Escalation in the North Country

Today’s news from the Times: “Trump Administration Begins Criminal Inquiry Into Minnesota Leaders — The Justice Department’s investigation is a major escalation in the state-federal battle over the conduct of immigration agents in Minneapolis.”

• The investigation would focus on allegations that Gov. Tim Walz and Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis, had conspired to impede thousands of federal agents who have been sent to the city since last month. Last week, one of those agents killed a 37-year-old woman, Renee Good.

• “Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic,” Mr. Walz said in a statement released by his office, which said it had not yet received notice of an investigation. “The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”

• Mr. Frey described the investigation as an “obvious attempt to intimidate” him, but vowed it would not work.

• “America depends on leaders that use integrity and the rule of the law as the guideposts for governance,” he said. “Neither our city nor our country will succumb to this fear. We stand rock solid.”

OTHER HEADLINES:

• Trump cabinet secretaries conspired to violate Constitution, judge says (WP)

• Judge Restricts Immigration Agents’ Actions Toward Minnesota Protesters (NYT)

• Trump threatens tariffs for nations that don’t support his aim to acquire Greenland (ABC)

• How a billionaire with interests in Greenland encouraged Trump to acquire the territory (Guardian)

• ‘Dumbest thing I’ve ever heard’: Republicans amp up their resistance to Trump’s Greenland push (Politico)

• Bacon says he would ‘lean’ toward Trump impeachment if Greenland invaded: ‘Utter buffoonery’ (The Hill)

• The Sacrifice of the Danes (Atlantic)

• Was Renee Good Obligated to Comply With an ICE Agent’s Orders? (NYT)

• The Minnesota War Zone Is Trump’s Most Trumpian Accomplishment (New Yorker)

• Trump Wants to Send the Military Into Minneapolis. Here’s What’s Stopping Him. (Slate)

• Trump backs away from using Insurrection Act in Minneapolis after repeating threat to take action amid ICE protests (Guardian)

• With Maduro in U.S. custody, his lieutenants warm to Trump (WP)

• Inside a year of firings that have shaken the Trump Justice Department: ‘A great deal of fear’ (AP)

• San Francisco to make childcare free for families earning up to $230,000 (Guardian)

• Are Trump’s supporters getting what they want from his second term? Here’s what a new poll shows (AP)

• How Crypto Is Used for Political Corruption (Atlantic)

• Battles Over Truth Rage Online Amid Iran’s Internet Blackout (NYT)

• Machado presents her Nobel award to Trump, prompting incredulity in Norway (CNBC)

• BBC Close To Agreeing Landmark Deal To Produce Shows For YouTube (Deadline)

• Journalists face more peril a decade after Iran freed a Post reporter (WP)

• ChatGPT ads are coming, and they’ll be influenced by your conversations (Axios)

• A.I. Has Arrived in Gmail. Here’s What to Know. (NYT)

• This AI Startup Just Landed a Deal That Could Transform Newsrooms (Inc)

• AI journalism startup Symbolic.ai signs deal with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp (TechCrunch)

• AI adoption inside U.S. companies is soaring (Axios)

• Eerily Calm Draymond Green Returns From Halftime With Large Scar On Forehead (Onion)