January 1, New Surveillance Video in Epstein Suicide Investigation

Good morning Middle Americans. 

Just as Sen. Ben Sasse suggested a couple of days ago, “heads are going to roll” after Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide. The guards are suspended and the warden of the jail has been reassigned pending the outcome of the investigation. You can read more about the the investigation into Epstein’s sex trafficking and his suicide below. Also today, it looks like President Trump is blinking on his next round of planned tariff’s on China. Many see it as a sign of weakness. Plus, Jay Z looks like he’s the NFL’s man to tackle social justice issue. Plus, according to Gallup, more Americans are warming to the idea of letting Central American migrants in the country. Read all about it and stay informed. Finally, would you travel to Iowa or New Hampshire for political fun? Apparently, political tourism is a thing now.

– Fraser Dixon

Epstein Guards Suspected of Falsifying Logs

(AP)– Surveillance video reviewed after the death showed guards never made some of the checks noted in the log, according to the person familiar with the investigation.

Find out more from the Associated Press here. 

Trump Blinks on Tariffs 

(Yahoo Finance) – Trump has now partially reversed himself on the 10% tariff, without any corresponding concession from China. In fact, China has toughened its stance recently, essentially calling Trump’s bluff.

Read more from Yahoo Finance here. 

NFL Taps Jay Z to Tackle Social Justice Issues

(Wall Street Journal) – The deal effectively positions Jay-Z—who once rapped “I said no to the Super Bowl, you need me, I don’t need you”—as the face of the NFL’s social-justice program, Inspire Change, which was launched earlier in the year after years of unrest among its players.

The Wall Street Journal has more here. 

Support To Allow Central Americans Into US Grows

(Gallup) – Fifty-seven percent of Americans support admitting Central American refugees into the United States, compared to 39% who do not, according to a new Gallup Poll. 

The number is up from 51% in December. That poll also showed 43% were against it.

See the complete poll from Gallup here. 

Iowa draws starstruck political tourists from around the world

(The Hill) – The three friends are part of a quadrennial phenomenon unique to Iowa and New Hampshire: Political tourism. As Iowa and New Hampshire voters watch the presidential candidates, they are in turn being watched by visitors eager for a glimpse of the uniquely American tradition of the first-in-the-nation caucus and primary states.

Learn more about these political tourists from the the Hill.