A potential government shutdown looms as Congress failed to reach an agreement on funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) before a Friday deadline, while several other investigations and controversies are unfolding. Key House Democrats demanded the Department of Justice cease tracking lawmakers' review of unredacted files related to Jeffrey Epstein, and two ICE officers are under investigation for potentially lying under oath about a shooting in Minnesota. Additionally, Amazon's Ring unit ended its partnership with Flock Safety following backlash over a Super Bowl ad.
The impending DHS shutdown stems from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over immigration policies. Democrats sought to include requirements for judicial warrants, better identification of DHS officers, new use-of-force standards, and an end to detaining people without verifying citizenship, among other demands, according to CBS News. The failure to reach a compromise means the department is likely to shut down.
Meanwhile, the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that two officers may have made "untruthful statements" regarding the shooting of a migrant in Minnesota, according to ABC News. The officers were placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.
In a separate development, a trio of House Democrats, including Representatives Jamie Raskin, Pramila Jayapal, and Robert Garcia, demanded that the Department of Justice (DOJ) cease tracking lawmakers' review of unredacted files related to Jeffrey Epstein, as reported by ABC News. They sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi urging the DOJ to develop a new protocol to allow members to meaningfully review the documents. Jayapal accused Bondi of "spying" on her search history.
Amazon's Ring unit ended its partnership with Flock Safety after a Super Bowl commercial sparked concerns about surveillance, according to CBS News. The ad, which portrayed a family searching for their lost dog, used Ring doorbells to scan the neighborhood. While the "Search Party" service wasn't related to Flock, Amazon had planned to work with the company to allow Ring owners to share video with law enforcement.
In other news, the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie, continues after she was reportedly kidnapped from her Tucson, Arizona, home on February 1, according to ABC News. The FBI released photos and videos of a masked person tampering with a security camera at her home.
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