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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

BBC apologises to Trump over Panorama edit but refuses to pay compensation  —  The BBC has apologised to US President Donald Trump for a Panorama episode that spliced parts of his 6 January 2021 speech together, but rejected his demands for compensation.  —  The corporation said the edit had given …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

Trump Administration Prepares Tariff Exemptions in Bid to Lower Food Prices  —  If the proposal goes into effect, it would be the latest rollback of one of President Trump's key economic policies over concerns about affordability.  —  The Trump administration is preparing broad exemptions …

Top Fannie Mae officials ousted after sounding alarm on sharing confidential housing data  —  A confidant of Bill Pulte, the Trump administration's top housing regulator, provided confidential mortgage pricing data from Fannie Mae to a principal competitor, alarming senior officials …

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.

Trump taps Ingrassia for new role after texting scandal … “It's been the greatest honor to serve Secretary [Kristi] Noem and President Trump, alongside all of you,” he wrote in Thursday's email.  He added, “I genuinely feel this is the strongest group of political appointees anywhere …

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 …

Federal workers question whether the longest government shutdown was worth their sacrifice  —  Jessica Sweet spent the federal government shutdown cutting back.  To make ends meet, the Social Security claims specialist drank only one coffee a day, skipped meals, cut down on groceries and deferred paying some household bills.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Trump's Unpublished National Security Strategy Is Stephen Miller's Far-Right Wet Dream  —  The president's new national-security draft document rants against migration and cultural “erasure” - and endorses far-right political parties abroad, sources tell Zeteo.  —  ∙ Paid

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 …

First Lady Melania Trump Announces Executive Order on Fostering the Future, Opens New Opportunities for Public-Private Partnerships  —  First Lady Melania Trump successfully organized a new Executive Order entitled, “Fostering the Future for American Children and Families.”

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

“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.