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, Washington Post, The Message Box, Politico, Newsweek, Meidas+, NBC News, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The Daily Caller, The Atlantic, New Republic, al.com, Civil Discourse …, Raw Story, RedState, The Independent, The New World, The National Pulse, CNN, Townhall, Newsbusters, NPR, IJR and twitchy.com
RELATED:
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
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.
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:
MSNBC, The Guardian, New York Post, HuffPost, The Wrap, KDFX-TV and CNBC, more at Mediagazer »
Matt Margolis / PJ Media:
Democrats Released Three Cherrypicked Epstein Emails... So the GOP Released 20,000 — Democrats thought they had a winning hand when they released three carefully selected Jeffrey Epstein emails on Wednesday morning. The timing was no accident. With their caucus still reeling …
Discussion:
New York Post, New York Times, Vox, Popular Information, Salt Lake Tribune, NPR, Sydney Morning Herald, El País, The Sun, RedState, Newsweek, New Republic, Straight Arrow News and LGBTQ Nation
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, The Hill, New Republic, The American Saga, LGBTQ Nation, HuffPost and Newsweek
Zeteo:
‘This Sucks’: Trump and the GOP Thought They Survived the Epstein Scandal. It's Back
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, New Republic, The Wrap, New York Post, twitchy.com, The Gateway Pundit, France 24, The Daily Caller, PoliticusUSA, Raw Story, Al Jazeera, HOWL, Mediaite, Newsweek, The Free Press, WAMU, The Guardian, The Floridian, CBS News, Axios and NBC News
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
Jennifer Bendery / HuffPost:
Trump Rages About Newly Released Epstein Emails, Signs Bill Ending Historic Shutdown: Live Updates
Trump Rages About Newly Released Epstein Emails, Signs Bill Ending Historic Shutdown: Live Updates
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, The Wrap, Megyn Kelly, New York Post, NBC News and Althouse
Jill Filipovic:
The Dogs That Haven't Barked — The Trump administration is a regime of restoring male power.
Politico:
Latest Epstein files knock White House on it heels
Latest Epstein files knock White House on it heels
Discussion:
The Guardian, New York Daily News, Los Angeles Times and Syracuse Post-Standard
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, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Salon, Newsweek 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.
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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, Washington Examiner, Newsweek, The Gateway Pundit and NewsMax.com
RELATED:
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, emptywheel and Above the Law
RELATED:
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:
Associated Press, Axios, New York Times, Washington Examiner, Wall Street Journal, CBS News, Daily Mail, Roll Call, The Daily Signal, MSNBC, Los Angeles Times, UPI, IJR, NewsMax.com, Washington Times, NBC News, Bloomberg, Raw Story, Straight Arrow News, New York Post, The Gateway Pundit, The Hill, The National Pulse, Fox News, ABC News and Newsweek
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.
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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 and The Guardian
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, Axios, New Republic, NewsMax.com, The Daily Caller, 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
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
Mariana Alfaro / Washington Post:
Sen. Fetterman hospitalized after collapsing near home due to heart issue — In a statement, the freshman senator's office said Fetterman is “doing well and receiving routine observation at the hospital.” — Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) was hospitalized in Pittsburgh following …
Discussion:
Scripps News, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, The Independent and israelhayom.com
RELATED:
Kathryn Watson / CBS News:
Fetterman hospitalized after fall near his Pennsylvania home
Fetterman hospitalized after fall near his Pennsylvania home
Discussion:
The Hill, NBC News, New York Times, CNN, Politico, Straight Arrow News, Axios, NOTUS, Washington Examiner, One America News Network, Fox News, New Republic, LevittownNow.com, New York Post, Raw Story, ABC News, Spotlight PA, The Guardian, KING-TV, RedState, Townhall, TMZ.com, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, Joe.My.God., FOX 11 Los Angeles, New York Daily News, WHYY, Washington Times, Mediaite, Blaze Media and 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 and The Daily Signal
United States Department of State:
Designations of Antifa Ost and Three Other Violent Antifa Groups — Today, the Department of State announces the designation of Antifa Ost, Informal Anarchist Federation/International Revolutionary Front, Armed Proletarian Justice, and Revolutionary Class Self-Defense as Specially Designated …
Discussion:
The Hill, RedState, Associated Press, New York Post, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, The Daily Signal, Ken Klippenstein, The Daily Caller and Deseret News
RELATED:
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:
Reuters, The Hill, CBS News, New York Post, BBC, The Wrap, Metro.co.uk, Associated Press, The Sun, Variety, Reason, Fox News, Telegraph, Bloomberg, The Gateway Pundit and NewsMax.com, more at Mediagazer »
Politico:
Rubio instructs US diplomats to consider obesity as a cause for rejecting visas … KFF Health News was first to report on the missive. — Adult obesity increases the risk of conditions including high blood pressure, breathing problems, gallstones and gall bladder disease, according to the cable …
Discussion:
Washington Post and Straight Arrow 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
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
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, The Daily Caller, Fox News and Axios
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
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:
Law Dork, New York Daily News, UPI, Associated Press, NonDoc and TheGrio
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, The Hill, NewsMax.com and Daily Mail
Will Sommer / The Bulwark:
Kash Patel's Girlfriend Is Driving MAGA Nuts — FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL'S RELATIONSHIP with country music “sensation” Alexis Wilkins (his word, not mine) has infuriated a legion of right-wing media figures who once counted Patel as an ally. — Pro-Trump pundits don't care …
Discussion:
The Hill, New York Sun and Newsweek
Wired:
Jeffrey Epstein Claimed Intimate Knowledge of Donald Trump's Views in Texts With Bill Gates Adviser — In text messages from 2017, Jeffrey Epstein seemingly represented himself as positioned to pass information from the Trump White House to Bill Gates through an intermediary.
Discussion:
Reason, Salon, Raw Story and New York Times
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

