Good evening everyone. It has been another major day in the news cycle. I brought you key updates from inside the Hillary Clinton deposition as pressure intensifies for Donald Trump to testify before Congress, with Democrats now demanding that Trump and Lutnick appear before the committee. At the same time, Zohran Mamdani met with Trump and secured the release of a Columbia student who was improperly detained. And in the media world, David Ellison and Paramount may soon take control of Warner Bros., signaling a potential seismic shift in who controls major news and entertainment platforms.
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Here’s the news:
- Hillary Clinton told the House Oversight Committee she has no new information about Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell, saying she was unaware of their criminal activities and accusing Republicans of conducting partisan “fishing expeditions” to distract from questions about President Trump’s ties to Epstein. The closed-door deposition in Chappaqua was briefly paused after photos from inside the hearing were posted online by conservative influencer Benny Johnson, who said they were provided by Rep. Lauren Boebert. I spoke with Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari who confirmed that Hillary Clinton answered every single question asked.
- She said: It then got at the end quite unusual because I started being asked about UFOs and a series of questions about Pizzagate. One of the most vile bogus conspiracy theories that was propagated on the internet.
- Rep. Robert Garcia said there should be “repercussions” after conservative influencer Benny Johnson posted a photo from inside the closed-door Clinton deposition that he said was shared by Rep. Lauren Boebert, calling the leak a clear violation of committee rules and urging action from the Republican majority and Chairman Comer.
- According to Senator Wyden, he is demanding the DEA provide more information about a previously undisclosed investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and 14 alleged co-conspirators for possible drug trafficking and money laundering, after a heavily redacted 2015 DEA memo surfaced in recently released files. Wyden called the findings “incredibly disturbing,” questioned why no related charges were filed, and asked for an unredacted copy of the memo and details about how the long-running probe was handled.
- Rep. Garcia said the committee has set a new precedent by deposing a former president and argued it should now immediately seek testimony from President Trump, contending that Trump is mentioned in the Epstein files more than almost anyone besides Ghislaine Maxwell and therefore should be questioned under oath before the panel.
- A call is being made for the full, unedited transcript of Secretary Clinton’s deposition to be released by the committee majority within 24 hours, arguing that true transparency requires the public to see exactly what questions were asked and how she responded, rather than relying on selective leaks or summaries.
- Epstein survivor Marina Lacerda pushed back on Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s claim that victims have exonerated Trump, saying she has not spoken with the Justice Department and, while she cannot speak for other survivors, she is close with many of them and believes they would have told her if such a determination had been made.
- The Washington Post has confirmed that Pro-Trump activists say they are coordinating with the White House on a draft executive order that would declare a national emergency over alleged foreign interference in the 2020 election, potentially granting President Trump sweeping authority over election rules. The proposal would seek to restrict mail ballots, mandate hand-marked paper ballots and require new voter registration with proof of citizenship, though legal experts note the Constitution gives primary authority over elections to states and Congress, and critics warn such a move would face significant court challenges.
- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met with Donald Trump at the White House today. According to the Associated Press, at their latest meeting, Trump reminded Mamdani that during their previous conversation he had challenged him to come back with bold ideas to build something big, and Mamdani returned with a sweeping housing proposal designed to be ambitious and headline-grabbing.
- His team even drafted mock newspaper headlines to show how the project could be framed publicly, a move that reportedly left Trump very enthusiastic about the plan. During the discussion, Mamdani also pressed Trump on the detention of a Columbia student earlier that day, and Trump later called to say she would be released. Before leaving, Mamdani handed Susie Wiles a list of four additional students targeted over pro-Palestinian protests, asking for further intervention on their behalf. Here is an image posted to the Mayor’s social media accounts:
- A Columbia University student, Elmina Aghayeva of Azerbaijan, was detained early Thursday morning by DHS agents at her campus residence before later announcing her release, saying she was “safe and okay” but in shock. DHS claimed her student visa had been terminated in 2016 for failing to attend classes and said agents identified themselves, while Columbia’s acting president alleged federal agents misrepresented their purpose to gain entry, reportedly claiming they were searching for a missing person. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he spoke with President Trump, who informed him she would be released.
- Warner Bros. Discovery’s board has declared Paramount Skydance’s revised $31-per-share offer, valuing the company at roughly $77 billion, “superior” to its existing $72 billion agreement with Netflix, triggering a four-business-day window for Netflix to counter. Paramount’s bid includes a $7 billion reverse termination fee if regulators block the deal and would reimburse Warner Bros. for costs tied to exiting the Netflix agreement.
- A federal judge rejected a request from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to temporarily block the Trump administration’s $400 million White House ballroom project, ruling the group was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its claims and had not brought the proper legal challenge to test the president’s asserted authority. The project, which involves demolishing the East Wing to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom funded by private donations, including from Trump, will continue as review panels weigh in, with above-ground construction expected to begin in April.
- Kansas has begun revoking driver’s licenses of transgender residents under a new law requiring IDs to reflect “sex at birth,” also banning trans people from using bathrooms that match their gender identity and allowing citizens to sue them, after the Republican-led legislature overrode the governor’s veto.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has threatened to label AI startup Anthropic a national security “supply chain risk” unless it gives the Pentagon unrestricted access to its Claude AI model, while also considering invoking the Defense Production Act to compel cooperation, a dual approach critics call contradictory and heavy-handed. Lawyers and AI policy experts warn the move could chill partnerships between Silicon Valley and the Defense Department, especially as Anthropic resists lifting ethical restrictions that bar uses such as domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons.
- Anthropic’s CEO says the company cannot “in good conscience” agree to the Pentagon’s request to expand the military’s use of its AI technology.
- Cuba said it will defend itself against any “aggression” after its coast guard killed four men and detained six others during a firefight involving a Florida-registered boat near its shores, alleging the group was attempting an armed infiltration. U.S. officials said they are conducting an independent investigation, while family members and associates described the men as opponents of the Cuban government, denying terrorist intent. The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Havana, with both sides signaling further scrutiny and possible diplomatic fallout.
- A federal immigration operation in Newark led to a multivehicle crash after ICE agents attempted to pull over a van and the driver fled, according to Mayor Ras Baraka, who criticized the pursuit as reckless and said several vehicles were involved, including one carrying three children who were hospitalized. The Department of Homeland Security said agents were conducting a targeted operation to arrest a man with a prior criminal charge and a final removal order, and that he was taken into custody after a head-on collision, while local officials emphasized that Newark police were not involved in the chase.
- According to NBC News, a federal prosecutor testified that he knew bringing human smuggling charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador before being returned to the U.S., would likely be viewed as “vindictive” and “selective,” but said he believed the case was justified and could be proven.
- According to Politico, the Department of Homeland Security told Congress it detained 261 DACA recipients and deported 86 of them, despite the program’s protections for immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said most of those detained had criminal histories and emphasized that DACA does not guarantee the right to remain in the country indefinitely, while Senate Democrats demanded more details, arguing that recipients undergo strict background checks and that the deportations raise serious concerns.
- The White House has announced that Melania Trump is set to preside over a United Nations Security Council session next week as the U.S. takes on the body’s rotating presidency, marking the first time a sitting U.S. first lady has led a council meeting. The session will focus on children, technology and education in conflict, and comes as President Trump has taken a more confrontational stance toward the UN, including withdrawing from key agencies and launching his own “board of peace” initiative.
- U.S. mortgage rates fell to 5.98% this week, dipping below 6% for the first time since 2022 and marking a significant decline from rates above 7% at the start of last year, a shift that could modestly boost buying power and draw more buyers back into the housing market. While lower rates may ease some affordability pressure and increase available inventory, home prices remain near record highs after rising roughly 50% since 2020, limiting relief for many prospective buyers even as existing homeowners continue to build wealth.
- High-stakes nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran ended without a deal, though mediators said negotiations would continue next week, as major disputes remain over uranium enrichment and the fate of Iran’s highly enriched stockpile. The impasse comes amid a significant U.S. military buildup in the region and growing domestic pressure on President Trump over the possibility of military action, with both sides publicly striking cautious but guarded tones about the prospects for progress.
- According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. has deployed F-22 Raptor fighter jets to Israel for the first time for a potential wartime mission, signaling a deepening military posture as President Trump weighs possible strikes on Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. The advanced aircraft are intended to help defend Israel and U.S. forces in the region from potential Iranian retaliation, while also giving Washington expanded offensive capabilities amid escalating tensions.
- Politico is reporting this evening that President Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, Casey Means, does not yet have enough votes for confirmation after facing tough bipartisan questions about her views on vaccines, with key Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski still undecided. Means declined to firmly commit to promoting routine immunizations and would likely need unanimous Republican support on the closely divided Senate health committee, where even one GOP defection could derail her nomination.
See you in the morning.
— Aaron
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