Today’s Headlines: The Epstein files continue to ripple outward. Hillary and Bill Clinton are pushing back on House Republicans by agreeing to testify about Epstein only if the hearing is public, after being subpoenaed for a closed-door session. House Oversight Chair James Comer wants the testimony recorded but not publicly aired, while Epstein’s longtime benefactor Les Wexner is expected to give his own deposition later this month. Meanwhile, Brad Karp resigned as chair of powerhouse law firm Paul Weiss after emails revealed his close ties to Epstein, offering yet another reminder of how insulated powerful people stayed for years. Elsewhere, the Trump administration rolled out a new rule making it easier to fire roughly 50,000 senior federal employees, raising alarms about turning the civil service into a political patronage system. Trump also delivered a very on-brand speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, touching on missiles, enemies, and his personal afterlife odds. On the economy front, January layoffs spiked to their highest level since 2009, while hiring hit historic lows, signaling a cooling job market. Investigators are still searching for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, as authorities investigate a possible kidnapping and ransom demands. And finally, in lighter news, the Winter Olympics kick off in Milan tonight — followed by Bad Bunny on Sunday. 



Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:



PBS News: Hillary Clinton calls for public hearing in House Epstein investigation

Threads - Ali Vitali: Les Wexner expected for House Oversight deposition on Feb. 18th

CNN: Chairman of major law firm resigns after Epstein emails become public

Axios: Trump administration makes it easier to fire thousands of federal employees

PBS: WATCH: Trump says he 'probably should make it' to heaven in wide-ranging remarks at National Prayer Breakfast

CNBC: Layoffs in January were the highest to start a year since 2009, Challenger says

AP News: Savannah Guthrie's missing mother is 'still out there,' sheriff says, but no suspects

NBC News: How to watch the Milan Cortina opening ceremony



Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson


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