Top Items:
Marc Caputo / Axios:
Epstein files become a fiasco of Trump's own making — Four months ago, President Trump blocked the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Wednesday's disclosure of thousands of Epstein emails showed why. … But they shed new light on the relationship between the two men, with gossipy, unflattering descriptions of Trump by Epstein.
Discussion:
The Contrarian, MSNBC, The Message Box, Washington Post, Politico, Newsweek, Meidas+, NBC News, The Daily Caller, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Raw Story, RedState, The Independent, The New World, New Republic, The National Pulse, USA Today, CNN, The Atlantic, al.com, Civil Discourse …, Townhall, Newsbusters, IJR and twitchy.com
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William Kristol / The Bulwark:
He's Acting Pretty Damn Guilty — Just like that, the shutdown is over. Six Democrats crossed the aisle to help House Republicans get a stopgap bill funding the government over the finish line yesterday evening, and Trump signed it at once last night. “This was an easy extension …
Discussion:
HuffPost, The Independent and The Free Press
Jennifer Bendery / HuffPost:
Trump Rages About Newly Released Epstein Emails, Signs Bill Ending Historic Shutdown: Live Updates — Follow along for live updates about the Trump administration. — President Donald Trump on Wednesday seemed furious over the release of a trove of new documents obtained from the estate of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Discussion:
twitchy.com, Reuters, Raw Story, CBS News, ABC News, Axios and Washington Examiner
Ryan Cooper / American Prospect:
How on Earth Are We Just Now Hearing About Trump's ‘Hours’ With an Epstein Victim? — Well, now we have it. On Wednesday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released another batch of documents related to notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Among them were several emails about Donald Trump.
Discussion:
The Guardian, MSNBC, New York Post, HuffPost, The Wrap, KDFX-TV and CNBC, more at Mediagazer »
Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American:
It turns out Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and House Democrats were right to call it the “Epstein Shutdown” for the last several weeks on social media and in interviews. As Marc Elias of Democracy Docket put it today, while it was clear what the Democrats wanted from the shutdown …
Discussion:
The Status Kuo, Democracy Docket, New York Times, CBS News, New York Post, New Republic, The American Saga, LGBTQ Nation, HuffPost, The Hill and Newsweek
Financial Times:
Jeffrey Epstein's network: ‘Life among the lucrative and louche’ — New documents reveal fresh details about the sex offender's powerful connections — A fresh cache of files from Jeffrey Epstein's estate sheds light on a network of men in politics, media and finance bound by power and access.
Matt Margolis / PJ Media:
Democrats Released Three Cherrypicked Epstein Emails... So the GOP Released 20,000
Discussion:
New York Post, New York Times, Vox, Popular Information, Salt Lake Tribune, NPR, RedState, El País, Newsweek, Sydney Morning Herald, The Sun, New Republic, Straight Arrow News, LGBTQ Nation, WBUR and The Guardian
Media Matters for America:
Steve Bannon is all over the newly released Jeffrey Epstein emails, raising questions about the 15 hours of Epstein interviews he has promised to release
Steve Bannon is all over the newly released Jeffrey Epstein emails, raising questions about the 15 hours of Epstein interviews he has promised to release
Discussion:
PolitiFact, FOX 13 Tampa Bay and The Dean's Report
Erik Wemple / New York Times:
Michael Wolff, Chronicler of Elites, Provided Epstein With Advice on Trump
Michael Wolff, Chronicler of Elites, Provided Epstein With Advice on Trump
Discussion:
ABC News, The Nation, Megyn Kelly, The Wrap, New York Post, Althouse and NBC News
Politico:
Latest Epstein files knock White House on it heels
Latest Epstein files knock White House on it heels
Discussion:
The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News and Syracuse Post-Standard
Hannah Knowles / Washington Post:
Trump faces resistance in MAGA movement over immigration, Epstein
Trump faces resistance in MAGA movement over immigration, Epstein
Discussion:
The Hill, Newsweek, No More Mister Nice Blog and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Jill Filipovic:
The Dogs That Haven't Barked — The Trump administration is a regime of restoring male power.
Wired:
Jeffrey Epstein Claimed Intimate Knowledge of Donald Trump's Views in Texts With Bill Gates Adviser
Jeffrey Epstein Claimed Intimate Knowledge of Donald Trump's Views in Texts With Bill Gates Adviser
Discussion:
New Republic, Bangor Daily News, Climate Depot and Reason
Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
How a 17-Year-Old Girl Became Enmeshed in the Matt Gaetz Scandal — A 17-year-old with a homeless parent wanted money for braces and ended up having sex for money with powerful men. She wants the public to have a fuller understanding of how she was victimized. — She was 17 and a high school junior in Florida.
Discussion:
Raw Story, New Republic, Wonkette, Mediaite, Newsweek, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Salon and The Parnas Perspective
Katherine Doyle / NBC News:
Trump official refers Rep. Eric Swalwell for a federal criminal probe over alleged mortgage fraud — Swalwell is the latest Democrat to face mortgage fraud allegations from Federal Housing Finance Agency head Bill Pulte, who sent a letter to the Justice Department on Wednesday.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, MSNBC, Fox News, Axios, New York Post, Forbes, HotAir, The Hill, Mercury News, Townhall, The Guardian, New Republic, Blaze Media, RedState, American Greatness, Ace of Spades HQ, twitchy.com, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, CBS News, The Independent, NewsMax.com, The Post Millennial, Raw Story, The National Pulse, IJR and Reuters
Jennifer Jacobs / CBS News:
Top officials present Trump with military options for Venezuela in the coming days — Senior military officials on Wednesday presented President Trump with updated options for potential operations in Venezuela, including strikes on land, according to multiple sources familiar with the meetings at the White House.
Discussion:
NOTUS, Reuters, Newsweek, Washington Examiner, The Gateway Pundit, NewsMax.com and Mediaite
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Mark Hertling / The Bulwark:
No, Venezuela Is Not a ‘Small Latin American Country’
No, Venezuela Is Not a ‘Small Latin American Country’
Discussion:
New York Times, Foreign Policy and WBUR
Politico:
Judge appears skeptical of Lindsey Halligan's appointment as interim US attorney … Currie seemed particularly concerned that a portion of the grand jury proceedings that led to Comey's indictment was “missing,” leaving certain aspects of Halligan's interactions with the grand jury unreviewable.
Discussion:
ABC News, New Republic, NOTUS, Raw Story, emptywheel and Above the Law
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Politico:
Halligan in the hot seat as Comey, James move to disqualify her as interim US attorney
Halligan in the hot seat as Comey, James move to disqualify her as interim US attorney
Discussion:
Axios, Associated Press, New York Times, Washington Examiner, Raw Story, CBS News, Wall Street Journal, Daily Mail, Roll Call, UPI, IJR, Washington Times, Bloomberg, Straight Arrow News, Los Angeles Times, New York Post, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Signal, The Hill, The National Pulse, Fox News, NewsMax.com, NBC News, Newsweek, MSNBC and ABC News
Associated Press:
Justice Department sues to block California US House map in clash that could tip control of Congress — The Justice Department on Thursday sued to block new congressional district boundaries approved by California voters last week, joining a court battle that could help determine which party wins control of the U.S. House in 2026.
Discussion:
US Department of Justice, Washington Examiner, New York Magazine, Sacramento Bee, Politico, Washington Post, Axios, Wall Street Journal, Democracy Docket, Bloomberg, The Hill, The Bulwark, NOTUS, Salon, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Deadline, The Guardian, Washington Times, Newsweek, FOX 11 Los Angeles, The National Pulse, UPI and NewsMax.com
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Adam Edelman / NBC News:
Justice Department joins lawsuit over California's redrawn House map
Justice Department joins lawsuit over California's redrawn House map
Discussion:
Washington Post
Gallup:
Record Numbers of Younger Women Want to Leave the U.S. — Desire to migrate among younger American women has quadrupled in the past decade — WASHINGTON, D.C. — For the second straight year, about one in five Americans say they would like to leave the U.S. and move permanently to another country if they could.
Discussion:
Breitbart, Fox News, The National Pulse, New Republic, Axios, NewsMax.com, IJR, The Federalist and Semafor
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Sana Muneer / The Daily Free Press:
BU College Republicans president says he called ICE to ‘detain these criminals’ at Allston Car Wash — The president of Boston University College Republicans wrote on X he called the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement requesting it detain employees at Allston Car Wash, the site of a Nov. 4 raid where nine employees were arrested.
Discussion:
The Boston Globe, WBUR and Boston.com
Washington Post:
U.S. visas can be denied for obesity, cancer and diabetes, Rubio says — Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will consider chronic health conditions and even factors like retirement age as reasons to deny visas to immigrants. — The Trump administration has directed visa officers …
Discussion:
Axios, The Daily Caller and Straight Arrow News
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New York Times:
In Explaining His Gaffe, Heritage Foundation Leader Pleads Ignorance … Kevin D. Roberts is the president of the Heritage Foundation, a powerful think tank at the center of conservative politics. He makes more than $800,000 a year. He manages a budget of $100 million. He has a doctorate in history.
Discussion:
NewsMax.com
Chicago Tribune:
Letter from Chicago broadcast veterans: Federal immigration agents have traumatized us and eroded our rights — You know us. — For years, you watched and listened to our coverage of the Chicago area. As journalists, we did our best to bring you accurate, objective information about the people, events and issues that mattered.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Block Club Chicago and The Daily Signal
Stephanie Saul / New York Times:
Indiana Professor Removed From Class Over White Supremacy Lesson — The professor will no longer be able to teach a class on diversity after she showed students a diagram that included the “Make America Great Again” slogan as an example of white supremacy. — A professor who showed …
Thomas Chatterton Williams / The Atlantic:
The Left's New Moralism Will Backfire — Under Trump, progressives have embraced the rhetoric of “moral clarity.” It won't help their cause. — In the age of MAGA, ideological lines that once distinguished left from right have blurred. Republicans who said they were willing to die …
Pedro Rodriguez / Washington Examiner:
America First Legal adds Byron Donalds as plaintiff in US Census Bureau lawsuit — EXCLUSIVE — America First Legal added Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) on Wednesday as a plaintiff to a lawsuit against the U.S. Census Bureau in an amended complaint. — The lawsuit, filed by the University …
Discussion:
America First Legal and The Daily Caller
Josh Fiallo / The Daily Beast:
Megyn Kelly Eviscerated Over Epstein Remark: ‘This Is Career Ending’ — BEYOND THE PALE — The right-wing host said she did not view the sex trafficker as an “actual pedophile” until recently, among other head-scratching remarks. — Megyn Kelly has been eviscerated for suggesting Jeffrey Epstein …
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Raw Story, Breitbart, The Wrap, Salon, LGBTQ Nation, Newsweek, New Jersey Online, Mediaite, HuffPost and Media Matters for America
Telegraph:
BBC Newsnight also doctored Trump speech — President's legal team accuses corporation of ‘pattern of defamation’ after latest Telegraph revelations — Camilla Tominey , ASSOCIATE EDITOR. Tim Stanley. John Cadigan. Rob Crilly , CHIEF US CORRESPONDENT, IN WASHINGTON DC
Discussion:
BBC, New York Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, New York Sun, The Daily Caller, NewsMax.com, Joe.My.God. and Ace of Spades HQ, more at Mediagazer »
Christine Wang / Axios:
BBC apologizes to President Trump for documentary edit — The BBC apologized to President Trump after criticism over how a documentary edited his Jan. 6 speech, and said it does not plan to rebroadcast the program. … - A lawyer for President Trump had sent a letter to the British broadcaster threatening …
Discussion:
Politico, The Hill, Reuters, Al Jazeera, France 24, CBS News, New York Post, The Wrap, BBC, Metro.co.uk, Variety, Associated Press, The Sun, Fox News, Telegraph, Reason, Bloomberg, The Gateway Pundit and NewsMax.com
Joseph Cox / 404 Media:
Google Has Chosen a Side in Trump's Mass Deportation Effort — Google is hosting a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) app that uses facial recognition to identify immigrants, and tell local cops whether to contact ICE about the person, while simultaneously removing apps designed …
Discussion:
The Stranger
Nature:
Widespread influence of artificial light at night on ecosystem metabolism — Alice S. A. Johnston orcid.org/0000-0001-8781-4039 1, - Jiyoung Kim orcid.org/0009-0009-4448-7969 1 & - Jim A. Harris orcid.org/0000-0001-9266-4979 1 — Nature Climate Change (2025) Cite this article — Abstract
New York Times:
Justice Dept. Struggled to Find Lawyers to Handle Maurene Comey Suit — Ms. Comey sued the Trump administration after she was abruptly fired over the summer, saying the action was retaliation. Federal attorneys in New York City and a Justice Department branch in Washington have declined to handle the case.
Discussion:
NBC News
Gallup:
Drop in U.S. Religiosity Among Largest in World — Religion still more important in U.S. than in many OECD countries — WASHINGTON, D.C. — The 17-point drop in the percentage of U.S. adults who say religion is an important part of their daily life — from 66% in 2015 to 49% today …
Discussion:
Washington Times, UPI, NewsMax.com, Fox News, The Daily Caller and Axios
Jessica Schulberg / HuffPost:
Tremane Wood Receives Last-Minute Clemency, Sparing Him From Execution — His case marks only the second time Gov. Kevin Stitt has commuted a death sentence since entering office in 2019. — MCALESTER, Okla. — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) granted clemency to 46-year-old Tremane Wood on Thursday …
Discussion:
New York Times, Law Dork, UPI, NonDoc, TheGrio, Associated Press, ABC7, New York Daily News and CBS News
ProPublica:
“I Lost Everything”: Venezuelans Were Rounded Up in a Dramatic Midnight Raid but Never Charged With a Crime — On the night of the raid, heavily armed federal agents zip-tied Jhonny Manuel Caicedo Fereira's hands behind his back, marched him out of his Chicago apartment building and put him against a wall to question him.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice and Reuters
The Athletic:
Former Tottenham owner Joe Lewis receives presidential pardon from Donald Trump — Joe Lewis, whose family is the majority shareholder of Tottenham Hotspur, has been given a presidential pardon by President Donald Trump. — Bahamas-based billionaire Lewis pled guilty to insider trading …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, The Guardian, Associated Press, Politico, Orlando Sentinel, The Hill, NewsMax.com, Forbes and Daily Mail
