• Clintons wipe Epstein subpoena with a cloth or something: On Tuesday, Bill and Hillary Clinton refused a subpoena to testify before the House Oversight Committee regarding its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The Clintons released an eight-page letter stating they were “ready to fight … no matter the consequences.” In the letter, they also asserted, “The Subpoenas issued to President and Secretary Clinton are invalid and legally unenforceable. Mindful of these defects, we trust you will engage in good faith to de-escalate this dispute.” Committee Chair James Comer responded to the Clintons’ no-show by stating, “We will move next week in the House Oversight Committee … to hold Bill Clinton in contempt of Congress.” Clinton is one of the highest-profile individuals connected to Epstein, and questions abound as to whether he was involved in Epstein’s sex-trafficking crimes.

• Iran protests continue: Protests against the totalitarian regime that has ruled Iran since the days of Jimmy Carter continue, with the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reporting over 2,000 deaths so far. That figure is already the highest death count for protests inside Iran for any event since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Other sources, including some inside Iran, suggest the actual death count is much higher, with a figure of 12,000 dead circulating widely, and some suggesting it may be closer to 20,000. The Iranians’ ability to communicate with the outside world has been deliberately crippled by the ayatollahs, although some communications were reestablished yesterday, and Elon Musk’s Starlink has provided some internet access. President Donald Trump yesterday told Iranian patriots to continue protesting and promised, “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.” On Monday, Trump imposed a 25% tariff on any country continuing to trade with Iran.

• Temporary protection status for Somalia nullified: Thousands of Somalis living in the U.S. were allowed to remain under the temporary protection status (TPS) for Somalia, but no longer. The Trump administration has revoked Somalia’s TPS, and those Somalis here under its auspices have until March 17 to leave the country. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem explained that “allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interests.” Noem also argued that conditions in Somalia have improved enough to justify ending TPS. Perhaps the only word on the issue that matters came at the beginning of Noem’s statement: “Temporary means temporary.”

• House rejects low-flow showerheads: The House of Representatives continues to codify President Trump’s executive orders into law. Its newest target? Low-flow showerheads. A 1992 energy law restricted showerheads to no more than 2.5 gallons per minute, inspiring the TV show “Seinfeld” to bemoan the lack of pressure. President Barack Obama reinterpreted that law to mean that no showerhead system can allow more than 2.5 gallons per minute, regardless of the number of total showerheads. Trump repealed those standards in his first term, only for President Joe Biden to reinstate them. Rep. Russell Fry of South Carolina aims to put the issue beyond the reach of executive power. On Tuesday, lawmakers passed Fry’s bill, reaffirming that each shower nozzle is its own showerhead and is entitled to 2.5 gpm of water flow. Pushing back the regulatory state is tedious work, but this Congress is slowly and steadily making progress.

• Possible “Havana Syndrome” device acquired by U.S.: In late 2024, the U.S. government acquired a device that may be the culprit behind the debilitating condition known as “Havana Syndrome” that has affected more than 1,500 American officials since it was first reported in 2016. The backpack-sized portable device was reportedly clandestinely purchased by DHS at an undisclosed price in the eight-figures. Unsurprisingly, it is said to contain components of Russian origin. The Pentagon has been studying and testing the device over the past year. Apparently, it emits pulsed, radio-frequency energy. The revelation of this device runs counter to a 2023 U.S. intel report that concluded it was “very unlikely” a foreign entity was responsible for the ill-health conditions these officials were suffering, which were officially labeled “Anomalous Health Incidents.”

• Both parties are losing ground with voters: Some 45% of voters now identify as independent. However, only 10% of voters represent what might be called the “true independent,” expressing no partisan preference, with the remainder of that 45% leaning toward one party or the other. Among the “leaners,” Democrats have a five-point edge over Republicans. Despite that, more Americans describe themselves as varying degrees of conservative (35%) than liberal (28%) or moderate (33%). The rise in independents seems to be a function of youth, with Millennial and Gen Z voters having majority independent identification.

• Ed Dept. green-lights new rule stopping funding of low-paying degrees: The Department of Education is finalizing a new rule that will require schools to include the average earnings of graduates of the degree programs they offer. Furthermore, if graduates of those degrees don’t earn more, on average, than a high school graduate, those degrees will be prohibited from receiving federal funds. The Trump administration is looking to “break the cycle of student debt and poor return on investment” plaguing too many graduates, explained Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent. “After more than 15 years of regulatory uncertainty under the previous three Administrations, we’ve developed an accountability framework that institutions can work with, students will benefit from, and taxpayers can rightfully expect to improve outcomes.” According to the U.S. Career Institute estimate, the average high school graduate earned $42,590 in 2023.

• Trump flips bird at heckler in Ford plant: While touring a Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan, yesterday, President Trump responded to a heckler who yelled out “pedophile protector” by pointing and appearing to mouth the words “F**k you” before flipping off the heckler. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended Trump, stating, “A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the president gave an appropriate and unambiguous response.” Meanwhile, DNC Chair Ken Martin took the interaction as an opportunity to frame Trump’s response as “Protecting pedophiles and saying f**k you to American workers.”

Headlines

• Trump to cut federal payments to sanctuary cities starting February 1 (Fox News)

• Trump admin designates Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon as foreign terror groups (NY Post)

• Politico says Trump “quietly restored” payments to Planned Parenthood last month (Not the Bee)

• America had negative migration for the first time in over 50 years (Not the Bee)

• Humor: Democrats fear Iranian love of freedom could spread to America (Babylon Bee)

The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.