Good morning everyone. Major developments this morning demand an earlier than usual newsletter.
Andrew, formerly known as Prince Andrew, has been detained by British authorities. The Department of Justice has been caught removing key records tied to FBI interviews connected to one of Donald Trump’s accusers in the Epstein files. The United States is moving dangerously close to a war that could last weeks and may begin as soon as this weekend.
To those who want me to stop or silence this reporting, hear me clearly. I am just getting started.
I will not stop until there is full accountability for the wealthy and powerful individuals involved. I have been threatened for covering this story. That will not intimidate me. It will not slow me down. I answer to you.
Here’s the news:
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, was arrested by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office after authorities opened an investigation into allegations that, while serving as Britain’s special envoy for international trade, he sent confidential trade reports to Jeffrey Epstein in 2010; the probe follows the release of millions of U.S. Justice Department documents detailing their continued correspondence even after Epstein’s 2008 conviction, intensifying longstanding scrutiny that had already led to Andrew being stripped of royal duties and titles.
Statement from the family of Virginia Giuffre on the arrest of Andrew: “At last. Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty. On behalf of our sister, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, we extend our gratitude to the UK’s Thames Valley Police for their investigation and arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He was never a prince.For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.”
Ahead of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that “nobody is above the law,” stressing to the BBC that the principle must apply to Andrew just as it would to anyone else, and adding that he would not block a parliamentary debate if lawmakers chose to examine Andrew’s links to Jeffrey Epstein.
King Charles III said he learned of his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest “with the deepest concern,” pledged the royal family’s full cooperation with the police investigation, emphasized that the matter must proceed through a “full, fair and proper process,” and stated clearly that “the law must take its course,” while declining further comment as the investigation continues and affirming that the family will carry on with their public duties.
A woman who told the FBI that Donald Trump sexually assaulted her as a child also alleged abuse by a prominent, wealthy man from New York in a lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein’s estate and was reportedly paid to settle the claim.
According to Roger Sollenberger, DOJ records show the FBI interviewed a woman who accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her as a minor at least four times in 2019, but a related document cataloguing those interviews, previously accessible in the DOJ’s Epstein files and provided to Ghislaine Maxwell’s defense, has since been removed from the department’s public database, raising questions about the completeness and transparency of the Epstein file release.
The Wall Street Journal is now reporting on newly released Justice Department files showing that in 2016 French modeling scout Jean-Luc Brunel was negotiating to cooperate with U.S. prosecutors and provide evidence against Jeffrey Epstein, including potentially incriminating photographs and testimony about recruiting girls, but after Epstein learned of the talks and exchanged urgent emails with his lawyers, Brunel backed out, no charges were pursued at the time, and Epstein remained free for three more years until his 2019 arrest.
According to The Guardian, Bill Gates canceled his keynote speech at India’s AI Impact Summit hours before he was due to appear, with the Gates Foundation saying the move was to keep the focus on the event’s priorities, as renewed scrutiny over his past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein intensified following the latest release of Epstein files.
NBC News has confirmed that The Department of Homeland Security is seeking approval to purchase a $70 million Boeing 737 Max 8 luxury jet, featuring bedrooms, showers, a kitchen and high-end designer interiors, claiming it would be used for both ICE deportation flights and Cabinet travel, though some DHS officials have questioned whether such an aircraft is necessary or practical for deportations, which typically carry far more detainees and use charter planes.
A South Korean court sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to life imprisonment with hard labor for leading an insurrection after his failed December 2024 martial law declaration, ruling that he attempted to use troops to block parliament and arrest political opponents, marking the first time an elected South Korean leader in the democratic era has received the maximum custodial sentence.
The Pentagon is deploying additional warships, submarines, air defenses and a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East as President Donald Trump weighs possible military strikes on Iran, even as diplomatic talks continue, with officials saying forces needed for potential action could be in place by mid-March amid tensions over Iran’s missile and nuclear programs and the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urgently directed all Polish citizens currently in Iran to leave immediately and cancel travel plans to the country, warning that the risk of imminent armed conflict is “very real” and that **in a few hours evacuation could become impossible,” stressing there would be no guaranteed way out once hostilities begin.
President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” is holding its first summit in Washington focused on the next phase of the fragile Gaza ceasefire. Representatives from around 40 countries are expected to attend, and Trump is set to outline a multibillion-dollar reconstruction plan for Gaza along with details of a proposed U.N.-authorized stabilization force. Several key U.S. allies, including the U.K. and France, are declining to participate due to concerns that the initiative could undermine the United Nations. Critics have also raised concerns about the lack of meaningful Palestinian representation and the board’s expanding ambitions beyond Gaza.
The Trump administration is planning a 350-acre, 5,000-person military base in southern Gaza to serve as the operating hub for a U.N.-authorized International Stabilization Force under the newly created Board of Peace, according to contracting records, with plans for watchtowers, bunkers, weapons ranges and fortified perimeters, though critics question the legality, governance structure and lack of Palestinian consent.
A new CDC report found that a growing share of pregnant women in the United States are delaying prenatal care or going without it altogether, with first-trimester care dropping to 75.5% in 2024 while later or no care increased, a concerning shift seen across most states that doctors warn could raise risks for complications such as preeclampsia, diabetes-related issues, premature labor and other serious health problems for both mothers and babies.
A new study published in The Lancet estimates that more than 75,000 people were killed in the first 16 months of the Gaza war, roughly 25,000 more than local authorities had reported at the time, and found that women, children and elderly people accounted for 56% of violent deaths, suggesting the official toll significantly undercounted the true number of fatalities.
See you soon.
— Aaron
