Hospitals on alert as Egypt readies for opening of Rafah crossing to Gaza's wounded

A key border crossing betweenthe Gaza Stripand Egypt is expected to partially open on Sunday morning, with Egyptian officials readying help for sickand injured Palestinians.

Dozens of Egyptian ambulances have assembled in front of the Rafah crossing gateon the Egyptian side. Hospitals in North Sinai are also on high alert and prepared to receive Palestinians arriving from Gaza in need of care.

Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said in a statement that the crossing will open on Sunday for the "limited movement of people only," with entry and exits from Gaza permitted "in coordination with Egypt, following prior security clearance of individuals by Israel."

For residents who left Gaza during the war, re-entry will only be permitted after clearance by Israel and additional screening and identification processes, the statement said.

The Associated Press, citing an Israeli official, has reported that only 50 medical evacuees will be permitted to exit Gaza each day. Medical evacuations were similarly prioritized under past ceasefire deals.

The opening comes just days after the remains ofthe last hostage held by Hamasin Gaza, 24-year-old police officer Ran Gvili, were returned to Israel on Monday, completing a key pillar of the truce after tensions over delays and accusations of ceasefire violations. Israel has repeatedly postponed reopening the crossing, signaling it would not open until the bodies of all the hostages were recovered.

Khaled Mujawir, the governor of Egypt's North Sinai province, told Egyptian state television earlier this week that officials are "100% ready" for the crossing to open, according to the Anadolu news agency. He also expressed hope that the crossing would be opened to aid convoys.

The Rafah crossing, the main checkpoint between Gaza and Egypt, has long been the primary gateway to the rest of the world for Palestinians living in the enclave, and now it is a considered a lifeline for the tens of thousands in need of treatment outside the territory, where the majority of medical infrastructure has been destroyed.

The reopening marks the first major step of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire's second phase, after the first phase came into effect nearly four months ago.

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The second stage of the truce will alsorequire the disarmament of Hamas, a key sticking point in negotiations, as well as the development of Trump's international force to oversee security in Gaza.

For months, only Gvili's remains had yet to be returned, with Israel announcing their recovery Monday after launching a sweeping operation to locate them amid mounting pressure from the Trump administration to move forward with the next phase of the deal.

Hundreds of thousands of families across Gaza have been forced to wait out the first phase of the ceasefire in makeshift tents with little protection from the winter weather, as heavy rains flooded campsites.

While the ceasefire brought an end to the most severe attacks on the enclave, Israel has killed more than 500 people in Gaza since the ceasefire began, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the enclave, with Israel and Hamas both accusing the other of violating the truce.

Hospitals in Gaza saidIsraeli strikes killed at least 29 Palestinians Saturday, one of the highest tolls since the October ceasefire began.

Israel's military said in a statement that Saturday's strikes followed what it described as ceasefire violations a day earlier, when the army killed at least four militants emerging from a tunnel in an Israeli-controlled area.

For Palestinians on the ground, the crossing reopening would be a small glimmer of light.

"We hope the Rafah crossing opens so we can travel freely and meet many of our family members, those who have been forcibly displaced outside the Gaza Strip," Duaa Basem Al-Masri, a 26-year-old pharmacist from Beit Hanoun, told NBC News earlier this week.

She hoped the progress would soon also see the entry of "medical aid, medicines and proper shelter equipment into the strip, to ease the suffering" in Gaza.

"We hope there will be international pressure on them from President Donald Trump," Basem Al-Masri said.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

January 31, 2026

Hospitals on alert as Egypt readies for opening of Rafah crossing to Gaza's wounded

A key border crossing betweenthe Gaza Stripand Egypt is expected to partially open on Sunday morning, with Egyptian offic...

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U.S. warns Iran over planned military drills close to American forces

The United States warned Iran on Saturday over its plans to conduct live-fire drills close to U.S. forces in the region, as partners sought to de-escalaterising tensions between the two nations.

Iran announced Friday that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was conducting a two-day live-fire naval exercise in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane that handles about 20% of global oil supply.

The drills comeas U.S. Navy ships arrive in the region, with President Donald Trump deploying what he called a "massive armada," which he said earlier this week could act against Iran "with speed and violence, if necessary."

"We will not tolerate unsafe IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) actions including overflight of U.S. military vessels engaged in flight operations, low-altitude or armed overflight of U.S. military assets when intentions are unclear, highspeed boat approaches on a collision course with U.S. military vessels, or weapons trained at U.S. forces," U.S. Central Command said in a statement on Friday.

"U.S. forces acknowledge Iran's right to operate professionally in international airspace and waters," it added, before noting that "any unsafe and unprofessional behavior near U.S. forces, regional partners or commercial vessels increases risks of collision, escalation, and destabilization."

Tensions have continued to rise between the two nations after the Iranian regime's brutal crackdown on nationwide protests against the government left thousands dead. Trumprecently called for regime changein the country, while also pressing Iran to make a "deal" to address concerns over its nuclear capabilities.

The New York Times, citing multiple U.S officials, reported Friday that Trump had been presented with a list of military options against Iran that included proposals for American forces to carry out raids on sites inside Iran. NBC News could not verify these details.

A U.S. Navy destroyer made a port visit to the southern Israeli city of Eilat on Friday. The USS Delbert D. Black is one of six U.S. destroyers now in the Middle East, along with an aircraft carrier and three other combat ships.

The arrival of the destroyer in Israel was planned and part of ongoing cooperation between the U.S. and Israeli militaries, Israeli media reported.

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he was prepared for the resumption of negotiations, but they should be"fair and equitable"and not include Iran's defense capabilities.

Egypt said Saturday that Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty had held calls with his Iranian, Turkish and Omani counterparts, along with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Qatar's prime minister, on continuing "serious efforts" to de-escalate tensions and seek diplomatic solutions.

Egypt's foreign ministry said "constructive interaction and communication" could help bring the U.S. and Iran back to the negotiating table to forge "a peaceful and consensual settlement."

Turkey has opposed military intervention against Iran, warning that such an action would lead to regional instability. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office said in a statement Friday that he had offered to act as a "facilitator" between Iran and the U.S. in a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates both ruled out the use of their airspace or territory to launch attacks on Iran.

Pezeshkian has blamed the West and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for stoking tensions within Iran, the country's Student News Network, a hard-line news website close to the regime, reported Saturday.

"Unfortunately Trump, Netanyahu and some Europeans tried to provoke the situation and create division," Pezeshkian said, according to the report.

"They equipped and encouraged some people, pulled innocent citizens into this process and pushed them into the streets to break the country apart and create conflict, hatred and division among people," he added.

The protests in Iranbegan in late December as inflation soared and the cost of living became unbearable for many. They quickly grew to include young and old, working classes and professionals, men and women, and expanded across the country.

At least 6,300 people have been killed, including some 200 security services personnel, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). The group, which says that it verifies each death with a network of activists on the ground in Iran and that its data goes through "multiple internal checks," said it is investigating 17,000 additional reported deaths.

Amid the heightened tensions, an explosion in the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on Saturday sparked alarm.

The semiofficial Tasnim news agency said that social media reports alleging that a Revolutionary Guard navy commander had been targeted in the explosion were "completely false."

Iranian state media outlet IRIB News later reported that the explosion, which was reported to have killed one person and injured 14, was caused by a gas leak, citing Bandar Abbas Fire Department.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

January 31, 2026

U.S. warns Iran over planned military drills close to American forces

The United States warned Iran on Saturday over its plans to conduct live-fire drills close to U.S. forces in the region, ...

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Journalist Don Lemon appears in court following arrest over protest at Minnesota church

Journalist Don Lemon was arrested overnight in Los Angeles on Friday. The arrest comes nearly two weeks after Lemon was at an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a service at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota.

A source familiar with the matter said a grand jury was empaneled Thursday. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, a law enforcement agency within the Department of Homeland Security, were involved in the arrest, sources said.

Lemon appeared in federal court in L.A. on Friday afternoon, where he was released on his own recognizance without posting bond.

The charges are related to a protest in which demonstrators entered St. Paul's Cities Church after discovering that one of its pastors is an ICE official.

According to court documents, Lemon and eight co-defendants were all indicted on one count each of conspiracy against religious freedom at a place of worship and injuring, intimidating and interfering with the exercise of the right of religious freedom at a place of worship. He did not enter a plea on Friday. His next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 9 in federal court in Minneapolis.

He does not have to report to probation or pretrial services for supervision, the judge said. Court permission is required for international travel, with the exception of a preplanned trip to France in June. He must also avoid contact with known victims or witnesses and known co-defendants.

Lemon appeared before the judge in a cream-colored double-breasted suit with a matching T-shirt, the same clothes he was wearing when he was arrested, CBS News learned. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass attended the hearing and was in the gallery.

"Last night, the DOJ sent a team of federal agents to arrest me in the middle of the night for something that I've been doing for the last 30 years, and that is covering the news," Lemon told reporters outside the courthouse following the hearing. "The First Amendment of the Constitution protects that work for me and for countless other journalists who do what I do. I stand with all of them, and I will not be silenced. I look forward to my day in court."

Abbe Lowell, Lemon's lawyer, previously confirmed he was in L.A. to cover this weekend's Grammy Awards.

"Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done," Lowell said in a statement. "The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable. There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work."

Lowell said the Justice Department has focused on arresting Lemon instead of investigating the federal agents who killedRenee GoodandAlex Prettiin Minnesota earlier this month, calling it "the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case."

"This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand. Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court," he said.

According to the indictment, on Jan. 17, one day before the incident, two of the defendants posted plans for the protest to social media, but kept the location hidden.

The following morning, several dozen people, including Lemon and his eight co-defendants, gathered in the parking lot of a grocery store, where some of them "provided instruction" on what to do once they arrived at the church, the document reads.

Lemon began livestreaming to his social media channel during this gathering, the court documents state, during which he told his audience the group was preparing for a "resistance" operation against federal immigration policies.

"He took steps to maintain operation secrecy by reminding certain co-conspirators to not disclose the target of the operation and stepped away momentarily so his mic would not accidentally divulge certain points of the planning session," the indictment alleges.

Later in the livestream, before the group arrived at the church, Lemon again reiterated to his audience he would not divulge details of where they were going, the document states. And when driving to the church, Lemon said to one of the defendants during the livestream, "Don't give anything away," the court documents read.

Once in the church, Lemon and his eight co-defendants "oppressed, threatened, and intimidated the Church congregants and pastors by physically occupying most of the main aisle and row of chairs near the front of the Church, engaging in menacing and threatening behavior," prosecutors said in the indictment.

The indictment also alleges that Lemon and two co-defendants "largely surrounded" the pastor "in an attempt to oppress and intimidate him," and that Lemon and the protesters ignored the pastor's request that they leave the church.

At one point, the document reads, Lemon stood near the main door of the church and allegedly "confronted some congregants and physically obstructed them" as they tried to leave.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in astatementFriday morning shared to social media that federal agents arrested Lemon and three of his co-defendants "in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota." They were identified as Jamael Lydell Lundy, Trahern Jeen Crews and Georgia Ellyse Fort, Bondi said.

Lundy, Fort and Crews all had their initial appearances in Minnesota federal court Friday, and they were all released on personal recognizance bonds.

The Justice Departmenthas arrestedat least seven of the nine co-defendants in the case. Nekima Levy Armstrong, former president for the Twin Cities chapter of the NAACP, and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, an elected member of the St. Paul School Board, along with William Kelly, were arrested last week.

CNN, where Lemon previously worked, said his arrest raises "profoundly concerning questions about press freedom and the First Amendment." The network said it will be following Lemon's case closely.

"The Department of Justice already failed twice to get an arrest warrant for Don and several other journalists in Minnesota, where a chief judge of the Minnesota Federal District Court found there was 'no evidence' that there was any criminal behavior involved in their work," CNN said in astatement."The First Amendment in the United States protects journalists who bear witness to news and events as they unfound, ensuring they can report freely in the public interest, and the DOJ's attempts to violate those rights is unacceptable."

Last week, a federal appellate courtdeclinedto order a lower court judge to sign arrest warrants for five people, including Lemon, in connection with a Jan. 18 anti-ICE protest inside the church. However, one of the three appellate court judges said he felt there was probable cause to justify the arrests, according to court filings and sources familiar with the matter.

The Justice Department had asked the appellate court to compel the U.S. District Court in Minnesota to sign the arrest warrants over civil rights charges alleging the defendants were unlawfully interfering with the churchgoers' constitutional-protected freedom to practice religion.

Federal prosecutors in the Minneapolis-based U.S. Attorney's Office had significant concerns with the strength of the evidence in the church protests, a source familiar with the matter told CBS News.

When the first three defendants were initially charged, no career officials from that office appeared in court, and the Justice Department sent two lawyers from the Civil Rights Division in Washington to handle the proceedings.

The magistrate judge overseeing the case only approved one civil rights charge in those original cases againstArmstrongand Allen. But the judge nixed a FACE Act charge against each of them on the grounds that there was no probable cause. Both were among those named in Friday's indictment.

The magistrate judge, Douglas Micko, also rejected five arrest warrants in the case for lacking probable cause, including Lemon's, CBS News previously reported.

The Justice Department has been scrutinizing the video of the pre-meeting that Lemon filmed before the protest, the source said. The Justice Department has been focusing on the gathering as alleged evidence of a conspiracy to interfere with people's religious rights. Lemon was filming the meeting as part of his reporting, the source added.

"Although Lemon's factual assertions and DOJ's justifications must be tested in court, this case could set a dangerous precedent for charging reporters who cover protests for the conduct of the protesters if there was any prior communications with the protesters, and could even expose American journalists embedded with the U.S. military to being charged with war crimes along with soldiers who may commit such crimes," said Julius Nam, a former federal prosecutor who handled civil rights cases.

Lemon worked at CNN for more than 15 years, butwas firedin 2023. He announced in early 2024 that he would be launching The Don Lemon Show on X, but the social media site owned by billionaire Elon Muskended the partnershipmonths later, shortly after Lemon interviewed Musk. Lemon now hosts ashowon YouTube.

Don Lemon arrested in Los Angeles, sources say

Alex Pretti's family reacts to video of scuffle 11 days before death

School principal speaks out about father and son detained by ICE: "Open your eyes"

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

January 31, 2026

Journalist Don Lemon appears in court following arrest over protest at Minnesota church

Journalist Don Lemon was arrested overnight in Los Angeles on Friday. The arrest comes nearly two weeks after Lemon was a...

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As officials disparage Pretti and Good, families of Black people killed by police have déjà vu

The shooting deaths of white protestersAlex PrettiandRenee Goodby federal officers in Minneapolis followed a playbook that is painfully familiar to Black Americans: Authorities quickly moved to disparage the victims, only to be contradicted as more evidence emerged.

Immigration Enforcement Minnesota

Black families who have lost loved ones to police violence said the killings inMinnesotahave brought back painful memories of their own fights for justice as law enforcement agencies spun up narratives to suggest officers had no other choice but to kill their relatives.

And these law enforcement agencies often make no effort to publicly correct misstatements or falsehoods that might have impact on a fair justice process, experts said.

Timothy Welbeck, the director of the Center for Anti-Racism at Temple University, said it "regrettably" took the deaths of Pretti and Good to again shine a spotlight on this issue.

"Black people have leveled a critique against law enforcement for as long as we've had policing in America," said Welbeck, an assistant professor at Temple's Africology and African American Studies Department.

He also called it "painfully ironic" that Pretti and Good died in "the same place" where other high-profile cases brought the issue to the fore:George Floyd, who was murdered in 2020 by a Minneapolis police officer, andPhilando Castile, who was fatally shot in 2016 as he tried to show a suburban Minneapolis police officer his license to carry a concealed firearm.

Clarence Castile, an uncle of Philando Castile, said it was eerie to hear federal authorities make snap conclusions in the Pretti and Good shootings.

"Right away they backed up their officers and said they had justifiable shoots, their lives were in danger, they feared for their lives," Castile said. "I heard the same thing, (officials) said the same things when that cop shot my nephew."

"We know, from the beginning, that they haven't taken the time to investigate," he said. "They're just putting out something, because they think they have to respond. Sometimes the best response is no response."

'Protecting the integrity of the investigation'

Leonard Sipes, who worked for 35 years in public affairs and communications for federal and state law enforcement agencies and is also a former officer, said the standard practice for shootings or any other major breaking case is to simply state that "it's under investigation." Sipes said he typically waited 24 hours before releasing information to the public.

"Getting the story correct is vital to the reputation of the agency," Sipes said. "You are also obligated to protect the integrity of the investigation. A rush to judgment can violate that."

The killings of Pretti, a Veterans Affairs hospital ICU nurse, and Good, who described herself as a poet, mother and wife, quickly became rallying cries for Minnesotans protesting the largest surge of federal law enforcement into an American city.

After Pretti and Good were killed, administration officials from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to President Donald Trump claimed the two were far-left radicals acting with malicious intent to harm federal officers.

"The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting," Pretti's family said in a statement this week, noting that videos showed Pretti holding his phone, not a gun, when he was tackled by federal agents before he was shot several times. "Please get the truth out about our son."

Good was remembered by her family as "the beautiful light of our family and brought joy to anyone she met."

"She was our protector, our shoulder to cry on and our scintillating source of joy."

While Justice Department officials have declined to launch acivil rights investigation into Good's death, on Friday they announced acivil rights probe into Pretti's killing.

Still, officials have not walked back claims that Pretti and Good were avowed extremists who intended to harm federal agents when they were killed.

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Frustration over past and present cases

Some Black activists and police reform advocates expressed frustration that people who are outraged by how the Pretti and Good cases have been handled often ignored the same dynamics when the victims were Black.

"Ultimately, this demonstrates the insidious nature of racism and how it's embedded its ways into the systems and structures of society," Welbeck said. "When Black people try to point out not only the logical fallacies of it, but just the callousness of it, we were often lambasted or told that we were overreacting and needed to wait for justice to play itself out."

Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Grassroots, said it's a common misconception that Black racial justice organizers won't get active when white people die at the hands of law enforcement.

"I want to be very clear that I mourn and rage about the murder of Alex Pretti and Renée Good," said Abdullah, organizer of a national hub for BLM chapters. "What they suffered is what Black people suffer every single day, and it doesn't make it right for them, but it's also not right for us."

Justin Hansford, who participated in Black Lives Matter protests afterthe 2014 police shooting death of Michael Brownin Ferguson, Missouri, said the Minneapolis shootings should be a reminder to all Americans that injustice disproportionately impacting Black people can impact them, too.

"It's the idea that Black folks were always the ones whose experience signaled to the rest of the country what was soon to come," said Hansford, a professor at the Howard University School of Law and executive director of the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center.

"It was because this is the Black experience that you looked at it narrowly, and you failed to address it. And then the experience becomes mimicked nationally."

Tulsa shooting victim's sister knows Minneapolis families' pain

Tiffany Crutcher, the twin sister ofTerence Crutcher, a Black man killed in 2016 by a Tulsa, Oklahoma, police officer, said she couldn't watch videos showing the killings of Pretti and Good. Just hearing authorities speak about their deaths was re-traumatizing, she said.

She's "been there before," she said, recalling how law enforcement officials made snap judgements about her brother.

Crutcher's family maintained that Terence was in need of help after his vehicle stalled on the road. The officer who fatally shot him claimed she feared he was reaching into his car for a weapon. Terence Crutcher was unarmed.

Video footage from the scene recorded an operator saying Terence "looks like a bad dude" who "could be on something." Ultimately, the officer who shot him wasacquitted at trial for manslaughter.

"In our trauma and shock, we had to control the narrative about who Terrence was," Tiffany said. "While we're grieving and mourning, at the same time, we have to rally and let the world know that our loved one did not deserve to die."

She said the Pretti and Good shootings are helping people wake up to the problem of unequal justice for people killed by police.

"Naturally, there's an affinity more broadly towards law enforcement and people believing them," Tiffany said. "However, I think that is shifting."

"Our voice is all that we have. And we made a conscious decision that we were going to utilize our voice and get ahead of the harmful narratives."

AP writer Matt Brown in Washington, D.C., contributed.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

January 31, 2026

As officials disparage Pretti and Good, families of Black people killed by police have déjà vu

The shooting deaths of white protestersAlex PrettiandRenee Goodby federal officers in Minneapolis followed a playbook tha...

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Israeli strikes kill 27 in Gaza, Palestinian health officials say

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell

CAIRO/JERUSALEM, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Israel carried out its heaviest airstrikes in Gaza in weeks on Saturday, killing 27 people including three children in attacks on a police station, houses and tents, Palestinian health officials said.

The Israeli ​military said it had targeted commanders and sites belonging to Palestinian militant group Hamas and its ally, Islamic Jihad, in response ‌to a breach of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreed last October after two years of war in Gaza.

Hamas, which retains control of just under half of Gaza, said Israel had violated ‌the truce. It did not say whether any of its members or sites were struck in Saturday's attacks.

Israel carried out the attacks a day before the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt is due to reopen under U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end a war that has left much of Gaza in ruins.

The war began after Hamas-led gunmen attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Israeli officials have said the war could resume if Hamas ⁠does not lay down its weapons.

FIGHTERS STILL IN ‌TUNNELS

Israeli warplanes bombed the Sheikh Radwan police station west of Gaza City, killing 10 officers and detainees, medics and police in Gaza said. Rescue teams were searching for more casualties at the site, said the Hamas-run police.

Other airstrikes ‍hit at least two houses in Gaza City, in northern-central Gaza, and a tent encampment sheltering displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis further south, local officials said.

Video footage from Gaza City showed charred, blackened and destroyed walls at an apartment in a multi-storey building, and debris scattered inside it and outside on the street.

"We found my ​three little nieces in the street. They say 'ceasefire' and all. What did those children do? What did we do?" said Samer al-Atbash, an ‌uncle of the three dead children.

The Israeli military said that in addition to targeting Hamas commanders, it also hit weapon caches and manufacturing sites.

It said the strikes were carried out in response to an incident on Friday in which troops identified eight gunmen emerging from a tunnel in Rafah, an area in southern Gaza where Israeli forces are deployed under the truce agreement.

Three of the gunmen were killed by the forces and a fourth, whom the Israeli military described as a Hamas commander in the area, was arrested. Hamas did not comment on the incident.

Dozens of its fighters have ⁠been trapped in tunnels under Rafah since the ceasefire although some have since been ​killed in clashes with Israeli forces.

HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE KILLED SINCE CEASEFIRE

Violence has repeatedly shaken ​the ceasefire. Israeli fire has killed over 500 people, most of them civilians according to Gaza health officials, and Palestinian militants have killed four Israeli soldiers, according to Israeli authorities.

The two sides have traded blame over truce violations, even as ‍Washington presses them to proceed to ⁠the next phases of the ceasefire deal, which is meant to end the conflict for good.

The next phase of Trump's Gaza plan includes complex issues such as Hamas disarmament, which the group has long rejected, further Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the deployment of an ⁠international peacekeeping force.

Reuters reported on Monday that Hamas is seeking to incorporate its 10,000 police officers into the new U.S.-backed Palestinian administration for Gaza, a demand likely to be ‌opposed by Israel.

(Additional reporting by Dawoud Abu Elkas in Gaza City, Nuha Sharf in Jerusalem and Menna Alaa El Din in ‌Cairo; Writing by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Timothy Heritage)

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

January 31, 2026

Israeli strikes kill 27 in Gaza, Palestinian health officials say

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell CAIRO/JERUSALEM, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Israel carried out its heaviest airst...

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5 early takeaways from DOJ’s big Epstein files drop

The Justice Department on Friday announced thelong-awaited release of an enormous tranche of Jeffrey Epstein files,spanning more than 3 million pages, which it said fulfilled its obligations under transparency legislation passed last year by Congress.

The volume of documents related to the late convicted sex offender means sorting through everything is going to take some time.

But here are some early takeaways:

The key Trump mentions so far

President Donald Trump's name shows up a lot in the latest batch of files, which includes material ranging from investigative documents to emails to news clips. A few of the mentions stand out so far.

First is an email chain from August 2025 in which an apparent FBI employee displays a list of apparentlyunsubstantiated tips involving Trumpand Epstein – many of them quite salacious.

"Yellow highlighting is for the salacious piece," one official writes to explain how the allegations were being sorted.

Trump has never been accused by law enforcement of Epstein-related wrongdoing, and he has denied engaging in any.

The allegations appear to be unverified, and the officials note that some are secondhand information. The document notes that in many instances, there was no contact made with the individuals who sent in the allegations, or no contact information was provided.

Some of the allegations were followed up on. One was sent to the FBI's Washington field office to conduct an interview, and another was deemed not credible, according to the document.

There are also allegations made in the document against former President Bill Clinton, who has denied wrongdoing related to Epstein.

Two files featuring that particular email were later removed temporarily from DOJ's website then restored. A DOJ official said the document had gone down "due to overload."

It's not clear why officials created the list of allegations related to Trump last year. But the political sensitivities of Trump's proximity to Epstein – with whom he associated for years before Trump said he ended their relationship in the mid-2000s – were made abundantly clear last year when Trump at one pointfalsely deniedhaving been told his name was in the files.

Asked for comment, the White House referred CNN to a DOJ press release, which emphasized that the files "may include fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos" that it was required to release under transparency legislation passed last year.

"Some of the documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election," the department said.

Another email chain shows someone who appears to be Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend who was later convicted of child sex trafficking, strategizing with Epstein in 2011 about an accuser who worked at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort – and the two even discussing getting Trump involved.

Epstein contacts a Trump associate who worked in Trump's hotel business and asks about details of the accuser's employment, hoping to dispute her account.

"I thought you said not to involve Donald," an account labeled "GMAX" responds to Epstein.

The details of the emails match the account ofVirginia Giuffre, a prominent Epstein accuser whom Maxwell allegedly recruited from Mar-a-Lago in 2000.

Draft indictment from 2000s included alleged co-conspirators

The big reason many have anticipated the release of the Epstein files for years is the prospect that they could identify others who participated in Epstein's crimes. Only Maxwell was charged, but many Americans think others participated.

On Friday came a major sign that, at least at one point, prosecutors felt others could be charged.

A much-anticipated draft indictment from the Southern District of Florida from the 2000s would have charged Epstein alongside what appear to be three others who are described as having been "employed" by Epstein. The individuals, whose names are redacted, are mostly described as facilitating appointments between Epstein and girls.

The document describes all of them as having conspired to "persuade, induce, and entice individuals who had not attained the age of 18 years to engage in prostitution."

It's not the much-rumored "client list" that many have anticipated – despite that the Justice Department has denied it exists. But it is likely to lead to questions about who these people are and why they weren't ultimately charged.

Epstein'ssweetheart dealto avoid much more serious charges in the late 2000s – he pleaded guilty to a prostitution-related charges – is a major piece of this scandal.

This will likely add to the complaints about a lack of full accountability and delayed justice.

New questions about prominent figures including Lutnick and Musk

The new releases could create problems for a few others, including some prominent Trump allies who have sought to distance themselves from Epstein.

Documents show Trump Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in 2012 planning a trip to Epstein's island, years after when he said he had cut ties with Epstein.

Lutnick in a podcast interview last year said he and his wife decided around 2005 never to associate with Epstein. But the2012 emailshows Lutnick asking where Epstein was located so they could meet for a meal.

When contacted Friday by the New York Times, Lutnick said, "I spent zero time with him," and hung up.

Anotheremailshows Lutnick inviting Epstein (through Epstein's assistant) to a 2015 fundraiser for then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton that Lutnick was hosting. It's unclear whether Epstein attended.

CNN has reached out to the Commerce Department for comment.

Similarly, the documents show tech billionaireElon Musktrying to coordinate trips to Epstein's island in 2012 and 2013, despite Musk's claims to having rebuffed Epstein's attempts to invite him.

Musk at one point asks which time would feature the "wildest party."

On November 24, 2012, EpsteinemailedMusk asking, "how many people will you be for the heli to island." Musk responded that it would likely just be him and his then-wife.

It's not clear from the emails whether Musk actually visited. His representatives didn't immediately respond to a request for comment .

Musk last year cited Trump's presence in the Epstein filesduring a brief feudwith the president.

The files continue to feature significant mentions of Clinton. Those include Epstein in a2016 depositionbeing asked about Clinton, and repeatedly invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

A spokesperson has repeatedly said Clinton cut ties with Epstein before Epstein wascharged with soliciting prostitution in 2006and knew nothing of his crimes. Clinton has denied visiting Epstein's island.

The documents also suggest an extensive relationship between Epstein and former Trump adviserSteve Bannonthat could add to pressure on Bannon to account for it.

One2020 FBI memoindicates a witness told the agency about Bannon's "relationship with Jeffrey Epstein," but "was hesitant" to discuss the matter in detail because Bannon was "friends with powerful people."

CNN has reached out to a Bannon spokesperson for comment.

None of these men have been accused of Epstein-related wrongdoing by law enforcement.

More problems with DOJ's releases

The Justice Department's previous releases of the files were marred by problems including allegations of overzealous redactions and missing the late-December deadline that Congress gave the administration to release all the files.

And there was more where that came from on Friday.

Perhaps the biggest issue was allegations that DOJ failed to fully redact information about Epstein's victims.

Bradley Edwards, an attorney whorepresented dozens of Epstein's victims, said DOJ had "violated the trust, privacy, and the rightsof more victims than perhaps ever before." And survivors who spoke with CNNsaid they foundnumerous examples of victims' names appearing unredacted.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Friday morning when the files were released that mistakes were "inevitable" given the volume of documents. DOJ has had an inbox for victims to raise concerns.

But it's difficult to imagine a more significant failure in the release of these records.

The files also continue to redact the names of Justice Department employees involved in the investigations and other matters related to Epstein.

Blanche said DOJ also decided to redact images of any women except Maxwell, while declining to redact images of any men unless it had to in order to protect the anonymity of a woman.

A poignant reminder of the victims

This item features some graphic and disturbing descriptions of sexual violence.

Indeed, the files serve as a reminder of what Epstein's hundreds of victims went through – many of whom lost the chance to get justice when he died while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019.

Disturbing allegations surfaced on Friday drive home that point.

AsCNN's Marshall Cohen recaps, one victim recalled to the FBI in 2021 that she had confided in Epstein when she was about 14 years old about having previously been molested. She said Epstein went on to sexually abuse her.

The account came in an FBI memo known as a "302," which describes a witness interview, but there is no indication whether it was corroborated.

The notes say the victim "felt taken advantage of," but she said she also "felt happy because she had a bunch of money" from massages she was paid for.

If you need help:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), text START to 88788 or chat through website.

• National Sexual Assault Hotline: Call 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), text HOPE to 64673 or chat through website. Provided by RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network).

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byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

January 31, 2026

5 early takeaways from DOJ’s big Epstein files drop

The Justice Department on Friday announced thelong-awaited release of an enormous tranche of Jeffrey Epstein files,spanning more than 3 mil...

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Judge blocks additional citizenship provisions in latest setback to Trump's election executive order

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday blocked certain federal agencies from requesting citizenship status when distributing voter registration forms, the latest blow to a wide-rangingexecutive orderon elections President Donald Trump signed last year.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington ruled that the Constitution's separation of powers, giving states and to an extent Congress authority over setting election rules, are at the heart of the case.

"Put simply, our Constitution does not allow the President to impose unilateral changes to federal election procedures," wrote the judge, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton.

Specifically, Kollar-Kotelly permanently blocked two provisions of theexecutive orderthat sought to impose proof-of-citizenship rules.

Her decision said agencies will not be allowed to "assess citizenship" before providing a federal voter registration form to people enrolling in public assistance programs. It also said the Secretary of Defense cannot require documentary proof of citizenship when military personnel register to vote or request ballots.

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"Our democracy works best when all Americans can participate, including members of our military and their families living overseas. Today's ruling removes a very real threat to the freedom to vote for overseas military families and upholds the separation of powers," said Danielle Lang, a voting rights expert with the Campaign Legal Center, which is representing plaintiffs in the case.

The White House said Trump's executive order was intended to ensure "election security" and said Friday's ruling would not be the last word.

"Ensuring only citizens vote in our elections is a commonsense measure that everyone should be able to support," said Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman. "This is not the final say on the matter and the administration looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue."

The specter of noncitizens voting and tainting elections wasa central strategyfor Trump and Republicans during the 2024 campaign, and congressional Republicans are continuing to pushproposalsthat would require proof of citizenship to register to vote. Research,even among Republican state officials, has shown voting by noncitizensis a rare problem.

Friday's ruling is among several setbacks for the president's executive order, which has faced multiple lawsuits. In October, Kollar-Kotellyblocked the administrationfrom adding a documentary proof of citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form. Separate lawsuits byDemocratic state attorneys generaland byOregon and Washington, which rely heavily on mailed ballots, have blocked various portions of Trump's order.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

January 31, 2026

Judge blocks additional citizenship provisions in latest setback to Trump's election executive order

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday blocked certain federal agencies from requesting citizenship status w...

Read More