Today's Headlines: Trump Says His Unpredictable Style Gives Him Leverage. But It Has a Cost.

February 5, 2026, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time

World

China’s Xi Presses Trump on Taiwan in Phone Call

Both leaders gave versions of what they discussed, but the Chinese president’s take made clear the issue of the island was front and center.

As Olympics Arrive, Everyone in This Town Is Annoyed About Something

In Cortina d’Ampezzo, a hub for the Games in northern Italy, some residents, including a former Olympian, are annoyed about all the construction. Others are annoyed that they’re annoyed.

‘My Crazy Friend’: The Royals Who Stayed Close to Epstein

Emails, texts, photos and videos show how Jeffrey Epstein, even after becoming a convicted sex offender, burnished his ties to royal family members from several countries and their advisers.

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U.S.

Mystery of Guthrie’s Mother Has Nation Fixated on a Desert Subdivision

The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of the news anchor Savannah Guthrie, has reporters, neighbors and drones flooding streets and foothills in Tucson, Ariz.

Professors Are Being Watched: ‘We’ve Never Seen This Much Surveillance’

Scrutiny of university classrooms is being formalized, with new laws requiring professors to post syllabuses and tip lines for students to complain.

The Long Goodbye: A California Couple Self-Deports to Mexico

Enrique Castillejos and his wife, Maria Elena Hernandez, raised a family in California. But they were undocumented immigrants, and after President Trump’s crackdown began, they decided to return to Mexico.

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Politics

Trump Says He Ordered Withdrawal of 700 Immigration Agents From Minneapolis

About 2,000 personnel will be left in Minnesota, where President Trump’s immigration crackdown has generated outrage.

Supreme Court Clears Way for California Voting Map

The state’s Republican Party had asked the justices to step in and block the new congressional maps, which give an advantage to Democrats, before the midterms.

Trump’s Call to ‘Nationalize’ Elections Adds to State Officials’ Alarm

Some top state election officials, who run voting across the country, worry that the federal government has become hostile to them and their work.

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Business

Jeffrey Epstein’s Money Mingled With Silicon Valley Start-Ups

The disgraced financier regularly courted tech industry figures not just for their prestige but also for access to promising companies.

Washington Post Sports Department Was Among Last of Its Kind

The Post is laying off or reassigning all the reporters and editors in its sports section, days before the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics in Italy.

Nike, Accused of Bias Against White Workers, Is Under Federal Investigation

It appeared to be the first time the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has targeted diversity policies at a large company.

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New York

New York City Partners with W.H.O. as U.S. Withdraws From Global Effort

City health authorities are joining a network that counters new pathogens and emerging outbreaks.

New York and New Jersey Resolve Fight Over Port Authority Control

The board of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will vote this week to confirm Kathryn Garcia as the executive director and Jean Roehrenbeck as the deputy executive director of the agency.

Mamdani Chooses a Liberal Jewish Leader to Run Antisemitism Office

Phylisa Wisdom, the executive director of the New York Jewish Agenda, shares Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s criticism of Israel’s treatment of Gaza, but supports its right to exist as a Jewish state.

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