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Bondi faces grilling in House Judiciary Committee hearing over Epstein files, weaponization allegations

House Judiciary Committee hearing marks Bondi’s first appearance since taking helm of DOJ

By Ashley Oliver
Fox News

Published February 11, 2026 9:42am EST | Updated February 11, 2026 10:07am EST

WATCH LIVE: Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before House committee

The House Judiciary Committee holds a hearing titled, “Oversight of the Department of Justice.”

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Attorney General Pam Bondi is set to testify Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee, where lawmakers are expected to confront her over the Department of Justice’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking case files, numerous high-profile, politically charged indictments and broader structural changes at the department.

The hearing, beginning at 10 a.m., marks Bondi’s first appearance before the House panel since taking the helm of the DOJ.

While some Republicans are likely to praise Bondi for shifting the department’s focus to street crime, drug trafficking and illegal immigration, Democrats and other Republicans have signaled they will grill her on the department’s attempts to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law that required the DOJ to publish all unclassified files related to Epstein’s case.

LAPSED EPSTEIN DEADLINE UNDERSCORES CHALLENGE OF REVIEWING TROVES OF FILES IN 30 DAYS

Attorney General Pam Bondi is sworn in before a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025.(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Republicans on the committee may highlight the DOJ’s efforts to combat transnational drug trafficking and the opioid epidemic, as well as violent crime and immigration, which the Trump administration has made clear are its top priorities.

In the most prominent of the drug cases brought during Bondi’s tenure, the DOJ brought a superseding indictment against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, alleging narco-terrorism conspiracy and firearms charges. After his stunning capture last month, Maduro and his wife were brought to the Southern District of New York and are being detained there as they await trial.

Bondi could be forced to address upheaval in the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota, where a weeks-long surge in immigration enforcement has bogged down the federal court there and led to an exodus of prosecutors.

TOP MINNESOTA FEDERAL PROSECUTORS OFFICIALLY TERMINATED AFTER DISPUTE OVER DOJ SHOOTING PROBE

Rep. Jim Jordan and Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Republican and Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, appear during a hearing in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.(Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Several recent controversial judicial developments are also likely to surface during the hearing, as the administration has faced hundreds of adverse rulings in the lower courts, including from some Trump-appointed judges.

Federal judges in Minnesota have put a spotlight on what they view as legal problems with the way the administration has detained alleged illegal immigrants. Meanwhile, other judges have rejected several of Trump’s choices to lead the country’s 94 U.S. attorney’s offices.

A federal appeals court upheld the Department of Homeland Security’s authority to detain immigrants without bond hearings, a ruling Attorney General Pam Bondi called a major legal victory for the Trump administration.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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A federal judge ruled, for instance, that the interim appointment of Lindsey Halligan, who was leading the U.S. attorney’s office in Eastern Virginia, was unlawful.

The move derailed the DOJ’s high-profile indictments of FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, leading a judge to toss out the cases. The DOJ is now appealing them.

Ashley Oliver is a reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business, covering the Justice Department and legal affairs. Email story tips to ashley.oliver@fox.com.

Data center building boom stirs pushback in state and local politics

February 11, 2026 / 11:14 AM EST / CBS News

Greg Pirio bought his home in the northern Virginia suburbs more than a dozen years ago, never imagining a massive data center would be his neighbor.

It’s one of around 200 such facilities in Loudoun County, considered the data center capital of the world.

President Trump has signed executive action to fast-track federal data center permitting and try to limit regulations in an effort to bolster infrastructure in the AI race.

“There’s only going to be one winner here, and that’s probably going to be the U.S. or China,” Mr. Trump said as he signed an executive order in December aimed at limiting AI regulations at the state level.

“We have the big investment coming, but if they had to get 50 different approvals from 50 different states, you can forget it, because it’s not possible to do, especially if you have some hostile. All you need is one hostile actor and you wouldn’t be able to do it. So it doesn’t make sense,” the president said.

Pirio compares the data center construction boom to a second Industrial Revolution, but he says it’s not without impacts to neighboring homeowners. He and his community have concerns about constant noise from the center, air pollution from an on-site power plant and rising electricity costs.

Long-term, he worries about property values.

“Like so many other people in the country, you know, that’s where our savings are, where we have our generational wealth,” he said.

It’s an issue that John McAuliff believes helped him get elected to the state House last fall, representing parts of Fauquier and Loudoun counties. He flipped the seat from Republican to Democratic.

“Folks are waking up,” said McAuliffe. “I think that it is something that if you have these in your community, you’re starting to realize the impacts.”

He says it emerged as a top issue for voters he talked to while door-knocking in neighborhoods, and he made it a prominent issue in his campaign ads.

As a newly sworn-in delegate, McAuliffe is now pushing for legislation aimed at making sure residents don’t foot the bill for electricity costs.

“I think it’s an important industry. I’m not saying they should all get out and leave, but I am saying that if you’re going to come into a community and you’re going to take resources out of that community, then you have to be willing to give back to that community,” he said.

He also has proposed bills to address zoning and environmental concerns stemming from the data centers’ backup generators on site.

Dan Diorio of the Data Center Coalition, which advocates for the industry, says the industry is committed to covering its costs and working to mitigate community impacts.

“The data center industry is committed to being a responsible partner,” said Diorio.

He also points to significant community benefits from job creation and local revenue raised. Loudoun County describes the industry as an important part of the local economy, generating almost half of the county’s property tax revenues.

Diorio also argues the demand isn’t going away.

“Digital infrastructure is the backbone of the 21st century economy. Increasingly, it is an essential part of ensuring the United States’ global economic competitiveness,” he said. “It’s a national security imperative. This is all of our data. We want it stored here.”

The U.S. Census Bureau says data center construction spending increased over 55% between 2023 and 2024. The top states for that spending include Louisiana, Virginia, Mississippi, Texas and Arizona, according to ConstructConnect.

However, many of those living closest to the issue are pleading for more oversight.

“Let’s slow things down so that we can do it in a way that’s gonna help communities, not damage them,” said Pirio.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/americans-concerned-ai-data-center-boom/

IRS improperly disclosed confidential immigrant tax data to DHS, Washington Post says

By Reuters
February 11, 2026 3:31 PM UTC Updated 2 hours ago

节点运行失败

A view of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building, after U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his family sued the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department for $10 billion for disclosing their tax returns, in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 1, 2026. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, Feb 11 (Reuters) – The U.S. Internal Revenue Service improperly disclosed the confidential tax information of thousands of people to federal immigration enforcement authorities, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing three people familiar with the situation.

The newspaper said the tax-collecting agency recently discovered the mistake and is working with other federal agencies on a response.

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The IRS did not immediately return a request for comment on the report.

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In April, the Treasury Department, the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security finalized an agreement under which taxpayer data will be provided to federal immigration authorities to help them locate migrants. The move prompted the resignations of top IRS officials.

The deal broke with a longstanding IRS policy that encouraged immigrants to pay taxes even if they are not in the U.S. legally, assuring them that their data would be protected.

A federal judge last week struck down the agreement, but not before DHS requested the addresses of 1.2 million individuals from the IRS and the tax agency responded with data on 47,000 individuals, the Post reported, citing court records.

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“When the IRS shared the addresses with DHS, it also inadvertently disclosed private information for thousands of taxpayers erroneously,” the Post reported, citing the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Reporting by Bhargav Acharya and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Paul Simao

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Airspace closure followed spat over drone-related tests and party balloon shoot-down, sources say

February 11, 2026 / 12:21 PM EST / CBS News

The unexpected but brief airspace closure in the Texas border city of El Paso stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests, multiple sources close to the matter told CBS News.

The Pentagon had undertaken extensive planning on the use of military technology near Fort Bliss, a military base that abuts the El Paso International Airport, to practice taking down drones.

Two sources identified the technology as a high-energy laser.

Meetings were scheduled over safety impacts, but Pentagon officials wanted to test the technology sooner, stating that U.S. Code 130i requirements governing the protection of certain facilities from unmanned aircraft had been met.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford on Tuesday night decided to close the airspace — without alerting White House, Pentagon or Homeland Security officials, sources said.

Bedford told officials the airspace restrictions would be in place to ensure safety until issues with the War Department could be resolved.

The FAA declined to comment.

The critical bulletin issued to pilots and airlines not to fly below 18,000 feet was initially set for 10 days, a duration for a full grounding not used since the 9/11 terror attacks. The FAA notice warned violators risked being shot down.

Earlier this week, the anti-drone technology was launched near the southern border to shoot down what appeared to be foreign drones. The flying material turned out to be a party balloon, sources said. One balloon was shot down, several sources said.

The Mexican cartels have been running drones on the border lately, the sources said, but it was unclear how many were hit by the military’s anti-UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) technology this week. One official said at least one cartel drone was successfully disabled.

The grounding of all flights, including emergency medical evacuation, touched off a scramble among law enforcement agencies Wednesday morning to figure out what prompted the security message in the so-called NOTAM.

It was discussed in a regular meeting at White House chief of staff Susie Wiles’ office Wednesday morning, and within minutes the FAA lifted the restrictions, sources said.

Sources familiar with the discussions said Pentagon and Department of Transportation officials had been coordinating on the military drone tests for months, and the FAA had been assured that there was no threat to commercial air travel.

Two airline sources said airline officials were told the decision to halt flights in and out of the El Paso Airport appeared to stem from drone activity and U.S. government efforts to counteract it.

The airlines were under the impression that the airspace closure was put into place out of an abundance of caution because the FAA could not predict where U.S. government drones might be flying. The drones have been operating outside of their normal flight paths. The airlines were also aware of the apparent impasse between the FAA and Pentagon officials over the issue because the Pentagon has been using Fort Bliss for anti-cartel drone operations without sharing information with the FAA, the sources said

One official said it was unclear whether anyone would be fired in connection to the miscommunications over the closure.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement, “The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion. The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region. The restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming.”

The Pentagon said it had nothing to add when asked by CBS News how many drones were targeted, what actions were taken and when.

FAA’s heightened attention followed the mid-air collision over Washington, D.C. between a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet a year ago.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/el-paso-mayor-slams-faa-airspace-closure/
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/faa-ends-temporary-closure-of-airspace-over-el-paso-airport/

波兰女子杀害伴侣分尸埋花园 判监21年

发布时间 / 来源：2026年2月11日 23:16 | 联合早报

一名在英国杀害伴侣并将其分尸后埋在花园的波兰女子，被判至少21年监禁。

现年40岁的波德沃尔纳（Anna Podedworna）于2009年与伴侣扎布洛卡（Izabela Zablocka）从波兰搬到英国中部德比市寻找工作。

隔年，年仅30岁的扎布洛卡与身处波兰的母亲和女儿突然断联，被申报失踪。

检方指，波德沃尔纳于2010年杀害扎布洛卡后，利用其专业屠夫技能将尸体剖成两半埋入花园，随后用水泥覆盖掩埋。

威廉姆斯法官星期三（2月11日）在德比刑事法庭宣判时，对坐在被告席的波德沃尔纳说：“从各方面来看，你之后的生活仿佛从未发生过任何异常事件一样。”

去年，在一名调查扎布洛卡失踪案的波兰记者到访后不久，波德沃尔纳终于向警方透露藏尸地点。

波德沃尔纳声称，她是在一次激烈争吵中出于自卫杀死扎布洛卡，但经过审判后她被判犯有谋杀罪。

威廉姆斯法官说：“你以如此方式残害伊莎贝拉（扎布洛卡）的遗体，却丝毫未表现出悔意……你是在愤怒之下杀死了那个你憎恨的伴侣。”

波德沃尔纳也因妨碍合法安葬和妨碍司法公正被判罪成。

A U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that the U.S. military earlier this week shot down what was later determined to be a party balloon near El Paso, Texas, after initially assessing it as a possible foreign drone.

The misidentification eventually led to a total shutdown of airspace around the El Paso airport.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government has no information indicating drone activity along the U.S.-Mexico border following a temporary airspace restriction in Texas that U.S. officials linked to counter-drone measures.

[AMERICA’S SKIES ARE WIDE OPEN TO NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS, DRONE EXPERT WARNS: ‘WE HAVE NO AWARENESS’]

“We have no information indicating drone activity along the border. If the FAA or any U.S. government agency has relevant information, they can ask directly the Government of Mexico,” she said in a news conference Wednesday.

She said Mexican airspace had not been closed.

“We will look into the specific reasons behind the [temporary closure].”

[image_1]

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum attends a press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico Nov. 3, 2025.(Henry Romero/Reuters)

“There’s no place for speculation. We will wait for the information and continue to uphold what we have consistently maintained: permanent, open communication.”

A U.S. administration official told Fox News that Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace near El Paso and that counter-drone measures were taken to disable them.

The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily restricted flights in and out of El Paso International Airport for what it described as “special security reasons” on Wednesday morning. The restriction initially was valid for 10 days, through Feb. 20, an unusually lengthy timeframe for airspace limitations affecting a major commercial airport.

[image_2]

(RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images)

[PENTAGON EXPLORING COUNTER-DRONE SYSTEMS TO PREVENT INCURSIONS OVER NATIONAL SECURITY FACILITIES]

Temporary flight restrictions are typically used for presidential travel, emergency response operations or specific, time-limited national security events. It is uncommon for such restrictions to be issued near a busy border airport absent a significant security concern.

Shortly after the restriction was put in place, however, the FAA and the Department of War reopened the airspace and determined “there is no threat to commercial travel,” according to the administration official.

U.S. officials have warned in recent months that drug cartels are increasingly deploying unmanned aerial systems for surveillance, smuggling coordination and reconnaissance along the southern border.

[image_3]

Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal strike in the Eastern Pacific, according to a post made on Dec. 12, 2025.(U.S. Southern Command/X)

The episode comes amid heightened cross-border security tensions as the Trump administration presses regional governments to intensify cooperation against drug cartels and fentanyl trafficking networks that U.S. officials describe as a direct homeland security threat.

[CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP]

Sheinbaum has rejected repeated U.S. offers to intervene and strike cartels on Mexican territory.

Recounting a conversation where Trump offered to help militarily in the fight against cartels, Sheinbaum said last month, “We told him, so far it’s going very well, it’s not necessary, and furthermore there is Mexico’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and he understood.”

波兰女子杀害伴侣分尸埋花园 判监21年 | 联合早报

发布/2026年2月11日 23:16

一名在英国杀害伴侣并将其分尸后埋在花园的波兰女子，被判至少21年监禁。 （示意图）

一名在英国杀害伴侣并将其分尸后埋在花园的波兰女子，被判至少21年监禁。

现年40岁的波德沃尔纳（Anna Podedworna）于2009年与伴侣扎布洛卡（Izabela Zablocka）从波兰搬到英国中部德比市寻找工作。

隔年，年仅30岁的扎布洛卡与身处波兰的母亲和女儿突然断联，被申报失踪。

检方指，波德沃尔纳于2010年杀害扎布洛卡后，利用其专业屠夫技能将尸体剖成两半埋入花园，随后用水泥覆盖掩埋。

威廉姆斯法官星期三（2月11日）在德比刑事法庭宣判时，对坐在被告席的波德沃尔纳说：“从各方面来看，你之后的生活仿佛从未发生过任何异常事件一样。”

去年，在一名调查扎布洛卡失踪案的波兰记者到访后不久，波德沃尔纳终于向警方透露藏尸地点。

波德沃尔纳声称，她是在一次激烈争吵中出于自卫杀死扎布洛卡，但经过审判后她被判犯有谋杀罪。

威廉姆斯法官说：“你以如此方式残害伊莎贝拉（扎布洛卡）的遗体，却丝毫未表现出悔意……你是在愤怒之下杀死了那个你憎恨的伴侣。”

波德沃尔纳也因妨碍合法安葬和妨碍司法公正被判罪成。

总干事伊维拉：世贸组织须紧急推动改革

2026-02-11T15:32:53.000Z / 联合早报

[世界贸易组织]总干事伊维拉说，在地缘政治紧张局势加剧之际，世贸组织必须紧急推进自我改革，并直言“维持现状绝非选项”。

法新社报道，伊维拉（Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala）星期三（2月11日）说，当前“多边组织是否仍具现实意义”正引发广泛质疑，世贸组织已“处于关键转折点”。

这个负责监管全球大部分贸易规则的机构，正面临越来越大的改革压力。许多人认为，世贸组织的现行体系和架构已经过时，难以跟上快速变化的世界。

伊维拉在活动上发表讲话时强调：“我们这类多边组织必须顺应时代需求进行变革，通过改革适应时代发展。我认为，维持现状绝非选项。”

她在日内瓦世贸组织总部发表演讲时，援引人工智能和量子技术的发展速度指出“世界变化如此之快”，强调“如果组织不能适应，就会被时代淘汰。”

下月在喀麦隆举行的世贸组织部长级会议将以改革为核心议题。

总干事伊维拉：世贸组织须紧急推动改革 | 联合早报

发布/2026年2月11日 23:32

世界贸易组织总干事伊维拉说，在地缘政治紧张局势加剧之际，世贸组织必须紧急进行改革。 （法新社）

世界贸易组织总干事伊维拉说，在地缘政治紧张局势加剧之际，世贸组织必须紧急推进自我改革，并直言“维持现状绝非选项”。

法新社报道，伊维拉（Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala）星期三（2月11日）说，当前“多边组织是否仍具现实意义”正引发广泛质疑，世贸组织已“处于关键转折点”。

这个负责监管全球大部分贸易规则的机构，正面临越来越大的改革压力。许多人认为，世贸组织的现行体系和架构已经过时，难以跟上快速变化的世界。

伊维拉在活动上发表讲话时强调：“我们这类多边组织必须顺应时代需求进行变革，通过改革适应时代发展。我认为，维持现状绝非选项。”

她在日内瓦世贸组织总部发表演讲时，援引人工智能和量子技术的发展速度指出“世界变化如此之快”，强调“如果组织不能适应，就会被时代淘汰。”

下月在喀麦隆举行的世贸组织部长级会议将以改革为核心议题。

立即订阅《联合早报》，洞察全球局势异动，把握世界经济发展脉搏，解锁国际热点评析。

Mitch McConnell released from hospital more than a week after experiencing “flu-like symptoms”

February 11, 2026 / 12:38 PM EST / CBS News

Washington — Sen. Mitch McConnell was released from the hospital Tuesday, more than a week after he checked himself in for “flu-like symptoms,” a spokesman for the Kentucky Republican said Wednesday.

“He is feeling better and will be working from home this week on the advice of his doctors,” McConnell’s spokesman said.

In a Feb. 3 statement, the spokesman said McConnell went to the hospital out of an “abundance of caution” and the senator’s “prognosis is positive.”

McConnell has not voted since Jan. 30, when the Senate passed a massive package to fund a majority of the government. After a four-day partial shutdown, Congress now faces a Friday deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security, the only remaining portion of the government that is not funded through September.

McConnell, a childhood polio survivor, has faced several health scares in recent years. In 2023, he was hospitalized with a concussion after a fall and later appeared to freeze in two separate instances. He suffered minor injuries in 2024 after another fall.

He announced last year that he would not run for reelection in 2026 after more than 40 years in the Senate.