Today in one sentence: Trump agreed to “look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota” after a Border Patrol agent killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and U.S. citizen; Trump sent border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to oversee ICE operations; Senate Democrats threatened to block the House-passed funding package unless Republicans strip out the Department of Homeland Security bill; the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel said polio, measles, and possibly all shots should be optional; and the American Academy of Pediatrics told parents to ignore the CDC’s revised federal guidance and instead follow its full childhood vaccine schedule.

1/ Trump agreed to “look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota” after a Border Patrol agent killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and U.S. citizen. Early Saturday, DHS claimed agents were on Nicollet Avenue for a “targeted operation” when Pretti “approached” them with a 9mm handgun intending to “massacre law enforcement,” and that he “violently resisted” efforts to disarm him. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed Pretti had been “brandishing” a weapon, while Stephen Miller called Pretti a “domestic terrorist” and an “assassin.” Bystander video, however, shows Pretti holding a phone when agents first confront him. An officer then appears to remove a handgun from Pretti’s waistband area and step away. Less than a second later, an agent fired several rounds. In total, at least 10 shots were fired within five seconds. DHS claimed the Border Patrol agent fired in self-defense, but said investigators are reviewing body camera footage from multiple agents in the fatal shooting. On Sunday, Trump blamed the death on “Democrat run Sanctuary Cities and States” that said they’ve “created dangerous circumstances for EVERYONE involved” by “REFUSING to cooperate with ICE.” But on Monday, Trump said he had “a very good call” with Gov. Tim Walz and that they “seemed to be on a similar wavelength.” Walz’s office called the conversation “productive” and said Trump agreed to speak with DHS about ensuring state investigators can conduct an independent investigation. The White House later said Trump “does not want any Americans to lose their lives in the streets of America,” but press secretary Karoline Leavitt continued to blame Democrats, saying, “This tragedy occurred as a result of a deliberate and hostile resistance by Democrat leaders in Minnesota for weeks.” Pretti’s killing followed the Jan. 7 shooting death of Renée Good, another U.S. citizen in Minneapolis, that federal officials also defended as justified. (New York Times / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Axios / NBC News / CNN / New York Times / CNBC / NBC News / Wall Street Journal / Politico / Washington Post / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / New York Times)

  • U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud blocked the Department of Homeland Security from “destroying or altering” evidence related to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a Customs and Border Protection agent. Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Hennepin County officials, and the state attorney general sued DHS, ICE, CBP and the U.S. Border Patrol after state officials were blocked from participating in the investigation. DHS called accusations it would destroy evidence “ridiculous.” (ABC News / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / The Hill)
  • EARLIER: FBI supervisor Tracee Mergen resigned after being pressured to drop a civil rights investigation into the ICE officer who killed Renee Good. Senior Justice Department officials said there are no plans to investigate whether officer Jonathan Ross used excessive force, and the department instead opened an investigation into Good and her partner. (New York Times)

2/ Trump sent border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to oversee ICE operations, and administration officials said senior Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino was expected to leave Minneapolis. Bovino had become the public face of “Operation Metro Surge,” appearing alongside agents and publicly defending the killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti while asserting without evidence that Pretti intended to “massacre” officers. The Trump administration positioned Homan as the new on-the-ground point person and insisted that Bovino would still lead Border Patrol nationally. Meanwhile, about 140 House Democrats have signed on to articles of impeachment targeting Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. (ABC News / New York Times / Axios / NBC News / CNN / Wall Street Journal / Politico / Axios / Associated Press / Bloomberg / The Hill)

3/ Senate Democrats threatened to block the House-passed funding package unless Republicans strip out the Department of Homeland Security bill. Democrats said they won’t vote to fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection without new guardrails and accountability after Border Patrol agents killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Republicans have, so far, signaled they they’ll move ahead with the full package anyway as the White House said it didn’t want DHS funding separated out. Government funding is set to expire at the end of the week, and Republicans need at least seven Democratic votes to clear the 60-vote threshold in the Senate. (Associated Press / Washington Post / Bloomberg / Politico / CNN / The Hill / Politico)

✏️ Notables.

  1. The CDC’s vaccine advisory panel said polio, measles, and possibly all shots should be optional. Kirk Milhoan argued personal autonomy outweighs preventable deaths. (New York Times)

  2. The American Academy of Pediatrics told parents to ignore the CDC’s revised federal guidance and instead follow its full childhood vaccine schedule. The AAP still recommends immunizations for 18 diseases—adding back shots like flu, Covid-19, and hepatitis A and B. (Wall Street Journal)

  3. Moderna’s won’t fund new late-stage vaccine trials because of U.S. hostility to immunizations. CEO Stéphane Bancel said regulatory delays and narrower U.S. eligibility under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have shrunk the market and undercut returns. (Bloomberg)

  4. Trump threatened 100% tariffs on Canadian imports if Ottawa makes a trade deal with China. The warning comes after Canada announced a new strategic partnership with China. (CNN)

  5. Trump said he will raise tariffs on South Korean autos, pharmaceuticals, and lumber from 15% to 25%. He blamed Seoul’s legislature for not approving a July 30, 2025 trade deal. (CNBC)

The 2026 midterms are in 281 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 1,016 days; and it’s been 39 days since the Trump administration was required by law to release the Epstein files.

Three years ago today: Day 737: "The fight of our lives."
Eight years ago today: Day 372: Confrontation.
Nine years ago today: Day 7: Shut it.