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Huge cache of Epstein documents includes emails financier exchanged with wealthy and powerful

South Florida Local News - Fri, 01/30/2026 - 17:52

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST

WASHINGTON (AP) — A huge new tranche of files on millionaire financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein released Friday revealed details of his communications with the wealthy and powerful, some not long before he died by suicide in 2019.

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The Justice Department said it was disclosing more than 3 million pages of documents, as well as thousands of videos and photos, as required by a law passed by Congress. By Friday evening, more than 600,000 documents had been published online. Millions of files that prosecutors had identified as potentially subject to release under the law remain under wraps, however, drawing criticism from Democrats.

Here’s what we know so far about the files now being reviewed by a team of Associated Press reporters:

Epstein talked politics with Steve Bannon, ex-Obama official

The documents show Epstein exchanged hundreds of friendly texts with Steve Bannon, a top advisor to President Donald Trump, some months before Epstein’s death.

They discussed politics, travel and a documentary Bannon was said to be planning that would help salvage Epstein’s reputation.

In March 2019, Bannon asked Epstein if he could supply his plane to pick him up in Rome.

A couple of months later, Epstein messaged to Bannon: “Now you can understand why trump wakes up in the middle of the night sweating when he hears you and I are friends.”

The context is unclear from the documents, which were released with many redactions and little clear organization.

Another 2018 exchange focused on Trump’s threats at the time to oust Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, whom he had named to the post just the year prior.

Around the same time, Epstein also communicated with Kathy Ruemmler, a lawyer and former Obama White House official. In a typo-filled email, he warned that Democrats should stop demonizing Trump as a Mafia-type figure even as he derided the president as a “maniac.”

Bannon did not immediately respond to a message from the AP seeking comment. Ruemmler said through a spokesperson she was associated with Epstein professionally during her time as a lawyer in private practice and now “regrets ever knowing him.”

He also chatted with Elon Musk and Howard Lutnick about island visits

Billionaire Tesla founder Elon Musk emailed Epstein in 2012 and 2013 about visiting his infamous island compound, the scene of many allegations of sexual abuse.

Epstein inquired in an email about how many people Musk would like flown by helicopter, and Musk responded it would likely be just him as his partner at the time. “What day/night will be the wildest party on our island?” he wrote, according to the Justice Department records.

It’s not immediately clear if the island visits took place. Spokespersons for Musk’s companies, Tesla and X, didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment Friday.

Musk has maintained that he repeatedly turned down the disgraced financier’s overtures. “Epstein tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED,” he posted on X in 2025

Epstein also invited Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to the island in Dec. 2012. Lutnick’s wife enthusiastically accepted the invitation and said they would arrive on a yacht with their children. The two also had drinks on another occasion in 2011, according to a schedule. Six years later, they emailed about the construction of a building across the street from both of their homes.

Lutnick has distanced himself from Epstein, calling him “gross” and saying in 2025 that he cut ties decades ago. He didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment on Friday afternoon.

The records also have new details on Epstein’s incarceration and suicide

Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges in July 2019, and found dead in his cell just over a month later.

The latest batch of documents includes emails between investigators about Epstein’s death, including an investigator’s observation that his final communication doesn’t look like a suicide note. Multiple investigations have determined that Epstein’s death was a suicide.

The records also detail a trick that jail staffers used to fool the media gathered outside while Epstein’s body was removed: they used boxes and sheets to create what appeared to be a body and loaded it into a white van labeled as belonging to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The reporters followed the van when it left the jail, not knowing that Epstein’s actual body was loaded into a black vehicle, which departed “unnoticed,” according to the interview notes.

Associated Press reporters across the country contributed to this story, including Michael R. Sisak and Philip Marcelo in New York, Cal Woodward in Washington, Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, and Meg Kinnard in South Carolina.

Trump administration approves new arms sales to Israel worth $6.67 billion

South Florida Local News - Fri, 01/30/2026 - 17:37

By MATTHEW LEE

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has approved a massive new arms sales package to Israel totaling $6.67 billion, including 30 Apache attack helicopters and related equipment and weapons, as well as 3,250 light tactical vehicles.

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The State Department announced the four separate sales to Israel late Friday amid rising tensions in the Middle East over the possibility of U.S. military strikes in Iran.

The sales also were announced as President Donald Trump pushes ahead with his ceasefire plan for Gaza that is intended to end the Israel-Hamas conflict and reconstruct and redevelop the Palestinian territory after two years of war left it devastated, with tens of thousands dead.

The Apache helicopters, which will be equipped with rocket launchers and advanced targeting gear, are the biggest part of the total package, coming to $3.8 billion, according to the State Department, which notified Congress of its approval of the sales on Friday.

The next largest portion is the light tactical vehicles, which will be used to move personnel and logistics “to extend lines of communication” for the Israel Defense Forces and will cost $1.98 billion, it said.

Israel will spend an additional $740 million on power packs for armored personnel carriers it has had in service since 2008, the department said. The remaining $150 million will be spent on a small but unreported number of light utility helicopters to complement similar equipment it already has, it said.

In separate but nearly identical statements, the department said none of the new sales would affect the military balance in the region and that all of them would “enhance Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats by improving its ability to defend Israel’s borders, vital infrastructure, and population centers.”

“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” the statements said.

Polly Cooper, an Oneida woman who helped save Washington’s army, is honored on $1 coin

South Florida Local News - Fri, 01/30/2026 - 17:28

By SAVANNAH PETERS

EDGEWOOD, N.M. (AP) — The reverse side of the U.S. Mint’s 2026 Sacagawea $1 coin will feature Polly Cooper, a woman from the Oneida tribe known for helping George Washington’s Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

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The release of the coin this week coincides with celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It recognizes Cooper’s role in a 1778 relief expedition from Oneida territory in what is now central New York to the rebel troops’ winter encampment in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, where they were facing a food and supply crisis.

“Polly Cooper symbolizes courage that is not just found on the battlefield but in compassion and willingness to help others, which is just a part of Oneida culture and hospitality,” said Ray Halbritter, a representative of the Oneida Indian Nation of New York.

Cooper and a delegation of 47 Oneida warriors carried bushels of white corn on the long, cold trek to feed the starving soldiers. According to Oneida oral tradition, Cooper intervened to prevent Washington’s hungry soldiers from eating the white corn raw, which would have made them sick. She taught them how to prepare hulled corn soup.

The coin features Cooper offering a basket of corn to Washington, a design that Halbritter said his community worked on closely with the U.S. Mint. The other side depicts Sacagawea, a young Native American woman who was a crucial guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition.

It’s the latest release under the Native American $1 Coin Program, established by a 2007 act of Congress to commemorate individual Native Americans and tribes.

Past coins have featured Osage prima ballerina Maria Tallchief; Jim Thorpe of the Sac and Fox Nation who was an Olympic champion and multi-sport professional athlete; and landmark historical events like the signing of the 1778 treaty with the Delaware, the first of over 400 treaties negotiated between the United States and Native nations, although not all were ratified.

Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, said the program highlights those who helped establish a country grounded in freedom and self-determination.

Meanwhile, some coin designs previously authorized in anticipation of the 250th anniversary have been scrapped by President Donald Trump’s administration, including coins that would have featured suffragettes who pushed to give women the right to vote and civil rights icon Ruby Bridges.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury, which oversees the U.S. Mint, did not respond to a request for comment.

The Oneida Indian Nation of New York calls itself “America’s first ally.” It broke with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in allying with the Continental Army “at great sacrifice,” Halbritter said. The alliance made the Oneida a target for retaliation by the British and other Haudenosaunee nations. By the end of the Revolution, as much as a third of the tribe’s population had perished.

“In the long run, the Oneida don’t fare any better than tribes that sided with the British,” said Dartmouth College professor Colin Calloway, an expert on Indigenous history during the revolutionary era.

Calloway said a desire to separate Native people from their land was one force that “catapulted” Americans into revolution, and that millions of acres (hectares) of Oneida territory were seized by the state of New York and private land speculators in the decades following the war. This eventually led to the displacement of many Oneida to reservations in Wisconsin and Ontario, Canada.

Like popular historical narratives around Sacagawea and the first encounters between Wampanoag people and the pilgrims, Calloway said Cooper’s story could be co-opted to signify a “benign, reciprocal relationship” that never truly existed between American settlers and Indigenous people.

Still, the coin commemorates what Oneidas consider their pivotal role in the nation’s struggle for independence.

“The whole country reaps the benefit of Polly Cooper’s conduct because we won the conflict and the United States was born,” Halbritter said.

Daily Horoscope for January 31, 2026

South Florida Local News - Fri, 01/30/2026 - 17:00
General Daily Insight for January 31, 2026

Minor adjustments can bring surprising ease and clarity. Today’s main event is another quincunx, this one between thoughtful Venus and blustery Jupiter at 4:39 AM EST. We may notice a mismatch between desire and opportunity that asks for gentle edits in different corners of life. Rather than forcing results, we can revise our approaches a little bit at a time to avoid frustration. By afternoon, the emotional Moon trines disciplined Saturn, which steadies our conversations and guides us toward results that actually function.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

What support would make teamwork easier now? Your 11th House of Community brightens as connection-focused Venus quincunxes Jupiter, urging flexible expectations with your wider circle. If a group project bumps into a family errand, simplifying your plans could avoid further clashes. Check the basics first, especially team logistics, then take point so others can follow your pace without friction. Even as home priorities tug, warmth and patience keep everyone on your side through this shift. Wherever you’re at, flexibility earns lasting trust.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Keep putting one foot in front of the other — you’ll get there! Venus and Jupiter are involved in a rough quincunx that could put you in the spotlight with little warning. A supervisor or client may request a late change, or a neighbor could have a sudden issue with an outdoor project of yours. Be open about your plans and the logic behind them. Small edits or explanations to outsiders could gain you fresh allies while safeguarding the progress you’ve already made.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Progress arrives through flexible thinking and conversation. Exploration calls as pleasure-seeking Venus forms a quincunx to jovial Jupiter, activating your 9th House of Learning with a nudge to adjust expensive plans. A course or trip plan may strain your savings, but doing some price comparisons or hunting down discounts can ease the strain. Your quick mind thrives when you trade ideas with a trusted guide — you never know when casual chats will reveal smarter routes. Invest wisely, because learning grows lifelong freedom.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Your instincts can currently inform smart money moves. Compassionate Venus angles off auspicious Jupiter, spotlighting your 8th House of Generous Intimacy, which could signal adjustments around trust and money. Someone close may suggest pooling expenses, which could have many benefits. Even so, be sure to check that the terms respect everyone’s comfort levels. Because you feel everything deeply, write down your needs before the talk, then keep your tone warm to reduce defensiveness. Straightforward questions strengthen closeness and keep trust steady.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

When desires misalign with growth, choose grace. Partnerships deserve thoughtfulness as romantic Venus pokes jolly Jupiter, activating your 7th House of Connections and your 12th House of Karma. If a loved one wants quiet while you crave attention, propose a cozy check-in over your favorite snacks at home, then plan playtime for tomorrow. Your natural warmth glows when you listen deeply, then share your creative ideas without pressure, so the moment stays light. Lead with heart — that’s what keeps love playful.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

What’s your most recent habit? Once you’ve identified that, it’s time to think about whether or not it serves your life goals. With today’s Venus-Jupiter quincunx, you might notice the cost of those extra five minutes in bed each morning over time. Little delays add up! At work, a co-worker might invite you to lunch just as a deadline tightens, so you may need to reschedule to protect your flow. Resetting your workspace with some quick tidying could also improve your focus.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

You can be honest with them — whoever “they” are in your life. Venus and Jupiter are angling off each other from your playful 5th house and your business zone, which could draw your attention to the boundaries between fun and work. If work demands spill into game night or studio time, make an effort to protect an hour for self-expression. Your diplomacy shines when you acknowledge life’s disparate needs, propose a fair middle path, and keep smiling as you ensure that path actually works.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Certain aspects of your soul are ready to surface. Needy Venus snubs Jupiter, activating your homey 4th house and your idealistic 9th house. This is an invitation to reset your space, inside and out. If your home is set up for a past version of yourself, this is the day to change that. How does the person you want to become move about their domicile? There’s probably at least one thing you can update, and if there isn’t, some home tidying should be equally satisfying.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Social tension doesn’t have to be a bad thing right now — you can actually utilize it quite well. As stubborn Venus corroborates over-the-top Jupiter, you could be fielding some overly pointed questions. Conversely, you could be asking some questions that may not be in your wheelhouse! Any chats about delicate topics may feel awkward, so begin with appreciation and keep questions open to invite honest replies. Make an effort to accept the truth for what it is, whether or not you like hearing it.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Your comfort zone may not be able to contain your latest commitments. The cautious quincunx between Venus and Jupiter today impacts your resource zone and your partnership arena, which means that your needs might not match up with those of your peers. Some practical, respectful adjustments could be necessary throughout the day. Whether it involves a partner, client, or friend, you can find success by walking them through your budget’s benefits and downsides. You’re choosing the path that supports long‑term goals while preserving goodwill.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Every day is a fresh beginning — today, more than most. Darling Venus in your sign is adapting to Jupiter in your practical 6th house, allowing you another chance to adapt to your ever-changing world. Be wary of work situations that restrict your self-expression even when off the clock. If you need to work in a very controlled environment for the moment, don’t let it get you down. You can uphold your values, even if you can’t express yourself as much as you’d prefer.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Certain people can’t be trusted with your tender core at this time. Quiet healing calls as compassionate Venus redirects lucky Jupiter, guiding your 12th House of Solitude to coexist with your 5th House of Parties. If you’ve planned a bit too much to do today, it’s okay to cancel something to give yourself room to breathe. You can journal for a while, then take a slow walk, then return ready to jump in with both feet! Give yourself enough space to recharge.

Moira Rose, Delia Deetz, Cookie Fleck and Kevin’s mom: Catherine O’Hara’s memorable roles

South Florida Local News - Fri, 01/30/2026 - 16:55

By JOCELYN NOVECK

Now is certainly not the time for pettifogging. But can we confabulate about the comic brilliance of Catherine O’Hara?

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These radically arcane words, like so many others, dripped off the gifted comedian’s tongue so silkily as Moira, her singularly eccentric matriarch in “Schitt’s Creek,” that you laughed well before you wondered what the heck they meant. (For the record: “pettifogging” means to emphasize petty details, and “confabulate” simply means to talk.)

But conversely, O’Hara, who died Friday at 71, could make a ho-hum phrase utterly hilarious. As when she desperately declared, trying a bit of line-cutting in the crowded “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” afterlife waiting room: “I have global entry!”

And for something even more concise, how about her simple, one-word line reading of “KEVIN!!!” — the child she kept leaving behind in the “Home Alone” movies?

In any case, as Moira would say, don’t be a dewdropper (a lazybones.) Here are some indelible O’Hara roles to catch up on:

Moira in “Schitt’s Creek” (2015-2020)

The commercial that Moira Rose films for local vintner Herb Ertlinger’s fruit wine starts out reasonably well. Until she tries to pronounce the product’s name.

“Herb Ervlinger. Erv Herblinger. Bing Liveheinger,” she intones, inebriated, in a virtuosic scene that recalls Lucille Ball in her Vitameatavegamin ad.

Moira, a career-capping (and Emmy-winning) role in the comedy created by Eugene and son Dan Levy, brought O’Hara legions of new fans — and elevated a new vocabulary. She discovered much of it in obscure word books, she said.

This image released by Pop TV shows, from left, Annie Murphy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara and Dan Levy from the series “Schitt’s Creek.” (Pop TV via AP)

O’Hara told The Associated Press she’d created the character by thinking of women married to wealthy men — women who wanted to be seen as special, in their own right. Her unique look included a series of eccentric wigs. “I knew a woman who would have dinner parties at her house and she would keep disappearing and coming back with different wigs. And she would appear like, ‘Tada’” — Whatever Moira was feeling on a particular day would dictate what kind of wig she would wear.”

“Schitt’s Creek” is available to rent on various platforms.

Delia in “Beetlejuice” (1988) and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (2024)

Thirty-six years after the first “Beetlejuice,” Tim Burton retuned with a 2024 sequel. Why, you ask? Well, here’s one really good reason: O’Hara.

Her Delia Deetz, the narcissistic artist stepmom of Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz, was a supporting character who stole the whole show.

Catherine O’Hara as Delia in the movie “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” (Warner Bros./TNS)

To sample her comic timing, just take the quick scene where Delia, mounting a gallery show where she herself is the canvas, notifies Lydia: “You father has left me.”

“He’s divorcing you? Lydia asks. “What a horrible thought!” replies a shocked Delia. (Beat). “No, he’s dead.”

The “Beetlejuice” movies are available to rent on various platforms.

Kate McAllister in “Home Alone” (1990) and “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992)

OK, motherhood is chaotic. It’s hard to keep track of everything. Things can mistakenly be left at home. A child, even.

Once.

But, twice? That’s iconic.

Catherine O’Hara, left, and Macaulay Culkin in “Home Alone.” Culkin mourned his “Home Alone” co-star O’Hara after her death Friday at age 71. (IFA Film/ZUMA Press Wire/TNS)

On the plane in that first “Home Alone” movie, Kate tells her husband she has a terrible feeling she forgot something. “Did I turn off the coffee?” “Did you lock up?” And then, the awful realization: “KEVIN!”

Kate had changed her hair into a stylish bob — but apparently hadn’t updated her mothering skills — two years later when, in the sequel, Kevin again was discovered missing, at the Miami airport. This time, O’Hara’s “KEVIN!” was squealed at a high pitch — accompanied by her falling backwards, unconscious.

Those moments allowed O’Hara, in a mostly straight role, to add bits of signature zaniness. But the reunion scenes with Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) were heartwarming, and it was hard to not tear up when she apologized and said: “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”

“Mama, I thought we had time,” Culkin said on Instagram Friday, alongside an image from “Home Alone.”

The “Home Alone” movies are available on Disney+ and can be rented on various platforms.

Cookie in “Best In Show” (2000)

We have 80 episodes of “Schitt’s Creek” to see the brilliant synergy between O’Hara and Eugene Levy, but If you want to see their early magic, look no further than Cookie and Gerry Fleck, the married dogowners in Christopher Guest’s classic mockumentary “Best In Show.”

370100 06: Eugene Levy, left, and Catherine O”Hara star in Castle Rock Entertainment’s film, “Best In Show.” (Photo by Wren Maloney/Online USA)

For example, when Cookie and Gerry sing an ode to their beloved Norwich Terrier.

O’Hara, for one, sings in a musical key that sounds too high to actually exist on this planet.

“God loves a terrier, yes he does” they sing. “God didn’t miss a stitch, Be a dog or be a bitch. When he made the Norwich merrier with its cute little derriere; Yes, God loves a terrier.”

“Best in Show” is available to rent on various platforms.

Judge calls Justice Department’s statements on slavery exhibit display ‘dangerous’ and ‘horrifying’

South Florida Local News - Fri, 01/30/2026 - 16:49

By MARYCLAIRE DALE

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A federal judge warned Justice Department lawyers on Friday that they were making “dangerous” and “horrifying” statements when they said the Trump Administration can decide what part of American history to display at National Park Service sites.

The sharp exchange erupted during a hearing in Philadelphia over the abrupt removal of an exhibit on the history of slavery at the site of the former President’s House on Independence Mall.

The city, which worked in tandem with the park service on the exhibit two decades ago, was stunned to find workers this month using crowbars to remove outdoor plaques, panels and other materials that told the stories of the nine people who had been enslaved there. Some of the history had only been unearthed in the past quarter-century.

“You can’t erase history once you’ve learned it. It doesn’t work that way,” said Senior U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe, an appointee of President George W. Bush.

Show Caption1 of 4A person moves to photograph the location of the now removed explanatory panels that were part of an exhibit on slavery at President’s House Site in Philadelphia, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Expand

The removal followed President Donald Trump’s executive order “restoring truth and sanity to American history” at the nation’s museums, parks and landmarks. In Philadelphia, the materials were put in a pickup truck and then into storage, leading Rufe to voice concerns about whether they were damaged.

“Although many people feel strongly about this (exhibit) one way, other people may disagree or feel strongly another way,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory in den Berken.

“Ultimately,” he said, “the government gets to choose the message it wants to convey.”

Rufe swiftly cut him off.

“That is a dangerous statement you are making. It is horrifying to listen to,” she said. “It changes on the whims of someone in charge? I’m sorry, that is not what we elected anybody for.”

Rufe heard hours of testimony Friday from former city officials who had helped plan the exhibit, and said the city had kicked in $1.5 million toward the project. She plans to visit both the storage area and the site before ruling on the city’s request to have the exhibit restored. But she asked the Justice Department lawyers to ensure that nothing else is disturbed.

In den Berken said the Park Service routinely changes its exhibits and tours, and argued that the government cannot be forced to tell a certain story. But lawyers for the city and other advocates said the park service does not have “carte blanche” to interpret the nation’s history as it sees fit.

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The exhibit includes biographical details about the nine people enslaved by George and Martha Washington at the presidential mansion. Now, only their names — Austin, Paris, Hercules, Christopher Sheels, Richmond, Giles, Oney Judge, Moll and Joe — remain engraved into a cement wall.

Michael Coard, an attorney representing one of the advocacy groups supporting the exhibit, said the president was ignoring the power held by Congress, the judiciary and the American people.

“It’s one thing to whisper that type of dictatorial power. But to send lawyers into a public courtroom to make that argument is absolutely frightening,” he said. “I’m really worried about the state of America.”

Rufe said she planned to rule quickly, noting the surge of visitors expected to visit the nation’s birthplace this year to mark its 250th anniversary of being founded.

Residents who have visited the site have shed tears, left flowers and left a handmade sign that said “Slavery was real.”

Young people are protesting ICE and reenacting immigration raids in online gaming platform Roblox

South Florida Local News - Fri, 01/30/2026 - 16:36

By KAITLYN HUAMANI

Roblox, the online gaming platform wildly popular with children and teenagers, is the “ultimate virtual universe” where users can “be anything you can imagine,” according to the platform’s website. Recently, some young users have been imagining themselves as Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

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Some users have donned ICE gear and carried out “raids” on a popular roleplaying game within Roblox. Other young people on the platform have taken to the virtual streets with signs in their avatar’s hands in protest, expressing sentiments like “We hate ICE” (all signs are free of expletives, of course, which are banned on Roblox).

A TikTok account sharing videos of such raid reenactments and protests has racked up millions of views in recent weeks. Much of the gameplay involving raids appears to be taking place on a private server within the Brookhaven roleplaying game, which is one of Roblox’s most popular and widely played games.

Protests against ICE and immigration raid reenactments within the vast world of Roblox are not new. Video clips of such behavior on the gaming platform cropped up on social media last summer when “No Kings” protests were being held across the country, largely in response to increased immigration enforcement. But the resurgence of such content on social media and within the game suggests young people are responding to the government’s immigration operation in Minnesota and the strong resistance they’ve been met with by protesters.

This behavior, particularly the digital protests, could be a healthy way for children and teens to cope with news they’re seeing about immigration enforcement, according to Giovanni Ramos, an assistant professor of clinical science at the University of California, Berkeley. But roleplaying the raids could be more worrisome — and they go against Roblox’s own rules.

A Roblox spokesperson said Friday that the reenactments of immigration raids are in violation of the platform’s community standards and said the company takes “swift action against users found to be violating” those policies. The user guidelines state that Roblox prohibits content that “recreates specific real-world sensitive events, mocks the victims of such events, supports, glorifies, or promotes the perpetrators or outcome of such events or capitalizes on these events for commercial purposes.”

Roblox uses a multi-layered approach in enforcing community standards, with a combination of human moderators, user reports and advanced AI models. The company encouraged users in its statement to report any behavior or content that goes against our community standards so it can “investigate and take immediate action.”

“No system is perfect, but we work to strengthen our user protections every day,” the spokesperson said.

Ramos said these virtual raid reenactments could “minimize the emotional impact that immigrant youth are experiencing by being exposed to this chronic stressor,” and they may be invalidating the emotions of kids who are especially impacted if the raids are seen as fodder for jokes.

Still, he thinks in many cases, those taking on the role of immigration officers on the platform and carrying out raids could just be doing so out of curiosity. “It could be youth exploring what they’re seeing in the news or what they hear adults talking about at home and trying to make sense of those experiences,” Ramos said.

The protests and demonstrations on Roblox could also be a way children are seeking out social support, Ramos added. They are “creating community and connecting with people who actually are going through similar things, who might understand their emotional experiences,” he said.

That kind of connection is valuable and shouldn’t be dismissed, Ramos said. “That can really be a lifeline.”

SoundGround Homes Enhances Home Inspection Services in Northern California - Lohud

Home Inspection - Fri, 01/30/2026 - 07:26
SoundGround Homes Enhances Home Inspection Services in Northern California  Lohud
 
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