By MEG KINNARD, GARY FIELDS and CALVIN WOODWARD, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Smithsonian Institution faced a Tuesday deadline to detail its plans for celebrating the country’s 250th birthday, part of President Donald Trump’s sweeping efforts to purge negativity from the stories that Americans are told about their history.

Trump has previously threatened the Smithsonian’s funding if it continues to promote what he considers “divisive narratives.” The institution is a cornerstone of American culture, operating 21 museums and a zoo that are among the most popular tourist destinations in Washington.

By Tuesday, the Smithsonian was supposed to provide lists of all displays, objects, wall text and other material dedicated to this year’s anniversary and other purposes. The intent is to ensure Americans get an upbeat accounting of the country’s history, not one weighted by complexities or shameful episodes of the past.

The ultimatum was laid out in a Dec. 18 letter to Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch III from the White House budget director, Russell Vought, and the domestic policy director, Vince Haley.

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Escalating pressure

“We wish to be assured that none of the leadership of the Smithsonian museums is confused about the fact that the United States has been among the greatest forces for good in the history of the world,” the letter said.

Americans “will have no patience for any museum that is diffident about America’s founding or otherwise uncomfortable conveying a positive view of American history, one which is justifiably proud of our country’s accomplishments and record.”

The Smithsonian is not a federal entity but receives a majority of its money from Congress.

The White House initially asked for all relevant materials in September but said documents turned over by the Smithsonian fell far short of what it requested.

In his March executive order, Trump claimed there had been a “concerted and widespread” effort over the past decade to rewrite American history by replacing “objective facts” with a “distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.”

As part of that, Vice President JD Vance was placed on the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents to oversee efforts to “remove improper ideology” from all areas of the institution.

The Smithsonian and the White House did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday afternoon.

Reshaping America’s story

The prospect of polishing the historical record to satisfy a president is concerning to many who study the past.

“History is about evidence,” said Matthew Delmont, a history professor at Dartmouth College. “It’s about welcoming complexity and nuance. It’s not about crafting a single story that needs to make everyone feel happy.”

Jim McSweeney, a retired archivist from the National Archives, said: “Here’s our history. Here’s our shared experience. We have to learn from it and never go back and try to whitewash or change anything based upon your political leanings.”

In the months leading up to Trump’s order in August for an official review of all Smithsonian exhibits, Trump fired the head archivist of the National Archives and said he was firing the National Portrait Gallery’s director, Kim Sajet, who maintained the backing of the Smithsonian’s governing board, but ultimately resigned.

Already, references to Trump’s two impeachments have been removed from his photo portrait display at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in its “American Presidents” exhibition, though the text was available online.

Museums under scrutiny

Administration officials have couched the accounting as work needed before the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, which the letter calls “a singular opportunity to justify confidence in the operations of America’s leading cultural institutions.”

The Smithsonian review is just one part of Trump’s broadside against a culture he deems too liberal.

Trump fired the board of the Kennedy Center, one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions, handpicking a new one that voted to add his name to the storied complex’s exterior. In the months since, a number of artists have withdrawn from performances at the venue, some citing the name change and Trump’s involvement.

At the White House, Trump designed a partisan and subjective “Presidential Walk of Fame” featuring gilded photographs of himself and predecessors, with plaques on what they did. He excludes Democrat Joe Biden, who is represented instead by an autopen to symbolize what Trump has described as a presidency in absentia.

At the time, the White House said Trump was a primary author of the plaques, which praised him as a historically successful figure and described Biden as the worst president in history and one who brought the U.S. to “the brink of destruction.”

Ramsey County has not reduced or suspended any of its services due to the presence of federal agents in the Twin Cities, but impacts are being felt, officials said at a county board meeting Tuesday.

“However, over the past week, in some areas, federal immigration enforcement has affected our department’s ability to deliver in-person services, on-site services, and impacted residents coming in to get services,” Ramsey County Manager Ling Becker said.

That includes culturally specific events hosted by Parks and Recreation that have been canceled or seen reduced attendance, which will result in revenue reduction for the county, Becker said.

VA office relocated

Another impact is the temporary closure of the St. Paul Veterans Affairs Regional Benefit Office, which is located in the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling. The building, which has been militarized with concrete barriers and chain-link fencing, is currently being used as an ICE field office covering several Midwestern states. It has been the location of protests in recent days.

Staff at the St. Paul VA office are currently available at the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis and virtually, according to the St. Paul Veterans Affairs Regional Benefit Office website.

County staff have also noted increased fear and hesitancy to access services among county residents and impacts on partner organizations, Becker said.

“Call centers and 911 have received an increase in calls of upset community members,” Becker said.

There have been cases of families avoiding going out for basic needs, she said.

“Some have canceled or rescheduled appointments within public health programs such as WIC, family home visiting, family health, early childhood, family education, and we are relying more on virtual services,” she said. “Housing and food security concerns are increasing in our community, especially based on my previous update with folks being more hesitant to apply for SNAP benefits.”

County policy states that immigration enforcement will not be permitted in private county spaces without a valid judicial warrant.

Officials are working closely with the county sheriff’s office and the county attorney’s office to maintain coordinated efforts to support the community, Becker said. County staff also have received ongoing training on what to do if immigration enforcement officers are in county spaces and are provided contact information for legal counsel with the county to assist in interpreting a judicial warrant.

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After selling out his October 2024 stop at the former Xcel Energy Center, country star Cody Johnson will return to the St. Paul venue now known as Grand Casino Arena on Aug. 29.

The on sale date for tickets will be announced at a later date.

A Texas native who began playing music at the age of 12, Johnson rode bulls professionally and worked for a prison before its warden convinced him to pursue music full time.

He went on to self-release six albums, with 2016’s “Gotta Be Me” spinning off a pair of minor radio hits in “With You I Am” and “Wild as You” and reaching No. 2 on the country albums chart.

That was enough to attract the attention of Warner Music Nashville, which has since issued three of his records, including 2023’s “Leather,” which won album of the year at the 58th annual Country Music Association Awards in 2024. A deluxe version of “Leather” has spawned two singles, “I’m Gonna Love You” (a duet with Carrie Underwood) and “The Fall.”

Over the years, Johnson has earned comparisons to George Strait and Willie Nelson. His other hits include “Til You Can’t,” “Human,” “The Painter” and “Dirt Cheap.”

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The whereabouts of four members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe are still unknown five days after they were reportedly detained by ICE agents in Minneapolis, according to tribal and state leaders.

The four men who were detained Jan. 8 were living under a bridge by Little Earth of United Tribes, a Housing and Urban Development-subsidized housing complex in Minneapolis near the intersection of 24th Street and Cedar Avenue South, according to a statement from Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out. A bystander — also a tribe member — was able to get the information that the men are members of the Oglala Sioux, but did not get their names, Star Comes Out said.

The news came just a day after the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer, amid a surge in federal immigration activity in the Twin Cities area that state and city leaders are trying to end with a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security.

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan’s office did not have any updates on the Oglala Sioux men detained by ICE as of 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. Requests for updates from the Department of Homeland Security, Oglala Sioux Tribe leaders, and other state officials were not answered by Tuesday morning.

“Native people have been here since time immemorial — there’s no one that has been a citizen of this country longer than us. The obvious racial profiling happening to our community is disgraceful. My heart breaks to hear about what’s happening and it pisses me off,” said Flanagan, a member of White Earth Nation.

Red Lake Nation descendant Jose Roberto “Beto” Ramirez also was detained by ICE on Thursday, but he was released the same day, according to a report from ICT News. Red Lake Nation did not have any further updates on Ramirez as of Monday.

The Minnesota Native American Caucus — Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton; Rep. Heather Keeler, DFL-Moorhead; and Rep. Liish Kozlowski, DFL-Duluth — condemned the federal agents’ actions against the Native American population in a statement released Sunday.

“Native peoples are Indigenous to this country, existing on this continent for thousands of years before the colonization of this nation — rendering deportation impossible and absurd. Snatching a Native person off the street is not a reckless mistake — it’s a direct assault on Indigenous sovereignty and due process. Native Americans are citizens by law, history, and treaty,” the statement read.

Since 1924, federal law has guaranteed Native American citizenship to Native Americans born in the U.S., and ICE cannot detain or deport them for immigration violations, according to the Native American Rights Fund.

“The detention of Native peoples in Minnesota follows a disturbing nationwide pattern by ICE agents: targeting immigrants and civilians, seizing American Indian persons off the street, ignoring their clear identification as Tribal members, and detaining them by ruthless force,” the Minnesota Native American Causus said, calling on Tribes to establish rapid response policies and protocols regarding ICE activity.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that affected Somalis must leave the U.S. by March 17.

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