Nicole Charky-Chami

Nicole Charky-Chami is a senior editor based in Los Angeles, writing and producing breaking news. She teaches journalism courses for UCLA Extension and previously taught at Loyola Marymount University. She has worked with the Los Angeles Times and Times Community News, Maria Shriver, Vertical Networks, attn:, Patch and City News Service. She is a Southern California native and Loyola University Chicago graduate.

House passes funding bill to end shutdown as showdown over ICE gets 2-week Band-Aid

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a funding bill to reopen the government and temporarily fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The move signals the end of a four-day partial government shutdown, as Americans have expressed their anger over the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policies, CNN reported. It has apparently created "another funding cliff" in two weeks for the Department of Homeland Security.

President Donald Trump was expected to sign the bill and end the stalemate quickly.

Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson, and other GOP leaders urged Republican members to pass the bill despite their own misgivings about it, a move to prevent a shutdown similar to the 43-day shutdown in fall 2025 that stalled government funding and operations.

Pentagon gives ultimatum to Scouting America — drop 'wokeness' or be dumped

The Pentagon has threatened to drop its decades-long military support for Scouting America, formerly known as Boy Scouts, according to reports Tuesday.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been critical of the organization and its name change, particularly its decision to allow girls to join the formerly all-male youth program, according to The Washington Post.

The move is the Trump administration's most recent attack on diversity, inclusion and its focus on stopping what it has referred to as "wokeness."

"The organization has been in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s crosshairs for years, ever since the group allowed girls to join and in 2024 said it would rebrand as Scouting America to project its inclusiveness," The Post reported. "Hegseth is an avowed critic of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and has worked aggressively during his tenure atop the Pentagon to purge what he calls 'woke' programs — and people — from the institution."

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell issued the warning for the organization in a post on X Monday, describing how the "great organization" has "lost its way," and that it would need to drop initiatives considered "woke."

"But, for more than a decade now, Scouting America's leadership has made decisions that run counter to the values of this administration and this Department of War, including an embrace of DEl and other social justice, gender-fluid ideological stances. This is unacceptable," Parnell wrote.

The threat has left questions around the organization's upcoming Jamboree, a 10-day gathering in July that was slated to bring more than 15,000 Scouts from across the United States to West Virginia. In previous years, the event has featured nearly 500 National Guard members, military reservists and active-duty military members who help support the summit. This is "all now in doubt if the organization does not meet the Pentagon’s demands."

Parnell's warning signaled that the organization would have to move to meet its demands. Scouting America has not yet commented on the Pentagon's statement, The Post reported.

"Scouting America and the Department of War are near a final agreement where we believe we can continue our partnership with Scouting America, as long as the organization rapidly implements the common-sense, core value reforms," Parnell wrote. "They are on the clock, and we are watching."

A leaked report in November signaled that Hegseth’s war on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies would reportedly result in the Pentagon turning its back on Scouting America. In the report obtained by NPR, the outlet reported that Hegseth believes the organization, “once endorsed by President Theodore Roosevelt, no longer supports the future of American boys,” and is currently designed to "attack boy-friendly spaces.”

Dems could smash Trump with this 'lost to history' power: Ex-White House aide

If the Democratic Party wants to hinder Donald Trump's brutal push to create a police state, then it needs to fight back with an unused political method, a commentator urged Tuesday.

Former Bill Clinton aide Sidney Blumenthal argued in The Guardian that the only way to prevent any further damage from the president, whether it involves Immigration and Customs Enforcement rulings in Minneapolis or hinting that the midterm elections should be cancelled, lawmakers must strike with an "oppositional political center of gravity" — state resolutions.

Blumenthal called the approach to state resolutions something "lost to history, not wielded effectively for 113 years," but an option that hasn't been employed yet.

"Today, state legislative resolutions would have far more political weight than any poll, provide a galvanizing mechanism to drive public opinion, and solidify the states as defenders of basic American rights seeking to safeguard constitutional freedoms and the safety of electoral processes," Blumenthal wrote. "State resolutions would expose the brazen hypocrisy of the Trump administration as it tramples on the formerly sanctified principles of states’ rights and free speech, and as Trump poses a clear and present danger to free and fair elections in 2026 and 2028."

While the Supreme Court has consistently fallen in line with Trump over the last year — often not offering much reasons over their decisions to side with him — letting the president work without any imposition on his power, this alternative method could help mobilize the Democratic Party ahead of the midterms.

"Meanwhile, though lower courts have ruled overwhelmingly in state and city suits against Trump’s draconian tactics and policies, the conservative majority on the Supreme Court has relegated many of those decisions to a legal twilight zone through the 'shadow docket,'" Blumenthal wrote.

"Their deliberately long-delayed rulings allow Trump the impunity to impose his authoritarian and unconstitutional methods without obstruction," he explained.

In 2025, of the 25 Trump emergency applications, the conservative majority high court ruled in Trump's favor for 20 cases and seven of those cases had no written explanation.

Should the Democratic Party find a way to shift the conversation and initiate a state resolution, then it could cause difficulties for the GOP, Blumenthal argued.

The move would be a significant step and "golden opportunity" for state legislatures to regain their power against Trump.

"The politics would be a significant mobilizing factor in the Democratic midterm strategy in elections to the House, the Senate and state legislatures," he wrote.

"In states with a Democratic trifecta (where Democrats control the governorship and both legislative chambers), there are 659 Republican state legislators. Within these Democratic states, there are also 38 Republican members of the House, most of them in swing districts.

"Forcing the Republican state legislators to vote on ICE would place them in a political vice between the intransigent MAGA base and the majority of the electorate. This existential predicament would envelop Republican House members as well," he added.

Trump foe devises plan to starve him of what he 'craves' most

A longtime adversary of President Donald Trump has a plan for a key group to take away what Trump craves the most — attention.

EX-CNN journalist Jim Acosta, who was targeted by Trump during his first administration, described in an interview with MS NOW what it might take for Trump to stop attacking the media, after the arrest of independent journalists former CNN anchor Don Lemon, Georgia Fort and several others who were targeted by the Department of Justice last week.

Acosta signaled that Trump's deep concern over the fate of the midterm elections in November has fueled his latest attacks on the press.

"Donald Trump is in a place right now where he's very spooked about the upcoming midterm elections," Acosta said. "He just had the FBI go into an election headquarters in Fulton County, and we may have reached the arresting journalists phase of his authoritarian project.

"And my sense of it is that if he continues to arrest journalists and this is a serious proposal, I think the rest of the news organizations in this country, the major networks, the major newspapers, need to pull their teams out of the White House."

Acosta recommended that media groups could band together and send Trump a clear message.

"One of the things that Donald Trump relies upon is having the press in there, taking his picture and putting him on TV," Acosta said. "It's what he likes and craves. And so I say, if he's going to continue to arrest journalists — take it. Take it away from him.

"And I just think at this point it's going to take some kind of collective action. And I just think, you know, there's been so much bending the knee over the last year that it's emboldened him. And so I think what's needed at this point is just strong, determined action to send the message that we're just not going to tolerate this. And we also need to make sure that folks like Don [Lemon] understand that we all support him. This shouldn't be a moment where folks say, well, you know, 'Don did this or that,' or 'maybe I don't like Don. And so I'm not going to support him.' No."

Acosta has had plenty of experience of pushing back against the Trump administration. In 2018, the White House revoked Acosta's press pass and barred him from covering the president. Acosta has described how the president's approval was not his concern.

"If you want to be liked, don't become a journalist," he said. "Go become a veterinarian or something like that. We're not the most likable folks. But what we do is vitally important to democracy. And it seems to me that our democracy is not going to be a good place if journalists are being jailed. And people need to understand that, ... we're all in this together."

Blood found in Savannah Guthrie's mom's home as new details in missing case emerge

Investigators in Arizona discovered blood inside the Tucson home of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" host Savannah Guthrie, according to reports Tuesday.

The finding suggested that the 84-year-old could be a victim of foul play, The Los Angeles Times reported. Authorities believe she could have been forced out of her home sometime in the middle of the night between Saturday and Sunday.

It's unclear whose blood was inside the house, according to The Times. Officials said there were signs that someone had forced entry inside the home.

“At this point, investigators believe she was taken from the home against her will, possibly [in the] middle of the night,” Kevin Adger, department spokesperson, told The Times. “Detectives are looking into a possible kidnapping or abduction.”

Sheriff's department homicide investigators were at the home Monday and said that a "crime scene" had been discovered at her residence in Pima County, Arizona.

Authorities called the circumstances involving the disappearance suspicious.

"We do in fact have a crime," Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said during a press conference Monday.

She was last seen on Jan. 31, and her family was notified that something was wrong when she did not attend church on Sunday morning. More details about her disappearance were not immediately released.

Nanos said that authorities were relying on the community and technology to find Nancy. She has limited mobility and needs medication, which, if she doesn't have in 24 hours, could be fatal.

"She did not leave on her own, we know that," Nanos said.

Authorities found Guthrie's phone, and investigators were looking at cameras located at the home, asking community members to help provide any information.

Her family was cooperating with authorities to investigate her disappearance. The incident was not related to mental illness.

"This is not dementia-related. She is sharp as a tack," Nanos added.

Anyone with information was asked to contact the Pima County Sheriff's Department at 520-351-4900.

CNN's Jake Tapper trolls Trump in segment dripping with sarcasm

CNN anchor Jake Tapper mocked President Donald Trump after he denied the relationship he had with late financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Tapper led his segment Monday with a reference to the letters, photos and other documented materials connected to Epstein and Trump, pointing out the rather frequent examples and evidence that they communicated and appeared at the same location together over the years.

"President Trump today, wanting to make it very clear he wasn't even friendly with Jeffrey Epstein. Really?" Tapper asked.

"President Trump earlier today attempting once again to distance himself from the dead pedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, calling Epstein a 'sleazebag' and more. But what are the revelations in the 3 million pages of Epstein files that are leading him to go on the attack?" Tapper asked.

Tapper was referring to Trump's unusual post on Truth Social Monday, where he attempted to go on the defensive and push back on his ties to Epstein, saying he never visited Epstein's island after Grammy Award host Trevor Noah made a joke referencing it. In retaliation, Trump threatened to sue the comedian during a late-night rant.

"The president claims he 'wasn't friendly with Epstein' writing 'additionally, unlike so many people that like to talk trash, I never went to the infested Epstein island. But almost all of these crooked Democrats and their donors did.' Now, President Trump's claim that he was never friendly with Jeffrey Epstein is simply a lie. It's not a secret. They were once friends. To illustrate, there are pictures. There is video. Even a 2002 interview with New York Magazine, where Trump said, 'I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side, no doubt about it. Jeffrey enjoys social life.'"

Tapper pointed out that many of these comments were made before Epstein's arrest and conviction.

"Now, we should note that was before Jeffrey Epstein was arrested a few years later. It sounds pretty friendly, though," Tapper pointed out. "And if you want to know why Trump is posting this now, look no further than the 3 million Epstein documents. The Justice Department was forced to release on Friday."

Tapper described why the most recent release was potentially top of mind for Trump.

"Trump's name appears in them. More than 1,000 times," Tapper said. "Some of the references to President Trump were benign. Others included newly disclosed, unverified sexual assault claims. Now, there's no public evidence that any of the allegations against President Trump contained in the new documents were deemed credible by the FBI."

He also added a caveat and presented why these allegations were notable.

"But let's also be clear about unverified allegations," Tapper said. "In general, critics suggest that the FBI may not have seriously looked into many of the allegations against many men that appear in the Epstein files. Why? Well, there have been other cases where women and girls made allegations against powerful men, and it initially went nowhere."

He reminded viewers of the allegations against USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, who was convicted of sexually abusing young athletes under the guise of medical treatment, and the length of time it took for the FBI to investigate the allegations despite the number of claims.

"An inspector general report on the Nassar case found that senior officials in the FBI's Indianapolis field office failed to respond to allegations against the doctor with the seriousness and urgency they deserved, and made errors when responding to those allegations," Tapper said. "This triggered a larger audit of the FBI's handling of tips on sex offenses against children. That audit says that out of the 327 case files that they audited, 42 incidents were flagged for further FBI review. In one instance, the report says, quote, the FBI did not take appropriate investigative action for over a year during this period. The suspect allegedly victimized at least one additional minor for a period of approximately 15 months. The FBI only taking action here after the inspector general brought it to the FBI's attention. The report saying the suspect was then indicted on federal charges. So no one should automatically assume that the FBI handles every tip perfectly."

Trump's 'flamethrower' attack on House Republican's new wife backfires after flub

President Donald Trump attempted to hurl an attack on a rebel Republican foe on Monday, but his accusation was actually incorrect.

Trump was complaining about Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), a vocal critic of Trump, and his new wife in an accusation and was called out for missing a key detail about her.

Trump wrote the following on his Truth Social platform:

"People are saying that Thomas Massie became a Liberal because his new wife, blessed be their marriage, is supposedly a Radical Left 'flamethrower.' This new union all went so fast that maybe he didn’t know what he was getting into but, nevertheless, he is an absolutely terrible and unreliable 'Republican' — Perhaps a RINO, or maybe even worse! Ed Gallrein, a Farmer and War Hero, is running against Massie. He is a HIGH QUALITY individual, and there is no Candidate for Congress that could be better. He is running because he realizes Thomas Massie has been totally disloyal to the President of the United States, and the Republican Party. He never votes for us, he always goes with the Democrats. Thomas Massie is a Complete and Total Disaster, we must make sure he loses, BIG!"

Eric Michael Garcia, Washington Bureau chief at The Independent and MS NOW columnist, posted on Bluesky to set the record straight.

"Trump blames Thomas Massie’s wife for him becoming 'Radical Left ‘flamethrower.' Carolyn Grace Moffa worked for Rand Paul," Garcia wrote.

This wasn't the first time Trump had tried to send Massie a venomous message. After Massie, a widower, announced his new marriage in October, Trump attacked him, rather than congratulate him or send flowers.

At the time, Trump wrote this on Truth Social:

"Did Thomas Massie, sometimes referred to as Rand Paul Jr., because of the fact that he always votes against the Republican Party, get married already??? Boy, that was quick! No wonder the Polls have him at less than an 8% chance of winning the Election. Anyway, have a great life Thomas and (?). His wife will soon find out that she’s stuck with a LOSER!"

Massie, a Libertarian-leaning Republican congressman from Kentucky, has frequently clashed with Trump over various policy issues, including foreign aid, military spending, and government oversight, despite generally supporting Trump's anti-establishment rhetoric. He has been critical of Trump on specific issues such as the spending bills and foreign military assistance, positioning himself as a fiscal conservative who prioritizes constitutional limits on executive power and government spending regardless of which party controls the White House.

Massie, along with his co-sponsor Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), helped pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the legislation that forced the DOJ to release the Epstein files.

He has accused Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche of lying about an effort of several lawmakers to review unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files, an alleged lie that Massie subsequently provided “receipts” to disprove.

Eye-popping new theory behind disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mom floated by expert

A law enforcement and intelligence expert on Monday revealed a new theory into the disappearance of journalist and "Today" host Savannah Guthrie's 84-year-old mother in Tucson, Arizona.

CNN law enforcement analyst John Miller suggested that the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie could have been "an abduction" that is potentially tied to "a well-known figure," her daughter. The theory could involve a "ransom," or something of that nature, Miller explained. Investigators have not released further information about any details tied to this suggestion.

Authorities called the circumstances involving Nancy's disappearance suspicious, and said that homicide investigators were examining a crime scene at her home.

"We do in fact have a crime," Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said during a press conference Monday.

She was last seen on Jan. 31, and her family was notified that something was wrong when she did not attend church on Sunday morning. Further details about her disappearance and what cops found at the home were not released.

Nanos said that authorities were relying on the community and technology to find Nancy. She has limited mobility and needs medication, which, if she doesn't have in 24 hours, could be fatal.

"She did not leave on her own, we know that," Nanos said.

Authorities found Guthrie's phone, and investigators were looking at cameras located at the home, asking community members to help provide any information.

Her family was cooperating with authorities to investigate her disappearance. The incident was not related to mental illness.

"This is not dementia-related. She is sharp as a tack," Nanos added.

Anyone with information was asked to contact the Pima County Sheriff's Department at 520-351-4900.

Urgent hearing set after Trump DOJ's 'single most egregious violation' of victim privacy

A federal judge has planned to have an urgent hearing this week after the Department of Justice released 3 million documents Friday and accidentally revealed the identities and personal information of several survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a legal expert reported Monday.

Legal expert and MS NOW correspondent Lisa Rubin described how an attorney representing survivors of Epstein had called out the Trump administration for its error.

In a post on X, Rubin explained the reaction by the Attorney Brittany Henderson and U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, and Judge Richard Berman who planned to meet with the attorney and their clients on Wednesday.

"NEW: After an Epstein survivors' lawyer details what she says may be 'the single most egregious violation of victim privacy in one day in United States history,' a federal judge has now scheduled a Wednesday a.m. hearing & urged DOJ and the lawyer to bring their clients," Rubin wrote.

The DOJ, which was already a month past the deadline to release the full Epstein files, released more materials on Friday and raised more concerns among survivor whose private information — something that was clearly carved out of disclosure requirements under federal law, and that the administration itself has said it is working hard to avoid doing — actually happened.

Rubin said last week that an "initial review of documents just produced in response to the Epstein Files Transparency Act indicate that despite a promise (and the obligation) to protect victim-identifying information, the DOJ has revealed the names and other identifying details of known survivors of Jeffrey Epstein."

Rubin and her MS NOW team had been going through the files since they were released Friday.

"In at least one case, MS NOW found a driver's license with an unredacted photo among the documents produced today. None of these documents were previously produced in public court filings," she said.

Epstein was a wealthy financier accused of operating an extensive sex trafficking operation targeting underage girls for over a decade, exploiting his wealth, connections and status to recruit, groom and abuse victims while evading serious legal consequences for years. Epstein died in jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, and his death — officially ruled a suicide — sparked widespread conspiracy theories and investigations into potential accomplices, leading to the eventual arrest and conviction of associate Ghislaine Maxwell and renewed scrutiny of his network of powerful associates.

Trump DHS dealt a blow in scheme to limit Dems’ access to ICE facilities

The Trump administration was temporarily blocked Monday by a judge who rejected the Department of Homeland Security's move to limit Democratic lawmakers' access to immigrant detention facilities and stop unannounced visits.

Thirteen members of the House of Representatives had presented a lawsuit to challenge Trump's DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after they were told that they needed to provide a minimum of seven days before visiting an ICE detainment center and seeing citizens and non-citizens at the locations, The Hill reported.

U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, a President Joe Biden appointee, sided with the lawmakers — now the second time she has sided with a group of Democratic lawmakers.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem issued a memorandum requiring a seven-day notice requirement on Jan. 8, just a day after ICE agent Jonathan Ross killed 37-year-old mother Renee Good behind the wheel of her car in Minneapolis.

Noem's moved to enact the notice requirement at "facilities being funded exclusively by the 'Big Beautiful Bill' that Republicans passed last summer. That bill did not include the rider," according to The Hill.

But Cobb rejected the policy altogether. She said it would be difficult to decipher which expenses are funded by which law.

“Defendants’ declarant provides almost no details or specifics as to how DHS and ICE would accomplish this task in the face of the practical challenges raised by Plaintiffs,” Cobb wrote.

“The Court’s decision today to grant a temporary restraining order against ICE’s unlawful effort to obstruct congressional oversight is a victory for the American people. We will keep fighting to ensure the rule of law prevails,” Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) said in a statement.

Trump DOJ ally demoted in move to strip his powers: report

The Department of Justice has demoted Ed Martin, a close ally to President Donald Trump, in a move that has stripped him of most of his authority.

Two people who spoke under the condition of anonymity who were familiar with the DOJ move told The Washington Post on Monday that Martin was sidelined and will no longer chair the DOJ's Weaponization Working Group, "which was tasked with reviewing special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecutions of Trump and other perceived examples of 'prosecutorial abuse.'" The decision has not yet been announced publicly.

Martin, who has not been at the DOJ for a year, was expected to leave the department entirely, CNN reported. He was initially picked to help implement Trump's key priorities. The Weaponization Group has not released any information, but will apparently meet daily. Trump has been critical that the DOJ has not been active enough to pursue legal action against his political enemies.

Several sources have told CNN that Martin "wasn't doing much," CNN reported

"Martin will continue to serve as the Justice Department’s pardon attorney but will no longer work at Justice Department headquarters. Instead, his office will be located in another DOJ building in Northeast Washington, pulling him away from the attorney general and the most powerful figures in the department, according to a person familiar with the move," The Post reported. "The pardon office is in that Northeast Washington building."

He was expected to leave his role in the coming weeks.

“President Trump appointed Ed Martin as pardon attorney, and Ed continues to do a great job in that role,” a Justice Department spokesperson said.

Martin had no previous trial experience before Trump appointed him to serve as the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C. He was a longtime antiabortion activist and helped organize and finance the rally following the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.

When Martin did not have enough Senate support to confirm him, Trump pivoted and gave him a senior Justice Department role that did not require Senate approval, The Post reported.

Martin has been behind the unsuccessful legal attacks on Trump's adversaries, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, former FBI director James B. Comey and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA).

Federal prosecutors have questioned Martin, along with Trump’s Federal Housing Administration Director Bill Pulte, known as an attack dog for the president, were at the center of a Maryland grand jury investigation for hires that were made to pursue investigations aimed at Trump’s critics.

Furious Trump ridiculed for threatening to sue Grammy's host Trevor Noah over stinging jab

The internet Monday didn't hold back from mocking President Donald Trump after he threatened to sue comedian and Grammy Awards show host Trevor Noah over a searing joke.

Noah took a few jabs at Trump during the Sunday night awards show in Hollywood honoring the music industry, including one about term limits, Nicki Minaj and Trump's physique and another about late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — something that particularly stung for the president. Noah's reference to Epstein and the president's relationship with him came up during the tee up to the song of the year award.

“That is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense … because Epstein’s island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton,” Noah said.

Trump reacted with a legal threat on his Truth Social post, writing the following:

"The Grammy Awards are the WORST, virtually unwatchable! CBS is lucky not to have this garbage litter their airwaves any longer. The host, Trevor Noah, whoever he may be, is almost as bad as Jimmy Kimmel at the Low Ratings Academy Awards. Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! I can’t speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonight’s false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media. Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast. It looks like I’ll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$. Ask Little George Slopadopolus, and others, how that all worked out. Also ask CBS! Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you! President DJT"

Social media users were quick to respond to Trump's comments.

"The president is threatening to sue Trevor Noah over a joke. Seems like the comedy podcasters who backed Trump out of concerns about free speech threats to their industry maybe have missed the target slightly. #LegalizeComedy," Tim Miller, former Republican Party strategist and current podcast host for The Bulwark, wrote on X.

"Trevor really out here turning the Grammy stage into political commentary 101," user Ekemini ita wrote on X.

"It’s 1:00 am and Donald Trump is awake furiously posting on social media about the Grammys. He says he’s suing Trevor Noah for joking about him being on Epstein island. What a snowflake!!! So much for free speech!" Democratic influencer Harry Sisson wrote on X.

"Trevor Noah really said 'What are you going to do about it, it's my last year!' and then dropped a tactical nuke on the timeline. Trump threatening to sue him for defamation over the Epstein joke is exactly the reaction Trevor wanted. You can’t tell me this wasn’t the perfect way to retire from the Grammys. He chose violence and left the building," user Mike wrote on X.

"No wonder baby Dons keyboard was making sparks this morning. Noah lit him up like a Christmas tree," user gene, who described himself as "retired," wrote on X.

"Discovery's a b----, Donald," user Dan Cataneo wrote on X.

"Ha! It looks like Trevor Noah touched a raw nerve at the Grammy Awards. Trump is such a snowflake!" Democratic strategist Jon Cooper, former Long Island Campaign Chair for Barack Obama and Majority Leader of the Suffolk County Legislature, wrote on Bluesky.

"Trump sued the comedian Bill Maher over a joke. Trump had comedians fired for making fun of him. Trump is threatening to sue comedian Trevor Noah over a joke. Also… MAGA: Liberals are snowflakes," writer Joe Thomas wrote on Bluesky.

Trevor Noah takes another jab at Donald Trump #Grammys: “Song of the Year — that is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epstein’s island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton” pic.twitter.com/quUWEpX4NL
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) February 2, 2026

Trump's latest obsession backfires spectacularly as 'MAGA creates a martyr': analyst

President Donald Trump's revenge effort against independent journalist and former CNN host Don Lemon didn't go off the way he had hoped — and ultimately backfired — as "MAGA created a martyr," an analyst wrote Monday.

Salon's Sophia Tesfaye described how Trump's Attorney General Pam Bondi has an "abysmal" record of going after Trump enemies and how, despite Trump's attempts to publicly humiliate Lemon, he gave the longtime journalist "a victory lap."

Don Lemon was arrested on federal charges related to his coverage of an anti-ICE protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota on January 18. Prosecutors alleged he interfered with law enforcement operations. He was freed from custody on Friday.

Trump tried to deflect and "claimed ignorance" Saturday when he was asked about Lemon on Air Force One.

"'I didn’t know anything about it,' he said, before calling Lemon a 'sleazebag,' a 'failure' and a host who 'got no viewers.' Then, with the instinct of a man who has spent his life chasing headlines, Trump added that 'probably from his standpoint,' the arrest was 'the best thing that could happen to him.' Even the president understood he’d been played," Tesfaye wrote.

And while Lemon sat behind bars in federal custody, his team orchestrated a live feed for nine hours, prompting "717,000 views and thousands of new paying subscribers."

And Trump's push to punish Lemon has exposed deep concerns among MAGA.

"The administration’s fixation on Lemon — MAGA influencers had petitioned for days via X for his arrest — reveals how badly it needs a political win," Tesfaye explained. "This has been a disastrous start to the new year for Trump, one marked by policy failures, political losses and the release of millions of pages of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that the administration would much rather people not be discussing. The Don Lemon spectacle was supposed to suck up oxygen. It didn’t. The algorithm moved on."

The ordeal has revealed more about Trump's mindset ahead of the midterm elections.

"The desperation behind these prosecutions reflects the political reality that Trump and his enablers can no longer hide. Even within MAGA world, the spell is breaking — and that disillusionment is showing up at the ballot box," Tesfaye added.

Although the Trump administration has tried to silence journalists, those moves haven't quite worked, including its seizing of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson's electronic devices after federal agents raided her home in January, a judge later ordered were to be returned.

"But, so far, it seems to be spectacularly backfiring on Trump. MAGA created a martyr, energized the opposition and exposed the hollowness of their 'law and order' rhetoric," Tesfaye wrote.

Trump busted for denying part in GOP's Texas rout: 'He was most definitely involved'

President Donald Trump denied his involvement in a Texas special election after a major Democratic win in Texas flipped a deep red seat blue.

Since November 2025, Democrats have gained significant wins in elections, putting Republicans on edge with midterm elections on the horizon this fall, wrote MS NOW's Steve Benen, producer of “The Rachel Maddow Show," in an analysis post published Monday.

Trump has apparently attempted to distance himself from his own failures, Benen explained. Despite his public attempt to push voters to support the Republican candidate, he denied having any part in the loss.

Now the shock in the Fort Worth, Texas, seat has left Republicans super anxious, according to reports.

"On paper, this outcome seemed wholly implausible. Donald Trump won this district by 17 points in the 2024 elections; Wambsganss heavily outspent Rehmet; the district hasn’t been competitive in three decades; and state GOP leaders, such as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, went all out to help carry Wambsganss across the finish line in one of the nation’s largest Republican counties," Benen wrote.

Taylor Rehmet, an Air Force veteran and union leader, won 57% of the vote in a special election for state Senate District 9, against Republican candidate Leigh Wambsganss.

"The outcome was obviously a difficult one for Wambsganss, the chief communications officer for Patriot Mobile, which describes itself as 'America’s ONLY Christian conservative wireless provider.' But the results were also especially brutal for Donald Trump — though he was eager to pretend otherwise," Benen wrote.

Despite Trump's push and posts on his Truth Social platform, Wambsganss lost by 14 points to Rehmet.

"The Democratic candidate won by double digits anyway," Benen added.

And when Trump was asked about it the next day, he had this to say:

“'I don’t know. I didn’t hear about it,' he replied. 'Somebody ran where?' Reminded of the relevant details, Trump added, 'I’m not involved with that. That’s a local Texas race.'”

But Benen argued that wasn't the actual reality — and the staggering loss was a clear reflection on Trump's presidency.

"He was most definitely involved with that," he wrote.

Reporter: A Democrat won a special election in Texas in an area that you won by 17 pointsTrump: I’m not involved in that. That’s a local race. I don’t know anything about it. I had nothing to do with it.

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— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) February 1, 2026 at 9:45 AM

Alarming new details revealed as Savannah Guthrie's mom missing: 'We have a crime scene'

Homicide investigators Monday were asking the public for help after Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today journalist Savannah Guthrie, went missing. Police said a "crime scene" had been discovered at her home in Pima County, Arizona.

Authorities called the circumstances involving the disappearance suspicious.

"We do in fact have a crime," Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said during a press conference Monday.

The 84-year-old woman was last seen on Jan. 31. More details about her disappearance and what cops found at the home were not released.

Nanos said that authorities were relying on the community and technology to try and find Guthrie, who has limited mobility and needs medication.

"She did not leave on her own, we know that," Nanos said.

Her family was cooperating with authorities to investigate her disappearance. Officials were looking at cameras located at the home. The incident was not related to dementia.

"This is not dementia-related. She is sharp as a tack," Nanos added.