Giorgia Meloni attended the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro Stadium on February 6, 2026, drawing attention for her appearance in the VIP tribune. She met U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and used the occasion to hail Western values in a brief exchange with visiting officials. The star-studded event featured Andrea Bocelli and Mariah Carey, simultaneous cauldrons in Milan and Cortina, and strict security measures amid protests and a government decree to curb violence. Meloni’s visible presence highlighted Italy’s political and diplomatic stakes as the country hosted a globally televised celebration, drawing applause worldwide promptly. (reutersconnect.com)
A federal grand jury indicted 33‑year‑old Shannon Mathre of Toledo, Ohio, after U.S. Secret Service agents arrested him on Feb. 6 for allegedly threatening to “find out where he (the vice president) is going to be and use my M14 automatic gun and kill him,” Vice President J.D. Vance. (investing.com) Prosecutors say agents discovered multiple digital files of child sexual abuse material while investigating the threat, and charged Mathre with making threats under 18 U.S.C. §871(a) and with receipt, distribution and possession of CSAM dated Dec. 31, 2025–Jan. 21, 2026. He remains in custody now pending a Feb. 11 detention hearing. (investing.com)
Starting Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, members of Congress will be allowed to review unredacted versions of the Justice Department’s publicly released Epstein files in person on DOJ reading-room computers in Washington, D.C. The review covers roughly three million documents made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act and will be available weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; members must give 24 hours’ notice, cannot bring electronic devices or staff, and may take handwritten notes. The access was announced in a DOJ letter to lawmakers after requests from Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, and the DOJ framed it as transparency. (nbclosangeles.com)
On Monday, February 9, 2026, the Justice Department will allow members of Congress to review unredacted versions of more than three million Epstein-related documents released under last year’s transparency law. Lawmakers must give the DOJ 24 hours’ notice and will access files on DOJ computers (no electronic devices or copies allowed); may take notes; staff will be barred. The move, detailed in a letter from Assistant Attorney General Patrick Davis, responds to bipartisan pressure over heavy redactions and accidental disclosures of victims’ information. The DOJ is not making the 2.5 million withheld pages available, and advocates say scrutiny must continue. (apnews.com)
At the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan on February 6, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha were loudly booed and whistled by the crowd after being shown on the stadium screen, a reaction captured on international feeds but largely muted on NBC’s U.S. broadcast. (theguardian.com) Protests in Milan over the reported presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and broader tensions with the Trump administration helped fuel the reaction; Vance is leading the U.S. delegation and met with Italian leaders during the visit. (commondreams.org) The moment circulated widely on social media platforms globally. (mediaite.com)
President Trump has urged Senate Republicans to push the SAVE America Act — a revised voter‑ID and proof‑of‑citizenship bill — and pressured Majority Leader John Thune to consider changing Senate procedure to overcome Democratic opposition. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said Trump told allies he wants the measure passed and supporters have called to “nuke” the filibuster or use a standing/talking filibuster to force a vote. Sponsors include Rep. Chip Roy and Sen. Mike Lee; Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, call the measure discriminatory and vow to block it. Thune says no final decision on altering filibuster rules has been made, as reported. (newsmax.com)
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed legislation Friday advancing a proposed congressional map that Democrats say would flip four Republican-held U.S. House seats, potentially making the state delegation 10 Democrats and 1 Republican. (wtvr.com) The map, included in budget language, redraws districts around Richmond and Northern Virginia and creates two majority-minority districts, according to Democrats. (washingtonpost.com) Republicans call the plan an extreme, partisan gerrymander and have filed legal challenges. (axios.com) Implementation hinges on a voter referendum set for April 21; Spanberger said she would not block the effort but urged election officials be able to implement it in time. (cardinalnews.org)
At the Trump Accounts summit in Washington on January twenty eighth, two thousand twenty six, Nicki Minaj said she was probably the president’s number one fan and pledged between one hundred fifty thousand and three hundred thousand dollars to fund Trump Accounts for babies born from 2025 through 2028. (english.aaj.tv) She added that criticism does not affect her and motivates more support, remarks that pleased many MAGA backers and provoked sharp backlash from critics and former fans. (thewrap.com) The appearance also included reports about a Trump Gold Card and renewed debate over celebrity influence in politics and sparked a sustained national conversation. (euronews.com)
