Attorney General Pam Bondi faced intense scrutiny from House Democrats during a Wednesday hearing regarding the Justice Department's handling of Jeffrey Epstein files, with accusations of a "cover-up" and "spying" emerging from the contentious session. Bondi, however, largely avoided providing direct answers to the lawmakers' questions, according to CBS News.
The hearing, held before the House Judiciary Committee, saw Democrats accuse Bondi of redacting the identities of individuals in the Epstein documents and failing to protect the names of abuse survivors, some of whom were present. Bondi repeatedly deflected questions, dismissing the inquiries as "political," CBS News reported. Adding to the controversy, Bondi was observed holding a document labeled "Jayapal Pramila Search History," referring to Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington. The document listed files from the Justice Department's Epstein records, including file numbers and descriptions, as captured by photojournalists, CBS News reported.
In other news, authorities in Arizona detained and released a person for questioning in connection with the suspected abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" show anchor Savannah Guthrie, ABC News reported. The individual was detained during a traffic stop on Tuesday evening, and a residence connected to the person was searched. The FBI is involved in the investigation.
Also on Wednesday, authorities in Florida identified 51-year-old Russell Kot as a suspect in the homicides of six people at two residences. Kot died of apparent self-inflicted wounds following the alleged killing spree, according to ABC News.
In media news, The Washington Post has significantly reduced its staff through layoffs and buyouts in recent years. The paper currently employs roughly 1,300 staffers, down from approximately 2,500 in October 2023, according to The Guardian's Jeremy Barr, a former Post media reporter, as reported by Fox News. The paper recently underwent a round of layoffs and eliminated its sports department.
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