Elliot Ackerman, CBS News contributor and former CIA officer, joins “The Daily Report” to discuss President Trump building up a massive military presence in the Middle East amid nuclear talks with Iran.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/trump-striking-iran-certainly-possibility-former-cia-officer-says/
Category Archives: politics
Agencies like FEMA, TSA could be strained if partial shutdown continues
Wednesday marked day five of a partial government shutdown with no end in sight. Lawmakers have failed to reach an agreement on funding the Department of Homeland Security. CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion has more.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/if-partial-shutdown-continues-other-agencies-like-fema-tsa-could-be-strained/
CBS’s Bari Weiss pulls out of UCLA lecture
UCLA has canceled an upcoming lecture featuring CBS News chief Bari Weiss. Weiss was scheduled to give the annual Daniel Pearl Memorial lecture on Feb. 27, about “The Future of Journalism.” But according to the university, the program will not move forward as scheduled, after Weiss’ team withdrew from the event. A source familiar with the UCLA program said the lecture was canceled due to security concerns from Weiss, despite the public university offering to obtain additional security for the event, the source said. The Daniel Pearl Memorial lecture series honors the late journalist and is considered the capstone of the university’s Burkle Center for International Relations. Previous speakers include journalists Jake Tapper, Anderson Cooper and Bob Woodward. According to the source, several employees at both the Burkle Center and the International Institute expressed opposition to Weiss speaking on campus. The university was also expecting a large number of students to protest the event. Neither Weiss nor CBS immediately responded to a request for comment. Weiss founded the media company, The Free Press, which was purchased in October by Paramount, CBS’ parent company. Following the $150 million purchase, Weiss was installed as editor-in-chief of CBS News. Two months after taking on the new role, Weiss made the widely panned decision to pull a “60 Minutes” episode that examined the alleged abuse of deportees sent from the U. S. to an El Salvador prison. The decision earned Weiss heavy criticism and accusations that the move was politically motivated.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2026-02-18/cbss-bari-weiss-pulls-out-of-ucla-lecture
Jesse Jackson’s death “leaves a big, big hole in the world,” social justice scholar says
Rev. Jesse Jackson’s family announced Tuesday that the civil rights icon died peacefully at 84 years old. For more than six decades, Jackson spent his life working to advance civil rights and advocating for the interests of working-class people of all colors. Obery Hendricks, sadjunct professor at Columbia University, joins “The Daily Report” to discuss his life and legacy.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/jesse-jacksons-death-leaves-a-big-big-hole-in-the-world-social-justice-scholar-says/
Partial government shutdown hits Day 3 with DHS funding still a sticking point
Monday marked day three of a partial government shutdown after lawmakers failed to reach a deal last week on funding the Homeland Security Department. CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion has more.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/partial-government-shutdown-hits-day-3/
Epstein files fallout takes down elite figures in Europe, while U.S. reckoning is muted
The contrast is striking: In Europe, some people whose names come up in the Epstein files are facing consequences but in the U. S., not so much. European royals, government officials, politicians and others are losing jobs and titles over their connection to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. European law enforcement agencies are opening investigations based on recent troves of documents released by the U. S. government. Prominent Americans with apparent ties to Jeffrey Epstein including President Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick- have so far largely kept their positions of power. Epstein also associated with Democratic politicians and academics, including former President Bill Clinton. While appearing in the Epstein files is not necessarily proof of wrongdoing, for Europeans, it’s been “very humiliating” to see their “rich and famous hobnobbing” with Epstein, “a fake American billionaire” and convicted sex trafficker of minors, said Richard Painter, a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School who served as the chief ethics lawyer to President George W. Bush. But in the U. S., Painter says, the connection between money and politics can shield some of those named in the files. “You’ve got all this massive amount of money in politics. So the billionaire class is definitely going to want to be protected,” he said. Neither the White House nor the Department of Commerce have responded to a request for comment. In the United Kingdom, former Prince Andrew was stripped of his royal titles and forced to move out of the royal estate. That was over claims that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, as he is now known, had sex with teenage girls which he has denied during his visits with Epstein. Now, with the latest release of files, the former prince faces an investigation by British police over claims he shared confidential trade information with Epstein in 2010. King Charles III, Mountbatten-Windsor’s brother, is “ready to support” investigators, Buckingham Palace said in a statement sent to news outlets this week. Others in the U. K. have faced consequences, not for allegations of sexual misconduct, but for being too friendly with Epstein. Peter Mandelson, a prominent Labour Party figure and Britain’s ambassador to the U. S., was stripped of his position in September and resigned from the House of Lords earlier this month. He now faces a criminal investigation after new files suggest he received payments from Epstein and shared government documents. For a while, Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced calls to step down over his continued support for Mandelson. Starmer, earlier this month, apologized to Epstein’s victims. “None of us knew the depth and darkness of that relationship,” he said of Mandelson’s ties to Epstein. In countries such as Britain with a parliamentary system, leaders are more vulnerable to calls to resign from political opponents or even members of their own party, Painter noted, than leaders in the United States. “Ultimately the Parliament, the legislature, calls the shots and then the members of the legislature are vulnerable to be voted down in the next election,” he said. “There’s more accountability to the public.” Trump is somewhat insulated from political pressure President Trump was a longtime friend of Epstein’s and appears frequently in the released documents from the late financier’s estate. Trump and the White House have both consistently denied any wrongdoing. Still, because he is in his second term and is constitutionally prohibited from running for reelection, he is shielded from some accountability, according to Painter. Lutnick, Trump’s billionaire commerce secretary, previously had said he had “very limited interactions” with Epstein, a New York City neighbor after visiting his townhouse in 2005. But this week, at a Senate hearing, he acknowledged that he and his family traveled to Epstein’s private island in 2012. Painter also criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi for “selectively” releasing parts of the Epstein files, despite bipartisan legislation passed by Congress which orders a full release of the documents. In her opening remarks at a contentious House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, Bondi said she was “deeply sorry for what any victim” had gone through, but she avoided apologizing directly to several of Epstein’s victims in the committee room. Painter questioned whether the administration is releasing files that only implicate Democrats while shielding Republicans. Epstein knew Trump, a neighbor in Palm Beach, but Trump says they had a falling out before Epstein’s conviction for sex trafficking. A few Americans have lost positions of power. Larry Summers, a former Treasury Secretary during the Clinton administration and chief economic adviser to President Obama, stepped away from his teaching position at Harvard. Brad Karp resigned as chair of the prestigious law firm Paul Weiss. And Kathryn Ruemmler, top lawyer at Goldman Sachs, announced that she’ll resign from her job at the end of June. Consequences spread across Europe France’s former culture minister, Jack Lang, resigned as head of a Paris cultural center after the French Foreign Ministry sought to question him about his ties to Epstein. Former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland, this week was charged with “gross corruption” by police there and could face up to 10 years in prison after emails showed he stayed in Epstein’s homes in New York and Florida and visited Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean. Also this month, Mona Juul resigned as Norway’s ambassador to Jordan, after revelations that Epstein left $10 million in his will to her children. The Epstein scandal has also hit the country’s royal family. Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, the wife of Crown Prince Haakon, apologized after documents showed she vacationed in an Epstein property in Palm Beach.
https://www.npr.org/2026/02/14/nx-s1-5714609/epstein-europe-fallout
U.K. Prime Minister Starmer says he won’t resign over Epstein fallout
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Refuses to Resign Amid Controversy
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared that he will “not walk away” from Downing Street despite mounting calls for his resignation. This pressure comes amid scrutiny over links between his former US ambassador and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The controversy has sparked intense political debate, with critics urging the Prime Minister to step down. However, Starmer remains steadfast, maintaining his position and rejecting calls to resign.
Political strategists Mally Smith and Rina Shah have joined the discussion, providing in-depth analysis on the situation and its potential impact on the UK government.
As the story develops, political observers continue to monitor the response from both the Prime Minister and opposition figures.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/uk-starmer-wont-resign-epstein-fallout/
‘Washington Post’ CEO resigns after going AWOL during massive job cuts
**Washington Post Publisher and CEO Will Lewis Announces Departure After Tumultuous Tenure**
The Washington Post’s Publisher and Chief Executive, Will Lewis, announced on Saturday evening that he would be departing the paper after just two years at the helm. His tenure, intended as a period of transformation, was instead marked by controversy, crisis, and significant upheaval.
In his resignation note, Lewis described his time as “two years of transformation,” but many view his leadership as defined more by turbulence than by a clear, steady path forward. His departure comes on the heels of brutal job cuts that have sent shockwaves through the newsroom.
More than a third of the newsroom staff was laid off on Wednesday, a devastating blow following Lewis’ promises of radical innovation. Despite these promises, the paper struggled with annual financial losses in the tens of millions of dollars. At one point, losses surged to $100 million, as Lewis himself disclosed to staffers during a difficult all-hands meeting in June 2024—only five months into his leadership. That meeting would prove to be his last full-staff gathering.
During his tenure, Lewis was notably absent from key moments as the Post’s scope and journalistic ambitions underwent radical shifts and significant contractions. He played no visible role in announcing the layoffs during a mandatory Zoom call for the newsroom on Wednesday and did not publicly address the paper’s readers in the aftermath to ease their concerns.
Adding to the fallout, just a day after the layoffs were announced, Lewis was photographed walking a red carpet at a Super Bowl event in Northern California. This appearance only heightened the newsroom’s frustration and eroded trust in his leadership.
In recent weeks, the newsroom’s disenchantment reached a peak, prompting journalists to appeal directly to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who owns the paper. They pleaded for Bezos to intervene—to spare the paper from further cuts and help secure financial stability. As of now, Bezos has not responded to these urgent appeals.
In the wake of Lewis’ departure, the paper’s Chief Financial Officer, Jeff D’Onofrio, will serve as acting CEO while The Washington Post begins the search for new leadership.
https://www.npr.org/2026/02/07/nx-s1-5705413/washington-post-ceo-resigns-will-lewis
Memo from state’s attorney’s office to Chicago mayor’s office criticizes fed investigation order
Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Pushes Back on Mayor Johnson’s Executive Order Targeting Federal Immigration Officers
CHICAGO (WLS) — Mayor Brandon Johnson’s recent executive order directing police to gather evidence and investigate federal immigration officers for alleged crimes is facing renewed criticism. This time, the pressure comes from the Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s Office.
ABC7 Chicago has obtained a copy of a memo that outlines serious concerns regarding the mayor’s directive. Since its signing last Saturday, the executive order has come under significant scrutiny.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office has just completed a thorough and highly critical legal review that suggests the mayor’s order, in its current form, could be unenforceable.
Mayor Johnson’s Plan and the Legal Concerns
Last weekend, Mayor Johnson joined political allies and supporters to announce his plans to hold federal agents accountable if they violate the law during immigration enforcement operations, including last fall’s “Operation Midway Blitz” or any future actions.
The executive order mandates that police preserve evidence of criminal behavior by federal agents and, at the direction of the mayor’s office, refer such cases to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
However, according to the memo sent to the mayor’s office on Friday afternoon, the State’s Attorney’s Office argues that “inserting the Mayor’s office into the already well-established process for felony review of charges is not only wholly inappropriate, but it also jeopardizes our ability to effectively prosecute and secure convictions when federal law enforcement agents have committed a crime.”
Ron Safer, a former federal prosecutor, stated, “It is not the job of the executive branch, and elected officials in particular, to be telling the prosecutor which cases to prosecute, which cases not to prosecute.”
Mayor’s Office Responds to Criticism
Mayor Johnson has emphasized that his executive order is designed to ensure accountability. He said, “One thing that I’m not gonna do is interfere with justice; I’m just gonna make sure that justice is served.”
Regarding the legal review, Johnson stated, “When that probable cause has been established, we will make sure that it gets to the state’s attorney for full prosecution.”
State’s Attorney’s Office Warns of Political Interference Risks
The legal review warns that involvement from the mayor’s office could complicate prosecutions. Defense attorneys might argue that any prosecution of a federal immigration agent is politically motivated, suggesting the investigations were “directed” by the Mayor’s Office.
Safer added, “I think it is critically important to keep political concerns out of criminal prosecution at every level of government; our system depends on the impartiality of the prosecutor.”
Possibility of Reworking the Executive Order
When asked whether the executive order could be revised to better support police and prosecutors investigating potential criminal activity, including two recent shootings in Cook County, Safer responded, “I think it could be redrafted. I will tell you that my view is it’s a bad idea.”
State’s Attorney’s Office Statement
In a statement, the State’s Attorney’s Office affirmed its commitment to fully supporting and reviewing law enforcement investigations involving federal agents under the law. However, it cautioned that the mayor’s executive order introduces significant hurdles to this process.
The Mayor’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the memo.
Secretary Noem says body cameras are being deployed to field officers in Minneapolis
**Homeland Security to Deploy Body Cameras to Field Officers Nationwide**
WASHINGTON — U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Monday, February 2, that her department is deploying body cameras to every field officer in Minneapolis, with plans to expand the program nationwide as funding becomes available.
“Effective immediately we are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis. As funding is available, the body camera program will be expanded nationwide,” Noem said in a post on X.
The announcement comes amid heightened scrutiny of the immigration enforcement policies under President Donald Trump’s administration, following the recent killing of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota by agents of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security. These incidents have sparked nationwide protests.
Human rights advocates have widely condemned Trump’s immigration policies, criticizing them for lacking due process and fostering a hostile environment for immigrant communities. In contrast, President Trump has defended his administration’s actions as necessary measures to improve domestic security.
Commenting on Noem’s announcement, President Trump told reporters that body cameras “generally tend to be good for law enforcement, because people can’t lie about what’s happening.”
“So it’s, generally speaking, I think 80% good for law enforcement. But if she wants to do that, I’m OK with it,” Trump said, noting that the decision was made by Noem and not by him.
Noem’s announcement followed a call with U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott, Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan—who has been tasked with taking over operations in Minnesota—and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons.
The Secretary affirmed that the Trump administration will “rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras to DHS law enforcement across the country,” signaling a swift move toward increased transparency and accountability in immigration enforcement operations nationwide.
https://www.wctrib.com/news/national/secretary-noem-says-body-cameras-are-being-deployed-to-field-officers-in-minneapolis