What we covered here
• Iran talks: The White House declined to commit to any firm timeline for diplomacy with Iran, as the US continues its military buildup in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Israel raised its alert level amid growing indications of a potential joint US-Israel attack on Iran, Israeli sources told CNN. Iran is fortifying several of its nuclear facilities, according to new satellite imagery and think-tank analysis.
• Shutdown stalemate: President Donald Trump has not yet spoken directly with Democrats about resolving the impasse over Department of Homeland Security funding, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says Democrats are waiting on the administration’s response.
• Epstein files fallout: Former Victoria’s Secret owner Les Wexner, a key player in Jeffrey Epstein’s rise to wealth, sat for a deposition with the House Oversight Committee in Ohio. Wexner has denied any wrongdoing.
Our live coverage of the Trump administration has ended. Get the latest here.
Source: Wexner struggled to explain lack of effort to recover stolen funds from Epstein in deposition
Les Wexner, the billionaire former owner of Victoria’s Secret, told lawmakers during a deposition today that he was “conned” by Jeffrey Epstein and that the convicted sex offender stole from his family, but a source familiar with the closed-door interview said Wexner struggled to explain why he didn’t do more to get his money back.
The source said Wexner “struggled to explain why he made so little effort to recover assets or retaliate for Epstein’s crimes, if he truly was a victim of Epstein. He also struggled to explain precisely when and how he broke contact with Epstein.”
According to a federal memo that describes statements from Wexner’s attorneys, Epstein misappropriated “several hundred million dollars,” but then they privately settled on Epstein agreeing to return $100 million to Wexner, CNN previously reported.
Wexner, who at one time employed Epstein as a money manager, has never been charged with a crime.
In a three-page statement provided to lawmakers during his deposition, Wexner said, “I was naïve, foolish, and gullible to put any trust in Jeffrey Epstein. He was a con man. And while I was conned, I have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide.”
Wexner, who has characterized his relationship with the disgraced financier as purely professional, told Democratic lawmakers during today’s deposition in Ohio that “he admitted to visiting Epstein’s island, house in Palm Beach, and his New Mexico Ranch, on one occasion each,” the source said.
Wexner "honestly answered every question" during deposition, spokesperson says
A spokesperson for Les Wexner said in a statement that, “Mr. Wexner honestly answered every question put to him today by the Committee. Mr. Wexner reiterated that has he has no knowledge of, and did not participate in, Epstein’s illegal conduct. He stands by that fervently.”
Wexner sat for a deposition today in the House Oversight Committee’s Epstein probe.
Manhattan US attorney welcomes tips on Epstein but suggests there's no active investigation
Jay Clayton, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, said law enforcement is ready to talk to anyone with credible information about the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein but suggested there was no active investigation.
In November, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed Clayton to investigate following a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump that called for probes into prominent Democrats with links to Epstein.
Asked about the status of the investigation during an unrelated press conference on Wednesday, Clayton said, “We and the FBI stand ready to engage with anyone who has credible information regarding crimes related to the Epstein matter.”
“We are here. We are receiving information. I welcome anybody to come in and talk to us. That’s what we should do,” he added.
The Justice Department publicly released over 3 million documents from investigations into Epstein. But it drew criticism over its redactions and decision to withhold millions of other records.
Several high-profile businessman resigned or relinquished prominent roles after their associations with Epstein became public. None were accused of any criminal wrongdoing.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche earlier this month suggested no new charges would be brought, saying it is not a crime to party with Epstein. Bondi, however, said at a congressional hearing last week that the Department of Justice has “pending investigations in our office.”
Rubio to travel to Israel next week to update Netanyahu on Iran talks
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to Israel on February 28 to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and update him on Iran talks, a State Department official told CNN Wednesday.
The expected visit comes after US and Israeli delegations met in Switzerland amid efforts to make a deal.
A US official said after that meeting Tuesday that “progress was made, but there are still a lot of details to discuss.”
“The Iranians said they would come back in the next two weeks with detailed proposals to address some of the open gaps in our positions,” they said.
The expected visit also comes as the US is amassing scores of military assets in the region and as the administration indicates all options remain on the table.
Military officials make progress in Ukraine, Russia peace talks
Military officials participating in trilateral negotiations with Ukraine and Russia and the US made “incremental but significant progress” in determining how a ceasefire would work, a source familiar with the talks told CNN on Wednesday, including finalizing key terms and explanations to help lay the groundwork for future agreements.
While political negotiations remained “tense,” the source said, the military talks left officials feeling cautiously optimistic.
The military-to-military talks over the last two days, held in Geneva alongside political negotiations led by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were led by US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Gen. Alex Grynkewich, commander of US European Command.
One of the primary tasks of the military negotiations was getting agreement from both sides on key terms that would be used for the political negotiations, such as the practical terms of a ceasefire and what would constitute a violation of that ceasefire. There was progress made on that front, the source said, though political officials still have to give the final sign-off. Officials expect another meeting to be scheduled in the near future, likely in the next few weeks, the source said.
The political readouts of the talks struck a different tone; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that the outcome of the talks was insufficient.
“The military representatives discussed certain issues seriously and substantively,” Zelensky said. “However, sensitive political matters, issues of possible compromises and the necessary meeting of leaders have not yet been sufficiently worked through.”
Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who led the Russian delegation, said the political negotiations were “difficult, but businesslike.”
Wexner deposition in House Epstein probe wraps after 6 hours
The House Oversight Committee’s deposition of Les Wexner has concluded, according to a GOP committee spokesperson. It lasted approximately 6 hours.
The spokesperson said, “Les Wexner answered every question asked of him at today’s deposition. We will release the video and transcript soon.”
Iran developments, a shutdown stalemate and more top news today
We’ve been reporting on a wide array of topics today: Trilateral talks between the US, Ukraine and Russia were held in Geneva, former Victoria’s Secret owner and a key player in Jeffrey Epstein’s rise to wealth, Les Wexner, sat for a deposition and US tensions with Iran continue.
Catch up on news from the day here:
- Russia and Ukraine talks: US-brokered talks between Ukraine and Russia finished today, with Russia saying a new round would take place in the near future. After the talks ended, Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky held a closed-door meeting with Ukrainian officials in Geneva, according to Russian state media today. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the trilateral meeting fell short of his country’s goals. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump spoke to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer about Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing peace talks yesterday, a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement today.
- Iran updates: The White House today declined to commit to a firm timeline for diplomacy to proceed with Iran as Trump weighs a major military operation against the country. Iran is rapidly fortifying several of its nuclear facilities, using concrete and large amounts of soil to bury key sites, according to new satellite imagery and analysis from the Institute for Science and International Security. Also, Israel has raised its alert level and is stepping up military preparations, two Israeli sources told CNN.
- Partial government shutdown: The Department of Homeland Security is still shut down, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he’s waiting for the White House to respond to Democrats’ latest response on reforms to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump has not yet spoken directly with any Democrats about resolving the impasse. But the Trump administration has ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency to suspend the deployment of hundreds of aid workers to disaster-torn areas around the US while Homeland Security is shut down, according to sources and internal messages obtained by CNN.
- Wexner deposition: The House Oversight Committee’s deposition of billionaire retail magnate Les Wexner over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein was today, a source tells CNN. Wexner told lawmakers he was “conned” by Epstein and categorically denied any knowledge of his sex trafficking crimes. He said he regrets ever having met Epstein. However, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee participating in the deposition told reporters that Wexner appears to be minimizing his close relationship to Epstein.
- More news from today: The White House said it was “deeply unfortunate” that the Vatican decided to not join Trump’s “Board of Peace.” Also, a federal appeals court ruled today that the Department of Defense can lawfully turn away enlistees who are HIV-positive. And Trump announced he’s awarding Dr. Ben Carson, the former secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
CNN’s Lex Harvey, James Frater, Kara Scannell, Lauren Kent, Victoria Butenko, Frederik Pleitgen, Svitlana Vlasova, Hira Humayun, Nina Subkhanberdina, Anna Chernova, Kevin Liptak, Adam Cancryn, Ellis Kim, Donald Judd, Gabe Cohen, Devan Cole, Annie Grayer, Samantha Waldenberg and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed reporting.
Result of Russia-US-Ukraine meeting in Geneva was not "sufficient," Zelensky says
The results of Wednesday’s trilateral talks between the US, Ukraine and Russia in Geneva fell short of Ukraine’s goals, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“As of today, we cannot say that the outcome is sufficient,” he said in his nightly address.
“The military representatives discussed certain issues seriously and substantively,” Zelensky said. “However, sensitive political matters, issues of possible compromises and the necessary meeting of leaders have not yet been sufficiently worked through.”
The Ukrainian leader called for the next meeting to take place later this month and said the Ukrainian delegation has been tasked with discussing humanitarian issues such as the release of civilians and prisoners of war exchanges with Russia.
“We track information on every person and work constantly to bring our people back — bring Ukrainians home. Every exchange matters,” he said.
Trump urges UK to “not give away" Chagos Islands, including the US air base on Diego Garcia
President Donald Trump said today that he has urged the United Kingdom to “not give away” the Chagos Islands, including the US air base on Diego Garcia, to Mauritius.
The president’s post on social media comes just a day after the State Department issued a statement saying in part that the US “supports the decision of the United Kingdom to proceed with its agreement with Mauritius.”
Asked about the discrepancy between the Truth Social post and the State Department statement, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president’s post should be taken as the “policy” of the Trump administration.
Later Wednesday, Britain’s Foreign Office said the UK’s agreement with Mauritius was “the only way to guarantee the long-term future” of the Diego Garcia base.
Trump says he’s awarding Dr. Ben Carson with the nation’s highest civilian honor
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he’s awarding Dr. Ben Carson, the former secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“Ben’s getting the Presidential Medal of Freedom. That’s the biggest, it’s the highest award you can have outside of the Congressional Medal of Honor. But it’s better, because, you know, a lot of people get the Congressional Medal of Honor, they’re not around,” Trump said during a White House reception marking Black History Month.
The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military award for valor.
Carson rose to prominence as a neurosurgeon who performed the first successful separation of twins conjoined at the back of the head in 1987. He mounted an unsuccessful bid for president in 2016, facing off against Trump before ultimately joining Trump’s Cabinet during his first term.
Trump has previously bestowed the Medal of Freedom on, among others, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, golfer Tiger Woods and, in a posthumous ceremony, conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Oversight Democrats say Wexner is downplaying relationship to Epstein in deposition
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee participating in the deposition of billionaire retail magnate Les Wexner told reporters that Wexner appears to be minimizing his close relationship to Jeffrey Epstein.
“It is clear that Mr. Wexner is trying to downplay how close Jeffrey Epstein and Mr. Wexner actually were,” Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the panel, said. “We should be very clear that there would be no Epstein island, there would be no Epstein plane, there’d be no money to traffic women and girls. Mr. Epstein would not be the wealthy man he was without the support of Les Wexner.”
“It’s really just not credible,” Democratic Rep. David Min echoed.
Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett said that although Wexner is not pleading his 5th Amendment rights against self-incrimination, she has not found Wexner to be forthcoming in his answers.
“I thought that the record would be full of ‘I don’t remembers.’ I will tell you that once this record comes out, you will see that you most likely will be left with more questions than answers,” she said.
CNN previously reported that Wexner told lawmakers he was “conned” by the financier and categorically denied any knowledge of his sex trafficking crimes.
“I was naïve, foolish, and gullible to put any trust in Jeffrey Epstein. He was a con man. And while I was conned, I have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide,” Wexner said in a three-page written statement provided to lawmakers during his deposition in Ohio Wednesday.
Trump recognizes Jesse Jackson at Black History Month reception
President Donald Trump began Wednesday’s Black History Month reception at the White House by recognizing the legacy of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, calling him a “real hero.”
“I want to begin by expressing our sadness at the passing of a person who I knew very well,” Trump said, going on to call Jackson, who died Tuesday, both “a piece of work” and “a good man.”
Trump continued: “He was a real hero. And I just want to pay my highest respects to Reverend Jesse Jackson.”
Iran fortifies nuclear sites as US military pressure intensifies, satellite imagery shows
Iran is rapidly fortifying several of its nuclear facilities, using concrete and large amounts of soil to bury key sites amid US military pressure, according to new satellite imagery and analysis from the Institute for Science and International Security.
Diplomatic efforts are ongoing, with the United States expecting to receive proposals from Iran in the next two weeks to address gaps between the two countries’ positions following talks in Geneva on Tuesday, according to a US official. The negotiations coincide with a US military buildup in the region.
At a nuclear facility known as Taleghan 2 at the Parchin military complex about 30 km (18 miles) southeast of Tehran, satellite images from February 13 show that Iran has completed a concrete sarcophagus around the site and is now covering it with soil, according to the institute, a Washington-based think tank focused on nuclear nonproliferation.
“The facility may soon become a fully unrecognizable bunker, providing significant protection from aerial strikes,” ISIS president David Albright warned Tuesday in a post on X.
Additional satellite images from February 10 show attempts to harden and defensively strengthen two tunnel entrances under a mountain about two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Natanz nuclear facility south of Tehran, ISIS said. It is one of the nuclear facilities bombed by the US and Israel in June last year.
At the Esfahan nuclear complex, another uranium-enrichment plant bombed by the US, satellite imagery from February 8 shows Iranian efforts to conceal the tunnel entrances.
However, it was not immediately clear how effective such measures would be in the event of powerful airstrikes based on existing intelligence.
Pentagon can keep turning away HIV-positive enlistees, appeals court rules
The Department of Defense can lawfully turn away enlistees who are HIV-positive, a federal appeals court ruled today.
The unanimous decision from a three-judge panel of the Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals means the Pentagon can go back to enforcing a controversial policy that had been on hold in recent years amid a legal challenge brought by three HIV-positive people who were barred from joining or rejoining the military due to their medical diagnoses.
A federal judge had ruled in 2024 that the policy was unlawful, but in December, the Richmond-based appeals court froze that decision while it reviewed the case. In its latest ruling, the three judges agreed with the Trump administration’s argument that military policy determinations are owed a high degree of deference by courts scrutinizing them.
The appointee of former President George H. W. Bush was joined by Judges Julius Richardson and Allison Rushing, both appointees of President Donald Trump.
CNN reported last month that the Fourth Circuit’s earlier action in the case resulted in the Pentagon ordering the military command that processes new recruits to hold off on initial training for people who are HIV-positive and recently joined the military.
Trump administration pauses FEMA disaster deployments amid DHS shutdown
The Trump administration has ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency to suspend the deployment of hundreds of aid workers to disaster-torn areas around the US while the Department of Homeland Security is shut down, according to sources and internal messages obtained by CNN.
The new edict comes even though most deployments are paid for through a Disaster Relief Fund that isn’t affected by the shutdown.
One internal message to FEMA leaders on Tuesday said DHS, which oversees the agency, has “directed FEMA to stop all travel.” The order took effect today.
Any travel to areas still recovering from severe storms will now require sign-off from leaders at DHS, which oversees FEMA.
More than 300 FEMA disaster responders were preparing for upcoming assignments but told to stand down, including some who are currently at a training facility, according to the agency messages.
Weeks before the shutdown, amid efforts to overhaul FEMA and cut costs, DHS leaders had been discussing travel restrictions, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
Disaster recovery work and travel are typically funded through FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, which is a separate pool of money appropriated by Congress and not affected by the current lapse in DHS funding, multiple sources said. As of December, the DRF had roughly $7 billion available.
“So it’s not because the money isn’t there,” a FEMA source told CNN.
DHS and FEMA did not respond to requests for comment.
White House says Vatican’s decision not to join Trump’s “Board of Peace” is “deeply unfortunate”
The White House on Wednesday said it was “deeply unfortunate” that the Vatican decided to not join President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace.”
“I don’t think that peace should be partisan or political or controversial — and, of course, the administration wants all those who were invited to join the Board of Peace to join because, again, the board of peace is overseeing the reconstruction of a territory that has been plagued with violence, with bloodshed, with poverty for far too long,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during Wednesday’s White House press briefing.
The board, which will be chaired indefinitely by Trump, was originally designed to oversee reconstruction of Gaza. However, its objective has since expanded to make the board a global peacekeeping body. Pope Leo XIV was invited to join the board last month.
CNN reported earlier Wednesday that Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See secretary of State, told reporters they will not take up the invitation, adding they were left “perplexed” by some points of the plan and that “critical issues” needed to be resolved. The Vatican has also expressed concern that Trump’s Board of Peace could supersede work being done by the United Nations.
Speaking Wednesday, Leavitt emphasized that “this is a legitimate organization where there are tens of member countries from around the world, and we think that’s an unfortunate decision.”
Jeffries says "ball is back" in White House's court on ICE negotiations
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Wednesday he’s waiting for the White House to respond to Democrats’ latest response on reforms to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Jeffries said the Trump administration now has the ball.
“The ball is back in the court of the White House, because they have our most recent response, and we await reaction from them,” Jeffries said.
The New Yorker later told reporters that if negotiations with the White House failed to progress, Democrats could consider supporting measures to fund some agencies affected by the shutdown, while withholding dollars for CBP and ICE.
“In the absence of any progress over the next few days it’s something that we’re gonna have to take a close look at upon our return to Washington on Monday,” he said when asked about the prospect of funding agencies like TSA and FEMA.
Trump has yet to speak with Democrats over partial government shutdown
President Donald Trump has not yet spoken directly with any Democrats about resolving the impasse over Homeland Security funding that triggered a partial government shutdown, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
White House aides have instead taken the lead in negotiations with Democrats over the partial shutdown that began last Friday, she added, though they so far have made little progress. Shortly after Democrats sent over a new proposal on Tuesday, the administration rejected it.
“They sent over a counterproposal that, frankly, was very unserious,” Leavitt said, accusing Democrats of shuttering the Homeland Security Department solely “to pick a fight with Donald Trump.”
White House won't commit to timeline for allowing Iran diplomacy to proceed
The White House on Wednesday declined to commit to any firm timeline for diplomacy to proceed with Iran as President Donald Trump weighs a major military operation against the country.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran was expected to provide more details on its negotiating position “in the next couple of weeks” after talks with US officials in Geneva.
But she wouldn’t say whether Trump would hold off on military action within that timespan.
“I’m not going to set deadlines on behalf of the president the United States,” Leavitt said.
The vague responses only underscored the uncertainties surrounding Trump’s decision-making on Iran. While “diplomacy is always his first option,” Leavitt said, military action remains an option.
“There’s many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran,” she said, adding Trump was relying on counsel from his national security team “first and foremost.”
“He’s always thinking about what’s in the best interest of the United States of America, of our military, of the American people, and that’s how he makes decisions with respect to military action of any kind,” she said.
