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Two federal immigration officers fired their weapons during the deadly confrontation that left armed anti-ICE protester Alex Pretti dead in Minneapolis over the weekend, according to a preliminary Department of Homeland Security review released Tuesday.

The internal DHS assessment states that Pretti, 37, and another woman who was blowing a whistle at officers repeatedly ignored “several verbal requests” to leave the roadway. When both individuals refused to comply, officers attempted to arrest them, the review said.

“The woman and Pretti did not move,” DHS reported, leading a Customs and Border Protection officer to deploy pepper spray on both individuals.

As officers tried to take Pretti into custody, he “resisted,” and “a struggle ensued,” according to the review. During the scuffle, a Border Patrol agent was heard yelling, “He’s got a gun!”

Roughly five seconds later, one of the Border Patrol agents opened fire on Pretti.

A Customs and Border Protection officer also discharged his weapon during the encounter.

Video evidence reviewed by DHS shows that at least 10 shots were fired in total. Investigators said it remains unclear whether Pretti’s own firearm discharged during the incident.

According to the review, a Border Patrol agent informed other federal officers after the shooting that he had taken possession of Pretti’s Sig P320 handgun.

Federal agents then attempted to render emergency medical assistance to Pretti, who was employed as an intensive care unit nurse. He was pronounced dead within approximately 30 minutes of the confrontation.

An autopsy is currently being conducted by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office.

DHS said the preliminary review relied on body-worn camera footage and internal Customs and Border Protection records.

The findings have been forwarded to congressional oversight committees responsible for monitoring the Department of Homeland Security.

Pretti’s death marked the second fatal shooting of an anti-ICE protester in Minnesota in less than a month.

On Jan. 7, Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed by an ICE agent after she blocked a Minneapolis roadway with her vehicle and drove toward an officer.

“I think the whole thing is terrible,” President Trump said Tuesday while discussing Pretti’s death during an appearance on Fox News. “I don’t like the fact that he was carrying a gun that was fully loaded, and he had two magazines with him — and it’s pretty unusual, but nobody knows when they saw the gun, how they saw the gun, everything else.

“Bottom line, it was terrible.”

Following the shooting, Trump moved Monday to remove Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino from his role leading “Operation Metro Surge” in Minneapolis and to redeploy some of the agents involved.

“We have Tom Homan there now,” Trump said on “The Will Cain Show,” adding that his border czar intends to “de-escalate a little bit.”

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Ilhan Omar was confronted and sprayed with an unidentified liquid Tuesday night after a man rushed the stage with a syringe during a turbulent town hall event in Minnesota, prompting a swift police response and bipartisan condemnation.

According to witnesses and law enforcement, the incident unfolded as Omar stood at the lectern sharply criticizing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and urging the abolition of ICE. A man later identified as Anthony Kazmierczak surged forward from the front row, shouting inaudible comments, and discharged liquid from a syringe toward Omar’s upper body.

Observers said the syringe appeared to contain an amber-colored substance.

As the assailant retreated, Omar chased after him and appeared poised to strike before security intervened. The man was tackled and escorted out of the North Minneapolis venue.

“I need a napkin,” Omar was heard telling a staffer over a live microphone.

Staff members pressed the congresswoman to seek medical evaluation, but she declined.

“No, we will continue. I’m fine,” Omar said.

One aide remarked on the odor of the substance, saying, “it smells so bad.”

After a brief pause, Omar returned to the microphone and resumed her remarks.

“We are Minnesota strong, and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us,” she told the audience while the suspect was still being removed.

Minneapolis police officers arrested the 55-year-old Kazmierczak and booked him into the Hennepin County Jail on a charge of third-degree assault, according to Minneapolis Police Department Public Information Officer Trevor Folke.

“Representative Omar was uninjured and resumed speaking at the event,” Folke said.

Police also confirmed that Minneapolis forensic scientists were dispatched to the Urban League Twin Cities building to examine and process the scene.

Roughly an hour after the confrontation, Omar addressed the incident publicly on social media.

“I’m ok,” she wrote.

“I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work,” she added. “I don’t let bullies win.

“Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.”

Elected officials from across the political spectrum denounced the attack.

“I am deeply disturbed to learn that Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked at a town hall today,” Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina posted.

“Regardless of how vehemently I disagree with her rhetoric – and I do – no elected official should face physical attacks.

“This is not who we are.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also condemned the incident, calling it “unacceptable” and warning that “this kind of behavior will not be tolerated in our city.”

“Violence and intimidation have no place in Minneapolis,” Frey wrote. “We can disagree without putting people at risk.

“I’m relieved Rep. Omar is okay and appreciate MPD for responding quickly.”

The assault came one day after President Trump confirmed that both the Department of Justice and Congress were examining Omar’s rapidly rising personal net worth.

Trump, who has previously suggested that Omar be jailed or deported to Somalia, disclosed the federal and congressional scrutiny while sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to defuse tensions following Saturday’s fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by a federal immigration officer.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York placed blame for the attack on Trump and his allies.

“It is not a coincidence that after days of President Trump and VP Vance putting Rep. Omar in their crosshairs with slanderous public attacks, she gets assaulted at her town hall,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote.

“Thank God she is okay,” she added. “If they want leaders to take down the temp, they need to look in the mirror.”

U.S. Capitol Police said the suspect who “decided to assault” Omar would face aggressive prosecution.

“We are grateful for the rapid response of onsite security and our local law enforcement partners,” the agency said. “We are now working with our federal partners to see this man faces the most serious charges possible to deter this kind of violence in our society.”

Earlier Tuesday evening, Capitol Police released data showing that threats against members of Congress continued to climb in 2025 for the third consecutive year.

The agency reported investigating 14,938 troubling statements, actions, and communications aimed at lawmakers, their families, staff members, and the Capitol complex over the past year.

{Matzav.com}

Today, the Trump administration announced that 23 states have officially opted in to the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC), marking a major milestone for school choice nationwide. In addition, other states such as Colorado have publicly announced their intention to opt in, bringing the program within reach of nearly half the country.

The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit was passed by Congress and signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025, as part of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. Starting in 2027, the FSTC allows individual taxpayers to contribute to a nonprofit scholarship granting organization (SGO) and receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit worth up to $1700. The SGO then pools the funds and distributes scholarships to eligible students for a wide range of K-12 educational expenses including private school tuition However, in order for SGOs to be approved, the state in which they are located must opt in to the tax credit and include them on a list sent to Treasury.

“Today’s announcement brings the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit closer to reality for families. Every state that opts in means more families gaining access to real educational choices for their children,” said Rabbi A. D. Motzen, Agudath Israel of America’s national director of government affairs. “Agudath Israel will continue working with advocates nationwide to encourage additional governors to opt in, ensuring that all children regardless of where they live, can benefit from this historic opportunity.”

{Matzav.com}

American taxpayers are poised to see a sharp increase in their tax refunds this year, with the average payout expected to rise by about $1,000. The White House estimates that an additional $100 billion will be returned to filers during the 2026 tax season as a result of President Trump’s signature second-term tax legislation.

The tax filing season officially opened Tuesday, and Treasury Department projections show that refunds are expected to total $429 billion — a dramatic increase from the $329 billion issued last year.

With refunds climbing by roughly $1,000 per filer, the average check is projected to top $4,000.

“Millions of Americans are poised to receive significantly larger tax refunds thanks to President Donald J. Trump’s landmark Working Families Tax Cuts Act — which every Democrat in Congress opposed,” the White House said in a statement, referring to the legislation also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

“The historic legislation is delivering the biggest tax refund season ever.”

Data cited by The Wall Street Journal shows that last year more than 60% of U.S. households received refunds averaging $3,167.

The spike in refunds is the result of targeted changes embedded in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the sweeping Republican tax overhaul signed into law last year by President Donald Trump.

Under the law, Republicans made the tax cuts retroactive to the 2025 tax year while leaving IRS withholding tables unchanged. As a result, workers continued to have taxes withheld at higher rates throughout the year, with the benefits of the cuts now being paid out in large lump sums just months ahead of the midterm elections.

Although only about 60% of filers receive refunds, those who do are seeing substantially larger amounts.

According to the Tax Foundation, roughly one-quarter of the individual tax cuts stem from raising the state and local tax deduction cap to $40,000.

The single largest factor driving higher refunds is the new overtime deduction, which accounts for approximately $38.7 billion — or 30% — of the $129 billion in individual tax relief included in the law for 2025.

Additional contributors include an expanded standard deduction, a new bonus deduction for seniors, an increased child tax credit, and new deductions for tips and auto loan interest.

The surge in refunds is arriving as the IRS operates with significantly fewer employees than it had a year ago, raising concerns about the agency’s ability to process returns and issue payments smoothly.

The IRS started last year with more than 100,000 workers and is now estimated to be about 25% smaller following layoffs and retirements.

While many of the staffing reductions affected enforcement divisions, call centers and paper correspondence units are under the greatest strain, particularly as many taxpayers — especially older filers — continue to rely on phone assistance.

Despite the staffing cuts, the IRS says it expects to process approximately 164 million tax returns this year, roughly the same as last year, and maintains that its systems are prepared. Critics, however, warn that fewer workers handling a much larger volume of money leaves little room for mistakes.

David A. Perez, CEO of Tax Maverick AI, said the scale and structure of this year’s refund surge are unusual compared with previous tax cuts.

“This is not how tax relief is usually delivered,” he told The Post.

“Typically, when the government cuts taxes, withholding tables are updated so people see a little more money in every paycheck. That didn’t happen in 2025.”

Because the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was applied retroactively while withholding remained unchanged, Perez said, “taxpayers were effectively forced to save that money with the Treasury for a year — and now it’s all being released at once.”

Perez, whose company has prepared more than 50,000 tax returns since 2018, said the projected $429 billion in refunds represents about a 30% increase from last year, a jump he has not seen outside of extraordinary circumstances.

“I haven’t seen a manufactured windfall quite like this since the stimulus checks,” he said.

“But this is different, because it’s baked directly into the tax return itself.”

Perez added that lump-sum refunds tend to generate a stronger economic impact than incremental increases in take-home pay.

“Behaviorally, people treat a lump sum very differently than a small weekly raise,” he remarked.

“An extra $50 a week usually gets absorbed by groceries or gas. But a $4,000 refund in February feels like investable cash. People use it for big-ticket items — car down payments, vacations, or paying off high-interest credit card debt.”

As a result, Perez said he expects a burst of consumer spending early in the year.

“President Trump delivered the largest tax cut in history for middle- and working-class Americans, lowering taxes in every county in every state across the nation,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai told The Post.

“This tax relief will allow American families to keep more of their hard-earned money and unleash economic growth and prosperity not just during tax season, as millions of Americans receive refund checks, but for years to come.”

“This is yet another promise made, promise kept as President Trump continues to Make America Great Again.”

{Matzav.com}

An emotional and unsettling discovery was made during a difficult winter journey in Poland, when a group traveling to visit the grave of the Kotzker Rebbe uncovered a long-hidden piece of Jewish history beneath the snow.

The story was shared by Rabbi Pinchas Sitbon during the Bedidi Hava Uvda segment on the Kol Berama radio program hosted by Ami Maimon. Rabbi Sitbon described a grueling two-hour trek he and a group of friends undertook through winding roads and a fierce snowstorm, determined to reach the kever of the Kotzker Rebbe.

Upon arriving at the cemetery, the group encountered an unexpected setback: the entrance gate was locked, and the local caretaker was nowhere to be found. Despite the freezing temperatures and severe conditions, the group decided not to turn back. They climbed over the iron fence and pushed forward, carving a narrow path through deep, unbroken snow.

As they made their way through the cemetery, one of the participants suddenly stumbled over a protrusion hidden beneath the snow. While clearing away the ice to regain his footing, the group was stunned to realize that the fall had not been accidental. Beneath the snow lay a tombstone, the grave of one of the righteous women of the Kotzker dynasty.

The sense of awe deepened when the group discovered that the very day of their visit coincided with her yahrtzeit. Those present described a powerful feeling that the encounter was not mere chance, but guided by Hashgocha. Moved by the moment, the group altered its plans and paused to recite tefillos as an aliyah for their neshamah, standing in the silent, frozen landscape that had concealed the grave until their arrival.

{Matzav.com}

Against the backdrop of growing antisemitism across Europe, a leading rov of the Jewish community in Paris sought guidance this week from the Yenuka, asking for a decisive ruling on whether the community should consider relocating to Israel or remain in France.

Rabbi Shlomo Senyur, one of the prominent rabbanim of the Paris Jewish community, traveled to the home of the Yenuka in Rishon Letzion, where he joined the Shacharis mnnyan in the beis medrash before presenting the pressing question, one described as critical to the future of the Jewish community in Paris and, more broadly, to Jewish communities across Europe.

Rabbi Senyur laid out the dilemma facing many Jews in Paris and throughout France: in light of the intensifying waves of antisemitism in various parts of Europe and France, should the community uproot itself and move to Eretz Yisroel? At the same time, he noted the concern that many community members would not make aliyah, potentially leaving behind a weakened and unsupported Jewish presence.

In his response, the Yenuka stressed that there is an immense and invaluable merit for individuals who genuinely desire to ascend to Eretz Yisroel, attach themselves to its soil, and establish their lives there. However, when it comes to an organized, communal move, he advised that the priority should be to strengthen the existing community rather than dismantle it.

The Yenuka explained that even if a collective plan were formed to move together, in practice not everyone would follow through. As a result, those who remained behind would be abandoned and left vulnerable. He added that the current reality of a large, strong, and cohesive community provides resilience and protection for its members, whereas a partial departure that leaves only a small group behind would place those remaining in a dangerous and unstable situation.

“I say that one must strengthen the place there, to fight and not to be afraid. No matter what happens,” the Yenuka said. He reminded Rabbi Senyur of the example of the Or Sameach of Dvinsk, who remained with his community during World War I and did not abandon them, even though he knew war was imminent.

“Do not be afraid. Stay, strengthen, and put things in order, and may it be the will of Hakadosh Boruch Hu to nullify all this antisemitism. And the rov will continue to increase Torah there. Let your wellsprings spread outward. And to the members of the community I say: they should be careful with lashon hara, for this is the greatest protection from all calamities and all harm.”

{Matzav.com}

A heartbreaking tragedy was uncovered in Kyiv on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, when a Holocaust survivor born in the city was found frozen to death in her apartment amid an intense cold spell gripping Ukraine.

Yevgenia Mikhailovna Bespamilnaya was discovered only after a burst water pipe in her apartment caused flooding throughout the building, with ice spreading across multiple floors as temperatures plunged to minus 18 degrees Celsius. According to reports, residents pressed police to force entry into the apartment, where Bespamilnaya was found lifeless in a completely frozen home. Authorities believe she had died several days earlier.

Bespamilnaya survived the Holocaust in Ukraine as a child. After the war, she was sent to an orphanage, where she was given her surname, meaning “without family.” She lived alone with no known relatives and spoke only Yiddish and Russian. Neighbors knew her as Baba Zhenya and described her as a quiet, withdrawn woman who rarely opened her door but made a point of attending the nearby shul.

Residents of the building said that in recent weeks they had tried to look after her, bringing basic supplies and offering assistance whenever possible. When she stopped answering phone calls and was not seen for several days, concern for her safety grew, but it was only the flooding incident that ultimately revealed what had happened.

The tragedy unfolded against the backdrop of a harsh winter in Kyiv, marked by unusually severe cold waves, infrastructure damage, and prolonged outages of electricity and water. In a cruel twist of fate, Bespamilnaya, who survived the horrors of the Holocaust, died alone decades later in the freezing cold of the city where she was born.

{Matzav.com}

Dr. Esi Sharon, the dentist who confirmed the identity of the last fallen hostage, Ran Gvili Hy”d, shared a powerful account of the experience in an interview with Yedioth Acharonot, describing the intense emotions surrounding the moment he was identified.

Recalling the instant she saw the first photograph, Dr. Sharon said, “When I opened the image that they say sent me from the open grave, I shouted, ‘It’s Rani, it’s him.’ I yelled to the doctor to enter the grave and pull out the body for final identification, which would determine with certainty that he returns home to his family, but inside I already knew. The initial image they sent me was enough for me to conclude that it was Rani. I knew his dental records and their identifying marks by heart. My entire body shook from excitement.” Dr. Sharon serves as commander of the Dental Volunteer Unit within the Police Forensics Department.

She went on to explain how the identification effort unfolded on the ground. “The engineering vehicle operators began to dig holes together with soldiers from the Search Unit, and the dentists entered them to take photos and initial identification. After some time, [pictures of] bodies that the dentists photographed while still in the graves and sent us began to accumulate. Through that method, throughout the night, we ruled out 200 bodies whose graves were opened.”

Since the outbreak of the war, Dr. Sharon has worked alongside fellow dentists and forensic professionals to identify hundreds of victims of the Hamas massacre. Under her leadership, the unit successfully identified every deceased hostage whose remains were returned from the Gaza Strip.

During the mission to recover Ran Gvili, a team of 20 dentists examined roughly 250 bodies in a period of less than 24 hours, completing the painstaking process under extreme pressure and time constraints.

{Matzav.com}

One day after the body of Rani Gvili, who was killed in the Gaza Strip, was returned to Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and the government’s Coordinator for Prisoners and Missing Persons, Gal Hirsch, delivered statements to the media addressing the ongoing war, the hostages, and Israel’s next steps.

Netanyahu focused on Israel’s objectives in Gaza and described what he called the essential components of victory. “The complete victory depends on three things-returning all our hostages, dismantling Hamas and its weapons, and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip. Yesterday, we completed the first task.”

Turning to Israel’s plans for Gaza after the fighting, the prime minister drew firm red lines. “We will not allow Turkey to enter Gaza. We will not establish a Palestinian state in Gaza. Israel will maintain security control over the entire area of Gaza.”

Addressing regional threats, Netanyahu warned Iran against any escalation. “The Iranian axis is trying to recover, but we will not allow it to do so. If Iran makes a grave mistake and attacks Israel, we will respond with a force that Iran has never seen before.”

Hirsch spoke emotionally about the cost of the effort to recover hostages and the scale of the losses. He acknowledged the extent of behind-the-scenes work that remains largely unknown to the public, saying, “In Israel, they don’t know everything you did. He helped bring people from Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Venezuela.”

Reflecting on those who were murdered in captivity, Hirsch said, “87 of the kidnapped were killed. I remember them one by one, names and faces, love their families, and am tormented and pained by the terrible suffering and loss.”

Overcome with emotion, he described the personal toll of the mission. “This was the hardest task of my life. It’s not a holiday, but it’s a painful and also a happy day.”

Later, Netanyahu was asked whether national elections would proceed as scheduled amid the political crisis surrounding the conscription law. “That is my hope and aspiration. We need stability, and the last thing Israel needs is elections.”

He was also questioned about preparations for a possible confrontation with Iran and the role of the United States. “President Trump will decide what he decides, and the State of Israel will decide what it decides. We are prepared for any scenario, but I said the main thing here. If Iran makes the mistake and attacks us, it will receive a response it cannot even imagine.”

Netanyahu disclosed challenges Israel faced earlier in the war, including shortages of military supplies. “At a certain point in the war we didn’t have enough ammunition, and soldiers fell. Some of this loss of ammunition also came as a result of the embargo – this changed beyond recognition with the entry of President Trump.”

He concluded by outlining a long-term vision for Israel’s defense independence. “But we have reached security maturity – we must have an independent arms industry. And I intend within a decade to completely free ourselves from the financial component of American security assistance, which currently stands at $4 billion. I want us to move relations with the US from aid relations to cooperation relations – joint investments, joint development and production.”

{Matzav.com}

The Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday evening completed the reading of all sections of the proposed conscription law, marking a major step toward final approval of one of Israel’s most sensitive and long-debated pieces of legislation.

Committee chairman MK Boaz Bismuth announced at the conclusion of the session that the panel has reached the end of the reading stage and that the bill will soon be brought to a vote in the committee ahead of its second and third readings. “We are reaching the finish line,” Bismuth said. “What dragged on for years, what repeatedly got stuck in endless discussions, moved forward during my watch, because there was a clear goal: a law.”

According to Bismuth, the committee’s work was driven by a desire to reach a decision rather than prolong deliberations without resolution. “Brick by brick, through dialogue, cooperation, and determination, we succeeded in completing the complex stage,” he said.

Bismuth also referenced remarks made earlier in the evening by the prime minister, who said Israel is “on the verge of completing the passage of the conscription law.” He noted that responsibility now shifts to the next phase of the legislative process. “The torch passes to the entire Knesset,” Bismuth said, “to continue the process until the law is approved in the plenum.”

{Matzav.com}

Sad news emerged from London on Tuesday night with the passing of R’ Dovid Shimon Berger z”l, a prominent askan for the Satmar and Pshevorsk communities. He was 49.

R’ Dovid Shimon passed away after battling a serious illness over the past year.

R’ Dovid Shimon was the son of the philanthropist and askan R’ Yosef Yechezkel Simcha Berger, the head of the Pshevorsker kehillah in London, and a grandson of R’ Mendel Berger z”l and the renowned philanthropist R’ Getzel Berger z”l.

He was a son-in-law of R’ Avraham Schwartz, and a grandson of the late R’ Lipa Schwartz z”l.

Widely known in London as a dedicated askan, R’ Dovid Shimon devoted himself to the needs of the Satmar mosdos, particularly the Yeitev Lev network, as well as to the Pshevorsker court. He was deeply involved in fundraising for tzedakah and communal causes, and was admired for his generosity, warmth, and open heart.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that protesters “can’t walk in with guns,” responding to a second fatal encounter involving federal authorities in Minnesota and staking out a position that has angered gun rights advocates.

Trump’s comments followed the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who was legally carrying a handgun when he was taken to the ground, disarmed, and shot by border agents during a protest in Minneapolis on Saturday.

The incident has placed Trump in a politically fraught position, forcing him to balance support for forceful federal law enforcement actions against potential fallout with gun rights groups that have long been among his strongest supporters.

“You can’t have guns. You can’t walk in with guns,” Trump told reporters when asked about Pretti’s death, which occurred just days after an immigration agent fatally shot unarmed activist Renee Good as she tried to drive away.

“You can’t do that. But it’s a very unfortunate incident.”

Trump’s stance has put him at odds with major conservative gun organizations, which argue that the Second Amendment protects the right to carry firearms while exercising other constitutional freedoms, including the right to protest.

Gun rights groups reacted sharply after senior administration officials appeared to suggest that Pretti’s lawful possession of a firearm justified the actions taken by federal agents.

The National Rifle Association said such assertions were “dangerous and wrong,” calling on public officials to wait for the outcome of an investigation rather than “demonizing law-abiding citizens.”

Gun Owners of America similarly said that Americans do not forfeit their right to bear arms simply because they are participating in a protest.

Trump’s remarks also highlighted strains within his own political camp.

While the president dialed back some of the rhetoric used by aides — rejecting the unfounded description of Pretti as an “assassin” offered by deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller — he did not abandon the broader argument that armed protesters pose an inherent risk to law enforcement officers.

That view has drawn criticism from libertarian-minded Republicans, including Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who said that “carrying a firearm is not a death sentence.”

The controversy has also revived accusations of inconsistency from Trump’s critics.

During the congressional investigation into the January 6, 2021 protest at the U.S. Capitol, testimony from a senior White House aide indicated that Trump was aware some supporters attending his rally were armed, yet pressed for security measures to be relaxed so they could move closer, before urging the crowd to march on Congress.

The contrast has intensified Democratic attacks and unsettled segments of Trump’s base, particularly in light of the administration’s past defense of armed conservatives such as Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted after killing two people with an AR-15-style rifle during a 2020 protest.

{Matzav.com}

Federal border czar Tom Homan held talks Tuesday with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, with the governor’s office saying the two sides committed to maintaining “ongoing dialogue” as the Trump administration intensifies its immigration enforcement efforts in the state.

President Donald Trump sent Homan to Minnesota on Monday following a second fatal shooting of an anti-ICE demonstrator over the weekend. Homan was also slated to meet later Tuesday with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

“I hear that’s all going well,” Trump told reporters before departing for Iowa.

Trump spoke with Walz on Monday and outlined three concrete steps he says are necessary to halt the unrest and avert additional violence.

First, the president is demanding that Minnesota authorities hand over all criminal illegal aliens currently held in state prisons or local jails — along with individuals who have outstanding warrants or documented criminal records — to federal officials for immediate removal.

Second, Trump wants state and local law enforcement agencies to commit to transferring any illegal aliens arrested by local police directly into federal custody.

Third, the administration is insisting that local police departments actively cooperate with federal agents by helping locate, arrest, and detain illegal aliens wanted for crimes, particularly those accused of violent acts.

Walz and Homan “will continue working toward those goals, which the President also agreed to yesterday,” the governor’s office said Tuesday. The statement also urged “impartial investigations into the shootings” of protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

“We’re doing a big investigation. I want to see the investigation. I’m going to be watching over it. I want a very honorable and honest investigation — I have to see it myself,” Trump told reporters.

Homan is briefing Trump directly on his discussions in Minnesota. Trump also met Monday night at the White House with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after directing Homan to the state.

That Oval Office meeting, which lasted nearly two hours, highlighted the administration’s resolve to reestablish order and sharpen its immigration enforcement strategy following violent demonstrations and a deadly encounter involving federal agents in Minneapolis.

Trump met with Noem, her senior adviser Corey Lewandowski, and other top White House officials as the administration weighs its next moves after Pretti’s shooting death.

Trump said Tuesday that Noem will continue serving in her position.

“I think she’s doing a very good job … the border is totally secure,” he said.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and critically wounded a man Tuesday morning in southern Arizona near a checkpoint roughly 30 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border, according to authorities.

The shooting occurred just days after Border Patrol agents deployed to assist ICE operations shot and killed armed ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, a separate incident that has drawn significant attention.

Authorities said the gunfire broke out around 7:30 a.m. on a roadway approximately five miles north of the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Amado, located south of Tucson along the route to the Nogales border crossing.

The injured man was taken into custody and transported to a level-one trauma hospital following the incident.

“Patient care was transferred to a local medical helicopter for rapid transport to a regional trauma center,” the Santa Rita Fire District said.

The FBI said it is “investigating an alleged assault on a federal officer.”

At the request of federal authorities, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department will lead the use-of-force investigation, a spokesperson told The NY Post.

Officials have not released the identity of the suspect.

The sheriff’s department is expected to provide additional information about the shooting and the ongoing investigation during a press conference scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.

{Matzav.com}

Joe Biden addressed the growing turmoil in Minneapolis with an extended post on social media, sharply criticizing federal conduct and urging investigations into recent deadly encounters involving federal authorities.

“What has unfolded in Minneapolis this past month betrays our most basic values as Americans,” Biden wrote on X on Tuesday. “We are not a nation that guns down our citizens in the street.”

In the post, Biden charged that the Trump administration has permitted Americans to be “terrorized,” adding that “violence and terror have no place in the United States of America, especially when it’s our own government targeting American citizens.”

He went on to demand “full, fair, and transparent investigations” into the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, noting that he and former first lady Jill Biden were sending “strength to the families and communities” impacted by the shootings.

Biden’s comments come as Minneapolis has been gripped by rising tensions after several fatal incidents over the past month involving federal law enforcement officers, incidents that have fueled protests, widespread outrage, and calls for accountability.

Opponents of the federal operations say the shootings highlight deeper issues surrounding the use of force and the erosion of civil liberties, while authorities maintain that formal investigations are underway.

Reaction to Biden’s statement was swift and combative online. Numerous commenters accused him of responsibility for the illegal immigration crisis and other federal policies, arguing that the unrest traces back to decisions made during his administration.

Some commenters also cast doubt on whether Biden personally authored the post. Journalist Nick Sortor wrote, “Who wrote this [garbage].” Another critic, Matt Van Swol, labeled Biden “a disgusting liar” and pointed to what he described as administration failures in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

“Tell your followers to stop impeding agents,” the conservative account Clown World added.

The episode highlights how the situation in Minneapolis has evolved into a national political flashpoint, pulling in past and present leaders alike and exposing deep divisions in public reaction across social media.

{Matzav.com}

Hamas survivor Emily Damari shared footage showing a long line of humanitarian aid trucks traveling toward the Gaza Strip and condemned the policy allowing the convoy to enter the territory.

“By myself, I counted over 15 trucks on the road, but it’s hard to believe that hundreds of trucks carrying food are flowing this morning to ‘non-involved’ people in Gaza,” Damari wrote in a social media post accompanying the video.

She continued with a harsh rebuke of the situation, saying, “Don’t you still understand that there are no innocent people there?! Apparently, we haven’t learned anything.”

Israeli officials say that since the ceasefire went into effect, approximately 4,200 aid trucks have been permitted to enter Gaza each week under directives issued by the political leadership. At the same time, senior IDF officials have advised cutting back the volume of humanitarian aid entering the Strip.

Data recently presented in closed-door security briefings and later reported by Ynet paints a stark picture of how the aid is being used. “The population in Gaza could survive with much less. 70% of the trucks belong to the private sector, which Hamas taxes twice, imposing a 15-25% tax on every truck of food, fuel, or medicine, and an additional tax when the goods are sold in the market. Hamas is making tens of millions of shekels a day, and the coffers are only shrinking.”

The report also notes that Qatar, identified as Hamas’s primary financial backer, insisted that thousands of aid trucks continue to enter Gaza each week as a condition of its involvement, effectively ruling out any consideration of stopping the aid flow.