The Department of Homeland Security has decided not to proceed with plans for an immigrant detention facility in Merrimack, New Hampshire, following discussions between Governor Kelly Ayotte and DHS officials. The decision came after two months of controversy, protests, and political debate over the proposed site. The governor credited her direct engagement with DHS for influencing the outcome, amidst bipartisan opposition and concerns about local impact. DHS has not yet announced where it may relocate the facility.
The White House intervened after the Department of Homeland Security temporarily announced the suspension of TSA PreCheck amid a partial government shutdown, which caused confusion among travelers. The DHS initially cited a need to refocus personnel but reversed its decision hours later, with TSA PreCheck remaining operational. The plan reportedly was devised by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and adviser Corey Lewandowski, whose relationship has been the subject of speculation, though Lewandowski did not comment on his role.
An AI simulation by the YouTube channel "I Ask AI" suggests that if Donald Trump were allowed to run for a third term in 2028, he might face Barack Obama in a hypothetical election, with the AI predicting a likely victory for Obama. The simulation assumes a scenario where laws permit a third term, and portrays Obama as a stabilizing counterpoint to Trump’s confrontational style, especially in a fatigued political climate. However, Trump is legally barred from running again due to the 22nd Amendment, which limits presidents to two terms.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei is meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth amid tensions over the company's AI guardrails, which restrict military use due to concerns about AI-controlled weapons and domestic surveillance. The Pentagon, which has a $200 million contract with Anthropic, seeks to lift these restrictions, but the company opposes removing the safeguards. The negotiations are ongoing, and the Pentagon has reportedly considered designating Anthropic a "supply chain risk," which could impact its business, while the company emphasizes its commitment to AI safety and national security.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei met with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth amid tensions over AI guardrails, as the Pentagon seeks to lift restrictions on AI use for military purposes. Anthropic declined to remove safeguards related to AI-controlled weapons and domestic surveillance, citing concerns over reliability and legal issues. The dispute has raised the possibility of the Pentagon blacklisting the company, which could impact its government contracts, while negotiations continue.
Conflict forecasting using AI and large datasets is rapidly advancing, with Middle Eastern authoritarian regimes potentially poised to use these tools to preemptively suppress dissent and protests. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, Egypt, and Bahrain already utilize advanced surveillance and predictive analytics, raising concerns about misuse and the chilling effects on political activism. Experts warn that as AI models improve, the risk of authoritarian governments employing conflict prediction technologies to control populations increases, though current AI systems are not yet precise enough for perfect predictions.
Sen. Mark Kelly announced he will attend the upcoming State of the Union address, despite recent political tensions, including an attempt by Donald Trump to have him arrested and a federal judge blocking punishment related to his military video participation. Kelly stated he will be there to stand for Arizona and the Constitution and will bring Navy Veteran Martin Sepulveda as his guest. Some Democrats plan to boycott the event by attending a nearby rally.
Some Arizona Democrats, including Senators Ruben Gallego and Congresswomen Adelita Grijalva and Yassamin Ansari, plan to skip President Trump's State of the Union address, with Grijalva offering her ticket to a detained citizen. Republican Congressman Paul Gosar joked about the attendance, while Rep. Andy Biggs expressed support for Trump. Democratic representatives Mark Kelly and Greg Stanton will attend, bringing guests—veteran Martin Sepulveda and aerospace executive Greg Farley, respectively.
The article explains that constitutional birthright citizenship in the U.S. is based on whether a baby is born on American soil beneath the flag, rather than parental allegiance or lawfulness. It emphasizes that the original understanding of the 14th Amendment equates being “under the flag” with being “subject to jurisdiction,” affirming that all children born on U.S. territory with the flag flying above are citizens. The piece also discusses historical examples and legal interpretations that support this view, including the current Supreme Court case, Trump v. Barbara, which questions the legality of ending birthright citizenship.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against President Trump's authority to impose tariffs, with the decision described as a "small improvement" by Illinois toymaker Rick Woldenberg, a plaintiff in the case who argued that tariffs harmed his business and consumers. Woldenberg, along with MGA Entertainment CEO Isaac Larian, criticized the tariffs as harmful economic policies, with Larian noting the impracticality of shifting manufacturing back to the U.S. under current price points. Woldenberg plans to attend Trump's State of the Union despite having called Trump and his supporters "sleazebags."
U.S. President Donald Trump will decide on potentially striking Iran based on assessments of Tehran’s intentions provided by his negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. They are scheduled to brief Trump on whether Iran is genuinely pursuing a nuclear deal or merely stalling, ahead of a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva.
President Trump recently signed new tariffs under a different law after the Supreme Court struck down his previous tariffs, which were also deemed likely unlawful. Legal experts note that the new tariffs, imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, are problematic because the law does not authorize tariffs to address trade deficits, and the administration's interpretation conflates trade deficits with balance-of-payments deficits, which are no longer a significant issue. Additionally, the use of executive powers to impose these tariffs may violate constitutional and statutory limits, and further legal action or congressional intervention would be needed to stop them.
