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What JFK, MLK, RFK Releases Could Mean

What JFK, MLK, RFK Releases Could Mean

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James Kratch
January 24, 2025

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In Today’s Brief

Texas: Cops shot
Panama: China cozying
House: Trump bill
Mitsubishi: No merger
NFL: Conference championships

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1) Curtain falls

President Donald Trump has ordered the release of long-secret files on some of America's darkest days.

The news: Trump signed an executive order declassifying all remaining secret documents regarding the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "Everything will be revealed," the president said.
Next steps: A plan to release the JFK records must be presented to Trump within 15 days. Officials have 45 days to draft plans for the MLK and RFK docs.
Key context: The vast majority of the JFK assassination files are already public, but Trump (during his first term) and former President Joe Biden both blocked the release of some documents on national security grounds. Trump has indicated he will now release all remaining documents. Some MLK records may require a court order to be released after a federal judge sealed them until 2027 in a 1977 ruling.
Big picture: All three assassinations have long been the subject of conspiracy theories and speculation. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, has said he believes the CIA may have been involved in the killings of his father and uncle. Some believe the FBI had a role in King's death. But experts say it is unlikely any released documents will contain significant revelations.

2) Pressure game

Trump appears to be spoiling for a showdown with the Federal Reserve.

What happened: The president said he would "demand that interest rates drop immediately" during a virtual address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He said he expects the Fed to listen to him and would speak to Chairman Jerome Powell "at the right time."
Key context: Trump believes presidents should have a say in the central bank's policy decisions. That conflicts with the Fed's long-standing independence above the political fray. Moreover: the Fed has made it clear it does not think the economy is ready for more rate cuts.
Big picture: It is unlikely Trump will get his way. He legally cannot fire Powell or any other Fed governor and any perception of political influence on guidance would rock the markets. Trump's policies, such as tariffs, may also create a more difficult inflationary environment for the Fed to consider rate cuts.

3) Oscar nods

Nominations for the 97th Academy Awards were announced yesterday after being delayed due to the wildfires in California.

The leaders: Emilia Perez received the most nominations with 13. That is a new record for the most received by a non-English-language movie. The Brutalist and Wicked each received 10 nominations. The program will be hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien and held as scheduled on March 2 in Los Angeles.
The notables: Demi Moore received her first-ever Oscar nomination for Best Actress in The Substance and Arianna Grande got a Best Supporting Actress nod for Wicked. Former Succession co-stars Kieran Culkin and Jeremy Strong headlined the Best Supporting Actor race; Strong played Roy Cohn in The Apprentice, a biopic about President Donald Trump. Sebastian Stan was nominated for Best Actor for playing the president.
Record watch: Cynthia Erivo, 38, is nominated for Best Actress in Wicked. A win would make her the youngest person in history to achieve EGOT status and win Academy, Emmy, Grammy and Tony Awards.

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U.S. News

Seven cops were shot after responding to an emergency call in Texas. All of the San Antonio Police officers suffered non-life-threatening wounds; the gunman died after a lengthy standoff, but it is unclear if he committed suicide or was killed by cops (More)
President Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in Seattle. U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour called the decree "blatantly unconstitutional;" it seeks to re-interpret the language of the 14th Amendment (More)
The morning-after pill could be repurposed at a higher dosage as an abortion drug, according to a new study. The research found ulipristal acetate combined with misoprostol is as effective as using the latter with mifepristone, which some states are trying to restrict (More)

World News

Panama severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan and established them with China. President Trump has claimed Beijing is interfering with the Panama Canal, one of his reasons for suggesting a return to U.S. control of the critical waterway (More)
Trump wants the U.S., China and Russia to open talks on reducing nuclear arsenals. He also expressed hope China will help persuade the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine (More)
The British man who killed three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class received a minimum 52-year sentence. Eight other children and two adults were injured in the Southport stabbing attack, which sparked protests and riots (More)

Political News

A House Republican proposed long-shot legislation allowing President Trump to seek a third term. Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles' bill would amend the 22nd Amendment and allow presidents who serve non-consecutive terms to seek re-election again (More)
Pete Hegseth's Secretary of Defense nomination will likely reach the Senate floor today. The controversial ex-Fox News host cleared a procedural vote, 51-49; he can lose one more GOP member's support and still be approved (More)
Kamala Harris established an LLC in California, an apparent signal of future political ambitions. Filings said the Pioneer49 organization is an "entity to assist the former vice president" (More)

Business & Markets

Major indexes closed higher yesterday. The Dow Jones rocketed over 400 points (Dow +0.92%, Nasdaq +0.22%, S&P 500 +0.53%).
Mitsubishi will not join the planned Honda-Nissan merger, instead focusing on increased cooperation with its fellow automakers. Nissan is Mitsubishi's top shareholder (More)
Rolls-Royce landed an $11B nuclear submarine deal with the British government. The contract entails designing, production and support services for the reactors that power the submersibles (More)

Entertainment & Sports

The AFC and NFC championship games are Sunday. The two-time reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs will host the Buffalo Bills in the former game; the Philadelphia Eagles host the Washington Commanders in the latter (More)
Horizon: An American Saga -- Chapter 2 will debut next month at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The second installment of Kevin Costner's Western epic series had its theatrical release canceled after the first flopped at the box office (More)
Disney CEO Bob Iger received a $41M pay package last year, a roughly 30% compensation hike. The bulk of the payout was in stock and option awards; he is under contract through 2026 (More)

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