NASA Plane Lands Without Landing Gear in Texas, Crew Safe
A NASA research plane was forced to make an emergency landing without its landing gear at Ellington Airport, southeast of Houston, Texas, on Tuesday. Video footage circulating on social media showed the aircraft sliding across the runway on its belly, leaving a trail of flames behind it, according to the Associated Press.
The crew of the NASA WB-57, a plane known for its distinct thin fuselage and capacity for long flights, landed safely, NASA confirmed in a post on X. The agency stated that a mechanical issue was the cause of the incident and that an investigation would be launched. The WB-57 aircraft has two crew seats and is capable of flying for approximately 6 to 12 hours.
Minneapolis Reels After Second Shooting by Federal Agents
Tensions were high in Minneapolis following the second shooting of a U.S. citizen by federal agents this month. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was fatally shot on Saturday morning, sparking protests and clashes with law enforcement, according to ABC News. This incident followed the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, on January 7.
Stephen Miller stated that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) "may not have been following" protocol leading up to the shooting.
Judge Blocks Removal of 5-Year-Old Detained by ICE
In related news, a federal judge in Texas temporarily blocked the removal of a 5-year-old boy and his father who were detained last week as part of the federal government's ongoing immigration crackdown in Minnesota. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery issued the order on Monday, preventing Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, from being removed from the district in Texas pending a habeas case challenging their detention, ABC News reported. Liam was apprehended by immigration officials shortly after arriving home from preschool while his father was in their driveway, school officials said.
California Governor Launches Probe into TikTok Censorship Allegations
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Monday that he is launching a probe into allegations that TikTok censored content critical of President Trump. Newsom, a Democrat and vocal critic of Trump, stated on social media, "It's time to investigate. I am launching a review into whether TikTok is violating state law by censoring Trump-critical content," according to CBS News.
TikTok announced last week that it had established a new joint venture to operate its U.S. business, reducing its Chinese ownership to 19.9 percent and placing majority control in the hands of American businesses, including allies of Mr. Trump. Washington has long sought to tighten control on TikTok, citing national security concerns over the platform's Beijing-based parent company ByteDance.
DOJ Nears Completion of Epstein File Release
Top Justice Department officials said Tuesday they expect to finish reviewing and publishing files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein soon, but cannot provide a specific timeline. A federal law required the Justice Department to release its massive trove of records on Epstein by mid-December. The department has released over 100,000 pages so far, but it has acknowledged that the vast majority of documents that may relate to Epstein still haven't been made public, arguing more time is needed to ensure the files are properly redacted to protect the identities of survivors of Epstein's abuse, CBS News reported. Attorney General Pam Bondi and other top Justice Department officials updated the judges in Epstein and his convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell's cases on their efforts to scour through the documents.
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