US Politics

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told CBS News that no U.S. administration has created an effective immigration system and said only Congress can fix it. Moore said President Joe Biden “needed to do more” on immigration and criticized former President Donald Trump’s crackdown, arguing that executive actions alone cannot resolve long-standing border and migration challenges. He said partisan gridlock in Congress has blocked lasting reforms and left states managing the local impact of federal policy gaps.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio urges the United States and Europe to “revitalize an old friendship,” calling for renewed transatlantic cooperation while affirming the Trump administration’s existing policy positions. Rubio emphasizes NATO, shared security challenges and economic ties, uses a more reassuring tone toward European allies, and highlights ongoing diplomatic, military and intelligence collaboration. He addresses concerns over defense spending, trade disputes and alliance reliability without signaling major policy shifts.

Casey Wasserman, chair of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games organizing committee, plans to sell his Wasserman talent agency after the public release of court records showing email exchanges between himself and Ghislaine Maxwell. The documents, tied to the Jeffrey Epstein cases, list Wasserman among many public figures mentioned, though no criminal charges against him have been announced. The sale details, including potential buyers and timeline, remain undisclosed. Wasserman continues to lead the LA28 organizing committee as preparations for the 2028 Games proceed.

The U.S. Department of Justice has released a major new batch of Jeffrey Epstein case records, totaling about three million documents and photos. The January 30 disclosure, arriving more than a month after an initial deadline, expands public access to investigative files, court-related material, and visual evidence. Many documents are expected to be redacted to protect victims, minors, and third parties. Lawyers, journalists, and lawmakers are preparing to review the records for new details on how authorities handled past investigations, plea agreements, and Epstein’s network of associates.

Newly reviewed files show that Tom Barrack, a longtime associate of former President Donald Trump and a prominent investor, maintained years of contact with financier Jeffrey Epstein. CBS News found records of meetings, calls, and social events linking Barrack and Epstein within elite political and business circles.

The CIA has released a new Mandarin-language recruitment video targeting Chinese military officers who feel disillusioned with corruption and internal conditions. The video portrays a fictional Chinese official struggling with moral concerns and invites viewers to share information with U.S. intelligence through secure channels. The initiative fits into Washington’s broader focus on China as a key strategic priority and highlights growing competition in the intelligence field. Chinese authorities routinely warn citizens and military personnel against foreign espionage, though there has been no detailed official response to this specific video.

Newly released Epstein case documents explain a one-minute gap in jail surveillance video from the night of Jeffrey Epstein’s death. The records describe how the Metropolitan Correctional Center’s digital recording system created a brief time-code break during routine file indexing near midnight. Technical logs, internal emails and investigator requests show that the interruption stemmed from automated system processes, not manual deletion. The files also detail comparisons of multiple camera angles and system behavior at other times.