New video shows previous Alex Pretti clash with agents; FBI raids Georgia elections office
A new video shows Alex Pretti confronting federal agents days before the deadly shooting, and this morning it’s raising new questions.
Plus, government shutdown tensions rise as Democrats threaten to block funding over immigration enforcement.
And the FBI raids a Georgia elections office, putting the 2020 vote back under a federal spotlight.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, January 29, 2026.
New Alex Pretti video surfaces, shows clash with immigration officers on Jan. 13
Newly-surfaced video shows an altercation between federal immigration officers and Alex Petti days before agents shot and killed the ICU nurse in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The video appears to show the 37-year-old being forced to the ground by agents during a Jan. 13 protest after he kicked the taillight of a government vehicle and appeared to spit at the vehicle with agents inside.
NBC News reported that Pretti’s family has confirmed it is him in the footage, saying they were already aware of the encounter. The newly released video is reigniting national debate over the events leading up to Pretti’s death, which is already under intense scrutiny.
President Donald Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., posted a version of the video online, writing, “Just a peaceful legal observer.”
Just a peaceful legal observer
pic.twitter.com/ohmGe0WnDJ
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 28, 2026
The attorney representing Pretti’s parents said the new video of the earlier confrontation is irrelevant and doesn’t justify their son’s killing last Saturday.
The Department of Homeland Security said its investigations division is now reviewing the footage.
The video emerged as the federal response faces growing questions, including a preliminary review that does not confirm earlier claims that Pretti brandished a gun.
Later Thursday morning, immigration enforcement chief Tom Homan, whom Trump sent to Minneapolis, is expected to address the case at a press conference.
DHS funding stalls in Congress as Senators work to avoid shutdown
With a government shutdown looming, senators are scrambling to reach a deal with the White House before Friday night’s deadline.
Senate Democrats have threatened to block a major spending bill that funds the Department of Homeland Security unless Republicans and the White House agree to new limits on federal immigration enforcement.
The standoff comes after Alex Pretti’s fatal shooting in Minneapolis and escalates an already heated debate over ICE operations across the country.
Democrats are demanding sweeping reforms, including body cameras, visible identification, stricter warrant requirements and an end to so-called roving patrols.
Sources familiar with the talks told CNN that the White House is moving closer to accepting Democrats’ demands to split funding for DHS from a larger package, giving them time to negotiate new policy measures on the deployment of ICE agents nationwide.
Multiple Republican senators said they’ll back a deal like that, but only if Trump supports it.
FBI raids Georgia elections office, targets 2020 ballots and voting records
In Georgia, the FBI moved into Fulton County’s election headquarters on Wednesday, seizing ballots and records from the 2020 election, which Trump has spent years trying to re-litigate.
Local officials told Straight Arrow News that federal agents executed a search warrant at the county’s election operations center in Union City, just outside Atlanta, and retrieved boxes of ballots and other election materials from the 2020 general election.
Fulton County officials said they were not given advance notice.
In a statement to Straight Arrow News, the FBI’s Atlanta field office confirmed that agents were “executing a court-authorized law enforcement action” at the facility on Campbellton Fairburn Road.
The bureau said the investigation is ongoing and provided no additional details.
A copy of the search warrant obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows investigators are seeking all physical ballots from 2020, including absentee and in-person ballots. They also sought voter rolls, tabulator tapes and ballot images from the count and recounts.
The move marks the most aggressive federal step yet in a years-long push by Trump and his allies to revisit a race that was recounted multiple times and upheld by state and federal officials, courts and Trump’s own Justice Department.
The raid lands in the middle of a high-stakes race in Georgia, with Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger running for governor against Trump-backed Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones.
Current Republican Gov. Brian Kemp continues to maintain that the 2020 election was not stolen.
Democrats condemned the search, calling it a misuse of federal power to revive debunked claims.
In a statement, Sen Jon Ossoff. D-Ga., wrote: “I suspect today’s raid is a continuation of this sore loser’s crusade, despite repeated audits and independent reviews confirming that Donald Trump was indeed defeated.”
The FBI has not said what comes next, or whether any charges are being considered.
Rubio dismisses war fears, says US has no plans for military action in Venezuela
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is trying to ease fears of a broader U.S. military conflict with Venezuela, even as the Trump administration keeps pressure on Caracas.
Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, Rubio said the United States is not at war with Venezuela and has no plans for further military action following the dramatic January raid that captured President Nicolás Maduro.
Lawmakers from both parties pressed Rubio on why Congress was not briefed before that operation and warned the administration against stretching presidential war powers.
Rubio insisted the raid was a limited law enforcement action and said any future military response would come only if the U.S. faced an imminent threat.
“The president never rules out his options as commander in chief to protect the national interest of the United States. I can tell you right now with full certainty that we are not postured to, nor do we intend or expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela at any time. The only military presence you’ll see in Venezuela is our Marine guards at an embassy. Okay. That is our goal. That is our expectation.”
— Marco Rubio, U.S. secretary of state
Rubio noted that the president still retains the right to act but stated that the current administration’s focus is on maintaining stability, pursuing diplomacy and applying pressure without escalating the situation in Venezuela.
Driver rams Chabad headquarters, NYPD investigating as hate crime
A driver is in custody after the New York Police Department said he repeatedly rammed his car into the doors of the Chabad World Headquarters in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights. Investigators are now probing the incident as a possible hate crime.
Managers evacuated the synagogue as a precaution around 9 p.m. There were no reported injuries.
New York City’s police commissioner says responding officers watched the man crash into the rear door of the Jewish house of worship, put the car in reverse, and slam into the building again.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani arrived at the scene and denounced the attack.
“I am relieved that no one was injured in this horrifying incident. This is deeply alarming, especially given the deep meaning in the history of the institution to so many in New York and around the world.
Any threat to a Jewish institution or place of worship must be taken seriously. Anti-semitism has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable.”
— Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayor
The NYPD bomb squad also responded but found no explosives in the suspect’s vehicle. Police reported that security measures have now been heightened at houses of worship throughout the city.
Tesla to end Model S and X production, shifting focus to humanoid robots
Tesla is scrapping two of its longest-running vehicle models and shifting focus toward robots.
CEO Elon Musk says the company will wind down production of the Model S sedan and Model X SUV as early as next quarter, marking a major pivot from legacy vehicles toward artificial intelligence and robotics.
(Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images)
(John Keeble/Getty Images)
The announcement came during Tesla’s earnings call, underscoring Musk’s push to build a future centered on robotaxis and humanoid robots.
Tesla intends to repurpose space at its Fremont, California, factory to produce its “Optimus” humanoid robots — an ongoing development not yet accessible to consumers.
The move signals a broader strategic shift as the company leans into automation amid declining vehicle revenue and intensifying competition in the EV market.
More from Straight Arrow News:
What are the odds on the Las Vegas economy bouncing back in 2026?
After a troubling 2025, in which unemployment rose as tourism fell, Las Vegas is primed for a comeback in 2026. But workers on the ground remain skeptical.
Tourism data from the holidays shows that Sin City regained some ground at the end of 2025, albeit slowly. While metrics like hotel occupancy and room rates were down year over year, the holiday season’s dip was smaller than the city’s summer slip: In June, strip hotel occupancy fell to 78.7%; by November it had climbed to 83.5% – still below 2024’s November figure of 86.5%, but by a smaller margin than the summer gap.
While year-over-year data for November showed 172,100 fewer tourists, a 5.4% drop in 2025, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), the margin was smaller than this summer, when June figures showed tourism down 11.3% year over year, with 400,000 fewer visitors. Read the full story now>
The post New video shows previous Alex Pretti clash with agents; FBI raids Georgia elections office appeared first on Straight Arrow News.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
