The Daily Brief
The latest on the DHS shutdown, rising tension in the Middle East, fallout from the Epstein files, and more
These are today’s top stories, delivered straight to your inbox. Read below to catch up on all the news you might’ve missed.
DHS Faces Midnight Shutdown
The Department of Homeland Security will shut down just after midnight tonight after the Senate has failed to reach an agreement that would keep DHS open. President Trump said the party has “gone crazy” as negotiations stalled Friday.
This is the third funding lapse of Trump’s second term, coming just 10 days after a brief partial shutdown ended. Democrats are demanding new oversight rules for immigration enforcement agencies after two deadly federal shootings in Minneapolis last month.
The shutdown will hit the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Coast Guard hardest. Employees at these agencies must keep working — without pay — until funding is restored. Extended shutdowns could strain staffing and airport screening by TSA workers. ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are funded separately under last year’s budget law.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “ICE’s abuses cannot be solved merely through executive fiat alone — we first and foremost need legislation.”
Lawmakers may return if negotiators strike a deal.
Whistleblower Complaint Against Gabbard Now Involves Kushner
Congress is reviewing a whistleblower complaint against Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard that involves Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law.
The complaint was filed in May 2025 but sat mostly unseen for eight months. Gabbard reportedly gave a copy directly to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and restricted access for other intelligence agencies.
Kushner’s name was redacted in the original National Security Agency report, but those reading it — including the whistleblower — could determine the reference was to him. Intelligence agencies routinely redact the names of Americans from intercepts, a process called masking. The conversation between two foreign nationals about Kushner is highly classified.
Gabbard denied wrongdoing, calling claims she “hid” the complaint a “blatant lie.” Sen. Tom Cotton defended her, saying both inspectors general who reviewed the matter found the complaint “not credible.” Sen. Jim Himes criticized her, saying she offered no “plausible explanation, or a defensible legal rationale” for her actions.
Whistleblower Aid, a nonprofit organization representing the unnamed intelligence official who filed the complaint, called the eight-month delay “stonewalling” of a complaint with grave national security implications.
Another Aircraft Carrier Deployed to Middle East
The US is sending its largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, from the Caribbean to the Middle East. It will join the USS Abraham Lincoln, giving Washington two full carrier strike groups in the region.
The Ford had been in the Caribbean supporting operations near Venezuela — including strikes on suspected drug boats and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. Now it’s heading east amid rising tensions with Iran and following recent indirect nuclear talks between US officials and Iranian representatives in Oman last week. The discussions focused on Tehran’s nuclear program and efforts to prevent a broader conflict.
President Trump warned Iran that failure to reach a deal would be “very traumatic.” When asked about a timeline, he told reporters Thursday, “They should agree very quickly.”
The US Navy recently shot down an Iranian drone near the USS Lincoln. Gulf nations have warned that any US attack could spark a wider conflict across the region.
Epstein Files Fallout
The fallout from the Epstein files has exposed links between the convicted sex offender and politicians, royals, and business leaders worldwide.
Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler will step down June 30 after emails showed her thanking Epstein for gifts. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman of global port operator DP World, was replaced following messages about sexual favors and inappropriate emails.
Prince Andrew lost his royal titles and moved out of Royal Lodge in Windsor after revelations of his close friendship with Epstein. Buckingham Palace said King Charles is ready to support police if an inquiry examines whether Andrew shared confidential information with Epstein.
Politicians are also under scrutiny. UK ambassador Peter Mandelson may have shared sensitive information with Epstein. Norway’s ex-PM Thorbjørn Jagland was charged with aggravated corruption. Former Norwegian ambassador Mona Juul resigned after reports that Epstein left $10 million to her children.
Billionaire Les Wexner, co-founder and former chair of the parent company that once owned Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, and Abercrombie & Fitch, must now testify in a lawsuit tied to abuse allegations at Ohio State University. The case centers on Dr. Richard Strauss, a former team doctor accused of sexually abusing at least 177 male students from the mid-1970s through the late 1990s. Strauss died by suicide in 2005. “Plaintiffs are entitled to discover what Mr. Wexner knew about Dr. Strauss and when he knew it,” a judge ruled.
DOJ Logs Congress Members’ Epstein Searches
The Justice Department is facing bipartisan backlash after confirming it logged lawmakers’ searches while they reviewed unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files.
Photos from a House hearing this week showed Attorney General Pam Bondi holding notes labeled with Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s “search history.” The DOJ said it logs searches “to protect against the release of victim information.”
Jayapal called the monitoring “totally inappropriate.” She said DOJ employees were watching over her shoulder for much of the time: “I had somebody sitting right behind me for a lot of the time — looking at exactly what I was searching.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin called it “an outrage” and demanded the DOJ “immediately cease tracking any Members’ searches.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson agreed the practice was a problem. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for anybody to be tracking that,” he said, adding that members “should obviously have the right to peruse those at their own speed and with their own discretion.”
Inflation Cools in January
Inflation slowed more than expected in January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices rose just 0.2% from December. Over the past year, consumer prices increased 2.4%, down from 2.7% the month before. Core inflation — which strips out volatile food and energy prices — slowed to 2.5% from 2.6%.
The Federal Reserve is watching both inflation and jobs closely. Its dual goal: stable prices and a healthy job market. How both trends play out will determine whether interest rates go up or down this year.
Trump Sues Harvard
The Trump administration has sued Harvard University for failing to hand over admissions records. The Justice Department wants detailed data on applicants’ race, ethnicity, test scores, GPAs, and internal correspondence about diversity programs.
Harvard says it is complying with the law and responding to the data request “in good faith.” A spokesperson added that the university “refused to surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights in response to unlawful government overreach.”
brought the lawsuit “solely to compel Harvard to produce documents relating to any consideration of race in admission.”
Jeremy Carl Nomination Stalls
President Trump’s pick for a top State Department post, Jeremy Carl, faces likely defeat after Republican Sen. John Curtis said he will vote against him.
Carl was nominated to be assistant secretary of state for international organizations, overseeing US policy at the UN and other global bodies. Curtis said Carl’s past statements about Israel and Jewish people are disqualifying. “I find his anti-Israel views and insensitive remarks about the Jewish people unbecoming of the position for which he has been nominated,” he said.
Carl has a record of inflammatory statements. He said Jews “often loved to play the victim,” minimized the Holocaust, and promoted the “Great Replacement” theory — the claim that elites are deliberately replacing white populations in Western countries through immigration. He also argued that mass immigration and cultural exchange are erasing “common American culture” and weakening the nation, framing white people as under threat.
Carl also suggested his background — born Jewish, now Christian — might shield him from criticism. Sen. Jacky Rosen pushed back: “Identity does not excuse antisemitism. Identity does not excuse racism. Identity does not excuse hateful rhetoric, regardless of who says them, words matter.”
Carl’s views on race, culture, and immigration align with key elements of white nationalist ideology, raising concerns about his suitability for a top diplomatic role.
With Curtis opposed and Democrats united against him, Carl’s confirmation is unlikely.
This is awesome Sharon. Love love love The Daily Brief!
Love the daily brief! Really great summaries of the day's news.