Good morning, everyone. Several major developments are unfolding today, including the first-ever comprehensive investigation into Zorro Ranch, the former New Mexico property owned by Jeffrey Epstein where significant abuse is alleged to have occurred, alongside new plans by its current owners to convert the site into a Christian retreat.
At the same time, serious concerns about media independence are back in focus. The Trump administration moved to block CBS from airing Stephen Colbert’s interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, prompting Colbert to release the interview online instead. CBS leadership, under Bari Weiss, yielded to political pressure rather than defending editorial autonomy.
The idea that a presidential administration can pressure a major network over guest bookings is deeply troubling. Late-night hosts should be free to interview whomever they choose without interference. This as part of a broader struggle over the independence of mainstream media institutions.
At a moment like this, independent media plays a critical role. Trump is censoring media on TV. TikTok is censoring voices like myself. We cannot stop. If you value journalism free from political pressure, now is the time to support it. Subscribe today if you can.
Here’s the news:
- Stephen Colbert revealed that CBS blocked his planned Late Show interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico after network lawyers, citing the FCC’s renewed scrutiny of the “equal time” rule for political candidates, told him he couldn’t air—or even mention—the interview; Colbert criticized both CBS for preemptively enforcing a rule change not yet implemented and FCC chair Brendan Carr for what he called a partisan effort to silence Trump critics, ultimately moving the interview to the show’s YouTube page instead. Here is the full interview:
- Anderson Cooper announced he is leaving CBS’s 60 Minutes after nearly 20 years, citing a desire to spend more time with his young children, as the program faces broader turmoil and questions about editorial independence under new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, whose recent interventions have sparked controversy within CBS News.
- Rev. Jesse Jackson, pioneering civil rights leader, Baptist minister and two-time Democratic presidential candidate, died at 84 after years battling progressive supranuclear palsy and Parkinson’s; remembered as a powerful moral voice who worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr., founded Rainbow/PUSH, ran historic 1984 and 1988 campaigns, and advocated for justice and human rights globally, Jackson died peacefully surrounded by family, with public memorials planned in Chicago.
- Donald Trump reacted to Jackson’s death:
- Newly unredacted emails in the latest Justice Department release of Epstein files show a New York Times journalist telling Jeffrey Epstein that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had “sex” with Virginia Giuffre and advising him to distance himself from the royal, while Andrew has denied wrongdoing but previously paid Giuffre $12 million to settle her civil lawsuit, and legal experts say the disclosures could prompt further scrutiny or potential investigation. The full file can be seen here.
- New Mexico lawmakers unanimously approved a $2.5 million bipartisan “truth commission” with subpoena power to conduct the first comprehensive state investigation into alleged sex trafficking and abuse at Jeffrey Epstein’s 7,600-acre Zorro Ranch, seeking testimony from survivors and witnesses, examining ties to state officials and prominent visitors, and delivering findings by year’s end, as pressure mounts following the release of Epstein-related files detailing political connections and past allegations linked to the property.
- According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, Texas businessman and Republican comptroller candidate Don Huffines, who purchased Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch in Santa Fe County in 2023 through an anonymous LLC, announced plans to transform the sprawling property into a Christian retreat, framing the move as redeeming a place associated with scandal, and said his family would cooperate with any ongoing or future law enforcement investigations into alleged crimes connected to the ranch.
- Hillary Clinton accused President Trump of orchestrating a cover-up and slow-walking the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related files, urged that all documents be made public, and said she and Bill Clinton have nothing to hide as they prepare to give depositions before a House oversight committee investigating Epstein’s connections to powerful figures.
- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called for LA28 chair Casey Wasserman to resign over past email exchanges with Ghislaine Maxwell revealed in newly released Justice Department files, but the LA28 board reaffirmed its support for him after an independent review found no undisclosed relationship with Epstein, while the IOC said the matter remains up to the local organizing committee.
- Hyatt executive chair Thomas Pritzker stepped down after newly released Justice Department files detailed years of contact with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, with the billionaire admitting he exercised “terrible judgment” in maintaining the relationships, apologizing for the association, and saying his departure was meant to protect the hotel chain, as other prominent business leaders have also resigned following disclosures of Epstein ties.
- Donald Trump’s private company filed trademark applications on February 13 and 14 for “President Donald J. Trump International Airport,” “Donald J. Trump International Airport,” and “DJT,” seeking to reserve the names for airport-related services.
- Internal emails obtained through a FOIA request by Politico show top ICE officials were aware as early as March last year that officers’ use of force had surged nearly fourfold compared with the previous year, yet agency leadership did not treat the trend as a pressing concern, even as incidents escalated nationwide and preceded the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, raising fresh questions about oversight, training and accountability within DHS.
- According to NBC News, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s aggressive use of U.S. Coast Guard aircraft and resources to meet Trump administration deportation goals, including reportedly prioritizing migrant transport over traditional search and rescue missions and clashing with personnel over travel-related issues, has strained relations with senior Coast Guard officials, though DHS denies deprioritizing core missions and defends her actions as necessary for border enforcement.
- According to Fox News, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to remove Col. Dave Butler, a senior Army public affairs officer and key adviser currently supporting Ukraine peace negotiations in Geneva, amid broader unexplained firings of top military leaders; Butler, previously slated for promotion to brigadier general, volunteered to withdraw his name from the promotion list in an effort to unblock other stalled promotions as concerns grow inside the Pentagon about leadership shakeups and morale.
- A shooting at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, during a youth hockey game left three people dead, including the suspected shooter who died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, and three others critically injured; police say the attack appears to have been a targeted event possibly linked to a family dispute, and investigators are reviewing video and witness accounts as the community reels from the violence:
- Belgium summoned the U.S. ambassador after he accused the country on social media of antisemitic prosecution over an investigation into unlicensed circumcisions in Antwerp, with Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot calling the claim dangerous disinformation and a violation of diplomatic norms, while the ambassador defended the Jewish community and urged legal protections for religious mohels.
- Warner Bros. Discovery has reopened takeover talks with Paramount Skydance after receiving a seven-day waiver from Netflix, its preferred $72 billion all-cash bidder, to address unresolved issues in Paramount’s competing $77.9 billion offer, though Warner’s board continues to unanimously recommend the Netflix deal ahead of a scheduled shareholder meeting.
- Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran and Washington made progress on key guiding principles during a second round of nuclear talks in Geneva, though no immediate agreement is expected, as tensions remain high with U.S. military pressure in the Gulf and Iran briefly closing part of the Strait of Hormuz during the negotiations.
- Iran temporarily closed the Strait of Hormuz and fired live missiles during military drills as its negotiators held a second round of indirect nuclear talks with the U.S. in Geneva, escalating tensions amid a U.S. military buildup in the region and warnings from both sides about the consequences of failed diplomacy.
- Ukrainian and Russian negotiators opened a new round of U.S.-mediated peace talks in Geneva focused largely on territorial disputes, as President Trump pressured Kyiv to move quickly toward a deal, heavy Russian airstrikes hit Ukraine ahead of the talks, and expectations remained low for any major breakthrough.
See you soon.
— Aaron
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