Epstein documents shed new light on ‘manipulator’ Ghislaine Maxwell Accusers’ accounts say Maxwell, convicted in 2021 of sex-trafficking, ‘acted sweet’ but displayed ‘dark side’ The Guardian - US · Jan 31
Will corporate America finally stand up to the Trump administration? The brutal handling of immigration raids and the killing of Alex Pretti have tested the reticence of the corporate class The Guardian - US · Jan 31
Trump has tapped a new Federal Reserve chair. Has he finally found his yes-man? Trump nominated Kevin Warsh, an ex-Fed governor, for the role as the White House continues to attack Jerome Powell The Guardian - US · Jan 31
US government partly shuts down over homeland security funding Democratic senators refuse to vote for bill authorizing continued DHS spending after killings of two US citizens The Guardian - US · Jan 31
From Donald Trump, Elon Musk to Bill Gates - what the latest dump of Epstein files reveals? The US department of justice has made public a substantial cache of documents from the federal investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. US deputy attorney general Todd Blanche confirmed the release exceeds three million pages, representing a significant addition to the public record of the high-profile case. The Times of India · Jan 31
Senate passes compromise spending bill, averting lengthy government shutdown The Senate passed a spending package, averting a government shutdown by funding most agencies until September 30. A two-week Homeland Security funding extension was attached to the deal. The House will consider the package Monday, facing potential challenges from conservative hard-liners and some Democrats wary of the stopgap measure. The Times of India · Jan 31
Senate passes shutdown fix, extends DHS talks The package funds non-DHS programs through Sept. 30 and continues DHS funding at its current level for two weeks. Axios · Jan 31
Democrat Taylor Rehmet wins solidly red Texas Senate seat in stunning special election upset With ballots tallied from all but a handful of voting centers, Rehmet had 57% of the vote, besting the 43% for his GOP opponent, Leigh Wambsganss, who had a massive spending advantage. The Texas Tribune · Jan 30
‘Dear G’: Is Melania Trump mentioned in the Epstein files, and who is ‘G’? Newly released Jeffrey Epstein investigation files reveal alleged email exchanges between Ghislaine Maxwell and Melania Trump from 2002. The correspondence, predating her marriage to Donald Trump, discusses a New York magazine story and travel plans. Neither the Trumps have been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the Epstein case. The Times of India · Jan 30
Atlanta FBI boss reportedly ousted after questioning DoJ’s renewed interest in 2020 election Paul W Brown reportedly voiced concerns about the FBI’s unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in Fulton county The Guardian - US · Jan 30
Trump commerce secretary Howard Lutnick arranged to visit Epstein island, files show Newly released documents reveal Lutnick sent email to ‘Jeff’ and floated plan for ‘Sunday evening for dinner’ The Guardian - US · Jan 30
13-Year-Old Epstein Victim Claims Trump Forced Her Into Acts, New Files Reveal “This is why transparency matters,” a reader wrote. Bored Panda · Jan 30
Scoop: Epstein files include "hung like a horse" message to Clinton email "Sorry to hear that the Belzburg stuff is bad … I could not help myself," Maxwell wrote. Axios · Jan 30
What to know about the federal charges in the protest at a Minnesota church service Seven people associated with a protest that interrupted a worship service at a Minnesota church have been charged with violating two different federal laws that are designed to prevent disruptions to Americans' rights The Independent UK · Jan 30
The Times of India · Jan 30 Trump administration buys $172 million in warehouses for ICE detention expansion The Trump administration is aggressively expanding immigration detention capacity by purchasing warehouses nationwide, despite local protests. Millions are being spent on acquiring empty sites, with plans to convert them into massive jails. Some deals are collapsing due to public outcry and awareness of the intended use, highlighting intense debate over…
The Texas Tribune · Jan 30 Dan Patrick lists property tax cuts, preventing Sharia law among priorities for 2027 session Patrick’s initial five-item to-do list also included assessing risks posed by hostile foreign entities to the grid’s supply chain and preventing fraud in Texas’ health and human services.
The Times of India · Jan 30 Trump calls ABC News ‘fake’ and ‘the worst,’ clashes with reporter when asked about $10 billion lawsuit President Trump labeled ABC News 'fake' and 'the worst' while attacking correspondent Karen Travers during an executive order signing. He refused to answer her question about his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury, which alleges a failure to prevent the leak of his tax records.
Axios · Jan 30 Republican to force vote on expelling Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick from Congress A House Ethics subcommittee report accused Cherfilus McCormick of criminal and House rule violations.
We Got This Covered · Jan 30 As country descends into chaos, JD Vance says he’s here for the ‘coffee,’ insists he’s not Trump’s ‘fat friend’ Now's not the time for "dad jokes."
We Got This Covered · Jan 30 Trump watches video of Alex Pretti days before his death—and his comment about the ICU nurse has people calling it ‘disgusting’ Every time you think it can't get worse...
Reason · Jan 30 My New Lawfare Article on "Minnesota's Compelling Tenth Amendment Case Against Trump's ICE Surge" The article describes the suit, and explains why it deserves to prevail.
The Guardian - US · Jan 30 US Senate approves deal to fund government and discuss ICE restrictions Partial shutdown of government still expected to begin after midnight Friday, lasting at least through weekend
We Got This Covered · Jan 30 ‘I was talking about her, not him’: Trump admits the real reason he hired his Interior Secretary, and it wasn’t his resume That's... one way to vet Cabinet picks.
Axios · Jan 30 "It's going to fail": Jeffries vows to block Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick's expulsion "Any effort to expel her lacks any basis, at this moment, in law, fact or the Constitution."
The Guardian - UK · Jan 30 It is beyond naive for Democrats – and Europe – to think Trump’s retreats are real. He never backs down for long Whether it’s Minneapolis or Greenland, the US president will do just enough to get through a damaging news cycle, then carry on as before, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland