Winter storm impacts the East Coast
UNITED STATES — Over a dozen U.S. state governors declared an emergency on Friday, Jan. 23, as Winter Storm Fern threatened southern and central regions of the country.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center projected that at least 180 million people would be affected by heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain, along with power failures, travel disruptions, and supply shortages.
Heavy snow or ice was forecast for 34 states, from Arizona to the Midwest and South. As of Friday, states of emergency had been declared in Washington, D.C., Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kansas, allowing officials to mobilize National Guard troops, prepare equipment and supplies, and pretreat roads. The American Red Cross advised residents to prepare by stocking up on food, water, and blankets.
“Winters are getting warmer and shorter because of the climate crisis,” the American Red Cross said on its winter storm safety page. “But, because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, heavier snowfalls are more likely to occur.”
The storm originated in Texas on Friday. An area from the mid-Mississippi River to the Ohio Valley and New England will receive at least 6 inches of snow by Monday.
House of Representatives passes 2026 fiscal year appropriations package
WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives passed a package of four bills last Thursday that could potentially fund the federal government through the 2026 fiscal year. If not passed by the Senate and signed into law by Donald Trump before this Friday, the government will enter a partial shutdown.
H.R. 7148, a package of three bills passed by the House, apportions funding for a variety of departments, including defense, transportation, urban development, education, health and human services, and labor. This package passed the House in a 341-88 vote, with 149 Democrats and 192 Republicans voting in favor of the bills.
H.R. 7147, the second package passed by the House, includes a single bill that provides funding for the Department of Homeland Security’s operations. According to CBS, this bill was separated from the other three bills after House Democrats expressed opposition to the legislation because it included funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. H.R. 7147 ultimately passed the House in a 220-207 vote; 213 Republicans and seven Democrats voted in favor of the bill.
After the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration officers in Minneapolis, Senate Democrats expressed hesitation about voting in favor of H.R. 7147.
In a press release, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer explained the connection between the events in Minnesota and the funding bill.
“What’s happening in Minnesota is appalling — and unacceptable in any American city,” Schumer said. “Democrats sought common-sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans’ refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE. I will vote no. Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included.”
The Senate is expected to review and vote on both H.R. 7147 and H.R. 7148 upon its return to session next week.
Immigration officials fatally shoot Minnesotan amid increased state violence
MINNEAPOLIS — Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and intensive care unit nurse, was fatally shot by immigration enforcement agents in Minneapolis on Saturday, Jan. 24.
Pretti’s death comes amid an increase in federal officers stationed across the city. The day before the shooting, more than 50,000 people marched to protest the violence enacted by immigration agents over the past month. Hundreds of businesses closed and community members skipped work as part of a one-day strike of solidarity against the surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity across the city.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration ordered over 2,000 additional ICE agents and officers into Minneapolis to conduct “Operation Metro Surge,” or what authorities called the “largest federal immigration enforcement operation” ever conducted.
During a news conference on Saturday, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem accused Pretti of “[perpetuating] violence” against federal officers. Verified videos show Pretti helping a protester to her feet after she had been pepper sprayed by immigration officers, before he was tackled and fatally shot by the agents.
More than 100 community members gathered in front of the City Heights/Weingart Library in San Diego on Saturday afternoon for an emergency rally organized by the San Diego branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. The protest was in response to Pretti’s death. The rally called on San Diego to join Minneapolis’s general strike to “Stop ICE Terror.”
“The people need to use our power to shut down business as usual and make it impossible for this reign of terror to continue,” a post announcing the rally stated.
On Saturday, following the ICE agent’s shooting of Pretti, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz activated the state National Guard to work with local police officers to “get [ICE] out of here.” The National Guard has been on state active duty for over a week.
Democrat and Republican lawmakers, including Sens. Tina Smith and Thom Tillis, have called for a “thorough and impartial investigation” by Minnesota authorities after federal agents allegedly refused access to evidence of Pretti’s shooting to state officials.
Pretti’s death marks Minneapolis’s third shooting of a U.S. citizen and second civilian fatality by ICE agents in the past month.
San Diego begins accepting applications for trash fee subsidy
SAN DIEGO — The city of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department is offering eligible residents a trash fee subsidy, providing up to $261.60 or 50% off the annual solid waste fee. The program launched on Thursday, Jan. 22, in partnership with the Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee on Anti-Poverty of San Diego County.
Residents qualify for the program if they own their home, the home is their primary residence, and they receive city trash collection services. In addition, one of the following two conditions must be met: The household income is at or below 60% of California’s state median income; someone in the household is enrolled in CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, or the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Current residential trash collection fees for the city of San Diego are based on a three-tier system, ranging from $32.82 to $43.60 per month. This monthly fee appeared on property tax bills last year and was implemented starting July 1, 2025.
The program is funded by $3 million the city saved in its annual budget last spring, and more than $60,000 from donations.
To apply, residents must provide proof of residence, such as a mortgage statement. If applying based on income, recent pay stubs must be submitted, or if applying based on public benefits, one must provide an official letter showing active enrollment in a public benefits program.
Residents can start their application today; applications for fiscal year 2026 will be reviewed on a rolling basis from January to the end of April.
