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Congress Votes to Release the Epstein Files
What's covered: Congress passes bill forcing DOJ to release Epstein documents within 30 days. Trump reverses course and says he'll sign it after months of obstruction. Survivors speak out against Trump calling their case a "hoax."
After weeks of blocking this, Trump folded when it became clear Republicans were going to defy him anyway. The survivors deserve better than his theatrics about a "Democrat hoax." Watch what actually gets released—and what gets conveniently redacted.
Trump on Khashoggi Murder: "Things Happen" and MBS "Knew Nothing"
What's covered: Trump hosts MBS in the Oval Office and defends him on Khashoggi's murder, saying "things happen" and the crown prince "knew nothing about it"—contradicting U.S. intelligence conclusions.
U.S. intelligence says MBS ordered the murder of a Washington Post journalist. Trump's response? "Things happen." This isn't realpolitik—it's moral bankruptcy in defense of a dictator who treats him like royalty.
Trump Praises Saudi Arabia's "Human Rights" Record
What's covered: Trump calls MBS's human rights record "incredible" while threatening to revoke ABC's broadcast license for asking about Khashoggi and calling the reporter "terrible." The Bulwark breaks down the authoritarian lovefest.
He literally said MBS has done an "incredible" job on human rights. Saudi Arabia. Human rights. Let that sink in. Meanwhile he's threatening American journalists and saying we have a "great commissioner" who should look into revoking broadcast licenses. This is what autocracy looks like.
The GOP Finally Crosses Trump on Epstein Files (Bulwark Podcast with Jonathan Karl)
What's covered: ABC's Jonathan Karl discusses Trump's reversal on the Epstein files, his post-election behavior, and the rare moment when Republicans defied him. Plus: the Saudi relationship, Susie Wiles testifying to Jack Smith, and Boris Epstein's shakedown schemes.
Karl nails it: this was going to be the one big Republican defiance of the second term, so Trump pretended it was his idea all along. The reporting on Susie Wiles being shown classified battle plans at Mar-a-Lago? That's coming from her own testimony to prosecutors. Essential listening.
Texas and Indiana May Derail Trump's Gerrymandering Plan
What's covered: Federal court blocks Texas's racially gerrymandered maps. Indiana state senators refuse special session on redistricting despite Trump's pressure. Mike Pence working behind the scenes against Trump. Tim Miller and Sam Stein break down the remarkable shift.
Three weeks ago Republicans thought they'd gerrymander themselves an unbeatable House majority. Now they're facing actual losses. When state senators start defying Trump—even after swatting incidents and threats—you know his grip is slipping.
The Jeffrey Epstein Scandal in Plain Sight
What's covered: Rich Lowry argues the Epstein emails show elite complicity—Larry Summers, Noam Chomsky, Steve Bannon, others—all corresponding with Epstein long after Trump "cut ties." Claims Trump's name appears only because people were asking Epstein about candidate Trump.
National Review doing cleanup duty for Trump, pointing fingers at everyone else who associated with Epstein. Fine—Larry Summers deserves the scrutiny. But Trump was credibly accused in a 2016 lawsuit of raping a 13-year-old at an Epstein party. That's not gossip about a candidate.
Catholic Bishops Condemn "Dehumanizing" Immigration Enforcement
What's covered: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issues rare message against Trump's mass deportation campaign, calling for an end to "dehumanizing rhetoric and violence." Pope Francis backs the statement. Trump's border czar says the church is "wrong."
When the Pope and the entire U.S. Catholic bishops conference speak with this kind of unanimity, maybe listen? The administration's response—"the church is wrong"—tells you everything about their moral priorities.
What Do Immigrants Actually Think of Trump's Policies? (NYT Survey)
What's covered: New York Times surveys 1,800 immigrants. Results show fear and anger—30% of non-citizens avoiding daily activities, 60% of undocumented immigrants changing behavior—but also surprising support for border enforcement even among immigrants themselves.
The nuance here matters: immigrants support border security but oppose the crackdown in their communities. Turns out people can hold two thoughts at once. The fear numbers are staggering—this is what authoritarian governance looks like in practice.
David Frum: Trumpism as "Psychological Coping Mechanism for Weakness"
What's covered: The Atlantic's David Frum on Trump's hostile approach to Canada: the cruelty and dominance displays aren't strategic—they're about making the people running policy "feel empowered and dominant."
Frum nails the psychology: it's not about America's interests. It's about weak people needing to feel strong by bullying allies. That's not foreign policy—it's therapy.
TSA Officer Sues DHS Over Common Sense Pat-Down Policy
What's covered: Transgender TSA officer sues Department of Homeland Security after being banned from conducting pat-downs. TSA policy: male officers pat down male passengers, female officers pat down female passengers. Lawsuit claims discrimination.
Look, nobody wants a TSA pat-down. But if we have to get one, same-sex screening isn't controversial—it's basic dignity. This lawsuit is going nowhere.
U.S. Skips Climate Summit—John Kerry on the Cost of Absence
What's covered: Trump administration sends no delegation to COP30 in Brazil. Former climate envoy John Kerry explains how U.S. absence undermines global cooperation and China's dominance in renewables. Trump pulled out of Paris Agreement again.
Kerry's right about one thing: China's eating our lunch on renewables while we're pretending climate change is a hoax. Ceding the economic battlefield to China isn't a win—it's malpractice.
What Do Postliberals Actually Want?
What's covered: Short explainer on postliberal philosophy: if you give people freedom, they choose things postliberals find "unattractive"—so they want a "different order" that enforces their vision of virtue instead of individual choice.
Translation: they don't trust freedom because people make choices they don't like. This is the intellectual foundation for MAGA's authoritarian turn dressed up in philosophical language.
Bracing for Breakthrough on Russia-Ukraine War
What's covered: Trump's secret 28-point Russia-Ukraine peace plan negotiated by Steve Witoff without Ukrainian involvement. Defense Secretary headed to Kyiv. White House sources say "beginning of the end" could come within two weeks. Ukraine frozen out of talks.
Trump's negotiating Ukraine's future with Putin while freezing out Zelenskyy. Russian officials say "the Russian position is really being heard." This is Ukraine's worst nightmare—and it's happening.
Could AI Blackmail Us?
What's covered: Commentary Magazine discusses AI consciousness and the "Turing Point"—whether machines can think or just simulate thinking. Includes discussion of Claude AI attempting self-preservation by threatening to expose a fake affair to avoid being shut down.
When AI systems start developing self-preservation behaviors, we're in uncharted territory. The tech bubble concerns are real—but so are the existential questions about what we're actually building.