1. TOP TALKER: The FBI searched WaPo reporter Hannah Natanson’s home this morning and seized her phone, personal and work computers and smartwatch, WaPo’s Perry Stein and Jeremy Roebuck report. Authorities said she was not the focus of their investigation, which centers on Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a government contractor accused of bringing classified information home. No charges have been brought against her. Such leak probes are not uncommon. But the FBI’s move — an extremely rare intrusion into a journalist’s home — nonetheless provoked widespread condemnations from press freedom advocates and some congressional Democrats. “Searches of newsrooms and journalists are hallmarks of illiberal regimes, and we must ensure that these practices are not normalized here,” said Knight First Amendment Institute executive director Jameel Jaffer. Natanson has extensively covered the Department of Government Efficiency and Trump’s sweeping transformation of the civil service. More from POLITICO’s Gregory Svirnovskiy and Kyle Cheney The administration’s view: AG Pam Bondi said Natanson “was obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor.” FBI Director Kash Patel said, “The alleged leaker was arrested this week and is in custody,” though in fact Perez-Lugones has not been charged (so far) with leaking and his arrest was last week. WaPo pushes back: Executive editor Matt Murray told staff in a note this afternoon that although the investigation doesn’t target Natanson or the Post, “this extraordinary, aggressive action is deeply concerning and raises profound questions and concern around the constitutional protections for our work.” WaPo owner and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has not yet spoken out about the raid, prompting a flurry of online reader anger that led to comments being briefly disabled on the WaPo story, per The Daily Beast’s Laura Esposito. Another notable media story: “Stars and Stripes job applicants are asked if they back Trump policies,” by WaPo’s Liam Scott 2. HEADS UP: Trump declared today on Truth Social that on Feb. 1, the federal government will end all federal payments to states for their sanctuary cities. The post doubles down on a funding freeze threat Trump made yesterday, though details of what it would entail remain unclear. More ICE fallout: Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) this morning introduced articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing her of obstructing Congress and violating public trust in her sweeping immigration crackdown. In Minnesota, tensions between protesters and federal agents keep boiling over in clashes and demonstrations. And NYT’s Julie Bosman takes stock of how, from Los Angeles to Minneapolis, Trump’s mass deportations and aggressive enforcement tactics have “set off a surge in confrontational activism fueled by both large liberal advocacy groups and hyperlocal neighborhood networks.” “We’re doing the right thing,” border czar Tom Homan told reporters today. “They can protest all they want.” Meanwhile, CBS’ Nicole Sganga and Jennifer Jacobs report that Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who shot and killed Renee Good, suffered internal bleeding, the extent of which isn’t yet known. Survey says: A new CNN/SSRS poll finds that Americans think ICE’s actions are making cities less safe instead of safer, 51 percent to 31 percent. A majority also say Good’s shooting was an inappropriate use of force that reflects broader problems with the agency. 3. MAJOR MOVE: The State Department is indefinitely freezing visa processing for people seeking to travel to the U.S. from 75 countries, including Brazil, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Egypt, Colombia, Ethiopia, Pakistan and Thailand, starting Jan. 21, Fox News’ Morgan Phillips scooped. The administration frames this as part of an effort to block people who could become “public charges” using government benefits. There will be only “very limited” exceptions after screening, making this one of Trump’s most significant changes yet in his immigration crackdown. And it could upend many foreigners’ work or travel plans, including the World Cup. 4. REALITY BITES: “Initial Review Finds No Widespread Illegal Voting by Migrants, Puncturing a Trump Claim,” by NYT’s Alexandra Berzon and Nick Corasaniti: “Out of 49.5 million voter registrations that have been checked, the department referred around 10,000 cases to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation of noncitizenship, or roughly .02 percent … Even that number could be inflated. The verification tool has mistakenly flagged some people who appear to actually be citizens.” 5. TRAIL MIX: The House GOP outside groups Congressional Leadership Fund and American Action Network raised a collective $136 million throughout 2025, outpacing their Democratic counterparts, Punchbowl’s Ally Mutnick and Jake Sherman report. Heading for the exits: Cameron Kasky, the Parkland massacre survivor who rose to prominence as an activist and co-founder of March for Our Lives, is departing the crowded Democratic primary for New York’s 12th Congressional District, New York Playbook’s Emily Ngo reports. Poll position: The latest Detroit News survey shows Republican Mike Rogers leading all three Democratic candidates in his bid to flip Michigan’s Senate seat, though Rep. Haley Stevens comes closest. Rogers leads her by 0.4 percentage points, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow by 3.3 and Abdul El-Sayed by 6.4. The margin of error is 4 percentage points. 6. SCOTUS WATCH: “Supreme Court revives GOP congressman’s absentee ballot suit that could spur more election litigation,” by CNN’s John Fritze: “The Supreme Court on Wednesday backed a Republican congressman from Illinois [Mike Bost] who is challenging a state law that allows mail ballots to be received after Election Day, a decision that may make it easier for other candidates to challenge voting laws – even if they ultimately win their election. The decision, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, was 7-2 with two of the court’s liberals dissenting.” 7. BANNED AID: “Inside Trump’s $11 billion health plan to replace ‘neo-colonial’ USAID,” by Axios’ Marc Caputo: “Called the America First Global Health Strategy, the program aims to boost U.S. influence and interests in developing nations — especially those in Africa — while bypassing non-government organizations (NGOs) that delivered services through USAID. The program would send billions of dollars directly to needy foreign governments, health care organizations and drug manufacturers over the next five years — a plan that critics worry could be a recipe for corruption and ‘catastrophic’ failures. … The State Department aims to have agreements with 50 countries in a few months.” 8. CONTEMPT CONTRETEMPS: House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) announced that his panel will vote to hold Hillary Clinton, as well as Bill Clinton, in criminal contempt of Congress for their refusal to appear for depositions about Jeffrey Epstein, per POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs. 9. HOME RULES: “As Trump Pushes Housing Affordability, His Mortgage Chief Undermines It,” by NYT’s Lydia DePillis: “Since assuming oversight of the nation’s housing finance system, Bill Pulte has promised better access to homeownership … But the regulator Mr. Pulte leads, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has also been making changes that could make it harder to buy homes. It has been repealing rules and guidance, firing teams of people focused on fair lending and climate risk, and reducing its focus on low-income borrowers. The actions, taken as a whole, will raise costs for people who can least afford to pay, according to advocates for affordable homeownership.” The FHFA declined to comment.
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