GOV ABBOTT SAYS 'STATE GOVERNMENT MUST LEAD BY EXAMPLE AND ENSURE THAT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES , PARTICULARLY THOSE FUNDED WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS, ARE FILLED BY TEXANS FIRST'

Gov. Abbott orders Texas universities, agencies to halt H-1B visa petitions

The governor said public universities and state agencies may not seek new visas without Texas Workforce Commission permission through the end of the 2027 legislative session. 

 

 

by Jessica Priest

 

The Texas Tribune

Jan 26, 2026

 

 

 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott 

 

Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday directed all public universities and state agencies to freeze new H-1B visa applications, escalating his administration’s scrutiny of foreign workers employed at taxpayer-funded institutions.

Under the directive, public universities and state agencies may not initiate or file new H-1B visa petitions without written permission from the Texas Workforce Commission through the end of the next legislative session on May 31, 2027. 

Abbott also ordered agencies and higher education institutions to submit detailed reports to the commission, including the number of new or renewed H-1B visa petitions filed in 2025, the number of H-1B visa holders currently sponsored, job titles, countries of origin and visa expiration dates. He also directed agencies and universities to provide documentation showing they made an effort to give qualified Texans a reasonable opportunity to apply for positions filled by H-1B visa holders.

“State government must lead by example and ensure that employment opportunities — particularly those funded with taxpayer dollars — are filled by Texans first,” Abbott said.

Abbott previewed the move a day earlier during an interview with Mark Davis, a conservative radio talk show host, saying the state sought visa information from public schools and universities and expected to announce an “action plan” after reviewing the data. 

“I don’t see any reason why we need any H-1B visa employees in our public schools in the state of Texas. But we’re going to find out if there’s some unique skill set or whatever the case may be,” Abbott said Monday.

He also suggested that some visa holders may have been admitted before or during the Biden administration and may have overstayed.

“Those, again, are the type of people that the Trump administration is trying to remove,” Abbott said.

Emails obtained by Quorum Report show Abbott’s office last week asked Texas A&M University System leaders to provide data on employees working under H-1B visas by close of business Monday.

The request followed reporting by conservative news site The Dallas Express on Thursday saying it had sought public records related to Texas A&M University’s use of H-1B visas for months and filed a complaint with the Texas attorney general before receiving the information. The outlet reported that Texas A&M spent about $3.25 million on H-1B visa sponsorships and related costs over roughly five years, compared with about $1.1 million spent by the University of Texas at Dallas during a similar period.

H-1B visas let employers hire foreign workers for specialized jobs that require at least a bachelor’s degree, with applications vetted and approved by the federal government. Public universities and academic medical centers often use the visas to hire professors, researchers, doctors and other highly trained staff. 

Federal immigration data show, as of Sept. 30, 2025, Dallas ISD employs 230 H-1B visa holders, the most of any education-related employer in Texas, followed by UT Southwestern Medical Center with 220 and Texas A&M University with 210. Other major employers include UT MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas at Austin, according to the data.

Texas A&M University System had already discontinued sponsoring new H-1B visa petitions that would require it to pay a $100,000 federal fee, according to Chris Bryan, the system’s vice chancellor for marketing and communications. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation in September imposing the fee on certain new H-1B visa petitions.

“We have received Governor Abbott’s directive ordering a freeze on new H-1B visa petitions at Texas public institutions of higher education, and we are fully complying with that directive,” Bryan said.

The University of Texas System and its 13 institutions have submitted their visa information to the governor’s office, said Randa Safady, vice chancellor for external relations, communications and advancement services. 

“The institutions are complying with the Governor’s directive by freezing new H-1B applications and will await further guidance on how the submission of requests to the Texas Workforce Commission for future hires may work,” Safady said in a statement Tuesday.

Higher education advocates say restricting universities’ ability to hire international faculty and researchers could have economic consequences for Texas and weaken the state’s innovation pipeline.

“What has made U.S. higher education the best in the world is that we have been able to attract the best people for these positions,” said Miriam Feldblum, co-founder and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a national coalition of college and university leaders focused on immigration policy.

She added that recent federal policies, including the $100,000 fee for some new H-1B hires from abroad, already threaten U.S. universities’ competitiveness.

Texas is not alone in scrutinizing universities’ use of H-1B visas. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis last year directed the state’s public university system to curb its use of the program, arguing that universities were misusing the visas and should prioritize hiring U.S. citizens. Florida’s Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s public university system, is considering a proposal to pause new H-1B visa hires through early 2027.

A COUPLE OF INTERESTING MOVES IN CA

By Bob Walsh

 

 

 

One new legislative proposal would require that ride share drivers have the same background check as taxi and bus drivers.  I know back in ancient days when I had a license to hack a cab I had to have the cops do my fingerprints and undergo a background check because they don't want rapists, pervs and people who rolls drunks doing that sort of work.  Makes sense.

There is also an interesting ballot proposition that so far isn't getting much ink.  If passed it would prohibit any member of the legislature who voted for Proposition 50 from running for elected office in the state for ten years.  This mirrors the prohibition imposed on members of the maybe now non-function citizens group who used to do legislative boundaries.  They were specifically prohibited from running for any office for ten years as otherwise they might be tempted to tweak boundaries for their personal benefit.  Payback is a bitch.  I would however not bet on this one making it to the ballot.  If it does I wouldn't be surprised if it passed.  

TEN COPS FIRED FOR CHEATING ON ACADEMY EXAM

By Bob Walsh

 

 

Ten officers of the Mount Pleasant S.C. police department have been sacked over allegations of cheating on the state certification examination.

According to a statement from Police Chief Mark Arnold the investigation initially led to the firing of two officers.  Subsequent investigation led to eight additional officers who either provided answers or received answers to the test.  

The officers allegedly cooperated in the investigation.  The officers do have appeal rights.  No names have been released.

VERY GOOD ADVICE FOR TRUMP IN A CONSERVATIVE PUBLICATION ..... ANY HOPE OF TRUMP'S PRESIDENCY CLAWING ITS WAY OUT OF THE HOLE IT HAS DUG FOR ITSELF BEGINS WITH FIRING KRISTI NOEM

Fire Kristi Noem into the Sun

At a minimum, the DHS secretary should immediately become the least visible member of this administration. 

 

By Jeffrey Blehar

 

National Review 

Jan 26, 2026

 

 

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in New York City at a press conference to discuss ongoing ICE operations, January 8, 2026.

 

I don’t need to explain to you what happened over the weekend in Minneapolis, though on the off chance you’ve been sheltering underneath a rock for the last two days, I will. Amid the ongoing anti-ICE/CBP protests in the Twin Cities, a protester named Alex Pretti was gunned down by Border Patrol authorities. Pretti was legally carrying a concealed weapon while filming federal authorities on the street. After trying to help a woman shoved by an officer, he was forced to the ground and disarmed (he did not reach for his weapon). At this point — and I regret having had to watch the footage as many times as I did — he was shot nine or ten times in the back and head.

This was a horrible tragedy, one that should be thoroughly and properly investigated.

This, however, was unlike the “is the dress gold or blue?” miasma of the Renee Good shooting, where multiple camera angles from equally oblique views allowed people online to create their own narratives. While questions remain unanswered, the videos create a more serious optics problem for the feds. Near as I can tell, the best possible narrative available is that this was the result of a tragic miscommunication among the ICE/CBP officers (when one of them shouted “gun” as he confiscated Pretti’s weapon), possibly fueled by an accidental discharge of the weapon. I also think that anyone who walks into a situation as explosive as this should have the sense to follow Johnny Cash’s sage advice: “Don’t take your guns to town.” That, however, can be of little consolation to a dead man or to his family and friends.

My constant counsel to the Trump administration is to know where to pick their battles. And President Trump — or whoever is really calling his domestic shots, perhaps Stephen Miller — has been supremely easy to manipulate into self-defeating conflicts: He chases PR heat rather than policy light, hence his focus on top-directed action in “high conflict” blue cities like Chicago and now — with the shiny object of Somalian fraud beckoning him into the trap — Minneapolis. And that’s why ICE and CBP have always been walking the thinnest of lines there: The goal for both sides is splashy, capital-C Confrontation. (The only way Trump knows how to think of the world is via headlines.) Trump will lose that game, even though he believes himself — with some reason — to be a master of it.

So no, I’m not going to offer any thoughts as to whether or not I believe the progressive activist left has successfully checkmated a blundering Trump (watch this space for more tomorrow), but I will say this: Any hope of Trump’s presidency clawing its way out of the hole it has dug for itself begins with firing Kristi Noem, current secretary of homeland security and the administration’s most prominent “ridealong disaster” during its first year. Preferably out of a rocket, and into the sun. Damage control is needed, and she is the most visible avatar of damage.

Honestly, I’d advise Trump to can nearly everybody within the remote orbit of DHS leadership except for Tom Homan — that is, if I thought he was reading me. But I will settle instead for the hope that this one message will break through: Stanch the bleeding by canning your most incompetent lieutenant.

Out came Noem this weekend, in the wake of the shooting, to announce via previously undisclosed powers of clairvoyance: “This individual who came, with weapons and ammunition, to stop a law-enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers, committed an act of domestic terrorism. That’s the facts.” Oh, are they? Alex Pretti committed “domestic terrorism” by being there? “This looks like a situation where an individual arrived to inflict maximum damage and kill law enforcement,” Noem said. I am envious of her mind-reading ability. For my own part, I saw a guy executed while face down on the street.

I could mention worse. I could cite Bill Essayli, low-level Trump myrmidon but high-level Twitter fool, writing, “If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you.” Kash Patel, director of the FBI, went to Fox in a panic to blubber: “You cannot bring a firearm, locked and loaded, with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want — it’s that simple.”

But I will advise him instead to simply cut bait on his most visibly over-her-head subordinate. Trump doesn’t even have to fire her — confirmations are dicey these days — but can at least denigrate and demote. Kristi Noem should immediately become the least visible member of this administration. I get that Trump doesn’t like admitting defeat, or error. (It is not in the nature of Trump to err, only to “win” in different, less recognized ways.) So instead, bank a win in this case by acknowledging that you have been let down by one of your subordinates, and restore public confidence by taking her to the figurative gravel pit.

Just my advice. 

AN AMAZING DISCOVERY

Lost tomb of the mysterious 'cloud people' unearthed after 1,400 years in 'discovery of the decade'

 

By Stacy Liberatore 

 

Daily Mail

Jan 27, 2026

 

 

Archaeologists in Mexicohave uncovered a 1,400-year-old tomb in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca that had been lost to history

 

It has been hailed as 'the most significant archaeological discovery in a decade.'

Archaeologists in Mexico have uncovered a 1,400-year-old tomb in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca that had been lost to history.

The stone structure, built by the Zapotec culture, known as Be'ena'a, or 'The Cloud People', is adorned with sculptures, murals and carved symbols that suggest ritual significance.

The Zapotec believed their ancestors descended from the clouds and that, in death, their souls returned to the heavens as spirits.

At the entrance sits a massive carved owl, its open beak revealing the face of a Zapotec lord, a symbol the National Institute of Anthropology and History said represented death and power.

The doorway is framed by a stone threshold and lintel, above which a frieze of engraved slabs displays ancient calendrical names.

Flanking the entrance are carved figures of a man and woman wearing headdresses and holding ritual objects, likely guardians of the tomb.

Inside the burial chamber, preserved sections of a vibrant mural remain intact, showing a procession of figures carrying bundles of copal as they move toward the tomb's entrance.

 

At the entrance sits a massive carved owl, its open beak revealing the face of a Zapotec lord

 

Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, said: 'It is the most important archaeological discovery of the last decade in Mexico due to its level of preservation and the information it provides.'

The Zapotecs have a history spanning over 2,500 years. 

They established a major pre-Columbian civilization centered at Monte Albán, which featured advanced agriculture and writing.

The Zapotec civilization mysteriously declined in the area around 900 AD.

However, the people did not completely disappear, as there are at least 400,000 living today.

Mexico's Secretary of Culture, Claudia Curiel de Icaza, said the 'exceptional discovery' of the tomb was due to its preservation. 

She added that it reveals how the Zapotec culture was a social organization with funerary rituals.

'It is a compelling example of Mexico's ancient grandeur, which is now being researched, protected, and shared with society,' she continued.  

 

The stone structure, built by the Zapotec culture, known as Be'ena'a, or 'The Cloud People', is adorned with sculptures, murals and carved symbols that suggest ritual significance

Pictured is the giant owl above the tomb's entrance

 

An interdisciplinary team from the INAH Oaxaca Center is currently working to conserve and protect the tomb, focusing on stabilizing the fragile mural painting. Experts say the mural’s condition is delicate due to root growth, insect activity, and sudden shifts in temperature and humidity.

At the same time, researchers are conducting ceramic, iconographic and epigraphic studies, along with physical anthropology analyses, to better understand the rituals, symbols and funerary practices connected to the tomb.

In 2024, archaeologists announced the discovery of tunnels that the ancient Zapotec civilization believed to be the 'entrance to the underworld' had been found beneath a centuries-old church.

Mitla, meaning place of the dead, was a city in southern Mexico known for its association with Pitao Bezelao, the Zapotec god of death.

But the Spanish arrived in the 16th Century and razed the city, building a church on the ruins of its most important temple.

A priest later wrote that 'the back door of hell' lay under the city – huge caverns believed to be the entrance to the Zapotec underworld.

But they were walled up, he said, and later excavations failed to find anything matching the scale of his description – until now.

Using non-invasive techniques, archaeologists recently revealed a series of chambers and tunnels beneath the city.

Five different sets of ruins were probed: the church group, the arroyo group, the adobe group, the south group, and the group of the columns.

 

Pictured is the face of the Zapotec god inside the owl's mouth

In 2024, archaeologists announced the discovery of tunnels that the ancient Zapotec civilization believed to be the 'entrance to the underworld' had been found beneath a centuries-old church 

Using non-invasive techniques, archaeologists recently revealed a series of chambers and tunnels beneath the city

 

Marco Vigato, founder of the ARX Project, which is leading the search, said: 'Some of the tunnels and chambers extend to a considerable depth, in excess of 50 feet.

The underground tunnels were revealed using a combination of ground penetrating radar, electric resistivity tomography, and seismic noise tomography. 

The first method uses radar waves to model the subsurface, while the second detects buried structures by measuring the flow of electricity through the earth.

Instead of electricity, the final method measures the speed at which seismic waves move through the ground.

Just how old the tunnels are is yet to be established.

'Natural caves in the area of Mitla have been occupied and partially modified by humans for thousands of years,' Vigato said:

'The earliest evidence of crop domestication in the area of Mitla dates back almost 10,000 years.

'There is no indication at the moment as to the possible age of the tunnels under the church or the other groups of structures at Mitla.

'They may have been created by the Zapotecs, or they could be much older.'

He added: 'The findings from the geophysical scans will have to be confirmed with archaeological methods.

'This could determine the nature of the cavities identified under the site and whether they contain any artifacts of archaeological significance.'

THE PRETTI SHOOTING IS MUCH, MUCH WORSE THAN DEREK CHAUVIN KNEELING ON GEORGE FLOYD'S NECK ... THE BORDER PATROL REPORT TO CONGRSS STATED THAT AN AGENT TOOK POSSESSION OF PRETTI'S GUN SHORTLY AFTER THE SHOOTING, BUT VIDEO FOOTAGE SHOWED THAT THE GIN WAS RETRIEVED BEFORE THE SHOOTING

Two Border Patrol agents opened fire at Alex Pretti in Minneapolis after he was disarmed, government report states

 

By Stephen M. Lepore 

 

Daily Mail

Jan 27, 2026

 

 

Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security Secretary, claimed Pretti was 'brandishing' the firearm and suggested Pretti was a domestic terrorist in the immediate aftermath of the shooting

 

A new Border Patrol report says that two agents fired the ten shots at Alex Pretti that killed him and does not mention the gun owner taking out his gun.

Pretti, 37, was shot dead in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Saturday during a targeted immigration enforcement operation.

Following the shooting, DHS and Border Patrol officials portrayed Pretti as an instigator who 'brandished' a weapon at officers. 

However, a new government report that was sent to Congress on Tuesday claims that while an officer shouted that Pretti had a gun, it does not mention Pretti having taken it out. 

The law requires the agency to inform relevant congressional committees about deaths in CBP custody within 72 hours. 

Investigators from CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility conducted the analysis based on a review of body-worn camera footage and agency documentation, the notice said. 

The agency is required to report in-custody and certain other deaths involving its agents and officers to Congress. 

Officials said that at around 9am Saturday, CBP agents were faced with several protesters 'yelling and blowing whistles' at the officers, while also blocking the roadway at the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue.

 

A new Border Patrol report says that two agents fired the ten shots at Alex Pretti that killed him and does not mention the gun owner taking out his gun 

Pretti, 37, was shot dead in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Saturday during a targeted immigration enforcement operation

 

After making 'several verbal requests' for the protesters to stop, CBP claims two women confronted the agents while blowing whistles. They were ordered to get out of the roadway but refused. 

They said that the women were then 'pushed away' and one of the ran to Pretti, with both again refusing to leave the roadways. 

The officer then deployed pepper spray at both of them, while attempting to arrest Pretti.

'CBP personnel attempted to take Pretti into custody. Pretti resisted CBP personnel's efforts and a struggle ensued,' the report claims. 

'During the struggle, a (Border Patrol agent) yelled, 'He's got a gun!' multiple times.'

The report continues: 'Approximately five seconds later, a (Border Patrol agent) discharged his CBP-issued Glock 19 and a (Customs and Border Protection officer) also discharged his CBP-issued Glock 47 at Pretti.' 

Within five seconds, one agent and one officer discharged the shots, with one using a Glock 19 and the other a Glock 47. 

An agent took possession of Pretti's gun and cleared and secured it shortly after the shooting. 

 

Pretti was seen facing off with federal agents before being shot. His family claimed he was 'clearly not holding a gun', while federal officials have alleged he was 'brandishing' a firearm

A gun shot perforation in a window pane can be seen in a window in front of a makeshift memorial for Alex Pretti

 

CBP tried to save Pretti's life by putting chest seals on his wounds at 9:02am, with EMS and EMTs arriving three minutes later. 

Pretti was taken in an ambulance to Hennepin County Medical Center at 9:14am, where he was pronounced dead at 9:32am. 

A DHS investigation is ongoing and The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General has been notified.  

'These notifications reflect standard Customs and Border Protection protocol and are issued in accordance with existing procedures,' a CBP spokesperson told The Daily Mail.

'They provide an initial outline of an event that took place and do not convey any definitive conclusion or investigative findings. They are factual reports – not analytical judgments – and are provided to inform Congress and to promote transparency.' 

Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security Secretary, claimed after the shooting that officers 'clearly feared for their lives.'

She said the agents fired defensive shots at Pretti after he 'violently' resisted their instructions. 

Noem also claimed Pretti was 'brandishing' the firearm and suggested Pretti was a domestic terrorist in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

Gregory Bovino, the US Border Patrol commander-at-large, said Pretti planned to 'massacre' federal agents when he was killed.

 

Gregory Bovino, the US Border Patrol commander-at-large, said Pretti planned to 'massacre' federal agents when he was killed

 

Minneapolis police said Pretti had no serious criminal history and was a lawful gun owner with a valid permit. 

On Monday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were investigating the shooting.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was also conducting an internal review of the fatal incident.

Leavitt also said she had 'not heard' US President Donald Trump 'characterize' Pretti as a domestic terrorist.

DHS officials have maintained that Pretti approached the officers with a loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun.

However, witness videos from the scene appeared to show Pretti holding his phone up to the agents - not a gun.

He was captured filming agents with his device as they arrested a female protester, before suddenly being tackled to the ground.

Footage suggested that one officer took Pretti's weapon from his waistband and walked away with it just moments before he was killed.

 

Anti ICE protesters stand outside the Minnesota State Capitol Building

A demonstrator displays a sign during a protest outside the hotel where Greg Bovino was allegedly staying

 

Pretti was the second person killed this month by a federal officer in Minneapolis.

The notification came a day after President Donald Trump ordered border czar Tom Homan to take over his administration's immigration crackdown in Minnesota following Pretti's death, which was the second fatal shooting this month of a person at the hands of immigration law enforcement. 

He was shot dead just over a mile from where Renee Good, 37, was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on January 7. 

As he left the White House Tuesday, the president was asked whether Alex Pretti's killing on Saturday was justified. 

He responded by saying that a 'big investigation' was underway. 

By sending Homan to Minnesota, 'we're going to de-escalate a little bit,' Trump said during an interview on Fox News' 'Will Cain Show.' 

That's significant since White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, when questioned repeatedly Monday about Homan's being dispatched to Minnesota, refused to say that doing so was an effort to calm the situation.

The president added of Homan, 'Tom, as tough as he is, gets along' with governors and mayors, even in Democratic areas.

I BELIEVE THE ONLY REASON TRUMP CONTINUES TO BACK UP KRISTI NOEM IS BECAUSE HIS FRIEND COREY LEWANDOWSKI HAS BEEN SHACKING UP WITH HER

Trump issues statement on Kristi Noem amid calls for her firing

 

By Ross Ibbetson, Phillip Nieto and Jon Michael Raasch

 

Daily Mail

Jan 27, 2026 

 

President Donald Trump told reporters that Kristy Noem "is doing a very good job" before boarding Marine One on South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday

 

Donald Trump has issued a defiant statement standing by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem amid outrage over her deadly immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

'I think she's doing a very good job,' the President told reporters outside the White House on Tuesday.

'The border is totally secure ... we had a border that we inherited where millions of people were coming through, now we have a border where no one is coming through.'

Trump on Monday had rebuked Noem's leadership as he parachuted her longtime rival Tom Homan into Minnesota to lead the deteriorating migrant crackdown after the shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old VA nurse. 

The President was frustrated with Noem after she branded Pretti a 'domestic terrorist' at a news conference after the shooting, reports said. 

The Homeland chief was grilled by Trump about her remarks at a meeting attended by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in the Oval Office late on Sunday.

Now Noem has been dispatched to secure the Southern Border, away from the administration's immigration enforcement operations in the interior.

But it appears that her job is safe despite calls for her to resign from senior Democrats, including Senator John Fetterman, a staunch supporter of Trump's immigration policy.

 

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem holds a press conference in Washington, DC, on Saturday

Pretti, 37, was shot dead by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis on Saturday during a targeted immigration enforcement operation

 

Asked whether he would label Pretti an 'assassin' - the words of White House Deputy Chief of Staff - Trump disagreed but added: 'You can't have guns. You can't walk in with guns. You just can't. You can't walk in with guns.'

Pretti was armed with a licensed handgun which appeared to have been wrestled from him before he was shot dead. 

House Democrats on Capitol Hill have launched an investigation into Noem, while 140 members of the party have co-sponsored an impeachment resolution.

Republican lawmakers, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Kentucky Rep. James Comer, have also expressed concern that Noem's immigration crackdown in Minnesota may have gone off the rails.

The Democratic impeachment bill alleges that Noem has been self-dealing, obstructed Congress and violated public trust.

Republican Rand Paul has also called multiple top immigration officials to testify at a February 12 hearing.

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott, US Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons have been asked to attend.

Noem will testify before the Senate on March 3 as part of regular oversight, Politico reported.

The Homeland Security Secretary has seen a dramatic loss of confidence following the fatal shootings of Pretti and anti-ICE protester Renee Good on January 7.

The latest Daily Mail/JL Partners poll, finds that Noem has a paltry 33 percent approval rating, compared to 37 percent last month before the shootings.

 

Federal agents use tear gas on protesters after a demonstration outside a Minneapolis hotel believed to house ICE officers on Sunday

 

Her disapproval rating has risen to 41 percent compared to 37 percent in December, per the last Daily Mail/ JL Partners survey.

Nearly half of survey respondents, 46 percent, believe that Noem should be impeached. Another 42 percent say President Donald Trump should fire her.

The poll was conducted on January 26 and included over 1,000 registered voters. The margin of error is 3.1 percent. 

NOT EXACTLY WHAT TRUMP WOULD WANT TO HEAR

Saudi Arabia to Iran: We will not accept an attack against you

A phone call took place between the Iranian president and the Saudi crown prince against the backdrop of tensions with the US. According to Tehran, the discussion focused on regional and international developments. The Iranian presidential office said the Saudi crown prince told Pezeshkian that the kingdom "declares its readiness for full cooperation with Iran."

 

by Shachar Kleiman 

 

Israel Hayom

Jan 27, 2026

 

 

Amid rising tensions between Tehran and Washington, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a phone call on Tuesday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to Iran's presidential office. 

The two leaders discussed what Tehran described as "recent events" as well as regional and international developments.

During the call, Pezeshkian referred to what he called the "12-day war" and accused the US of acting in bad faith. "From the Americans' perspective, negotiations mean 'they talk, and we act,'" he said. "That is not dialogue. We engaged in dialogue with the Americans, and they launched a military attack against us in front of the entire world."

The Iranian president also addressed the recent protests in Iran, which were violently suppressed, saying: "We appreciate the support of Islamic countries for our people during the recent events, especially that of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

According to the Iranian readout, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Pezeshkian that "Saudi Arabia will not accept any aggression, threat or provocation against Iran." He added that the kingdom "declares its readiness for full cooperation with Iran and other countries in the region in order to establish lasting peace and security."

HAMAS AFFILIATED NETWORK IN EUROPE

Europe’s Hamas problem: Financing networks and terrorist plots

Deeper security cooperation with Israel could close a critical gap in Europe’s counter-terrorism architecture. 

 

By Benjamin Ames 

 

JNS

Jan 26, 2026

 

 

 

Leaders of the Hamas network in Europe: Founder and chair of the European-Palestinian Council for Political Relations Majed al-Zeer (right) in Malmö, Sweden in 2023 together with Swedish politician Jamal El-Haj (middle) and Palestinian conference president Amin Abu Rashed.

 

Italian authorities recently dealt a substantial blow to the Hamas financial network in the country. On Dec. 27, Italian police arrested seven individuals and issued international arrest orders for two others suspected of funneling millions to Hamas and its affiliated associations.

One of the arrested individuals was Mohammad Hannoun, a U.S.-sanctioned Ramallah native who has operated in Italy and has been on the radar of authorities since the early 1990s. The investigation expanded through cooperation with Dutch and other European authorities and was supported by Israeli intelligence.

The arrest of Hannoun and his Italian-based cell represents just one node within a broader, interconnected network of Hamas-affiliated financiers and advocacy organizations spanning Europe. Hannoun has been described as having contacts in the Netherlands, Austria, France and Britain.

Security experts and law enforcement have long been aware of the risk posed by Hamas’s exploitation of European financial and legal environments. Beyond financing, Hamas had largely refrained from conducting terrorist attacks in Europe before Oct. 7, 2023.

This has been a key element of Hamas’s strategic narrative in the West, aimed at presenting itself as merely a “Palestinian Islamic liberation and resistance movement,” as described by Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk. Hamas’s concerted efforts to portray itself as a benign political movement are evident in its recent legal attempts to get itself delisted as an official terrorist organization by the United Kingdom and Australia.

 

 

Partial view of the Hamas affiliated network in Europe.

 

However, since Oct. 7, Hamas appears to have moved beyond its prior strategic narrative, as European authorities have disrupted multiple alleged terrorist plots across the continent. As the threat of Hamas terrorist attacks in Europe has increased, the need for formal security and intelligence cooperation between Israel and the E.U. has become more pressing than ever.

Hamas’s broader financing network in Europe

Under the guise of raising funds for Palestinian civilians, Hannoun operates several organizations in Italy, including the Palestinian Association in Italy, Associazione Benefica di Solidarietà con il Popolo Palestinese (“Association for Solidarity with the Palestinian People”) and La Cupola d’Oro (“Golden Dome”). These entities serve as front organizations that divert funds to the Hamas “military” wing.

Before his arrest, Hannoun reportedly had plans to leave Italy for Turkey. Italian court papers noted the involvement of Turkey-based intermediaries facilitating transfers for Hannoun’s network, demonstrating the international scope of Hamas’s terror-financing activities.

In 2024, the European Leadership Network published a series of reports revealing an extensive Hamas-affiliated network operating in various countries, including the U.K., Germany, Italy, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

This ecosystem also encompasses a network of NGOs and advocacy organizations, including the European Palestinians Conference (EPC), which has functioned as a recurring convening platform for Hamas-affiliated actors across European countries. The EPC was originally founded by the Palestinian Return Centre, which was declared an illegal organization by Israel in 2010 for ties to Hamas.

An EPC-organized conference held in Malmö, Sweden, in 2023 brought together Hamas representatives from different countries, including Majed al-Zeer, a leader of Hamas in Europe and specifically in Germany and Britain, Adel Doghman, the leader of Hamas in Austria, and Amin Abou Rashed, the leader of Hamas in the Netherlands.

In October 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Al-Zeer and Doghman, alongside Hannoun, for their roles in external fundraising for Hamas.

Amin Abou Rashed, a Netherlands-based Hamas financier, was separately designated in June 2025 for similar activities carried out under the guise of charitable and civil society work. Before his arrest in 2023, Abou Rashed led the Palestinian Community in the Netherlands, an umbrella organization for pro-Palestinian groups.

The coordination among these figures dates back over a substantial period. As early as 2012, Hannoun and Abou Rashed were observed participating in a trip to Gaza organized by the European Al Wafaa Campaign. Photographs from the visit show Abou Rashed, Hannoun, Doghman and former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh together, highlighting longstanding personal and operational ties within the network.

Earlier still, in 2009, the EPC was active in Italy, holding a conference in Milan. For that event, Al-Zeer and Doghman listed themselves as EPC contacts, while Hannoun appeared in his capacity as chairman of the Palestinian Assembly in Italy. The conference brought together representatives from multiple Hamas-aligned organizations, alongside members of the European Parliament and Sheikh Raed Salah, an Israel-based Muslim Brotherhood leader previously convicted for Hamas financing and incitement to violence.

The repeated convergence of senior Hamas-affiliated figures from different organizations at shared European forums illustrates how these entities interact through common platforms, reinforcing a broader, pan-European fundraising ecosystem. Individuals within this network, such as Hannoun, have spent decades embedding themselves within European civil society structures to advance Hamas’s foreign interests.

Some European countries, in addition to Italy, have taken decisive action in response to the threat. In May 2025, Switzerland initiated a five-year ban of Hamas and its front organizations in the country, a move intended to curb the terror group’s financing and enhance information sharing with international partners.

That said, many European nations have been slow to catch up in confronting Hamas’s financing infrastructure in a substantive manner.

The growing Hamas terror threat on European soil

Over the past two years, European authorities have thwarted numerous terrorist plots and uncovered weapons caches linked to Hamas, largely with the help of Israeli intelligence.

In November 2025, the Mossad announced that it had assisted European security services in preventing Hamas terrorist attacks across the continent, including in Germany and Austria. Notably, a weapons cache seized in Vienna was found to be connected to Muhammad Naim, son of senior Hamas leader Bassem Naim.

Operatives involved in these terrorist plots have reportedly traveled abroad to meet with, or receive instructions from, Hamas members in Turkey, Lebanon and Qatar. Hamas has also allegedly coordinated with European street gangs such as LTF – Loyal to Familia, mirroring Iran’s tactic of using criminal networks as proxies for terror activity.

The involvement of both domestic and foreign actors in Hamas terrorist attacks planned for Europe underscores the importance of international cooperation to adequately counter the threat.

Europe’s constrained security cooperation with Israel

Israel and Europe have a history of intelligence cooperation that has largely remained informal and limited in scope, often due to political and institutional constraints.

In 1969, an informal intelligence-sharing agreement dubbed the “Club de Berne” was formed as a grouping of intelligence services from eight Western European countries. Club de Berne led to the creation of a communication channel known as “Kilowatt,” which became crucial for sharing intelligence on Palestinian terrorist attacks planned in Europe.

In 1971, Israel and the U.S. were added to Kilowatt as participants, followed by eight additional Western nations that joined over the course of the decade.

More recent partnerships include a working arrangement signed in 2018 between Europol and Israel, intended to expand cooperation in combatting fraud, cybercrime and terrorism. While this arrangement allows Israel to maintain a liaison officer at Europol, access to core information-exchange systems and specialist forums remained limited.

Israeli law enforcement and Europol advanced their cooperation to a new level in 2022 with an agreement allowing both parties to exchange intelligence in real-time. However, the 2022 agreement was ultimately blocked by E.U. member states that refused to approve it.

The case for EU-Israel counter-terrorism coordination

The Italian investigation demonstrates how a nationally initiated case, supported by intelligence sharing and cross-border coordination, can shed light on the intertwined Hamas financing and external operational activity in Europe.

Rather than treating such activity as isolated national phenomena, the Italian case shows the value of following financial and organizational linkages across borders. Replicating this approach at the European level is essential for effectively countering Hamas’s pan-European financing infrastructure.

With reports of foiled Hamas operations in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Bulgaria and Poland since Oct. 7, 2023, Europe can no longer afford to address the threat in a piecemeal manner. For these reasons, Europe could greatly benefit from a continent-wide counter-terrorism coordination mechanism with Israel, building on the lessons of the Italian investigation.

Ideally, this framework would allow Israeli and European authorities to integrate capabilities and personnel to proactively identify and thwart Hamas financial and attack planning networks operating in Europe.

Recent security agreements established between Israel and Europol, such as the 2018 working agreement, could serve as building blocks for enhanced cooperation.

Once established, this mechanism would close a critical gap in Europe’s counter-terrorism architecture by institutionalizing sustained cooperation with one of its most capable security partners.

MAJOR CULTURAL EVENT TAKES A BREAK

By Bob Walsh

 

The Sacramento Grilled Cheese Festival, a cultural event in the River City since 2017, is taking a break.  No new date has been scheduled.  Perhaps they ran out of cheese.  Possible, considering the number of rats in Sacramento, many of them bipeds. 

 

SOMETIMES GOOD COPS AND GOOD CIVILIANS DO BAD THINGS ... AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE IN HIGH PLACES MAKE STUPID STATEMENTS

By Howie Katz

 

 

A video shows the officer in the grey jacket emerging from the scrum, holding a firearm that appears to match Pretti’s weapon. 

 

Sometimes good cops do bad things. The shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti are good examples. Good was shot dead by an officer who positioned himself in front of her car as she was trying to get away from being arrested. Pretti was shot multiple times while he was on the ground after he had been disarmed by another officer.

Sometimes good civilians do bad things. People have the right to protest in our country, unlike in Iran where protesters are killed by the authorities. But protesters do not have the right to interfere with a law enforcement operation which is what Renee Good was doing and Alex Pretti may have been doing before they were shot.

But two wrongs do not make a right.

The officer who shot Good was doing a very stupid thing by positioning himself in front of her car during a conflict when she was trying to keep from being arrested. And he should have known that by shooting her it would not stop the car from coming at him. Good was not a dangerous criminal whose escape would have jeopardized the safety of the public. She should not have been shot.

Pretti was shot multiple times while he was on the ground underneath three or four officers after he had been disarmed by another officer. You can argue about why the gun-carry licensed Pretti was packing heat at a protest, but absent of any evidence that he was trying to shoot the officers, he should not have been shot.

Sometimes people in high places make stupid statements. President Trump's mouth is a goldmine of stupid statements.

The gunsmoke in the shooting of Renee Good had barely cleared the air when Department of Homeland Security Kristy Noem called her a "Domestic Terrorist" and said the officer who shot her was " following training." A domestic terrorist? How absurd!  Following training? Surely officers are not trained to position themselves in front of a car during a conflict with the driver.

Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said Pretti wanted to do "maximum damage and massacre law enforcement." His stupid statement is absolutely beyond the pale.

FBI Director Kash Patel blamed Pretti by saying, "You cannot bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It's that simple. You don't have a right to break the law." Patel clearly flunked Law 101. Nowhere in the U.S. Constitution, Minnesota state laws or  Minneapolis city ordinances is it said that a person licensed to carry a gun is prohibited from binging it to a protest. 

 

Stupid statements made by Fbi Director Kash Patel, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino about the Pretti shooting bring into question whether they are fit to serve in their offices. 

 

Talk about really stupid statements, both Deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller and Vice President JD Vance called Pretti an "assassin." 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made one of the few sane statements about the Pretti shooting. Abbot said: "In general, we need to have respect for law enforcement officers in the country. The White House needs to recalibrate on what needs to be done to make sure that respect is going to be re-instilled."

The unjustified shootings of Good and Pretti have damaged the reputation of all law enforcement through out the country. And the stupid statements by Noem, Bovino and Patel bring into question whether they are fit to serve in their offices. 

TRUMP FINALLY COMES TO HUS SENSES ... HOMAN IS IN, NOEM IS SIDELINED AND BOVINO IS ON WAY OUT

Trump reveals 'very good' talk with Jacob Frey as Minneapolis mayor pledges to work with Tom Homan says ICE agents will begin leaving city

 

By Stephen M. Lepore 

 

Daily Mail

Jan 26, 2026

 

 

 

Donald Trump said he had a 'very good' phone call with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as the president continues to try to mend the chaos that has taken over the city

 

Donald Trump said he had a 'very good' phone call with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as the president continues to try to mend the chaos that has taken over the city.

The president promised that Frey would work together with Border Czar Tom Homan to improve the situation after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti.  

Trump wrote on Truth Social: 'I just had a very good telephone conversation with Mayor Jacob Frey, of Minneapolis. Lots of progress is being made! Tom Homan will be meeting with him tomorrow in order to continue the discussion.' 

Frey responded in a social media post of his own, writing: 'I spoke with President Trump today and appreciated the conversation. I expressed how much Minneapolis has benefited from our immigrant communities and was clear that my main ask is that Operation Metro Surge needs to end. The president agreed the present situation can’t continue.' 

The mayor then confirmed that 'some federal agents will begin leaving the area' starting on Tuesday, though Frey continues to want all of them gone.

'I will continue working with all levels of government to keep our communities safe, keep crime down, and put Minneapolis residents first. I plan to meet with Border Czar Tom Homan tomorrow to further discuss next steps.' 

The president has reached across the aisle to both the Frey and fellow Democrat Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as part of a Homan led shakeup of the immigration crackdown. 

Previously, relations between Trump and the left-wing leaders had been in shambles over recent ICE raids in the city and protests in response to the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. 

 

The president promised that Frey would work together with Border Czar Tom Homan to improve the situation

 

Trump sidelined Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Monday, dispatching Homan to take charge of the deteriorating crisis in Minnesota after Pretti was shot dead on Saturday. 

Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino - dubbed 'little Napoleon' - has been ordered to leave Minneapolis.

Homan is expected to hold a press conference later today where Bovino's departure, along with that of hundreds of his agents, will be announced.  

The decision is aimed at de-escalating the violence between federal agents and rioters which exploded on Saturday after the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse.

Bovino, the controversial face of Trump's crackdown and a close ally of Noem, sparked fury in the White House when he claimed Pretti intended to 'massacre' federal agents.

Trump spent hours on Sunday and Monday watching cable news coverage and was unsettled by how the administration was being portrayed, one official told CNN.

Noem branded the ICU nurse a 'domestic terrorist' and claimed he brandished a firearm, sparking further frustration among administration officials. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt distanced Trump from Noem's language on Monday, arguing that it was not a position that the President had taken. 

Bovino is a loyalist to Noem and her rumored lover Corey Lewandowski, and both have quietly pushed him as a potential replacement for current Border Patrol chief Rodney Scott, a longtime ally of Homan.

 

Frey responded in a social media post of his own, promising to work with Homan (pictured)

Noem has sought to sideline Scott by having Bovino report directly to her, an unprecedented move within the agency.

Bovino's removal from Minneapolis underscores Noem's fading standing with the White House as Trump dispatches Homan and his closest allies to seize control of the operation on the ground. 

A Border Patrol veteran of 30 years, Bovino was selected last year from his role as chief patrol agent of the agency's El Centro sector in Southern California to lead highly publicized immigration crackdowns across the country.

His aggressive tactics, often highly choreographed public displays, sparked backlash from local officials.

Bovino often stood out as the only agent not wearing a face covering when Border Patrol descended on Home Depots and gas stations. 

He has gone viral on social media as he is frequently spotted on the frontlines sporting a severe buzzcut and trench coat, which German media has likened to a 'Nazi aesthetic.' 

California's governor Gavin Newsom said on X: 'Greg Bovino dressed up as if he literally went on eBay and purchased SS garb. Greg Bovino, secret police, private army, masked men, people disappearing quite literally, no due process.'

Bovino hit back, claiming he had the coat for more than 25 years and it was official Border Patrol merchandise. 

 

Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino (pictured center) - dubbed 'little Napoleon' - has been ordered to leave Minneapolis 

Trump sidelined Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (pictured) on Monday, dispatching Homan to take charge of the deteriorating crisis in Minnesota after Alex Pretti was shot dead on Saturday

 

Jenn Budd, an author and expert on Border Patrol, described Bovino as 'the Liberace' of the agency. 

'He was just a little Napoleon who wants you to think that he is the most moral and capable guy in the world, and everything around you is dangerous but he's the one who's going to save you,' Budd told The Times. 'It's all a show for him.'

He once invited journalists to watch him swim across a canal in Southern California's Imperial Valley, hoping to deter migrants considering the crossing. 

After Trump was re-elected, Bovino used similar public relations expertise to catch the president's eye. 

He sent dozens of agents to arrest migrants at gas stations along the highway ahead of Trump's inauguration. 

Asked why Bovino was chosen to lead the force, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told reporters bluntly: 'Because he's a badass.'

But while Bovino's strongman image earned him Trump's respect, his self-proclaimed 'turn and  burn' enforcement strategies have sparked concern.

A federal judge in November accused Bovino of being 'evasive' and at times 'outright lying' in sworn testimony about an immigration crackdown in Chicago, finding his account 'simply not credible.'

Judge Sara Ellis wrote that Bovino even admitted he lied about being hit with a rock before ordering tear gas used, and noted that video evidence flatly contradicted his claim that he never tackled a protester.