By Damian Paletta

Good morning. The stakes were, suddenly, enormously high.

The Republican-controlled House was preparing to hold Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress on Wednesday, which could eventually have led to their criminal prosecution for refusing to answer questions about Jeffrey Epstein. And then what? Prison? A constitutional crisis?

But with just minutes to spare before a noon deadline Tuesday, the Democratic power couple agreed to give video depositions, under oath, at the end of February, and, in a deal, avoided the contempt-of-Congress vote. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's is scheduled for be Feb. 26. Former President Bill Clinton's is set for Feb. 27.

The Clintons are no strangers to tangling with congressional Republicans. The House impeached Bill Clinton in 1998, and Hillary Clinton sat for the 11-hour hearing about Benghazi in 2015.

That said, the 79-year-old Bill Clinton could have some difficult questions to answer about his past friendship with Epstein, the disgraced financier.

The depositions will be videotaped and transcribed, so it will all become public. Then Congress, and -- for that matter, America -- will have to decide what happens next.

This is an edition of the Politics newsletter, bringing you an expert guide to what's driving D.C. every day. If you're not subscribed, sign up here.

People and Policies I'm Watching

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.). Can the Senate minority leader, who has taken a lot of flack from his party's left wing in recent years, drive a process that results in a raft of curbs on immigration-enforcement officers' operations?

Ukraine-Russia-U. S. talks: Another round of trilateral talks on ending the war in Ukraine is scheduled in Abu Dhabi following fresh Russian attacks, including strikes on power plants providing heat for residents of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro.

Nuclear treaty expires. The 2011 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, limiting U.S. and Russian long-range nuclear weapons, expires, leaving President Trump to decide whether to agree to a Russian proposal to extend it for another year or let it lapse.

T rump's Wednesday: The president is to participate in a television interview at 9 a.m. Eastern time, to meet freed American Israeli hostage Keith Siegel at 1:15 p.m. and to participate in a policy meeting at 4 p.m.

What I'm Following

Talks begin over how to curb immigration officers' operations. After the House approved a measure to end the partial government shutdown, now come 10 days of negotiations over how the officers do their jobs. Democrats want them to be required to wear body cameras and carry identification and are seeking higher legal thresholds for arrests and searches.

Stephen Miller stokes Trump's most incendiary impulses. The indefatigable 40-year-old aide has been by Trump's side since 2016 and an architect in almost every boundary-pushing effort in Trump II, including immigration sweeps in U.S. cities and the deadly boat strikes in the Caribbean. Potential cracks in his power have appeared lately, with Trump telling advisers he isn't comfortable with how far Miller has gone on some fronts.

MAGA vs. Bad Bunny. Puerto Rican superstar and recording artist Bad Bunny has faced conservative criticism since declaring "ICE out" during his Grammy Awards acceptance speech. The ire has picked up ahead of his headlining Sunday's Super Bowl halftime show, with some zeroing in on his criticism of Trump's immigration agenda, his exclusively Spanish-language lyrics and his gender-fluid fashion choices.

What Else Is Happening

   -- U.S.-Iran nuclear talks appear to be on, following a day in which the 
      U.S. shot down an Iranian drone aimed at a U.S. aircraft carrier, and a 
      U.S.-flagged ship outran an attempt by Iranian gunboats to force it to 
      stop. 
 
   -- A poll shows 76% of Greenlanders say they wouldn't benefit from becoming 
      part of the U.S. 
 
   -- Trump doubled down on his view that Republicans should "nationalize" 
      voting in the U.S., questioning whether certain states should continue 
      running their own elections as spelled out in the Constitution. 
 
   -- A former Fed official was found not guilty of conspiring to share 
      confidential central-bank information with Chinese intelligence, capping 
      a case that featured spycraft, online seduction and a blackmail scam. 

What I'm Reading

   -- White House Leaks Grow as Season of Scandal Hits Trump Cabinet 
      (Washington Examiner) 
 
   -- If Newsom Is the Front-Runner, Democrats May Be Doomed (The Free Press) 
 
   -- Body Camera Footage Shows Confusion at FBI Raid of Fulton Election Center 
      (Atlanta Journal Constitution) 

About Me

I'm Damian Paletta, The Wall Street Journal's Washington coverage chief. I've covered Washington for 22 years as a reporter and editor. I've covered the White House, Congress, national security, the federal budget, economics and multiple market meltdowns.

WSJ Politics brings you an expert guide to what's driving D.C., every weekday morning. Send your feedback to politics@wsj.com (if you're reading this in your inbox, you can just hit reply). This edition was curated and edited in collaboration with Joe Haberstroh and Michael Connolly. Got a tip for us? Here's how to submit.

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February 04, 2026 07:01 ET (12:01 GMT)

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