NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Partial federal government shutdown begins: A partial shutdown of the U.S. government started at 12:01 a.m. EST on Jan. 31, 2026, after Congress failed to approve all appropriations bills on time. Funding lapsed for several agencies because a revised spending package had not been passed by the House, though most federal functions will continue and DHS has a short-term extension. Budget talks are tied closely to disputes over Department of Homeland Security funding and immigration policy. BARRONS

Journalist Don Lemon charged with federal civil rights crimes after covering anti-ICE church protest: In an unprecedented attack on a free press, Journalist Don Lemon was arrested and hit with federal civil rights charges over his coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a service at a Minnesota church. AP

FBI seizes thousands of 2020 ballots from Fulton County, Georgia: The FBI seized thousands of ballots from the 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia, raising concerns among state and local election officials about what this could mean for the midterm elections. (The Atlantic (paywall) calls it a “five alarm fire”) NPR

Bondi’s ‘blackmail’ letter to Minnesota deepens concerns over DOJ’s voter roll motives, federal judge says: A federal judge in Oregon said Attorney General Pam Bondi’s recent letter to Minnesota reinforced unease about how the Justice Department is wielding its authority in its nationwide push for state voter rolls, suggesting the administration’s campaign may be driven by improper motives. (Ya think?) DEMOCRACY DOCKET

Judge finds Virginia Democrats’ redistricting resolution illegal; new Maryland map advances: Democrats ran into a setback on Tuesday in Virginia to fight back against President Donald Trump’s congressional redistricting efforts, but they took a step forward in Maryland, though obstacles remain for enacting a new congressional map there. AP

What the US TikTok takeover is already revealing about new forms of censorship: Over recent days, US TikTok users have reported a number of suspicious malfunctions: videos covering controversial topics, such as the killing of Alex Pretti by a federal agent remaining under review; newly posted videos recording surprisingly low-view metrics; and allegations that it is impossible to post messages containing keywords such as “Epstein”. Drawing on these denunciations, California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, has called for a review into the TikTok algorithm. GUARDIAN

IMMIGRATION 

A crackdown on immigration is leading to a sharp drop in U.S. population growth: An annual estimate from the Census Bureau Tuesday shows the nation's population grew by just 1.8 million people during the 12 months ending last June. That's about half the growth rate of the previous year. A major factor behind that slowing growth was the foreign-born population. NPR

ICE Sent 600 Immigrant Kids to Detention in Federal Shelters This Year. It’s a New Record.: This year ICE has sent more immigrant children into the federal shelter system than in the previous four years combined. New data suggests families are being separated. PRO PUBLICA

DESI NEWS

EU and India Clinch ‘Mother of All Deals’ in Rebuff to Trump: The European Union and India concluded a free-trade agreement after almost two decades of negotiations, part of an effort to deepen economic ties that has gained momentum due to the Trump administration’s aggressive tariff policies. YAHOO

Khosla raids Elon’s ghosla: Calls on tech workers to quit Musk's Tesla and SpaceX:  The billionaire tech savant has set off a political and cultural firestorm with a blunt message aimed at employees at Elon Musk’s companies - If you are a non-white employee at Tesla, Space X or X, you should quit and come work for him instead. The feud has continued with the 2 billionaires exchanging insults on social media. TOI

Indian-American doctor says her US citizen mother was 'harassed' by ICE in Texas for having an accent: An Indian-American doctor has alleged that her US citizen mother was harassed by a group of ICE agents at a shopping mall in Texas. According to Nisha Patel, the agents approached her mother and spoke to her in Spanish and asked her where she was from. ECONOMIC TIMES

Trump, Vance, Navarro stalled India trade deal? Bombshell Ted Cruz audio leak spills ‘secrets’: A bombshell Axios report breaking the word around a leaked audio from Cruz’s donor meeting ended up spilling eye-widening claims about severe divisions within the Donald Trump administration over India trade policy. As per the shocking claims made therein, the report suggested that top White House officials, including the president, were key influential drivers behind the stalled US-India deal. FINANCIAL EXPRESS

CORRUPTION ALERT  

Trump Screwed Over Nursing Homes After Essentially Accepting Bribes: President Donald Trump decided to abandon regulations protecting elderly residents, after nursing home executives poured millions into a pro-Trump super PAC. TNR

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND SAFETY

Trump Administration Restarts Key Permitting Process for Wind Farms: The Fish and Wildlife Service has lifted its ban on issuing permits for incidental harm to protected eagles while also pursuing enforcement actions — including against operators that reported bird deaths voluntarily. HEATMAP

The Trump administration has secretly loosened nuclear safety rules: The Trump administration has overhauled a set of nuclear safety directives and shared them with the companies it is charged with regulating, without making the new rules available to the public. NPR

Government by AI? Trump Administration Plans to Write Regulations Using Artificial Intelligence: The Transportation Department, which oversees the safety of airplanes, cars and pipelines, plans to use Google Gemini to draft new regulations. “We don’t need the perfect rule,” said DOT’s top lawyer. “We want good enough.” (Famous last words!) PRO PUBLICA

There Have Already Been More 2026 Measles Cases in the U.S. Than 2023 and 2024 Combined: Three weeks into the year, we've got more than 400 new U.S. measles cases. The pace would blow past 2025's 34-year high. The people catching the incredibly infectious disease are almost entirely school-aged children, because they’re the cohort most likely to be lacking the protection of the MMR vaccine, which is given in two doses early in life. JEZEBEL

GOOD NEWS

Democrats win special elections for open state House seats in Minnesota: Democrats Meg Luger-Nikolai and Shelley Buck won yesterday's special elections for open House seats in St. Paul and Woodbury. The wins return the House to a 67-67 tie ahead of the upcoming legislative session. AXIOS

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