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[Minneapolis Federal Shooting Crisis, Congressional Funding Standoff, and Widespread Winter Storm Impact]-[Minnesota ICE Shooting Aftermath, Senate DHS Funding Vote, Icy Weather]

Up First from NPR · B2 · 2026-01-26

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📋 Summary

Crisis in Minneapolis: Federal Agents and the Use of Force

The city of Minneapolis is currently grappling with a profound sense of "grief" and "anger" following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Preti by federal agents. This incident marks the second killing of a Minneapolis resident by federal immigration agents in less than a month, following the death of Renee Macklin Good on January 7th.

While the Trump administration has attempted to justify the killing by labeling Preti a "would-be assassin" and claiming he "brandished a gun" with the intent of "massacring law enforcement," eyewitness accounts and verified video footage tell a different story. NPR reports that the videos show Preti holding a phone, not a weapon, before being tackled by six masked officers, beaten, and sprayed with a chemical agent. The situation has prompted widespread protests, which officials have characterized as being led by "anarchists and insurrectionists," a claim that local observers strongly refute, describing the gatherings as "overwhelmingly peaceful."

Congressional Standoff: Threatening a Government Shutdown

The fallout from these killings has reached the halls of Congress, creating a legislative crisis. Senate Democrats, led by figures like Senator Amy Klobuchar, are threatening to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Klobuchar stated, "When they're killing two constituents in my state... No, I am not voting for this funding."

This opposition creates a significant risk of a partial government shutdown, as the DHS funding is often bundled into "mega packages" that include essential spending for defense and health services. Democrats argue that the current immigration crackdown, which has seen agents "taking two-year-olds out of the arms of their mom," requires stricter guardrails. While Republicans note that ICE received an extra $75 billion last summer, some, such as Senator Bill Cassidy, have expressed concern that the "credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake," leading to calls for independent investigations into the conduct of federal agents.

Winter Storm Paralysis: A National Recovery Effort

Simultaneously, the United States is facing a massive logistical challenge as states from the Deep South to New England recover from a severe winter storm. The storm, described by Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves as the "biggest ice storm" in over 30 years, has left hundreds of thousands of homes without power due to downed trees and icy power lines.

In addition to the power outages, the aviation industry has been brought to a "halt," with over 10,000 flights canceled over the weekend—the highest daily cancellation rate since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The extreme conditions have rendered roads in the South "dangerous, if not totally impassable," forcing local governments to establish warming centers. As temperatures remain below freezing, emergency crews continue to struggle with the dual challenges of restoring utility services and managing the safety of residents in the affected regions.

🎯Key Sentences

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That's not what video footage shows.
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Stay with us.
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It's everything imagined, crafted with purpose.
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They've gone to court to fight that.
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📝Key Phrases

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predetermined narrative
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rippling through
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brandishing a gun
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contradict that
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pin him down
Expand All

📖 Transcript

A second U.S. citizen was killed in Minneapolis this weekend by federal agents.
The Trump administration says the killing was justified because the victim brandished a gun.
That's not what video footage shows.
Once again, DHS has come out with a predetermined narrative.
I'm Leila Faudel with Michelle Martin, and this is Up First from NPR News.
The killing is now rippling through Congress as Senate Democrats threaten to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

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