Trump Administration Tries to Control Minneapolis Shooting Narrative, and Winter Storm Shatters Records

Summary

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Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Headlines
Host: The New York Times
Episode: Trump Administration Tries to Control Minneapolis Shooting Narrative, and Winter Storm Shatters Records
Date: January 26, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode covers the Trump administration’s rapid and aggressive response to a fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis, ongoing tensions over federal-state investigation rights, the political fallout as Congress approaches a government shutdown deadline, and the impact of a historic winter storm across the U.S. The episode also investigates the misuse of children’s genetic research data for racist studies and examines the rise—and potential demise—of THC-infused drinks amid changing federal regulations.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Minneapolis Shooting and the Shifting Federal Narrative

• Incident Details:

  • Alex Preddy, an ICU nurse, was killed by federal agents during a protest in Minneapolis (00:36).
  • Preddy had a legal permit to carry and was attempting to protect another protester when he was subdued and fatally shot.
  • Witness videos indicate Preddy never drew his weapon (00:55).

• Administration Response:

  • Federal officials aggressively asserted that Preddy was the aggressor, labeling him a “would-be assassin” and “domestic terrorist,” despite conflicting evidence (02:11).
  • Stephen Miller (Deputy Chief of Staff) and Secretary Kristi Noem led the “offensive,” echoing claims made after a previous fatal shooting in Minneapolis earlier that month (02:15).

• State-Federal Tension:

  • Minnesota Governor Tim Walz demanded state control over the investigation, citing mistrust in federal handling and lack of transparency (02:46).
  • State authorities secured an emergency court order to preserve evidence but still lacked basic information such as agents’ identities (03:03).

Notable Quotes:

“You do not get to attack law enforcement officials in this country without any repercussions.”
— Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (01:25)

“I'm rejecting the rush to judgment within 15 minutes of this, which they did last time.”
— Expert commentator on the need for fair investigation (02:34)

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2. Political Fallout: Possible Government Shutdown Over DHS Funding

• Congressional Dynamics:

  • Senate set to vote on a funding bill with over $60 billion for DHS and $10 billion for ICE (03:32).
  • Some Democrats and independents threaten to block the bill due to the Minneapolis shooting and ongoing ICE practices (03:48).

• Cross-party Concern:

  • Senator Angus King (I-ME) advocated for separating ICE funding and increased accountability (03:53, 04:07).
  • Republican Bill Cassidy (LA) called for a joint federal-state investigation for credibility (04:16).

Notable Quotes:

“I can’t vote for a bill that includes ICE funding under these circumstances.”
— Senator Angus King (03:48)

“The credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake.”
— Senator Bill Cassidy (04:17)

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3. Historic Winter Storm Shatters Records

• Storm Impact:
  • Record snowfall in 17 states, extreme cold snapping power lines, and mass travel disruptions (04:52).
  • Bonito Lake, NM saw the highest recorded snow at 31 inches (05:27).
  • 11 fatalities reported from Texas to New York (05:50).
  • 80% of Americans to experience freezing temperatures in coming days; cities open warming centers (06:03).

Memorable Moment:

“The snow coming down at a much heavier pace compared to earlier.”
— Tracie Mumford, reporting on worsening storm conditions (04:53)

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4. Genetic Study Data Breach and Racist Research Misuse

• Background:

  • NIH began a children’s brain development study a decade ago, assuring families of data security (06:51).
  • A group of fringe researchers circumvented safeguards, extracting data from over 20,000 children (07:18).
  • Misused data published in 16+ “scientific” papers promoting debunked white supremacist views (07:24).

• Impact:

  • Racist studies fueled viral social media posts and were referenced by AI models (07:29).
  • NIH was found to have several cases of improper access to U.S. genetic data, including by researchers in adversarial countries (08:01).

Notable Quotes:

“It’s not just that the science is faulty, but it’s being used to advance an unethical agenda.”
— National Co-director of the original study (07:34)

“There needs to be an acknowledgement that there are bad faith researchers.”
— Geneticist complainant on risks to genetic data (08:15)

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5. The Rise and Uncertain Future of THC-Infused Drinks

• Trends:

  • Dry January spurs interest in “Cali sober” approaches (alcohol abstention but marijuana use), with THC beverages gaining ground (08:19).
  • Industry sees growing interest, especially from older women (08:29).

• Regulatory Threat:

  • Starting November, federal law will cap THC in drinks at 0.4 mg, threatening the existence of current products (08:37).

Notable Quotes:

“It’s like saying you can still buy pens, but they won’t have any ink in them.”
— Industry group CEO on new THC limits (08:50)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Minneapolis Shooting & Narrative – 00:35–03:03
• Political Fallout & Potential Shutdown – 03:43–04:17
• Winter Storm Coverage – 04:52–06:15
• Genetic Data Misuse & Racist Research – 06:51–08:15
• THC-Infused Drinks & Regulatory Battle – 08:19–08:53

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Conclusion

This episode underscores the Trump administration’s aggressive posturing in shaping law enforcement narratives, deepening federal-state rifts, and sparking renewed debate on DHS funding in Congress. It highlights the far-reaching impacts of extreme winter weather, serious concerns over genetic data security and weaponized research, and the uncertain future of the rapidly growing THC beverage industry. The episode weaves together current events and policy concerns with a focus on transparency, accountability, and the ways narratives are manufactured or threatened in American society.

Transcript

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[Tracie Mumford]

From the new York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracie Mumford. Today's Monday, January 26th. Here's what we're covering. The second fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis has kicked off what's become a new pattern from the Trump administration of officials immediately going on the offensive, demonizing the victim and often distorting the facts of what happened. On Saturday morning. Alex Preddy, a Minneapolis resident who worked as an ICU nurse at the va, had gathered with a small group of protesters near where federal agents were operating. These kinds of scenes have been common in Minneapolis and across the country. Demonstrators opposed to the administration's aggressive immigration enforcement come to blow whistles or record on their phones. Videos show Preddy stepped between a woman and an agent who was pepper spraying her. He was then pepper sprayed and a group of agents piled onto him. They pinned him down and appeared to pull a handgun off of Preddy's hip before agents opened fire, killing him. Videos show Preddy, who had a permit to carry a firearm, never drew his weapon. This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem immediately claimed Preddy assaulted the officers. You do not get to attack law enforcement officials in this country without any repercussions. That was echoed by the head of the FBI, Cash Patel.

[Guest Expert or Commentator]

The suspect put himself in that situation. The victims are the Border Patrol agents.

[Tracie Mumford]

There and by a senior Border Patrol official, Gregory Bovino, who's been on the ground in Minneapolis. The White House Deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller went further, calling Preddy a would be assassin and a domestic terrorist. Administration officials made similar claims with no evidence about Renee Good, who was killed in her car by an ICE agent in Minneapolis earlier this month.

[Guest Expert or Commentator]

I'm rejecting the rush to judgment within 15 minutes of this, which they did last time. That that's why you need to have a fair investigation. They're telling you not to trust your eyes and ear not to trust the facts that you're seeing in front of them.

[Tracie Mumford]

Minnesota Governor Tim Walls said he had called the White House to demand that the state handle the investigation into Pred death, saying the federal government cannot be trusted. Despite that, state authorities say they've been cut out again like they were after Good's killing. Over the weekend, they took the extraordinary measure of getting an emergency court order to bar federal officials from destroying any evidence. Still, they say they haven't received basic facts from the government like the identities of the agents who opened fire. In Washington. Meanwhile, the uproar over Preddy's killing could lead to commercial government shutdown. At the end of the week, the Senate was set to vote on legislation that funds a broad range of government programs. But some key Democrats now say they're opposed to it since it includes over $60 billion for DHS, including $10 billion specifically for ICE.

[Guest Expert or Commentator]

I hate shutdowns. I'm one of the people that helped negotiate the solution to the last the end of the last shutdown. But I can't vote for a bill that includes ICE funding under these circumstances. What they're doing.

[Tracie Mumford]

Senator Angus King, an independent from Maine where have also launched a ramped up immigration enforcement operation, said on CBS yesterday that he shared Democrats concerns and that ICE funding should be voted on separately itself.

[Guest Expert or Commentator]

Let's have an honest negotiation, put some guardrails on what's going on, some accountability and that would solve this problem. We don't have to have a shutdown.

[Tracie Mumford]

So that's your at least one Republican senator has also raised concerns about the shooting. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said it was incredibly disturbing and called for a joint federal state investigation saying quote, the credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake. The gigantic winter storm that crossed over much of the US this weekend brought record breaking low temperatures, dumped more than a foot of snow in 17 states and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of people.

[Guest Expert or Commentator]

It's getting a lot worse.

[Tracie Mumford]

The snow coming down that much heavier pace compared to earlier. The National Weather Service said Bonito Lake, New Mexico got the most snow of anywhere in the country, recording 31 inches. Again, it's just waves of snow that you're going to the heavy snow combined with ice in the south caused chaos for travelers yesterday. Nearly 40% of all flights in the country were canceled. The storm also turned deadly in some states. At least 11 people from Texas to New York died amid the bitterly cold temperatures. Forecasters are now warning that those dangerous conditions could remain for days. About 80% of Americans will see freezing temperatures in the next week, and many cities have been rushing to open warming centers for those affected by the cold. About a decade ago, genetic researchers started recruiting kids across the US for an ambitious study to track brain development. They did MRIs, clinical tests, and took DNA samples, telling parents that it could help lead to breakthrough discoveries. They also told the families that all that sensitive data would be closely guarded by the National Institutes of Health. That is not what happened. A group of fringe researchers got around the NIH's safeguards and accessed data from over 20,000 kids. They used it to churn out at least 16 papers arguing that white people are intellectually superior to people of other races. Those conclusions, which mainstream scientists have rejected as biased and unscientific, have become fodder for racist posts that have gone viral on social media. And some of the papers are being cited by AI bots like ChatGPT and Grok. The National Co director of the original study called this use of the data evil, saying, quote, it's not just that the science is faulty, but it's being used to advance an unethical agenda. The misuse of the data has underscored broader concerns about the security of genetic information at the nih. The agency grants tens of thousands of requests from researchers to use its databases, but the Times has found that in dozens of cases, data was made vulnerable to theft, used for unapproved purposes, or released improperly. For example, a few years ago, an unidentified researcher in China was able to access Americans genetic information even though it's not supposed to be shared with people in adversarial countries that could use it for blackmail or military purposes. In a statement, an NIH official said the agency has taken new steps to protect data, including the brain development study, though one geneticist who filed a complaint with the agency about the way data is handled told the Times, our scientific institutions sort of assume good faith in people. And he added, quote, there needs to be an acknowledgement that there are bad faith researchers. And finally, dry January day 25, four weekends in a row this is the month every year when millions of Americans rethink their relationship with alcohol, either going sober, going kind of sober. Now many people are going Cali sober.

[Guest Expert or Commentator]

Well, Cali sober, if you don't know what it is, is typically using marijuana in your sobriety. So you're not drinking or not.

[Tracie Mumford]

Liquor sales during the month of January are bleak, and they've been losing more and more ground to THC infused drinks like mocktails, seltzers and teas. Manufacturers of the drinks say their customers aren't just young people. They're also seeing rising interest from older women in particular, who are trying them amid concerns about links between alcohol and various diseases. Despite that growing market, though, the whole industry could be at risk of disappearing. A federal law kicks in this November that puts strict new limits on the amount of THC that can be in products like those drinks. While some of the beverages currently have 5 to 10 milligrams, the new limit will be 0.4 milligrams, the CEO of an industry group told the Times. That could decimate these businesses. Quote, it's like saying you can still buy pens, but they won't have any ink in them. Those are the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow.