Good morning. We have breaking news. The United States Supreme Court has ruled that Donald Trump’s tariffs are unconstitutional, delivering a major blow to the administration’s economic policy. This decision marks a major turning point with sweeping implications for trade, executive power, and the limits of presidential authority
In a landmark ruling, the United States Supreme Court has overturned Donald Trump’s tariffs, delivering one of the most significant losses to date for the Trump administration’s political and economic agenda. The decision comes after Trump himself framed the case as a matter of “life and death,” while senior administration officials repeatedly warned of severe economic fallout if the high court overturned the tariffs, which had remained in effect while the courts reviewed their legality on the merits. Full ruling here.
Meanwhile, Epstein survivors have unleashed explosive new allegations accusing Les Wexner of lying to Congress, a development that could upend his long-standing public narrative. I won’t stop digging and bringing you the facts. Subscribe today to support independent reporting and help hold the powerful accountable.
Here’s the rest of the news:
- In a 6–3 decision, the Supreme Court held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize the president to impose tariffs, concluding that the statute’s references to “regulate” and “importation” cannot support such sweeping authority. Writing for the Court, Chief Justice John Roberts rejected the argument that two words “separated by 16 others” in IEEPA grant the president independent power to impose tariffs on imports from any country, of any product, at any rate, for any duration, stating that “[t]hose words cannot bear such weight.”
- The Court also agreed with the Federal Circuit that such challenges must be brought in the Court of International Trade and sent one case, Learning Resources (from D.C.), back to be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, otherwise upholding the Federal Circuit’s ruling. The decision, which appears to be the Court’s only ruling today, produced a complex lineup of opinions: Roberts announced the judgment and delivered most of the majority opinion, joined in full by Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Barrett, and Jackson, with Gorsuch and Barrett joining additional portions. Gorsuch and Barrett filed concurring opinions, and Kagan and Jackson each filed opinions concurring in part and in the judgment, with varying joiners among the liberal justices. Justices Thomas, Alito, and Kavanaugh dissented.
- The alignment was particularly intricate, with only Gorsuch and Barrett joining a discussion of the major questions doctrine, while the liberal justices joined the Court’s textual analysis.
- Sky Roberts, brother of the late Virginia Giuffre, told CNN that Donald Trump is “potentially implicated” in the Epstein files and may need to answer questions, while Trump has denied wrongdoing and said he was “exonerated” by the released documents.
- Les Wexner denied any knowledge of Maria Farmer or her alleged assault by Jeffrey Epstein at his Ohio estate, but Annie Farmer noted that Maria possessed a driver’s license listing Wexner’s address, raising questions about his claim.
- Leslie Wexner’s early political investment in Ohio Governor George Voinovich helped him expand his business and civic influence—transforming New Albany into an upscale enclave and cementing his philanthropic legacy—but that standing is now clouded by his close past association with Jeffrey Epstein, who owned property there and, according to Ghislaine Maxwell, effectively “ran New Albany” during the 1990s.
- The arrest in the UK of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office linked to newly released Epstein-related emails has sparked bipartisan calls from US lawmakers and survivors for greater accountability in the United States, with critics arguing that British authorities have moved more decisively than US officials in pursuing figures connected to Jeffrey Epstein.
- After newly released Justice Department records revealed extensive communications between Steve Bannon and Jeffrey Epstein, several prominent MAGA figures and allies publicly criticized Bannon for failing to address his ties, with Laura Loomer calling on him to be “100% forthcoming,” Michael Flynn saying an explanation was overdue, Marjorie Taylor Greene condemning any “friendly relationship” with Epstein post-conviction, and others accusing him of hypocrisy for aggressively demanding transparency about the Epstein files while remaining largely silent about his own involvement.
- Newly released Justice Department files reviewed by The Guardian show federal investigators examined Jeffrey Epstein’s relationships with at least six Customs and Border Protection officers in St. Thomas and Florida—probing whether any aided or had knowledge of his activities after evidence showed friendly communications, island visits, and travel coordination—though no officers were charged and investigators said they found no proof CBP agents knowingly assisted his sex trafficking.
- Bard College’s board has hired the law firm WilmerHale to conduct an independent investigation into communications and financial ties between longtime president Leon Botstein and Jeffrey Epstein—including a 2012 trip to Epstein’s island—amid newly released Justice Department records, with the firm also set to recommend changes to donor vetting and governance policies.
- Jeffrey Epstein’s estate has agreed to pay up to $35 million to settle a 2024 federal class action lawsuit accusing his former personal lawyer Darren Indyke and former accountant Richard Kahn—co-executors of the estate—of helping facilitate and conceal his sex trafficking through complex financial structures; the settlement, which requires court approval, provides a confidential avenue for additional victim compensation, adds to the $170 million+ already paid out by the estate, and includes no admission of wrongdoing by the co-executors.
- Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are scheduled to give recorded depositions in Chappaqua, New York, on Feb. 26 and 27 to the House Oversight Committee as part of its Jeffrey Epstein investigation, after a subpoena dispute with House Republicans over testimony format; the Clintons, who deny wrongdoing, agreed to comply following contempt threats, and their testimony comes amid the Justice Department’s broader release of Epstein-related files.
- U.S. GDP grew at a 1.4% annual rate in the fourth quarter, slowing sharply from prior quarters due to a federal government shutdown and weaker consumer spending, as the economy continues to expand modestly despite low job growth and lingering public pessimism.
- Donald Trump accused Democrats of orchestrating a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security to hurt U.S. economic growth, claiming it cost at least two points of GDP and warning against further “mini” shutdowns, while again attacking Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates ahead of new GDP figures from the Commerce Department.
- Donald Trump announced his intent on releasing all of the files related to aliens:
- A new Trump administration order directs that refugees applying for green cards be taken back into federal custody one year after arrival for case review, a move critics say could lead to the detention of tens of thousands of legally admitted refugees and overturn longstanding safeguards, as legal challenges unfold in Minnesota where a federal judge has temporarily blocked related arrests under “Operation PARRIS,” calling mandatory detention likely unlawful and “nonsensical.”
- New polling shows that Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of Trump’s work as President in comparison to President Biden and President Obama:
- Border czar Tom Homan rejected Democrats’ call to ban masks for ICE agents as a “nonstarter,” citing an 8,000% rise in threats against officers and their families, denied accusations of racial profiling by saying agents require reasonable suspicion for detentions, and pushed back on critics who label ICE as racist or Nazi, arguing the agency is enforcing laws written by Congress.
- The FBI plans to streamline the process for current bureau employees seeking to become special agents by eliminating panel interviews and writing assessments, allowing those who pass an online exam to proceed directly to Quantico training—a move critics say lowers vetting standards amid Director Kash Patel’s push to hire 700 new agents, though the FBI insists qualifications are not being reduced.
- Poland has formally withdrawn from the 1997 Ottawa Convention banning antipersonnel mines, citing heightened security threats from Russia, and plans to resume domestic production of both antipersonnel and anti-tank mines to fortify its eastern borders with Russia and Belarus as part of its “Eastern Shield” defense strategy—saying mines would be deployed only in the event of a realistic threat of Russian aggression, despite criticism from human rights groups.
- Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol apologized for the “frustration and hardship” caused by his brief December 2024 martial law declaration but defended its “sincerity and purpose” a day after being sentenced to life in prison for insurrection, with the court finding he subverted constitutional order by deploying troops to parliament; Yoon called the verdict politically motivated and is weighing an appeal.
- Eric Dane, the actor known for playing Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy and Cal Jacobs on Euphoria, has died at 53, less than a year after publicly revealing his ALS diagnosis; he continued working despite the degenerative disease, became an advocate for awareness, and is remembered by family and colleagues for his career spanning television and film. As someone who lost his grandfather to ALS, my heart breaks for Eric’s family this morning.
- Donald Trump is reportedly weighing an early, limited US strike on Iranian government or military targets to pressure Tehran into a nuclear deal, after giving Iran a “10 to 15 day” deadline to negotiate, while the US continues a major military buildup in the region that keeps options open for broader action if talks fail.
- CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss withdrew from UCLA’s Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture citing security concerns amid internal opposition from staff and anticipated student protests, reflecting broader controversy over her leadership at CBS, including criticism of her decision to pull a “60 Minutes” segment and ongoing tensions within the network.
See you soon.
— Aaron
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