https://theintercept.com/2026/02/10/google-ice-subpoena-student-journalist/

Google provided Immigration and Customs Enforcement with a wide array of personal data on a student activist and journalist, including his credit card and bank account numbers, according to a copy of an ICE subpoena obtained by The Intercept.

Amandla Thomas-Johnson had attended a protest targeting companies that supplied weapons to Israel at a Cornell University job fair in 2024 for all of five minutes, but the action got him banned from campus. When President Donald Trump assumed office and issued a series of executive orders targeting students who protested in support of Palestinians, Thomas-Johnson and his friend Momodou Taal went into hiding.

Google informed Thomas-Johnson via a brief email in April that it had already shared his metadata with the Department of Homeland Security, as The Intercept previously reported. But the full extent of the information the tech giant provided — including usernames, addresses, itemized list of services, including any IP masking services, telephone or instrument numbers, subscriber numbers or identities, and credit card and bank account numbers — was not previously known.

“I’d already seen the subpoena request that Google and Meta had sent to Momodou [Taal], and I knew that he had gotten in touch with a lawyer and the lawyer successfully challenged that,” Thomas-Johnson said. “I was quite surprised to see that I didn’t have that opportunity.”

File: 546547.png (464 KB, 1068x1542)

464 KB PNG

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/karoline-leavitt-reporter-lutnick-epstein-island-b2917783.html

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday abruptly cut short a briefing with reporters after a reporter asked about Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

The question came hours after Lutnick, responding to questions from congressional lawmakers over documents released by the Justice Department, revealed that he misled the public about the extent of his ties to the convicted pedophile sex trafficker, who killed himself in jail while awaiting trial.

Leavitt was roughly 20 minutes into one of her regular briefings with the White House press corps when a reporter asked whether President Donald Trump would stand behind Lutnick, who earlier in the day had admitted to members of the Senate Commerce Committee that he’d visited Epstein’s notorious private island, Little Saint James.

She replied that Trump “fully supports” Lutnick and described him as “a very important member of President Trump's team.”

But instead of allowing reporters to probe further into Trump’s views on Lutnick, or ask any other further questions, Leavitt launched into a monologue chastising reporters for not asking about various positive statistics touted by the administration on issues of importance to the president.

File: skynews-trump-epstein_7154173.jpg (39 KB, 768x432)

39 KB JPG

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2407jrn83o
A former Florida police chief said he received a call from Donald Trump in 2006 in which the now-president told him "everyone" knows about Jeffrey Epstein’s behaviour, according to an FBI document released by the justice department.

The document is a written record of a 2019 FBI interview with the former Palm Beach police chief, who alleges Trump called him after the department launched an investigation into Epstein and said: "Thank goodness you're stopping him, everyone has known he's been doing this."

The officer's name is redacted, but the document identifies the interview subject as the Palm Beach police chief at the time of its Epstein investigation. That was Michael Reiter, who told the Miami Herald that he received the call from Trump.

The president has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and has said he did not know about his crimes. The alleged call, however, is likely to raise further questions about what Trump knew and when.

Asked by reporters in 2019 - when Epstein was arrested by federal agents for sex trafficking - if he had "any suspicions" about the disgraced financier, Trump said: "No, I had no idea. I had no idea. I haven't spoken to him in many, many years."

According to the FBI summary of the interview, which was released in the latest tranche of Epstein files, Reiter said Trump told him in a July 2006 call that he had thrown Epstein out of his Mar-a-Lago club and "people in New York knew he was disgusting".

Reiter also claims Trump told him Ghislaine Maxwell was Epstein's "operative", and "she is evil and to focus on her".


Comment too long. Click here to view the full text.

File: TRUMPS RECESSION CRISIS W(...).png (1.52 MB, 951x1053)

1.52 MB PNG

The affordability crisis in the United States reflects a systemic issue in which the costs of housing, food, healthcare, childcare, and energy increase faster than incomes. As a result, over one-third of middle-class households are now struggling to meet their basic needs.

Recently, Trump signed an executive order imposing potential tariffs of up to 25% on countries that conduct business with Iran, reaffirming a national emergency. However, Peter Schiff, Chief Economist and financial commentator, has sounded the alarm, labeling it a disastrous move.

Schiff's caution is indicative of a broader institutional defect following the "Secondary Tariff" framework on February 6. According to an analysis released today by the Tax Foundation, Trump's 2026 tariff plan would result in an average annual tax hike of $1,300 for each American household.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs estimate that by mid-2026, these tariffs would increase inflation by 1%.

Meanwhile, Trump, who has been largely dismissing the affordability crisis as a Democratic 'con job,' had a social media meltdown after Schiff questioned his policies in December. “Why would Fox and Friends Weekend (of all things?) put on a ‘Stockbroker’ named Peter Schiff, a Trump-hating loser who has already proven to be wrong,” the president wrote on his Truth Social, before adding, “Either the show made a mistake, or it is heading in a different direction." Schiff responded with a scathing comment on X, saying, "Since Pres. Trump called me a jerk and a loser for claiming that prices are still rising when he insists they're coming way down. I challenge him, or his designee, to a debate on the U.S. economy and the efficacy of his policies. If I'm as wrong as he says I am, let him prove it."

As of early 2026, about 96% of U.S. tariffs are effectively paid by Americans, showing up as higher prices for importers and consumers.

https://marketrealist.com/how-is-trump-deepening-the-affordability-crisis/

File: TRUMPS RECESSION 2026 NO JOBS.png (901 KB, 1494x887)

901 KB PNG

American workers are staring down a terrible labor market. It’s so bad that job postings are at their lowest level since the depths of the pandemic.

The demand for new hires “continues to wane,” said CNN. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last week that there were just 6.54 million job openings in December.

- The “lowest level since September 2020.” That leaves “slim pickings” for U.S. workers looking to find a new job, said NerdWallet’s Elizabeth Renter, per the network.

“The hiring recession isn’t going to end anytime soon,” said Heather Long, the chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, in a commentary.

- Layoffs in January were the highest since the 2009 financial crisis plunged the U.S. economy into the “steepest downturn since the Great Depression,” said CNBC.

American companies announced more than 108,000 layoffs for the month, more than double from a year ago. That signals that employers are “less-than-optimistic about the outlook for 2026,” said workplace expert Andy Challenger in an analysis.

Workers are feeling negative, too.

- Consumer confidence is at its “lowest level since 2014,” said The Associated Press.

Comment too long. Click here to view the full text.

File: Emiru.png (483 KB, 894x590)

483 KB PNG

https://www.newsweek.com/emiru-drama-explained-popular-streamer-responds-after-ice-clip-goes-viral-11488160

Twitch streamer Emiru is facing backlash after a clipped moment from her livestream went viral, sparking accusations that she deliberately avoided addressing a question about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The clip led to widespread speculation about her political views and intentions, with some users accusing her of attempting to remain apolitical to avoid alienating parts of her audience.

The controversy began when a clipped segment of Emiru’s Twitch stream appeared to show her dodging a question that referenced ICE.

"If you need a streamer who doesn’t even know anything about politics to tell you about politics you probably just need to like get off the Internet," Emiri said in a response to her thoughts on ICE on her Twitch stream.

The backlash unfolded as public figures, celebrities, and influencers increasingly spoke out against ICE amid growing allegations of misconduct, racial profiling, and heavy-handed tactics, at a moment when the agency has been thrust back into the national spotlight by the Trump administration’s hard-line deportation policies dominating headlines.

File: epsteinresort.png (2.91 MB, 1290x3792)

2.91 MB PNG

I'm sure some of you guys have seen this post about Epstein being seen recently on a dock in a small Greek town. I saw it and scrolled past, seemed baseless. Next time I saw it, I've realized I personally have some context that makes it plausible.

He also did try and buy an island in Greece in the past: https://greekreporter.com/2026/02/07/jeffrey-epstein-onassis-skorpios-doj-files/

My brother in law in Greece works in a managerial/ maintenance position at a resort for the ultra wealthy. He makes it clear he is very stressed having to do work in these peoples homes. The way he talked about it was unnerving, so when I saw this post I naturally checked if they were close, and they are.

Costa Navarino is basically considered the most luxurious and elite resort in Greece. They are known for their privacy and pure size of the resort. Starting prices for a residence is $10m. The town in the reddit post would be the exact sort of dock you'd use if you wanted to be discreet, the main port is in a cove being overlooked by the resort.

A few bits of info

-My brother in law believes his phone is tapped. He refuses to talk about who owns residencies there, except he did mention the Greek president has a spot. Looks like ted cruz does too, or at least visits there. You will struggle to find any confirmation on who owns a resort there, rarely even pictures of famous people on the property. This is supposed to be their getaway from the world, privacy and security are serious. I am trying to find out more about who frequents there.

-As of a few days ago, my wife talked to him and he mentioned it is extraordinarily empty and he's had very little work to do. Not normal, it was busier during the worst of winter.

This is very little to go off of, but a couple things don't sit well. Costa Navarino is the exact sort of place Epstein would visit to see his pals in a normal environment. If the post is fake they chose an incredibly well thought out town to use.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/22/ice-jewelry-heist-suspect-self-deport

Federal immigration authorities allowed a suspect in a $100m jewelry heist believed to be the largest in US history to deport himself to South America in December, a move that stunned and upset prosecutors who were planning to try the case and send him to prison.

Jeson Nelon Presilla Flores was one of seven people charged last year with stalking an armored truck to a rural freeway rest stop north of Los Angeles and stealing millions worth of diamonds, emeralds, gold, rubies and designer watches in 2022.

Flores faced up to 15 years in federal prison if convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit theft from interstate and foreign shipment and theft from interstate and foreign shipment. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported Flores in late December after he requested voluntary departure, prosecutors said in court filings.

ICE did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

File: IMG_0052.jpg (145 KB, 790x577)

145 KB JPG

Oh goody, another empty deadline! How much does that make for Trump now - 6?!?

> https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/07/volodymyr-zelenskyy-us-june-deadline-ukraine-russia-peace-deal

File: a_world_ruled_by_karens.png (3.28 MB, 1335x1060)

3.28 MB PNG

https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/aipac-super-pacs-illinois-house-primaries-melissa-bean-laura-fine-donna-miller

With Israel’s reputation reaching record lows among Democrats, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is resorting to ever more sophisticated methods to support its preferred candidates while cloaking its own involvement.

The amount of money that the premier pro-Israel organization is able to spend in elections is extraordinarily valuable to candidates who would otherwise have little chance of winning. But it now comes with a catch: If voters know the money comes from an organization advocating on behalf of Israel, it can do more harm than good.

AIPAC road-tested its stealth approach in a 2024 House primary in Oregon that pitted Susheela Jayapal, the sister of Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), against physician Maxine Dexter. Dexter raised relatively little money throughout much of her campaign, then saw a last-minute deluge organized by AIPAC coupled with outside spending through super PACs, which themselves turned out to be funded by AIPAC. The timing of the donations meant that there was no meaningful transparency before voters went to the polls, and Dexter expressed a mixture of ignorance and umbrage when her opponents suggested the money actually came from AIPAC.

The main super PAC in question (named 314 Action) explicitly denied that any funding came from AIPAC—a claim revealed as a flagrant lie once disclosure records finally became public. But by then, Dexter had triumphed and was on her way to Congress.

Campaign staffers expect AIPAC to continue using the tactic in this year’s primaries. “In these districts where we have a progressive primary fight, you’re going to see AIPAC put out a network of shell PACs, putting money into races without putting their name on it,” said Usamah Andrabi of the progressive campaign group Justice Democrats.

File: 75722c38-e915-44be-beca-5(...).jpg (69 KB, 972x740)

69 KB JPG

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/06/trump-posts-video-meme-showing-barack-michelle-obama-as-apes/88547285007/

Washington — President Donald Trump shared a clip of former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama appearing as apes in a late-night Truth Social post on Feb. 5 before taking it down the following day amid bipartisan pushback.

The roughly minute-long video centered on footage discussing unsubstantiated voter fraud allegations in the 2020 presidential election before briefly flipping to the clip of the Obamas.

The image of the Obamas, which appeared to have been generated by artificial intelligence, showed the bodies of two apes whose faces have been replaced by that of the former president and first lady. They appeared to be in a jungle with apes flying in the background.

The White House initially dismissed criticism that the video was racist, and said it is from a meme depicting Trump and the Obamas as characters from the Lion King. Trump does not appear in the video, which he posted just before midnight on Feb. 5 with no accompanying text.

But by noon ET on Feb. 6 ‒ after the post had been up about 12 hours ‒ it no longer appeared on Truth Social. A White House official told USA TODAY on Feb. 6 a White House staffer had erroneously made the post and that it was taken down.

The video was among more than 90 posts from Trump's Truth Social account made during a rapid flurry of activity that started at 10:36 p.m. ET on Feb. 5 and ended 12:25 a.m. ET. Yet a close Trump ally, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the president had no knowledge of the post and that a staffer let Trump down.

A small group of trusted White House officials have access to the president's social media accounts. A 2024 documentary, "Art of the Surge: The Donald Trump Comeback," showed Trump dictating to Natalie Harp, executive assistant to the president, what to write in one of his posts.

File: FakeSale.png (599 KB, 640x831)

599 KB PNG

TrumpRx, the website launched by the Trump administration Thursday to sell discounted prescription drugs directly to consumers, is offering a whole lot less than advertised.

The drugs offered on the site are all from brand-name manufacturers, making them more expensive than generic brands. Almost all of the drugs are also covered through insurance already. The product pages on the website even say, “If you have insurance, check your co-pay first—it may be even lower.”

One X user fact-checked Trump’s claim Thursday that TrumpRx will lower the cost of inhalers from $458 to $51. In reality, clicking on the link on TrumpRx redirects the user to the manufacturer’s website to see if the buyer qualifies for hardship discounts. As the user pointed out, these discounts are available regardless of whether TrumpRx is involved.

Another X user pointed out that the lack of generic drugs on TrumpRx makes prices higher than on prescription comparison sites such as GoodRx.

“There may be patients who think this is a good deal and then end up financially worse off,” Rachel Sachs, a law professor studying drug pricing at Washington University in St. Louis who advised the Biden administration on drug policy, told The New York Times.

“TrumpRx is a sideshow,” said Sean D. Sullivan, a health economist at the University of Washington. “I consider it not a real, serious effort in service to lowering prescription drug prices for Americans.”

>https://newrepublic.com/post/206265/trump-prescription-drug-website-trumprx-scam

File: TRUMPS RECESSION PATHETIC(...).png (427 KB, 873x1071)

427 KB PNG

Applications for jobless aid for the week ending Jan. 31 rose by 22,000 to 231,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s significantly more than the 211,000 new applications that analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet had forecast.

Applications for unemployment benefits are seen as representative of U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.

A number of high-profile companies have announced job cuts in the past year, including UPS, Amazon and Dow just last week.

Mounting layoff announcements in the past year, combined with the government’s own sluggish labor market reports, has left Americans increasingly pessimistic about the economy.

Last month, the government reported that hiring remained subdued in December, capping a year of weak employment gains that have frustrated job seekers. Employers added just 50,000 jobs last month, nearly unchanged from a downwardly revised figure of 56,000 in November, according to the Labor Department.

The 2025 numbers represent the smallest annual job gains since the COVID-19 pandemic decimated the job market in 2020. Outside of recessions, it’s the slimmest annual increase since 2003.

The Labor Department also recently reported that businesses posted far fewer jobs in November than the previous month, a sign that employers aren’t yet ramping up hiring.

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/us-applications-jobless-benefits-jump-22000-231000-week-129880470

File: trump_tacos_again.jpg (101 KB, 697x767)

101 KB JPG

Trump touts 'softer touch' on immigration as federal force is reduced in Minnesota

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g5nx130neo

US President Donald Trump has said immigration agents could use a "softer touch" as his administration began pulling about a quarter of its force out of Minnesota, where two American citizens died last month in confrontations with federal officers.

"I learned that maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch," Trump told NBC News, adopting a rare conciliatory tone on his political touchstone. "But you still have to be tough."

US border tsar Tom Homan said earlier 700 federal immigration agents would be withdrawn from the Minneapolis area.

He said 2,000 agents would remain, and that he aimed to cut their presence in the city to its level before Operation Metro Surge began in December.

In his interview with NBC News, Trump insisted that his operations were highly targeted at criminals.

"We are totally focused on criminals, really bad criminals," the president said.

Comment too long. Click here to view the full text.

File: IMG_20260112_171215_274.jpg (73 KB, 720x853)

73 KB JPG

DoJ will release unredacted Epstein files to Congress only.

nothing significant will come of it
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5727087-justice-department-epstein-files-lawmakers/
DOJ to allow lawmakers access to unredacted Epstein files starting Monday

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said it will begin allowing lawmakers to review the unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files starting Monday in the wake of criticism that the administration has improperly shielded the identities of various people.

“I am writing to confirm that the department is making unredacted versions of the more than 3 million pages of publicly released documents available for review by both houses of Congress starting Monday,” Assistant Attorney General Patrick Davis wrote in a letter to all 535 members that was obtained by The Hill.

Lawmakers will be able to review the files in a reading room at the Department of Justice. While they are not permitted to bring electronic devices, they may take notes.

The alert came after several members of Congress said they had questions about whether the DOJ had fully complied with a law requiring public release of the files.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche held a press conference to announce the release of a final tranche of documents, with the DOJ ultimately posting 3 million pages.

Comment too long. Click here to view the full text.