Clintons Face Epstein Questions
The House Oversight Committee’s inquiry into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislane Maxwell moves today to New York’s Hudson Valley.
The panel is investigating what role the disgraced financier’s broad network of connections may have played in facilitating his enterprise or delaying criminal prosecution. Photos from the early 2000s — years before his sex-crime conviction — show Epstein with former President Bill Clinton.
Hillary Clinton will sit for a closed-door deposition today in Chappaqua, N.Y., with testimony by her husband scheduled for tomorrow. Democrats on the Oversight Committee will brief the media after each session to release details about what’s said.
Peace Talks, War Prep
Ahead of today’s round of nuclear talks with Iran, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on more than 30 entities that support Iranian oil and weapons sales.
It’s a double dose of pressure, along with the biggest military deployment in the Middle East since the second Gulf war in 2003.
Iran, in turn, has been loading oil onto tankers at a rapid pace.
Iranian officials are “again pursuing their sinister ambitions,” Trump said in his State of the Union address. “They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words: ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon.’”
Iran has consistently said its atomic program is for peaceful purposes and has denied that it’s seeking weapons.
Also Read:
- US, Iran Hold Nuclear Talks as Trump’s Deal Deadline Looms
- Satellite Images Expose Trump’s Claim of ‘Easy’ Victory in Iran
Campaign Trail
Vice President JD Vance heads to Wisconsin today to amplify some of the themes in this week’s State of the Union address.
Vance will talk about Trump’s economic agenda at a machining facility in the crucial swing state, Mica Soellner reports. Then tomorrow, Trump is headed to Corpus Christi, Texas, where a competitive Senate primary is wrapping up.
A post-speech poll conducted by CNN found that two-thirds of viewers surveyed had somewhat of a favorable reception to Trump’s remarks, but 45% of respondents also said the president focused too little on affordability and the economy.
Redistricting Unease
A Republican push to redraw South Carolina’s congressional districts could target the district of Rep. James Clyburn, the only Democrat in the state delegation.
State Rep. Jordan Pace, who chairs the South Carolina Freedom Caucus, said the bill he introduced this year would put Republicans in every major office in the state and fix what he describes as a district rigged for Clyburn.
But some Republicans are reluctant to wage a new redistricting battle, and worry that a new map could make other GOP-leaning districts vulnerable in a state where 40% of registered voters are Democrats. Read More from Anna Edgerton, Michael Sasso, and Christopher Cannon.
See Also:
- Democrats Go All-in on Affordability Message Ahead of Midterms
- Trump Tariffs Are ‘Net Plus’ in Midterms, GOP Campaign Head Says
- Democrats Target Latinos’ ‘Cratering’ GOP Support: DelBene
- States Are Told ICE Won’t Target Polling Stations in November
Tariff Math
The trade deal that Trump struck last summer with the European Union would impose a 15% tariff on most EU exports to the US while removing tariffs on many American goods heading into the bloc.
Alberto Nardelli and Jorge Valero report that Trump’s new tariff program isn’t a clean swap — leaving about $5 billion of EU goods facing levies above the agreed-upon ceiling. Among those: cheese, butter, and some other agricultural products, as well as several plastics, textiles and chemicals.
The timing of the new tariff uncertainty makes everything a little trickier. The European Parliament’s trade committee was getting ready to vote on ratifying the deal, but then postponed action.
See Also: Importers Begin Tariff Refund Push After Supreme Court Win
Deportation Ruling
In a class action that could clarify due process rights for noncitizens facing deportation, a federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s position that the government can “take people and drop them off in parts unknown” so long as it doesn’t know there’s someone there waiting to shoot them, Brian Dowling reports.
District Judge Brian Murphy said the government doesn’t have free rein to deport noncitizens to unfamiliar countries.
“These are our laws,” he said, “and it is with profound gratitude for the unbelievable luck of being born in the United States of America that this Court affirms these and our nation’s bedrock principle: that no ‘person’ in this country may be ‘deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.’”
Murphy paused the full force of the ruling for 15 days to give the government time to seek a stay from the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
Also Read:
- ICE Turned to Billionaires, Asset Managers for Warehouse Jails
- Democrats Want to Know How DHS Is Spending Billions From Tax Law
Before You Go
Cuba Says Those Killed in US Boat Encounter Planned Uprising
Cuba says a boat with 10 people near its coast early Wednesday was carrying weapons, and its occupants — Cubans living in the US — were intent on entering the country to fight against the government.
Ban on ICE Use of ‘The Wrap’ Device Sought in House Bill
House Democrats moved to ban federal immigration officers from using a full-body restraint device that was repeatedly misused by law enforcement and resulted in multiple deaths and serious injuries during arrests, a Bloomberg Law investigation found.
Trump’s FEMA Abandons Programs to Prepare Americans for Disaster
President Donald Trump says he wants to shift the responsibility of handling disasters from the federal government to cities and states. But his administration quietly dismantled a division working towards that goal by making the public more prepared for snow, flooding and hurricanes.
Anthropic’s Pentagon Showdown Is About More Than AI Guardrails
As the Pentagon was pressing
Senate Confirms Trump’s Nominee to Replace Fired NTSB Democrat
The Senate voted on partisan lines Wednesday to approve President
Hassett Says New Tax Cuts in Reconciliation Bill Being Discussed
When asked by a reporter whether the Trump administration is considering a second reconciliation bill with new tax cuts, White House Economic Adviser
RFK Jr. Ally Tapped as Top US Doctor Pressed on Vaccines, Ethics
Senators questioned US surgeon general nominee Casey Means about her stance on vaccinations, her financial ties, and her willingness to buck the Trump administration during her rescheduled confirmation hearing Wednesday.
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