Jennifer Jacobs

Hegseth demands full military access to Anthropic's AI model Claude and sets deadline for end of week The Pentagon may decide to officially designate Anthropic as a "supply chain risk" to push them out of government, sources say.

Trust breaking between Pentagon and Anthropic over use of their AI model. Hegseth gave them til week's end to grant full access to Claude. Anthropic wants to place guardrails. Hegseth said when govt buys Boeing planes, the company has no say in how they're used www.cbsnews.com/news/hegseth...

US played role in Mexico-led operation that killed drug kingpin El Mencho--a Pentagon joint task force regularly works with the Mexican military, CBS reports. The killing triggered violence in Puerto Vallarta and other areas, with reports the cartels are burning road blocks and vehicles @cbsnews.com

Inside the surge of threats against public officials fueling a rise in prosecutions: "It's too much" A CBS News analysis found 126 cases that were brought by federal prosecutors last year arising out of threats to public officials.

CBS looked at prosecutions of people threatening high-ranking govt officials--number charged in 2025 was double number from 2022. 41 cases involved threats against Trump, Biden, Obama. "There has been a very marked decline in civility..." @cbsnews.com
www.cbsnews.com/news/threats...

"This is a problem we want to fix," Karoline Leavitt tells me, referring to sewer pipe that collapsed and is dumping sewage into Potomac River. "Because it will be an ecological and environmental disaster if the federal government does not step in to help."

U.S. Air Force VIP fleet being repainted in Trump's preferred palette, sources say The Kennedy-era robin's egg blue that's currently on the planes is being updated to navy, red and gold.

NEWS: Goodbye to the Kennedy-era paint colors on exterior of aircraft executive fleet. New Trump colors will appear on donated Qatari jet and two planes Boeing is converting as AF1. Some blue-and-whites already being repainted in dark navy blue, deep red and gold www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-air...

Airspace closure followed spat over drone-related tests and party balloon shoot-down, sources say Pentagon officials had undertaken planning to use military technology near Fort Bliss, in El Paso, to practice downing drones.

SCOOP: The unexpected airspace closure in El Paso stemmed from disagreements over anti-drone tests. Pentagon using high-energy laser to practice taking out cartel drones.
Earlier this wk, tech used to shoot down what appeared to be foreign drones. Was a party balloon
www.cbsnews.com/news/airspac...

Maryland man facing attempted murder charges after showing up at OMB Director Russell Vought's home Colin Demarco was arrested in January, months after he was seen in a Ring camera image at Vought's door, wearing a surgical mask and gloves.

Scoop from @cbsnews.com: A 26-year-old man from Maryland is facing attempted murder charges after he showed up at OMB director Russ Vought's home wearing a surgical mask and gloves. He was arrested Jan. 22 by Arlington County Police.
www.cbsnews.com/news/marylan...

Trump anti-fraud task force targeting California and more states to be led by JD Vance, sources say President Trump is expected to sign an executive order putting JD Vance and Andrew Ferguson in charge of the group.

Scoop: White House anti-fraud task force targeting abuse in California and other states will be led by VP Vance. Trump intends to sign an EO in coming days. Andrew Ferguson will be vice chair. @cbsnews.com
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-a...

Trump to sign order launching new initiative to address drug addiction President Trump will sign an executive order Thursday afternoon to coordinate a federal government response to drug addiction.

Scoop: Drug addiction and an effort to coordinate federal govt response is on Trump agenda. 4:30 pm announcement will be EO on early intervention and grants for recovery. RFK and Kathryn Burgum will chair the effort, called the Great American Recovery Initiative.
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-e...

At an event in DC, Nicki Minaj says she is Trump's "number one fan" and "that's not going to change, and the hate or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all." Trump joked: "I said, I'm going to let my nails grow, because I love those nails."

Kristi Noem facing scrutiny from White House in wake of Minneapolis shooting but isn't likely to be fired, sources say Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem is facing internal scrutiny after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, multiple sources told CBS News, but she is expected to keep her job.

NEW from @CBSNews: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has faced internal scrutiny in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of protester Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, sources familiar with the matter say, but Noem is expected to keep her job.
www.cbsnews.com/news/kristi-...

Scoop: Minnesota federal magistrate judge refused to sign a complaint bringing charges against Don Lemon in connection with the church protest on Sunday, sources tell @camiloreports @SarahNLynch @MacFarlaneNews and me. @cbsnews.com

Trump has left Davos. Meanwhile, the locals are outside chilling in the sunshine.

DOJ investigating Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over alleged conspiracy to impede immigration agents Federal prosecutors are investigating Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for allegedly impeding immigration agents, sources told CBS News, an extraordinary escalation in the Trum...

SCOOP: Justice Department is investigating Minnesota officials, including Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, for impeding federal immigration agents, sources told @cbsnews.com
www.cbsnews.com/news/justice...

White House officials say María Corina Machado presented Trump with the real Nobel Peace prize medallion today—not a replica. The Nobel Peace Center says: "A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot." @cbsnews.com

White House eyes prosecutor in Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's office for new fraud role, sources say An ally of Deputy AG Todd Blanche is being considered for the newly created position of assistant attorney general, sources said.

Scoop: The frontrunner to oversee a new national counter-fraud push at the Justice Dept in the wake of revelations of massive public benefits fraud in Minnesota is Colin McDonald, a top official in Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s office, sources @cbsnews.com
www.cbsnews.com/news/fraud-c...

Trump confirmed CBS scoop from 2:30 am ET on US land strikes inside Venezuela. US oil companies will spend billions to fix the infrastructure "and start making money for the country," Trump said at Mar-a-Lago. US will essentially control Venezuela until "proper transition" can take place, he said

NEWS: Some U.S. servicemembers suffered non-life threatening gunshot wounds and other injuries during Venezuela operation, per sources. All are in stable condition. No U.S. fatalities. via @ellee_watson and @JimLaPorta @cbsnews.com

🚨SCOOP from @cbsnews.com: Venezuela's Maduro was captured by Delta Force, the US military's elite special mission unit, sources tell me.

U.S. launches military strikes on Venezuela as Trump escalates pressure on Maduro regime, sources say Trump ordered strikes on sites inside Venezuela, including military facilities, U.S. officials told CBS News, ratcheting up pressure on President Nicolás Maduro.

Scoop: Trump gave the U.S. military the green light to conduct land strikes in Venezuela days ago, U.S. officials told @cbsnews.com
www.cbsnews.com/live-updates...

🚨BREAKING via @CBSNews: President Trump ordered strikes on sites inside Venezuela including military facilities, U.S. officials said, as the administration early Saturday ratcheted up its campaign against the regime of President Nicolás Maduro. via @JimLaPorta and me

Coming land strikes may be against specific people, and just in Venezuela, Trump says. "It's land strikes on horrible people that are bringing in drugs and killing our people...So it doesn't necessarily have to be in Venezuela--it's people that are bringing in drugs to our country, are targets."

Trump says he's giving a full pardon to Colorado elections clerk Tina Peters, who has been serving a nine-year sentence after she was found guilty on seven counts related to election interference

BREAKING via CBS: Oil tanker US seized was "Skipper," per sources. The operation started around 6am today and involved 2 helicopters with special operations forces--10 Marines and 10 Coast Guard--that launched from a US military vessel. 🚨Trump admin contemplating more missions like this, I'm told.

Trump to name DHS official Troy Edgar to be ambassador to El Salvador, sources say President Trump intends to name the deputy homeland security secretary to be the U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, multiple sources told CBS News.

News: Trump will name the deputy secretary of the Homeland Security Department to be the U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, per sources. www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-d...

Trump hires new architect for ballroom The current architect, with whom President Trump has some disagreements, will remain on the White House ballroom team, sources said.

Scoop: Trump has hired a new architect for the White House ballroom. The current one, James McCrery, will remain on the team, despite some clashes with the president, sources tell @cbsnews.com
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-h...

NEWS: Jan. 6 pipe bomb suspect is Brian Cole, 30, of northern Virginia, per sources.
Previous scoop on FBI clearing an innocent woman whose name was falsely tied to the case by amateur sleuths:
www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/jan...
Today's breaking news via @cbsnews.com:
www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/pip...

Top officials present Trump with military options for Venezuela in the coming days The potential operations for Venezuela presented to Trump included options for strikes on land, multiple sources said.

Scoop: Military officials on Weds presented Trump with updated options for potential operations in Venezuela, including land strikes, per sources. Hegseth, Caine at White House yday afternoon for briefings. No final decision made, two of the sources told @cbsnews.com
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-v...

Scoop: Some financial industry execs have been invited to dinner at White House tomorrow night with Trump, including Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman and JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon, per sources. It comes a couple months after Trump hosted a dinner for tech CEOs on Sept. 4.  @cbsnews.com

Senior Trump officials roast Sergio Gor, the new U.S. ambassador to India Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Trump officials told stories about Gor, the former White House presidential personnel director who is now ambassador to India.

Scoop: The secretary of state, treasury sec and White House personnel office director were sitting in a London restaurant during Trump's state visit. "All of a sudden this guy walks in," Rubio recalled. "I'm like, 'Oh my God, that's Mick Jagger.'"
Tales from a roast:
www.cbsnews.com/news/marco-r...