A top official at the Justice Department is attempting to disqualify two Minnesota federal judges from a pair of cases, claiming comments they made about the administration's handling of immigration cases in the state call their impartiality into question. cbsn.ws/4sk54Bc

The New Mexico attorney general filed a lawsuit Wednesday against two of Jeffrey Epstein's closest confidants, seeking to stop them from receiving payments for serving as executors of his estate. cbsn.ws/3UAhZCx

The Justice Department urged the high court to lift a lower court injunction that temporarily bars DHS from building the border wall in the Big Bend Sector. cbsn.ws/3WFr3GI

Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy doubled down on the controversial campaign ad featuring the estranged mother of his opponent in the Ohio governor's race, Amy Acton, calling her a "liar." "If she feels that there's anything that's unfair or inaccurate about the criticisms leveled against her, she should be willing to defend herself on a debate stage," he said on Wednesday. Acton's campaign and her brother denounced the ad as a "despicable low."

When asked whether he agrees with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff’s characterization of Russian President Vladimir Putin as “a humanitarian” following Russia's decision to release American Stephen Hubbard, President Trump said Wednesday, "I wouldn't say anything one way or the other.” “We’re negotiating with Russia to stop the war with Ukraine, and we have been pretty happy with Russia that they have not gotten involved with Iran,” Trump said, later adding, "The last thing I want to do is upset an apple cart where we're getting close to settling a war.”