Streets of Minneapolis

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for January 28, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

The Latest

Donald Trump is using words like ‘relaxed’ and ‘de-escalate,’ but AP reporters on the ground in Minnesota say they’ve seen “little evidence” of “any significant changes.”

• The reporters said they saw federal agents using pepper spray and breaking car windows today, and that officers from the Federal Bureau of Prisons pushed one of them and threatened them with arrest as they tried to do their reporting.
• Tim Walz was asked if he’s seeing a “shift in tone.” “I’m not so interested in [a] shift in tone,” he said. “We just need them out of here, and we need accountability for what’s happened.”
• Pam Bondi visited Minnesota today, announced the arrest of 16 “Minnesota rioters,” and said: “NOTHING will stop President Trump and this Department of Justice from enforcing the law.”

Senate Democrats want ‘masks off, body cameras on,’ plus limits on warrants and the use of force by federal agents, Chuck Schumer said after meeting with his caucus today. John Thune said Democrats’ asks are “between the White House and Democrats” and should not stand in the way of voting for a package of spending bills tomorrow.

• A partial government shutdown begins at 12:01 a.m. Saturday unless senators reach an agreement. If the bill is modified in any way, the House — which isn’t in town — somehow needs to approve it.

Trump called Thom Tillis a ‘loser’ for saying Kristi Noem should go. “I’m thrilled about that,” Tillis told CNN’s Manu Raju. “That makes me qualified to be homeland security secretary and senior adviser to the president.”

• Josh Hawley said Noem’s fate is a “judgment for the president” to make. Manu asked him if he would vote to confirm Noem again. “I don’t have to,” he said.

The Administration

A ‘massive’ U.S. armada is heading toward Iran. Trump said it’s a “larger fleet” than he sent to Venezuela, and he threatened to use it if Iranian leaders don’t make a deal.

• Trump made the threat on Truth Social, where in the last 24 hours he’s promoted the movie about Melania Trump and opined on Minnesota, the stock market, election integrity, Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame snub, his “highest ever” poll numbers and the ballroom he’s building where the East Wing used to be.

Trump rolled out Trump Accounts at a Trump Account Summit. Bank of America joined the list of companies that will chip in $1,000 for their employees’ babies, and Visa said it will allow cardholders to use reward points to contribute to the accounts.

The Fed didn’t lower interest rates, but Fed governor Christopher Waller — on Trump’s radar as a possible Jerome Powell replacement — said it should have.

• Powell’s advice for his successor: “Don’t get pulled into elected politics. Don’t do it.”

The FBI raided an election office in Georgia. “The FBI agents are here to get the 2020 ballots,” Fulton County Clerk Ché Alexander told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “They’re all here — trucks, everything.”

A Trump PAC is fundraising off of ICE. As NOTUS’ Emily Kennard reports, an email from the “Never Surrender” PAC asks recipients: “Are you a proud American Citizen or does ICE need to come and track you down?”

The Hill

The crypto PAC Fairshake has $193 million to spend on the midterms. The Very Large Number includes $25 million each from Coinbase and Ripple.

John Cornyn asked Marco Rubio who would lead Iran if Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was gone. “I don’t think anyone can give you a simple answer,” he said.

Trump said the Senate would vote unanimously to confirm Ted Cruz if he was, hypothetically, nominated to the Supreme Court. “The Democrats will vote for him because they want to get him the hell out, and the Republicans will vote for because they want to get him the hell out.”

The man who sprayed a liquid at Ilhan Omar has used Trump as his profile picture on Facebook. Police believe the liquid was apple cider vinegar.

The Boss Has Entered The Group Chat

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Kate Nocera, Andrew Burton and Christopher T. Fong. If you like it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please subscribe — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.