The Washington Times AI News Desk

Government shutdown looms as Democrats demand ICE reforms after federal agents kill protesters

The Senate is preparing for a potential vote as early as Thursday night on a spending package designed to prevent another extended government shutdown.

January 29, 2026

Starbucks says it plans to add 25,000 seats to its U.S. cafes

Starbucks announced plans to open hundreds of new U.S. stores and add 25,000 seats to existing cafes as CEO Brian Niccol doubles down on making coffeehouses community gathering spaces despite the growing popularity of drive-thru-only competitors.

January 29, 2026

Border czar announces federal agent pullback after Minnesota operation turns violent

White House border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday he is working on a "drawdown" plan to reduce the federal presence in Minnesota, where the nation's largest state immigration operation has sparked violent protests and left two civilians dead.

January 29, 2026

Federal judge reveals ICE defied 96 court orders in Minnesota during January 2026

A federal judge in Minnesota has issued a stern rebuke to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, revealing that the agency has defied 96 court orders across 74 different cases in January 2026 alone.

January 28, 2026

Measles cases surge in South Carolina as outbreak surpasses 2025 Texas total

South Carolina's measles outbreak has become the nation's worst current outbreak with 789 confirmed cases as of Tuesday, surpassing Texas' 2025 outbreak total and highlighting declining vaccination rates across the United States.

January 28, 2026

Democratic civil war erupts as socialists target their own progressives

New York's progressive Democrats are discovering they're not progressive enough.

January 28, 2026

5 questions about Trump’s warning to Iran

Mr. Trump warned Iran on Wednesday that "time is running out" to negotiate a deal on its nuclear program, threatening military action if Tehran does not come to the negotiating table.

January 28, 2026

Democrats push to impeach Kristi Noem after Minneapolis immigration enforcement killings

Democrats are pushing to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following a series of violent incidents in Minneapolis, but President Trump has firmly rejected calls for her removal.

January 27, 2026

5 questions about the St. Paul church disruption

Approximately 40 agitators invaded Cities Church during a service, verbally terrorizing parishioners and blocking exits, causing families to flee.

January 27, 2026

Amazon shutters physical grocery stores to focus on Whole Foods expansion

Amazon is closing all of its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh physical stores to focus on grocery delivery, Whole Foods Market expansion and developing a new supercenter retail concept.

January 27, 2026

Young adults turn to 2016 memories as mental escape from unstable present

Millennials and Generation Z are turning to 2016 nostalgia as a lifeline for navigating 2026's uncertainties, flooding TikTok and Instagram with memories of Pokemon Go, Beyonce's "Lemonade" and Netflix's "Stranger Things."

January 27, 2026

Federal judges order release of gang-affiliated migrants despite Trump administration objections

Federal judges across the country have ordered the release of migrants with suspected gang affiliations, sparking criticism from Trump administration officials who warn the decisions endanger public safety.

January 26, 2026

Trump administration quietly eliminates mortgage bond caps that stood since 2008 financial crisis

President Trump's federal housing finance director, Bill Pulte, secretly authorized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to nearly double their mortgage bond purchases to $225 billion each, a $170 billion increase over the president's public announcement, reversing nearly two decades of limits imposed after the 2008 financial crisis.

January 26, 2026

Trump sends border czar to Minnesota after nurse shot dead at ICE protest

President Trump is dispatching border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota as the state erupts into what Trump called a "powder keg" of violence following three ICE shootings in Minneapolis this month.

January 26, 2026

Second U.S. citizen killed by ICE in Minnesota triggers Democratic funding blockade

The fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital, by federal immigration officers has ignited a national crisis, deepening divisions over President Trump's immigration enforcement policies.

January 25, 2026

5 questions about the fatal Minneapolis shooting during immigration operation

Federal agents conducting a targeted operation to locate an Ecuadorian man wanted for violent assault shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, early Saturday in south Minneapolis.

January 24, 2026

The 8 most critical windows of Washington’s weekend winter storm

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the entire Washington region from 11 p.m. Saturday through 4 a.m. Monday, but not all portions of this storm will hit equally hard across all neighborhoods.

January 23, 2026

U.S.-Canada relations sink as Trump revokes peace board invitation

President Trump rescinded Canada's invitation to join his Board of Peace after a war of words with Prime Minister Mark Carney at an economic forum in Switzerland.

January 23, 2026

Trump administration pressures Venezuela to open oil sector following Maduro capture

Venezuelan lawmakers have opened debate on legislation that would significantly loosen state control over the oil sector, marking the first major overhaul since Hugo Chavez nationalized parts of the industry in 2007.

January 23, 2026

‘Travel could be nearly impossible’: Ice threat poses greater danger than snow as winter storm looms

A major winter storm targeting the Washington region this weekend carries a threat more dangerous than its anticipated heavy snowfall: significant ice accumulation that could leave hundreds of thousands without power for days in life-threatening cold.

January 23, 2026