Trump News for Friday, January 30, 2026

Takeaways from the millions of newly released Epstein files

BBC News

The three million new documents include hundreds of mentions of Trump emails between Epstein and a person called "The Duke"

Trump to face Carter in German Masters semi-final

BBC Sport, BBC News

World number one Judd Trump will take on Ali Carter in the semi-finals of the German Masters after the world number one beat Xiao Guodong in a match which featured four centuries.

The Don Lemon indictment, briefly explained

Cameron Peters, Vox

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: The Trump administration is indicting two journalists …

Iran says ready for ‘fair’ talks with US but not ‘under shadow of threats’

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Iran's foreign minister says missile programme not up for negotiation as Trump says sending more ships to the region.

Iran wants to make deal rather than face military action, Trump says

BBC News

Tehran has said it will never negotiate on its missile and defence systems, but that it is open to talks.

Elon Musk discussed plans to party with Jeffrey Epstein in the Caribbean, newly released emails show

Jacob Shamsian, Business Insider

Elon Musk planned visits to Jeffrey Epstein's island, DOJ emails show. Epstein repeatedly sought meetings with Musk, who previously denied visiting.

Bari Weiss Pauses Her Pathetic Podcast To Focus Full Time On Ruining CBS

Karl Bode, Techdirt

If you’ve been napping, Trump-allied billionaire Larry Ellison and his nepobaby son David hired an unqualified troll named Bari Weiss to “run” CBS News. And by “run” CBS news, I mean destroy what little journalism was left at the media giant and create an alt…

DHS ramps up surveillance in immigration raids, sweeping in citizens

Garance Burke, Byron Tau, Associated Press

The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis is providing insights into the surveillance technologies the government is using in its mass deportation campaign. Department of Homeland Security officials insist their immigration enforcement o…

U.S. ultimatum to vaccine group: No more funds unless you stop using thimerosal

Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR

This mercury-containing compound, used as a vaccine preservative, is commonly used in lower-income countries — and deemed safe. The U.S. is now demanding that Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance stop using it.

Elon Musk Emailed With Jeffrey Epstein to Plan Island Visits in 2012 and 2014

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Epstein wrote an email to Musk in 2013 discussing a visit with four "assistants," newly released DOJ documents show.

'Melania' isn't good. But it isn't for you, anyway.

Peter Kafka, Business Insider

Even diehard Trump fans might be bored by the documentary about the first lady. But this movie, "Melania," is for an audience of one.

The Internet Reacts To The Death Of Catherine O’Hara

Kenneth Shepard, Kotaku

The Schitt’s Creek and Last of Us actor has passed away at 71 The post The Internet Reacts To The Death Of Catherine O’Hara appeared first on Kotaku.

After Trump call, Russia agrees to pause attacks on Kyiv amid cold spell

Al Jazeera English

The Kremlin says it’s agreed to halt attacks on Kyiv and nearby towns until February 1, after a request from the US.

Tom Homan To Minneapolis: Look, I Warned You If You Weren’t Nice, We’d Have To Kill Again, And Look What You Made Us Do

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

A couple weeks ago, in the wake of the murder of Renee Good, we wrote about “border czar” Tom Homan’s ridiculous TV comments suggesting that if Democrats didn’t stop calling ICE & CBP murderers for murdering people, that they’d just be forced to murder again.…

Maersk to take over Panama Canal port operations from HK firm

AFP, Yahoo Entertainment

Danish firm Maersk will temporarily take over operation of two ports on the Panama Canal from Hong Kong company CK Hutchison, whose concession has been...

The Casual Cruelty Of The GOP’s Migrant Purge

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

Yeah, there’s the overt cruelty. There’s the murder of protesters. The chasing of day laborers across Home Depot parking lots. The snatching and separation of children from parents. The day-in, day-out portrayal of migrants as filthy leeches from “shithole” c…

Amazon's Spending on 'Melania' Is a Barely Concealed Bribe

Daringfireball.net

Link to: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/28/business/media/amazon-melania-trump-film-critics.html?unlocked_article_code=1.IFA.R85v.5ZtNe8FttfaD

Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq slide after Trump picks Warsh for Fed; gold, silver plunge

Rian Howlett, Yahoo Entertainment

Major gauges are set to end the week higher with earnings and the Fed holding investor attention.

White House Response To Springsteen's Minneapolis Song Is Tougher Than The Rest

Ron Dicker, HuffPost

The Trump administration also offered free journalism tips after The Boss' protest anthem went viral.

Brown University pays out first workforce grants under deal with Trump

Elissa Nadworny, NPR

The Ivy League school is giving $1.5 million to a community college and to a nonprofit apprenticeship program.

ICE invades Minnesota and Minnesotans fight back

Adi Robertson, The Verge

The Trump administration has flooded Minneapolis and other parts of Minnesota with federal agents as part of its immigration crackdown, Operation Metro Surge — detaining children, intimidating protestors and community organizers, and killing multiple people. …

Bombardier stock dives on Trump threats of 50% tariff on Canadian planes

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Trump threatened decertifying Bombardier's planes and slapping new tariffs if Canada did not certify rival US planes.

Disgraced Crypto CEO Sam Bankman-Fried Seeks Trump Pardon With Republican Pivot

Kyle Torpey, Gizmodo.com

SBF swears he was Republican-curious long before things went awry.

Trump Demands $10 Billion From Taxpayers For Leaked Tax Returns; His Own Lawyers Get To Decide What He Gets

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

Back in May, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt offered what might be the single most audacious statement of the Trump era—and that’s saying something: I think everybody – the American public believe it’s absurd for anyone to insinuate that this pre…

DOJ releases tranche of Epstein files

NPR Washington Desk, NPR

The Department of Justice on Friday released more than 3 million pages, more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images in its files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

'Washington Post' journalists plea to Bezos: Don't gut our newsroom

David Folkenflik, NPR

Members of the newspaper's union say they have been warned the company could cut as many as 300 jobs, although no announcement has been made.

DOJ releases additional material from its Epstein files

James Hill, ABC News

Additional material from the DOJ's files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is being released to the public today, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche says.

Trump says airlines can fly to Venezuela again — and American wants to be the first to return

Pete Syme, Business Insider

American Airlines is the first airline to announce plans to reinstate flights to Venezuela, adding that it would share details "in the coming months."

Can Trump’s ‘madman theory’ reshape Iran and the Middle East?

Abubakr Al-Shamahi, Al Jazeera English

The 'madman theory' aims to pressure adversaries but risks backfiring when opponents feel they have nothing to lose.

Developers Hate AI, Want Unions, And Are Abandoning Xbox According To This New Survey

Ethan Gach, Kotaku

The GDC 2026 survey offers a grim snapshot of the current video game industry The post Developers Hate AI, Want Unions, And Are Abandoning Xbox According To This New Survey appeared first on Kotaku.

Is Iran Next?

Nancy A. Youssef, Vivian Salama, The Atlantic

The Trump administration has targets but no endgame.

White House Calls Bruce Springsteen’s ICE Protest Song ‘Random’ and ‘Irrelevant’

Kory Grow, Rolling Stone

The White House has called Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Minneapolis" ICE protest song "random" and "irrelevant."

WATCH: Mom shares how she read more than 200 books in 1 year

ABC News

Plus, The Book Case podcast hosts Kate and Charlie Gibson offer tips to help you meet your reading goals in the new year.

WATCH: Unrivaled surprise for Philadelphia high school basketball players

ABC News

Robin Roberts is live in Philadelphia with surprise tickets for local high school players attending tonight’s sold-out Unrivaled doubleheader.

Don Lemon Arrested After Filming Minneapolis Church Protest

Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone

Don Lemon, the former CNN journalist, was arrested on Thursday after he covered a protest that interrupted a service at Cities Church in Minneapolis.

Trump nominates Kevin Warsh to replace Powell as fed chair

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Nomination comes as Trump heaps pressure on Powell to cut interest rates; Warsh to face challenging Senate confirmation.

Target's problems go much deeper than the national economic blackout brewing in its backyard

Dan DeFrancesco, Business Insider

Minneapolis-based Target has deep ties to the city and a history of navigating civil unrest. It now has the added challenge of a new CEO.

What smart people in economics and business are saying about Kevin Warsh's nomination as Fed chair

Roya Shahidi, Business Insider

Reactions are already pouring in from prominent economists and business leaders about President Donald Trump nominating Kevin Warsh.

Big Tech Companies Are Profiting Off Nonconsensual AI-Created Porn

Jacob Weindling, Jezebel

Google, Apple and Meta have profited off of advertising and selling nonconsensual porn apps, even to children.

How ICE Turned Immigration Into a Church-State Power Struggle

Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone

Trump’s immigration crackdown is testing church-state boundaries, as faith leaders mobilize to shield migrants and warn of escalating conflict

Ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon arrested in Los Angeles after Minnesota protest coverage, his lawyer says

Pete Syme, Business Insider

Don Lemon has said he was reporting as a journalist at a Minnesota church where protestors said a pastor also worked for ICE.

Former CNN Anchor Don Lemon Arrested by Federal Agents

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has reportedly been arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles after being involved in a church protest in St. Paul, Minnesota earlier this month. The New York Times reports he was charged with violating a federal law…

Enshittification Ensures Streaming Prices Soar Faster Than Any Other Consumer Good

Karl Bode, Techdirt

According to new data from the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), streaming video subscription prices jumped a whopping 29 percent year over year. That’s compared to the 2.7 percent jump in consumer costs seen more generally across oth…

Former CNN journalist arrested in connection with Minnesota protest: Sources

Pierre Thomas, Katherine Faulders, Luke Barr, ABC News

Journalist Don Lemon has been arrested in connection with an incident several weeks ago in which anti-ICE protesters disrupted a service at a Minnesota church.

Journalist Don Lemon has been arrested after he covered a Minnesota church protest

ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and ERIC TUCKER, Yahoo Entertainment

Journalist Don Lemon and three other people were arrested Friday in connection with an anti-immigration protest that disrupted a service at a Minnesota...

Melania documentary creators say its big price tag wasn’t bribery

Jess Weatherbed, The Verge

The makers of Amazon's Melania documentary have defended its exorbitant cost following accusations of bribery to appease the Trump empire. Amazon paid $40 million to Melania Trump's production company for the film rights and another $35 million for marketing …

Can Apple's New AirTag Track How Many Fans Tim Cook Just Lost?

Bridget Carey, CNET

Apple releases the 2nd-gen AirTag and Creator Studio subscription in the middle of a tricky public relations week for CEO Tim Cook.

Charli xcx’s ‘The Moment' and ‘Melania’: A Comparative Analysis (I’ve Seen Neither)

Claire Guinan, Jezebel

The coolest of the cool gathered in Los Angeles on Thursday night, while the worst of the worst further defiled the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Opinion - Trump should push now for a convention of states to consider 3 new amendments

John Kerezy, opinion contributor, The Hill

More than 10 years after its delivery, warnings from Donald Trump’s June 2015 presidential candidacy announcement continue to resonate. He decried the high...

ICE Is Legally Required to Issue Full Reports on Detainee Deaths. They've Completely Stopped Doing It.

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

ICE is required to issue a full report to Congress on any detainee death within 90 days. They've skipped the last 8 deaths entirely.

Trump announces Kevin Warsh as fed chair pick

Isabella Murray, Elizabeth Schulze, ABC News

Trump said his pick to replace current Chairman Jerome Powell is an "outstanding person and a person that won't be too surprising to people."

Trump nominates Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair

Allie Kelly, Business Insider

Bush economic advisor Kevin Warsh is set to succeed Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve, President Trump announced Friday.

Katie Miller Makes a Classic Error

Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic

Does she oppose Enlightenment virtues, as her X posts suggest? Or is she just confused?

Euro firms must ditch Uncle Sam's clouds and go EU‑native

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, Theregister.com

Just because you're paranoid about digital sovereignty doesn't mean they're not after you Opinion I'm an eighth-generation American, and let me tell you, I wouldn't trust my data, secrets, or services to a US company these days for love or money. Under our cu…

10 Friday AM Reads

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

My end-of-week morning train WFH reads: • The average 50-something American is now worth $1.4 million: Want to get rich? Get old. That’s what the data tells us about net worth in America. The average 50-something American has a net worth of $1.4 million, acco…

Silicon Valley Tech Workers Are Campaigning to Get ICE Out of US Cities

Katie Drummond, Wired

Even as Big Tech CEOs curry favor with President Trump, Silicon Valley employees are calling on their bosses to use their influence to help stop his immigration policies.

WATCH: 12-year-old girl to compete for best in show with her pooch

ABC News

ABC News' Danny New introduces 12-year-old Kennedy Green who will compete this weekend in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show with her Pekingese, Lincoln.

What ICE Should Have Learned from the Fugitive Slave Act

Jelani Cobb, The New Yorker

Jelani Cobb on the historical parallels between the Trump Administration’s paramilitary crackdown on immigrant communities in Minneapolis and the unrest fomented in the years before the Civil War by attempts to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act.

The Schoolchildren of Minneapolis

Emily Witt, The New Yorker

As thousands of ICE agents arrived, kids started staying home from school, Emily Witt reports. A local principal, teachers, and parent volunteers have banded together to keep the families safe.

Rise of the Trump Loyalist

Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic

The destruction of the civil service can destroy democracy, too.

Major private student-loan companies are 'excited' about Trump's repayment overhaul

Ayelet Sheffey, Business Insider

Leaders at Navient and Sallie Mae said that Trump's sweeping student-loan repayment changes will be a boon to their private lending business.

'She's done a great job' - Donald Trump praises Melania's film

BBC News

US First Lady Melania Trump and her husband President Donald Trump have walked the black carpet at the premier of her new documentary.

Pam Bondi Has Don Lemon Arrested for Reporting on Peaceful Protest

Lauren Tousignant, Jezebel

This is fucking terrifying.

Trump thinks a weaker dollar is great for America. Is he right?

Rafael Nam, NPR

The president said this week that the value of the dollar is "great" despite a sharp tumble since last year. That may be true for certain parts of the economy — but not others.

A year after deadly midair collision near Washington, families push for safety changes

Joel Rose, NPR

On the anniversary of the midair collision near Washington, D.C., families of the victims are still working for laws to prevent future disasters. And they say they're ready for a long fight.

What is a Trump Account? How the new savings program for kids works

Allie Kelly, Business Insider

Trump Accounts are a new savings program for kids launching in 2026. Here's everything to know about eligibility, how they work, and how to open one.

Are Trump officials driving Alberta’s separatist movement in Canada?

Elizabeth Melimopoulos, Al Jazeera English

Alberta separatists seek funding from the Trump administration after three reported meetings.

Trump says he will announce his Federal Reserve chair nominee on Friday morning

The Associated Press, NPR

President said he plans to announce new Federal Reserve chair choice Friday, after criticizing incumbent Jerome Powell for not cutting interest rates more aggressively.

‘No one power’ can solve global problems, says UN chief as Trump veers away

Lyndal Rowlands, Al Jazeera English

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres appears to point at Trump as critics say his 'Board of Peace' aims to replace UN.

Trump says speaking to Iran amid rising war fears

Al Jazeera English

President Donald Trump says he is speaking to Iran’s leadership amid a US military build-up in the Middle East.

Sidelined Trump Goon Secretly Working on Unhinged Project

Yahoo Entertainment

Trump says 'it would be great' if US 'didn't have to use' military force on Iran

BBC News

The US president says he has told Iran it has to do "two things" to avoid military action, as the US builds up its forces in the Gulf.

WATCH: US Coast Guard deploys ice breaking ships in New York City amid Arctic blast

ABC News

A fresh blast of life-threatening cold is impacting over 150 million – including those in New York City, which is in the grip of its deepest freeze in eight years.

Trump says Russia to pause bombing Kyiv during extreme winter conditions

Lyndal Rowlands, Al Jazeera English

Ukraine's Zelenskyy welcomes possible pause after Russian attacks leave homes without heat in plummeting temperatures.

Trump threatens tariffs on countries selling oil to Cuba, declaring emergency

Meghan Mistry, Isabella Murray, ABC News

President Donald Trump announced Thursday a plan to impose additional tariffs on countries that provide oil to Cuba, declaring a national security emergency.

Panama court voids CK Hutchison port contracts

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

PANAMA CITY, Jan 29 () - Panama's Supreme Court late on Thursday annulled key ​port contracts held by a subsidiary ‌of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison, ruling...

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,436

Lyndal Rowlands, Al Jazeera English

These are the key developments from day 1,436 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Trump threatens tariffs on countries supplying Cuba with much-needed oil

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Trump signs executive order ramping up pressure on Havana's oil supplies in wake of US abduction of Venezuela's Maduro.

Democrats’ demands to reform ICE, briefly explained

Caitlin Dewey, Vox

This story appeared in Today, Explained, a daily newsletter that helps you understand the most compelling news and stories of the day. Subscribe here. A series of recent polls hammer home just how unpopular ICE has become: Almost half of voters say they’d lik…

Trump sues IRS, Treasury for $10 billion over tax returns leak

Lucien Bruggeman, Elizabeth Schulze, ABC News

Trump is suing his own Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department on Thursday over the unauthorized disclosure of his tax information during his first term.

Cory Doctorow On Tariffs and the DMCA In Canada

BeauHD, Slashdot.org

Longtime Slashdot reader devnulljapan writes: In 2012, Canada passed anti-circumvention law Bill C-11, cut-and-pasted from the U.S. DMCA, in return for access to U.S. markets without tariffs. Trump has tariffed Canada anyway, so Cory Doctorow suggests it soun…

Trump says US decertifying Bombardier Global Express until Canada certifies Gulfstream

By David Shepardson and Bhargav Acharya, Yahoo Entertainment

WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Thursday the U. was decertifying Bombardier Global Express business jets and threatened 50...

How Democrats want to reform DHS – and why some Republicans are open to their demands

Ximena Bustillo, NPR

A spending agreement under consideration in the Senate would temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security while lawmakers negotiate provisions to rein in federal immigration agents.

Venezuela's oil ghost towns hope Trump plan will revive their fortunes

BBC News

Amid rusting oil pumps and rigs, once affluent Venezuelan oil towns place their hope in US investment.

Venezuela’s Rodriguez signs oil reform law while the US eases sanctions

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The Trump administration has pressured Venezuela to increase foreign access to the country's large oil reserves.