Judge grants order barring feds from altering or destroying evidence in Pretti shooting; MPR, January 25, 2026

Andrew Krueger , MPR; Judge grants order barring feds from altering or destroying evidence in Pretti shooting

[Kip Currier: Consider the current state of public trust that has resulted in a Temporary Restraining Order (T.R.O.) needing to be sought by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which was then approved by federal Judge Eric Tostrud, because of concerns that the Trump 2.0 administration will potentially cover up and/or obstruct a fulsome, fair, and transparent investigation into the killing of ICU nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti by a federal agent in Minneapolis on January 24.]

[Excerpt]

"A federal judge has granted a temporary restraining order barring federal officials from destroying or altering evidence related to Saturday’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a federal agent in Minneapolis.

That’s in response to a lawsuit filed Saturday night by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. 

Judge Eric Tostrud’s order bars the federal government from “destroying or altering evidence related to the fatal shooting involving federal officers that took place in or around 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, 2026, including but not limited to evidence that defendants and those working on their behalf removed from the scene and/or evidence that defendants have taken into their exclusive custody.”

The lawsuit was filed after the BCA said it was blocked from accessing the shooting scene on Saturday to collect evidence, despite having a search warrant giving them authority to do so."

Ranking Member Shaheen, Senators Tillis, Rosen, Barrasso, Coons, King, Moran, Merkley, Van Hollen Statement on Russia’s Christmas Bombing of Ukraine; Foreign Relations Committee, December 25, 2025

Foreign Relations Committee ; Ranking Member Shaheen, Senators Tillis, Rosen, Barrasso, Coons, King, Moran, Merkley, Van Hollen Statement on Russia’s Christmas Bombing of Ukraine

[Kip Currier: Note the silence of the Trump administration regarding Vladimir Putin's brutal Christmas Day attacks on the Ukrainian people. (See here and here and here.)

In the wake of such unrestrained cruelty, it is at least encouraging to see bipartisan condemnation of Putin's brutality by the U.S. Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, as well as the Senators' unfiltered assessment of the Russian leader:

Putin is a ruthless murderer who has no interest in peace and cannot be trusted.

https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/dem/release/ranking-member-shaheen-senators-tillis-rosen-barrasso-coons-king-moran-merkley-van-hollen-statement-on-russias-christmas-bombing-of-ukraine]

[Excerpt]

"“We condemn Russia’s brutal attacks on Kherson, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Donetsk and Kryvyi Rih waged on innocent Ukrainians as they convened to mark the birth of the Prince of Peace with their loved ones and in prayer.

“It bears repeating that President Zelenskyy agreed to a Christmas truce, but Putin declined, yet he directs soldiers to continue to commit brutal crimes of aggression on one of Christianity’s holiest days.

“Even for countries at war, there is a long history of Christmas ceasefires, including notably during World War I. Today’s decision by Putin to launch attacks rather than hold fire is a sobering reminder for us all: Putin is a ruthless murderer who has no interest in peace and cannot be trusted.

“We stand with the people of Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Kherson and Donetsk marking the birth of Christ under the most challenging of circumstances. Ukrainians’ faith is a stronger force than the evil unleashed today by the Kremlin.”"

‘Facebook Cannot Be Trusted to Regulate Itself’; The New York Times, November 15, 2018

The Editorial Board. The editorial board represents the opinions of the board, its editor and the publisher. It is separate from the newsroom and the Op-Ed section., The New York Times;

‘Facebook Cannot Be Trusted to Regulate Itself’

"Real accountability is not forthcoming. Even in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, there was no shake-up in the upper echelons of the company — the most high-profile departure was that of Alex Stamos, the chief security officer who — according to The Times — independently chose to investigate Russian operations on the platform, and clashed with top brass as a result. As for Mr. Zuckerberg, he is unlikely to be ousted as CEO — he is both the majority shareholder and the chairman of the board. As a result, meaningful corporate oversight does not exist at the company.

Meaningful oversight of the tech industry from the executive branch is equally absent.

That’s why the incoming House, newly in Democratic hands, should make serious oversight a priority. If the House is looking to set the agenda for the next two years, Facebook should be near the top. What ambiguities remain about what Facebook knew and when are prime subjects for hearings."