Monday, Feb. 2
Partial government shutdown continues, House split on immigration
The partial government shutdown continues as House Democrats and Republicans fail to reach an agreement on the federal funding package President Donald Trump brokered with the Senate, according to The Associated Press.
The stalemate is due to disagreements on immigration enforcement operations, with some Democrats refusing to vote for the package that is without increased restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Democrats are pushing for more regulations beyond the $20 million included for body cameras. According to Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, all ICE officers in Minneapolis will be issued body cameras and the program will be extended to the entire country as funding becomes available.
Tuesday, Feb. 3
Clintons to testify in House as Epstein investigation continues
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed to testify in the House investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the AP reported.
The announcement comes as the federal government continues to release Epstein’s files, and as Rep. James Comer, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, pushed forward with the potential of charging the Clintons with criminal contempt of Congress charges.
The Clintons attempted to arrange the format of the subpoenas, offering to provide a transcribed interview and sworn declaration. Comer rejected the offer, and the final agreement has not yet been finalized, according to the AP.
Wednesday, Feb. 4
Tensions remain in Minneapolis as immigration officers arrest activists
Activists following immigration officers in Minneapolis were arrested. Immigration arrests continue across the city, as officials make more targeted moves at houses and neighborhoods, according to the AP.
Multiple cars followed immigration vehicles throughout the city before being stopped and told to exit their vehicles at gunpoint, threatening to use pepper spray. A spokesperson for Homeland Security said the officials did so because the activists were impeding their attempt to arrest an illegal immigrant.
ICE's presence in Minneapolis is beginning to impact schools. ICE vehicles were reported outside of school board members' and the superintendent's homes, the AP reported.
Thursday, Feb. 5
Nike investigated amidst claims of ‘DEI-related’ discrimination
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission disclosed that sportswear company Nike is being investigated due to claims that it discriminated against white employees through diversity policies.
The EEOC filed a motion in a Missouri federal court and demanded Nike comply with a subpoena for the company’s criteria for selecting employees for layoffs, how it tracks and uses worker race and ethnicity data and information about programs that allegedly provided race-restricted mentoring, leadership or career development opportunities, according to the AP.
Nike said it is complying with the EEOC and has shared thousands of pages of information and detailed written responses with them.
Friday, Feb. 6
TrumpRx website launched by Trump Administration
The Trump administration officially released the TrumpRx website, intended to help patients buy prescription drugs directly at a discounted rate, according to the AP.
The website is set up as a facilitator and will point users to drugmakers’ direct-to-consumer websites, also providing coupons to be used at pharmacies. The initial launch includes over 40 medications.
Included in the medications are weight loss drugs, such as Ozempic. Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, claimed the site will help the country lose a collective 100 million pounds this year.
According to the AP, the site is a part of the Trump administration's effort to tackle rising costs and affordability issues.
Sunday, Feb. 8
Trump receives bipartisan backlash for racist post about Obama's
U.S. Lawmakers from both sides of the political spectrum have publicly criticized Trump for a racist video posted online that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as primates, according to the AP.
Sen. Tim Scott, the only Black Republican senator, criticized the image and urged the president to remove it. Other Republicans, including Sens. Susan Collins, John Curtis, Pete Ricketts and more, also expressed criticism of the image.
A few of Trump's allies maintained support, saying Trump is not racist. Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, claimed the video depicted Trump as “King of the Jungle” while the Obamas and other Democrats were characters from “The Lion King,” the AP reported.
