The filing window for 2025 federal tax returns opened on Monday January 26, starting a day earlier than last year and extending through the deadline of April 15, 2026.

This year will see new deductions available, including for certain tips and overtime pay and up to $6,000 for seniors over 65 who paid taxes on Social Security payments. These deductions will be managed through a new form called Schedule 1-A.

These changes may result in higher tax refunds for certain filers.

For tax year 2025, the standard deduction has also been adjusted:

$31,500 for married couples filing jointly $15,750 for single filers and married individuals filing separately $23,625 for heads of household

This year the IRS is operating with less budget than expected and "a significantly reduced staff," according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.

RELATED STORY | USPS clarifies postmark rules that could affect ballot and tax deadlines

Filing early in the tax window may see your refund delivered sooner  but it may make sense to wait to file until later in tax season if you're expecting more specialized tax documents like a Schedule K-1 or Form 1099.

Most refunds sent digitally to a bank account will be processed within 21 days, the IRS says. Refunds can be tracked online within a few days of online filing.

Individuals who need an extension on their taxes can request a wider window, through October 15, to file their return. The IRS has a guide for different methods to request extension.

The White House on Monday laid out conditions it says Minnesota and local leaders should comply with for federal officers to be withdrawn from the state, amid growing scrutiny of the administrations expanded immigration enforcement presence.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Customs and Border Protection officers would no longer be needed if state and local officials agree to a series of cooperation measures.

Leavitt said the administration is demanding that Minnesota and local leaders first turn over all undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions who are currently held in state prisons and jails, as well as undocumented immigrants with active warrants and known criminal histories, to federal authorities for deportation.

RELATED STORY | Trump says he had a 'very good call' with Walz amid rising tensions in Minnesota

She said state and local law enforcement should also turn over all undocumented immigrants arrested by local police.

In addition, Leavitt said local police must assist federal law enforcement in locating, apprehending and detaining undocumented immigrants who are wanted for crimes, particularly violent offenses.

Walz previously addressed a similar request from Attorney General Pam Bondi, saying Minnesota is already doing much of what the federal government is requesting.

RELATED STORY | Government shutdown risk grows as DHS funding stalls after fatal Minnesota shooting

During Mondays White House press briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump wants officials to let a full investigation play out before drawing conclusions about the fatal shooting of U.S. citizen Alex Pretti, who was killed by a federal agent Saturday during ongoing immigration enforcement in Minneapolis.

Her remarks marked a more tempered tone from earlier comments by White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who on social media called Pretti a would-be assassin, and by Homeland Security officials, who portrayed Pretti as a violent threat.

The U.S. workweek opened with yet more snow dumping on the Northeast under the tail end of a colossal winter storm that brought lingering misery to parts of the South, where freezing rain left hundreds of thousands shivering without electricity Monday. Authorities reported at least 18 weather-related deaths.

Deep snow over a foot extending in a 1,300-mile swath from Arkansas to New England halted traffic, canceled flights and triggered wide school closures Monday. Up to two feet (60 centimeters) were forecast in some of the harder-hit places.

There were more than 800,000 power outages in the nation on Monday morning, according to poweroutage.com. Most of them were in the South, where weekend blasts of freezing rain caused tree limbs and power lines to snap, inflicting crippling outages on northern Mississippi and parts of Tennessee.

RELATED STORY | FAA says 7 killed, 1 survived jet crash in snow in Bangor, Maine

Utility officials in New Albany, Mississippi, said some homes and businesses could be without electricity for at least a week. In nearby Oxford, where most residents and University of Mississippi students were without power Monday, Mayor Robyn Tannehill said on social media that so many trees, limbs and power lines had fallen that it looks like a tornado went down every street."

Apparently, the new status symbol in this town is having electricity, said Marshall Ramsey, a University of Mississippi journalism professor whose family was running a generator at their Oxford home Monday to power a space heater and keep phones charged.

A pair of burly, falling tree branches damaged real estate agent Tim Phillips' new garage, broke a window and cut off power to his home in Oxford. He said half of his neighbors had homes or vehicles damaged.

Its just one of those things that you try to prepare for, Phillips said, but this one was just unreal.

The U.S. had more than 6,400 flight delays and cancellations nationwide Monday, according to flight tracker flightaware.com.

More light to moderate snow was forecast in New England through Monday evening.

New York City saw its snowiest day in years, with 11 inches falling on Central Park. Main roads throughout the city were largely clear Monday morning, but pedestrians had to plod through snow on some sidewalks and multiple subway lines with above-ground tracks saw delays.

Bitter cold grips much of the nation

Meanwhile, bitter cold followed in the storm's wake. Many communities across the Midwest, South, and Northeast awakened Monday to subzero weather. The entire Lower 48 states were forecast to have their coldest average low temperature of minus 9.8 F since January 2014.

Record warmth in Florida was the only thing keeping that average from going even colder, said former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief scientist Ryan Maue, who calculates national averages based on National Weather Service data.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Finding the sweet spot: HVAC experts reveal optimal winter thermostat settings to save money

From Montana to the Florida Panhandle, the weather service posted cold weather advisories and extreme cold warnings as temperatures in many places dipped to zero and even colder. Wind made conditions even chillier and the overnight cold made roads freeze over anew early Monday in a cruel reprise of the weekend's lousy travel weather.

In the Nashville, Tennessee, area, electricity was back for thousands of homes and businesses Monday while more than 170,000 others awoke bundled up in powerless homes after subfreezing temperatures overnight. Many hotels were sold out overnight to residents escaping dark and frigid homes.

It already was Mississippis worst ice storm since 1994 with its biggest-ever deployment of ice-melting chemicals 200,000 gallons plus salt and sand to treat icy roads, Gov. Tate Reeves said. In Corinth, Mississippi, heavy machinery manufacturer Caterpillar told employees to stay home Monday and Tuesday.

Storm leads to deaths in a number of states

In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at least five people who died were found outside as temperatures plunged Saturday, though the cause of their deaths remained under investigation. Two men died of hypothermia related to the storm in Caddo Parish in Louisiana, according to the state health department.

In Massachusetts, police said a snowplow backed into a couple walking in a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority parking lot in Norwood on Sunday. A 51-year-old woman was killed and her 47-year-old husband was hospitalized.

Three people died in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, on Sunday after shoveling or removing snow during the recent storm, the county coroners office said. They ranged in age from 60 to 84.

Two teenagers died in sledding accidents, a 17-year-old boy in Arkansas, and a 16-year-old girl in Texas, authorities said.

A 28-year-old teacher was found dead and covered in snow after leaving a bar in Emporia, Kansas, as temperatures dipped below zero, Emporia police said in a news release after using bloodhounds to find her body.

A man employed by a snow plow company died Sunday in Dayton, Ohio, after a plow backed over him while clearing a private lot, local police said.

Three weather-related deaths were announced in Tennessee, authorities said. Further details were not immediately available.

Gov. Tim Walz confirmed he received a letter from Attorney General Pam Bondi outlining requests from the federal government to help bring back law and order to Minnesota.

The federal government has sent thousands of officers to Minnesota in what it describes as a crackdown on illegal immigration. Their presence has sparked protests and multiple shootings involving federal agents. Two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed in separate incidents while monitoring federal officers.

RELATED STORY | Minneapolis man shot by Border Patrol remembered as VA nurse, advocate for immigrants

Bondi's letter asks the state to turn over records related to Medicaid and food and nutrition programs so the federal government can investigate fraud. Bondi also said Minnesota must end its sanctuary policies and work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to remove people from the country who are in state prisons or jails. A third request calls for the state to turn over voter rolls so the federal government can confirm that Minnesota is complying with federal election law.

"I think everybody understands what the last request was, totally unrelated to anything in the voter files," Walz said. "Donald Trump telling everybody that the election was rigged."

Walz called the requests unserious, saying the state is already investigating fraud, turns over undocumented immigrants who commit crimes and routinely works with federal officials on immigration enforcement.

In a blunt response, Walz said Bondi should address other issues in her purview.

I would just give her a pro tip to the attorney general There's 2 million documents in the Epstein files we're still waiting on. Go ahead and work on those.

RELATED STORY | Trump says he had a 'very good call' with Walz amid rising tensions in Minnesota

Bondis letter hasnt just drawn attention in Minnesota. Officials in Oregon have also taken note, and its now been referenced in a lawsuit there where state leaders are trying to block the Department of Justices access to their voter rolls. A hearing on that issue is scheduled for Monday afternoon.

A coalition of current and former Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) employees is calling on Congress to freeze funding for federal immigration enforcement operations after what they describe as the "execution" of a Veterans Affairs nurse who was protesting the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.

RELATED STORY | Minneapolis man shot by Border Patrol remembered as VA nurse, advocate for immigrants

In a public letter released Monday, the group Save HHS said its members were deeply shaken by the death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti who was fatally shot on Saturday while being apprehended by federal officers.

The letter accuses the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of creating a growing public health crisis through acts of violence, alleging that DHS agents are "murdering, assaulting, and terrorizing people who call this country home."

The employees urged lawmakers to block this weeks must-pass appropriations bills from funding ICE and CBP unless the agencies:

Immediately halt the invasion of American cities, submit to independent investigations, and adopt new protocols that do not violate the Constitution.

The Senate is expected to vote within days on a package combining funding for DHS, HHS, and other federal agencies. If Congress does not pass the legislation by Jan. 30, many HHS workers could face unpaid furloughs.

RELATED STORY | Government shutdown risk grows as DHS funding stalls after fatal Minnesota shooting

Despite that risk, the letters authors argue ICE and CBP present a greater threat to the health of our nation than the lapse of HHS services, citing widespread fear among immigrant and U.S. citizen communities alike. According to the statement, families are avoiding medical care, skipping school, and going without food out of concern for deportation or assault when immigration authorities are present.

We urge you to act in the best interest of the American people, the letter concludes, noting that it was submitted in our personal capacities, on our personal time, and without the use of government resources, as protected by the First Amendment.

The remains of the final hostage in Gaza have been recovered, Israel's military said Monday, clearing the way for the next phase of the ceasefire that paused the Israel-Hamas war.

The announcement that the remains of Ran Gvili had been found and identified came a day after Israels government said the military was conducting a large-scale operation in a cemetery in northern Gaza to locate them.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it an incredible achievement for Israel and its soldiers, telling Israeli media that I promised we would bring everyone home and we have brought everyone home." He said Gvili, who was killed during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war, was among the first to be taken into Gaza.

RELATED STORY | Netanyahu signs on to Trumps Gaza peace board as some allies decline

The return of all remaining hostages, living or dead, has been a key part of the Gaza ceasefires first phase, and Gvilis family had urged Israels government not to enter the second phase until his remains were recovered and returned.

Netanyahus office said Sunday that Israel would open the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, which Palestinians see as their lifeline to the world, once the search for Gvili was finished. It has been largely shut since May 2024, except for a small period in early 2025.

Israel and Hamas had been under pressure from ceasefire mediators including Washington to move into the second phase of the U.S.-brokered truce, which took effect on Oct. 10.

Israel had repeatedly accused Hamas of dragging its feet in the recovery of the final hostage. Hamas said it had provided all the information it had about Gvilis remains, and accused Israel of obstructing efforts to search for them in areas of Gaza under Israeli military control.

Israels military had said the large-scale operation to locate Gvilis remains was in the area of the Yellow Line that divides the territory.

The Oct. 7, 2023 attack killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer known affectionately as Rani, was killed while fighting Hamas militants.

RELATED STORY | Baby dies of hypothermia in Gaza as winter conditions worsen

Before Gvilis remains were recovered, 20 living hostages and the remains of 27 others had been returned to Israel since the ceasefire, most recently in early December. Israel in exchange has released the bodies of hundreds Palestinians to Gaza.

The next phase of the 20-point ceasefire plan has called for creating an international stabilization force, forming a technocratic Palestinian government and disarming Hamas.

Palestinians killed in Gaza

Israeli forces on Monday fatally shot a man in Gaza Citys Tuffah neighborhood, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the body. The man was close to an area where the military has launched the search operation for Gvili, the hospital said.

Another man was killed in the eastern side of Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, which received his body. The circumstances of his death were not immediately clear.

More than 480 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire since Oct. 10, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts.

Israel's top court considers petition to open Gaza for international journalists

The Foreign Press Association on Monday asked Israels Supreme Court to allow journalists to enter Gaza freely and independently.

The FPA, which represents dozens of global news organizations, has been fighting for more than two years for independent media access to Gaza. Israel has barred reporters from entering Gaza independently since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas, which triggered the war, saying entry could put both journalists and soldiers at risk.

The army has offered journalists brief, occasional visits under strict military supervision.

FPA lawyers told the three judge panel that the restrictions are not justified and that with aid workers moving in and out of Gaza, journalists should be allowed in as well. They also said the tightly controlled embeds with the military are no substitute for independent access. The judges are expected to rule in the coming days.

Questions are mounting about how the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by a federal immigration agent could affect immigration enforcement in Minnesota.

RELATED STORY | Minneapolis man shot by Border Patrol remembered as VA nurse, advocate for immigrants

President Donald Trump said Monday that he spoke with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

It was a very good call, and we actually seemed to be on a similar wavelength, Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Earlier, Trump said he was sending his border czar, Tom Homan, to Minnesota. According to the White House, Homan will lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations on the ground.

Trump said Walz was receptive to the move.

RELATED STORY | Government shutdown risk grows as DHS funding stalls after fatal Minnesota shooting

"He was happy that Tom Homan was going to Minnesota, and so am I! We have had such tremendous SUCCESS in Washington, D.C., Memphis, Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana, and virtually every other place that we have touched and, even in Minnesota, Crime is way down, but both Governor Walz and I want to make it better!" Trump said.

Walz, for his part, also described the call as "productive."

"The President agreed that he would talk to his Department of Homeland Security about ensuring the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is able to conduct an independent investigation, as would ordinarily be the case," the governor's office said. "The President also agreed to look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota and working with the state in a more coordinated fashion on immigration enforcement regarding violent criminals."

Trumps shifting tone in the wake of Prettis death comes as both Democrats and Republicans call for a thorough investigation.

In a Sunday interview with "

The Wall Street Journal

," Trump said his administration was reviewing everything related to the shooting which was recorded by multiple bystanders and appears to contradict initial federal accounts. He also suggested the possibility of pulling federal agents out of Minnesota.

"At some point we will leave," he said. "We've done, they've done a phenomenal job."

The political fallout from Prettis death is expected to ripple through Washington this week. Democrats are threatening to withdraw support for a previously negotiated deal funding the Department of Homeland Security and roughly 75% of the federal government. Current government funding runs out later this week, raising the prospect of a partial shutdown.

The Federal Aviation Administration says seven people were killed and a crew member survived with serious injuries when a private business jet crashed in a snowstorm at Maines Bangor International Airport.

The Bombardier Challenger 600 carrying eight people crashed on takeoff at around 7:45 p.m. Sunday night as New England and much of the country grappled with a massive winter storm. The airport, about 200 miles north of Boston, shut down after the crash. Snowfall was heavy at the time in many other parts of the country, but accumulation had just started in Bangor and other planes had been taking off safely.

The jet was registered to a corporation that shares the same address in Houston, Texas as the personal injury law firm Arnold and Itkin Trial Lawyers, and one of the law firms founding partners is listed as the registered agent for the company that owns the plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. The NTSB said preliminary information shows the plane crashed upon departure and experienced a post-crash fire, but that it would have no further statement until after investigators arrive in a day or two.

RELATED STORY | Ice from winter storm leaves hundreds of thousands of customers without powe

The NTSB said it has no role in the release of information about victims and that such information is handled by local authorities. But airport director Jose Saavedra refused to comment, saying at a news conference Monday that he was awaiting guidance and support from federal partners.

An audio recording of air traffic controllers includes someone saying "Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down, about 45 seconds after a plane was cleared for takeoff. First responders arrived less than a minute later, Saavedra said.

Bangor International Airport offers direct flights to cities like Orlando, Florida, Washington, D.C., and Charlotte, North Carolina, and is located about 200 miles north of Boston. It was closed shortly after the crash and will remain closed until at least noon Wednesday.

The crash happened as New England and much of the country grappled with a massive winter storm. Bangor had undergone steady snowfall Sunday, though planes were landing and departing around the time of the crash, Saavedra said.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Winter weather travel guide: Refunds, rebooking, and survival tips

The National Weather Service in Caribou, Maine, said the airport received nearly 10 inches of snow in total, though the snowfall was just beginning at the time of the crash. About a tenth of an inch of snow fell between midnight and 7 p.m. Sunday, and snowfall was light but steady at the time, the service said.

We have crews on site that respond to weather storms on a regular basis, Saavedra said. This is normal for us to respond to weather events.

Throughout the weekend, the vast storm dumped sleet, freezing rain and snow across much of the eastern half of the U.S., halting much air and road traffic and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the Southeast.

Commercial air traffic was also heavily disrupted around much of the U.S. Some 12,000 flights were canceled Sunday and nearly 20,000 were delayed, according to the flight tracker flightaware.com. Airports in Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, North Carolina, New York and New Jersey were among those impacted.

The Bombardier Challenger 600 is a wide-bodied business jet configured for nine to 11 passengers. It was launched in 1980 as the first private jet with a walk-about cabin and remains a popular charter option, according to aircharterservice.com.

The airport in Bangor is by far the largest city in Maines northern and eastern reaches. Its longstanding joint use agreement with the Maine Air National Guard means runways are ready rain or shine or snow, an airport website says, under the phrase: A Little Snow Doesnt Scare Us.

The officers involved in the shooting of a 37-year-old U.S. citizen in Minneapolis on Saturday remain on the job, according to Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino.

At least one officer is seen on video shooting Alex Pretti during a chaotic altercation amid an immigration enforcement operation. Several other officers are seen striking and trying to restrain Pretti, who was documenting the federal agents actions before the encounter escalated.

RELATED STORY | Videos dispute federal account of fatal shooting of Minneapolis protester

All agents that were involved in that scene are working, not in Minneapolis but in other locations. Thats for their safety," Bovino said on Sunday. "Theres this thing called doxxing. The safety of our employees is very important to us, so were going to keep those employees safe.

Bovino was pressed about the investigation and defended the federal governments account of what happened, even as that narrative appears to be contradicted by videos posted online. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said Pretti came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation.

However, Bovino would not say whether Pretti actually brandished a weapon. Videos show officers disarming him before he was shot.

RELATED STORY | Witness recounts Minnesota shooting; doctor says man was shot in back and chest

"The investigation is going to cover all those facts, things like how many shots were fired, where were the weapons located," Bovino said. "All those facts are going to come out in the investigation."

Prettis family has said he had a license to carry a concealed weapon.

Local officials have sued the federal government and are calling for a full and transparent investigation. A judge has issued an early ruling prohibiting the federal government from destroying or altering evidence related to the shooting.

A massive winter storm dumped sleet, freezing rain and snow across much of the U.S. on Sunday, bringing subzero temperatures and paralyzing air and road traffic. Tree branches and power lines snapped under the weight of ice, and hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the Southeast were left without electricity.

The ice and snowfall were expected to continue into Monday in much of the country, followed by very low temperatures, which could cause dangerous travel and infrastructure impacts to linger for several days, the National Weather Service said.

Heavy snow was forecast from the Ohio Valley to the Northeast, while catastrophic ice accumulation threatened from the Lower Mississippi Valley to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.

It is a unique storm in the sense that it is so widespread, weather service meteorologist Allison Santorelli said in a phone interview. It was affecting areas all the way from New Mexico, Texas, all the way into New England, so were talking like a 2,000-mile spread.

RELATED STORY | More than 10,000 flights canceled as massive winter storm sweeps across US

President Donald Trump has approved emergency declarations for at least a dozen states by Saturday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency pre-positioned commodities, staff and search and rescue teams in numerous states, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state was bracing for the longest cold stretch and highest snow totals it has seen in years. Communities near the Canadian border have already seen record-breaking subzero temperatures, with Watertown registering minus 34 degrees Fahrenheit and Copenhagen minus 49 F, she said.

An Arctic siege has taken over our state, Hochul said. It is brutal, it is bone chilling and it is dangerous.

Effects of the storm

In Corinth, Mississippi, where power outages were widespread, Caterpillar told employees at its remanufacturing site to stay home Monday and Tuesday.

May God have mercy on Corinth, MS! ... The sound of the trees snapping, exploding & falling through the night have been unnerving to say the least, resident Kathy Ragan wrote on Facebook.

In Clarksdale, Mississippi, Sanford Johnsons family still had power Sunday while nearby towns had outages. Enough snow and sleet fell that few motorists were out, he said.

I had to break it to my youngest daughter that the play date she scheduled likely wont happen today. We have no plans on driving, Johnson said.

RELATED STORY | Winter weather travel guide: Refunds, rebooking, and survival tips

On the east side of Nashville, Jami Joe, 41, had power Sunday afternoon but she feared the juice might not last long as ice-heavy limbs from mature oak and pecan trees continued to crash around her house. Its only a matter of time if a limb strikes a power line, she predicted.

In Little Rock, Arkansas, officials say the weight of accumulated snow and sleet likely caused the collapse of an awning onto several houseboats. Six people were rescued and 22 were evacuated, Pulaski County officials said.

Robert Williams, a porter at a residential building in Queens, said the snow plow he was using broke down just as he was beginning to clear the sidewalks early this morning. He and a co-worker have instead had to go out nearly every hour with shovels and salt to clear a path around the building, which takes up the entire block.

No matter the elements, we still have to put on our big boy shoes and come out here and do what we have to do, Williams said.

Storm knocks out power and snarls flights

As of Sunday morning, about 213 million people were under some sort of winter weather warning, Santorelli said. Hundreds of thousands of customers were without power according to poweroutage.us, with Tennessee and Mississippi hit especially hard.

Some 11,500 flights were canceled Sunday and more than 16,000 delayed, according to the flight tracker flightaware.com. Airports in Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, North Carolina, New York and New Jersey were hit especially hard.

Bitter cold makes things worse

Even once the ice and snow stop falling, the danger will continue, Santorelli warned.

Behind the storm its just going to get bitterly cold across basically the entirety of the eastern two-thirds of the nation, east of the Rockies, she said. That means the ice and snow wont melt as fast, which could hinder some efforts to restore power and other infrastructure.

Along the Gulf Coast, temperatures were balmy Sunday, hitting the high 60s and low 70s, but thermometers were expected to drop into the high 20s and low 30s there by Monday morning. The National Weather Service warned of damaging winds and a slight risk of severe storms and possibly even a brief tornado.

In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at least five people who died were found outside as temperatures plunged Saturday before the snows arrived in earnest, though the cause of their deaths remained under investigation.

He pleaded with New Yorkers to stay inside and off roads: We want every single New Yorker to make it through this storm.

Two men died of hypothermia related to the storm in Caddo Parish in Louisiana, according to the state health department.

Across the affected areas, officials announced that school would be canceled or held remotely Monday.

Recovery could take a while

In Oxford, Mississippi, police on Sunday morning used social media to tell residents to stay home as the danger of being outside was too great. Local utility crews were also pulled from their jobs during the overnight hours.

Due to life-threatening conditions, Oxford Utilities has made the difficult decision to pull our crews off the road for the night, the utility company posted on Facebook early Sunday. Trees are actively snapping and falling around our linemen while they are in the bucket trucks."

Tippah Electric Power in Mississippi said there was catastrophic damage and that it could be weeks instead of days to restore everyone.

The Tennessee Valley Authority provides power to some utilities across the region, and spokesperson Scott Brooks said the bulk power system remains stable but overnight icing had caused power interruptions in north Mississippi, north Alabama, southern middle Tennessee and the Knoxville, Tennessee, area.

Icy roads made travel dangerous in north Georgia, where the Cherokee County Sheriffs office posted on Facebook, You know its bad when Waffle House is closed!!! along with a photo of a shuttered restaurant. Whether the chains restaurants are open known as the Waffle House Index has become an informal way to gauge the severity of weather disasters across the South.

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama issued a statement condemning the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, calling it a heartbreaking tragedy and urging greater accountability from federal law enforcement.

Pretti was shot and killed on Saturday by a federal officer amid ongoing immigration protests in Minneapolis.

The Obamas criticized the tactics used by immigration agents and called on federal officials to work with state and local leaders to prevent further violence.

RELATED STORY | Videos dispute federal account of fatal shooting of Minneapolis protester

Read their full statement:

The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault. Federal law enforcement and immigration agents have a tough job. But Americans expect them to carry out their duties in a lawful, accountable way, and to work with, rather than against, state and local officials to ensure public safety. Thats not what were seeing in Minnesota. In fact, were seeing the opposite. For weeks now, people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that seem designed to intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger the residents of a major American city. These unprecedented tactics which even the former top lawyer of the Department of Homeland Security in the first Trump administration has characterized as embarrassing, lawless and cruel have now resulted in the fatal shootings of two U.S citizens. And yet rather than trying to impose some semblance of discipline and accountability over the agents theyve deployed, the President and current administration officials seem eager to escalate the situation, while offering public explanations for the shootings of Mr. Pretti and Renee Good that arent informed by any serious investigation and that appear to be directly contradicted by video evidence. This has to stop. I would hope that after this most recent tragedy, administration officials will reconsider their approach, and start finding ways to work constructively with Governor Walz and Mayor Frey as well as state and local police to avert more chaos and achieve legitimate law enforcement goals. In the meantime, every American should support and draw inspiration from the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country. They are a timely reminder that ultimately its up to each of us as citizens to speak out against injustice, protect our basic freedoms, and hold our government accountable.

Multiple videos circulating online show various different angles of the fatal shooting of a man by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis on Saturday, contradicting claims made by federal officials.

The man was identified as 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a local nurse who was on hand to film and protest a federal immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities. He was holding a cellphone, apparently filming law enforcement activity, nearly one mile away from where Renee Good was fatally shot by an immigration enforcement agent earlier this month.

RELATED STORY | Minneapolis man shot by Border Patrol remembered as VA nurse, advocate for immigrants

Video footage from one bystander showed Pretti standing in the street recording federal officers with a cell phone. One agent can then be seen approaching another person and pushing them down onto the ground. At that point, Pretti jumps between the agent and the protester and is pepper sprayed in the face. Seconds later, several other officers jump in and attempt to apprehend Pretti and a scuffle ensues. Officers are then seen backing away from him after at least one shot was fired.

WARNING | GRAPHIC CONTENT

Bystander video of fatal shooting during federal immigration enforcement protest

Separate video captured by another bystander showed the same struggle ensue before an officer fired what appears to be four shots on Pretti.

Bystander video captures fatal shooting during immigration enforcement protest

The Department of Homeland Security said that Pretti approached agents with a firearm with two magazines and "violently resisted" when officers attempted to disarm him. Pretti's family has said he owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed firearm. However, the footage only shows Pretti holding what appears to be a cell phone in his hand.

In a sworn declaration filed in federal court, a civilian witness described what they said they observed moments before a federal agent shot and killed Pretti. The witness said they never saw him reach for any weapon.

"An agent approached and asked us to back up, so I moved slowly back onto the sidewalk," the witness stated. "The man stayed in the street, filming as the other observers I mentioned earlier were being forced backward by another ICE agent threatening them with pepper spray. The man went closer to support them as they got threatened, just with his camera out. I didn't see him reach for or hold a gun."

The witness said the situation escalated when an ICE agent shoved one of the observers to the ground and repeatedly sprayed people nearby with pepper spray.

"Then the man tried to help up the woman the ICE agent had shoved to the ground. The ICE agents just kept spraying," the witness states. "More agents came over and grabbed the man who was still trying to help the woman get up."

The witness said multiple agents then forced the man to the ground.

"I didn't see him touch any of them he wasn't even turned toward them. It didn't look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up," the witness states. "I didn't see him with a gun. They threw him to the ground. Four or five agents had him on the ground and they just started shooting him. They shot him so many times."

RELATED STORY | Protesters demand immigration agents leave Minneapolis after man is shot and killed during crackdown

A nearby resident who is a licensed pediatrician also submitted a sworn declaration, saying he observed much of the encounter from his apartment and went outside after hearing gunshots to try to render medical aid.

"At first, ICE agents wouldn't let me through. They repeatedly asked for my physician's license, which I obviously didn't have," the doctor states. "But none of the ICE agents who were near the victim were performing CPR, and I could tell that the victim was in critical condition."

The doctor said they were eventually allowed to assess Pretti and observed at least three gunshot wounds on his back. After asking agents to turn him onto his back, he said he saw an additional gunshot wound to the upper left chest and another possible gunshot wound to the neck. The doctor said he did not detect a pulse and began CPR until emergency medical crews arrived and took over.

Relatives of Pretti described him as a dedicated intensive care nurse at the Veterans Administration, who was compassionate for others and deeply upset over the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in his city.

A massive winter storm set the stage for a brutal travel day Sunday, with airlines warning of widespread cancellations and delays at some of the nation's busiest airports.

RELATED STORY | Winter weather travel guide: Refunds, rebooking, and survival tips

Widespread snow, sleet and freezing rain threatened nearly 180 million people more than half the U.S. population in a path stretching from the southern Rocky Mountains to New England, the National Weather Service said Saturday night. After sweeping through the South, forecasters said the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters) of snow from Washington through New York and Boston.

More than 14,100 flights have been canceled across the U.S. since Saturday, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. Over 10,000 of those were scheduled for Sunday.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport warned travelers on its website of widespread flight cancellations. Nearly all of its departing flights scheduled for the day 420 flights, or 99% have been canceled.

WATCH | Millions braced for winter storm forecast to spread across much of the US

Significant disruptions have hit major airport hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, Philadelphia and Atlanta, home to the nations busiest airport, as well as New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport.

American Airlines had canceled over 1,400 flights for Sunday, about 45% of its scheduled flights for Sunday, according to FlightAware. Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines each reported over 1,200 cancellations for the day, while United Airlines had more than 860. JetBlue had more than 570 canceled flights, accounting for roughly 71% of its schedule for the day.

Democrats demanded that federal immigration officers leave Minnesota after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot a man in Minneapolis, drawing hundreds of protesters onto the frigid streets and increasing tensions in a city already shaken by another shooting death weeks earlier.

Family members identified the man who was killed as Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse who protested President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown in his city. After the shooting, an angry crowd gathered and protesters clashed with federal officers, who wielded batons and deployed flash bangs.

RELATED STORY | Federal agent fatally shoots VA nurse in Minneapolis while filming ICE activity

A federal judge has already ruled that officers participating in the federal immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota cant detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who arent obstructing authorities, including when these people are observing the agents.

That decision came in a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Minnesota activists. Minnesota and its two largest cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, have also sued the Trump administration making similar arguments that the federal officers are violating the constitutional rights of Twin Cities residents.

The Minnesota National Guard was assisting local police at the direction of Gov. Tim Walz, officials said. Guard troops were sent to both the shooting site and a federal building where officers have squared off with demonstrators daily.

Information about what led up to the shooting was limited, Police Chief Brian OHara said.

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that federal officers were conducting an operation and fired defensive shots after a man with a handgun approached them and violently resisted when they tried to disarm him.

In bystander videos of the shooting that emerged soon after, Pretti is seen with a phone in his hand but none appears to show him with a visible weapon.

O'Hara said police believe he was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Hundreds of Minnesota businesses close as antiICE protests sweep Twin Cities

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said during a news conference that Pretti had shown up to impede a law enforcement operation. She questioned why he was armed but did not offer details about whether Pretti drew the weapon or brandished it at officers.

The officer who shot him is an eight-year Border Patrol veteran, federal officials said.

Trump blames Democrats

The president weighed in on social media by lashing out at Walz and the Minneapolis mayor.

He shared images of the gun that immigration officials said was recovered and said: What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why werent they allowed to protect ICE Officers?

Trump, a Republican, said the Democratic governor and mayor are are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York was among several Democratic lawmakers demanding federal immigration authorities leave Minnesota. She also urged Democrats to refuse to vote to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying via social media: We have a responsibility to protect Americans from tyranny.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer later said that Democrats will not vote for a spending package that includes money for DHS, which oversees ICE. Schumers statement increases the possibility that the government could partially shut down Jan. 30 when funding runs out.

Pretti was shot just over a mile from where an ICE officer killed 37-year-old Renee Good on Jan. 7, sparking widespread protests.

Pretti's family released a statement Saturday evening saying they are heartbroken but also very angry and calling him a kindhearted soul who wanted to make a difference in the world through his work as a nurse.

The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trumps murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed," the family statement said. Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.

Video shows officers, man who was shot

In a bystander video obtained by The Associated Press, protesters are heard blowing whistles and shouting profanities at federal officers on Nicollet Avenue.

An officer shoves a person who is wearing a brown jacket, skirt and black tights and carrying a water bottle. That person reaches out for a man, and the two link up, embracing. The man, wearing a brown jacket and black hat, seems to be holding his phone up toward the officer.

The same officer shoves the man in his chest and the two, still embracing, fall back.

RELATED STORY | Do ICE agents truly have absolute immunity?

The video shifts to a different part of the street and then comes back to the two individuals unlinking from each other. It shifts focus again and then shows three officers surrounding the man.

Soon at least seven officers surround him. One is on his back, and another who appears to have a canister in his hand strikes a blow to his chest. Several officers try to bring the mans arms behind his back as he appears to resist. As they pull his arms, his face is briefly visible. The officer with the canister strikes him near his head several times.

A shot rings out, but with officers surrounding the man, its not clear where it came from. Multiple officers back off. More shots are heard. Officers back away, and the man lies motionless on the street.

The police chief appealed for calm, both from the public and from federal law enforcement.

Our demand today is for those federal agencies that are operating in our city to do so with the same discipline, humanity and integrity that effective law enforcement in this country demands, the chief said. We urge everyone to remain peaceful."

Gregory Bovino of U.S. Border Patrol, who has commanded the administrations big-city immigration campaign, said the officer who shot the man had extensive training as a range safety officer and in using less-lethal force.

This is only the latest attack on law enforcement. Across the country, the men and women of DHS have been attacked, shot at, he said.

Walz said he had no confidence in federal officials and the state would lead the investigation into the shooting.

But Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said during a news conference that federal officers blocked his agency from the scene even after it obtained a signed judicial warrant.

Protests continue

Demonstrations broke out in several cities across the country including New York, Washington and Los Angeles.

In Minneapolis, protesters converged at the scene of the shooting in Minneapolis despite dangerously cold weather by the afternoon the worst of an extreme cold wave was over, but the temperature was still -6 degrees (-21 Celsius).

An angry crowd gathered after the shooting and screamed profanities at federal officers, calling them cowards and telling them to go home. One officer responded mockingly as he walked away, telling them: Boo hoo. Agents elsewhere shoved a yelling protester into a car. Protesters dragged garbage dumpsters from alleyways to block streets, and people chanted ICE out now and Observing ICE is not a crime.

As dark fell hundreds of people mourned quietly by a growing memorial at the site of the shooting. Some carried signs saying Justice for Alex Pretti. Others chanted Pretti's and Good's names. A doughnut shop and a clothing store nearby stayed open, offering protesters a warm place as well as water, coffee and snacks.

Caleb Spike said he came from a nearby suburb to show his support and his frustration. It feels like every day something crazier happens, he said. Whats happening in our community is wrong, its sickening, its disgusting.

A witness and a pediatrician are contradicting claims made by federal officials following the fatal shooting of a man by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis on Saturday.

In a sworn declaration filed in federal court, a civilian witness described what they said they observed moments before a federal agent shot and killed the man, later identified as 37-year-old U.S. citizen Alex Pretti.

RELATED STORY | Minneapolis man shot by Border Patrol remembered as VA nurse, advocate for immigrants

The shooting occurred amid Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale federal immigration enforcement effort in Minnesota.

"An agent approached and asked us to back up, so I moved slowly back onto the sidewalk," the witness stated. "The man stayed in the street, filming as the other observers I mentioned earlier were being forced backward by another ICE agent threatening them with pepper spray. The man went closer to support them as they got threatened, just with his camera out. I didn't see him reach for or hold a gun."

The witness said the situation escalated when an ICE agent shoved one of the observers to the ground and repeatedly sprayed people nearby with pepper spray.

"Then the man tried to help up the woman the ICE agent had shoved to the ground. The ICE agents just kept spraying," the witness states. "More agents came over and grabbed the man who was still trying to help the woman get up."

The witness said multiple agents then forced the man to the ground.

"I didn't see him touch any of them he wasn't even turned toward them. It didn't look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up," the witness states. "I didn't see him with a gun. They threw him to the ground. Four or five agents had him on the ground and they just started shooting him. They shot him so many times."

The witness goes on to say that they now fear for their own safety.

"I feel afraid. Only hours have passed since they shot a man right in front me and I don't feel like I can go home because I heard agents were looking for me," the witness states. "I don't know what the agents will do when they find me. I do know that they're not telling the truth about what happened."

A nearby resident who is a licensed pediatrician also submitted a sworn declaration, saying he observed much of the encounter from his apartment and went outside after hearing gunshots to try to render medical aid.

"At first, ICE agents wouldn't let me through. They repeatedly asked for my physician's license, which I obviously didn't have," the doctor states. "But none of the ICE agents who were near the victim were performing CPR, and I could tell that the victim was in critical condition."

RELATED STORY | Government shutdown risk grows as DHS funding stalls after fatal Minnesota shooting

The doctor said an agent eventually allowed him to assess the man, who was lying on his side and surrounded by federal officers.

"I was confused as to why the victim was on his side, because that is not standard practice when a victim has been shot," the doctor states. "Checking for a pulse and administering CPR is standard practice. Instead of doing either of those things, the ICE agents appeared to be counting his bullet wounds."

The doctor said he observed at least three gunshot wounds to the mans back. After asking agents to turn him onto his back, he said he saw an additional gunshot wound to the upper left chest and another possible gunshot wound to the neck.

The doctor said he did not detect a pulse and began CPR until emergency medical crews arrived and took over.

The Department of Homeland Security has defended the officers involved.

"The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted," DHS said in a statement.

The statement goes on to say, "Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots."

Videos circulating online appear to contradict the agencys account, showing the man on the ground as agents surround him. At least one video appears to show an officer removing a firearm from the man before another officer fires.

Pretti's family has said he owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed firearm.

Family members say the man killed by a federal officer in Minneapolis on Saturday was an intensive care nurse at the Veterans Administration who cared deeply about people and was upset by President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown in his city.

Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, was an avid outdoorsman who loved getting in adventures with Joule, his beloved Catahoula Leopard dog who also recently died. He had participated in protests following the killing of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer earlier this month.

He cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset, said Michael Pretti, Alexs father. He felt that doing the protesting was a way to express that, you know, his care for others.

RELATED STORY | Federal agent fatally shot man in Minneapolis amid immigration tensions

Pretti was a U.S. citizen, born in Illinois. Like Good, court records showed he had no criminal record and his family said he had never had any interactions with law enforcement beyond a couple of traffic tickets.

In a recent conversation with their son, his parents, who live in Wisconsin, told him to be careful when protesting.

We had this discussion with him two weeks ago or so, you know, that go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid, basically, Michael Pretti said. And he said he knows that. He knew that.

The Department of Homeland Security said that the man was shot after he approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Officials did not specify if Pretti brandished the gun, and it is not visible in bystander video of the shooting obtained by The Associated Press.

Family members said Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Minnesota. They said they had never known him to carry it.

The family first learned of the shooting when they were called by an Associated Press reporter. They watched the video and said the man killed appeared to be their son. They then tried reaching out to officials in Minnesota.

I cant get any information from anybody, Michael Pretti said Saturday. The police, they said call Border Patrol, Border Patrols closed, the hospitals wont answer any questions?

Eventually, the family called the Hennepin County Medical Examiner, who they said confirmed had a body matching the name and description of their son.

The U.S. military said Friday that it has carried out a deadly strike on a vessel accused of trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the first known attack since the raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro earlier this month.

U.S. Southern Command said on social media that the boat was engaged in narco-trafficking operations and that the strike killed two people and left one survivor. It said it notified the Coast Guard to launch search and rescue operations for that person.

A video accompanying the post announcing the latest strike shows a boat moving through the water before exploding in flames. The U.S. military has focused lately on seizing sanctioned oil tankers with connections to Venezuela since the Trump administration launched an audacious raid to capture Maduro and bring him to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

With the latest military action, there have been 36 known strikes against alleged drug smuggling boats in South American waters since early September that killed at least 117 people, according to announcements from the U.S. military and Trump. The majority of those of strikes have occurred in the Caribbean Sea.

The last reported boat strikes occurred in late December, when the military said it struck five alleged drug-smuggling boats over two days, killing a total of eight people while others jumped overboard. Days later, the Coast Guard suspended its search.

The U.S. conducted a large-scale operation in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, on Jan. 3 that led to the capture of Maduro and his wife, who were then flown to New York to face federal drug trafficking charges.

RELATED NEWS | Democrats slam Trump for not notifying Congress before Maduro raid

Maduro, before his capture, said the U.S. military operations were a thinly veiled effort to oust him from power.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the U.S. strikes targeting alleged smugglers are having an enormous impact on slowing drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

Weve stopped virtually stopped almost 100% of all drugs coming in by water, Trump said in remarks on Thursday at the World Economic Forum at Davos.

A massive pipe that moves millions of gallons of sewage has ruptured and sent wastewater flowing into the Potomac River northwest of Washington D.C., polluting it ahead of a major winter storm that has repair crews scrambling.

DC Water, which operates the sewer system, is hooking up pumps to divert sewage around the rupture and allow crews to make repairs. The rupture happened late Monday and they are cautioning people to stay out of the area.

The spill was caused by a 72-inch (183 centimeters) sewer pipe that collapsed, shooting sewage up out of the ground and flowing into the river. The sewer system is capable of handling 60 million gallons (230 million liters) of water each day, enough to fill about 90 Olympic-size swimming pools.

"Oh my god, the smell is horrific," said Dean Naujoks, the Potomac Riverkeeper and part of an environmental nonprofit. "It's such high concentrations of sewage that just grabbing a sample is a public health risk."

DC Water cautioned people to wash their skin if it was exposed.

The spill occurred in Montgomery County, Maryland, along Clara Barton Parkway, which hugs the northern edge of the Potomac River near the C & O Canal National Historic Park.

Crews are removing lock gates on the C & O Canal. Pumps will be installed upstream to move sewage into the canal and then rerouted downstream of the rupture back into the sewer system, according to DC Water.

The spill does not impact drinking water, which is a separate system, DC Water said. Crews are expected to work through the weekend even with the forecast of bad winter storms.

Naujoks said the spill is happening at time when the river is low. He went out to look at it Wednesday and was "kind of stunned."

"Sewage is just bubbling up like a small geyser, maybe two, three feet into the air," he said. "Sewage water is running in every direction."

The District of Columbia Health Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, including whether they are testing the river's water.

Nationally, hundreds of billions in infrastructure investment is needed over the next two decades for clean water problems like aging sewer pipes. In other places where sewer breaks are persistent, it can lead to backups into homes and regular flooding.

A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump's administration must keep federal funds flowing to child care subsidies and other social service programs in five Democratic-controlled states at least for now.

The ruling Friday from U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick extends by two weeks a temporary one issued earlier this month that blocked the federal government from holding back the money from California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York. That expires Friday.

The judge said he'd decide later whether the money is to remain in place while a challenge to cutting it off works its way through the courts.

RELATED STORY | 5 states sue Trump over freeze on aid for low-income families

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said earlier this month that it was pausing the funding because it had "reason to believe" the states were granting benefits to people in the country illegally, though it did not provide evidence or explain why it was targeting those states and not others.

The states say the move was instead intended to damage Trump's political adversaries.

A judge previously gave the states a reprieve to the administration's plan to halt funding for the states unless they provide information on the beneficiaries of some programs, including names and Social Security numbers. The temporary restraining order was set to expire Friday.

Around the same time as the actions aimed at the five states, the administration put up hurdles to Minnesota for even more federal dollars. It also began requesting all states to explain how they're using money in the child care program.

The programs are intended to help low-income families

The programs are the Child Care and Development Fund, which subsidizes child care for 1.3 million children from low-income families nationwide; the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides cash assistance and job training; and the Social Services Block Grant, a smaller fund that provides money for a variety of programs. The states say that they receive a total of more more than $10 billion a year from those programs and that the programs are essential for low-income and vulnerable families.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sent letters to the states on Jan. 5 and 6 telling them they would be placed on "restricted drawdown" of program money until the states provided more information.

For TANF and the Social Service Block Grant, the request required the states to submit the data, including personal information of recipients beginning in 2022, with a deadline of Jan. 20.

RELATED STORY | Trump administration says it's freezing child care funds to Minnesota after series of fraud schemes

States call the action 'unlawful many times over'

In court papers last week, the states say what they describe as a funding freeze does not follow the law.

They say Congress created laws about how the administration can identify noncompliance or fraud by recipients of the money and that the federal government hasn't used that process.

They also say it's improper to freeze funding broadly because of potential fraud and that producing the data the government called for is an "impossible demand on an impossible timeline."

The administration says it's not a freeze

In a court filing this week, the administration objected to the states describing the action as a "funding freeze," even though the headline on the Department of Health and Human Services announcement was: "HHS Freezes Child Care and Family Assistance Grants in Five States for Fraud Concerns."

Federal government lawyers said the states could get the money going forward if they provide the requested information and the federal government finds them to be in compliance with anti-fraud measures.

The administration also notes that it has continued to provide funding to the states, not pointing out that a court ordered it to do so.