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[00:00:04] Welcome to Washington today on CPAN [00:00:05] radio for Wednesday, February 18, 2026. [00:00:08] Federal Communications Commission Chair [00:00:10] Brendan Carr says journalists were [00:00:13] tricked into covering claims by late [00:00:15] night talk show host Steven Colbear that [00:00:17] he was blocked by CBS from interviewing [00:00:20] US Senate candidate from Texas, James [00:00:22] Terico. Early voting in Texas has gotten [00:00:26] underway this week. We'll talk with [00:00:27] Texas Tribune reporter Kayla Guo about [00:00:30] the Senate race with competitive [00:00:32] primaries in both parties and also the [00:00:34] new congressional district maps drawn to [00:00:36] favor Republicans. Billionaire Les [00:00:38] Wexner tells members of Congress he was [00:00:41] not a co-conspirator of the late sex [00:00:44] offender Jeffrey Epstein and says he was [00:00:47] duped by a worldclass con man. He was [00:00:50] deposed at his home in Ohio. Day five of [00:00:53] the Homeland Security Department [00:00:55] shutdown over disagreements about [00:00:56] federal immigration operations changes. [00:00:58] We'll get updates from the White House [00:01:00] and the House Democratic leader. [00:01:01] President Donald Trump hosts a Black [00:01:03] History Month reception at the White [00:01:05] House. Maryland Governor Wes Moore says [00:01:07] President Trump has been telling lies [00:01:09] about the state and federal response to [00:01:10] the massive sewage spill in the Ptoac [00:01:13] River. And the United Nations Security [00:01:14] Council holds a meeting on Middle East [00:01:16] peace efforts with the Secretary [00:01:18] General's office expressing concern [00:01:19] about Israel's actions in the West Bank. [00:01:23] Reuters writing, "The chair of the [00:01:24] Federal Communications Commission on [00:01:26] Wednesday denied the government had [00:01:28] censored CBS late night talk show host [00:01:30] Steven Cobear from airing a candidate [00:01:32] interview and confirmed that the agency [00:01:34] is investigating ABC's The View." FCC [00:01:37] Chair Brendan Carr confirmed the FCC had [00:01:39] opened an enforcement action into [00:01:41] whether the ABC daytime talk show [00:01:43] violated equal time rules for interviews [00:01:45] with political candidates. Coar said on [00:01:48] Monday the network's lawyers barred him [00:01:50] from airing an interview with Democratic [00:01:52] Texas State Representative James [00:01:53] Telerico, who's running for his party's [00:01:55] nomination for the US Senate, after the [00:01:57] FCC issued new guidance in January that [00:02:00] said daytime and late night talk shows [00:02:03] were not automatically exempt from equal [00:02:05] time rules for candidate interviews. [00:02:07] That was from Reuters. FCC chair Brendan [00:02:10] Carr, a Republican, spoke at a news [00:02:12] conference in Washington. [00:02:13] >> Hey, Mr. Chairman. Uh John Hend with [00:02:15] Politico. uh wanted to ask about how you [00:02:17] think your equal time guidance has been [00:02:19] going so far over the last few weeks. Uh [00:02:21] specifically curious, you know, at this [00:02:24] point, you know, is there any concern [00:02:26] that there could be, you know, fewer [00:02:28] voices on air because that and curious [00:02:29] how you're seeing the Co Bear incident [00:02:31] this week? Um you know, obviously there [00:02:33] was a an interview that was not aired at [00:02:35] this point. You know, are you at all [00:02:37] concerned that companies might, you [00:02:39] know, look at the situation and, you [00:02:41] know, simply choose not to mess with [00:02:44] that at all? like where where does that [00:02:45] all fit right now when you're looking at [00:02:47] things now just a few weeks into the the [00:02:48] new guidance? [00:02:49] >> Well, look, when I step back and look at [00:02:51] the entire arc of the uh the news story [00:02:54] yesterday, I was highly entertained. I [00:02:56] think it was probably one of the most [00:02:57] fun days I've had on the job watching [00:02:59] sort of the hilarity of how this story [00:03:02] played out. I mean, look, anybody [00:03:04] that's, you know, not suffering from a [00:03:06] terminal case of Trump derangement [00:03:08] syndrome could see right away yesterday [00:03:11] the exact story arc and how it was going [00:03:14] to play out. You had a Democrat [00:03:18] candidate who understood the way that [00:03:21] the news media works and he took [00:03:24] advantage of all of your sort of prior [00:03:27] conceptions to run a hoax apparently for [00:03:31] the purpose of raising money and getting [00:03:33] clicks and the news media played right [00:03:36] into it. I think yesterday was a perfect [00:03:38] encapsulation of why the American people [00:03:40] have more trust in gas station sushi [00:03:42] than they do in the national news media. [00:03:46] And this was very plainly an effort [00:03:48] jinned up to get clicks and to raise [00:03:51] money. And you guys ate it up like slop. [00:03:53] And when it was pointed out that the [00:03:54] facts were completely different than [00:03:56] what the fake news media was running [00:03:58] with, nobody did like an about face and [00:04:00] did a fact correction. They just pivoted [00:04:03] and moved away. And again, I think this [00:04:04] is why the American people simply don't [00:04:06] trust the news media anymore. As Jasmine [00:04:09] Crockett herself came out yesterday [00:04:10] afternoon and said there was no [00:04:12] censorship by the government here, what [00:04:15] she said was a reflection of what CBS [00:04:18] itself had said, which they advised [00:04:20] Colbear, there's lots of ways you can do [00:04:22] this, including having all the legally [00:04:24] qualified candidates on, but for some [00:04:26] reason, they chose not to do this. [00:04:28] Congress passed the equal time provision [00:04:31] for a very specific reason. They didn't [00:04:34] want the media elites in Hollywood and [00:04:36] New York to put their thumb on the scale [00:04:38] and pick the winners and losers in [00:04:40] primaries in general elections. That's [00:04:42] the whole point. And I get it that [00:04:44] people may not like that, but that's the [00:04:45] law that Congress passed. At the end of [00:04:47] the day, this is about empowering [00:04:49] individual people to vote and decide for [00:04:52] themselves who they want to represent [00:04:53] them. The whole idea here is more [00:04:55] speech, not less. You can have more [00:04:58] candidates on. There is zero censorship [00:05:00] with the equal time provision. It's [00:05:02] about empowering people. But again, you [00:05:04] know, there was one partisan candidate [00:05:06] who fed this slop to the mainstream [00:05:09] national news media and you guys ran for [00:05:11] it with ours. And I was just laughing. I [00:05:13] was watching and it was clear that this [00:05:14] story is going to turn at some point and [00:05:17] the truth is going to come out. But um [00:05:19] but I thought it was just interesting to [00:05:20] observe a sort of a microcosm of the [00:05:22] lack of trust in the media. [00:05:23] >> FCC Chair Brendan Carr, a Republican at [00:05:26] a news conference in Washington DC. [00:05:29] James Terico, a state representative [00:05:31] from Texas and a Democrat who is running [00:05:35] for his party's nomination in the US [00:05:36] Senate race in that state, held a rally [00:05:39] today in Austin, Texas, and spoke about [00:05:42] this. [00:05:43] >> The 24 hours before this tour launch has [00:05:47] been something else. [00:05:49] Last night I filmed a interview with [00:05:53] Steven Cob Bear on the Late Show and [00:05:58] and as you probably know by now, Trump's [00:06:02] FCC colluded with corporate media [00:06:05] executives at CBS to keep that interview [00:06:08] off the air. [00:06:11] But I think it's safe to say that their [00:06:13] plan backfired. [00:06:18] I think I think Donald Trump and his [00:06:21] billionaire friends know that we're [00:06:23] about to take back Texas [00:06:27] and and these are the same people who [00:06:31] ran against cancel culture and now [00:06:35] they're trying to control what we watch, [00:06:38] what we say, what we read. And this is [00:06:41] the most dangerous kind of cancel [00:06:43] culture, the kind that comes from the [00:06:45] top. They went after The View. After I [00:06:48] went on there, they went after Jimmy [00:06:51] Kimmel for telling a joke they didn't [00:06:52] like. They went after Steven Cobear for [00:06:55] telling the truth about Paramount's [00:06:57] bribe to Donald Trump. Corporate media [00:07:00] executives are selling out the First [00:07:03] Amendment to curry favor with corrupt [00:07:06] politicians. A threat to any of our [00:07:09] First Amendment rights is a threat to [00:07:12] all of our First Amendment rights [00:07:16] whether [00:07:19] whether you're a Democrat or Republican, [00:07:22] whether you're conservative or [00:07:24] progressive, the real fight in this [00:07:26] country is not left versus right, it's [00:07:29] top versus bottom. [00:07:32] James Telerico, Texas state [00:07:34] representative and Democratic US Senate [00:07:37] candidate today in Austin, Texas. [00:07:40] Washington Post writing that Steven [00:07:41] Cobear's interview with James Telerico [00:07:43] was posted on the show's YouTube channel [00:07:46] where it has so far received more than 5 [00:07:48] million views. In Texas, there's also a [00:07:52] contested Republican primary for the [00:07:55] Senate race. Incumbent John Cornin is [00:07:57] being challenged by Texas Attorney [00:07:59] General Ken Paxton. Here are a few of [00:08:02] the ads in that matchup. The Cornin ad [00:08:04] features former Texas Department of [00:08:06] Public Safety Director Steven McCra and [00:08:08] the Paxton ad has the endorsement of [00:08:10] President Donald Trump. [00:08:13] I served as the director of public [00:08:14] safety under Governor Greg Abbott and [00:08:16] led the Texas Rangers. Take it from me, [00:08:19] John Cornet is tough as nails on illegal [00:08:21] immigration. Senator Cornin votes with [00:08:23] President Trump 99% of the time, [00:08:26] securing funding to finish the wall, [00:08:27] then hiring new ICE and Border Patrol [00:08:29] officers. Cornin and Trump delivered 11 [00:08:32] billion to Texas taxpayers for Biden's [00:08:34] open border. That's strong leadership. [00:08:37] I'm John Cornin and I approve this [00:08:39] message. Join my team and give today. [00:08:42] >> An attorney general who has really led [00:08:45] the way. Somebody who has been brave and [00:08:48] strong, Ken Paxton. It's going to take a [00:08:52] patriot like Ken Paxton to make America [00:08:55] great again. [00:08:56] >> He's very, very talented. He's a very [00:08:57] talented guy and a really great attorney [00:09:00] general. Ken Paxton. Tremendous guy. I [00:09:03] wish I had him in the White House with [00:09:05] me. The great Ken Paxton. [00:09:07] >> Ken Paxton for US Senate. [00:09:09] >> I'm Ken Paxton and I approve this [00:09:11] message. [00:09:12] >> Some of the campaign ads running in [00:09:14] Texas. And joining us now to talk about [00:09:16] the Texas elections is Kayla Guo, state [00:09:18] politics and government reporter with [00:09:20] the Texas Tribune. Thank you for being [00:09:22] with us. So that Senate race in Texas, [00:09:24] you've got competitive primaries for [00:09:26] both Republicans and Democrats. Let's [00:09:28] start with the Republican side. Where do [00:09:30] things stand? [00:09:32] >> I think things are seem to be [00:09:35] it's tough to imagine who is in the [00:09:38] front right now. Um, you have the [00:09:39] incumbent John Cornin who is facing the [00:09:41] most competitive primary of his career [00:09:43] against Attorney General Ken Paxton and [00:09:46] US Congressman Wesley Hunt of Houston. [00:09:49] Um, Paxton has been leading in polling [00:09:51] more recently, but Cornin has dropped [00:09:53] tens of millions of dollars on the [00:09:55] airwaves to, you know, keep Paxton and [00:09:57] Hunt down and to support his own bid. [00:10:00] Um, I think that race is destined for a [00:10:02] May runoff given that there are three [00:10:04] candidates and one of them would have to [00:10:06] get more than 50% of the vote on March [00:10:08] 3rd to win. Um, but it's been really [00:10:11] bitter. Um, it's been really intense and [00:10:13] Cornin has really dominated the airwaves [00:10:15] trying to stay ahead. [00:10:17] >> And President Donald Trump has not [00:10:18] endorsed yet, has he? [00:10:20] >> He hasn't. and he I think this past [00:10:22] weekend said that he liked all three of [00:10:24] the candidates um and wasn't going to [00:10:27] weigh in at this point even though I [00:10:28] think all three candidates have been [00:10:30] asking him to and Senate Republican [00:10:32] leadership especially has been asking [00:10:33] him to back John Cordon and seeing that [00:10:35] that would be a fairly big boost for him [00:10:37] in this primary [00:10:38] >> and on the Democratic side also a [00:10:40] competitive primary and just to to link [00:10:43] it is it fair to say that some of those [00:10:45] Democratic candidates are running [00:10:47] because they'd like to run against Ken [00:10:48] Paxton on the Republican side I think [00:10:50] that's totally fair. Um I think the [00:10:52] common wisdom on the Democratic side is [00:10:54] Ken Paxton. He has a trail of legal and [00:10:57] ethical baggage that he has nor he has [00:10:59] pretty much emerged pretty unscathed [00:11:01] from, but that Democrats think will be [00:11:04] um harmful to him in a general election. [00:11:06] They also expect whichever Republican [00:11:08] nominee to emerge from this contest to [00:11:10] be fairly bruised um because it's been [00:11:12] such a bitter contest. And they're [00:11:13] hoping also more broadly that turnout [00:11:15] among Democrats will surge this midterm [00:11:18] election under the Trump administration. [00:11:20] >> On the Democratic side of the Texas [00:11:22] Senate primary, how has this whole [00:11:25] Steven Cobear interview with James [00:11:27] Tarico story affected the race? [00:11:29] >> I think it brought James Torico enormous [00:11:32] name recognition and notoriety, which is [00:11:34] I think just the boost his campaign [00:11:36] probably needed going to early voting. [00:11:38] Yesterday was the first day of early [00:11:39] voting here in Texas. He was the lesserk [00:11:42] known I think probably still is the [00:11:43] lesserk known candidate from Jasmine [00:11:45] Crockett um who entered the the contest [00:11:48] with really high name recognition among [00:11:49] Democratic primary voters. Um Telerico [00:11:52] announced that he raised $2.5 million in [00:11:55] the 24 hours after the interview which [00:11:56] is a huge amount of money on top of the [00:11:59] huge amount of money he's already raised [00:12:00] over the course of this campaign. Um I [00:12:02] think it brought a lot of eyeballs onto [00:12:04] his campaign and certainly feels like it [00:12:06] shifts momentum in his favor going into [00:12:08] the early voting period. Have there been [00:12:11] any debates in the primaries, either [00:12:14] Democratic or Republican? [00:12:16] >> There has been one Democratic Senate [00:12:18] debate that happened, I believe it was [00:12:20] earlier last month. Um, and uh, Terico [00:12:23] and Jasmine Crockett faced off at a [00:12:25] debate um, hosted by a union group and [00:12:28] um, that that was it though. There has [00:12:30] not been a debate on the Republican side [00:12:32] and um, I don't think we expect one. [00:12:34] We're [00:12:34] >> talking with Kayla Guo with the Texas [00:12:37] Tribune. talking with Kayla Guo with the [00:12:39] Texas Tribune. I guess we've been [00:12:41] talking a bit about personalities and [00:12:43] money. What issues are front and center [00:12:45] in that Senate race in Texas? [00:12:48] >> I think on the Democratic side, um [00:12:50] there's a lot of emphasis on [00:12:51] affordability. I think Jasmine Crockett [00:12:53] and James Terico are fairly aligned on [00:12:55] the issues themselves. So, I think we've [00:12:57] heard Terico push a much um more forward [00:13:00] economic populist message. Jasmine [00:13:02] Crockett as sort of a very comprehensive [00:13:05] um fighting back against Republicans, [00:13:06] standing up to the Trump administration [00:13:08] message. Um but I think on the issues [00:13:10] themselves, they've are really quite [00:13:12] aligned and Telerico especially has been [00:13:14] focused on sort of this anti-billionaire [00:13:16] top versus bottom um campaign. I think [00:13:19] on the Republican side, you know, the [00:13:21] argument that Cornin's primary [00:13:22] challengers have been making against him [00:13:24] is that Cornin is, you know, an [00:13:26] establishment Republican who is out of [00:13:28] step with Trump's MAGA movement and Ken [00:13:30] Paxton and Wesley Hunt would submit that [00:13:32] they are better aligned with the party's [00:13:34] base. Um whereas Cornin I think is [00:13:36] making the argument that you know [00:13:38] character matters and Paxton's legal [00:13:40] baggage is um not going to help him in [00:13:43] the general election and that he himself [00:13:45] has the experience to do well in [00:13:46] Washington and has proven that over [00:13:48] decades in office. [00:13:49] >> Texas was ground zero for the partisan [00:13:52] congressional redistricting efforts by [00:13:54] Republicans now being matched by [00:13:56] Democrats nationwide. Are the new maps [00:13:59] being used for the the primaries [00:14:01] underway? And how is it looking? The [00:14:04] Republicans think they can pick up five [00:14:06] seats. [00:14:07] >> They are being used this election [00:14:09] season. Um I think it has definitely [00:14:11] caused I think our reporters have found [00:14:13] on the ground in places like Houston, [00:14:14] it's caused a bit of confusion among [00:14:16] primary voters who have been moved to [00:14:17] new districts, especially voters who had [00:14:19] special elections to deal with. Um I'm [00:14:21] thinking of Texas 18 and Houston. Um, I [00:14:26] think the general understanding has been [00:14:29] Republicans obviously drew the map to [00:14:32] notch five additional seats um, in [00:14:34] November. I think the expectation was [00:14:37] they could get at least three and two [00:14:39] seats in South Texas were a little more [00:14:41] competitive with strong Democratic [00:14:42] candidates defending those seats. Um, [00:14:45] but I think increasingly in more recent [00:14:47] weeks, we've seen concern from [00:14:48] Republicans that maybe they might not [00:14:50] even be able to defend those three seats [00:14:52] or take those three seats that they have [00:14:53] been aiming for and that there are some [00:14:55] open seats that Democrats might be able [00:14:57] to fight for as well. I think we've [00:14:58] heard John Cornin make the argument many [00:15:00] many times that if Ken Paxton is at the [00:15:02] top of the ticket that that would hurt [00:15:03] down ballot Republicans. Um, and [00:15:05] Democrats are certainly feeling bullish [00:15:07] and, you know, really locked in after [00:15:10] some special election wins more recently [00:15:12] as well. Kayla Guo, state politics and [00:15:15] government reporter with the Texas [00:15:16] Tribune. Find articles at texasbune.org. [00:15:20] Thank you very much. [00:15:21] >> Thanks for having me. [00:15:22] >> This is Eastpam Radio's Washington [00:15:24] today. Associated Press reporting the [00:15:27] billionaire behind the retail empire [00:15:29] that once blanketed shopping malls with [00:15:30] names such as Victoria's Secret and [00:15:32] Abberrombian Fitch is telling members of [00:15:35] Congress that he was duped by a [00:15:37] worldclass conman, close financial [00:15:39] adviser Jeffrey Epstein. Les Wexner also [00:15:43] is denying knowing about the convicted [00:15:44] sex offenders crimes or participating in [00:15:46] Epstein's abuse of girls and young [00:15:49] women. He said, "I was naive, foolish, [00:15:52] and gullible to put any trust in Jeffrey [00:15:54] Epste. He was a con man, and while I was [00:15:56] conned, I have done nothing wrong and [00:15:59] have nothing to hide." That reporting [00:16:01] from Associated Press. The deposition [00:16:03] was conducted at Les Wexner's estate in [00:16:06] New Albany, Ohio by members of the US [00:16:08] House Oversight and Reform Committee. [00:16:10] Some of the Democratic members spoke to [00:16:12] reporters outside led by Robert Garcia [00:16:14] of California, the committee's ranking [00:16:16] member. [00:16:17] >> It's been clear to us, at least the way [00:16:19] Mr. Webster has presented this, uh, that [00:16:22] he, according to him, has not been or [00:16:25] questioned was questioned by the FBI or [00:16:28] the DOJ about Mr. Epstein. [00:16:32] How outrageous is that? [00:16:36] He's someone that's been named by [00:16:38] survivors. Someone that's in the files [00:16:41] more than most people. Someone that's [00:16:43] clearly the financial benefactor [00:16:47] to Jeffrey Epstein and has not been [00:16:50] contacted or interviewed by the FBI or [00:16:52] the DOJ. [00:16:54] What the hell is going on? [00:16:57] That is shameful. [00:17:00] We should be ashamed as a government. [00:17:03] The survivors deserve justice. So that's [00:17:06] something that we are going to continue [00:17:07] to press today and certainly press with [00:17:10] Pan Bonnie and the DOJ. And the second [00:17:13] thing, something that that that I think [00:17:15] is is is critical to all of us. I think [00:17:18] this community should also be asking [00:17:21] questions. This community deserves to [00:17:24] know [00:17:26] why the most powerful man, one of the [00:17:28] richest men, if not the richest man in [00:17:29] Ohio, [00:17:32] gave so much of his wealth [00:17:35] to the largest modern sex trafficking [00:17:38] ring in American history. Why his money [00:17:42] was used to traffic, abuse, and rape [00:17:46] women and children. And so I think this [00:17:49] community has questions of Mr. Wexter. [00:17:54] Ohio State should have questions of Mr. [00:17:57] Wexner and Mr. Wexter's involvement and [00:18:00] our questions. Today's not the end of [00:18:02] our questions for Mr. Wexner. It's the [00:18:05] beginning of our questions for Mr. [00:18:07] Wexner and anyone in this community [00:18:09] across Ohio or the country that have [00:18:12] been busy killing or that knows why he [00:18:15] provided so much money for Jeffrey [00:18:18] Epstein to then go on and commit all [00:18:19] these horrible crimes. We can ask a [00:18:20] couple questions [00:18:22] about you guys. A couple questions. [00:18:25] First off, you mentioned in statement [00:18:28] you said that you did not have any [00:18:30] knowledge of Jeffrey crime. [00:18:37] Second time. [00:18:55] Let me start by saying that I first I I [00:18:57] do not believe when uh Mr. Wer said he [00:19:00] did not have a personal relationship or [00:19:02] a personal relationship with Jeffrey [00:19:04] Epstein. I think that is quote [00:19:07] person. [00:19:09] I I think I can also say that we believe [00:19:12] the survivors and I think the the farmer [00:19:15] testimony is critical and [00:19:19] what happened to not just Maria but to [00:19:21] Annie and the and the former women was [00:19:24] horrific. [00:19:26] And this idea that she gave such a [00:19:28] description of what happened to her and [00:19:30] some we should just dismiss that as a [00:19:32] lie or untrue I think is outrageous. [00:19:34] There's no question in my mind that [00:19:36] there was a relationship and that Mr. [00:19:38] Weer is very aware likely aware of what [00:19:41] was going on. [00:19:42] >> Congressman Robert Garcia, Democrat from [00:19:44] California Oversight and Government [00:19:46] Reform Committee ranking member had a [00:19:49] news conference with other members of [00:19:51] the committee in New Albany, Ohio. They [00:19:54] said that no Republicans showed up to [00:19:57] today's deposition. Joining us now with [00:20:00] more on the House Oversight Committee's [00:20:02] deposition of Less Wexner in the Jeffrey [00:20:04] Epstein investigation is Megan Henry, a [00:20:07] reporter with the Ohio Capital Journal. [00:20:10] Thanks for for joining us. Who is Lex [00:20:13] Wexner and what is his connection to [00:20:15] Jeffrey Epstein? [00:20:16] >> Yes. Well, thanks for having me. Uh Les [00:20:18] Wexner is Ohio's uh richest man and he [00:20:21] has donated to many politicians uh more [00:20:24] so Republicans but he has donated to [00:20:26] Democrats as well and uh he has had this [00:20:30] long-term relationship with Jeffrey [00:20:31] Epstein um with Epstein uh was his [00:20:34] financial adviser for uh several years [00:20:37] and then they cut ties um with their [00:20:40] relationship but now these new records [00:20:42] indicate that that might not be the [00:20:44] case. Is Les Wexner being accused of any [00:20:47] crimes? And if so, what crimes and by [00:20:50] whom? [00:20:51] >> Yeah, it it sounds like today as far as [00:20:53] the position that it was just to uncover [00:20:56] more about his Wexter's relationship [00:20:58] with Epstein. Uh Wexter has not been [00:21:00] charged at this moment with any criminal [00:21:02] charges. Um so that uh remains to be [00:21:05] seen. [00:21:06] >> What do we know about the questions that [00:21:08] the members of Congress are asking? [00:21:10] Well, Wexner, he's been listed as an [00:21:12] alleged co-conspirator of Epstein's in a [00:21:14] 2019 FBI document. Um, so as far as the [00:21:19] questions, um, I don't have a I don't [00:21:21] totally know, but I'm I I think it's [00:21:23] safe to assume that it's just about, um, [00:21:24] the relationship with Epstein and how [00:21:26] much he knew about Epstein's um, [00:21:29] criminal activity. [00:21:30] >> Well, you said that the documents have [00:21:32] uncovered that the relationship was [00:21:34] different than he had said it was. What [00:21:36] has he been saying, and what do the [00:21:38] documents show? Yeah, Wexner has not [00:21:40] been saying much. Um, when reached out [00:21:43] to his spokesperson, his spokesperson [00:21:44] says, uh, no comments. Uh, his legal [00:21:46] representation says that, um, quote, [00:21:49] "The assistant US attorney told Mr. Mr. [00:21:52] Wexner's legal counsel in 2019 that Mr. [00:21:54] Wexner was neither a [00:21:56] co-conspiratorpspirator [00:21:58] nor a target in any respect. Uh, Mr. [00:22:00] Wexner cooperated fully by providing [00:22:02] background information on Epstein and [00:22:03] was never contacted again." End quote. [00:22:06] So Wexner uh has been very much out of [00:22:08] uh the limelight. He's a very prominent [00:22:10] figure in Columbus historically, but he [00:22:12] has been um not very public facing these [00:22:16] past several years. [00:22:17] >> Democratic members of Congress who have [00:22:18] spoken out said that they are following [00:22:20] the money. Where does the money trail [00:22:22] lead? What type of political activities [00:22:25] has Wexner been into? [00:22:27] >> Yes. Select Wesner has been a big uh [00:22:30] donor for political candidates on the [00:22:32] federal uh sea level here in Ohio and [00:22:34] even at the local level at the Columbus, [00:22:36] Ohio um level. And so he has donated as [00:22:38] I mentioned uh more so to Republicans [00:22:40] but some Democrats but um it's really [00:22:43] starting last week and over the weekend [00:22:45] and and this week we've seen some [00:22:47] politicians uh give the money that [00:22:49] Wexner has donated to them over the [00:22:51] years and been donating it to charities [00:22:54] um to help victims of human trafficking [00:22:56] or um of child abuse. So, some notable [00:22:58] ones include um representative uh Joyce [00:23:02] Sadi here um Ohio as well as John Husaid [00:23:07] uh who has taken uh or has received lots [00:23:09] of money from Wexner over the years and [00:23:11] after some uh significant push back, he [00:23:14] finally has said he's going to donate [00:23:16] the funds um to charities. [00:23:19] >> You mentioned that Les Wexner was a [00:23:21] private individual. Did he ever [00:23:23] socialize with Epstein in public? [00:23:25] According to some reporting I've read [00:23:27] from my other colleagues, it sounds like [00:23:30] um Wexner did not join EP he's not known [00:23:32] to join Epstein at some of Epstein's [00:23:35] parties or social events, but um there [00:23:38] he has been invol was at some events [00:23:41] such as like birthday parties and the [00:23:42] like over the years, but um was not [00:23:46] always uh at attendance at some of [00:23:49] Epstein's social events. [00:23:51] >> Megan Henry, reporter with the Ohio [00:23:53] Capital Journal. You can find her [00:23:55] stories at ohio capital journal.com. [00:23:57] Thank you very much. [00:23:59] >> Thank you. [00:24:00] >> And US House Oversight and Government [00:24:02] Reform Committee's next scheduled [00:24:03] depositions in the Jeffrey Epstein [00:24:05] investigation are Hillary Clinton on [00:24:07] February 26th, Bill Clinton on February [00:24:10] 27th, Richard Khan, Epstein's accountant [00:24:13] on March 11th, and Darren Ind's [00:24:16] lawyer on March 19th. The Homeland [00:24:20] Security Department is still shut down [00:24:21] now for a fifth day. It affects the [00:24:23] Federal Emergency Management Agency, [00:24:25] FEMA, Transportation Security [00:24:27] Administration, TSA, the Cyber Security [00:24:30] Infrastructure and Security Agency, [00:24:31] SISA, and the US Coast Guard. The White [00:24:34] House and Congressional Democrats are [00:24:36] still at odds over the Democrats demands [00:24:38] that a funding bill to reopen the [00:24:40] department include reforms to federal [00:24:42] immigration enforcement. The White House [00:24:45] press secretary, Caroline Levit, was [00:24:46] asked for an update at her news [00:24:48] conference at the White House. We're now [00:24:51] in this partial shutdown um over uh DHS [00:24:54] funding. Has the president personally [00:24:56] spoken to the Democratic leaders in [00:24:57] Congress. Can we expect to see them at [00:24:59] the White House to try to make a deal on [00:25:01] this? [00:25:01] >> Uh not to my knowledge. He hasn't had [00:25:03] any direct conversation or [00:25:04] correspondence with Democrat lawmakers [00:25:06] recently. It doesn't mean he's not [00:25:08] willing to. I'm just not aware of any [00:25:10] conversations that have taken place. I [00:25:11] do know the White House uh and the [00:25:13] president's representatives have been in [00:25:16] direct conversations with both Democrats [00:25:18] and Republicans, but of course, [00:25:19] Democrats are the reason that the [00:25:21] Department of Homeland Security is [00:25:22] currently shut down. Um they have chosen [00:25:25] to act against the American people for [00:25:28] political reasons. Uh, and now we have [00:25:30] FEMA workers, the men and women of the [00:25:32] United States Coast Guard, men and women [00:25:34] of TSA who keep our airports moving, who [00:25:36] will be working without paychecks, uh, [00:25:39] for no good reason other than the [00:25:40] Democrats wanting to pick a fight with [00:25:42] Donald Trump. And the president thinks [00:25:44] that is irresponsible and despicable. He [00:25:46] wants the government to be open. We've [00:25:48] been engaged in good faith negotiations [00:25:50] with Democrats. Last night they sent [00:25:53] over a counter proposal that frankly was [00:25:55] very unserious and we hope they get [00:25:56] serious very soon because Americans are [00:25:59] going to be impacted by this. [00:26:00] >> Sure. [00:26:01] >> Thanks Caroline. Um President Trump has [00:26:03] talked about a forthcoming executive [00:26:05] order on voter ID. Is there more details [00:26:08] you can provide about for that and can [00:26:11] you talk about any steps that you're [00:26:12] taking to overcome core challenges that [00:26:14] you've kind of faced in this area before [00:26:15] on voting? Well, as the president said [00:26:17] in that truth social post, he's [00:26:19] discussing and exploring legal options [00:26:21] for a potential executive order with [00:26:23] respect to voter ID, but this is [00:26:25] something he's made very clear he wants [00:26:27] Congress to get done. The Save America [00:26:30] Act is a common sense piece of [00:26:31] legislation that has now passed the [00:26:34] House of Representatives to ensure that [00:26:36] voter ID is a requirement in the United [00:26:38] States of America. This is a common [00:26:40] sense policy that nearly 90% of the [00:26:43] country agrees with. You need an ID to [00:26:45] go and and purchase alcohol. You need an [00:26:48] ID to go to the library and check out a [00:26:50] book. Uh and so the president thinks you [00:26:52] should have an ID to vote in our [00:26:53] nation's elections. And I know the vast [00:26:55] majority of Americans agree with him on [00:26:57] that. And he wants Congress to move and [00:26:59] move quickly to get it done. [00:27:01] >> White House press secretary Caroline [00:27:02] Levit at a news conference in the White [00:27:04] House briefing room. The House and [00:27:06] Senate are not in session this week. The [00:27:09] House Minority Leader Hakee Jeff, [00:27:10] Democrat from New York, did hold a news [00:27:12] conference in the US capital building in [00:27:14] Washington and started with the Homeland [00:27:17] Security Department shutdown and federal [00:27:19] immigration reform. This is day five of [00:27:23] the Trump Republican shutdown of the [00:27:26] Department of Homeland Security. Why are [00:27:29] we in this moment? is because [00:27:32] Republicans have decided that they would [00:27:34] rather shut down FEMA, shut down TSA, [00:27:38] and shut down the Coast Guard than get [00:27:41] ICE under control. The American people [00:27:45] know that ICE needs to be reigned in. [00:27:50] We believe that taxpayer dollars should [00:27:52] be used to make your life more [00:27:54] affordable, not to brutalize or kill [00:27:57] American citizens in cold blood like [00:28:01] Renee Nicole Good or Alex Prey or to [00:28:04] violently target law-abiding immigrant [00:28:07] families, which we know is taking place [00:28:10] all across America. [00:28:12] The American people are horrified at [00:28:16] what they have seen. But instead of [00:28:20] fixing the problem, [00:28:23] which Democrats have given our [00:28:24] Republican colleagues an opportunity to [00:28:27] do, they've shut down crucial parts of [00:28:32] the Department of Homeland Security. [00:28:36] It is our view that immigration [00:28:37] enforcement in this country should be [00:28:39] fair. It should be just and it should be [00:28:42] humane. That's not what's happening [00:28:44] right now [00:28:46] in the United States of America. [00:28:49] And that's why ICE needs to be reformed [00:28:51] in a dramatic, bold, meaningful, and [00:28:56] transformational manner. And if that [00:28:58] doesn't happen, [00:29:01] the DHS funding bill will not move [00:29:04] forward. [00:29:06] House Minority Leader Hakee Jeff, [00:29:08] Democrat from New York, holding a news [00:29:10] conference on Capitol Hill. CNN writing, [00:29:12] "The Trump administration has ordered [00:29:14] the Federal Emergency Management Agency [00:29:15] to suspend the deployment of hundreds of [00:29:17] aid workers to disaster torn areas [00:29:20] around the US while the Department of [00:29:22] Homeland Security is shut down." [00:29:23] According to sources and internal [00:29:25] messages obtained by CNN, the new edict [00:29:28] comes even though most deployments are [00:29:30] paid for through a disaster relief fund [00:29:32] that isn't affected by the shutdown. [00:29:35] Reporting from CNN, NBC News writing, [00:29:38] "At least a dozen Democratic members of [00:29:40] Congress plan to boycott President [00:29:41] Donald Trump's State of the Union [00:29:42] address at the capital next Tuesday and [00:29:44] are scheduled to attend a rally on the [00:29:47] National Mall. Progressive groups move [00:29:49] on and might as Touch announced [00:29:51] Wednesday that they're hosting the [00:29:53] people's state of the union rally at [00:29:55] 8:30 p.m. Eastern near the cap. The [00:29:58] event is build as counterprogramming to [00:30:00] quote, "President Trump's night full of [00:30:02] lies and misplaced priorities for the [00:30:04] American people." The group said [00:30:06] Democratic lawmakers will be joined on [00:30:08] stage by the everyday Americans most [00:30:11] impacted by Trump's dangerous agenda and [00:30:14] was reporting from NBC News. Congressman [00:30:16] Jeff at his news conference today was [00:30:18] asked about the potential boycott. [00:30:20] >> You did mention the State of the Union. [00:30:23] Can you just let us know? We've heard [00:30:24] there's a lot of, you know, calls for [00:30:26] Democrats to boycott the annual speech. [00:30:29] What again is your advice to the House [00:30:32] Democratic Caucus on the approach for [00:30:35] Tuesday night? Well, as we approach the [00:30:38] State of the Union address, my view [00:30:42] remains the same, which is that the two [00:30:45] options that are in front of us in our [00:30:47] house [00:30:49] is to either attend [00:30:53] with silent defiance [00:30:56] or [00:30:58] to not attend and send a message to [00:31:01] Donald Trump in that fashion, which will [00:31:03] include participation in AAR. variety of [00:31:06] different alternate [00:31:08] programming that is going to take place [00:31:10] in and around the capital complex. [00:31:13] >> Congressman Hakee Jeff a few moments [00:31:15] later in this news conference, another [00:31:16] reporter asked about his plans. [00:31:19] >> You outlined two different possibilities [00:31:21] for Democratic members for State of the [00:31:23] Union. Do you plan to attend and which [00:31:25] of those options will you take? [00:31:26] >> My current plan is to attend. We're not [00:31:29] going to Donald Trump's house. He's [00:31:31] coming to our house. It's my view that [00:31:34] you don't let anyone ever run you off of [00:31:38] your block. [00:31:39] >> Congressman Hakee Jeff, Democrat from [00:31:41] New York, the minority leader at a news [00:31:43] conference in Washington. And Washington [00:31:45] today continues in a moment. [00:31:48] >> And we are going to renew unlimited [00:31:51] promise of the American dream. Every [00:31:53] single day, we will stand up and we will [00:31:56] fight, fight, fight for the country our [00:31:58] citizens believe in. Watch the C-SPAN [00:32:01] networks live Tuesday, February 24th, as [00:32:05] President Donald Trump delivers the [00:32:06] annual State of the Union address before [00:32:08] a joint session of Congress. The speech [00:32:10] will mark President Trump's first State [00:32:12] of the Union of his second term, the [00:32:14] State of the Union address, live [00:32:16] Tuesday, February 24th. Our coverage [00:32:19] starts at 700 p.m. Eastern on the C-SPAN [00:32:21] networks. C-SPAN, bringing you democracy [00:32:24] unfiltered. [00:32:30] Welcome back to Washington today. [00:32:32] Available as a podcast on the free [00:32:33] C-SPAN now mobile app and wherever you [00:32:35] get your podcasts. Associated Press [00:32:38] writing that President Donald Trump [00:32:39] hosted a White House reception for Black [00:32:41] History Month on Wednesday, less than [00:32:43] two weeks after he sparked a bipartisan [00:32:45] outcry by posting a racist video on [00:32:48] social media that depicted former [00:32:49] President Barack Obama and his wife [00:32:51] Michelle Obama as primates in a jungle. [00:32:54] Trump on Wednesday didn't reference the [00:32:56] video, which he deleted after a [00:32:57] widespread backlash, but said he won't [00:32:59] apologize for posting. He also did not [00:33:01] reference Barack Obama, the nation's [00:33:03] first black president, but spoke of [00:33:04] other history making black Americans. He [00:33:07] said, "We celebrate Black History Month. [00:33:09] We honor the memory of those who came [00:33:11] before us by continuing their legacy." [00:33:14] That was from Associated Press. He also [00:33:16] called up a number of African-Americans [00:33:19] in his administration to talk about [00:33:21] Black History Month. Here is Leo [00:33:23] Terrell, senior counsel to the assistant [00:33:25] attorney general. [00:33:26] >> We are living under the administration [00:33:29] of the greatest president in our [00:33:30] lifetime. [00:33:33] And we have the hottest country in our [00:33:37] lifetime. [00:33:38] >> And I want to make sure the mainstream [00:33:40] media knows this because you represent [00:33:42] the people who basically counter what [00:33:45] the mainstream media has done. [00:33:48] President Trump [00:33:50] was the president who fully funded [00:33:53] historically black college of the [00:33:54] university. [00:33:56] >> PRESIDENT TRUMP TOOK the lead and [00:33:59] performed criminal justice reform. [00:34:02] President Trump made sure that we had [00:34:05] opportunity zones. [00:34:08] Let me close by saying this. [00:34:10] This country is at a crossroads and we [00:34:13] have the right president at the right [00:34:15] time. And if you want school choice, [00:34:18] like I know you do, President Trump [00:34:20] wants it. If you want a law and order [00:34:24] society and secure border, President [00:34:26] Trump wants that. [00:34:28] And more importantly, I say this because [00:34:32] this is the greatest country on the [00:34:34] planet. American citizens should decide [00:34:38] American election. VOTE FOR THE SAVE [00:34:40] ACT. [00:34:42] Leo Terrell, senior counsel to the [00:34:44] assistant attorney general at today's [00:34:45] White House reception for Black History [00:34:47] Month. President Trump himself also [00:34:49] spoke about his support for various [00:34:51] issues, the historically black colleges [00:34:53] and universities, opportunity zones, [00:34:54] criminal justice reform, crime [00:34:56] prevention, and school choice. He also [00:34:58] recognized African-American leaders in [00:35:01] US history. [00:35:02] >> But we thank God for the strength and [00:35:04] courage and grit and devotion of black [00:35:06] Americans who have helped make America [00:35:08] the most powerful country in the history [00:35:10] of the world. We now have, and you saw [00:35:13] that with our uh with our attack a few [00:35:16] weeks ago on Venezuela. We have the [00:35:19] greatest military in the world. We make [00:35:20] the greatest equipment in the world. [00:35:22] There's nobody even close. Nearly 10,000 [00:35:25] African-Americans fought for the patriot [00:35:28] cause in the Revolutionary War. Did you [00:35:30] know that? 10,000 and actually a number [00:35:33] even I've heard even higher than that. [00:35:35] helping secure our independence. And [00:35:37] every generation since, from the Buffalo [00:35:41] Soldiers to the Tuskegee Airmen, black [00:35:44] Americans have stepped forward to defend [00:35:46] the flag and to defend our country like [00:35:50] few others really, like few others. And [00:35:52] you've never really been given the [00:35:54] recognition that you should get for [00:35:55] that. You know that, Ben. They never I [00:35:57] don't think a lot of people have given [00:35:59] the kind of recognition, but everyone [00:36:02] knows all about the Tuskegee Airmen. [00:36:04] They were great. And uh amazing the [00:36:07] Buffalo Soldiers. Do you know the [00:36:08] Buffalo Soldiers? [00:36:10] >> Good stuff, right? [00:36:12] >> From jazz to the blues. That you know [00:36:14] that you do get recognition for jazz to [00:36:17] blues. From rock and roll to rap, black [00:36:20] artists like Chuck Barry, Muddy Waters. [00:36:24] How How about Nicki Minaj? Do we love [00:36:26] Nicki Minaj? [00:36:27] >> RIGHT. [00:36:30] >> I love Nicki Minaj. She was here a [00:36:32] couple of weeks ago. She's so beautiful. [00:36:34] Her skin's so beautiful. I said, "Nikki, [00:36:36] so cute. Her nails her nails are like [00:36:40] that long." I said, I said, "Nikki, are [00:36:43] they real?" She said, she she didn't [00:36:46] want to get into that. [00:36:48] But she was so beautiful and so great. [00:36:51] And she and she gets it, you know, more [00:36:54] importantly, frankly, she gets it. But [00:36:56] black leaders from Frederick Douglas to [00:36:59] Martin Luther King, [00:37:00] >> right? Little relative over here. have [00:37:04] made our country freer and really uh [00:37:07] what what they've really done is made [00:37:09] life more just. [00:37:11] >> President Donald Trump had a Black [00:37:13] History Month reception at the White [00:37:15] House. At the start of his remarks, he [00:37:18] paid tribute to the Reverend Jesse [00:37:19] Jackson, civil rights leader and former [00:37:21] presidential candidate who died earlier [00:37:23] this week at the age of 84. [00:37:25] >> I want to begin by expressing our [00:37:27] sadness at the passing of a person who [00:37:30] was I knew very well. Jesse was a piece [00:37:32] of work. I want to tell he was a piece [00:37:35] of work, but he was a good man. He was a [00:37:38] real He was a real hero. And uh I just [00:37:41] want to pay my highest respects to [00:37:43] Reverend Jesse Jackson. [00:37:45] He's a good man. He was actually, as you [00:37:48] got to know him, he got better and [00:37:50] better all the time. A lot of one, a lot [00:37:51] of people you get to know him, they get [00:37:52] worse and worse. Jesse got better and [00:37:55] better. But I knew him well long before [00:37:57] becoming president. And he really was [00:37:59] special with lots of personality, grit, [00:38:01] and street smarts. You would say Jesse [00:38:04] had serious street smarts, right? A very [00:38:06] important ingredient to life. I will [00:38:08] tell you, he was gregarious and someone [00:38:10] who truly loved people and a force of [00:38:13] nature. He was uh somebody that we're [00:38:15] going to greatly miss. And on behalf of [00:38:17] everyone here today, I know you join me [00:38:19] in sending our condolences to the entire [00:38:21] family and a great family. [00:38:23] >> President Donald Trump at a Black [00:38:25] History Month reception at the White [00:38:27] House. He issued a proclamation at the [00:38:30] start of February about Black History [00:38:32] Month that reads in part, "I proclaim [00:38:33] that black history is not distinct from [00:38:35] American history. Rather, the history of [00:38:37] black Americans is an indispensable [00:38:39] chapter in our grand American story." LA [00:38:42] Times writing, "From jokes about his [00:38:44] well-known stubbornness to tears [00:38:46] grieving the loss of a parent of the [00:38:48] adult children of the Reverend Jesse L. [00:38:50] Jackson, Senior, gave an emotional [00:38:52] tribute Wednesday, honoring the legacy [00:38:54] of the late civil rights icon a day [00:38:56] after his death. Jackson died Tuesday at [00:38:58] his home in Chicago after battling a [00:38:59] rare neurological disorder that affected [00:39:01] his ability to move and speak. Standing [00:39:04] on the steps outside his longtime [00:39:05] Chicago home, five of his children, [00:39:08] including Congressman Jonathan Jackson, [00:39:10] remembered him not only for his decades [00:39:13] long work in civil rights, but also for [00:39:14] his role as spiritual leader and father. [00:39:17] That was reporting from the LA Times. [00:39:20] During that news conference, a reporter [00:39:22] asked about the late Reverend Jesse [00:39:24] Jackson's commitment to promoting [00:39:25] diversity and equal opportunity, and [00:39:27] Congressman Jonathan Jackson answered. [00:39:30] >> Evelyn Holmes from Channel 7. Um, [00:39:33] there's been a lot of conversation about [00:39:34] the Reverend's legacy, and I'm not sure [00:39:36] that that could truly be articulated [00:39:38] through words considering the expanse of [00:39:40] it. But what I'd like you to do is if [00:39:42] you could talk a little bit about uh [00:39:45] what concerns you have moving forward, [00:39:46] the work that has been done. You've [00:39:48] already kind of alluded to that. How do [00:39:49] you fill that void? Uh how do we keep [00:39:52] moving forward with his vision and the [00:39:56] vision for equity and inclusion? [00:40:00] Well, thank you so much. Um I had the [00:40:03] opportunity to speak as the co-chair at [00:40:06] the National Prayer Breakfast and you [00:40:08] bring up the question of how do we [00:40:13] and you bring up the um and I had to ask [00:40:16] myself what would my father want me to [00:40:18] do? Someone asked me, "How did I get [00:40:20] that position to be the co-chair of the [00:40:22] National Prayer Breakfast?" I said, "It [00:40:24] was easy. Nobody wanted it." And uh [00:40:27] and so diversity, equity, inclusion has [00:40:30] been a major part of my father's work. [00:40:32] These are the onrails, if you will, the [00:40:34] guard rails to fight against racism and [00:40:37] um to bring about inclusion to make this [00:40:39] a a better country. And so I started my [00:40:42] remarks off in the Latin. I said, "I imo [00:40:45] day, verbium day." Once you spell day in [00:40:48] Latin, it's spelled DEI. [00:40:51] >> Come on. [00:40:52] >> So, we've never retreated from the term [00:40:54] DEI. 7 days after the president was [00:40:56] sworn in on January 25th of 2025, [00:41:00] January 20th of 2025, uh my colleague, [00:41:03] Congressman Cleo Fields, who's a protege [00:41:05] of my father. We started the diversity, [00:41:08] equity, and inclusion caucus. So, it is [00:41:10] something that we're unashamed of. We [00:41:11] look forward to the debates on the [00:41:13] United States congressional floor. It's [00:41:15] something we cannot retreat retreat [00:41:17] from. Off of the um voting floor in the [00:41:20] United States capital. Um women only got [00:41:23] a restroom in 2011. [00:41:26] >> Wow. [00:41:28] >> The first woman to graduate from the [00:41:30] Citadel graduated in 1999. [00:41:33] We can't say we've made enough progress [00:41:35] on race and equity and and and racial [00:41:38] justice. We've seen the effects of the [00:41:40] Doge cuts. They targeted [00:41:42] African-American women [00:41:43] disproportionately. When we see the [00:41:46] retreat on these programs, they are [00:41:47] harming our health care studies, our [00:41:50] access to academia. It's wrong to tell [00:41:53] the UN Northwestern University that [00:41:55] they're going to be held hostage and [00:41:56] have to pay for their um pay us $75 [00:41:59] million fund to retreat. So, we're not [00:42:01] backing up [00:42:02] >> and uh we can do this in civil [00:42:04] discourse. And so, this is part of the [00:42:06] work. And it's just not one man or one [00:42:08] woman's work. It's everybody that's felt [00:42:11] challenged to speak up, speak out. We're [00:42:13] against censorship of comedians. We're [00:42:15] against uh the uh the roll back of the [00:42:18] racial and economic progress that we've [00:42:20] made. We're going to have more time to [00:42:22] talk to that. I just want to focus on [00:42:24] the responsibility of a son. I am so [00:42:27] proud that it's our loss is heaven's [00:42:30] gain and the legacy that my father [00:42:32] leaves behind. And I want every child [00:42:34] that's listening and watching this that [00:42:36] Reverend Jesse Jackson didn't start in [00:42:39] this house. [00:42:42] >> Come on here. [00:42:45] >> Take your time, Jack. Sorry. [00:42:47] >> That uh [00:42:50] um he would tell you [00:42:53] Jesse Jackson is his third name. My my [00:42:56] now [00:42:58] >> for the children that have to be adopted [00:43:02] and stepfathers and lives have to be [00:43:05] transformed. We come from that lineage. [00:43:08] >> We've been in the food pantry [00:43:10] >> and that's our calling. That's our [00:43:12] mission and that's what we're going to [00:43:13] fight for. [00:43:15] >> Congressman Jonathan Jackson, Democrat [00:43:17] from Illinois at a news conference in [00:43:19] Chicago with four other children of [00:43:22] Reverend Jesse Jackson who died Tuesday [00:43:24] at the age of 84. Our Spectrum News [00:43:25] reporting about this news conference. A [00:43:28] celebration of life for the late [00:43:29] Reverend Jesse Jackson will take place [00:43:31] next week in Chicago. His family [00:43:33] announced Wednesday his body will lie in [00:43:34] state at the headquarters of the Rainbow [00:43:36] Push Coalition he founded 30 years ago [00:43:38] to advocate for civil rights and [00:43:40] economic justice followed by a church [00:43:42] service and final celebration February [00:43:44] 28th. The family said reporting from [00:43:47] Spectrum News. This is Washington today [00:43:50] from the Washington Post. Kevin Hasset, [00:43:52] a top economic adviser to President [00:43:54] Donald Trump on Wednesday, assailed a [00:43:56] study from the Federal Reserve Bank of [00:43:58] New York, finding that US companies [00:44:00] shoulder most of the cost of tariffs, [00:44:02] calling for the central bank to punish [00:44:04] the researchers behind the work, which [00:44:06] he characterized as an embarrassment. [00:44:09] Reporting from the Washington Post, [00:44:10] Kevin Hasset was interviewed on CNBC. [00:44:13] >> The paper is an embarrassment. It's, I [00:44:15] think, the worst paper I've ever seen in [00:44:17] the history of the Federal Reserve [00:44:18] system. the people associated with this [00:44:21] paper should presumably be disciplined. [00:44:23] Uh because what they've done is they've [00:44:26] put out a conclusion which has created a [00:44:28] lot of news that's highly partisan based [00:44:30] on analysis that wouldn't be accepted in [00:44:33] a first semester econ class. The bottom [00:44:36] line is that if you're wondering like [00:44:37] who bears the burden of something of a [00:44:39] tariff, then you remember Joe, you got [00:44:42] supply curves, demand curves, you shift [00:44:44] them around, you got consumer surplus, [00:44:45] you got producer surplus, and then you [00:44:47] look and see how it all works out in the [00:44:49] end. And they're basically only looking [00:44:51] at changes in prices. So they're [00:44:53] assuming that quantities don't move at [00:44:55] all. But guess what? Quantities did move [00:44:57] at all. So the basic theory of President [00:44:59] Trump's tariffs is that there are sure [00:45:02] we're importing stuff from China, but we [00:45:04] got producers in the US that make the [00:45:06] same stuff maybe at a slightly higher [00:45:07] price. If we bring the stuff home uh [00:45:10] create the demand at home, then uh that [00:45:13] will hurt uh China and drive up wages of [00:45:16] the US and American consumers will be [00:45:18] better off. So what have we seen? Uh [00:45:20] prices have gone down. Inflation is down [00:45:23] over time. Uh import prices dropped a [00:45:26] lot in the first half of the year and [00:45:27] then leveled off and real wages were up [00:45:29] $1,400 on average last year which means [00:45:32] that consumers were made better off by [00:45:33] the tariffs and so consumers couldn't [00:45:35] have been made better off by the tariffs [00:45:37] if this New York Fed analysis was [00:45:39] correct. It's really just an [00:45:40] embarrassment. [00:45:41] >> Kevin Hasset, director of the White [00:45:42] House National Economic Council today on [00:45:44] CNBC. More from the Washington Post [00:45:46] article. In a study published last week, [00:45:48] the New York Fed found that US companies [00:45:50] and consumers absorb nearly 90% of the [00:45:53] economic burden imposed by tariffs in [00:45:55] 2025. The New York Fed officials wrote, [00:45:58] "Our results show that the bulk of the [00:46:00] tariff incidents continues to fall on US [00:46:03] firms and consumers. These findings are [00:46:05] consistent with two other studies that [00:46:07] report high pass through of tariffs to [00:46:10] US import prices. Reporting from the [00:46:12] Washington Post, [00:46:14] Wall Street today, the Dow up 129, [00:46:16] Nasdaq up 175, S&P up 38. One of the [00:46:21] largest sewage spills begins a USA Today [00:46:23] article in US history has turned into a [00:46:26] political fight between the federal [00:46:27] government and local officials. A sewage [00:46:29] line recently collapsed in the Maryland [00:46:31] suburbs of Washington, spilling at least [00:46:33] 200 million gallons of raw sewage into [00:46:35] the Ptoac River, a key waterway [00:46:37] surrounding the nation's capital. spill [00:46:39] has caused widespread public health [00:46:41] concerns as E. coli bacteria is at [00:46:44] dangerous levels in parts of the PTOAC [00:46:46] and underscored the risks posed by aging [00:46:48] sewer infrastructure. That was the [00:46:50] article at USA Today. This came up at [00:46:52] today's White House briefing with press [00:46:54] secretary Caroline Levit. [00:46:56] >> Sewage spill, the sewage pipe that broke [00:46:58] on the PTOIC. Can you give us an update [00:47:00] on the federal government's response? [00:47:01] And officials have told CBS that some of [00:47:04] that aging infrastructure is a concern [00:47:06] that this particular pipe wasn't even of [00:47:09] the most urgent concern. Do you know if [00:47:11] the government is is looking into which [00:47:13] other pipes could be at at risk of of [00:47:16] collapsing? Well, the next step in this [00:47:18] process is for uh any of the three local [00:47:22] jurisdictions involved, whether that's [00:47:23] the Commonwealth of Virginia, the state [00:47:25] of Maryland and Governor Moore, or the [00:47:27] District of Columbia to step forward and [00:47:30] to ask the federal government for help [00:47:32] uh and to ask uh for the Stafford Act to [00:47:34] be implemented here so that the federal [00:47:36] government can go and take control of [00:47:39] this local infrastructure that has been [00:47:41] abandoned and neglected by Governor [00:47:44] Moore in Maryland for far too long. In [00:47:46] fact, it's no secret uh that Maryland's [00:47:48] water and infrastructure are have been [00:47:49] in dire need of repair. Uh their [00:47:51] infrastructure has received a nearly [00:47:53] failing grade in the 2025 report card [00:47:56] from the American Society of Civil [00:47:58] Engineers. This is the same grade [00:47:59] they've received uh 5 years earlier. [00:48:02] There has been no improvement under the [00:48:03] leadership of Governor Moore. He's [00:48:05] clearly shown he's incapable of fixing [00:48:07] this problem, which is why President [00:48:09] Trump and the federal government are [00:48:10] standing by to step in. Uh, and for all [00:48:12] of the environmentalists in the room and [00:48:14] across the District of Columbia, let's [00:48:16] all hope and pray that this governor [00:48:18] does the right thing and ask President [00:48:19] Trump to get involved because it will be [00:48:21] an ecological and environmental disaster [00:48:23] uh if the federal government does not [00:48:25] step in to help. But of course, we need [00:48:27] the state and local jurisdictions to [00:48:29] make that formal request. That's part of [00:48:31] the legal process to move forward. [00:48:33] >> Peter, [00:48:34] >> so you said that any of the three [00:48:35] Democrats just need to ask. A few [00:48:37] minutes ago, Maryland's Governor Wes [00:48:39] Moore Wow. [00:48:40] >> asked. He said, "If the president wants [00:48:42] me to ask nicely, our response is this. [00:48:44] Please, Mr. President, do your job." [00:48:48] >> To which I say, "I'll ask the president [00:48:50] and we will provide you with the next [00:48:52] steps." But in all seriousness, the [00:48:54] federal government has been preparing [00:48:56] plans. We've the White House has been in [00:48:57] contact uh with FEMA, with the Army [00:48:59] Corps of Engineers, with the [00:49:00] Environmental Protection Agency. Again, [00:49:02] we've been standing by. This is a [00:49:04] problem we want to fix, not just uh for [00:49:06] the federal government, but for everyone [00:49:08] who lives in the District of Columbia, [00:49:10] including all of you. So, you're [00:49:11] welcome. [00:49:11] >> To your point about that, there are a [00:49:12] lot of events coming up for America 250. [00:49:15] The president wants people from all over [00:49:17] to come to the nation's capital. Is he [00:49:19] worried that by the summer, the Ptoic [00:49:23] River will still smell like poop? [00:49:27] >> He is worried about that, which is why [00:49:30] uh the federal government wants to fix [00:49:31] it. and we hope that the local uh [00:49:34] authorities will cooperate. [00:49:36] >> White House press secretary Caroline [00:49:37] Levitt at her news conference day at the [00:49:39] White House. Maryland Governor Wes [00:49:40] Moore, a Democrat, spoke at a board of [00:49:43] public works meeting today and he posted [00:49:45] a few minutes on X. [00:49:47] >> I know uh that everybody has seen the uh [00:49:50] the president's tweet about the uh about [00:49:53] the sewage pipe spill. It is riddled [00:49:56] with insults, but it's also riddled with [00:49:59] massive inaccuracies. it is worth time [00:50:01] to actually be able to correct the [00:50:03] record and to talk about accurately what [00:50:06] actually happened and what's been done. [00:50:08] As you might know, on January 19th of [00:50:12] 2026, a section of the PTOIC interceptor [00:50:16] sewage line collapsed near the Clara [00:50:19] Barton Parkway and I 495. But the [00:50:22] president's tweet actually failed to [00:50:24] mention a few things. first that for the [00:50:27] past century the federal government has [00:50:29] been responsible for the battoomeac [00:50:32] interceptor. This sewage pipe that he is [00:50:34] talking about is on federal land and [00:50:37] over these past four weeks the Trump [00:50:39] vans administration has failed to act. [00:50:43] This federal administration has been [00:50:44] sherking its responsibilities and [00:50:46] putting people's health at risk. The [00:50:48] second thing, on Friday, Maryland [00:50:51] agencies and DC water presented a major [00:50:54] 2-hour legislative hearing in the [00:50:57] Maryland General Assembly and provided [00:50:59] updates on the cleanup and also the [00:51:02] status of water quality. Trump's EPA was [00:51:04] invited and they refused to attend. [00:51:08] Maryland, on the other hand, has stepped [00:51:10] up to protect its residents, to protect [00:51:12] drinking water, and to ensure [00:51:15] accountability. Third, Maryland [00:51:17] officials were on site within hours of [00:51:20] the leak to do our part to coordinate [00:51:23] the response and to ensure that the [00:51:25] public was protected. Since a spill [00:51:27] occurred, the Maryland Department of the [00:51:29] Environment has been monitoring bacteria [00:51:31] levels, coordinating with local [00:51:33] jurisdictions, and conducting multiple [00:51:35] site inspections. MDE issued a [00:51:38] precautionary closure to a shellfish [00:51:41] harvesting area from Charles County to [00:51:44] Route 301 and in coordination with the [00:51:47] Maryland Department of Health, counties [00:51:49] have issued public health advisories and [00:51:51] will track ongoing water quality [00:51:53] sampling. Testing shows bacteria levels [00:51:55] decreasing over time and significantly [00:51:58] lower concentrations farther downstream [00:52:00] from the site of the initial spill. So [00:52:03] Maryland will continue monitoring and [00:52:05] remain engaged throughout the full [00:52:07] remediation and continue to partner with [00:52:10] leaders in the District of Columbia and [00:52:12] the Commonwealth of Virginia as part of [00:52:14] our larger coordinated response. We [00:52:17] believe in being good neighbors, but to [00:52:19] blame Maryland in this when this is a DC [00:52:22] pipe on federal land is asinine. It is [00:52:25] disingenuous, absurd, and politically [00:52:28] motivated. If this federal [00:52:29] administration wants to show up to take [00:52:31] action, Maryland will work [00:52:32] collaboratively, as we always do, to be [00:52:35] responsive and help to keep our people [00:52:37] informed about the plan and to remediate [00:52:40] change. But if the president wants me to [00:52:42] ask nicely, my response is this. Please, [00:52:45] Mr. President, do your job. Maryland [00:52:48] Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat at a [00:52:50] board of public works meeting, posting [00:52:52] that video on his ex account. From WTTW, [00:52:56] Chicago's PBS station, facing a [00:52:59] projected $2.2 billion gap and massive [00:53:01] uncertainty over federal funding flowing [00:53:04] into Illinois. Governor JB Pritzkar on [00:53:06] Wednesday proposed a 56 billion state [00:53:09] budget plan for fiscal year 2027 [00:53:11] beginning July 1st. That number reflects [00:53:14] a 1.6% 6% increase in spending from [00:53:16] fiscal year 2026, which senior budget [00:53:19] officials in the governor's office say [00:53:21] is due almost entirely to increased [00:53:23] expenses tied to medical costs, [00:53:25] pensions, and evidence-based funding for [00:53:28] school districts. That was from WTTW. [00:53:31] Governor Pritsker, a Democrat, spoke [00:53:33] about federal funding and what he says [00:53:36] is being held up in his state of the [00:53:38] state address today in Springfield, [00:53:40] Illinois. [00:54:42] Governor [00:55:00] JB Pritzker, Democrat of Illinois, [00:55:01] giving his state of the state address in [00:55:03] Springfield. C-SPAN has been covering a [00:55:06] number of the state of the state [00:55:07] addresses by governors around the [00:55:08] country. You can find them at [00:55:09] c-pspan.org, our video library. Los [00:55:11] Angeles Times writing UN Security [00:55:13] Council is set to hold a high level [00:55:15] meeting Wednesday on the Gaza ceasefire [00:55:17] deal and Israel's efforts to expand [00:55:19] control in the West Bank before world [00:55:21] leaders head to Washington to discuss [00:55:23] the future of the Palestinian [00:55:24] territories, the first gathering of [00:55:27] President Trump's Board of Peace. The UN [00:55:29] session in New York was originally [00:55:30] scheduled for Thursday, but was moved up [00:55:32] after Trump announced the board's [00:55:33] meeting for the same date, and it became [00:55:36] clear that it would complicate travel [00:55:37] plans for diplomats planning to attend [00:55:40] both. That was from the LA Times. [00:55:41] Rosemary D. Carlo, United Nations under [00:55:44] secretary general for political and [00:55:45] peacebuilding affairs addressed the [00:55:47] security council today. [00:55:49] >> In the occupied West Bank, meanwhile, [00:55:52] the situation is deteriorating rapidly. [00:55:56] There, Israeli forces continued [00:55:58] largecale operations across the West [00:56:00] Bank, frequently involving live fire and [00:56:04] raising serious concerns about the use [00:56:07] of lethal force. [00:56:10] Widespread raids have been accompanied [00:56:12] by home takeovers, mass detentions, [00:56:15] movement restrictions, and repeated [00:56:17] displacement of Palestinian families, [00:56:20] particularly in the north. [00:56:23] Attacks by Palestinians against Israelis [00:56:26] and confrontations between Palestinian [00:56:28] and Israeli security forces have also [00:56:32] continued. [00:56:34] Israeli authorities also expanded [00:56:37] operations in areas around Jerusalem and [00:56:39] extended their operations in the [00:56:41] northern West Bank. [00:56:44] These developments unfolded alongside [00:56:46] continued settlement expansion, rising [00:56:50] settler violence and accelerated [00:56:52] demolitions and evictions in East [00:56:54] Jerusalem. [00:56:56] We are witnessing the gradual de facto [00:56:58] annexation of the West Bank as [00:57:01] unilateral Israeli steps steadily [00:57:04] transform the landscape. [00:57:06] I echo the Secretary General's grave [00:57:09] concern regarding the Israeli security [00:57:11] cabinet's reported decision to authorize [00:57:14] a series of enforcement measures and [00:57:17] transfer of authorities in areas A and B [00:57:21] of the occupied West Bank. [00:57:24] If implemented, these measures will [00:57:27] constitute a dangerous expansion of [00:57:29] Israeli civil authority in the occupied [00:57:32] West Bank, including in sensitive areas [00:57:35] like Hbron. [00:57:36] >> Rosemary D Carlo, United Nations Under [00:57:39] Secretary General for Political and [00:57:40] Peacebuilding Affairs, addressing [00:57:42] today's UN Security Council meeting on [00:57:44] the Middle East. Focus as well on [00:57:47] rebuilding Gaza. And on Thursday, [00:57:49] President Trump plans to host a board of [00:57:52] peace meeting. We'll have coverage on [00:57:54] C-SPAN. And thanks for listening to [00:57:56] Washington Today. Sign up for C-SPAN's [00:57:57] evening newsletter, word for word, and [00:57:59] get the latest in Washington, email to [00:58:01] you every day. Subscribe at [00:58:02] cpan.org/connect. [00:58:04] Have a good night. [00:58:21] C-SPAN's Washington Journal, our live [00:58:23] forum inviting you to discuss the latest [00:58:26] issues in government, politics, and [00:58:28] public policy from Washington and across [00:58:30] the country. Coming up Thursday morning, [00:58:33] Vance Gin, formerly with the Office of [00:58:36] Management and Budget, talks about the [00:58:37] future of AI and its potential impact on [00:58:40] jobs and energy in the US. Then former [00:58:43] acting CDC director, Dr. Richard Besser, [00:58:46] discusses Trump administration actions [00:58:48] dealing with public health. And the [00:58:50] chair of the America 250 Commission, [00:58:52] Rosie Rios, talks about the upcoming [00:58:55] events and programs surrounding the [00:58:57] country's 250th birthday this year. [00:59:00] C-SPAN's Washington Journal. Join in the [00:59:02] conversation live at 7 Eastern Thursday [00:59:05] morning on C-SPAN, C-SPAN Now, our free [00:59:08] mobile app, or online at c-pan.org.