This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Texas Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico is facing renewed outrage for his comments on God and faith after claiming that atheists are "more Christ-like" than some of his Christian colleagues. Texas Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico is facing renewed outrage for his comments on God and faith after claiming on a podcast that atheists are "more Christ-like than" some of his Christian colleagues in the Texas House. "Instead of putting the 10 Commandments in every classroom, instead of forcing school children to read the Bible against their wills, why don't we, all of us, look inward and figure out how we can be more Christ-like, even when it's uncomfortable," Talarico, who currently serves as a Democrat in the Texas House, said on the "Politics War Room" podcast published Friday. The podcast is hosted by journalist Al Hunt and Democratic strategist James Carville. "I have met so many Hindus, Buddhists, Sikh Jews, Muslims, atheists, agnostics, who are more like Christ-like than some of the Christians I serve with in the Texas legislature," Talarico responded. "It is about how you treat other people." State Representative James Talarico addresses the crowd during a campaign rally after launching his Senate campaign for the seat currently held by John Cornyn in Round Rock, Texas on Sept. 9, 2025. (Callaghan O'Hare for The Washington Post via Getty Images) The Texas Democrat is running to serve as a U.S. senator and joined the podcast to discuss the race and how it's expected to be an uphill battle for a progressive Democrat. A Texas Democrat has not been elected to the Senate since 1988, with Talarico looking to unseat Republican Sen. John Cornyn. "There is a backlash growing in Texas against the extremism and the corruption that we're seeing at all levels of our government, and I'm seeing it everywhere I go," Talarico explained of what he's seeing from the campaign trail to flip the seat blue. The conversation largely focused on religion, with the former school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian explaining that he leans on his Christianity as he works in the "halls of power" while taking aim at conservatives. "Christian nationalism, you see people's faith growing out of their politics, right?" These Christians in Congress, these Christian nationalists, they want a Christian nation, unless it means providing health care to the sick, unless it means funding food assistance for the hungry or raising the minimum wage for the poor." The Vatican and St. Peter's Square seen during the canonization Mass of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati in 2025. His remarks sparked outrage among conservatives on social media, who argued Democrats "love putting Christians down," and mocked him for previous comments on religion with one user responding: "says the dude who claims the pro-abortion position is Biblical." "James Talarico has once again broken out his anti-Christian Christian shtick," RNC spokesman Zach Kraft said of the comments. Twisting Christian principles to promote woke talking points might play well with coastal elites in New York and California, but he's going to learn real quick that won't fly in Texas." Talarico has a long history of sparking controversy for his comments on God and Christianity, including claiming during a 2021 speech in the Texas legislature that "God is nonbinary" in a rebuke of Republican legislation focused on youth sports and transgender kids. Talarico joined Joe Rogan's podcast in September 2025 where he also claimed the Bible permits abortion, citing that the angel Gabriel "asks Mary if this is something she wants to do, and she says, ‘if it is God's will, let it be done.'" State Representative James Talarico, a Democrat from Texas and U.S. Senate candidate, joined Joe Rogan's podcast in September 2025 where he also claimed the Bible permits abortion. "To me, that is an affirmation in one of our most central stories that creation has to be done with consent. You cannot force someone to create," Talarico said in 2025, "the idea that there is a set Christian orthodoxy on the issue of abortion is just not rooted in Scripture." In an interview with a New York Times podcast in January, Talarico also claimed that his Christian faith has grown "by learning more about Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism," adding that "these beautiful faith traditions as circling the same truth about the universe, about the cosmos. Fox News Digital reached out to Talarico's campaign for additional comment Friday. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Senior cadet leaders told Fox News Digital that VMI's culture promotes unity, leadership, and service, disputing claims that racism and sexism remain entrenched at the school. This week in Fox News Digital's Campus Radicals investigative series, a historic military institute was thrust into an unexpected battle, while Chicago teachers caused multiple uproars and a nurse at a teaching hospital was fired after she went viral for all the wrong reasons. Virginia Democrats in the state's House of Delegates introduced a resolution on Tuesday that would establish a task force to investigate the Virginia Military Institute and determine if the historic military college should continue to receive funding. The move is the latest of Virginia Democrats' efforts to reinvigorate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy in the state after much of the DEI mandates and policies were revoked after President Donald Trump was elected in 2024. "I think that it's harmful to the Commonwealth of Virginia, harmful to VMI as an institution, harmful to all the incredible military leaders and community leaders that have come out of VMI." "It's just reprehensible that they would even go down this road," Wittman added. "But, it seems to be what's happening in Richmond." of Cadets from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) march during an inauguration ceremony for Abigail Spanberger, governor of Virginia, not pictured, at Capitol Square in Richmond, Virginia, US, on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. Cadets Michael Ferrara, regimental S3 captain, and Devin Auzenne, regimental commander, sat down for an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital to discuss the core values of VMI, and dispute some of the allegations that have pushed Virginia Democrats to threaten the institution. "I would say on the cadet side, there's a little bit of confusion," Ferrara said. "We've had approximately 300 generals and flag officers coming from the Virginia Military Institute," Ferrara added. "We've had seven Medal of Honor recipients, 11 Rhodes Scholars, one Nobel Prize winner." Ferrara graduates from VMI this spring, and is commissioned to serve in the U.S. Air Force as a developmental engineer. A Chicago area teacher is on administrative leave and facing calls to lose his job over a Facebook post last week offering support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). "GO ICE," the teacher at West Chicago's Gary Elementary School, posted on Facebook last week. Shortly after the post was made, activists in the predominantly Hispanic community quickly began sharing the post and calling for action to be taken against the teacher, who Fox News Digital is not naming due to safety concerns. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents continue to conduct immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2026. "Imagine working as a teacher in an elementary school in West Chicago where the Latino community is highly populated and promoting ICE, sick AF," one social media post said. Another commenter called the teacher a "f****** piece of s***." Members of the Chicago Teachers Union filmed themselves protesting federal immigration enforcement and anti-DEI measures at a local Target on Friday, sparking criticism both online and from experts who spoke to Fox News Digital. In a video posted on Tuesday by the union, members can be seen entering a Chicago area Target holding anti-ICE signs, harassing employees and demanding answers about whether Target will "protect" its employees from ICE. A teacher takes part in the Chicago Teachers' Union strike rally in downtown Chicago, the United States, on Oct. 17, 2019. Thousands of teachers and supporters rally on Thursday after Chicago Teachers' Union failed to make a deal with the municipal government on raising the teachers' salaries. "They can use their Fourth Amendment rights and post signs that demand ICE show warrants to enter their building. A nurse at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health has been fired after making a series of videos suggesting ways to harm ICE agents. "Following an investigation, the individual involved in the social media videos is no longer employed by VCU Health," the hospital told Fox News Digital in a Tuesday night statement. "In addition, VCU Health has fulfilled its reporting requirements under Virginia state law." "We prioritize the health and safety of anyone who comes to us for care. We are aware of a series of videos that appear to have been posted by an individual confirmed to be an employee of our health system," VCU told Fox News Digital in a statement. A Virginia Commonwealth University nurse's TikTok video from January 14, 2025, has gone viral after it was posted by LibsOfTikTok on X. In one video, simply captioned with "#ice #resistance #sabotage," the nurse instructed others to use a "sabotage tactic" against opponents. "I thought of something good," she said. "Have them full of saline or succinylcholine, you know, whatever. Succinylcholine is an anesthetic that causes rapid, short-acting muscle paralysis. The paralytic effect typically lasts for four to six minutes. "As we've documented at Do No Harm, VCU has a long history of pushing extreme identity politics into medical education and clinical treatment," Do No Harm's Executive Director Kristina Rasmussen told Fox News Digital. "Now, they act surprised when radicalism sprouts from a ground seeded with toxic ideology." The group represents employees and students in the medical field, as well as patients and policymakers who are fighting to keep identity politics out of medical education, research and clinical practice. Do No Harm often pushes back against DEI initiatives and youth-focused gender ideology in medicine. "When medical schools and hospitals allow radical politics to shape curriculum, they end up training harmful activists rather than skilled medical professionals," Rasmussen continued. "VCU Health firing this nurse is the bare minimum response. Unless they clean up their act, how will any patient feel safe walking through their doors?" The student government at a Catholic school in Queens, New York denied their classmates the opportunity to start a Turning Point USA chapter on campus last November. People raise placards reading "This is our Turning Point" during a memorial service for slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium, in Glendale, Arizona, U.S., September 21, 2025. "At St. John's University, the sole authority to approve or deny new student organizations rests solely with Student Government, Inc. (SGI)," Brian Browne told Fox News Digital. He said that during the fall semester, only four of 19 proposed organizations were approved by the SGI. "St. John's students interested in Turning Point USA are encouraged to reapply to SGI in the Spring or pursue other existing alternatives for department-sponsored organizational support," he said. Several University of Minnesota student groups are leading what they are calling a "National Shutdown" in protest of federal immigration enforcement, and they are joined by far-left radicals from across the country. On its Instagram page, the university's Black Student Union made a post directing others to a webpage called nationalshutdown.us, where they can endorse the day of action. Federal agents deal with agitators outside of the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 14, 2026. Peter D'Abrosca is a reporter at Fox News Digital covering campus extremism in higher education. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said that if any member of Congress would like to see materials in their unredacted form, they can make arrangements with the department to do so. The Justice Department says it's releasing 3 million pages of documents in the latest Jeffrey Epstein disclosure, along with 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche meets with reporters as the Justice Department says it's releasing 3 million pages of documents in the latest Jeffrey Epstein disclosure, along with 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, in Washington, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. NEW YORK (AP) — The Justice Department on Friday released many more records from its investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein, resuming disclosures under a law intended to reveal what the government knew about the millionaire financier's sexual abuse of young girls and his interactions with rich and powerful people such as Donald Trump and Bill Clinton. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department would be releasing more than 3 million pages of documents along with more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. Included were documents concerning some of Epstein's famous associates, including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Britain's Prince Andrew, and email correspondence between Epstein and Elon Musk and other prominent contacts from across the political spectrum. Lawmakers complained when the Justice Department made only a limited release last month, but officials said more time was needed to review additional documents that were discovered and to ensure no sensitive information about victims was released. Criminal investigations into the financier have long animated online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and others who have suspected government cover-ups and clamored for a full accounting, demands that Blanche acknowledged might not be satisfied by the latest release. “There's a hunger, or a thirst, for information that I don't think will be satisfied by the review of these documents,” he said. After missing a Dec. 19 deadline set by Congress to release all the files, the Justice Department said it tasked hundreds of lawyers with reviewing the records to determine what needed to be redacted, or blacked out. It denied any effort to shield Trump, who says he cut ties with Epstein years ago after an earlier friendship, from potential embarrassment. The latest batch includes correspondence either with or about some of Epstein's friends. The records have thousands of references to Trump, including emails in which Epstein and others shared news articles about him, commented on his policies or politics, or gossiped about him and his family. Also included was a spreadsheet created last August summarizing calls to the FBI's National Threat Operation Center or to a hotline established by prosecutors from people claiming without corroboration to have some knowledge of wrongdoing by Trump. In a 2012 exchange, Epstein asked how many people Musk would like flown by helicopter to the island he owned. “What day/night will be the wildest party on our island?” Musk messaged Epstein again ahead of a planned Caribbean trip in 2013. “Is there a good time to visit?” Epstein extended an invite for after the New Year holiday. It's not immediately clear if the island visits took place. Spokespeople for Musk's companies, Tesla and X, didn't respond to emails seeking comment. “Epstein tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED,” he posted on X in 2025 when House Democrats released an Epstein calendar with an entry mentioning a potential Musk visit. “no, but i will ask,” said Epstein, before inquiring if Tisch had contacted another woman, crudely describing her physical features. Tisch said in a statement that he had a “brief association” with Epstein where they emailed about adult women and other topics. The documents show that Steve Bannon, a conservative activist who served as Trump's White House strategist earlier in the president's first term, bantered over politics with the financier, discussed get-togethers with him over breakfast, lunch or dinner and, on March 29, 2019, asked Epstein if he could supply his plane to pick him up in Rome. Epstein told him his pilot and crew “are doing their best” to arrange that flight but if Bannon could find a charter flight instead, “I'm happy to pay.” Apparently in France at the time, Epstein sent a text message saying: “My guys can pick you up. Come for dinner.” The exchange did not show how that played out. In December 2012, Epstein invited Howard Lutnick, now Trump's commerce secretary, to his private island for lunch, the records show. Lutnick's wife accepted the invitation and said they would arrive on a yacht with their children. On another occasion in 2011, the two men had drinks, according to a schedule shared with Epstein. Lutnick has said he cut ties with Epstein long ago. A Commerce Department spokesman said Lutnick had “limited interactions with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife and has never been accused of wrongdoing.” Another Epstein contact surfacing in the records is former Obama White House general counsel Kathy Ruemmler. None of Epstein's victims who have gone public with their stories have publicly accused Trump, a Republican, nor Clinton, a Democrat, of wrongdoing. Both have said they had no knowledge he was abusing underage girls. Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in August 2019, a month after being indicted on federal sex trafficking charges. In 2008 and 2009, Epstein served jail time in Florida after pleading guilty to soliciting prostitution from someone under the age of 18. A draft indictment from that period released Friday shows prosecutors contemplated federal charges against not just Epstein but three others who were his personal assistants and were suspected of participating in a conspiracy to recruit underage girls to perform lewd acts with Epstein. In 2021, a federal jury in New York convicted Maxwell, a British socialite, of sex trafficking for helping recruit some of his underage victims. U.S. prosecutors never charged anyone else in connection with Epstein's abuse of girls. One victim, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, accused him in lawsuits of having arranged for her to have sexual encounters at age 17 and 18 with numerous politicians, business titans, academics and others. Andrew denied having sex with Giuffre but settled her lawsuit for an undisclosed sum. Giuffre died by suicide last year at age 41. Associated Press journalists from around the country contributed to this report. Follow the AP's coverage of Jeffrey Epstein at https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Archaeologists in Denmark unveiled the world's largest medieval cog ship, discovered off Copenhagen after 600 years underwater. The remnants of a 19th-century shipwreck have emerged from beneath the sands of a New Jersey beach. The ruins were recently found at Island Beach State Park, a narrow barrier island along the Jersey Shore in Ocean County. 21, 1890, en route to New York City from Puerto Rico. The ship — and its entire cargo of oranges — was swallowed by the sea, though all eight crew members aboard survived. Remnants of the 19th-century schooner Lawrence N. McKenzie have resurfaced at Island Beach State Park along the Jersey Shore. Officials said the wreck was exposed due to rough surf and heavy winds in recent weeks. Rather than being washed ashore, the shipwreck emerged from beneath the beach due to shifting sand levels over time. Officials say rough surf and heavy winter winds helped expose the long-buried shipwreck. It's shaped by wave action that can unearth long-buried artifacts, a spokesperson for New Jersey State Parks told Fox News Digital. "Several historic shipwrecks have been exposed at Island Beach State Park over the years," the official said. "Violators are subject to fines issued by the New Jersey State Park Police." "The Lawrence N. McKenzie has surfaced before, but not in more than a decade." Beach erosion is especially common during the winter. The shipwreck surfaced at Island Beach State Park, a narrow barrier island shaped by constant wave action. "Removing natural or historic resources from lands administered by New Jersey State Parks is prohibited under state park code," the individual also warned. Violators who disturb exposed shipwrecks may face fines issued by New Jersey State Park Police, officials said. "Violators are subject to fines issued by the New Jersey State Park Police." Last May, researchers announced they had identified mysterious bones that were found on Atlantic County beaches in the 1990s, with additional remains found in Ocean County in 2013. Readers can follow her on X at @andreamargs or send story tips to andrea.margolis@fox.com. A look at the top-trending stories in food, relationships, great outdoors and more. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Former Sports Illustrated model turned influencer, Haley "Baylee" Kalil, is in hot water after speaking about her ex-husband during a live stream. The 33-year-old influencer recently filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed against her by her ex-husband, former NFL offensive lineman Matt Kalil, who accused her of "invasive commentary" during a live stream on Twitch in November 2025. Matt and Haley met and got married in 2015, prior to her gaining national attention for her photographs in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Here is a look back at Kalil's rise to fame. Here is a look back at Haley's professional career leading up to her most recent legal battle with her ex-husband. Haley began her journey with modeling while attending St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, where she was studying medical biology. She then began working on local and commercial modeling while in school. She continued to work as a model and in 2017 entered the Sports Illustrated Swim Search, ultimately winning a spot in the magazine and gaining national attention. "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit has truly, I mean truly, changed my life," Kalil told Sports Illustrated Swimsuit in December 2024. "I went from being somebody that had no modeling experience, I had never had a modeling agency, I was turned down by every modeling agency I ever contacted ... And so, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit has truly opened up so many doors for me. It's all about embracing beauty in every different shape, size, color, and it's that diversity that makes Sports Illustrated Swimsuit so beautiful." Kalil began posting on social media regularly in 2020. Haley began posting on TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic, explaining on a recent episode of the "Not Skinny But Not Fat" podcast that initially "my entire following I think was like 99% dudes," because she was posting sexy content because she thought that was what she "was supposed to post as a model." Things changed for her after she appeared in another influencer, Caleb Simpson's apartment tour series. Her apartment tour went viral, with Haley saying on the podcast, "I hit a million like right after. "It was men talking about my body, talking about my face, oversexualizing me pretty much, which, like I put myself in that position. But this was women in the comment section of Caleb's video, and it was women being like, 'Yo, I vibe with her.'" After her apartment tour went viral, she realized she could step away from what she learned in her modeling career about "how men are supposed to perceive me" and just be herself, since "women are vibing with me," which she said was "a really, really, really good feeling." Kalil is now a fixture on every red carpet. Her career as an influencer has been extremely successful, as she has amassed over 16 million followers, with her videos consistently reaching over two million views. She has also been invited to interview celebrities on the red carpet for her own social media and outlets such as E! Most recently she was spotted at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards. Kalil received backlash after posting a TikTok at the 2024 Met Gala. Haley's career as an influencer has not come without its fair share of controversy. The influencer faced backlash in May 2024 when she posted a video of herself at the Met Gala dressed in an 18th century style dress and headpiece, syncing her lips to audio of Kirsten Dunst saying "Let them eat cake" in a scene from the 2006 movie "Marie Antoinette." Many found the now-deleted video to be tone-deaf, as she posted it as pro-Palestinian protesters were standing outside the Met Gala. One commenter wrote, "The sound choice that you're using is wild. We are truly living in a dystopian world," while another told her to "read the room." Haley posted an eight-minute apology video on TikTok following the backlash, explaining she wasn't even invited to the Met Gala and was just there interviewing attendees for E! Haley apologized for offending others with her TikTok post. "I never would have chosen a sound on purpose to highlight wealth disparity or elitism. I never even thought it would be taken in that way, because I wasn't elite enough to even be invited to the Met Gala because I'm not elite. "My dumb self just used an audio that I thought was viral and trending and that people recognized from the 'Marie Antoinette' 2006 movie. Haley spoke about her career beginnings during a recent podcast appearance. During a recent appearance on the "Not Skinny But Not Fat" podcast, Haley discussed the early days of her career and how she never thought she would have a career in entertainment. Growing up in Minnesota, Haley explained she always "idolized" fashion and YouTube and the entertainment industry, but "just didn't think I would ever have access to it," adding her parents never would have allowed her to have a YouTube account before she turned 18. "But that was always my dream, like I loved performing, and so I went to school for biomedical engineering psych with a minor in chem, so I was planning on medical school," she told the podcast host. She went on to say that the feeling of it being unattainable is probably "one of the reasons why" the last few years of her life have felt "like a blur," because she is "just amazing I'm even doing this." Haley admitted to being "kind of a nerd" during an interview with Fox News Digital in 2020. Haley previously told Fox News Digital in an August 2020 interview that seeing her Sports Illustrated photos for the first time "was really a magical moment for me" because she felt like "Every inch of my body is celebrated." So this has been a long time coming for me. Haley's ex-husband Matt filed a lawsuit against her on Jan. 6 accusing her of providing "invasive commentary" on their marriage during a Twitch live stream in November 2025. In the complaint, Matt alleged that Haley's words "implied that the size of Plaintiff's genitalia was a primary factor in the parties' divorce and claimed that sexual intercourse with Plaintiff would leave her 'in tears.'" In response to her ex's complaint, Haley filed a motion to dismiss his lawsuit on Jan. 23, with her attorney, Matthew Bialick, telling People they filed the motion "because Minnesota has a longstanding commitment to free speech, which is important now more than ever." We believe the motion will be granted," he said. Matt's attorney, Ryan Saba of Rosen Saba LLP, responded to Haley's motion to dismiss, telling People: "Haley Kalil's motion to dismiss does not dispute the fact that she wantonly disclosed private and intimate details about Matt Kalil that resulted in widespread ridicule and unwanted attention." "The motion completely misses the point that a spouse does not have a right to expose private and confidential marital and sexual details for the purpose of profiting," he continued. "We expect that the motion will be completely denied." Lori Bashian is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes.

Hospitals in Gaza said Israeli strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians Saturday, one of the highest tolls since an October agreement aimed at stopping the fighting. Mahmoud Al-Atbash mourns the bodies of his two daughters, Zeina and Maryam, who were killed in an Israeli military strike, at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. A Palestinian man carries the body of Sham Abu Hadaiyd, who was killed in an Israeli strike on a tent in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. Palestinians carry a body from the rubble of police station after it was targeted by an Israeli army strike in Gaza City Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. Palestinians survey the damage to an apartment building after an Israeli military strike killed several people in Gaza City Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. A Palestinian man surveys the damage to an apartment building after an Israeli military strike killed several people in Gaza City Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hospitals in Gaza said Israeli strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians including several children on Saturday, one of the highest tolls since the October ceasefire, a day after Israel accused Hamas of new truce violations. The strikes hit locations throughout Gaza, including an apartment building in Gaza City and a tent camp in Khan Younis, said officials at hospitals that received the bodies. Another airstrike hit a police station in Gaza City, killing at least 14 and wounding others, Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiya said. Palestinians see Rafah as a lifeline for tens of thousands needing treatment outside the territory, where the majority of medical infrastructure has been destroyed. Other challenging issues include demilitarizing the strip after nearly two decades of Hamas rule and installing a new government to oversee reconstruction. Nasser Hospital said the strike on the tent camp in Khan Younis caused a fire, killing seven, including a father, his three children and three grandchildren. Atallah Abu Hadaiyed said he had just finished praying when the explosion struck. Where is the ceasefire they talked about?”he said, as people inspected ruins including a bloodied mattress. Shifa Hospital said the Gaza City apartment building strike killed three children, their aunt and grandmother. “The three girls are gone, may God have mercy on them. They were asleep, we found them in the street,” said a relative, Samir Al-Atbash, adding that the family were civilians with no connection to Hamas. Names were written on body bags lined up at the foot of a wall. Shifa Hospital said the strike on the police station killed at least 14 including four policewomen, civilians and inmates. The hospital also said a man was killed in a strike on the eastern side of Jabaliya refugee camp. Hamas called Saturday's strikes “a renewed flagrant violation” and urged the United States and other mediating countries to push Israel to stop them. “All available indicators suggest that we are dealing with a ‘Board of War,' not a ‘Board of Peace,'” senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said on X, questioning the legitimacy of the Trump administration-proposed international body meant to govern Gaza. Israel's military, which has struck targets on both sides of the ceasefire's dividing line, said its attacks since October have been responses to violations of the agreement. It said Saturday's strikes followed what it described as two separate ceasefire violations a day earlier, in which Israeli forces killed three militants who emerged from a tunnel in an Israeli-controlled area of Rafah and four who approached troops near the dividing line. As of Friday, Gaza's Health Ministry had recorded at least 520 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the start of the ceasefire. The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. The war began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 people hostage.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Special envoy Steve Witkoff told President Trump Hamas will demilitarize because they "have no choice." The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Saturday that strikes across Gaza were carried out in response to what it described as a ceasefire violation in which eight terrorists were identified exiting underground terror infrastructure in eastern Rafah. The IDF said it struck four commanders and additional terrorists from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as a weapons storage facility. A weapons manufacturing site and two launch sites belonging to Hamas in central Gaza were also hit, the IDF said. Rescuers carry the body of a victim amid debris following an Israeli airstrike on a police station in Gaza City on Jan. 31, 2026, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry. Hospital officials reported that casualties included civilians. An airstrike also hit a police station in Gaza City, killing at least 14 and wounding others, Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiya said. An Israeli military official told the AP that the strikes were carried out in response to ceasefire violations but declined to comment on specific targets. That phase includes limited border reopenings, efforts to demilitarize Gaza and discussions over postwar governance. Israel has said the Rafah crossing has been a focal point for concerns about weapons smuggling by Hamas, and that security arrangements would accompany any reopening. Rescue workers carry the body of a victim amid debris following an Israeli airstrike on a police station in Gaza City on Jan. 31, 2026, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel agreed to a "limited reopening" of the crossing under President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan. Israel has said it continues to carry out strikes across the region in response to violations of ceasefire understandings. On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure and engineering vehicles in southern Lebanon, accusing the group of attempting to reestablish terror infrastructure in violation of agreements with Israel. The military estimates around 70,000 Gazans were killed during the two-plus-year conflict triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Rescuers and onlookers stand amid the rubble of a police station following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Jan. 31, 2026, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry. The Gaza Health Ministry currently reports 71,667 deaths, including more than 450 since the October 2025 ceasefire, though Israeli officials said the estimate does not include bodies believed to be buried under rubble. Gaza's Health Ministry has said 509 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire began Oct. 10. The Associated Press contributed to this report. You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan. By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by

Democrats' brief victory on government funding could be short-lived as Republicans bring their own demands, including a crackdown on “sanctuary” cities and states, to a fight over Immigration and Customs Enforcement conduct. Republicans have demonstrated openness to codifying some of their reforms, which come after two U.S. citizens were fatally shot in Minneapolis this month. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) wants to penalize Democratic jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with the federal government on immigration, a demand being echoed in the House. And Republicans believe that some of the demands from Democrats go too far, signaling early resistance to a ban on the face masks agents wear to shield their identity. But the early posturing has already begun over an ICE compromise that Republicans say won't happen without concessions. “I'm doing it now because we're off the rails, both parties, quite frankly,” Graham said. The rhetoric is a sign of how challenging it will be to get any deal done after similar efforts at bipartisanship have fallen apart. Most recently, negotiators walked away empty-handed after a long-shot push to extend enhanced Obamacare subsidies that were at the center of the last government shutdown. Kennedy expressed openness to building on modest reforms that already passed the House, chiefly more money for body cameras and de-escalation training. But the Louisiana Republican expressed skepticism that anything meaningful can be done given how polarizing ICE has become since Trump returned to the White House. “In my opinion, it's not the details that matter here,” Kennedy said. That skepticism runs both ways, particularly when it comes to the Trump administration. Democrats don't believe the president is serious about reining in some of the more aggressive tactics by ICE, even as he deployed border czar Tom Homan, viewed in Washington as a steadier hand, to take over immigration operations in Minneapolis. As a sign of goodwill, the White House also ended its expanded operation in Maine, following outreach from Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-ME). “I mean, Tom Homan is not an avatar for responsible immigration policy, and I have no idea what they're doing in Maine,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), the top Democratic appropriator for DHS spending. “I was just in Texas, a state 20 times as big as Maine, and they are involved in gross illegality every single day in the state of Texas,” he said, “and that is representative of what's happening all around the country.” Earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) judged that “there's a path to consider some of those things and negotiate that out.” His remark came after Democrats united behind a list of “legislative objectives” that includes tightening warrant requirements and instituting use-of-force rules akin to those adopted by local police departments. Tillis billed it as a way to rebuild public trust. But Republicans are simultaneously reluctant to embrace the full set of reforms proposed by Democrats and believe that any deal must also advance their priorities. Like Graham, Tillis has a piece of legislation that allows legal action for families “harmed when sanctuary jurisdictions put public safety in danger.” Reaching a compromise will be even harder in the House, where rabble-rousing conservatives have already threatened to hold up floor business over illegal immigration. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who is running for attorney general of Texas, warned Wednesday that he had his own “list” of demands on DHS if Democrats get theirs. Also this week, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) began to draw red lines, telling reporters on Friday that Democrats “will not walk away from” their demand that ICE obtain judicial warrants before entering homes. He also called for an “explicit prohibition” on the deportation of U.S. citizens.

Students at a school in Suwanee, Georgia had a noisy demonstration in opposition to recent ICE activities across the nation. Thousands of protesters gathered in Los Angeles on Friday to oppose the Trump administration's immigration policies. Demonstrators first gathered in front of city hall in the afternoon and later marched to the federal detention center. People gather for a protest against ICE outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Minneapolis. A sign at a cannabis shop indicates it is closed for the general strike to support the state's immigrant community Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Portland, Maine. Attendees hold signs at a news conference held by public officials and faith leaders calling for the abolishment of the U.S. Immigrant and Customs Enforcement, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Portland, Maine. People gather for a protest outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Minneapolis. Groves High School students hold signs after walking out of morning class on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 in Birmingham, Mich. (AP Photo/Corey R. Williams) The demonstrations took place amid widespread outrage over the killing Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse who was shot multiple times after he used his cellphone to record Border Patrol officers conducting an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. A sign at a cannabis shop indicates it is closed for the general strike to support the state's immigrant community Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Portland, Maine. Many other demonstrations were planned for students and others to gather at city centers, statehouses and churches across the country. People gather for a protest outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Minneapolis. After speeches from clergy members, demonstrators marched toward the facility's restricted area, jeering at a line of DHS agents to “quit your jobs” and “get out of Minnesota.” Much of the group later dispersed after they were threatened with arrest by local law enforcement for blocking the road. Michelle Pasko, a retired communications worker, said she joined the demonstration after witnessing federal agents stopping immigrants at a bus stop near her home in Minnetonka, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. “Everyone in this country has rights, and the federal government seems to have forgotten that. The students braved the zero-degree (minus 18 degrees Celsius) temperatures and walked about a mile (1.6 kilometers) to the closest business district where a number of morning commuters honked horns in support. “We're here to protest ICE and what they're doing all over the country, especially in Minnesota,” said Logan Albritton, a 17-year-old senior at Groves. Abigail Daugherty, 16, organized the walkout at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia, on Friday. “For years, I have felt powerless, and seeing other schools in the county being able to do this, I wanted to do something,” the sophomore said. Numerous businesses announced they would be closed during Friday's “blackout.” Others said they would be staying open, but donating a portion of their proceeds to organizations that support immigrants and provide legal aid to those facing deportation. Otway Restaurant and its sister Otway Bakery in New York posted on social media that its bakery would stay open and 50% of proceeds would go to the New York Immigration Coalition. “As a small business who already took a huge financial hit this week due to the winter storm closures, we will remain open on Friday,” they posted. In Maine, where Republican Sen. Susan Collins announced that ICE is ending its surge, people gathered outside a Portland church on Friday morning, holding signs that said “No ICE for ME,” a play on the state's postal code. Grace Valenzuela, an administrator with Portland Public Schools, decried an “enforcement system that treats our presence as suspect.” She said ICE's actions brought “daily trauma” to the school system. Groves High School students hold signs after walking out of morning class on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 in Birmingham, Mich. (AP Photo/Corey R. Williams) “Schools are meant to be places of learning, safety and belonging. ICE undermines that mission every time it destabilizes a family,” Valenzuela said. It's the cornerstone of our democracy,” Dion said. In Los Angeles, where Trump's immigration surge first began last June, thousands of protesters gathered in front of city hall in the afternoon and later marched to the federal detention center. “What I see here at the detention center are people exercising their constitutional rights,” Waters said. “And of course, they're now trying to tear gas everybody. It's in the air, but people are not moving.” A few students entered the street outside Fremont High School around 2 p.m. and one was hit by a vehicle that had stopped in front of the crowd, then began moving, Fremont Public Schools said in a statement. The vehicle stops briefly and then takes off.

Journalist Don Lemon says outside court he won't be silenced following arrest for covering Minnesota church protest. Independent journalists Georgia Fort and Don Lemon were ordered released by federal judge along with two other people Friday after being indicted for civil rights crimes. Journalist Don Lemon, talks to the media after a hearing at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. Journalist Don Lemon, waves to the media after a hearing outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. Journalist Don Lemon, waves after leaving a hearing at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass speaks to the media outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. Jane Fonda talks to media about First Amendment and her support for journalist Don Lemon. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Journalist Don Lemon was released from custody Friday after he was arrested and hit with federal civil rights charges over his coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a service at a Minnesota church. He struck a confident, defiant tone while speaking to reporters after a court appearance in California, declaring: “I will not be silenced.” “I have spent my entire career covering the news. “In fact there is no more important time than right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those in power accountable.” A grand jury in Minnesota indicted Lemon and others on charges of conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshippers during the Jan. 18 protest at the Cities Church in St. Paul, where a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official is a pastor. AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports on the arrest of Don Lemon after a Minneapolis church protest. In court in Los Angeles, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Robbins argued for a $100,000 bond, telling a judge that Lemon “knowingly joined a mob that stormed into a church.” He was released, however, without having to post money and was granted permission to travel to France in June while the case is pending. Defense attorney Marilyn Bednarski said Lemon plans to plead not guilty and fight the charges in Minnesota. Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023 following a bumpy run as a morning host, has said he has no affiliation to the organization that went into the church and he was there as a solo journalist chronicling protesters. “Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” his lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement earlier Friday. Attorney General Pam Bondi promoted the arrests on social media. Under President Trump's leadership and this administration, you have the right to worship freely and safely,” Bondi said in a video posted online. Since he left CNN, Lemon has joined the legion of journalists who have gone into business for themselves. He posts regularly on YouTube and has not hidden his disdain for Trump. Yet during his online show from the church, he stressed: “I'm not here as an activist. Lemon started livestreaming and told the audience he was with a group gearing up for a “resistance” operation against federal immigration policies, according to the document. Lemon “took steps to maintain operational secrecy by reminding co-conspirators to not disclose the target of their operation,” the indictment says, and stepped away so his microphone would not accidentally divulge the planning. During the briefing before the operation, prosecutors say, Lemon thanked an activist who is among the nine indicted for what she was doing and assured her he was not saying what was going on. Last week a magistrate judge rejected prosecutors' initial bid to charge Lemon. Shortly afterward he predicted on his show that the administration would try again. That's not going to stop me from being a journalist. Go ahead, make me into the new Jimmy Kimmel if you want. A judge released Fort, Trahern Crews and Jamael Lundy on bond, rejecting the Justice Department's attempt to keep them in custody. Some experts and activists said the charges are not only an attack on press freedoms but also a strike against Black Americans who count on Black journalists to bear witness to injustice and oppression. Crews is a leader of Black Lives Matter Minnesota who has led many protests and actions for racial justice, particularly following George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis in 2020. “All the greats have been to jail, MLK, Malcom X — people who stood up for justice get attacked,” Crews told The Associated Press. A prominent civil rights attorney and two other people involved in the protest were arrested last week. Prosecutors have accused them of civil rights violations for disrupting the Cities Church service. The Justice Department launched an investigation after the group interrupted services by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” referring to the 37-year-old mother of three who was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis. Cities Church belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention and lists one of its pastors as David Easterwood, who leads ICE's St. Paul field office. “We are grateful that the Department of Justice acted swiftly to protect Cities Church so that we can continue to faithfully live out the church's mission to worship Jesus and make him known,” lead pastor Jonathan Parnell said.

The Justice Department on Friday released more than 3 million pages of files related to the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after Congress passed a law last year forcing the Trump administration to do so. The documents released Friday contain references to President Donald Trump and other powerful figures, including Elon Musk, Bill Clinton and a former Obama White House counsel. CNN reporters have been going through the documents, and you can read highlights below: Editor's Note: This story contains graphic and disturbing descriptions of sexual violence. Trump has long denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein. There are more than a dozen allegations included in the document. Two versions of the document appeared to have been removed from the Justice Department's website for a time Friday afternoon before they were restored without any apparent changes. They appear to have been allegations that were received through the FBI's National Threat Operations Center, which takes tips by phone and electronically. There are also allegations made in the document against former President Bill Clinton, who has denied wrongdoing related to Epstein. To be clear, the claims are unfounded and false, and if they have a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already.” The undated diagram shows the names and photos of several known close associates of Epstein, including convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell and Jean-Luc Brunel, a model agent with longtime ties to Epstein who faced rape charges in France. The Justice Department redacted the names and photos of five other individuals, including Maxwell's assistant and four Epstein employees, one of whom was listed as a ‘girlfriend/employee.' Victims and advocates have criticized the Justice Department for what they argue are heavy but inconsistent redactions of names and details in the millions of released documents. The document lists other close associates including Epstein's personal chef, pilots, and Peter Listerman, a model scout described in the file as a subject/witness and model “matchmaker.” It also lists Leslie Wexner, the billionaire business magnate who employed Epstein as a money manager who has said he severed ties with Epstein in 2007. The latest batch of documents indicates that, at least at one point, prosecutors felt they could charge more than just Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell with crimes. A draft indictment from the Southern District of Florida from the 2000s would have charged Epstein alongside apparently three others who are described as having been “employed” by Epstein. They are mostly described as facilitating appointments between Epstein and girls. The document, which followers of the case had been hoping to see, describes all of them as having conspired to “persuade, induce, and entice individuals who had not attained the age of 18 years to engage in prostitution.” Epstein's sweetheart deal to avoid much more serious charges in the late 2000s – he pleaded guilty to prostitution-related charges – is a major piece of this scandal. Instead of bringing the 60-count indictment against the four people, federal prosecutors in 2007 reached a non-prosecution agreement with Epstein, who avoided federal charges and served 13-months in state prison over state prostitution charges. In a 2020 review, the Justice Department found that former US attorney for the Southern District of Florida Alex Acosta had used “poor judgement” in the deal but did not find that Acosta had engaged in professional misconduct. In one instance, Epstein allegedly told one of the girls he was abusing “that if she reported to anyone what had occurred … bad things could happen to her.” One unidentified defendant, according to the document, was often tasked with leading the women from Epstein's kitchen to his master bedroom in Palm Beach where Epstein was waiting. The document is not signed by a grand jury foreperson and, in the place for Acosta's signature is a blank, unsigned space. One of Jeffrey Epstein's victims told the FBI that his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell once “presented her” to Donald Trump at a party and suggested that she was “available,” according to an internal FBI memo released Friday. The FBI memo is from mid-2021, a few months before Maxwell was convicted on federal sex trafficking charges. According to the memo, the witness said, ultimately, “nothing happened” between her and Trump, who has never been accused by investigators of involvement in Epstein's or Maxwell's crimes. The victim said Maxwell brought her to a party in New York when she was about 22 years old, though it was unclear what year this took place. Maxwell “seemed very excited that there would be a lot of great men for” the victim “to meet,” according to the interview notes. The victim said that during the party, Maxwell “presented [her] to Trump,” and that the victim “felt that Maxwell presented her” by giving a rundown of her accolades, “similar to a CV.” Maxwell said things such as, “Oh I think he likes you. Aren't you lucky,” according to the FBI memo, and also encouraged the victim to wear clothes that she thought Trump would like. “It was set up very much like how Maxwell introduced [her] to Epstein,” the memo said. FBI memos like these, known as 302s, memorialize tips and allegations from witnesses, but they do not typically contain information about whether the FBI could corroborate the information. Trump has previously denied any wrongdoing with respect to Epstein. Editor's Note: This report contains details that some readers may find disturbing. The Justice Department's newly released files related to Jeffrey Epstein on Friday include an FBI form that details a complaint from a woman who accused Donald Trump of raping her when she was 13 years old. These descriptions mirror the allegations that Jane Doe made in her 2016 lawsuit. Jane Doe was expected to appear at a news conference in Los Angeles in November of 2016, but the event was abruptly canceled. A newly released email chain shows Jeffrey Epstein and someone who appears to have been Ghislaine Maxwell strategizing in 2011 about how to deal with new allegations from a woman who claimed she had worked at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. Epstein first emails a former executive with Trump's resort empire named Nicholas Ribis about “the girl in the new papers” who had claimed to have worked at Mar-a-Lago in 1998 at the age of 15, when Epstein thought it was in 2000 when she was 17. Giuffre also made her allegations public around the time of these emails, in 2011. One of the big subplots involving Trump is what he knew and when about why Epstein was recruiting the likes of Giuffre. These memos contain the notes taken by FBI agents when they interview witnesses. They don't describe subsequent attempts to corroborate the information. But victims have been eager to see what's in these files. A witness told the FBI in June 2020 about former Trump adviser Steve Bannon's “relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” but “was hesitant” to discuss the matter in detail because Bannon was “friends with powerful people,” according to one of the memos. Bannon has never been accused by law enforcement of any Epstein-related wrongdoing. CNN has reached out to a Bannon spokesperson regarding the new FBI memo. Another one of the 302s contains notes from an apparent FBI interview with Virginia Giuffre, one of the most outspoken Epstein survivors, who died by suicide in April. The partially redacted memo indicates that Giuffre told investigators about working as a teenager at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in south Florida, how she was recruited from there to work for Epstein, and about sexual abuse she was later subjected to by a redacted person that appears to be Epstein. Law enforcement has never accused Trump of wrongdoing regarding Epstein. The White House has said Trump kicked Epstein out of his club because he was “being a creep,” and Trump has said they had a falling out because he “stole people that worked for me,” such as Giuffre. Regarding Giuffre's time working at Trump's social club, he previously claimed “she had no complaints about us … none whatsoever.” Meanwhile, some of the 302s have been completely redacted, revealing nothing. Editor's Note: This report contains some graphic and disturbing descriptions of sexual violence. Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused an underage girl who had confided in him about previously being molested, she told the FBI in a 2021 interview. The partially redacted document says the girl told Epstein when she was around 14 years old that “her childhood was ‘shitty'” because she had been molested. According to the notes, the witness told investigators that she later gave “uncomfortable” massages to Epstein on multiple occasions where they were both naked. Musk had previously claimed that he rebuffed attempts from Epstein to get him to visit one of the two islands Epstein owned – Great St. James and Little St. James – in the US Virgin Islands. It's not clear from the emails whether Musk ultimately visited. On November 24, 2012, Epstein emailed Musk: “how many people will you be for the heli to island.” Musk responded the next day that it would probably just be him and his then-wife. “What day/night will be the wildest party on =our island?” Musk added. Musk first responded that he would need to fly back to Los Angeles on the night of January 2, before saying he could push his departure back a day. “When should we head to your island on the 2nd?” Musk asked Epstein. Multiple emails released Friday between Jeffrey Epstein and Larry Summers, former US treasury secretary and Harvard University president, show the two men gossiping about President Donald Trump during his first presidential term. Epstein replied that “your world does not understand how dumb he really is.” In July 2017, Summers wrote to Epstein: “I think your friend is mentally ill.” Epstein responded that the person is “not my friend, and i ve told you that before.” While neither referenced Trump by name, they went on to discuss his foreign policy actions and whether, as Summers said, “he was better than Hillary.” Epstein defended his record, citing work with Israel and India. Summers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Summers took leave from teaching at Harvard in November. In the deposition from September 2016, Epstein repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to self-incriminate when asked more than a dozen questions about his relationship with former President Bill Clinton or the Clinton Foundation. Some examples of the questions asked to Epstein were to “Please describe all dinners you've ever had with Bill Clinton” and “Please list every place you and Bill Clinton have ever been together.” They also repeatedly asked Epstein whether he's heard of the Clinton Foundation and for all his interactions with it. A spokesperson for Clinton has repeatedly said the former president cut ties with Epstein before he was charged with soliciting prostitution in 2006 and didn't know about his crimes. Clinton has also denied ever having visited Epstein's island. Recently, the Clintons rebuffed a subpoena from the Republican-led House Oversight Committee to have them testify in a congressional probe related to Epstein. Howard Lutnick and Jeffrey Epstein corresponded through intermediaries several times in 2011 and 2012 – years after Lutnick had vowed to never be in the same room with Epstein again, documents released by the Department of Justice on Friday show. The documents reveal a deeper relationship between Lutnick and Epstein than had previously been known. The documents released Friday undercut that claim and reveal Lutnick sought to meet with or call Epstein several times since 2005, including after Epstein pleaded guilty to procuring a minor for prostitution in 2008. A 2011 email to Epstein from Epstein's assistant said: “Howard Lutnick returned your call.” Another email to Epstein from his assistant reads: “Howard Lutnick will come see you at 5 p.m.” That same year, the heading of an alarm message reads: “Drinks w/Howard Lutnick” The next year, both Lutnick's wife and assistant communicated with an Epstein assistant to set up a visit and lunch on one of Epstein's Caribbean islands, emails show. “Jeffrey Epstein understands you will be down in St. Thomas some over the holidays,” Epstein's assistant wrote in a November 20, 2012, email to Lutnick. The next month, Lutnick's wife, Allison, said in an email that was forwarded to Epstein: “We are looking forward to visiting you,” adding the Lutnicks were part of a large group that included another family. “We are heading towards you from St. Thomas,” Allison Lutnick wrote. “Where should we anchor exactly?” Representatives for Epstein asked what type of boat the Lutnicks would be arriving on so they could properly coordinate. Howard Lutnick, the current US secretary of commerce and former CEO of financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald, was a longtime neighbor to Epstein. Lutnick lived next door to Epstein in Manhattan's Upper East Side neighborhood. Lutnick once described Epstein showing him and his wife a “massage room” in Epstein's townhouse in 2005 that disgusted the couple, saying they decided they would “never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again.” But an email from the newest batch of Epstein files shows that Lutnick sent an email to Epstein's longtime assistant in November 2015 inviting Epstein to a Democratic fundraiser for Hillary Clinton that Lutnick hosted. CNN reached out to the Commerce Department for comment but did not receive an immediate response. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and his wife, Nili Priel, stayed at an apartment in New York owned by Jeffrey Epstein multiple times, documents released by the Justice Department on Friday show. Like many powerful figures in Epstein's orbit, Barak, who said he first met the late financier in 2003, continued his association with Epstein for years after he became a convicted sex offender following a controversial plea deal in 2008. Priel emailed Epstein in May 2017 letting him know that she and Barak would be leaving the apartment for a few days to go to Harvard and asked if a cleaner could come by the place while it was vacant. In a separate email exchange from Epstein's assistant, Lesley Groff, Groff writes that she will contact Priel about switching out the cable box in the Baraks' apartment for an Apple TV setup. Kathy Ruemmler, the top lawyer at Goldman Sachs and a White House counsel under former President Barack Obama, called Jeffrey Epstein “wonderful Jeffrey” and said “I adore him” in a December 2015 email exchange which appears to show Epstein booking and paying for her to have a first-class trip to Europe. A day later in response, Ruemmler provided her frequent-flyer number, and preferred route for an international trip to Geneva, with uncertainty about where she would return from. The redacted individual then told Ruemmler that Epstein considered her a “very good friend,” to which Ruemmler responded, “Well, I adore him. The December 2015 emails add to a body of past KFILE reporting that has raised questions about the nature and extent of Ruemmler's relationship with Epstein. As previously reported, Epstein referred to Ruemmler in a message as “my great defender,” sought her advice as he faced renewed scrutiny over his abuse of underage girls, and relied on her input while crafting responses to critical media coverage. Epstein's estate has asserted attorney-client privilege over hundreds of emails involving Ruemmler, a claim that legal experts have said is inconsistent with the idea of a purely casual or informal relationship. Goldman Sachs, where she now serves as chief legal officer, has said her relationship with Epstein was professional. “As Kathy has repeatedly said, she had a professional relationship with Epstein. In fact, the plane ticket you're highlighting was in relation to a business meeting with the mutual client that Epstein referred to Latham and Watkins,” a Goldman Sachs spokesperson told CNN. In October 2014, Kathy Ruemmler, as White House Counsel to Barack Obama, sent Jeffrey Epstein a draft public statement declining further consideration for the position of US Attorney General — and asked for his feedback. The email, dated October 23, 2014, shows Ruemmler writing simply: “Draft statement. “I have always considered the Department of=Justice my professional home, and while I am deeply honored to be consider=d a candidate for Attorney General, I have informed the President that I m=st decline his further consideration.T he Attorney General serves a =nique role in the President's cabinet, and must be perceived as indepe=dent from the White House. She is currently the top lawyer at Goldman Sachs. Epstein replied with suggested edits, advising Ruemmler add the phrases “I believe” and commenting on how the statement would be received in “international news reports,” by saying she should add “United States,” after Attorney General. Goldman Sachs, where she now serves as chief legal officer, has said in the past her relationship with Epstein was professional. Goldman Sachs and Ruemmler did not respond to multiple requests for comment. In the immediate aftermath of the Justice Department releasing millions of additional Jeffrey Epstein-related files on Friday, some survivors tell CNN that they have found numerous examples of victims' names appearing unredacted throughout the documents. One woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous as “Jane Doe,” has already found her name in multiple places, including in email exchanges she previously had with Epstein. Plotkin said she never heard back from the agency. The failure to properly redact victims' names came despite Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche saying in a press conference Friday morning that the agency prioritizes victims' privacy and well-being. Still, he added, “mistakes are inevitable,” and he encouraged anyone who sees problems to reach out to a DOJ email tip sheet. Editor's Note: This report contains details that some readers may find disturbing. Jeffrey Epstein's cellmate at a Manhattan prison pleaded with the convicted sex offender not to kill himself in their shared cell, the man told federal investigators in a lengthy interview days after Epstein's death. The interview with Efrain Reyes on August 16, 2019, in which he detailed the time he spent with Epstein, was memorialized in several pages of handwritten notes taken by one of the Justice Department officials who was there. “REYES was JEFFREY EPSTEIN's cellmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in the Special Housing Unit (SHU), L Tier, Cell 220, until August 9, 2019,” an FBI document reads. Reyes – who would go on to plead guilty to federal narcotics charges – was transferred out of the prison in a routine, prearranged move. Reyes “told (Epstein) ‘don't hang yourself up in my cell. Don't try to kill yourself in this cell. “(Epstein) said ‘don't worry I'm never going to cause you trouble. Reyes told the investigators that Epstein, a billionaire inmate with an attentive legal team, would use his wealth to his benefit to make life more comfortable in prison. Epstein “would ask (correctional officers) for things (and) if they say no he would write down (their) name (and) say I'll tell my lawyer – everyone on eggshells,” Reyes said, according to the notes. For example, though inmates in the SHU were not allowed to have pens, Epstein had two, Reyes said. The latest tranche of Epstein documents released by the Department of Justice on Friday include fresh information about his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, including booking photos with weight and height details, as well as pictures of her New Hampshire home from search warrant requests. The newly released documents also contain dozens of Maxwell's financial records. There are documents from Maxwell-linked accounts at UBS, including one that described her investments and showed a balance of $773,775 in March 2019. The Justice Department outlined in a letter to Congress how it conducted its review of the Jeffrey Epstein files and provided more specifics on what was redacted in the more than 3 million pages released on Friday. Approximately 200,000 pages have been “redacted or withheld based on various privileges,” the letter signed by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche states, such as attorney-client privileges or deliberative process privilege. The letter said that the Justice Department is still trying to obtain additional documents that could later be released, including grand jury materials from a federal criminal case out of the Southern District of New York that charged corrections officers who worked at the correctional facility where Epstein killed himself with falsifying records.

A document included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files is photographed Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, that illustrates several people who handled Epstein's financial affairs or who were close to him (AP Photo/Jon Elswick) WASHINGTON (AP) — A huge new tranche of files on millionaire financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein released Friday revealed details of his communications with the wealthy and powerful, some not long before he died by suicide in 2019. By Friday evening, more than 600,000 documents had been published online. Here's what we know so far about the files now being reviewed by a team of Associated Press reporters: The documents show Epstein exchanged hundreds of friendly texts with Steve Bannon, a top adviser to President Donald Trump, some months before Epstein's death. They discussed politics, travel and a documentary Bannon was said to be planning that would help salvage Epstein's reputation. A couple of months later, Epstein messaged to Bannon, “Now you can understand why trump wakes up in the middle of the night sweating when he hears you and I are friends.” Around the same time, Epstein also communicated with Kathy Ruemmler, a lawyer and former Obama White House official. Bannon did not immediately respond to a message from the AP seeking comment. Ruemmler said through a spokesperson she was associated with Epstein professionally during her time as a lawyer in private practice and now “regrets ever knowing him.” Epstein inquired in an email about how many people Musk would like flown by helicopter, and Musk responded that it would likely be just him and his partner at the time. It's not immediately clear if the island visits took place. Spokespersons for Musk's companies, Tesla and X, didn't immediately respond to emails seeking comment Friday. Musk has maintained that he repeatedly turned down the disgraced financier's overtures. Epstein also invited Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to the island in Dec. 2012. Lutnick's wife enthusiastically accepted the invitation and said they would arrive on a yacht with their children. The two also had drinks on another occasion in 2011, according to a schedule. Lutnick has distanced himself from Epstein, calling him “gross” and saying in 2025 that he cut ties decades ago. He didn't respond to an e-mailed request for comment on Friday afternoon. The latest batch of documents includes emails between investigators about Epstein's death, including an investigator's observation that his final communication doesn't look like a suicide note. Multiple investigations have determined that Epstein's death was a suicide. The records also detail a trick that jail staffers used to fool the media gathered outside while Epstein's body was removed: they used boxes and sheets to create what appeared to be a body and loaded it into a white van labeled as belonging to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

“For many years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, under WEAK and STUPID people, has been FAILING American Businesses, Policymakers, and Families by releasing VERY inaccurate numbers. “Brett Matsumoto is a Brilliant, Reputable, and Trusted Economist who will restore GREATNESS to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Trump has directed his ire toward the Department of Labor agency ever since former Commissioner Erika McEntarfer authorized the release of a weak jobs report last summer. An estimated 258,000 fewer jobs were added in May and June, according to the report scrutinized by Trump. He then fired McEntarfer, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden in 2024. Matsumoto's pending confirmation now heads to the Senate for approval. Trump previously nominated Heritage Foundation economist EJ Antoni as BLS commissioner, but he later withdrew that choice over concerns Antoni wouldn't have been easily confirmed by the Senate. The newest nominee appears to be a less controversial choice. Matsumoto earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware and a doctorate in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2015. He has served at BLS for the past decade, conducting research focused on measuring consumer prices.

Elon Musk apparently wanted to visit Jeffrey Epstein's infamous island for the “wildest party” as seen in a 2012 email exchange with the late sex trafficker, according to the latest tranche of Epstein files released on Friday. In a November 2012 email, Epstein asked Musk, “How many people will you be for the heli to the island?” Musk responded one day later: “Probably just Talulah and me. In January 2013, Musk told Epstein that he wouldn't be able to visit Little St. James in the U.S. Virgin Islands because “logistics won't work this time around.” In March of that year, Musk said he wouldn't be able to visit soon due to his demanding role as Tesla CEO. When Epstein asked if he could take a break in April, Musk explained that the visit “depends on how well Q1 goes” and that he hadn't been able to get much sleep. “Bad news- Unfortunately, my schedule will keep me in New York. I was really looking forward to finally spending some time together with just fun as the agenda. Hopefully we can schedule another time in the near future,” Epstein wrote. The disclosure is part of the department's effort to comply with a law passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump late last year requiring broad transparency around the Epstein investigations, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said during a Friday press conference. Among the big names were Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, both of whom appeared to visit Epstein's island before the financier faced federal charges in 2019.