President Donald Trump is facing backlash after posting a racist video that depicts former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes.
The minute-long clip includes Trumps repeated, unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. It ends with the heads of the Obamas superimposed on the bodies of apes.
Using apes or monkeys to portray Black people is widely recognized as a racist trope, rooted in centuries-old stereotypes used to dehumanize Black Americans.
After White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially defended the post, it appears the video was deleted by midday Friday. The White House later blamed a "staffer."
A "White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down," the White House said.
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the Senate, said he hoped Trump would delete the post.
Praying it was fake because its the most racist thing Ive seen out of this White House. The president should remove it, Scott said prior to its removal.
The NAACP also condemned the post, which remained on Trump's Truth Social account until Friday morning.
"Trump posting this video especially during Black History Month is a stark reminder of how Trump and his followers truly view people. And well remember that in November," the organization stated.
Leavitt defended Trumps post, calling it an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King. She added: Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.
The video Trump shared appeared to be edited from a longer clip that placed the heads of several Democratic figures on African animals while the 1961 song The Lion Sleeps Tonight played. The portion Trump posted featured only the Obamas.
Is it better to rent or buy? New LendingTree data suggests renting may be the more affordable option.
The median monthly gross rent payment in the U.S. is $1,487, while homeowners pay about 36.9% more on average, according to LendingTree. The typical monthly mortgage payment is $2,035.
LendingTree said the gap between rent and mortgage payments widened by about $500 between 2023 and 2024. While costs vary by area, there isnt a single metro among the nations 100 largest where renting is more expensive than owning.
In Bridgeport, Connecticut, buyers pay about $1,565 more per month than renters. In Phoenix, the difference is just $184.
Although renting generally costs less and avoids the upkeep expenses of homeownership buying has long-term benefits. Putting money toward a mortgage can help build equity, but that depends largely on how long you stay in the home.
The equity you can build in a home you own can provide valuable financing options in the future for things like a home remodel, starting a business or knocking down high-interest debt, said Matt Schulz, LendingTrees chief consumer finance analyst. To reap all of these benefits, you likely need to stay in the home for more than a few years. But it can pay off if thats your plan.
Schulz noted that higher interest rates have discouraged both first-time buyers and current homeowners from purchasing. For those who already own and want to upgrade, many feel locked in to their lower-rate mortgages.
Theyre choosing not to buy a new home because theyre reluctant to trade their current low-rate mortgage for one at todays higher rates, Schulz said. Some people are even becoming resigned to the fact that theyll never be able to own a home. That sort of decision has massive ramifications, not just for individuals but for the economy as a whole. Unfortunately, however, that doesnt seem likely to change anytime soon.
Consumer Reports released its annual list of the top 10 cars for the 2026 model year, with multiple Ford, Toyota and Subaru models making the list.
The list heavily factors a car's safety profile, along with its reliability, when making its recommendations. This year's list is also notable for being the first where all 10 best new cars are either a hybrid, available as one, or are an electric vehicle. But Consumer Reports says that the gas versions of the vehicles on the list are fine, however, hybrid counterparts generally have a lower cost over the long term.
All 10 Top Picks have important things in common: they performed exceptionally well in our comprehensive road tests, they get high marks for safety, reliability, and owner satisfaction, and our team of experts would enthusiastically recommend them to their own friends and family, says Alex Knizek, associate director of auto test development at Consumer Reports. Whether youre looking for the best small SUV, the best full-sized pickup, or something in between, theres a great choice for you on this list.
Here are this year's best cars, according to Consumer Reports:
Best Small Car: Honda Civic
Best Midsized Car: Toyota Camry
Best Subcompact SUV: Subaru Crosstrek
Best Compact SUV: Subaru Forester
Best Midsized SUV: Toyota Grand Highlander
Best Luxury Compact SUV: Lexus NX
Best Small Pickup Truck: Ford Maverick
Best Luxury Midsized SUV: BMW X5
Best Electric Vehicle: Tesla Model Y
Best Full-Sized Pickup Truck: Ford F-150
If you're looking for the safest vehicles, Mazda, Genesis, Acura models have the best safety ratings, Consumer Reports said.
People shouldnt have to pay extra for a safer car. Thats why for a vehicle to be eligible for the highest Safety Verdict score, all trims must be standard equipped with highway-speed AEB, blind spot warning, and rear cross traffic warning, three technologies proven to prevent crashes and injuries, says Emily Thomas, associate director for car safety at Consumer Reports Auto Test Center.
U.S. District Court Judge Fred Biery issued a sharp rebuke of the Trump administrations immigration policies while ordering the release of 5yearold Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, from immigration custody.
Liam was taken from a running car in his driveway on Jan. 20 by ICE agents as he returned home from preschool. The Department of Homeland Security said his father the person immigration officers were seeking had abandoned the boy.
School officials said agents used the child as bait to try to get the family to open the door of their home, and refused to leave the boy with another adult while pursuing his father.
Ramos and his father, who entered the U.S. legally to apply for asylum, were taken to an ICE holding facility in Dilley, Texas. A judge has prohibited ICE from deporting them.
Liams mother said her son appears to be sick from the food at the facility.
"The case has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children," said Biery, who was appointed to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton.
"Civics lesson to the government: Administrative warrants issued by the executive branch to itself do not pass probable cause muster. That is called the fox guarding the henhouse. The Constitution requires an independent judicial officer," he added. "Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency. And the rule of law be damned."
Federal authorities tried to claim that Conejo Arias endangered the child.
"I do a little bit more follow-up research, and what I find is that the 5-year-old was not arrested, that his dad was an illegal alien, and when they went to arrest his illegal alien father, the father ran," Vice President JD Vance said. "Are they supposed to let a 5-year-old child freeze to death?"
A federal judge on Saturday denied Minnesotas emergency request to halt a surge of federal immigration enforcement agents in the Twin Cities region.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez said her ruling does not make a final determination on the states claim that the federal government has overstepped its authority. She also stressed the decision was not a ruling on the legality of specific actions taken by federal agents.
Menendez wrote that granting the injunction would harm the federal governments efforts to enforce federal immigration laws.
The Court must view plaintiffs claims through the lens of the specific legal framework they invoke, and, having done so, finds that plaintiffs have not met their burden, she wrote.
The judge noted Minnesota officials did not explain how to draw a clear line between what is constitutionally permissible and what is not.
State officials alleged the Trump administration targeted Minnesota as political retribution and gave the state unequal treatment, saying other states with larger undocumented populations could see bigger surges in enforcement activity.
But Menendez ruled the state failed to show how the executive branchs discretionary decisions violate the law.
The Los Angeles Police Department said multiple demonstrators were arrested Friday as anti-immigration enforcement rallies took place nationwide.
Police said several violent agitators were taken into custody after officers ordered the crowd to disperse. Some demonstrators threw objects at officers after the orders were issued, according to the LAPD.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed concern that violent protests could lead to an escalation. President Donald Trump had sought to deploy National Guard troops to Los Angeles, but a federal judge blocked the move, ruling he did not have the authority to deploy them domestically without the governors approval.
Peaceful protest is a constitutional right. I urge Angelenos to exercise that right safely and not give this administration an excuse to escalate, Bass said.
The protests came as the 50501 Project urged U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to scale back its operations amid stepped-up enforcement in Minneapolis and other cities. The group called for a nationwide economic boycott Friday, urging people to skip school, work and shopping. A day of protests is planned for Saturday.
Protests were being staged outside of the Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis Friday morning, one of many sites where demonstrators are planning to gather for immigration enforcement activities this weekend.
Federal agents on Friday arrested multiple people who were allegedly involved in anti-ICE protests earlier this month that took place inside a church in Minneapolis.
Organizers of last years No Kings protests are calling for a day of boycotts followed by a day of demonstrations after the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
The 50501 Project is urging U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to scale back its operations amid a surge in immigration enforcement activities in Minneapolis and elsewhere. The group is asking supporters not to conduct business Friday, calling it a day of no school, no work and no shopping.
Several hundred immigration and civil rights advocacy groups are promoting the events.
The economic boycott will be followed by a day of protests on Saturday.
The protests follow a month of unrest in the Twin Cities amid a surge of immigration enforcement activities. Two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were fatally shot by immigration enforcement agents in separate incidents weeks apart.
Longtime journalist Don Lemon was released from custody Friday evening after being arrested and charged with federal civil rights crimes for his coverage of a protest at a church in Minnesota two weeks ago.
Lemon made his first court appearance since being taken into custody "in the middle of the night" by a team of federal agents while he was in Los Angeles to report on the upcoming Grammy Awards.
He was released on a personal recognizance bond. Speaking to the media immediately following his release, Lemon said, "I will not stop now, I will not stop ever.
"I will not be silenced. I look forward to my day court," he added.
Federal prosecutors previously tried to charge Lemon, but a magistrate judge saw no probable cause for an arrest.
Another independent journalist, Georgia Fort, as well as two participants, Trahern Jeen Crews and Jamael Lydell Lundy, were also indicted.
Lemon said he was covering the protest as an independent journalist when demonstrators confronted a pastor at Cities Church in St. Paul, whom they accused of being an immigration enforcement agent. The coverage drew backlash from conservatives, who accused him of participating in the protest.
"Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done, his attorney said. The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable."
Prosecutors previously sought charges against Lemon in connection with the incident, but a magistrate judge rejected the case. Lemon said he believed the ruling would not be the end of the matter.
"I think it's not over because it doesn't matter if there's no law to fit," Lemon told Scripps News' Alisyn Camerota. "They will try to fit or retrofit something or go around a judge and just do it themselves."
Lemon said his reporting of the protest was no different from work he has done throughout his decades-long career with major news organizations.
"I was not a protester. It's very clear about that," Lemon said to Scripps News. "If you look at all the evidence, I'm not a protester."
In his video from inside the church, he repeatedly said, "We're not part of the activists, but we're here just reporting on them." He interviewed the pastor, some of the protesters and churchgoers in the video.
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the arrests on social media.
I dont feel like I have my First Amendment right as a member of the press because now federal agents are at my door arresting me for filming the church protest a few weeks ago, Fort said. She added that her attorney is involved, and she knew she was on a sealed list of defendants prior to her arrest.
Meanwhile, Lemon's attorney criticized the Justice Departments decision to pursue charges against Lemon.
"Instead of investigating federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention and resources to this arrest, and that is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case," Lowell said. "This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand. Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court."
Lowell was referring to Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse killed in Minnesota by immigration enforcement officers on Jan. 24, and Rene Good, who was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on Jan. 7.
A panel of various journalists and other figures went live on Lemon's YouTube following the news of his arrest. According to them, Lemon is being charged with 18 U.S. Code 241, conspiracy against rights, and 18 U.S. Code 248, obstructing any person lawfully exercising at a place of worship.
The White House responded to the news of Lemon's arrest, posting on X, "When life gives you lemons..."
In total, seven people have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 18 protest at the church in St. Paul. The full details of the charges against them are unclear because parts of the case files remain sealed.
Indictment unsealed
Later on Friday, the indictment for Lemon and co-defendants was unsealed, laying out the accusations against them.
The document claims Lemon, Fort, and the co-defendants met at a shopping center for a "pre-op briefing" where they were told the "target of their operation" was Cities Church.
The indictment alleges that the defendants entered the church to "conduct a takeover-style attack" and, as a result, "the pastor and congregation were forced to terminate the Church's worship service, congregants fled the church building out of fear for their safety, other congregants took steps to implement an emergency plan and young children were left to wonder as one child put it if their parents were going to die."
Clips of the protest posted on Lemon's YouTube page at the church show worshipers and protesters inside the sanctuary together.
'Deeply alarmed'
The National Association of Black Journalists condemned the arrest of Lemon, posting a statement that said, "NABJ is outraged and deeply alarmed by the arrest of veteran journalist Don Lemon by federal agents in Los Angeles while he was working, and by the governments escalating effort and actions to criminalize and threaten press freedom under the guise of law enforcement."
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison also said he was "deeply troubled" by the arrests.
"In Minnesota, we do not treat journalists like criminals for doing their jobs," said Ellison in a statement. "The First Amendment is not a luxury in a democracy. It is a necessity. When the federal government arrests reporters for documenting what is happening in our communities, it violates our rights, undermines our trust, and chills the transparency our democracy needs. It sends the message that the powerful may exercise their power in the dark, without scrutiny or accountability."
The National Association of LGTBQ+ Journalists also condemned the arrests, posting a statement that said, "Their arrests should alarm all Americans who believe in the Constitution and a functioning democracy."
Lemon was fired from CNN in 2023, however, the network issued a statement on Friday after his arrest.
"The FBl's arrest of our former CNN colleague Don Lemon raises profoundly concerning questions about press freedom and the First Amendment. The Department of Justice already failed twice to get an arrest warrant for Don and several other journalists in Minnesota, where a chief judge of the Minnesota Federal District Court found there was 'no evidence' that there was any criminal behavior involved in their work. The First Amendment in the United States protects journalists who bear witness to news and events as they unfold, ensuring they can report freely in the public interest, and the DOJ's attempts to violate those rights is unacceptable. We will be following this case closely," CNN said.
On X, former Vice President Kamala Harris said, "The First Amendment is a foundational promise to every American: Each of us has the freedom to speak, to report, and to hold those in power accountable without fear of retribution or retaliation. Today, Donald Trump and his administration are once again trampling on our rights and our freedoms. Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were fulfilling their duty to the American people to report and inform, and they have been arrested for it. Donald Trump continues to consolidate power and show a flagrant disregard for the rule of law. This arrest is another affront to our rights and freedoms and should alarm and enrage us."
President Donald Trump announced early Friday that he intends to nominate Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the Federal Reserve, replacing Jerome Powell. The nomination follows Trumps repeated criticism of Powell for not lowering interest rates as much as the president has wanted.
Warsh previously served on the Federal Reserve Board from 2006 to 2011, a tenure that coincided with the most significant U.S. recession in decades.
"I have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best. On top of everything else, he is 'central casting,' and he will never let you down," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Despite Trumps threats to fire Powell, it appears Powell will remain Fed chair through May 2026. He can remain on the board as a governor until 2028. The presidents authority to remove Federal Reserve members has been questioned after federal courts blocked Trump from removing board member Lisa Cook.
Nomination Already Facing Resistance
Warshs nomination will require a simple majority of the Senate. Republicans hold 53 seats, but some members have signaled they may withhold support.
After the Justice Department opened an investigation into Powell for potential perjury charges, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., accused Trump of undermining the Feds independence.
"If there were any remaining doubt whether advisers within the Trump Administration are actively pushing to end the independence of the Federal Reserve, there should now be none. It is now the independence and credibility of the Department of Justice that are in question," he said. I will oppose the confirmation of any nominee for the Fedincluding the upcoming Fed Chair vacancyuntil this legal matter is fully resolved.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, also said she would not support moving forward with a nomination at this time.
"The stakes are too high to look the other way: if the Federal Reserve loses its independence, the stability of our markets and the broader economy will suffer. My colleague, Senator Tillis, is right in blocking any Federal Reserve nominees until this is resolved," she said.
Role of the Federal Reserve
The Federal Reserves most important function is setting the federal funds rate, which influences the interest rates banks charge each other for overnight loans. This indirectly affects consumer lending rates for mortgages, auto loans and credit cards, as well as borrowing costs for businesses.
Low interest rates generally spur economic growth by making borrowing cheaper. However, Fed policymakers argue that keeping rates too low for too long can fuel inflation.
After U.S. inflation topped 9% in 2022, the Fed raised rates to their highest level in decades. Inflation has since dropped to under 3%, but the higher borrowing costs have made it harder for consumers and businesses to access credit. This trade-off often slows job growth. Powell has said the Feds goal is to balance low inflation with continued job gains.
About Kevin Warsh
Warsh was appointed to the Federal Reserve Board in 2006 by President George W. Bush. During the 2008 global financial crisis, he served as the boards liaison to Wall Street as the Fed implemented emergency liquidity programs to aid banks struggling with subprime mortgage losses.
Before joining the Fed, Warsh was an economic adviser to Bush and executive secretary of the National Economic Council.
More recently, he has served as a distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution and has been an outspoken critic of Powells leadership at the Fed.
We need regime change in the conduct of policy, Warsh said during a July 17, 2025, interview on CNBCs Squawk Box. The credibility deficit lies with the incumbents that are at the Fed, in my view.
He echoed Trump's view that the Federal Reserve was too slow with rolling out interest rate cuts.
Their hesitancy to cut rates, I think, is actually ... quite a mark against them, Warsh told CNBC. The specter of the miss they made on inflation, it has stuck with them. So one of the reasons why the president, I think, is right to be pushing the Fed publicly is we need regime change in the conduct of policy.
Police in Maple Grove took 24 people into custody Monday evening outside a hotel where Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were believed to be staying.
The Maple Grove Police Department said some protesters engaged in unlawful behavior, including damaging property and throwing objects at officers.
Police ordered the crowd to disperse, and those who remained were detained. Police said charges ranged from unlawful assembly to rioting. Officials said they would provide more details on the type of charges at a later time.
Hotels believed to house ICE agents have been frequent targets of protesters, who use whistles and other noisemakers in an effort to disrupt agents sleep.
Video from outside the SpringHill Suites showed dozens of people banging pots and pans, beating drums and using other noisemakers.
Maple Grove police said the department has not been involved in immigration enforcement activities. However, local police agencies have responded to anti-ICE protests.
Mondays protest came amid heightened immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities area. On Saturday, a Customs and Border Protection officer fatally shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old man who had been filming immigration enforcement activities in Minneapolis.
His death sparked additional protests in the region.
A 37-year-old U.S. citizen was fatally shot by a federal agent in Minneapolis on Saturday morning amid heightened tensions between the area's immigrant community and immigration enforcement agents, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said.
The man was identified as Alex Pretti, a local nurse who was on hand to film and protest federal agents' presence in the Twin Cities. He was holding a cellphone, apparently filming law enforcement activity, nearly one mile away from where Renee Good was shot by an immigration enforcement agent earlier this month.
Video footage showed multiple agents wrestling Pretti to the ground before shooting him. Officers are then seen backing away from the man after firing at least one shot.
The Department of Homeland Security said the man approached agents with a firearm with two magazines.
"Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots. Medics on scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject but was pronounced dead at the scene," DHS said. "About 200 rioters arrived at the scene and began to obstruct and assault law enforcement on the scene, crowd control measures were deployed for the safety of the public and law enforcement."
The agency said agents were approaching a man wanted for violent assault when an armed person approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a handgun. DHS said officers attempted to disarm him, and the man resisted.
During a Saturday news conference, Border Patrol official Greg Bovino said the man killed wanted to do "massive damage and massacre law enforcement." Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem gave a similar statement later Saturday.
"When you perpetuate violence against a government because of ideological reasons and for reasons to resist and perpetuate violence, that is the definition of domestic terrorism," she said. "This individual, who came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers, committed an act of domestic terrorism. That's the facts."
O'Hara said the man shot by agents had no prior criminal history outside of traffic violations. He added that the man was licensed to possess a firearm.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey reacted to videos widely circulating on social media. Those videos did not show Pretti holding a weapon before getting tackled by agents.
"I just saw a video of more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents and shooting him to death," he said. "How many more residents, how many more Americans need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end?"
Gov. Tim Walz, who has opposed ICEs presence in Minnesota, condemned the shooting. The incident occurred one day after Vice President JD Vance visited the Twin Cities to express support for ICEs activities.
I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. The president must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota, Walz wrote.
Walz said Saturday afternoon that federal officials could not be trusted to lead the investigation and called on federal officials to cooperate with a state investigation. Walz also activated the Minnesota National Guard to respond to community unrest.
In the moments after the shooting, a large police presence was seen as protesters clashed with officers.
President Donald Trump swatted away calls to end the operation in Minnesota.
"The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Instead, these sanctimonious political fools should be looking for the Billions of Dollars that has been stolen from the people of Minnesota, and the United States of America. LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB! 12,000 Illegal Alien Criminals, many of them violent, have been arrested and taken out of Minnesota. If they were still there, you would see something far worse than you are witnessing today!"
Saturday's incident marks the third involving a federal agent and a member of the community. Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent on Jan. 7 as she attempted to drive away.
One week later, a Venezuelan man was shot in the leg by an immigration officer amid a car chase.
Later Saturday, the NBA announced that the scheduled game between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves would be postponed due to the unrest.
Editor's note: The Associated Press originally reported the victim was a 51-year-old man.
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