Laura's Reading

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/02/10/day-1848/

Today in one sentence: The Trump administration will rescind the EPA’s 2009 “endangerment finding,” stripping the core legal basis for federal limits on greenhouse gas pollution under the Clean Air Act; a newly unsealed FBI search warrant affidavit showed that the seizure of Fulton County, Georgia’s 2020 election ballots and records began with a referral from a Trump-appointed “director of election security and integrity”; acting ICE Director Todd Lyons defended ICE and told the House Homeland Security Committee that he would press ahead with Trump’s “mass deportation” campaign; Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna disclosed the “hidden” names of six wealthy men they say are “likely incriminated” by their inclusion in the Jeffrey Epstein files; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told senators he had lunch with Jeffrey Epstein on Epstein’s private Caribbean island in 2012; Trump reportedly told the Palm Beach police chief in 2006 that “everyone has known” what Jeffrey Epstein “has been doing”; 59% of Americans said they’re optimistic about the future – a record low since Gallup started asking the question two decades ago.

1/ The Trump administration will rescind the EPA’s 2009 “endangerment finding,” stripping the core legal basis for federal limits on greenhouse gas pollution under the Clean Air Act. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin called it “the largest act of deregulation” in U.S. history. The administration said rescinding the 2009 endangerment finding would cut more than $1.3 trillion in regulations and lower costs for new vehicles by an average of more than $2,400 per vehicle, by ending federal requirements related to greenhouse gas standards for cars and trucks. Public health and environmental groups, meanwhile, said the EPA’s greenhouse gas rules have prevented hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year, and warned that the rollback would increase climate pollution and lead to thousands of avoidable deaths. The rule will be finalized Thursday at a White House event. (Wall Street Journal / Associated Press / Reuters / Axios / New York Times / CNBC / New York Times / Politico / Semafor)

2/ A newly unsealed FBI search warrant affidavit showed that the seizure of Fulton County, Georgia’s 2020 election ballots and records began with a referral from a Trump-appointed “director of election security and integrity.” Kurt Olsen, who took part in the “Stop the Steal” campaign and promoted baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, was hired to investigate Trump’s 2020 election loss. The affidavit framed the case as a criminal probe into whether alleged “deficiencies” in ballot handling and record keeping were intentional, but it relied on years-old claims that audits, courts, and prior reviews have rejected. The warrant authorized agents to take all physical ballots, ballot images, tabulator tapes, and 2020 voter rolls, citing possible violations of federal record-retention and election-rights laws. Fulton County has asked a judge to order the materials returned. (New York Times / Associated Press / Politico / ABC News / NBC News / CNBC / Washington Post)

3/ Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons defended ICE and told the House Homeland Security Committee that he would press ahead with Trump’s “mass deportation” campaign. “Let me send a message to anyone who thinks you can intimidate us: You will fail,” Lyons said. “We will continue carrying out our mission.” Lyons also rejected Democrats’ claims that ICE is operating like a “secret police” and acting “un-American and outright fascist.” But Lyons and CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott declined to detail the Minneapolis killings of citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti, saying the investigations were ongoing. DHS funding expires Feb. 13. (Washington Post / Politico / CNN / Wall Street Journal / NPR / Washington Post)

4/ Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna disclosed the “hidden” names of six wealthy men they say are “likely incriminated” by their inclusion in the Jeffrey Epstein files. Khanna read Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze, Leonic Leonov, Nicola Caputo, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, and Leslie Wexner into the House record. The pair said they found the names after a two-hour review of unredacted files at the Justice Department and accused the DOJ of unexplained over-redactions. House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin said some redactions also masked references to Trump, citing a 2009 email exchange about Epstein’s access to Mar-a-Lago. After reviewing the unredacted files, Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis remarked: “now I see what the big deal is.” (The Guardian / CNN / Politico / Bloomberg / The Hill / Axios)

5/ Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told senators he had lunch with Jeffrey Epstein on Epstein’s private Caribbean island in 2012. Lutnick, while testifying before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee, tried to play down the connection as “three times over 14 years,” and that there were only about “10 emails,” while insisting he had “nothing to hide.” But the account conflicts with Lutnick’s earlier public claim that he cut off contact with Epstein after 2005. And, the recently released Justice Department Epstein files describe additional post-2005 interactions, including 2011 scheduling and 2012 planning tied to the island visit, along with other links cited in the records. The White House said Trump “fully supports” Lutnick, but lawmakers including Rep. Thomas Massie and Rep. Robert Garcia called for his resignation, with senators from both parties saying the island visit raised questions. (Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Politico / Associated Press / ABC News / NBC News / CNN / New York Times)

6/ Trump reportedly told the Palm Beach police chief in 2006 that “everyone has known” what Jeffrey Epstein “has been doing,” according to an FBI interview summary released by the Justice Department. The document memorialized what the former chief told FBI agents in 2019 about the alleged call from Trump. The Justice Department, however, said it wasn’t aware of any corroborating evidence that Trump had contacted law enforcement. The summary also said Trump thanked the police for “stopping” Epstein, urged them to focus on Ghislaine Maxwell as Epstein’s “operative,” called her “evil,” and said he once saw Epstein with teenagers and “got the hell out of there.” The White House said the call “may or may not” have happened but argued that, if it did, it fits Trump’s claims that he cut ties with Epstein years earlier and banned him from Mar-a-Lago. (Miami Herald / New York Times / CNN / CNBC / ABC News / The Guardian)

poll/ 59% of Americans said they’re optimistic about the future – a record low since Gallup started asking the question two decades ago. 62% report being satisfied with their current lives – the second-lowest in the survey’s history. The lowest was recorded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Gallup)

The 2026 midterms are in 266 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 1,001 days.

• Today last year: Day 1483: "The most serious constitutional crisis the country has faced since Watergate."
• Four years ago today: Day 387: "On fire."
• Five years ago today: Day 22: "Inciter in chief."
• Six years ago today: Day 1117: Parasite.
• 9 years ago today: Day 22: Denials.

Support today’s essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member

Subscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2026/02/10/day-1848/