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Epstein files contain explicit but unsubstantiated claim that Trump abused minor

(The Guardian) Three memos that describe four interviews conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2019 contain explicit but unsubstantiated claims that Donald Trump sexually abused a woman when she was a minor in the early 1980s with the assistance of Jeffrey Epstein, according to a Guardian review of those documents. The Department of Justice did not release those records when it uploaded millions of pages of files related to Epstein beginning in December. The existence of the missing documents was first reported by independent journalist Roger Sollenberger and subsequently confirmed by NPR, causing outrage in Washington and sparking an investigation from congressional Democrats.

Core wholesale prices rose 0.8% in January, much more than expected

(CNBC) Wholesale prices rose at a faster-than-expected pace in January, countering hopes that inflation was easing, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The core producer price index, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, increased a seasonally adjusted 0.8%, more than the 0.6% gain in December and well ahead of the Dow Jones consensus estimate for 0.3%. On an all-items basis, headline PPI rose 0.5%, also above the forecast for 0.3% and 0.1 percentage point more than the prior month.

Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency

(Washington Post) Pro-Trump activists who say they are in coordination with the White House are circulating a 17-page draft executive order that claims China interfered in the 2020 election as a basis to declare a national emergency that would unlock extraordinary presidential power over voting. President Donald Trump has repeatedly previewed a plan to mandate voter ID and ban mail ballots in November’s midterm elections, and the activists expect their draft will figure into Trump’s promised executive order on the issue. The White House declined to elaborate on Trump’s plans.

Top U.S. commander in the Middle East briefs Trump on Iran options

(Axios) The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East briefed President Trump on Thursday about the options for military action against Iran, according to a U.S. official and a source with knowledge of the meeting. This was the first time the commander of the U.S. military Central Command Adm. Brad Cooper briefed Trump since the beginning of the crisis with Iran last December. Trump has order a massive U.S. military build up in the Middle East and he is considering ordering a military campaign against Iran.

Friday's Condensed News Cartoons

Hillary Clinton calls House Oversight questioning 'repetitive' in 6 hour deposition

(NPR) Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spent more than six hours in a closed-door deposition Thursday, facing questions from the House Oversight Committee. The Republican-led committee subpoenaed Clinton, and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, to appear in its investigation into convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. In a short press conference following the deposition, Hillary Clinton said she wished the proceedings had been public and that she and her attorneys have asked for transcripts and videos to be available as soon as possible.

White House screws Team USA Men's Hockey Team

(ESPN) Brady Tkachuk, the Ottawa Senators captain and a Team USA gold medalist, said he didn't appreciate the AI-doctored video released by the White House that made it appear he was disparaging Canadians. The video, published Sunday by the White House's official TikTok account, featured doctored footage from a Tkachuk brothers' news conference at the 4 Nations Face-Off last February. While "Free Bird," the goal song for Team USA, played in the background of the video, Brady Tkachuk was made to say, "They booed our national anthem, so I had to come out and teach those maple syrup eating f---s a lesson."

Prosecutor says he knew charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia would likely be seen as vindictive

(NBC News) A federal prosecutor testified Thursday that he knew an indictment he brought against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador last year, would most likely be viewed by the public as “vindictive” and “selective.” “I knew we were maybe going to be in a courtroom like this,” McGuire told U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw about his decision to bring the human smuggling charges against Abrego. “I wanted to be the person in this chair, and not any of my colleagues.”

Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Asks Judge to Toss Out Indictment Against Him

(US News & World Report/AP) The lawyer for deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro asked a judge on Thursday to toss out the indictment against his client on the grounds that the United States has unconstitutionally violated his rights to defend himself by blocking Venezuelan funds to pay his legal costs. Attorney Barry Pollack filed papers in Manhattan federal court, saying the U.S. government has violated his client’s due process rights by blocking funds to defend him that should come from the Venezuelan government.

Irate judge threatens criminal contempt against ICE for repeatedly defying court orders

(Raw Story) A Minnesota judge threatened the Trump administration with criminal contempt on Thursday over repeated ignoring of court orders. Judge Patrick Schiltz issued a scathing order Thursday, warning that he may pursue criminal contempt charges against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after finding a pattern of defiance he called unprecedented in American history. The order was flagged on Bluesky by Law Dork's Chris Geidner. The judge said ICE had violated 97 court orders in 66 cases, and that an additional 113 violations across 77 more cases occurred largely after the government promised to improve compliance.