Washington begins the week in a partial government shutdown, with a high-stakes House vote expected Tuesday as Speaker Mike Johnson seeks to break the stalemate.
Plus, the Justice Department’s release of millions of Epstein records is drawing swift backlash. Victims’ attorneys are calling it an emergency and demanding the DOJ take the files website offline.
And the Kennedy Center is preparing to shut down for renovation, a major overhaul ordered by President Donald Trump that will keep the iconic venue dark for two years.
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Shutdown enters new week as DHS funding fight grows
Washington is starting the week in a partial government shutdown, and the clock is already ticking.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he expects lawmakers to reopen the government by Tuesday. But getting there won’t be easy, and Democrats won’t be helping.
The Senate passed a stopgap funding plan late Friday that keeps most of the government running while carving out just two weeks of funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
That move kicked the real fight down the road and triggered a partial shutdown when the House didn’t act before the deadline.
Johnson said the short extension is intentional. It’s a chance to cool tensions after deadly immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota upended negotiations.
He’s backing the White House’s approach and said President Donald Trump is calling the shots.
“The president is leading this. It’s his play call to do it this way. He has already conceded that he wants to turn down the volume, so to speak, and make sure this is done in an appropriate way,” Johnson said. “What a great step it was to put Tom Homan in charge of the situation in Minneapolis and Minnesota. He has 40 years of experience. He’s brought a steady hand to the wheel.”
Democrats say that’s not enough.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said DHS needs real reform now, and his caucus won’t vote to reopen the government without it.
“The Department of Homeland Security needs to be dramatically reformed. We share that view as does Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats in a variety of different ways,” Jeffries said. “Body cameras should be mandatory. Masks should come off. Judicial warrants should absolutely be required, consistent with the constitution in our view, before DHS agents or ICE agents are breaking into the homes of the American people or ripping people out of their cars.”
The standoff means Republicans are likely to move forward alone, first clearing a procedural rule Monday, then pushing for final passage as early as Tuesday.
With a razor-thin majority, Johnson can’t afford many defections, and some conservatives are already bristling at any short-term DHS extension.
Victims say Epstein files expose names, demand DOJ site be removed
Attorneys for alleged victims of the late, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are asking two federal judges in New York to immediately shut down the Justice Department’s Epstein files website, calling it an “unfolding emergency.”
The request comes as the Justice Department released its largest batch yet of Epstein records.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the latest dump includes 3.5 million pages, 2,000 videos and 180,000 images.
Lawyers representing more than 200 alleged victims claim the DOJ has repeatedly failed to properly redact names and identifying details, putting victims at risk and violating court orders meant to protect them.
The newly released files reference a number of high-profile figures, including Trump, former President Bill Clinton and billionaire Elon Musk, none of whom have been charged or accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
Still, the House is expected to move forward with a contempt vote against Bill and Hillary Clinton after they declined to testify in a bipartisan congressional probe into Epstein.
Trump said the document release proves he’s done nothing wrong.
“I didn’t see it myself, but I was told by some very important people that not only does it absolve me, it’s the opposite of what people were hoping, you know, the radical left,” Trump said.
The new records also renew scrutiny of Britain’s former-prince Andrew. One image released appears to show him kneeling over a woman whose face is redacted.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Andrew, now stripped of royal titles, should testify before the U.S. Congress.
The releases stem from the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the DOJ to make public all records tied to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell by Dec. 19.
The department said the sheer volume of material made a full redaction by the deadline impossible and that documents will continue to be released on a rolling basis.
After Iran war warning, Trump says deal or consequences will follow
Tensions with Iran are back in sharp focus after a direct warning from Tehran and a blunt response from Trump.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said any U.S. military strike would trigger what he called a regional war. It’s the most serious threat he’s issued so far as American forces surge into the area.
Trump was asked about that warning on Sunday and didn’t back off.
“Why wouldn’t he say that? Of course you could say that, but we have the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there, very close, a couple of days, and hopefully we’ll make a deal,” Trump said. “If we don’t make a deal, then we’ll find out whether or not he was right.”
The comments come amid a visible U.S. military buildup, including a Navy destroyer docking in Israel over the weekend.
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is operating in the region as well, as Trump pressures Iran to return to negotiations over its nuclear program.
Khamenei, meanwhile, accused the U.S. of seeking control over Iran’s resources and cast the country’s nationwide protests as a coup. It comes even as rights groups say thousands have been killed and tens of thousands detained in a violent crackdown.
Iran is also conducting live-fire military drills near the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil corridor, heightening fears of miscalculation.
Rafah border crossing reopens as limited travel resumes under truce
The Rafah border crossing, the main exit point for Palestinians leaving Gaza, has reopened after nearly nine months under Israeli control. Israeli forces seized the Rafah Crossing in May 2024, cutting off Gaza’s only direct route to the outside world that does not pass through Israel.
The reopening is part of phase two of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, reached last fall, and it comes with strict limits on who can cross. For Palestinians, Rafah is often described as a gateway to the world.
Aid groups report that approximately 20,000 people in Gaza, many urgently requiring medical care, are requesting permission to exit via the crossing. Additionally, some displaced individuals hope to return home through the same route.
Israeli officials state that all travelers will undergo vetting by both Israeli and Egyptian authorities, with crossings granted on a case-by-case basis.
Trump orders two-year Kennedy Center renovation, forcing closure
Trump announced the Kennedy Center will close for the next two years for a full renovation and rebuilding.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said temporarily shutting down the venue would allow what he called a complete revitalization, claiming the project would become “the finest performing arts facility of its kind.”
Trump said the Kennedy Center will close on July 4, 2026, tying the move to the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday, and remain shuttered for roughly two years, followed by what he promised would be a grand reopening. He also said the project’s financing is already secured, though no cost estimate was provided.
The announcement follows a series of dramatic changes at the Kennedy Center under Trump’s leadership. In February 2025, the president removed members of the board of trustees, replaced them with allies and installed himself as chairman.
Months later, the board voted to rename the venue the “Trump-Kennedy Center” — a move that sparked backlash in the arts community, prompting several performers to cancel scheduled appearances.
Bad Bunny, ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ and Spielberg make history at 2026 Grammys
Music’s biggest night delivered historic moments at the Grammy Awards.
Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny took home album of the year for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” marking the first time an all-Spanish-language album has won the Grammy’s top prize. He also won best música urbana album and best global music performance for the same record. It’s a milestone that comes just days before he’s set to make history again as the Super Bowl halftime headliner.
LOS ANGELES – FEBRUARY 1: Bad Bunny at The 68th Annual Grammy Awards, broadcasting live Sunday, February 1, 2026 on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+*. (Photo by Francis Specker/CBS via Getty Images) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 01: Bad Bunny poses with the Album of the Year, Best Música Urbana Album, and Best Global Music Performance Awards during the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy) 
LOS ANGELES – FEBRUARY 1: Bad Bunny receives the award for Album of the Year at The 68th Annual Grammy Awards, broadcasting live Sunday, February 1, 2026 on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+*. (Photo by Stewart Cook/CBS via Getty Images) 
LOS ANGELES – FEBRUARY 1: Bad Bunny at The 68th Annual Grammy Awards, broadcasting live Sunday, February 1, 2026 on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+*. (Photo by Francis Specker/CBS via Getty Images) 
ANKARA, TURKIYE – FEBRUARY 2: An infographic titled “68th Grammy Awards” created in Ankara, Turkiye on February 2, 2026. (Photo by Yasin Demirci/Anadolu via Getty Images) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 01: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Olivia Dean, winner of the Best New Artist award, poses in the press room during the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 01: Olivia Dean attends the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 01: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Cirkut, winner of Best Dance Pop Recording, Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, and Best Pop Vocal Album for “MAYHEM,” poses in the press room during the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 01: Lady Gaga, winner of the Best Pop Vocal Album for “MAYHEM” and Best Dance Pop Recording for “Abracadabra”, poses in the press room during the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for The Recording Academy) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 01: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) SZA, winner of Best Melodic Rap Performance and Record of the Year for “Luther” (with Kendrick Lamar), poses in the press room during the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 01: (L-R) Jack Antonoff, Cher, Kendrick Lamar, Scott Bridgeway and Kamasi Washington attend the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 01: Olivia Dean attends the 68th GRAMMY Awards on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 01: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (L-R) Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, winners of the Song of the Year award for “WILDFLOWER”, pose in the press room during the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 01: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Sounwave, winner of Best Rap Song for “tv off” and Record of the Year for “Luther,” poses in the press room during the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 01: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (L-R) Josh Gudwin and Colin Leonard, winners of Album of the Year for “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” pose in the press room during the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 01: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Doechii, winner of the Best Music Video for “Anxiety”, poses in the press room during the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 01: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Leon Thomas, winner of the Best Traditional R&B Performance Award for “Vibes Don’t Lie” and Best R&B Album Award for “Mutt”, poses in the press room during the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) 
LOS ANGELES – FEBRUARY 1: Sabrina Carpenter at The 68th Annual Grammy Awards, broadcasting live Sunday, February 1, 2026 on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+*. (Photo by Francis Specker/CBS via Getty Images)
Another first came from “KPop Demon Hunters,” which gave K-pop its first-ever Grammy win. The film was nominated in four categories and won the award for best song written for visual media.
Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg earned his first Grammy, winning best music film for “Music by John Williams,” which he produced — officially completing his EGOT, the rare distinction of winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.
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