Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faced intense questioning on Capitol Hill Tuesday regarding his past association with Jeffrey Epstein, while a grand jury rejected the Justice Department's effort to indict Democratic lawmakers who urged military members to defy "illegal" orders. Meanwhile, American luger Ashley Farquharson secured a rare Olympic medal at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games, and American-born skier Eileen Gu, representing China, faced scrutiny for comments on former President Donald Trump. Additionally, the House rejected a Republican bid to delay votes on Trump's tariffs.
Lutnick, who served under the Trump administration, denied any wrongdoing during his appearance before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee. The questioning followed revelations that he remained in contact with Epstein years after suggesting he had distanced himself from the convicted sex offender. One Democrat stated that Lutnick had "totally misrepresented" the extent of their relationship "to the Congress, to the American people and to the survivors of his despicable criminal and predatory acts," according to ABC News.
In a separate development, a grand jury in the nation's capital refused the Justice Department's attempt to indict a group of Democratic lawmakers. These lawmakers had encouraged U.S. military members to ignore "illegal" orders in a video posted online, as reported by Fox News. The DOJ had opened an investigation into the video featuring six Democratic lawmakers.
On the sports front, Ashley Farquharson achieved Olympic glory in luge at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, earning her first Olympic medal. Her performance marked only the second time an American has won an Olympic medal in the event, according to Fox News. Farquharson, who began sliding as an after-school activity, expressed disbelief at her accomplishment.
Eileen Gu, an American-born skier representing China, drew criticism on social media for her comments on President Trump's criticism of U.S. Olympian Hunter Hess. Gu, the highest-paid Winter Olympic athlete, reportedly made an estimated $23 million in 2025 through partnerships with Chinese and Western companies, according to Fox News.
In other political news, the House rejected a Republican effort to delay votes on canceling President Trump's tariffs. This defeat cleared the way for Democrats to immediately force a vote on terminating the emergency Mr. Trump declared more than a year ago that imposed tariffs on several nations, as reported by the New York Times. Republicans had sought for the third time this congressional term to use a procedural trick to bend the rules.
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