New Bills Seek to Rein In Oil Companies’ Pollution of Oklahoma Groundwater

                                                                                                                                                            

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New Bills Seek to Rein In Oil Companies’ Pollution of Oklahoma Groundwater The legislation comes after The Frontier and ProPublica found over 150 incidents where oilfield wastewater had gushed from the earth, releasing toxic chemicals — including some that cause cancer — near homes and farms and into drinking water sources. Read story

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Major Update: ICE Director Hauled to Court for Possible Contempt as Trump Continues to Sideline his Own People

Aaron Parnas Jan 27

Good morning, everyone. ICE is facing serious legal trouble after a federal judge said he has had enough of the agency violating court orders and is moving toward possible contempt proceedings. At the same time, President Trump was reportedly angered by what he viewed as a callous response from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino following the killing of Alex Pretti. Bovino has now been fully sidelined, and DHS has suspended his access to social media. Despite the backlash, ICE enforcement operations will continue, including a visible ICE presence at the Super Bowl.

Overnight, I learned something huge. Our podcast is now beating Joe Rogan. We did that because of you.

We are reaching tens of millions of people at a moment when the White House is openly targeting journalists and platforms like TikTok are showing a willingness to censor content. That makes this space and independent reporting more important than ever. I cannot do this alone.

If you value this work, please subscribe today. Your support helps keep this reporting independent and ensures we can keep pushing back.

Here’s the news:

• The Trump White House continues to try to take the off-ramp. After the murder of Alex Pretti and mounting backlash, Trump has begun to de-escalate his aggressive immigration crackdown in Minnesota, shifting oversight to border czar Tom Homan, sidelining hardline Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, and adopting a more cooperative tone with state and local leaders in an effort to stabilize operations, reduce confrontations, and limit political fallout without fully withdrawing federal forces.

  • CNN confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security has suspended Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino’s access to his social media accounts after he spent the previous day responding to critics and promoting unverified claims about the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.

• President Trump said he sees room for compromise with Minnesota leaders on immigration enforcement, arguing that cooperation would end tensions if the state hands over undocumented immigrants with serious criminal records, while Gov. Tim Walz countered that Minnesota already notifies ICE when non-citizens in state custody are identified.

• A veteran whom Alex Pretti cared for in the ICU said it was heartbreaking to see the video of his death and even more painful to learn it was Pretti, and that hearing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speak about him the way she did added to the heartbreak.

• A federal judge in Minnesota ordered Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to appear in court after ICE failed to comply with an order to give a detainee a bond hearing or release him, warning Lyons could be held in contempt unless the detainee is freed before Friday’s hearing.

• Dallas Morning News has confirmed that Wael Tarabishi, a 30-year-old U.S. citizen with Pompe disease, died after his health rapidly declined following the October ICE detention of his father and sole caregiver, Maher Tarabishi; his family and advocates say the separation contributed to his death and are urgently calling for Maher’s release so he can attend his son’s funeral.

• The San Francisco Chronicle says that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved DHS and CBP’s request to use Fort Snelling near Minneapolis as a staging base for the ongoing immigration operation, allowing hundreds of agents, vehicles, aircraft, and weapons to be housed there, signaling the Trump administration’s intent to deepen and sustain the controversial federal enforcement surge in the Twin Cities.

• Fetterman came out and called for Noem’s removal:

• CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott will join border czar Tom Homan in Minneapolis as part of the Trump administration’s immigration push, following the removal of Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino from his role overseeing agents in deportation operations.

• The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that ICE agents will carry out immigration enforcement operations around Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8, with the Trump administration making clear that no locations, including major sporting events, will be exempt from enforcement, while officials say the presence is part of a broader security effort coordinated with local and federal partners.

• Following Pretti’s murder, Wired has confirmed that Palantir employees openly questioned and criticized the company’s work with ICE, while leadership defended its immigration enforcement contracts as improving targeting and logistics, exposing deep internal unease over the ethics, scope, and reputational risks of Palantir’s technology supporting deportation operations.

• A GoFundMe campaign titled “Alex Pretti is an American Hero” has raised more than $1.5 million from tens of thousands of donors to support the family of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse who was killed in Minneapolis; organizers say the funds will be distributed once next of kin is verified or otherwise donated to the Immigrant Defense Project.

• First Lady Melania Trump called for unity and peaceful protests in response to the unrest in Minneapolis following the federal immigration enforcement operation and recent fatal shootings, saying Americans need to come together and urging protesters to “protest in peace.”

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a state review into TikTok after users and public figures alleged the app was censoring anti-Trump and anti-ICE content following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, claims TikTok denies by blaming a data center outage amid heightened scrutiny of the platform’s new U.S.-based ownership tied to Trump allies.

• Plans for ICE agents to play a security support role at the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics have sparked outrage in Italy, with local officials and opposition parties saying the agency is not welcome due to its controversial immigration actions and recent fatal shootings in the U.S., prompting petitions demanding Italy block ICE’s involvement despite assurances that all security will remain under Italian authority, per the Guardian.

• The Trump administration has formally withdrawn the United States from the Paris climate agreement for a second time, marking a broad retreat from global climate governance that experts warn could undermine international cooperation, slow emissions reductions, weaken U.S. credibility abroad, and make it harder for poorer countries to transition away from fossil fuels.

• Alex Vindman, the former national security council official and key witness in Donald Trump’s first impeachment, announced a Democratic bid for the U.S. Senate in Florida, framing his campaign around opposition to Trump’s leadership, immigration crackdown, and use of federal power, as he seeks to challenge Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in a special election.

• A massive winter storm has left more than 30 people dead across over a dozen U.S. states, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands, shut down flights and schools, and brought extreme cold and heavy snow from the South to New England, with officials warning that freezing temperatures, dangerous conditions, and prolonged outages could persist for days.

• Landmark trials have begun in Los Angeles against Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and Snap, with hundreds of families and school districts alleging the companies deliberately designed addictive products that harmed children’s mental health, a case that could expose internal documents, put top tech executives on the stand, and potentially reshape social media regulation and platform design.

See you soon.

— Aaron

My family escaped authoritarianism. Now I’m standing up to it again.

                                                                                                                                                          

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THIS IS AN EMAIL FROM EUGENE VINDMAN THAT I CHOSE TO SHARE BECAUSE 

OF THE HEROIC ACTS OF THE TWIN BROTHERS TO STAND UP FOR TRUTH and 

DEMOCRACY! 

IT MATTERS BECAUSE ALEX VINDMAN IS RUNNING FOR SENATE IN FLORIDA! 

I wanted to take a moment today to share my immigration story with you and how it led me to this very moment — fighting to defend our district, Virginia, and our country from MAGA authoritarianism.

My twin brother Alex and I were born in Soviet-led Ukraine to a Jewish family during the height of the Cold War. We lived under an oppressive regime — no free speech, rampant corruption, constant propaganda, and brutal authoritarianism.

My father made the courageous choice to flee that life and seek a better one for our family. Like many other immigrant families, we came to this country searching for hope with very humble beginnings. He brought us to America with nothing but $759 in his pocket and knew not a word of English.

His first job was lugging furniture for $20 a day. It wasn’t easy, but it gave us a chance at freedom. That job was my family’s ticket to the middle class.

Because of his sacrifice and the opportunity this country provided, my family was able to achieve the American Dream. So when the time came, my brother and I proudly joined the military to give back to the country that gave us everything.

I would not be here, serving as a Congressional representative, had this country not provided the path to freedom and opportunity for my family.

But now, the freedoms that brought my family here are under threat again — this time from within.

Donald Trump is not just corrupt — he’s authoritarian. He just deployed the National Guard in California against the American people without the Governor’s consent — something no president has done since the 1960s civil rights era.

And Trump’s MAGA allies in the House are letting it happen. They’re not holding him accountable — they’re enabling him. And now they’re targeting me because I stood up to Trump before — and because they know flipping this seat could help them keep their razor-thin House majority and give Trump the unchecked power he craves.

Enough is enough. We must hold Trump accountable — and that starts with flipping the House blue next November. Republicans know it. That’s why they’re coming after me with everything they’ve got. The path to a Democratic majority runs through this race, and we cannot afford to lose it. That’s why I’m asking:

I went from refugee to representative because of the opportunities this country gave my family. Now, I’m doing everything I can to make sure that promise of freedom is still there for the next generation.

Thanks for reading,

Eugene Vindman

 

Paid For By Vindman for Congress

Eugene Vindman served in the U.S. Army and the National Security Council. Use of rank, title, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of Defense, U.S. Army or the National Security Council.

The attacks are already coming in.

That didn’t take long at all.

Alexander Vindman Jan 28

What a day.

Yesterday, I launched our campaign for the United States Senate in Florida. I had no doubt in my mind that folks were fired up to take the fight straight to MAGA in Donald Trump’s own backyard.

…But to be quite honest, the support we’ve gotten in these first 36 hours has left me stunned.

Our campaign just set the record for the best Day One amount raised for a Senate candidate in Florida. More than 30,000 supporters have joined this team by chipping in a donation, with 99% of our online contributions being $100 or less.

That is incredible, and it shows the clear contrast in this race: While Ashley Moody relies on billionaire donors to rescue her campaign, we are building a movement that’s powered by the people.

It looks like the opposition is taking note too. Just look at what Ashley Moody sent to her supporters:

It’s only Day One, and they’re already trying to fearmonger their base against me. “Partisan witch hunt,” “impeachment hoax” — you name it.

Even Laura Loomer, one of Donald Trump’s most loyal attack dogs, spent her day attacking me on Twitter. It’s only a matter of time until the president himself comes after our campaign, just like he’s done against me before.

The Senate majority hinges on Florida and in a single day, we’ve already put Florida back on the map for Democrats. But now is when the real work begins. Republicans know that a win here would be a devastating blow to Donald Trump, so they are going to throw everything including the kitchen sink at me.

This will be a very tough fight, but I refuse to give in. I am ready to fight like hell for the soul of this country, which is why I’m asking for your support.

I know my campaign has sent you quite a few emails already — so before anything else, I want to thank you. Florida is an expensive state to campaign in, and the only way we will be able to match the money coming from Ashley Moody’s backers is with your support.

So while you probably didn’t wake up thinking you would make a donation to my campaign, that is the ask I have of you today. Your early donations will help us reach the voters we need to win in Florida and put a check on authoritarianism.

Together, we will end the chaos, crush corruption, and cut costs for our families.

Thank you again for your support. More soon.

Alex Vindman

Alexander Vindman is a former member of the United States Army. Use of his military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense or any branch of the U.S. government.

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