Vice President JD Vance has held the inaugural meeting of a new anti-fraud task force he's leading as the Trump administration seeks to show it's cracking down on potential misuse of social programs. Vance spoke Friday before the task force's closed-door meeting. The Republican vice president says the federal government for decades had not taken fraud seriously and it needed to be tackled with "a whole-government approach." President Donald Trump has made the crackdown on fraud part of a chief domestic focus as voters have said they're concerned about affordability ahead of November's midterm elections. Vance cites allegations of fraud in Minnesota, whose Democratic governor says Trump wants to "punish blue states."
Attorney General Pam Bondi has been subpoenaed to answer questions from Congress about the Justice Department's sex trafficking investigation of Jeffrey Epstein and the agency's handling of millions of files related to the disgraced financier. Bondi was ordered Tuesday to appear for a deposition on April 14 by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform after a vote earlier this month that was supported by five Republicans. The Justice Department's failure to fend off the subpoena from the Republican-led committee underscores widespread discontent among President Donald Trump's own base over Bondi's management of the review and release of a trove of documents from the criminal investigation into Epstein.
By CHARLOTTE KRAMON, ALEX VEIGA and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press
In a rare bipartisan effort for a deeply divided Congress, the Senate has passed a broad bill to make U.S. housing more accessible and affordable. The bill passed on Thursday would reduce regulations, regulate corporate investors and expand how housing dollars can be used to build affordable homes and rentals. It now heads back to the House, which passed a separate version earlier this year. It is unclear whether President Donald Trump would sign it after declaring last weekend that he won't sign any new measures unless Congress passes legislation that would require voters to show proof of citizenship.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom says there's no imminent threat to the state from Iran. ABC News says the FBI warned California that Iran had aspired to send drones to the West Coast in retaliation for war. The FBI later released text of the alert, which noted that the information was based on "unverified information." The White House now says, "No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists." Newsom says California and various agencies plan for worst-case scenarios. Police in Los Angeles and San Francisco say they are monitoring world events for any risks.
By JOEY CAPPELLETTI, STEVE PEOPLES and STEVEN SLOAN Associated Press
The National Governors Association annual conference is unraveling after President Donald Trump did not invite some Democrats to events. The bipartisan governors' group said it will not hold a formal meeting with President Donald Trump after the White House only included Republicans. A large group of Democratic governors said on Tuesday they would boycott a White House dinner after some Democratic governors were excluded. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, shared the news that the National Governors Association wouldn't be partaking in the business meeting at the White House in a letter to fellow governors on Monday. The NGA is scheduled to meet in Washington from Feb. 19 to 21.
The White House says they determined it was not feasible to save the East Wing as they revealed details of President Donald Trump's planed ballroom at Thursday's meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission. Josh Fisher, director of the White House Office of Administration, listed off a variety of concerns, including a structurally unstable colonnade, water leakage and mold contamination, in explaining why it was more economical to tear down the East Wing to make room for the $400 million ballroom than to renovate it. The East Wing was torn down in October, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to halt construction of the ballroom.
By MATT BROWN and JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press
Erika Kirk, the widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and current CEO of the conservative youth group, endorsed the potential presidential bid of Vice President JD Vance in the 2028 election. Erika Kirk promised to support President Donald Trump's efforts to maintain GOP-control of Congress and vowed to "get my husband's friend JD Vance elected" in the 2028 presidential election. The late Kirk and Vance were close friends.
U.S. Southern Command says it has conducted another strike against a small boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, following a pause of almost three weeks. It is the 22nd strike the U.S. military has carried out against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean that the Trump administration claimed were trafficking drugs. There were four casualties in Thursday's strike, according to the social media post, bringing the death toll of the campaign to at least 87 people. In a video that accompanied the announcement, a small boat can be seen moving across the water before it is suddenly consumed by a large explosion. The video then zooms out to show the boat covered in flames and billowing smoke.
