BREAKING: ProPublica Identifies Agents Who Killed Alex Pretti, Trump to Close Kennedy Center
Feb 1 | Evening Update
by Sharad Swaney, Director of Centered America
Good evening!
This is our last report for today, and before I get into the news, I just want to say thank you. I am genuinely grateful for this community, and for everyone who reads, shares, and keeps up with this relentless news cycle. You all are carrying a lot. You really are warriors.
Even though we consume so much of this online and it can feel routine, this is not easy. It is not normal to constantly witness people being murdered on the street, to see criminal evidence of a mass pedophile ring involving people in positions of power, or to sit with the feeling that the country is constantly moving in a darker direction. That weight adds up, whether we notice it or not.
This may be hard to hear, but at Centered America, we are proud of you. We are proud of this community, and of the fact that we keep paying attention, even when it hurts.
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Here’s your afternoon update:
Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Murder
ProPublica says government records identify Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and CBP officer Raymundo Gutierrez as the two federal agents who murdered Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti, a shooting that left Pretti dead.
Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa
Trump Closing Kennedy Center
Trump announced he will close the Kennedy Center for two years starting July 4th of this year.
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Federal Agents Used Tear Gas on Children at Portland Protest
Federal agents including ICE personnel fired tear gas at demonstrators and a child outside an ICE facility in Portland.
Judge Orders Release of 5-Year-Old and Father
A federal judge ordered the release of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father after the boy’s detention during an immigration sweep drew national outrage. The pair have returned to Minnesota; the judge sharply criticized how the arrest and detention were handled.
Kehlani Calls Out ICE at the GRAMMYs
At the GRAMMY Awards, Kehlani used the platform to criticize ICE, saying artists have power to speak out and implying frustration with agency conduct. Their comments and visible symbols supporting ICE opposition drew attention to enforcement controversies.
FAA Staffing and Shutdown Fallout
The Transportation Department warned that roughly 11,000 FAA employees could be furloughed during a funding lapse, and news coverage of the extended funding crisis has documented large operational strains on aviation.
Separately, the FAA later announced targeted $10,000 awards for a small number of controllers and technicians who had perfect attendance during the shutdown period.
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Thank you for fighting.
Thank you for calling the killers out. I realize this may sound politically incorrect but it was very disheartening to hear that the murders were Latinos. Its all very hard to understand.
Can you imagine the Trump administration’s response if two Latinos killed a white man after disarming him? But since the two Latinos were ICE, it’s perfectly fine and legal.