Trump Administration Faces Backlash After Minneapolis Shooting; TikTok Investigates "Epstein" Messaging Glitch
Minneapolis, MN – President Donald Trump faced growing bipartisan backlash following a second fatal shooting by a federal agent in Minneapolis in just over two weeks, while social media platform TikTok launched an investigation into reports that users were unable to send the word "Epstein" in direct messages.
The shooting involved Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Minneapolis, who was fatally shot by federal immigration agents, according to Time. A coalition of current and former Health and Human Services (HHS) staffers condemned the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), accusing the department of causing a growing public health crisis. "We cannot pursue our mission to improve the health and well-being of all Americans while DHS agents are murdering, assaulting, and terrorizing people who call this country home," the staffers wrote in a letter released by the group Save HHS on Monday, Time reported. Multiple videos of the incident reportedly showed Pretti attempting to.
In response to the backlash, President Trump ordered a shake-up of top officials, announcing that his border czar, Tom Homan, would head to Minneapolis to manage Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the city, according to Time. Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, who has been at the center of the aggressive surge of immigration arrests across the country in recent months, was expected to leave the city on Tuesday along with a contingent of federal agents, the Associated Press reported, according to Time. Homan is considered a proponent of targeted enforcement, while Bovino has become associated with the highly visible, often indiscriminate raids. Vox reported that the Trump administration's defense of the shooting has centered on the fact that Pretti had a gun.
Meanwhile, TikTok is investigating reports that users are unable to send the word "Epstein" in direct messages, a technical glitch that has sparked controversy given the recent change in ownership to a U.S.-led consortium including Oracle, according to NPR News. The investigation comes amid heightened scrutiny of content moderation policies on social media platforms and raises questions about potential influence from new investors.
In other news, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce reported that Sydney Sweeney did not get permission to hang bras on the Hollywood sign, Variety reported. The stunt was a promotion for a new brand of women's undergarments. Sweeney posted a.
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