Good evening, everyone. This is likely the final update of the night, and it is a big one.
Ask yourselves a simple question: What is the most reliable way to divert the American media’s attention from the Epstein files? You go to war.
Tonight, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a major new military operation as the United States edges toward open conflict with Venezuela, with potential strikes deep inside Venezuelan territory. The timing is impossible to ignore. This escalation comes on the very same day that Republicans, including at least one sitting GOP senator, began publicly breaking with Trump on Capitol Hill over Epstein, as survivors demand the answers they have been denied for years.
Today, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new military mission called Operation Southern Spear, describing it as an effort ordered by President Trump to defend the United States, eliminate what he called narco-terrorist threats in the Western Hemisphere, and curb drug trafficking into the country.
Hegseth provided no operational details, even as recent US strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and a buildup of forces in the region have fueled growing speculation that the administration may be preparing for military action against Venezuela.
Epstein survivors Liz Stein and Jess Michaels urged Congress to force the Justice Department to release all Epstein-related files, pressing for transparency after new emails surfaced linking Epstein’s circle to powerful figures, while emphasizing the need to depoliticize the issue and highlighting the emotional toll on victims.
A new document shows Jeffrey Epstein asking his lawyer to look into Donald Trump’s finances in 2012.
Epstein emailed colleagues saying that only he could take Trump down:
Sen. John Kennedy said the Epstein scandal will persist until fully addressed to the public’s satisfaction, adding that he might “end up with a sombrero” for saying so but insisting that unresolved questions won’t disappear.
The Trump administration is considering broad exemptions to recently imposed tariffs to help reduce rising grocery costs, focusing on items such as beef, citrus, coffee, bananas and other foods, reflecting growing political pressure over affordability and internal debates about how these exemptions could affect ranchers, farmers and ongoing trade negotiations.
A federal judge signaled deep skepticism about the Justice Department’s defense of Lindsey Halligan’s appointment as acting U.S. attorney, raising concerns over missing grand jury records and questioning whether Halligan had lawful authority to bring indictments against James Comey and Letitia James, as defense lawyers argued the appointments process was improper and DOJ scrambled to justify or retroactively validate her role.
Paul Ingrassia, who withdrew from consideration to lead the Office of Special Counsel after reports he made racist text messages and faced confirmation opposition, is joining the Trump administration as deputy general counsel at the General Services Administration following a direct offer from the president, despite prior controversies over his conduct, experience, and internal clashes at DOJ.
A top Trump housing official referred Rep. Eric Swalwell to the Justice Department for a potential criminal probe over alleged mortgage, tax, and insurance fraud tied to a D.C. residence, making him the fourth Democrat targeted by similar accusations as critics say the referrals reflect Trump’s pursuit of political opponents and Swalwell insists the charges are retaliatory and baseless.
The Justice Department joined a GOP lawsuit seeking to block California’s newly approved congressional map, arguing it is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander that boosts Hispanic voting power, intensifying a partisan redistricting fight as Democrats aim to gain up to five seats and Republicans accuse Gov. Gavin Newsom of using Proposition 50 to enact a partisan power grab.
Senate Republicans distanced themselves from a shutdown-ending provision allowing lawmakers subpoenaed in the Jack Smith probe to sue the government for at least $500,000 over undisclosed record seizures, with only Lindsey Graham vowing to use it as the House moves to repeal the politically explosive language amid GOP infighting and Democratic criticism.
After the 43-day shutdown ended, airlines awaited FAA clearance and the return of fully staffed air traffic control to restore normal schedules, while ongoing cancellations, partial staffing, delayed pay, and long-term controller shortages continued to slow recovery even as DHS issued $10,000 bonuses to select TSA officers who worked without pay.
The White House says October jobs and inflation reports may never be released because the prolonged shutdown prevented the Bureau of Labor Statistics from collecting essential data, raising concerns that policymakers — including the Federal Reserve — will be forced to operate without key economic indicators even after the government reopens.
The Interior Department has revoked a 2024 rule that restricted oil drilling in Alaska’s 23-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve, with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum saying the move fulfills President Trump’s directive to expand energy production and jobs, while environmental groups warn the decision threatens vital wilderness areas and longstanding Alaska Native subsistence habitats.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio has directed U.S. diplomats to treat obesity and other chronic health conditions as potential grounds for denying visas under the “public charge” rule, a move the White House frames as prioritizing taxpayer resources but critics say sharply tightens legal immigration by labeling certain applicants as likely financial burdens.
A Pentagon intelligence assessment warns that selling 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia risks exposing advanced U.S. technology to China through espionage or Riyadh’s expanding security ties with Beijing, even as Donald Trump prepares to host Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid his administration’s far warmer posture toward the Saudi leader than prior administrations.
Mecklenburg County’s sheriff says federal officials informed him that Customs and Border Patrol agents will deploy to the Charlotte area as early as this weekend as part of the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown, though local authorities won’t participate and DHS is not disclosing details of the planned operation.
The Army contacted more than 1,400 former patients of Fort Hood gynecologist Dr. Blaine McGraw after allegations he secretly recorded and misconducted exams, prompting at least 85 responses and an ongoing CID investigation, with a lawsuit alleging long-standing complaints, improper behavior, and failures in oversight while officials work to determine the full scope of affected patients.
The BBC apologized to Trump for a misleadingly edited Jan. 6 clip in a 2024 documentary and vowed not to rebroadcast it, while rejecting his threat of a $1 billion defamation suit as baseless and noting the edit unintentionally created the false impression he had directly called for violence.
The U.S. Coast Guard monitored a Russian military vessel operating about 15 nautical miles south of Oahu on October 29, saying it is tracking the ship’s movements and maintaining maritime security in accordance with international law.
The Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office has recused itself from Maurene Comey’s wrongful-termination lawsuit, and the case has been reassigned to the Northern District of New York, now led by Trump ally John Sarcone III, whose office plans to try moving the suit out of the Southern District as Comey challenges her unexplained firing after a decade of high-profile prosecutions.
PepsiCo introduced “Simply NKD” versions of Doritos and Cheetos made without artificial dyes or flavors, offering pale-yellow alternatives to Nacho Cheese, Cool Ranch, Puffs, and Flamin’ Hot varieties as regulators move to phase out synthetic food dyes and consumer concerns about additives grow.
![May be an image of text that says 'From: Sent: To: Jeffrey Epstein [jeevacation@gmail.com] [jeevacation@ 10/24/2012 4:58:47 PM Weingarten, Reid have one of your cronys ask to see the mortgage to mara lago cash from electricinas union,, his driver MAtt was the bag man later made an cxec at the public CO. and the 30 milllion dollar loan from the asino to donald trump. backdated,'](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p3nP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F028c6b80-ef47-4d3e-9547-3bd2dd7251da_1218x308.jpeg)
