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By Amy Langfield

January 30, 2026

By Amy Langfield

January 30, 2026

 
 

Good afternoon and welcome to your afternoon news update from AP. Today, the Justice Department says it’s releasing 3 million pages from its Jeffrey Epstein files; Iranians tell AP why protests this time felt different; and Emmy-winning comedian Catherine O’Hara has died.

 

UP FIRST

AP Morning Wire

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche meets with reporters as the Justice Department says it's releasing 3 million pages of documents in the latest Jeffrey Epstein disclosure, in Washington, Friday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Live updates: Justice Department says it’s releasing 3 million pages from its Jeffrey Epstein files

The Justice Department said Friday that it was releasing many more records from its investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein, resuming disclosures under a law intended to reveal what the government knew about the millionaire financier’s sexual abuse of young girls and his interactions with rich and powerful people including Donald Trump and Bill Clinton. AP reporters are reviewing the files. Read more.

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TOP STORIES

Cut off from most communication, Iranian protesters share rare stories of determination and dissent

Six Iranians spoke to The Associated Press about the protests in Iran, describing a renewed sense of hope even with a bloody crackdown on demonstrators. The Iranians said they demonstrated and witnessed state violence. Protests erupt in Iran every few years, but several said this time felt different, with unprecedented momentum and a diverse crowd. Officials and state media repeatedly refer to demonstrators as “terrorists.” Read more.

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Polygamous sect’s sway has dwindled in twin towns on Arizona-Utah line. Residents enjoy new freedoms

Two neighboring towns on the Arizona-Utah border that once served as a haven for a polygamous religious sect have entered a new era. Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, were once controlled by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The changes to the towns came after the sect’s leader and prophet, Warren Jeffs, was imprisoned for sexually assaulting girls he considered brides. Read more.

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