Good morning everyone. We are kicking off an absolutely packed and consequential week. Major new developments in the Epstein case have emerged, including revelations that he maintained storage units that were never searched by the FBI. At the same time, FBI Director Patel is facing mounting calls to resign after spending thousands of taxpayer dollars on a trip to Italy where he appeared to celebrate with Olympians, even as serious crises unfolded at home. All of this comes as Trump heads into the State of the Union with his approval rating at its lowest point yet.
A quick heads up about tomorrow night. The State of the Union is coming, and here is what you can expect from me. First, I will watch the speech so you do not have to and bring you a clear, direct breakdown afterward. Second, I will be on the ground covering the People’s State of the Union, the alternative address taking place during Trump’s speech. Third, I will be standing with Epstein survivors to ensure that justice remains front and center, even as some try to move on from the files.
This week is a sprint, not a marathon, and I am ready for it. If you value this work, please consider subscribing or gifting a subscription to help support it and keep me caffeinated. At a time when other platforms censor my content, I am not backing down. We are building something bigger, stronger, and independent.
Here’s the news:
President Donald Trump heads into his State of the Union address amid significant turmoil on Capitol Hill, including a Supreme Court decision striking down his global tariffs, internal GOP divisions over a new temporary 15 percent tariff plan, a Department of Homeland Security funding standoff affecting airport security programs, and weather-related disruptions delaying congressional business, creating a compressed and politically fraught week for lawmakers.
A new Telegraph report reveals that Jeffrey Epstein secretly rented at least six storage units across the United States between 2003 and 2019, where he stored computers, CDs, photographs, furniture, and other equipment removed from his various properties, including materials from his private island, Little Saint James.
Financial records and internal emails show he paid private investigators tens of thousands of dollars to move and conceal these materials, sometimes ahead of anticipated search warrants. Some computer drives in storage were reportedly “cloned,” though the fate of the copies remains unknown. Emails suggest Epstein may have been tipped off about law enforcement raids in the mid-2000s and instructed associates to remove and possibly wipe digital evidence.
Importantly, search warrant records from the Justice Department’s release of millions of Epstein-related documents indicate authorities may never have searched these storage units, raising the possibility that they could still contain previously undisclosed evidence related to his sex trafficking case.
Reports citing former civil servants allege that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor charged taxpayers for massage services, excessive flights, hotel rooms, and entourage costs during his tenure as UK trade envoy from 2001 to 2011, with whistleblowers claiming a culture of deference within Whitehall allowed questionable expenses to be approved with limited scrutiny; the claims have not been independently verified, and authorities have said they are assessing relevant information.
The Australian government confirmed it would support legislation to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese writing to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to formally back any proposal requiring approval from Commonwealth nations; Mountbatten-Windsor denies the allegations, and Albanese said the matter would not trigger a new Australian republic referendum.
Activists from the British campaign group Everyone Hates Elon hung a framed Reuters photo inside the Louvre showing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor leaving police custody after his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office, labeling it “He’s Sweating Now,” in a stunt highlighting allegations that he shared confidential government information with Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a UK trade envoy, as investigations and calls for further inquiry continue.
Newly released Epstein files have triggered widespread fallout across U.S. universities, revealing past ties between Jeffrey Epstein and trustees, professors, and administrators at institutions including Barnard, Columbia, UCLA, Bard, Harvard, Yale, and others; the disclosures have prompted faculty reviews, suspensions, resignations, independent investigations, student petitions, and donations to survivor-support groups, as campuses confront reputational damage and internal divisions over accountability and donor relationships.
Calls for Kash Patel’s resignation are growing fast this morning. Why? He is facing mountain criticism after celebrating Team USA’s Olympic hockey victory in Milan, including appearing in locker room videos drinking beer and wearing a player’s gold medal, while the bureau was simultaneously managing major crises, including a Mar-a-Lago security incident, cartel violence threats affecting Americans in Mexico, and the ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie.
FBI Director Kash Patel’s trip to Milan reportedly cost about $75,000 in taxpayer funds for the flight alone; while an FBI spokesperson said the visit was planned months in advance and included meetings with officials and support for Olympic security personnel, critics argued the primary purpose was attending Olympic hockey games and accused him of hypocrisy, citing his past criticism of other officials for using government aircraft and labeling the travel “taxpayer-funded jetsetting.” Patel defended his partying:
Trump keeps insisting that the Supreme Court’s ruling against his tariffs somehow made him “more powerful and unstoppable than ever,” even as he blasts the decision as disastrous and incompetent. For the record, the court did not broadly reaffirm alternate tariff authorities. Most alternative trade tools still require congressional approval, so the claim that the ruling handed him sweeping new unilateral powers does not match the legal reality.
President Donald Trump said he could deploy tariffs in a “much more powerful and obnoxious way” after the Supreme Court struck down his sweeping global tariffs, criticizing the justices as “incompetent” while arguing their ruling inadvertently expanded his authority to use other tariff mechanisms and licensing powers against foreign countries, and signaling he may pursue alternative trade measures with greater legal certainty.
U.S. markets opened lower after Donald Trump announced a new 15% tariff and warned of additional “more powerful and obnoxious” trade measures, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 144 points, or 0.3%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq each slipped about 0.07% at the start of trading.
British manufacturers are seeking urgent clarification over whether the UK will be subject to President Donald Trump’s proposed 15% tariff, warning that uncertainty is disrupting trade planning and affecting goods already en route to the US; industry group Make UK said companies need immediate guidance on how shipments will be treated upon arrival and urged the government to protect last year’s bilateral trade framework while continuing efforts to reduce tariffs and strengthen trade relations.
Recently released DOJ emails allegedly reference Jeffrey Epstein arranging for secret cameras to be installed at his Manhattan residence by individuals described as Israeli officers. Epstein maintained relationships with high-profile Israeli figures, including former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and invested—through Barak—in Carbyne, a technology company reportedly founded by veterans of Unit 8200, the Israeli Defense Forces’ signals intelligence unit.
Text messages obtained through a forensic extraction of a late congressional staffer’s phone show that Rep. Tony Gonzales allegedly made explicit sexual requests to her in 2024, which she repeatedly resisted; the allegations, denied by Gonzales, have fueled claims of an improper relationship, workplace coercion, and abuse of power, and are now tied to a legal claim, a House Ethics inquiry, and political fallout amid his reelection campaign. Here is one of those messages:
According to Politico, new federal student loan caps under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will limit borrowing to $100,000 for graduate degrees and $200,000 for professional degrees, a change that favors traditional medical doctors over naturopaths, nutritionists, acupuncturists, and other alternative health practitioners aligned with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s preventive health agenda; critics argue the policy undercuts his “Make America Healthy Again” movement and could worsen workforce shortages.
According to Axios, a still-secret Democratic National Committee “autopsy” of the 2024 election found that the Biden administration’s handling of Gaza was a “net negative” for Kamala Harris, draining support from young and progressive voters; DNC officials reportedly shared this conclusion in a closed-door meeting with the pro-Palestinian IMEU Policy Project, but party leaders have withheld the report publicly, citing concerns about internal divisions and election strategy ahead of future races.
France announced it will summon U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner after the U.S. State Department posted that reports indicated far-left militants were responsible for the beating death of far-right activist Quentin Deranque in Lyon, a characterization French officials criticized as political “instrumentalization” of a tragedy; Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said France rejects outside “lessons” on violence, while the incident has heightened tensions ahead of national elections and drawn in broader diplomatic disputes, including U.S. sanctions on French officials.
An analysis by disinformation detection firm Cyabra found that more than 18,000 likely fake social media accounts amplified Nicki Minaj’s pro-Trump and conservative political posts between November and December, using repetitive and coordinated messaging to boost engagement and algorithmic reach; the report suggests sustained bot-driven amplification similar to tactics seen in elections or geopolitical conflicts, though Minaj’s allies and some conservative influencers denied any coordination or use of bots.
See you soon.
— Aaron
