Good morning everyone. Overnight brought major developments in the fallout from the Epstein files. A human trafficking investigation has now been opened following their release. At the same time, Donald Trump is telling Americans to “get on to something else” and move on from the files altogether, even as Steve Bannon openly claims ICE will be stationed at voting sites in November.
My review of the Epstein files continues today. I have already examined thousands of documents, and I am pushing relentlessly for accountability and the truth. That effort has not gone unnoticed. It has triggered escalating attacks from those who clearly do not want these facts exposed.
I am not stopping. Not now.
To everyone who has reached out with messages of support, thank you. It means more than I can put into words. If you want to support this work and help it reach more people, please consider subscribing or gifting a subscription. This is how we keep going. Let’s keep building together.
Here’s the news:
Donald Trump sparked backlash by saying the U.S. should move on from the Epstein files and “get on to something else,” signaling a desire to shut down further scrutiny despite ongoing revelations and public demands for accountability.
In a tense exchange, journalist Manu Raju pressed House Oversight Chair James Comer on why Donald Trump—named more than 1,000 times in the Epstein files—has not been asked to testify under oath, with Comer deflecting by noting Trump has answered informal questions and countering by pointing to the lack of sworn testimony from Bill Clinton or Hillary Clinton on Epstein.
Lithuania has launched a human-trafficking investigation after newly released U.S. files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein referenced prominent Lithuanians, prompting prosecutors to assess potential crimes, international links, and public fallout including cultural boycotts, amid calls for scrutiny from President Gitanas Nausėda.
Poland launched a preliminary inquiry into whether Jeffrey Epstein may have operated as part of a Russian intelligence “honeytrap” network, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk citing newly released U.S. Justice Department files, alleged contacts linked to Kraków, and reporting that raises questions about possible ties to Vladimir Putin and Russian intelligence—claims authorities stress remain unproven and under review.
Newly released Epstein-related emails show Rebecca Taibleson—now a Trump-appointed judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals—previously advising her uncle, physicist Lawrence Krauss, on responding to sexual-misconduct allegations while she was a federal prosecutor, with Krauss later forwarding her analysis to Jeffrey Epstein, though it’s unclear whether Taibleson knew her advice was shared.
There are more redaction errors that I caught overnight in the Epstein files that you need to know about:
The first, an image of Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell. Melania Trump’s face is redacted:
The second, an email in which someone discusses the “littlest” girl:
The third, an email in which someone discusses the arrival of a 9 year old girl from Brazil:
The fourth, an email in which someone discusses a “torture” video:
Newly released Epstein files show Soon-Yi Previn—wife of Woody Allen—emailed Jeffrey Epstein criticizing the #MeToo movement as having “gone too far,” disparaging the underage victim in Anthony Weiner’s sexting case, and questioning the acclaim received by her stepbrother Ronan Farrow, highlighting continued ties and controversial views among Epstein’s associates years after his conviction.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s office is being praised for trolling the Administration online:
Celebrity longevity doctor Peter Attia is facing backlash after newly released emails showed a friendly relationship and crude jokes with Jeffrey Epstein, prompting a public apology, corporate and media fallout—including paused appearances at CBS News—and renewed scrutiny of credibility within the longevity medicine movement, though Attia has not been accused of any crime.
Steve Bannon, a former adviser to President Donald Trump and host of the “War Room” show, has pushed baseless claims that recent and future U.S. elections are “stolen,” and is now making the following threat: “We‘re gonna have ICE surround the polls…We’ll never again allow an election to be stolen.”
Bloomberg has confirmed that the U.S. Department of Justice ordered all U.S. attorney offices to create rapid-response “jump teams” of prosecutors to shore up districts facing protests and staff shortages, aiming to counter widespread resignations and advance Trump administration priorities, including a renewed focus on antifa and other left-wing extremist groups. This comes after yesterday a DOJ attorney begged a federal judge to hold her in contempt of court, allowing her to spend the night in jail and have a full night of sleep.
A government lawyer detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, Julie Le, was removed from her assignment after telling a federal judge that “this job sucks” amid the Trump administration’s sweeping Minnesota immigration crackdown, highlighting internal dysfunction, heavy caseloads, and repeated failures by Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to comply with court orders during “Operation Metro Surge.”
Ken Griffin, the billionaire CEO of hedge fund Citadel and a longtime Republican donor, sharply criticized the Donald Trump administration for pursuing policies he said have been “very, very enriching” to officials’ families, raising concerns about favoritism, conflicts of interest, and government interference in corporate America—remarks he made publicly at a The Wall Street Journal conference in Florida, marking his first direct criticism of the Trump family’s apparent financial gains since Trump’s return to office.
Retuers has confirmed that the first boots on the ground have been deployed. The U.S. military has deployed a small, undisclosed team to Nigeria to bolster intelligence and counterterrorism cooperation following U.S. airstrikes ordered by Donald Trump, amid rising militant attacks and U.S. pressure on Nigeria over Islamist violence.
A federal judge in Portland temporarily barred U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from using teargas, pepper balls, or rubber bullets on protesters—unless facing an imminent threat—after agents fired munitions into largely peaceful demonstrations (including children).
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a state-run team of legal observers to monitor and document U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, aiming to ensure Trump administration enforcement stays within the law amid concerns over aggressive tactics and deadly incidents during recent immigration surges elsewhere.
Ukraine and Russia began a second round of U.S.-led peace talks in Abu Dhabi, but prospects remain dim as Volodymyr Zelenskyy accuses Moscow of violating a U.S.-backed energy truce and Russia maintains maximalist territorial demands, with negotiations led by Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner facing criticism over inexperience.
A White House statement by Donald Trump celebrating the 19th-century Mexican–American War as a “legendary victory” sparked outrage in Mexico, where President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned it as insensitive to a painful history in which Mexico lost over half its territory and reiterated that her country must always defend its sovereignty.
See you soon.
— Aaron
