Friday, January 30 | By Cate Martel |
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Happy Friday! This has been quite the news dump Friday. There's so much going on. Let's get into it… |
DOJ releases millions more Epstein files Congress barrels toward midnight funding deadline - Graham holds up Senate funding package
White House touts Don Lemon arrest - Trump's big Fed chair announcement
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Millions of Epstein files were just released: | The Associated Press | Alex Brandon |
The Department of Justice (DOJ) just released a new batch of more than 3 million documents from the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Is this the complete collection?: It appears that way. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters that today "marks the end" of the review of the documents required to be released by law. What's in this trove?: Blanche says it includes roughly 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. Blanche says he expects this will not put an end to the speculation: "There's this built-in assumption that somehow there's this hidden tranche of information of men that we know about, that we're covering up, or that we're choosing not to prosecute. That is not the case. I don't know whether there are men out there that abuse these women. If we learn about information and evidence that allows us to prosecute them, you better believe we will," he said. Tidbit: The New York Times's Glenn Thrush pointed out that it's notable that Blanche was the one answering questions about the file release, not Attorney General Pam Bondi. "The White House has long been frustrated by her missteps, and has increasingly put forward Blanche, Bondi's top deputy, as the Justice Department's main conduit for public information about the files," Thrush wrote. Journalists are pouring over the documents as we speak. 💬 Follow today's live blog for the revelations from the new batch of documents. |
Don Lemon arrested by federal authorities: |
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has been arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles, his attorney says. Lemon was arrested in connection to a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minn., earlier this month where demonstrators believed a pastor was a member of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The former CNN host and frequent Trump critic, who now operates his own media company, entered the church alongside protesters but argued he was there to cover the demonstration as a journalist. He was reportedly charged with violating federal law by protesting in a house of worship. The Trump administration tried to charge eight people for the incident, including Lemon. A judge reviewed the evidence and allowed charges to proceed against just three of the eight. Lemon's charges were not approved. Read more from The New York Times Bondi posted this morning that she directed federal agents to arrest Lemon and several others early Friday morning in connection with what she called a "coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota." Why was Lemon arrested in Los Angeles?: Lemon's lawyer says he was in California covering the Grammy awards when he was arrested. Reaction from his former employer: CNN's communications team put out a statement, arguing Lemon's arrest "raises profoundly concerning questions about press freedom and the First Amendment." 🔎 Read the full statement The White House also touted the arrest. See the post |
The Senate is back in session today after working late into the night Thursday to avert a government shutdown. Lawmakers are racing to advance a deal to avert a shutdown at midnight tonight after a delay yesterday. What's the holdup?: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) objected to quick passage of the deal struck between Senate leaders and President Trump earlier Thursday. The upper chamber can fast-track the funding vote, but that requires all 100 senators to agree. What's Graham's objection?: The South Carolina Republican insists Congress not repeal a provision allowing senators to sue if their phone records were collected as part of former special counsel Jack Smith's probe. (This was controversial when it was passed in the bill that ended the 43-day shutdown last fall.) Graham can't block the Senate from passing the package, but he can slow things down. Read more on Graham's objection What exactly is the deal?: It would fund all remaining government agencies except the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It would fund DHS for two weeks while reforms and guardrails are negotiated; Republicans wanted to fund DHS for six weeks, but Democrats won that negotiation. Read more on the deal Does the government *have* to shut down at midnight? Senate Republican Leader John Thune (S.D.) suggested that if the House is poised to act when it returns Monday, it could technically stay open throughout the weekend. But Bloomberg's Eric Wasson reports that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) now says it *will* initiate the shutdown after midnight. So, yes, a shutdown is now inevitable. The funding package includes funding for TSA and the FAA — will travel be impacted?: If the government is only shut down for the weekend, travel should not be affected. But if it drags on, yes, it could impact travel. |
Trump announced his nomination for the next chair of the Federal Reserve: Kevin Warsh. If confirmed, he will succeed current Chair Jerome Powell, whose term ends in mid-May. Trump posted on Truth Social: "I have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best. … On top of everything else, he is 'central casting,' and he will never let you down. Congratulations Kevin!" 🔎 Read Trump's full post What to know about Warsh: "Warsh, a former Morgan Stanley banker and economic adviser to former President George W. Bush, had long been considered one of the frontrunners for the president's nomination. He served on the Fed board from 2006-11, was the youngest governor in the bank's history and served as its liaison to Wall Street during the 2007-08 financial crisis." (The Hill) Read more: 'Who is Kevin Warsh, Trump's pick for Fed chair?' Will he have an easy time getting confirmed?: No, he may have a tricky time. Two Republican senators have already vowed to oppose any Fed nominee while the Justice Department conducts a criminal investigation into the Fed and Powell. What about Kevin Hassett?: The National Economic Council director and cable news regular was in the running for the Fed role with other finalists, but Trump said today he didn't want to remove Hassett from his current position. So, he went with a different Kevin.😉 Related read, via The Wall Street Journal: 'Kevin Warsh, a Fed Critic, Is Now Poised to Lead It' |
— Trump said that Alex Pretti's stock had "gone way down" since new video appeared to show an earlier altercation between the 37-year-old protester and federal officers. Trump called Pretti, an ICU nurse in Minneapolis who was fatally shot by federal officers last weekend, an "agitator, and perhaps, insurrectionist." — Activists have organized today as a "National Shutdown," encouraging people not to shop today in a coordinated effort to "stop funding ICE." — Trump threatened airplane tariffs against Canada after the country stripped certification of a U.S. jet manufacturer. |
The New York Times: F.B.I. Search in Georgia Shows Trump's Willingness to Pursue 2020 Grievances The Wall Street Journal: Meta Has Been Spending Like Crazy on AI. It's Actually Paying Off. Politico: ICE has expanded its mass surveillance efforts. Online activists are fighting back. |
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The House is out. The Senate is in. President Trump is at the White House. (All times EST) |
2 p.m. Trump participates in a policy meeting in the Oval Office. 7 p.m. Saturday: Trump attends the Alfalfa Club Dinner in Washington. Saturday night: Trump flies to Palm Beach, Fla. |
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🥐 Celebrate: Today is National Croissant Day! |
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