
Judge extends pause on Trump dismantling of USAID through February 21
CNN
A federal judge has extended the pause on the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID for another week after an extensive hearing Thursday.
A federal judge has extended the pause on the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID for another week after an extensive hearing Thursday. The case is one of the most significant early tests of President Donald Trump’s power to reduce the federal workforce and shutter an agency. Judge Carl Nichols of the DC District Court said he will continue to have a court order in place that reinstates USAID workers whom the administration previously placed on paid leave, and blocks the administration from taking further action that potentially could hurt USAID workers, especially those who are stationed in foreign countries that have high security risks, until February 21. Nichols, who is a 2019 Trump appointee to the trial-level court, hasn’t yet decided on whether he will allow the Trump administration’s plans to dismantle the agency or indefinitely block that from happening. He said he will make a ruling on that question by the end of next week, though his decision is likely to be appealed. Other cases attempting to challenge the shuttering of USAID are still ongoing in court. This story is breaking and will be updated.

One year ago this week, Joe Biden was president. I was in Doha, Qatar, negotiating with Israel and Hamas to finalize a ceasefire and hostage release deal. The incoming Trump team worked closely with us, a rare display of nonpartisanship to free hostages and end a war. It feels like a decade ago. A lot can happen in a year, as 2025 has shown.

Botched Epstein redactions trace back to Virgin Islands’ 2020 civil racketeering case against estate
A botched redaction in the Epstein files revealed that government attorneys once accused his lawyers of paying over $400,000 to “young female models and actresses” to cover up his criminal activities

The Justice Department’s leadership asked career prosecutors in Florida Tuesday to volunteer over the “next several days” to help to redact the Epstein files, in the latest internal Trump administrationpush toward releasing the hundreds of thousands of photos, internal memos and other evidence around the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The US State Department on Tuesday imposed visa sanctions on a former top European Union official and employees of organizations that combat disinformation for alleged censorship – sharply ratcheting up the Trump administration’s fight against European regulations that have impacted digital platforms, far-right politicians and Trump allies, including Elon Musk.









