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FBI Agents Association Sounds Alarm Over Potential Mass Firing of New Agents  (Megan Norris, HSToday)
In a strongly-worded letter to federal officials, the association representing over 14,000 active and retired Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents warned that nearly 1,000 FBI Special Agents could face termination due to a new federal workforce directive, potentially creating a devastating blow to national security from which it could take decades to recover.
The controversy stems from a January 20, 2025, memo from the Office of Personnel Management directing federal agencies to evaluate employees on probationary status. For the FBI, this could affect approximately 10% of its Special Agent workforce –agents who have already completed detailed background checks and extensive training that costs around $300,000 per agent, or $300 million total.

Confronting Global Terrorism: A Data-Driven Analysis of Tactics, Weapons, and Trends Using GTTAC  (Mahmut Cengiz, HSToday)
Terrorism has consistently remained a significant concern amidst the many challenges the world faces today. While issues such as illegal migration, border security, illicit trade, human trafficking, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and climate change have dominated the agendas of Western governments, none have managed to overshadow the persistent threat of terrorism. Despite evolving security paradigms that highlight emerging threats, such as China’s military and economic expansion, terrorism continues to be a critical issue in Western countries.

Trump Plans to Use Military Sites Across the Country to Detain Undocumented Immigrants  (Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Hamed Aleaziz, and Eric Schmitt, New York Times)The move would be a drastic escalation by the White House to militarize immigration enforcement.

AP Sues White House Officials Over Denial of Access  (AFP / VOA News)
The move would be a drastic escalation by the White House to militarize immigration enforcement.
The Associated Press filed a lawsuit against three White House officials on Friday after the news agency was barred from some of U.S. President Donald Trump’s events.
The AP, in the suit filed in a federal court in Washington, said the denial of access violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and of the press.
The White House began blocking AP journalists from the Oval Office 10 days ago over the news agency’s refusal to follow Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”