The Morning Brief: Jeff Sessions Recusal, Jane Fonda and Bitcoin

Good morning. These are today’s top stories:

Sessions recuses himself from Russia probes

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has removed himself from any investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He announced his recusal during a news conference yesterday following calls for his resignation over contact he had with the Russian ambassador during the campaign. Critics also accused Sessions of failing to properly disclose that information during his confirmation hearings. Here’s what Sessions’ recusal means.

President Trump slams ‘witch hunt’

President Donald Trump defended Sessions as an “honest man” who “did not say anything wrong” and blasted Democratic lawmakers in a series of tweets. “He could have stated his response more accurately, but it was clearly not intentional,” Trump wrote about his attorney general. “The Democrats are overplaying their hand. They lost the election, and now they have lost their grip on reality. The real story is all of the illegal leaks of classified and other information. It is a total ‘witch hunt!'”

Jane Fonda says she was sexually abused

Actress Jane Fonda has been raped and was sexually abused as a child, she revealed in a new interview. “I always thought it was my fault — that I didn’t do or say the right thing,” the 79-year-old Grace and Frankie star told The EDIT.

Bitcoin is now more valuable than ounce of gold

For the first time, the cost of one Bitcoin has risen above the cost of an ounce of gold — a significant development even though the two units of measurement are not comparable. Bitcoin surged to $1,289.09 per unit, and gold fell to $1,231.5 per ounce.

Also:

Federal officials raided three Caterpillar facilities in Illinois.

The highly anticipated Nintendo Switch gaming system is now on sale worldwide.

The IRS owes Americans nearly $1 billion in tax refunds from 2013.

A woman is temporarily replacing the iconic Brawny man on the paper towel company’s packaging.

Actor Patrick Stewart says he is applying for American citizenship to fight Trump.

Former President George W. Bush laughed about his inauguration poncho problem on The Ellen Degeneres Show.

The Morning Brief is published Mondays through Fridays. Email Morning Brief writer Melissa Chan at melissa.chan@time.com.