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US Shoots Down Iranian Drone Near Aircraft Carrier; Clintons Agree to Testify on Epstein
An Iranian drone was shot down by a U.S. fighter jet in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday after it "aggressively approached" the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, according to a U.S. military spokesman. Separately, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed to testify in the congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, days before a potential vote to hold them in contempt of Congress.
The drone was downed by an F-35C stealth fighter jet launched from the USS Abraham Lincoln, Capt. Tim Hawkins, a U.S. Central Command spokesman, said. The incident occurred approximately 500 miles from the Iranian coast. Hawkins stated the action was taken "in self-defence" to protect the aircraft carrier and its personnel. No U.S. service members were harmed, and no equipment was damaged. The drone's intent was "unclear," according to the U.S. military.
Meanwhile, the Clintons' decision to testify comes after a months-long standoff with the House Oversight Committee. A vote on whether to hold the couple in criminal contempt for refusing to appear was looming. Bill Clinton was acquainted with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, but has denied knowledge of Epstein's sex offending and claims he cut off contact two decades ago. Former President Clinton will appear for a deposition on February 27, according to reports.
In related news concerning the Epstein case, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) removed thousands of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein from its website after victims said their identities had been compromised. Lawyers for Epstein's victims stated that flawed redactions in the files released on Friday had "turned upside down" the lives of nearly 100 survivors. Email addresses and nude photos in which the names and faces of potential victims could be identified were included in the release. Survivors issued a statement calling the disclosure "outrageous" and said they should not be "named, scrutinized, or re-victimized."
In other news, the Babylon Bee satirical news site secured a legal victory in federal court against Hawaii Gov. Josh Green's (D) law preventing individuals from "recklessly distributing materially deceptive media," according to Fox News. The law, signed in 2024, restricts content that risks harming the "re." The Alliance Defending Freedom backed the Babylon Bee in the case.
Finally, President Trump's abrupt announcement that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts would close this summer for a two-year construction project has plunged the Washington cultural institution into uncertainty, according to the NY Times. Anne Vantine, the president of a union local that represents box office workers, said employees were "kind of in shock right now" and fearful of losing their jobs.
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