An armed sprint toward the U.S. Capitol. A looming multibillion-dollar deficit in New York City. A federal judge drawing a hard line on immigration detention.
Armed Teen Arrested Near the U.S. Capitol
An 18-year-old Georgia man was arrested Tuesday after running toward the United States Capitol with a loaded shotgun in what authorities describe as a near miss that ended without gunfire or injuries.
Carter Camacho, of Smyrna, exited a white Mercedes SUV near the United States Botanic Garden and sprinted several hundred yards toward the Capitol’s West Front wearing a tactical vest and gloves, according to United States Capitol Police.
Officers moved swiftly and ordered him to drop the weapon. He complied. Inside his vehicle, investigators say they found a Kevlar helmet, a gas mask, and additional ammunition.
The incident occurred outside session hours, and lawmakers were not meeting at the time. Police have not identified a motive, nor confirmed whether members of Congress were the intended target.
Camacho faces multiple charges, including unlawful activities and possession of an unregistered firearm and ammunition.
The timing — just days before the State of the Union — underscores how quickly a situation can escalate in Washington. Since Jan. 6, fencing, surveillance systems, and rapid-response protocols have become standard around the Capitol complex. On Tuesday, those measures appeared to function as designed.
New York City’s $5.4 Billion Question
In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani is confronting a projected $5.4 billion budget deficit — and signaling that property owners could feel the impact if state leaders refuse to act.
Mamdani’s preliminary fiscal year 2027 budget proposes a 9.5% property tax increase, projected to generate $3.7 billion, alongside a $1.2 billion drawdown from city reserves. He describes the tax hike as a “last resort,” arguing that Kathy Hochul and lawmakers in Albany should instead raise taxes on corporations and high-income earners.
“This is a generational fiscal crisis,” Mamdani said, framing the debate not as ideological but structural. He insists that the wealthiest New Yorkers and the most profitable corporations should bear more of the burden before property taxes rise in what he calls a “broken” system.
Albany controls the levers for broader income and corporate tax changes. The city’s most immediate lever is property tax — a politically fraught one in the most expensive city in America.
For now, the mayor is pressing the state. But he has left little doubt that if Albany declines, City Hall may act alone.
Federal Judge Bars ICE From Redetaining “Maryland Man”
A federal judge in Maryland has ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement cannot redetain Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran national whose case has become emblematic of the judiciary constraints on immigration enforcement.
In a Feb. 17 decision, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis concluded that the 90-day statutory detention window has expired and that the government lacks a workable plan to deport him. Without a realistic prospect of removal, continued detention would be unlawful under federal law.
Ábrego García was deported in March 2025 to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center despite a standing 2019 court order barring his removal there due to credible threats of gang violence. Courts later deemed the deportation an administrative error, and he was returned to the United States in June 2025.
The administration states he is validated member of MS-13, citing police field interview notes and gang indicators. Judge Xinis previously wrote that the claims lacked substantiating evidence beyond clothing and informant statements. Ábrego García has no criminal convictions for gang activity but faces separate federal human smuggling charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop.
The ruling does not resolve those charges. It does, however, reinforce judicial constraints on immigration detention when deportation has been blocked — a recurring point of friction between the courts and the executive branch.
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