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Trump again calls for federal intervention in elections amid criticism

(USA Today) President Donald Trump called for the federal government to "get involved" in overseeing elections as his talk of nationalizing the voting process generates bipartisan pushback and alarms critics worried about the fairness of future contests. Asked during a Feb. 3 White House event attended by GOP lawmakers what he meant by comments he made on a podcast with Dan Bongino about nationalizing voting, Trump said: "I want to see elections be honest, and if a state can't run an election, I think the people behind me should do something about it."

BumRushDaShow

Private payrolls rose by just 22,000 in January, far short of expectations, ADP says

(CNBC) The U.S. labor market barely budged in January, with hiring below even muted expectations, according a report Wednesday from payrolls processing firm ADP. Private companies added just 22,000 positions for the month and the number would have been negative had it not been for a surge of 74,000 hires in the education and health services category. The total was less than the downwardly revised 37,000 increase in December and below the Dow Jones consensus forecast for 45,000.

BumRushDaShow

Former US agriculture officials, top Republican senator warn of farm country trouble

(Reuters) The chair of the U.S. Senate's agriculture committee warned on Tuesday that farmers were suffering heavy losses, while more than two dozen former industry leaders sounded the alarm about the risk of a "widespread collapse of American agriculture" ahead of a $12 billion government bailout expected to reach growers this month. For three years, the costs of seed, fertilizer and other farm inputs rose, while plentiful grain supplies limited profits for farmers, economists said.

riversedge

The manufacturing boom Trump promised would usher in a golden age for America is going in reverse

(Wall Street Journal) The manufacturing boom President Trump promised would usher in a golden age for America is going in reverse. After years of economic interventions by the Trump and Biden administrations, fewer Americans work in manufacturing than any point since the pandemic ended. Manufacturers shed workers in each of the eight months after Trump unveiled “Liberation Day” tariffs, according to federal figures, extending a contraction that has seen more than 200,000 roles disappear since 2023.

KS Toronado

Wednesday's Condensed News Cartoons

Dulcinea

After Republicans push Clintons to testify on Epstein, Democrats warn they'll haul in Trump

(NBC News) Democrats now say Republicans have established a precedent when it comes to Congress’ ability to subpoena and haul in past presidents, first ladies and family members under threat of criminal charges if they refuse — a precedent they warn the GOP and Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., will soon regret. "We are absolutely going to have Donald Trump testify under oath" when Democrats take back power, California Rep. Ted Lieu, a member of Democratic leadership who for years has been highlighting Donald Trump's ties to Epstein, told NBC News on Tuesday.

BumRushDaShow

Brothers of Renee Good, woman killed by immigration officer, call for action in Congress

(AP) The brothers of Renee Good, one of two U.S. citizens killed by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, called on Congress to do something about the violence on American streets as a result of immigration operations, warning Tuesday that the scenes playing out are “changing many lives, including ours, forever.” Brothers Luke and Brett Ganger spoke during a hearing held Tuesday by congressional Democrats to highlight use-of-force incidents by officers from the Department of Homeland Security as they arrest and deport immigrants.

sop

'ICE Employees Vent on Reddit, Saying They're Not Getting Paid and Still No Insurance Despite Promises'

(IB Times) US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is facing an unusual wave of internal backlash after employees began publicly accusing the agency of failing to pay salaries and activate health insurance weeks after recruitment. Despite a historic recruitment drive that added 12,000 agents in recently, the agency's administrative backbone appears to be buckling, with employees desperate enough to turn to the Reddit to detail their struggles.

riversedge

Russia Strikes Ukraine Hours After Trump Bragged About Deal With Putin

(New Republic) You’ll never guess which country launched a massive attack just hours after President Donald Trump announced yet another supposed temporary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Sitting at his desk in the Oval Office Monday, Trump repeated his claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “agreed” to pause Moscow’s repeated strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, as the temperatures in Europe dropped dangerously low.

BlueWaveNeverEnd

Washington Post Begins Sweeping Layoffs

(NY Times) The Washington Post told employees on Wednesday that it was beginning a widespread round of layoffs. The cuts, announced in a video call with employees, are a sign that Jeff Bezos, who became one of the world’s richest people by selling things on the internet, has not yet figured out how to build and maintain a profitable publication on the internet. The paper expanded during the first several years of his ownership, but the company has sputtered more recently.

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Utah Republicans sue to block new House districts

18 min ago - 02/04/26 10:06 AM ET Utah Republicans have filed a federal lawsuit to block the state’s new House maps, which give Democrats a shot at winning a seat in the red state. “Today we took action. I, along with elected officials throughout our s ... (The Hill)

Border czar Homan orders 700 federal officers out of Minnesota, hails 'unprecedented cooperation'

36 min ago - Nearly one-quarter of the federal immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota will start leaving the state on Wednesday. Tom Homan, the White House “border czar” who’s now leading the federal immigration enforcement and fraud investi ... (KSTP (Twin Cities ABC affiliate))

US carries out strikes in Syria targeting Islamic States, military says

59 min ago - US carries out strikes in Syria targeting Islamic States, military says https://reut.rs/4tjmHBc US carries out strikes in Syria targeting Islamic States, military says reut.rs/4tjmHBc— Reuters (@reuters.com) 2026-02-04T21:35:15.552Z ... (Reuters)

Striking Starbucks workers urge customers to delete coffee chain's app

1 hr ago - Unionized baristas continue to fight for a fair contract and ask public for solidarity as strike stretches into third month Michael Sainato Wed 4 Feb 2026 06.00 EST Striking Starbucks baristas are calling on customers of the world’s largest coff ... (The Guardian)

Trump admin's 'pay-to-play' Gold Card visa program is 'unlawful' and harms more qualified applicants, lawsuit says

1 hr ago - Feb 4th, 2026, 7:17 am The Trump administration is unlawfully prioritizing wealth over talent through the so-called "Gold Card" visa program, plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday claim. The federal government, by way of the Department of Ho ... (Law & Crime)

Argentina requests extradition of Maduro from the US on crimes against humanity charges

1 hr ago - By SERGIO FARELLA Updated 2:25 PM CST, February 4, 2026 BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — An Argentine judge on Wednesday requested the extradition from the United States of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured by the ... (AP)

Former Whitney Chief Resigns From Art School After Epstein Email Release

1 hr ago - David A. Ross, a longtime luminary in the contemporary art world and leader of some of the top museums in the United States, resigned this week from his position as department chair at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan after emails he sent to Je ... (NYT)

Trump grants tariff breaks to 'politically connected' companies, Senate Dems say

2 hrs ago - February 4, 2026 6:00 AM ET Two top-ranking Democrats are blasting the Trump administration for playing favorites with tariffs — by giving trade relief to the big companies whose CEOs are cozying up to the president. In a letter to the White Hou ... (NPR)

Texas man sues California doctor for allegedly sending abortion pills to state

3 hrs ago - Wed 4 Feb 2026 12.52 EST Last modified on Wed 4 Feb 2026 13.06 EST A physician based in California has become the first medical provider sued under a recently enacted Texas statute that empowers private individuals to file civil lawsuits against prov ... (The Guardian)

Driver, others cited in Fremont ICE protest hit-and-run that left student injured

3 hrs ago - Dan Crisler Feb 4, 2026 Updated 1 hr ago The Fremont Police Department has cited five juveniles and an adult in connection to last week's car-into-protester crash in which a juvenile driver hit a Fremont High School student with a car during a protes ... (Omaha World Herald)

Supreme Court Allow New California Voting Map For Midterms

3 hrs ago - By Madlin Mekelburg February 4, 2026 at 10:53 AM PST The US Supreme Court cleared California to use its new congressional map that favors Democrats during this year's midterm election, giving the party a pathway to neutralize anticipated Republican g ... (Bloomberg News)

Billionaire GOP Mega-Donor Rips Trump Corruption: Been 'Very Enriching to the Families' of Admin Officials

4 hrs ago - Billionaire GOP mega-donor and past Trump supporter Ken Griffin accused the Trump administration this week of corruption and warned that business leaders are concerned about getting trapped in a loop of government coercion. “This administration ... (Mediaite.com)

Trump anti-fraud task force targeting California and more states to be led by JD Vance, sources say

4 hrs ago - Updated on: February 4, 2026 / 12:09 PM EST A new White House anti-fraud task force that will search for welfare abuses in California and other states is in the final stages of planning by the vice president and the head of an independent consumer p ... (CBS News)

Fulton County goes to court to demand return of ballots seized by FBI

4 hrs ago - Officials in Georgia filed a court challenge Wednesday seeking the return of scores of election records seized by federal agents last week from a warehouse in Fulton County, which has been central to right-wing conspiracy theories about President Don ... (Washington Post)

Trump has attacked pillars of democracy, Human Rights Watch says

4 hrs ago - U.S. President Donald Trump has attacked key pillars of his country's democracy, Human Rights Watch warned on Wednesday in its annual report, citing the Republican president's immigration crackdown, threats to voting rights and other policies. Human ... (Reuters)

DOJ, Epstein victims reach deal to protect identities

5 hrs ago - 02/04/26 10:08 AM ET The Department of Justice (DOJ) has reached an agreement with victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after the department leaked victims’ names in their latest release of files related to the Epstein probe. U.S. ... (The Hill)

Gunmen have killed 162 people in west Nigeria attack, says Red Cross official

5 hrs ago - More than 160 people have been killed in a village in western Nigeria in the country’s deadliest armed assault so far this year, an aid official and a local politician have said, as communities reel from repeated, widespread acts of violence per ... (The Guardian)

Government attorney who told judge in ICE case, 'This job sucks,' removed from detail

6 hrs ago - Feb. 4, 2026, 12:23 AM EST / Updated Feb. 4, 2026, 7:55 AM EST A government attorney who was representing the Justice Department in court is no longer detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota after telling a judge her ... (NBC News)

Documents show Greensboro considered for ICE detention center, officials say no proposal

6 hrs ago - The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has released a heavily redacted collection of documents that indicate federal government agencies could potentially be considering Greensboro as a suitable location for a new ICE detention facility, a proposa ... (WXLV (ABC affiliate))

Andrew moves out of Royal Lodge home early after latest Epstein files

7 hrs ago - 1 hour ago Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has moved out of his home in Windsor to the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. The former prince left Royal Lodge on Monday night and is currently living at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate while his permanent hom ... (BBC)