Good evening everyone. A very important update and my final one tonight.
I just got off the phone with Rep. Yassamin Ansari, who laid out everything you need to know about the critical deposition of Les Wexner, identified in FBI records as a potential Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator. We discuss Wexner’s testimony, his denials, his financial support of Epstein, questions about his relationship with him, and what was said about Donald Trump’s proximity to Epstein. At the same time, Trump is pursuing branding control tied to the renaming of a Palm Beach County airport, and newly surfaced Epstein files reveal another close connection between Epstein and Trump’s Commerce Secretary.
There is also a growing boycott of Trump’s State of the Union address. I am finalizing my plans, but regardless, I will cover it so you do not have to sit through it yourself.
While major media outlets seem ready to move on from the Epstein story, I am not. This remains front and center for me. I will not stop until there is full accountability for the wealthy and powerful individuals involved. I have been threatened for covering this. That will not deter me. I answer to you.
Subscribe to support this work, and let’s keep pushing until the full truth comes out.
Here’s the news:
Les Wexner, identified in FBI records as a potential Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator, testified before the House Oversight Committee in Ohio today. I spoke with Rep. Yassamin Ansari, who attended the deposition and shared several key takeaways. No Republican members of Congress were present. Wexner denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, but Ansari said she found his testimony evasive and not fully forthcoming.
She also said Wexner shifted his account when asked whether Donald Trump had been around Epstein, ultimately acknowledging that Trump attended at least some Victoria’s Secret fashion shows. Ansari further raised questions about the nature of Wexner’s relationship with Epstein, suggesting it may have been romantic and pointing to that as a possible explanation for the millions of dollars Wexner transferred to him.
Billionaire Les Wexner told House lawmakers he was “conned” by Jeffrey Epstein, denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s crimes, said he cut ties in 2007 after discovering alleged abuse and financial theft, and maintained he has never been charged with wrongdoing. This is his statement (zoom in):
Congressman Robert Garcia made clear that there would be no Epstein Island without Wexner:
New files show Jeffrey Epstein discussing sending a resume of Howard Lutnick’s nanny. Lutnick currently serves as Trump’s Commerce Secretary.
According to Anna Paulina Luna, Susan Hamblin sent this email, confirming my earlier report. She previously accepted a plea deal and was granted “victim” status under the prior DOJ. Given new information, the Department of Justice should review whether additional charges or further scrutiny are warranted. Based on other documents that reference her, there are serious unanswered questions about her role and whether potential misconduct or human rights concerns were adequately examined.
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia has been thrown into turmoil after longtime president Jeffrey Rosen abruptly stepped down ahead of the 250th anniversary of US independence, with some board members alleging political motives tied to Trump while current leadership insists the transition was nonpartisan and based on governance concerns.
At least 12 Democratic lawmakers plan to boycott President Trump’s State of the Union address and instead attend a “People’s State of the Union” rally organized by progressive groups, calling the speech divisive and refusing to “normalize” his agenda.
A Florida House bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport as President Donald J. Trump International Airport passed 81–30, but drew Democratic concern after the Trump Organization filed broad trademark applications for variations of the airport’s name and “DJT,” covering merchandise and airport-related services; while the company says Trump and his family would receive no royalties or licensing fees and would grant any required license at no cost, critics argue the filings are unusual and could allow the organization to control branding or profit from associated goods.
Major European allies including the UK, Germany, France and the European Commission declined to join the first meeting of President Trump’s new Board of Peace in Washington, citing concerns over its funding and mandate, as the initiative faces skepticism about its ability to advance Gaza reconstruction or break the Israel-Hamas deadlock despite claims of pledged funds and personnel.
U2 released a surprise six-track EP titled Days of Ash, led by the song “American Obituary” honoring slain Minneapolis protester Renée Good and condemning federal immigration raids, with additional tracks Palestine, Iran and Ukraine, marking the band’s first new studio material since 2017
FCC Chair Brendan Carr accused journalists of being “lied to” over Stephen Colbert’s claim that CBS blocked a planned interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, said the network was simply complying with equal time rules, and confirmed the FCC has opened an enforcement action into ABC’s The View, while critics argue the agency is weaponizing regulations to pressure media outlets.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani proposed either raising income and corporate taxes on wealthy residents and corporations, pending state approval, or imposing a 9.5% property tax increase as a fallback to address a growing multibillion-dollar budget deficit, drawing pushback from Governor Kathy Hochul and city lawmakers who warn a property tax hike would burden working- and middle-class New Yorkers.
Minutes from the Federal Reserve’s late January meeting show several officials discussed the possibility of raising interest rates if inflation remains above the 2% target, signaling continued concern about persistent inflation even as rates were held steady and despite President Trump’s pressure to lower borrowing costs.
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya will also serve as acting CDC director amid ongoing leadership upheaval in the Trump administration’s health agencies, following months without a permanent CDC head, as Bhattacharya—known for opposing COVID lockdowns and overseeing NIH during budget cuts—steps into the role pending Senate confirmation of a permanent nominee
Israel has raised its alert level and intensified military preparations amid reports of a potentially imminent, coordinated US-Israeli strike on Iran, as skepticism grows over nuclear negotiations and US forces bolster their regional presence with additional aircraft carriers and jets.
According to Reuters, satellite images show Iran repairing and fortifying key military and nuclear sites—including constructing a concrete-covered facility at Parchin, burying tunnel entrances at the Isfahan nuclear complex, strengthening tunnels near Natanz, and rebuilding missile bases—amid heightened tensions with the U.S. and Israel and ongoing nuclear negotiations.
White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett sharply criticized a New York Fed research paper concluding that roughly 90% of President Trump’s 2025 tariffs were paid by U.S. firms and consumers, calling it “an embarrassment” and urging discipline for staff involved; the paper found tariffed import prices rose about 11% and that domestic buyers bore most of the economic burden, aligning with similar findings from Harvard, Yale’s Budget Lab, the Kiel Institute and the Congressional Budget Office, while Hassett argued falling inflation, lower import prices earlier in the year, and rising real wages show consumers benefited from the tariffs
According to new reporting from The Guardian, women incarcerated at the California Institution for Women allege a former supervisory cook, Marcus Johnson, raped them in 2020 while threatening retaliation if they reported him; one claim was later deemed “substantiated” by prison investigators while the other was “unsubstantiated,” and the San Bernardino district attorney is reviewing the case for possible charges amid broader concerns about widespread, rarely prosecuted staff sexual abuse in California prisons.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in a Los Angeles jury trial over claims that Instagram harmed a woman’s mental health by fostering youth addiction, a landmark case that could force Meta to pay damages and weaken tech companies’ legal defenses as they face thousands of similar lawsuits over social media’s impact on children.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker will propose a two-year pause on the state’s data center tax incentive program beginning July 1, directing agencies to study the centers’ impact on the energy grid, consumer utility costs, and overall economic sustainability amid growing community backlash over electricity use and water consumption, while emphasizing the need to protect residents from rising rates and ensure companies “pay their fair share”; the Democratic-led legislature must approve the measure.
Eight backcountry skiers were killed and one remains missing after a massive avalanche near Lake Tahoe during a three-day guided trip, marking the deadliest avalanche in California’s recorded history as rescuers battled extreme weather and high avalanche danger
See you in the morning.
— Aaron
