoning her again for a separate 2024 federal conviction—highlighting Trump’s aggressive and historically rare use of clemency to repeatedly absolve the same individual for unrelated crimes across different cases.
President Donald Trump said he plans to sue JPMorgan Chase, alleging—without evidence—that the bank improperly “debanked” him after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, while also denying reports that he ever offered CEO Jamie Dimon the role of Federal Reserve chair and escalating his broader attacks on major banks, the media, and the Federal Reserve.
A Washington, D.C., jury acquitted Jacob Winkler in just 35 minutes on a felony charge of aiming a laser at Marine One while carrying President Donald Trump, marking another high-profile courtroom loss for U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and raising criticism that federal prosecutors are pursuing aggressive cases with little evidentiary support.
Denmark/Greenland:
President Donald Trump announced new tariffs starting at 10%—rising to 25% by June 1—on Denmark and seven other European countries, saying the measures will remain in place until a deal is reached for the U.S. to purchase Greenland, a move that sparked protests, strong backlash from European leaders, and warnings that the tariffs could raise consumer prices and strain transatlantic relations, including within NATO and the European Union.
Republicans in Congress are increasingly rebuking President Donald Trump’s push to take over Greenland, with GOP lawmakers like Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis and Don Bacon warning it could trigger war-powers resolutions, impeachment, or a severe rupture with NATO allies, as bipartisan delegations move to reassure Denmark that Congress opposes any military action.
European leaders sharply condemned President Donald Trump’s threat to impose escalating tariffs on multiple EU countries unless the U.S. gains control of Greenland, warning the move amounts to political blackmail, risks a serious breakdown in transatlantic relations, and could derail the European Union–U.S. trade pact, prompting emergency talks among EU ambassadors.
Kaja Kallas warned that President Donald Trump’s tariff threat over Greenland hands an advantage to China and Russia by dividing allies, arguing Greenland’s security should be handled within NATO and cautioning that the dispute risks weakening transatlantic prosperity and distracting from ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
International news:
President Donald Trump called for “new leadership” in Iran following weeks of nationwide protests and a deadly crackdown, escalating rhetoric against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as reports cite thousands killed and tens of thousands arrested, while the U.S. moves additional military assets to the Middle East amid rising tensions.
The U.S. military said it conducted a precision operation in northwest Syria that killed the leader of an affiliate of Al Qaeda, stating the strike was aimed at degrading the group’s leadership, limiting its ability to plan or carry out attacks, and reinforcing ongoing counterterrorism efforts in the region.
A 27-day-old newborn became the eighth child to die of hypothermia in Gaza this winter, underscoring a deepening humanitarian crisis in which fuel shortages, destroyed medical services, mass displacement, and winter storms have left infants especially vulnerable—despite a ceasefire, with UNICEF reporting more than 100 children killed in the territory since October.
Israel objected to the White House’s selection of several international figures for President Donald Trump’s proposed Gaza “board of peace,” saying some appointments—including leaders such as Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and former UK prime minister Tony Blair—were made without coordination and conflict with Israeli policy, complicating plans for post-war governance and reconstruction of Gaza amid ongoing violence and a fragile ceasefire.
According to Bloomberg, a leaked draft charter shows President Donald Trump would require countries to pay $1 billion to become permanent members of his proposed Gaza “Board of Peace,” with Trump personally controlling the funds—terms that Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected and multiple nations oppose amid concerns the body is an attempted, Trump-controlled rival to the United Nations, leaving the initiative without backing from key regional or global players despite its focus on Gaza.
