EPSTEIN FILES ACCESS: Lawmakers will gain access to the unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files starting today after rising criticism over information kept under wraps from the disclosures.
Assistant Attorney General Patrick Davis wrote a letter to all members of Congress last week stating that more than 3 million pages of publicly released documents will be made available unredacted in a reading room in the Department of Justice. Lawmakers won't be able to make electronic copies but can take notes.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced late last month what he said would be the final publication of files to comply with the law Congress passed in December requiring their release with limited redactions. But lawmakers and other advocates have questioned what has remained covered up and accused the administration of improperly shielding people's identities.
Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who have led the charge for the files' release, demanded a meeting with Blanche to discuss why the names of some who corresponded with Epstein have remained covered.
How much lawmakers will learn from seeing the unredacted files Monday is unclear, but it could add to calls for greater disclosure.
Meanwhile, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is pressing ahead with its own investigation into Epstein.
Former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are set to testify before the panel later this month after initially rejecting subpoenas they received to appear.
The Epstein files have drawn attention to various public figures including Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the former prince, who have all been forced to respond to the latest revelations of their association with the convicted sex offender.
▪ BBC: Keir Starmer's chief of staff resigns over ambassador appointment.
▪ The Hill: Massie calls for Commerce secretary to resign over Epstein ties.
TRUMP REBUKES HALFTIME PERFORMER: Trump criticized Super Bowl halftime performer Bad Bunny's performance shortly after it ended, calling it "one of the worst."
The selection of Bad Bunny, who is from Puerto Rico, stirred controversy for his criticism of ICE and his music being entirely in Spanish.
"The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn't represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence," Trump said on Truth Social.
"Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World," he continued.
Bad Bunny's performance came just a week after he won multiple Grammys, including for album of the year. He declared "ICE out" from the Grammys stage. His music was the most streamed on Spotify for 2025.
Turning Point USA, the conservative organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk, organized an event headlined by Kid Rock pitched as an alternative to Bad Bunny's show.
▪ The Hill: Five takeaways from Bad Bunny's performance.
TRUMP SLAMS OLYMPIAN: The Super Bowl wasn't the only sporting event the president was dialed into over the weekend. The president went after U.S. skier Hunter Hess on Sunday after the Olympian criticized the political climate at home while in Milan for the Winter Olympics.
Hess said Friday that he has "mixed emotions" about representing the U.S. right now and that he doesn't represent all that's going on in the country even though he's "wearing the flag."
"There's obviously a lot going on that I'm not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren't," he said.
Trump pushed back in a post on Truth Social, calling Hess a "real Loser."
"If that's the case, he shouldn't have tried out for the Team, and it's too bad he's on it. Very hard to root for someone like this," the president said.
Hess wasn't the only one to speak out about the current climate in the U.S., with his teammate Chris Lillis condemning recent immigration enforcement actions from the administration.
▪ ESPN: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni denounces anti-Olympics protesters.
NETANYAHU VISITING: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit Washington, D.C., this week to follow up on the U.S.'s talks with Iran about its nuclear program.
U.S. and Iranian officials met in Oman on Friday to renew talks following the Trump administration's recent buildup of military assets in the region. Trump said the talks were "very good" and signaled more would be coming early this week.
Netanyahu's office said the prime minister believes negotiations must include provisions to limit ballistic missiles and end "support for the Iranian axis." Despite the latest talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated his threat Saturday that Tehran would attack U.S. bases in the region if the U.S. attacks Iran.
Netanyahu's visit will come a week ahead of the first planned meeting of Trump's Board of Peace, which has been established to oversee the next phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the transition of Gaza's government.
More than 20 countries have joined the board, but many of the U.S.'s European allies have declined, citing concerns with the board's charter, which critics say is too broad and could set the board up as a rival to the United Nations. Some countries have said the language of the charter conflicts with their own constitutions.
▪ Reuters: Gulf markets gain over positive U.S.-Iran talks.
▪ Al Jazeera: Hamas leader rejects disarmament.
NEW LEADERSHIP: The Washington Post has a new publisher and CEO after Will Lewis stepped down from his position days after mass layoffs hit hundreds of roles.
Lewis announced his decision in an all-company email on Saturday, saying it was the "right time for me to step aside" and thanking owner Jeff Bezos for his leadership. The paper announced Jeff D'Onofrio, the chief financial officer, will take over as acting publisher and CEO.
The switch comes just days after at least a third of the staff was laid off in massive cuts at the Post, bringing to fruition plans that had long been speculated. The sports and books sections were eliminated entirely, while others like the metro section, which covers local news, were significantly trimmed down.
"During my tenure, difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post so it can for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news to millions of customers each day," Lewis said in the email.
Lewis was first hired by Bezos in 2023 and stood by the owner's controversial changes to the outlet during his tenure. The Post's union said Lewis's exit was "long overdue."
"His legacy will be the attempted destruction of a great American journalism institution. But it's not too late to save The Post. Jeff Bezos must immediately rescind these layoffs or sell the paper to someone willing to invest in its future," the union wrote in a post on the social platform X.
▪ The Hill: Bob Woodward says Post colleagues 'deserved more.'
▪ The Associated Press: The Post's sports section was a gold standard.
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