House Speaker Mike Johnson, after initially opposing and delaying the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, voted in favor of the bill following pressure from former President Trump. Despite his support, Johnson expressed disappointment with the Senate’s swift approval of the bill without amendments, citing concerns about potential victim identification. The speaker had anticipated Senate amendments, based on prior conversations with Senate leaders, but those hopes were dashed when the bill passed with overwhelming support. Ultimately, the bill’s passage appears imminent, with Trump expected to sign it into law, despite Johnson’s continued reservations about its contents.
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A federal appeals court panel upheld the dismissal of Donald Trump’s $475 million defamation lawsuit against CNN, deeming his claims “unpersuasive” and “meritless.” The lawsuit stemmed from CNN’s use of the term “the Big Lie” to describe Trump’s claims of election fraud, a phrase the court found did not constitute a false statement of fact. The court rejected Trump’s argument, stating that the term was a subjective interpretation of his actions. This marks another legal defeat for Trump in his attempts to sue media outlets over their coverage of his claims.
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During his White House visit, President Donald Trump warmly embraced Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, dismissing U.S. intelligence findings that implicated the Crown Prince in the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump praised Prince Mohammed as an indispensable player in the Middle East and announced Saudi Arabia’s increased investment in the U.S. Furthermore, Trump announced agreements including the sale of F-35 fighter jets, a defense agreement, and designation of Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, despite concerns about human rights and potential conflicts of interest. The visit also aimed to advance the Abraham Accords and normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, though the Saudis insisted on a path to Palestinian statehood first.
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The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill on Tuesday compelling the Justice Department to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein. This decisive action followed months of effort to overcome opposition, including from former President Donald Trump and Republican leadership. Despite initial resistance, the bill garnered significant momentum, leading to its passage in the House and subsequent unanimous consent in the Senate. This legislative victory marks a crucial step in the pursuit of accountability for Epstein’s victims and scrutiny of law enforcement’s handling of the case.
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Mark Epstein, Jeffrey’s brother, seems to be hinting at something significant, doesn’t he? The initial thought is that he should just spill it all. He knows far more than he’s letting on, and it’s natural to wonder why he’s choosing this moment to speak up, especially given the history. We all want answers, and it feels like he’s holding back, which only fuels suspicion.
The core of the matter is the assertion that Jeffrey Epstein had “dirt” on Donald Trump. What level of dirt would really worry someone like Trump? The implication is that this wasn’t just run-of-the-mill gossip; it was something substantial, perhaps even damning.… Continue reading
In response to Donald Trump’s repeated threats of military action against drug cartels in Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum has firmly stated that such intervention “is not going to happen,” citing the historical precedent of the Mexican-American War. Despite Trump’s warnings and claims of being unhappy with Mexico, Sheinbaum maintains that Mexico will not request any foreign intervention. Trump’s threats coincide with the deployment of military assets in the Caribbean, and are seen by analysts as an aggressive approach toward Latin American countries. Trump continues to demand that Mexico do more to reduce the flow of drugs and migrants across the US-Mexico border.
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A federal appeals court panel upheld the dismissal of Donald Trump’s $475 million defamation lawsuit against CNN. The court found Trump’s claims regarding CNN’s use of “the Big Lie” to be “unpersuasive” and determined that the term did not constitute a false statement of fact. The judges, including those nominated by Trump, stated that the term was susceptible to multiple interpretations and that CNN’s use of it, therefore, did not support a defamation claim. This decision is the latest in a series of failed lawsuits by Trump against media outlets reporting on his claims.
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The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a resolution demanding the release of Department of Justice case files related to Jeffrey Epstein. This decision followed the release of Epstein’s emails, some of which mentioned Donald Trump. Despite initial reluctance, and a brief shutdown, the resolution gained momentum, and Trump eventually endorsed the release after previously opposing it. House Speaker Mike Johnson voted in favor of the resolution but expressed concerns about its shortcomings.
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Amidst a vote to compel the full release of FBI files related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett expressed skepticism towards the recent shifts in stance by former President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Initially dismissing the investigation as a “hoax,” Trump now supports the file’s release, prompting Johnson to follow suit, a move Crockett believes is insincere. Crockett suggests that Trump and Republicans aim to stall the release, potentially through the Senate or by using ongoing investigations as a legal justification, despite their public pronouncements. Furthermore, concerns exist, including from Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, that Trump’s call to investigate others involved in the Epstein case may further delay or obstruct the file’s release.
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During a recent meeting in the Oval Office, former President Trump downplayed the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, calling him “extremely controversial” and suggesting that raising the issue was intended to embarrass Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Trump maintained that the Crown Prince was not involved in the murder despite the CIA’s assessment that he likely approved the assassination. In his own defense, the Crown Prince acknowledged the murder was a “huge mistake” and claimed Saudi Arabia conducted a proper investigation. The visit marked the Crown Prince’s first to Washington since before the murder.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood