Live updates: Partial government shutdown ends; Trump hosts Colombian president at White House

Stephen Miran, a governor with the Federal Reserve who is on unpaid leave from the White House's Council of Economic Advisers, resigned from his West Wing post today.

"In accordance with the pledge he made to the Senate during his confirmation to the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors, Stephen Miran has submitted his resignation from the Council of Economic Advisers," White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement.

Miran has been working at the Fed for what was expected to be a brief tenure. Confirmed on Sept. 16, he was set to remain there only until Jan. 31.

However, Miran can stay in his Fed post until the Senate confirms someone else to replace him.

Trump said this afternoon that he thinks it's time to put the Epstein files in the rearview mirror.

“I think it’s really time for the country to get onto something else,” Trump said after he was asked about survivors who have said they're unhappy with how the Justice Department has released the files.

After the new batch of files was released, 20 women who say Epstein preyed on them issued a statement criticizing the Justice Department for not releasing all of the documents.

“The Justice Department cannot claim it is finished releasing files until every legally required document is released and every abuser and enabler is fully exposed,” they said. “This is not over.”

Trump this afternoon reiterated his push to take control of elections away from states, saying he doesn't "know why the federal government doesn’t do them anyway."

“If a state can’t run an election, I think the people behind me should do something about it. Because, you know, if you think about it, a state is an agent for the federal government in elections,” Trump said in the Oval Office, where he was joined by several Republican members of Congress, including House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Sens. John Barrasso of Wyoming and Katie Britt of Alabama and Reps. Steve Womack of Arkansas and Tom Cole of Oklahoma.

“Look at some of the places that horrible corruption on elections, and the federal government should not allow that. The federal government should get involved," he said. "These are agents of the federal government to count the votes. If they can’t count the votes legally and honestly, then somebody else should take it.”

Trump said yesterday on Dan Bongino's podcast that "the Republicans should say: ‘We want to take over. We should take over the voting in at least — many, 15 places.’ The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting."

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said this afternoon that he was gifted a red MAGA hat during his meeting today with Trump at the White House.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro (L) holding a MAGA cap after a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House today. Colombian Presidency / via AFP - Getty Images

Speaking to reporters, Petro said he took a pen and made some edits so that the slogan read, “Make the Americas Great Again.”

He said that can only be achieved "with respect" between the U.S. and Colombia.

American forces shot down an Iranian drone today as it “aggressively” approached the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea and appeared to have “unclear intent,” U.S. Central Command said.

“USS Abraham Lincoln was transiting the Arabian Sea approximately 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast when an Iranian Shahed-139 drone unnecessarily maneuvered toward the ship,” a spokesman for the command, Capt. Tim Hawkins, said in a statement. “The Iranian drone continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters.”

The drone was shot down by an F-35C fighter jet from the aircraft carrier, the statement said, and no American service members were injured and no U.S. equipment was damaged.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have spiked as Trump is considering military strikes against the Islamic Republic.

Read the full story here.

Trump this afternoon signed into law a massive funding package to end the brief government shutdown that began Saturday.

The bill passed the House earlier today on a vote of 217-214. It passed the Senate last week.

The legislation will ensure full-year funding for the federal government through the end of September, with the lone exception of the Department of Homeland Security, which is put on a two-week leash as Democrats insist on changes after federal agents fatally shot two Americans in Minneapolis.

The measure tees up a frantic 10-day window for Congress to negotiate a DHS funding agreement as Democrats demand reforms to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

Read the full story here.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., today alleged there was fraud in recent congressional races but said he couldn't point to any evidence to back up the claim.

“We had three House Republican candidates who were ahead on Election Day in the last election cycle, and every time a new tranche of ballots came in they just magically whittled away until their leads were lost,” Johnson told reporters.

“It looks, on its face, to be fraudulent," he added. "Can I prove that? No, because it happened so far upstream."

The NAACP condemned Trump’s comments yesterday about nationalizing U.S. elections, calling his remarks “dangerous rhetoric” and "a blatant assault on the Constitution."

“This serves as yet another reminder that the Trump Administration is only looking to exhaust our nation with these deplorable and unconstitutional antics in hopes that we will grow tired and concede,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement. “Unfortunate for them, we are wide awake, and we will never surrender something our people fought, bled, and died for."

"We’ve taken Trump to court before — and we’ve won, even in the Supreme Court," he added. "If necessary, we’ll take him to court again, and we’ll win again.”

Trump said on Dan Bongino's podcast yesterday that Republicans "ought to nationalize the voting."

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told NBC News that she has filmed a TV ad, which she plans to launch ahead of the March 3 Senate primary, as her primary opponent has so far dominated the airwaves.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas. Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images

Crockett said that the ad would probably launch next week and that it was filmed during the recent congressional recess. She teased that it is "not really a simple ad."

"We hope to catch people's attention, which is something I'm usually good at doing, so that as we're spending this money, we know that people are seeing it, and it's actually seared into their minds," Crockett said.

Crockett's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how much it could spend on the ad buy. So far, state Rep. James Talarico's campaign has spent $5.8 million on ads through the primary, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact, while Crockett's campaign has spent $506,000, mostly on digital ads.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., spoke on the Senate floor this morning about Trump saying the U.S. should nationalize its elections and take control away from the states.

“This is more dangerous autocratic poison from Donald Trump. What does Donald Trump think he ran for? A dictatorship? President for life in a single-party state where one party runs the elections, like in every other tin-pot dictatorship," Schumer said. "This president clearly doesn’t believe in democracy at all.”

Schumer referenced the recent FBI search of an elections hub in Fulton County, Georgia.

“And it’s not just Donald Trump’s words. If it’s just his words, you might shrug your shoulders, but it’s his actions. He carries these things out. FBI agents raiding election offices in Georgia, ordering his good — Trump ordering his goons to dig up fake evidence of stolen elections and people voting illegally; demanding that states turn over voter rolls to the Department of Justice, which is his own attack dog; threatening to use the insurrection act against states he doesn’t like.”

The House passed a massive funding package to end the brief government shutdown that began Saturday, clearing the bill for Trump to sign it into law.

The vote was 217-214. Trump has said he will sign it “immediately.”

Read the full story here.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro in Philadelphia on Jan. 8.  Rachel Wisniewski / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a potential 2028 presidential contender, will unveil a set of state guidelines today to deal with the explosive growth of data centers as he wades further into an issue that is playing a growing role in politics and election campaigns.

In his annual budget address, Shapiro will introduce what he’s calling the “Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development” Standards — a set of criteria for data center developers to qualify for resources the state can provide to encourage and hasten their construction. He will also call for the divided Legislature to codify them into law.

Read the full story here.

Petro’s office posted an image of him and Trump to confirm their nearly two-hour meeting has ended. Petro's motorcade left shortly after.

The White House also posted a photo of the meeting as it wrapped up.

The Colombian president's office posted photos of Trump and Petro in the Oval Office.

Also present at the meeting, according to the photo, are Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, who was born in Colombia. NBC News had previously reported the lawmaker, an influential voice when it comes to policy related to the country, was expected to join the bilateral.

On the Colombian side are Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio, Colombia's Ambassador to Washington Daniel García-Peña and Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Petro came dressed in a suit, including a tie — a relatively rare choice for the president, who does not don a tie for many public appearances and did not wear one for his official presidential portrait.

Colombian Presidency Press Office

House Republicans voted to advance a funding package to end the brief government shutdown that began Saturday, putting the legislation on track to pass the full chamber.

A procedural vote of 217-215 tees up a final passage vote later in the afternoon, which requires a simple majority of the House before it can go to Trump to be signed into law. Trump has said he will sign it “immediately.”

Read the full story here.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he was “not in favor” of federalizing elections a day after Trump said on a podcast that Republicans “ought to nationalize the voting.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune outside of his office at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 29. Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images

“I’m not in favor of federalizing elections,” Thune told a reporter who asked him about Trump’s remarks. “That’s a constitutional issue,” he added.

Asked separately about Trump’s stance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said that “it’s always been the responsibility of the states to administer elections and it’s a system that works well, so long as the states make it a priority to ensure the integrity of our elections. And we have real concerns about some of the blue states, frankly, that have not been doing that well.”

He said that Trump was “expressing that frustration” and added, “We’re looking for solutions.”

Read the full story here.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia, is facing widespread criticism from conservatives after she said in a Fox News interview yesterday that anyone who brings a gun into the nation’s capital would face jail time.

“You bring a gun into the district, you mark my words, you’re going to jail,” Pirro said in the interview. “I don’t care if you have a license in another district, and I don’t care if you’re a law-abiding gun owner somewhere else. You bring a gun into this district, count on going to jail and hope you get the gun back.”

Her comments prompted swift backlash from a slew of Republican lawmakers and gun rights advocates, marking another rare divide among conservatives who typically are in lockstep on gun policies. Pirro walked back her comments this morning in a pair of posts on X, saying she was focused on people “unlawfully” carrying firearms.

Read the full story here.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro posted images on X of him and Trump on their way to their private meeting in the White House East Room.

Colombian National Police via AFP-Getty Images

Alleged drug kingpin Andres Felipe Marin Silva, aka “Pipe Tulua,” is escorted by police in Bogota, Colombia, before being extradited to the U.S. today as that country's president meets with Trump.

As he headed into his White House visit, Gustavo Petro posted on X that he was "determined to continue strengthening the relationship between two nations that share a common goal: the fight against drug trafficking, from an approach that prioritizes life and peace in our territories.”

Along with the message, Petro posted a photo of his family, saying they had accompanied him "with their love" ahead of his meeting with Trump.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro's black sport utility vehicle was seen arriving for his meeting with Trump at the White House South Lawn. Their meeting is expected to start momentarily.

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced today that she is launching an initiative to send trained personnel to observe and document federal immigration enforcement activity.

The Legal Observation Project will collect reports of significant enforcement actions throughout the state and “send trained personnel to observe and document that activity where appropriate, as well as any related protests, as they occur,” James' office announced in a news release.

Those legal observers will record information that could be used in future legal action and will not interfere with enforcement activity, the release said.

“As Attorney General, I am proud to protect New Yorkers’ constitutional rights to speak freely, protest peacefully, and go about their lives without fear of unlawful federal action,” James said in a statement. “We have seen in Minnesota how quickly and tragically federal operations can escalate in the absence of transparency and accountability.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., expressed confidence during a leadership press conference this morning that Republicans have the votes to approve the rule for the funding package today.

"We're gonna pass the rule today. It was never in doubt to me the Republicans are going to do the responsible thing," he told reporters.

Johnson said he spoke to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., over the weekend, and he "informed me that they would not be assisting in this endeavor, and I just think that's crazy," referring to Democratic opposition to the government funding package. "I think the American people are going to think about this hard when they go to the voting box and to the ballot box in the fall, and we decide who keeps the majority in Congress."

Johnson said congressional Democrats are in a “family squabble” over their approaches to government funding, given Jeffries' opposition to the agreement on the legislation that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., negotiated with the White House.

Russia fired around 450 long-range drones and 70 missiles at Ukraine in a major attack overnight targeting the country’s power grid in freezing temperatures, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said today.

The barrage came a day before the two countries were due to attend a new round of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on ending the all-out war, which Russia launched nearly four years ago.

The bombardment of at least five regions of Ukraine specifically took aim at the power grid, Zelenskyy said, as part of Moscow’s ongoing campaign to deny civilians light, heating and running water amid the coldest winter in years. At least 10 people were wounded, officials said.

Read the full story here.

The House Oversight Committee informed Bill and Hillary Clinton that they have a noon deadline to comply with the subpoena to appear for testimony as part of its investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

A person familiar with the committee’s deliberations with the Clintons tells NBC News that it is seeking clarification on whether the Clintons accepted the standard deposition terms that they were subpoenaed for: transcribed, filmed depositions in February with no time limit pursuant to the committee’s investigation. The depositions are pursuant to the committee’s investigative purpose as laid out across its letters and contempt reports. 

They’ve been given a deadline of 12 p.m. ET today. If they fail to agree, the House will move forward with contempt of Congress proceedings for their failure to comply with duly issued subpoenas. 

Bill and Hillary Clinton agree to testify before Congress on Epstein

02:10

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in an interview on Fox News last night that the Justice Department "will always investigate any evidence of misconduct" related to Epstein, but added "it is not a crime to party with Mr. Epstein."

Asked by Fox News host Laura Ingraham if any of the men "who partied with Epstein" and engaged in the abuse of minors would be prosecuted, Blanche responded, "Well, I’ll never say no, and will always investigate any evidence of misconduct. But as you know, it is not a crime to party with Mr. Epstein. And so as horrible as it is, it’s not a crime to email with Mr. Epstein."

"And some of these men may have done horrible things, and if we have evidence that allows us to prosecute them, you better believe we will," Blanche continued. "But it’s also the kind of thing that that the American people need to understand that it isn’t a crime to party with Mr. Epstein."

Asked by Ingraham whether the Justice Department had any other videos beyond those that it has released, Blanche answered, "Not of any individuals, men, having improper, you know, sex or anything with victims. But there's videos — they're all released for everyone to see."

The Justice Department released millions of pages of new Epstein files last week, including communications between Epstein and various famous men.

Trump said late last night that his administration is pursuing $1 billion from Harvard to settle federal probes into the university over school policies, with the two sides yet to reach a final deal despite months of talks.

The Trump administration has been threatening to withhold federal funds from Harvard and several other universities over issues including pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, campus diversity and transgender policies.

Trump has said Harvard and other universities allowed displays of antisemitism during pro-Palestinian protests.

“We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, without specifying how he arrived at that figure or what damages exactly he was referring to.

Read the full story here.

The House will vote on the Senate-passed government funding package of five full-year funding bills plus a two-week continuing resolution for DHS today. First, around 11:15 a.m., lawmakers will vote on whether to advance the measure. Then, around 1:15 p.m. ET, the chamber will vote on final passage. 

The House will vote on the package as one measure, rather than as different parts.

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., said in a court filing last night that she plans to plead not guilty to charges that she stole and laundered $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds and was waiving her appearance at her arraignment today.

The Justice Department alleged in a November indictment that the representative and her brother conspired to steal FEMA overpayments, and that Cherfilus-McCormick used the funds for herself and to fund her congressional campaign.

The allegations predate her 2022 election to Congress.

Tulsi Gabbard yesterday defended her presence at an FBI search of an election center in Fulton County, Georgia, last week that has raised questions about her involvement as director of national intelligence.

In a letter to the top Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees, Gabbard said she was at the center in keeping with U.S. law and her responsibilities as the country’s top intelligence official.

Gabbard stood by her decision not to brief lawmakers about intelligence on possible threats to election security before her trip to Georgia, saying she would not “irresponsibly share incomplete assessments.”

“I will share our intelligence assessments with Congress once they are complete,” she wrote.

Gabbard went on to say she had broad authority as the director of national intelligence to oversee efforts to ensure U.S. elections are secure and to identify and analyze any potential foreign threats to elections or voting systems. In her letter, she acknowledged that she had arranged a call with FBI personnel and Trump.

Read the full story here.

Journalist Don Lemon said last night that he offered to turn himself in days before his arrest last week, but he was instead detained by federal agents in order to “embarrass” him.

Lemon appeared as the headlining guest on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and talked through the night of his arrest at a Beverly Hills hotel he used as a base during his coverage of the run-up to Sunday’s Grammy Awards.

Lemon, an independent journalist who is a former anchor for CNN, was arrested Friday in Los Angeles County and charged with violating the rights of worshippers at a St. Paul, Minnesota, church Jan. 17 after his coverage of protesters who interrupted services.

Lemon told Kimmel that his lawyer reached out to federal authorities with a customary offer to have his client turn himself in, but he “never heard back from them.” Afterward, Lemon said, about dozen law enforcement personnel arrested him.

Read the full story here.

House Republican leaders plan to vote today to pass a government funding package approved by the Senate, three days after a shutdown began.

Funding lapsed Saturday amid divisions in Congress over changes to the Department of Homeland Security after agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pushed the vote back by one day after, he said, Democrats conveyed to him that they won’t provide enough votes to skip the procedural hurdles.

“I think we’ll get it done by tomorrow,” Johnson said yesterday.

The bill’s prospects trended positively through the day after Trump threw his support behind it and a key Democrat endorsed it. Barring a mass exodus among Republicans, it is likely to pass today as long as the GOP sticks together on the procedural “rule” to call the vote.

Read the full story here.

Trump is set to host Colombian Petro at the White House today in the first meeting between two leaders who have feuded on and off over the past year.

The meeting will also be Trump’s first sit-down with a South American head of state since the U.S. captured then-President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela one month ago.

The bilateral meeting is expected to include a discussion of topics pertaining to Venezuela, including its border with Colombia, oil and energy, and guarantees about independence during Colombia’s upcoming presidential elections, four people familiar with the planning, including former Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo, told NBC News.

Trump told reporters yesterday afternoon that he and Petro would talk about narcotics, “because tremendous amounts of drugs come out of his country.”

Read the full story here.