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Germany’s Kessler twins, who became dance stars in the 50s and 60s, die at 89 https://apnews.com/article/germany-ellen-alice-kessler-twins-dead-8f94890e1fa5fcbe538a6a22fbc7cccb?

Congress acts swiftly to force release of Epstein files, and Trump agrees to sign bill WASHINGTON (AP) — Both the House and Senate acted decisively Tuesday to pass a bill to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a remarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from President Donald Trump and Republican leadership. https://apnews.com/article/epstein-files-congress-trump-house-297a66ce48bd2a67c571bc643e32ef71? BREAKING: House votes overwhelmingly to force release of Epstein files, sending bill to Senate The House voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill Tuesday to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a remarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from President Donald Trump and Republican leadership. Read more.

Federal judges block Texas from using its new US House map in the 2026 midterms A federal court on Tuesday blocked Texas from using a redrawn U.S. House map that touched off a nationwide redistricting battle and is a major piece of President Donald Trump’s efforts to preserve a slim Republican majority ahead of the 2026 elections. https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-texas-map-blocked-lawsuit-trump-ab4dc519717c6661c63e116c9f26d899?

Trump dismisses US intelligence that Saudi prince was likely aware of 2018 killing of journalist WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed U.S. intelligence findings that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman likely had some culpability in the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi as Trump warmly welcomed the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia on his first White House visit in seven years. https://apnews.com/article/trump-saudi-crown-prince-mbs-505b32527e58d4bd49d5bc917efb4936? Trump says Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria. The reality is more complicated President Trump has told defense officials to begin preparing for military action in Nigeria, where he says Christianity faces an “existential threat.” But experts and residents say the violence that has long plagued the West African country isn’t so simply explained. Data shows that while Christians are targeted over faith in some attacks, most victims of overall violence are Muslims. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Photos show scenes from Nigeria, where widespread violence affects both Christians and Muslims One of 25 abducted students in Nigeria escapes as the search continues for the missing girls

Scathing Poll Reveals What Americans Think Trump Really Knew About Epstein Despite what he says, Americans don’t seem to agree with the president. Americans think President Donald Trump knew what convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was up to, a new poll has revealed. Trump has long held a position of distance and deference towards the investigative files on Epstein, until November 17, when he finally abandoned his resistance. The disgraced financier died in 2019, and now his former pal has said he would sign a release bill were it to reach his desk. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the unsealing of the files on Tuesday, November 18. The new polling data from Morning Consult reveals that most Americans think Trump was in the know about Epstein’s abuses. Only 15 percent of people think the president was totally unaware of his longtime associates’ illegal activities. It states, “three in five say Trump was at least aware of Epstein’s sexual abuse, including 38 percent who think he participated in it.” In a tranche of emails released by Democrats in the House Oversight Committee on November 12, various emails between Epstein and his associates referenced Trump directly. In one, Epstein said, “of course he [Trump] knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop,” referencing his close ally Ghislaine Maxwell. She is currently serving 20 years in prison for offenses related to aiding and abetting Epstein. New data from Morning Consult shows Americans’ thoughts on Trump's knowledge. Morning Consult Conducting the research, Morning Consult said it “summarized the contents” of a key Epstein email, “before asking voters about the extent of Trump’s involvement in the scandal. Just 15 percent of voters say Trump did not know about sexual abuse by Epstein. Another 22 percent percent believe what Epstein’s emails suggest, which is that Trump was aware of what was happening but didn’t participate. Strikingly, a plurality of voters (38 percent) think Trump not only knew about the sexual abuse, but also think he participated.” Only 29 percent of Republicans surveyed said they thought Trump knew nothing. Meanwhile, 64 percent of Democrats thought he both knew and participated. Overall, 42 percent of Republicans thought he knew to some extent, and 29 percent didn’t know or didn’t have an opinion. Trump has waged a long and attritional campaign of defense and deflection over the files since taking office. This comes despite calls from all corners of the U.S. and beyond urging him to release them. Doing so also formed an important pillar in his administration’s election campaign. His resiliency has created fissures in his base and sewn discord among Republican ranks. In a key break, staunch supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene appears to have split from MAGA ranks for good, in no small part because of his hesitation in releasing the files. Trump has long denied all wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. The two are known to have been friends but later fell out. The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment. Agreeing to release the files on November 17, Trump said “Sure, I would,” in response to a question about signing a bill. “Let the Senate look at it, let anybody look at it,” he continued. “But don’t talk about it too much, because honestly, I don’t want to take it away from us. It’s really a Democrat problem. “The Democrats were Epstein’s friends and it’s a hoax. The whole thing is a hoax, and I really don’t want it taking away from, really, the greatness of what the Republican Party has accomplished for the last period of time.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/scathing-poll-reveals-what-americans-think-trump-really-knew-about-epstein3/?

Testy Trump Lashes Out at Female Reporter Asking About Epstein: ‘Quiet, Piggy!’ The outburst capped several days of testy exchanges over the Epstein files. President Donald Trump escalated his war with the press, snapping “quiet, piggy” at a female reporter who attempted to ask about the Jeffrey Epstein files during a gaggle aboard Air Force One. The remark, captured on a White House-released video, shows Trump turning toward an off-camera female reporter and saying, “quiet, quiet, piggy,” while waving a finger in her direction. CBS News’s Jennifer Jacobs later identified the reporter as being from Bloomberg. ‘Pig’ is sometimes used to imply a woman is unattractive or bothersome. The diminutive “piggy” makes it sound even more infantilizing. It fits in with Trump’s previous gendered insults of women. Trump has variously described television personality Rosie O’Donnell as a “fat pig,” “slob,” and “animal.” Miss Universe Alicia Machado, who won the title aged 19 while Trump co-owned the organization, has also described how he would aggressively bark at her, sometimes calling her “Miss Piggy.” “He was overwhelming, I was so scared of him,” Machado said during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. “He’d yell at me all the time. He’d tell me, ‘You look ugly,’ or ‘You look fat,’ Sometimes he’d play with me and say, ‘Hello, Miss Piggy.’” The Nov. 14 outburst capped several days of testy exchanges over the Epstein files, a subject Trump has tried—and failed—to dodge as pressure intensifies on his administration to release them. Over the weekend, he repeatedly pushed back on reporters’ questions, even as he publicly shifted positions in real time. On Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social that House Republicans should vote to release the files, declaring, “we have nothing to hide” and calling the matter “this Democrat Hoax.” The House is scheduled to vote on Tuesday on whether to release all unclassified documents tied to the Epstein investigation. If the measure clears the Senate, it will land on Trump’s desk. By Monday, he said he would sign it. Speaking from the Oval Office, he insisted, “We’ll give them everything. Sure. I would let them, let the Senate look at it, let anybody look at it, but don’t talk about it too much, because honestly, I don’t want to take it away from us. It’s really a Democrat problem. The Democrats were Epstein’s friends, all of them, and it’s a hoax.” On Sunday, at Palm Beach International Airport, a journalist pressed him about Rep. Thomas Massie’s suggestion that a Justice Department probe using the files was merely a White House “smokescreen” to avoid full transparency. Trump bit back. “Well, I don’t want to talk about it because fake news like you—you’re a terrible reporter—they just keep bringing that up to deflect from the tremendous success of the Trump administration.” Minutes later, he flared again. Asked about Tucker Carlson’s controversial interview with far-right podcaster Nick Fuentes, Trump snapped at an interrupting reporter. “Will you let me finish my statement? You are the worst—you’re with Bloomberg, right? You are the worst, I don’t even know why they have you.” The identity of the reporter remains unconfirmed. Mediaite noted it may have been former Bloomberg journalist Jennifer Jacobs, now CBS News’ senior White House reporter. https://www.thedailybeast.com/testy-trump-lashes-out-at-female-reporter-asking-about-epstein-quiet-piggy/?

Desperate Trump, 79, Rages at Republican Ruining His Power Grab The president is pushing the GOP to try to lock in control of the House of the Representatives in next year’s midterms before any votes are cast. President Donald Trump lashed out at an Indiana lawmaker after the state’s Republican-controlled legislature defied pressure from the White House to redraw the state’s congressional districts. The White House has been pushing Indiana legislators since August to redraw their political maps to favor Republicans in all nine congressional districts, with the goal of helping the GOP pick up two additional House seats in next year’s midterm elections.But Indiana Senate President pro tempore Rodric Bray announced on Friday that the state Senate wouldn’t convene next month to take up the plan because it lacked sufficient support to pass. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he was working with Indiana Gov. Mike Braun to get the maps redrawn, and blamed Bray for the impasse. “A RINO State Senator, Rodric Bray, who doesn’t care about keeping the Majority in the House in D.C., is the primary problem,” Trump raged. “Soon, he will have a Primary Problem, as will any other politician who supports him in this stupidity.” Trump and his MAGA movement have long used RINO, or “Republican In Name Only,” as a slur to target old-school conservatives. Bray is not up for re-election until 2028. The Daily Beast has reached out to his office for comment. Earlier this week Trump had accused Braun of “not working the way he should to get the necessary Votes.” Braun called a special session in October to redraw the state maps like Trump asked, and Vice President JD Vance has flown repeatedly to Indiana, which Trump won by 36 points in 2024, to lobby Republican lawmakers. Eight Indiana state Senate Republicans have nevertheless publicly refused to back the plan. “The Governor, a good man, must produce on this, or he will be the only Governor, Republican or Democrat, who didn’t,” Trump warned on Tuesday. So far, Indiana is the only Republican-led state that has refused to join a national redistricting war that Trump started in July, when he called for “just a simple redrawing” of Texas’ already heavily gerrymandered political maps to help the GOP gain five more House seats in 2026. Earlier this month, California voters approved Prop 50, a measure led by Gov. Gavin Newsom that allows the state to redraw its congressional maps in a bid to offset the five Democratic seat s now at risk in Texas. Republican lawmakers in Missouri, Ohio, and North Carolina are also trying to redraw their maps, while Democrats are eyeing Illinois, New York, and Maryland as places they could potentially try to make districting gains. https://www.thedailybeast.com/desperate-donald-trump-79-rages-at-indiana-republican-rodric-bray-ruining-his-power-grab/?

13 rumors about Zohran Mamdani, investigated Here are our latest fact-checks on the youngest New York mayor in more than a century. https://www.snopes.com/collections/zohran-mamdani-rumors/?

Those three definitely are. I'm sure there are more but I haven't witnessed anything close to what I saw there.

👋 Good morning! Happy Tuesday. In today's edition: NBA one-month All-Stars, Virginia Tech hires Franklin, MLB's salary cap debate, Roughriders win Grey Cup, AP polls, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏈 Franklin to Blacksburg: Virginia Tech has hired James Franklin as its next football coach just over a month after he was fired by Penn State. The Hokies are 3-7 this year and have had just one winning season since 2021. 🥊 Joshua vs. Paul: YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will take on former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on Dec. 19 in Miami. The eight-round bout will stream on Netflix and be a professional boxing match, rather than an exhibition. 🏈 Cowboys 33, Raiders 16: Dallas lit up Vegas behind a stellar performance by Dak Prescott (25/33, 268 yds, 4 TD) to improve to 4-5-1 on the season. 🎓 Big Ten plan paused: The conference's quest to strike a $2.4 billion deal with a California pension fund in exchange for a 10% stake in Big Ten Enterprises was officially paused on Monday while it waits for "unity" among its members. Michigan and USC have both opposed the deal. 🦃 Turkey Day performers: Artists Jack White, Post Malone and Lil Jon will headline halftime performances for the NFL's Thanksgiving Day slate of games in Detroit, Dallas and Cincinnati, respectively.   🏀 BEST OF THE BEST THE NBA'S ONE-MONTH ALL-STARS (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) We're roughly one month into the NBA season, so it's high time we took a look at who, thus far, has separated themselves from the pack as potential All-Stars. As a reminder: The league is yet again switching up its All-Star Game format. 12 players will be selected from each conference regardless of position, and they'll then be split into three teams of eight — two comprising players from the U.S. and one with players from the rest of the world. Here are our picks, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Nekias Duncan. Players representing Team World are indicated with an asterisk. Eastern Conference Giannis Antetokounmpo* (Bucks): 31.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, 0.9 steals Tyrese Maxey (76ers): 32.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers): 30.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks): 21.8 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 blocks, 0.9 steals Jalen Brunson (Knicks): 28 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.8 steals Jaylen Brown (Celtics): 27.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocks Cade Cunningham (Pistons): 27.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks Scottie Barnes (Raptors): 19.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.8 blocks, 1.4 steals Jalen Duren (Pistons): 20.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 blocks, 1.0 steals Josh Giddey* (Bulls): 21.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 9.4 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.5 blocks Jalen Johnson (Hawks): 21.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.3 blocks Norman Powell (Heat): 25.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.2 blocks Honorable mentions: Franz Wagner* (Magic), Paolo Banchero (Magic), Evan Mobley (Cavaliers), Pascal Siakam* (Pacers), Alex Sarr* (Wizards) Western Conference Nikola Jokić* (Nuggets): 29.2 points, 13.4 rebounds, 11.1 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.8 blocks Shai Gilgeous-Alexander* (Thunder): 31.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.9 blocks Luka Dončić* (Lakers): 34.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.6 blocks Stephen Curry (Warriors): 27.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.4 blocks Kevin Durant (Rockets): 25.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.7 blocks Victor Wembanyama* (Spurs): 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3.6 blocks, 1.1 steals Devin Booker (Suns): 28.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.3 blocks James Harden (Clippers): 26.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.5 blocks Lauri Markkanen* (Jazz): 30.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.5 blocks Julius Randle (Timberwolves): 24.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.2 blocks Austin Reaves (Lakers): 28.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.1 blocks Alperen Şengün* (Rockets): 23 points, 10.3 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks Honorable mentions: Deni Avdija* (Trail Blazers), Jimmy Butler (Warriors), Stephon Castle (Spurs), Aaron Gordon (Nuggets), Chet Holmgren (Thunder), Jaden McDaniels (Timberwolves), Jamal Murray* (Nuggets)   ⚾️ BACK-TO-BACK DOES BASEBALL NEED A SALARY CAP? (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) The Dodgers' dynasty — three titles in six years and the first repeat champion since 2000 — paired with the upcoming CBA negotiations has unleashed a contentious debate around the game: Does baseball need a salary cap? From Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz: Major League Baseball remains the only prominent professional American sports league without a salary cap. The luxury tax system, implemented in 1997, was designed to encourage competitive balance and restrict big-market teams — at that time, it was the Yankees — from using their pocket books as a cudgel. Clubs that surpass the competitive balance threshold (the exact number grows slightly each year) are forced to pay a tax on the overage. The structure prevents some teams from going buckwild, but deep-pocketed behemoths such as the Dodgers view the tax as a worthwhile expenditure. According to FanGraphs, Los Angeles ran a payroll just under $400 million in 2025. As such, the Dodgers blasted past the CBT line, necessitating a tax payment of more than $100 million. That means the total expenditure, on players alone, for the 2025 World Series champs was more than half a billion dollars. Compared to the league's small-market penny-pinchers, that's a preposterous figure. The Marlins finished 30th in payroll this year, at an embarrassingly paltry $67.8 million, which was, coincidentally, about the amount the Dodgers spent on their players who didn't make their playoff roster. Consider this: A whopping $87 million just came off the Dodgers' books. That's more than four teams' entire payrolls last season, and most of it went to players who made little or no impact in their latest title run. That includes three journeymen who made $17 million each but were either left off the postseason roster (OF Michael Conforto), on the season-ending IL (RHP Kirby Yates) or released in May (OF Chris Taylor). And, of course, the retiring Clayton Kershaw, who made $16 million in his final season. Dave Roberts holds the World Series trophy during the Dodgers' latest World Series parade. (Luke Hales/Getty Images) Who's to blame? Many assume that when the CBA expires next winter, MLB will lock the players out for the second time in five years. Games could be missed, too, if negotiations drag on long enough. If that happens, it would be far too easy to point a finger at the Dodgers when there are 29 other teams who share at least some responsibility for the spending chasm, Jake noted on Baseball Bar-B-Cast: So what should be done? I don't know. I am still hesitant about the concept of a salary cap. I don't like the idea. I think that artificially capping what players can make is problematic and antithetical to the country we live in. However, I think that the hopelessness that other fan bases feel is a problem. I think that the enormous gap between what the Dodgers are spending and what the Pirates are spending is a problem. I just keep going back to the idea that the frustration that other fan bases feel is legitimate, but that that frustration should be directed more towards their own team's lack of action than at the Dodgers' overwhelming course of action. The way that the Dodgers are operating is reasonable and rational within the framework that exists. … [But] does that mean we need to change the framework that exists?   🏀 TOP 25 AP POLLS: PURDUE, UCONN ON TOP (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) Purdue moved back to No. 1 in this week's AP men's basketball poll, while Houston, UConn, Arizona and Duke also got No. 1 votes from the 61-member media panel. Conference call: The Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC lead the way with six teams apiece in the Top 25. The ACC is next with four ranked teams, the Big East has two and the West Coast Conference has one. (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) Michigan and TCU jumped into the Top 10 of this week's women's basketball poll. For the Wolverines, it's the first time their men and women have both been ranked in the Top 10 at the same time. Schools in both polls: UConn (combined ranking: 4), Michigan (13), UCLA (22), Louisville (27), Iowa State (28), North Carolina (32), Kentucky (32), Tennessee (35), Michigan State (39) and NC State (41).   🏆 RIDER NATION SNAPSHOTS: THE 112TH GREY CUP (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press via AP Photos) The Saskatchewan Roughriders captured their first Grey Cup since 2013 on Sunday, beating the Montreal Alouettes, 25-17, in the 112th edition of the Canadian Football League's championship. Harris soaks in the moment. (Brent Just/Getty Images) MVP: QB Trevor Harris, a 39-year-old Ohio native, was named MVP after throwing for 302 yards on 23-of-27 passing (85%) — the best completion percentage in Grey Cup history. It was his third title but long-awaited first as a starter at the tail end of a 14-year career in the CFL. Top Canadian: WR Samuel Emilus, born in Montreal, was named the game's Most Outstanding Canadian, catching all 10 of his targets for 108 yards. Head coach Corey Mace gets his Gatorade bath. (Saskatchewan Roughriders) Fifth championship: This was the Riders' fifth Grey Cup title, which is the fewest among the CFL's nine active teams. The Toronto Argonauts (19), Edmonton Elks (14), Winnipeg Blue Bombers (12), Ottawa Redblacks (10), Calgary Stampeders (8), Montreal Alouettes (8), Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8) and BC Lions (6) all have more. Rider Nation boasts some of the best fans in the league. (Heywood Yu/Canadian Press via AP Photos) Small-town champs: The Roughriders' hometown of Regina, the capital of Saskatchewan, has a population of just 250,000, making it the smallest market in the CFL and second-smallest in all of North American major sports (Green Bay). Community ownership: Size isn't the only thing it has in common with Green Bay. Like the Packers — the only publicly-owned team in the "Big Four" leagues — the Riders have a community ownership structure, with roughly 12,000 shareholders. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are the only other publicly-owned CFL team.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, NOV. 18 The 2016 Champions Classic. (Lance King/Getty Images) 🏀 Champions Classic Four Blue Bloods take the floor at Madison Square Garden in an epic men's hoops doubleheader on ESPN, with No. 12 Kentucky vs. No. 17 Michigan State in the early game (6:30pm ET) and No. 24 Kansas vs. No. 5 Duke in primetime (9pm). All-time series: These same four teams have competed in this event every year since 2011, with the matchups rotating annually. Duke (8-6) and Kansas (9-5) have winning records, while Kentucky (6-8) and Michigan State (5-9) are both under .500. ⚽️ USMNT vs. Uruguay | 7pm, TNT The Americans will look to extend their unbeaten run to five straight games as they take the field one last time in 2025. Tampa's Raymond James Stadium, home of the Buccaneers, hosts this clash between the world's No. 15 (Uruguay) and No. 16-ranked teams (USA). More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Grizzlies at Spurs (8pm, NBC); Suns at Trail Blazers (11pm, NBC) … San Antonio will be without Victor Wembanyama (calf strain) for "a few weeks." 🎾 Davis Cup Finals: Belgium vs. France (10am, Tennis) … The quarterfinals of the "World Cup of Tennis" begin in Bologna, Italy. 🏒 NHL: Devils at Lightning (7pm, NHL) … How will the first-place Devils fare without superstar Jack Hughes? He'll miss eight weeks with a hand injury after a "freak accident" at a team dinner. 🏈 NCAAF: Akron at Bowling Green (7pm, ESPNU); UMass at Ohio (7pm, CBSSN); Western Michigan at Northern Illinois (7pm, ESPN2) … Midweek MACtion.   🏈 SACK MACHINE NFL TRIVIA (Jason Miller/Getty Images) Myles Garrett has 15 sacks through 10 games, putting him well on pace to break the NFL record for most in a season (22.5). Question: Which two players jointly hold that record? Answer at the bottom.   📸 THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH The Rangers and Red Wings broke into a benches-clearing brawl on Sunday. (Andrew Mordzynski) The beautiful game.   Trivia answer: Michael Strahan (2001) and T.J. Watt (2021)

How ProPublica Investigated a Bird Flu Outbreak in America’s Heartland Earlier this year, as I began to report on bird flu, an outbreak was raging across farms in Ohio and Indiana. Over 18 million hens — 5% of America’s egg-laying chickens — were ultimately culled in a cascade of cases that, to me, appeared connected. https://www.propublica.org/article/methodology-bird-flu-outbreak-ohio-indiana? He Vowed to “Protect the Unborn.” Now He’s Blocking a Bill to Expand Medicaid for Wisconsin’s New Moms. The most powerful Republican in Wisconsin stepped up to a lectern that was affixed with a sign reading, “Pro-Women Pro-Babies Pro-Life Rally.” https://www.propublica.org/article/wisconsin-postpartum-medicaid-coverage-robin-vos? Alaska Owns Dozens of Deteriorating Schools. Now It Wants Under-Resourced Districts to Take Them On. For more than a decade, the Kuspuk School District asked Alaska’s education department for the money to fix a rotting elementary school. The school, in the small and predominantly Indigenous community of Aniak in western Alaska, was in deep need of repairs. The nearby Kuskokwim river had flooded the 88-year-old building several times. The walls were moldy. Sewage was leaking into a space below the school’s kitchen. https://www.propublica.org/article/alaska-education-rural-school-districts-ownership?

The White House Intervened on Behalf of Accused Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate During a Federal Investigation Online influencer Andrew Tate, a self-described misogynist who has millions of young male followers, was facing allegations of sex trafficking women in three countries when he and his brother left their home in Romania to visit the United States. https://www.propublica.org/article/andrew-tate-investigation-dhs-paul-ingrassia? What the U.S. Government Is Dismissing That Could Seed a Bird Flu Pandemic Nearly a million chickens packed the barns at Howe’s Hens last Christmas Eve when the first of them tested positive for bird flu. The deadly virus spreads so fast that even if only one hen is infected, farmers are legally obligated to kill all of the others. Massive mounds of carcasses soon appeared outside the Ohio egg farm, covered in compost. https://www.propublica.org/article/bird-flu-airborne-usda-pandemic? A Tale of Two Terms: How Powerful Figures Were Prosecuted in Trump’s First Term, Then Pardoned in His Second We found that Donald Trump has granted clemency in at least a dozen criminal cases that originated during his first term. No other president has used clemency to erase his own appointees’ actions on such a scale. https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-pardons-erased-prosecutions-second-term? What the Trump Administration’s Videos From a Chicago Immigration Raid Don’t Show The Trump administration’s slick videos of an immigration raid at a Chicago apartment building showed federal agents rappelling from a helicopter, banging down doors and marching out tan-skinned men whose hands were zip-tied behind their backs. https://www.propublica.org/article/chicago-raid-apartment-building-venezuelans-stories?

Australian prisoner sues for his ‘human right’ to eat Vegemite MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A prisoner is challenging an Australian state’s ban on inmates eating Vegemite, claiming in a court suit that withholding the polarizing yeast-based spread breaches his human right to “enjoy his culture as an Australian.” https://apnews.com/article/australia-prison-vegemite-ban-court-victoria-e46084defadc9757c8ecf2f53027d215?

Man charged with murder in shooting of Oakland football coach and ‘Last Chance U’ star John Beam OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A 27-year-old man was charged Monday with murder in the shooting death of celebrated former football coach John Beam, who died Friday after being shot in the head on the junior college campus in Oakland where he worked. https://apnews.com/article/john-beam-shooting-last-chance-u-oakland-a7a4ba4aa9406a1e9b64d16297e6688d? Off-duty pilot who tried to cut a flight’s engines midair won’t serve prison time, judge rules PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal judge on Monday ruled there would be no prison time for a former Alaska Airlines pilot who had taken psychedelic mushrooms days before he tried to cut the engines of a passenger flight in 2023 while riding off-duty in the cockpit. https://apnews.com/article/pilot-mushrooms-alaska-airlines-horizon-air-flight-510e76580bbc658419e26f1c09c26136?

Drone strikes Turkish tanker in Ukraine’s Odesa, where US natural gas will go KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A drone struck a Turkish-flagged tanker and set it ablaze on Monday in southern Ukraine’s Odesa region, officials said, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a deal to import U.S. liquefied natural gas through the area. https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-tanker-drone-fire-ea4ef368e58ef0936d24b27cd56073af? 160 Ukrainian energy workers have been killed as Russia pummels the power system Almost four years into Russia’s invasion, keeping Ukraine’s lights on has become a battle of its own. Engineers repeatedly repair transformers, switchyards, and power lines that Russia strikes again and again. And that work repairing damage from Russian attacks is happening when a major embezzlement and kickbacks scandal at the state-owned nuclear power company has put top officials under scrutiny. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Russian lawmakers approve tax hike bill to boost economy as the war with Ukraine nears 4 years Zelenskyy will visit Turkey in a new bid to jump-start talks to end Russia’s invasion

Federal immigration agents will expand enforcement action in North Carolina to Raleigh, mayor says Federal immigration authorities will expand their enforcement action in North Carolina to Raleigh as soon as Tuesday, the mayor of the state’s capital city said, while Customs and Border Protection agents continue operating in Charlotte following a weekend that saw arrests of more than 130 people in that city. Read more. What to know: Mayor Janet Cowell said Monday that she didn’t know how large the operation would be or how long agents would be present. Immigration authorities haven’t spoken about it. The Democrat said in a statement that crime was lower in Raleigh this year compared with last and that public safety was a priority for her and the city council. The Department of Homeland Security has said it is focusing on North Carolina because of so-called sanctuary policies, which limit cooperation between local authorities and immigration agents. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ FEMA acting chief David Richardson departs after six months on the job Tennessee judge blocks Trump’s use of National Guard in Memphis but gives time for government appeal WATCH: Charlotte bakery temporarily closes, owner says immigration agents targeting customers Granddaughter of ‘Charlotte’s Web’ author upset with use of its title in immigration crackdown NIH funding cuts have affected over 74,000 people enrolled in experiments, a new report says EPA moves to limit scope of clean water law to reduce amount of wetlands it covers Fed’s Cook blasts mortgage fraud allegations against her as ‘baseless’ in letter to AG Bondi How Trump’s comments about Fuentes and Carlson could prolong a Republican rift over antisemitism Trump leaves military action against Venezuela on the table but floats possible talks US has warned others to avoid loans from Chinese state banks. But it’s the biggest recipient of all Top US admiral says he’s watching China’s rapid naval buildup closely Critics warn Florida’s new teaching standards rehabilitate aspects of the anti-communist Red Scare Former Republican lawmaker in Arizona pleads guilty to charges for forging petition signatures ‘Where did all the staff go?’: Maine restaurant owners blame the housing shortage Honolulu’s campaign against homelessness is a revolving door of citations and court dismissals President Donald Trump unveils ‘FIFA Pass’ to help World Cup travelers get their visas faster Aficionados fret as Trump moves to make pasta great again White House Historical Association reclaims Rockwell sketches for $7.25 million at auction

Trump, 79, Sends Unhinged Message to Americans Worried About Rising Prices The president told McDonald’s execs the country would be “bankrupt” without him. Americans anxious about rising prices have been told by Donald Trump that they are “so damn lucky” he won the 2024 election. The president used the annual McDonald’s Impact Summit to argue that his administration had tamed the “mess” he inherited from President Joe Biden, and that tariff-driven revenues and White House investment plans had pushed the country toward what he described as “normal inflation.” “Nobody has done what we’ve done in terms of pricing,” Trump told McDonald’s franchise owners and execs during a rambling speech in Washington, D.C. “Government jobs were going up. Real jobs were going down. So you would’ve had that catastrophe, and on top of it, instead of 20 trillion coming in, you would’ve had 10 trillion leaving our country. “In other words, you would’ve had a catastrophe. You probably would’ve had a bankrupt country. You are so damn lucky that I won that election.” Trump used his appearance at the event to continue his administration’s shift toward affordability messaging after a round of Democratic election wins this month and exit polls showing that voters listed the economy and cost of living among their top concerns. James Blair, 38, who served as political director for Trump’s 2024 campaign and the RNC, told Politico earlier in November that the president planned to be “very, very focused on prices and cost of living.” Inflation peaked at 9.1 percent in 2023 under Biden, a four-decade high, before easing to 3 percent by the time of Trump’s second inauguration in January, a level it has now reached again. Trump complained that prices rose so sharply under Biden that Americans “aren’t that happy” even as they ease. He again boasted that Walmart’s Thanksgiving basket is 25 percent cheaper than last year. An Associated Press fact check says that’s only true because this year’s bundle is smaller and stocked with different products. Trump also claimed credit for cheaper energy, even though many analysts say the drop in global oil prices can’t be pinned on White House policy. The president held up stock market gains as “a hell of an indicator,” arguing they prove the economy is strong. But the speech also came as the administration faces scrutiny over its long-running push to block the release of long-sealed files tied to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein—an effort Trump did not address in his remarks to the McDonalds audience. Trump has said he would sign a bill to release the files—so long as people stop discussing the disgraced financier and focus on his record as president instead. The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment. https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-79-sends-unhinged-message-to-americans-worried-about-rising-prices-and-the-economy-and-tariffs/?

November 18, 2025 By Sam Sifton Good morning from a chilly New York City, where schools of forage fish are swimming south of Queens, bringing an unexpected surge of feeding bluefin tuna. (We don’t generally see those beautiful animals so close to shore. Nature is wild!) Here’s what’s happening: The U.N. Security Council approved President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, a major breakthrough toward rebuilding the enclave. And a federal judge in Virginia said that the case against James Comey could be in serious trouble because of apparent misconduct by the Justice Department. Save for the tuna, we’ll get to those stories, and others, below. Before we do, though, I’d like to draw your attention to a proposal the Trump administration released yesterday afternoon that would strip federal protections from millions of acres of wetlands and streams, making it easier to pollute them. Losing those protections could affect drinking water for millions of Americans. On Johns Island, S.C. Madeline Gray for The New York Times Unclean water The proposal from the Trump administration, should it be finalized in the coming months, would deliver a victory to businesses and industries that want to scale back the Clean Water Act of 1972, which Congress passed to protect all “waters of the United States.” The beneficiaries could be real estate developers eager to build on shorelines, farmers with fields that run along waterways and manufacturers who make petrochemicals in vast factories set on tidal marshes. “Today’s proposal is going to be met with a lot of relief” from those businesses and landowners, Lee Zeldin, the E.P.A. administrator said. But what about the rest of the country? My colleague Maxine Joselow, a climate policy reporter, covered the announcement of the proposal, which could exclude from federal protection wetlands that sit beside what are known as “intermittent” or “ephemeral” streams. Those are the ones that sit dry for most of the year but fill up after rainfall or snowmelt, providing more than half of the water flowing through most river systems used in our drinking water. “Wetlands are sort of the unsung heroes of the planet because they store carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change,” Maxine told me. “They also provide food, shelter and breeding grounds for a variety of species, including endangered species like the Florida panther and the whooping crane.” They not only provide drinking water, but they also protect against flooding by absorbing tidal surges during storms. The environmentalist response Environmentalists are ripping mad. The proposal could affect up to 55 million acres of wetlands — roughly the area of Utah. The disagreement comes down to a debate over what constitutes “waters of the United States,” which Maxine told me is known by water policy nerds as WOTUS. The Obama administration widened the scope of the Clean Water Act to protect the headwaters of rivers and smaller streams that aren’t always full of water. (A farmers’ advocacy group ran an ad campaign featuring rubber ducks to protest the E.P.A.’s definition: “If you can’t #FloatUS, it’s not a WOTUS,” the ads declared.) In Trump’s first term, the E.P.A. repealed that rule. Then, a Supreme Court ruling in 2023 made it hard again for Democratic administrations to strengthen the protections. The case was Sackett v. E.P.A. The Sacketts were an Idaho couple who wanted to build a house near what the E.P.A. said were federally protected wetlands. The Supreme Court ruling said the wetlands were not, in fact, federally protected. And now many more acres of waterways may not be either. The National Association of Home Builders cheered the possibility, Maxine said. The group’s chairman told her the administration’s proposal would help in “reducing regulatory red tape, cutting permitting costs and lowering the cost of doing business in communities across the country.” Beyond wetlands Trump has repeatedly said he wants “clean air and clean water.” But several decisions are expected to have the opposite effect, Maxine said. Last month, the government said it would open the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil and gas drilling. And just last week the administration announced that drilling would also be allowed in a pristine, remote stretch of tundra and wetlands in the northern part of the state that is among the Arctic’s most important wildlife habitats. Why? Officials say that environmental concerns should not necessarily supersede the needs of the nation’s economy. The decision to drill in Alaska, for instance, would “unlock Alaska’s energy potential, create jobs for North Slope communities and strengthen American energy security,” according to Doug Burgum, the secretary of the interior. Lowering environmental protections is one way to do that, it’s true. Now, let’s get you caught up. THE LATEST NEWS Epstein Investigation Trump reversed his opposition to the release of files on Jeffrey Epstein after Republicans in Congress told him they were going to vote for it regardless of his support. Larry Summers, the former Treasury secretary, said he was “deeply ashamed” about his ties to Epstein. He said he would step back from public commitments, but he would continue teaching at Harvard. Trump is looking for a distraction. The Justice Department is helping by scrutinizing Democrats like Bill Clinton named in the Epstein files, Glenn Thrush writes. In the Courts James Comey Doug Mills/The New York Times A federal judge said he might dismiss the charges against James Comey because of possible misconduct by the Trump-appointed prosecutor leading the case. A Tennessee judge temporarily blocked the deployment of the National Guard in Memphis, siding with state and local lawmakers who argued that the governor had overstepped his authority in sending troops. An Indiana homeowner was charged with manslaughter in the death of a cleaning woman who was shot when she approached the wrong house. More on Politics Trump said he would sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, despite Pentagon officials’ concerns that China could steal the technology. The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is set to visit the White House today. The acting director of FEMA resigned after six months on the job. Some at the agency had expressed concern about his lack of experience; he once told employees he did not know the U.S. had a hurricane season. The Trump Organization’s latest real estate deal, a luxury hotel in the Maldives, is its first to offer financing through crypto. The option could make it harder to track the identity of investors. The Federal Reserve plans to loosen its regulations for banks. Experts worry that the changes could lead to another financial crisis. International In the U.N. Security Council. Dave Sanders for The New York Times The U.N. Security Council adopted Trump’s peace plan for Gaza. Russia and China abstained from voting on the plan, which does not guarantee a Palestinian state. Trump said he would not rule out deploying U.S. troops on the ground in Venezuela. He has recently been building up a military presence in the Caribbean. European Union officials are struggling to loan money to Ukraine. They now want to repurpose frozen Russian assets in Belgium to finance the war effort. The E.U. is scaling back its data privacy law, known as G.D.P.R. — a major policy shift toward a more U.S.-style hands-off approach to Big Tech. Other Big Stories The leader of a neo-Nazi group admitted to trying to organize hate attacks, including a plan to give poisoned candy to Jewish children in New York City. In upstate New York, an officer didn’t believe a teen’s claim that her adoptive father had been raping her. She was sent back home, where the man abused her again. ON THE FLY Hannah Beier for The New York Times For the first time, researchers have devised a technique to track the world’s most famous insect migration. They’re outfitting monarch butterflies with featherweight radio tags, powered by the sun, to track their journeys to winter colonies in Mexico. The tags weigh just 60 milligrams (about as much as a grain of cooked rice). The tech could shed light on the poorly understood life cycles of hundreds of butterfly species, plus bees and other insects, at a time when many are declining. “There’s nothing that’s not amazing about this,” said Cheryl Schultz, a butterfly scientist at Washington State University. It’s good news for insect enthusiasts, too: A free app lets you follow the progress of individual butterflies. Many are coasting over cities and suburbs; they’re finding pollinator gardens and stopping in winter hideaways. The Times followed six of them. See where they went. Source: Project Monarch Collaboration data through Nov. 15. Jonathan Corum/The New York Times OPINIONS Elon Musk’s $1 trillion payment plan at Tesla isn’t a reward for his achievements. It’s a flex on those who’ve ever opposed him, William Cohan writes. Europe should ramp up military spending to show President Vladimir Putin of Russia why the continent isn’t worth targeting — and Trump why it is worth backing, Gabrielius Landsbergis writes. The Times Sale: Our best rate for readers of The Morning. Save now with our best offer on unlimited news and analysis as part of the complete Times experience: $1/week for your first year. MORNING READS Jia Tianlian, in Dazhai, a village in northern China that Mao Zedong once hailed as a model for the nation. Gilles Sabrie for The New York Times Pilgrimage: A village in China has become a time capsule for the country’s communist era under Mao Zedong. Tourists are flocking to it. An outrageous pair of pants: His jeans are gigantic. His internet fame is, too. Stuck: Many Americans rushed to buy homes during the pandemic. Now, some who want to move feel they’re handcuffed to their rock-bottom rates. What are you grateful for? For an upcoming newsletter, we want to hear what our readers are thankful for this year — in six words or less. Tell us yours. TODAY’S NUMBER $150 million — That’s Sotheby’s estimate for its auction tonight of Gustav Klimt’s “Bildnis Elisabeth Lederer (Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer),” from the collection of Leonard Lauder. SPORTS Marshawn Kneeland Terrance Williams/Associated Press Last night, before their Monday Night Football game, the Las Vegas Raiders held a pregame ceremony for Marshawn Kneeland, a 24-year-old defensive end on the Dallas Cowboys who had only recently scored his first N.F.L. touchdown. He shot himself this month after leading the police on a chase, the authorities said. Kneeland died at a time when his life appeared to be going well. He had achieved his dream of playing in the N.F.L. and signed a multimillion-dollar contract. His girlfriend was pregnant. They had discussed marriage and buying a home. The Times’s Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs traveled to Kneeland’s hometown and spoke with Kneeland’s friends and family to report this story on his life and tragic death. More on sports N.F.L.: The Cowboys defeated the Raiders last night, 33-16. College football: Five weeks after Penn State fired James Franklin, he has a new job as coach at Virginia Tech. Soccer: Trump threatened American cities set to host next summer’s World Cup over “safety” concerns. RECIPE OF THE DAY Andrew Bui for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Kaitlin Wayne. Cranberry tiramisù is a perfect dessert for Thanksgiving. But you really, really do not want to make it for the first time on the night before the holiday. (Sorry to be bossy, but you should not make any Thanksgiving recipe for the first time on or right before Thanksgiving.) The stakes are too high. Practice this week and next instead — no baking required. The tiramisù only improves overnight in the refrigerator. The payoff is grand. THE ERSTWHILE QUEEN OF BUZZ Philip Montgomery for The New York Times Tina Brown didn’t talk much about her time running Talk magazine in the late 1990s during her excellent interview with Lulu Garcia-Navarro. (“Do I regret leaving The New Yorker to go and work with Harvey Weinstein?” she asked Lulu. “I don’t think that was a brilliant career move!”) But for those of us she recruited to write and edit under her formidable glare, it was an incredible experience. (I was there from the first day until the last, when the final embers of Weinstein money winked out.) Listening to Tina’s conversation with Lulu offers a good chance to understand why. For one thing, Tina’s so good with a sentence. Here are just two, on the royals: “They are as human as you and I, but they’re in this cage and somehow have to find a life inside it. You could almost argue it’s too cruel a predicament for modern humans.” Listen to the whole show here. I smiled all the way through. More on culture Can you believe the documentary you’re watching? Increasingly, no. And it’s not just because of the proliferation of so-called authorized documentaries, where the subjects maintain editorial control of the work. A worrisome combination — technological advances of A.I. and the race to push out ripped-from-the-headlines nonfiction work — is also undermining the trust between viewer and filmmaker, our critic Alissa Wilkinson writes. What’s at stake is history itself. NBA YoungBoy is the defining rap star of the last few years, our critic Jon Caramanica claims. Maybe you’ve never heard of him. (I’m no producer, but I would have told him to keep his excellent given name, Kentrell Gaulden.) YoungBoy is “mass cult,” Jon writes: “He has cultivated an audience that feels overlooked or misunderstood by the mainstream, and he makes music that won’t, or can’t, cross over.” Start with his 2019 single “Lonely Child” and build your collection from there. Late night hosts joked about Trump’s shift on the Epstein files. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Start this weekly workout to protect your knees. Read Jan Kerouac’s 1981 novel, “Baby Driver.” Our critic Dwight Garner calls its republication a gift — “possibly this year’s most important literary salvage mission.” Clean your dishwasher filter. It takes, like, five minutes. You don’t want the machine throwing codes on Thanksgiving. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was curving. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam Correction: Saturday’s newsletter referred imprecisely to the $7 billion that members of the Sackler family will pay as part of the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy deal. The payments are not penalties. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Karl Russell News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 18 1978 Mass suicide at Jonestown On November 18, 1978, Peoples Temple founder Jim Jones leads hundreds of his followers in a mass murder-suicide at their agricultural commune in a remote part of the South American nation of Guyana. Many of Jones’ followers willingly ingested a poison-laced punch while others were forced to do so... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1990s 1991 Terry Waite released after four-year kidnapping in Lebanon 1999 12 die while building a bonfire at Texas A&M University 19th Century 1883 Railroads create the first time zones Civil War 1863 President Lincoln travels to Gettysburg Crime 1996 High-profile expert on exotic birds is sentenced for smuggling parrots Natural Disasters & Environment 1421 Thousands die in massive flood at European shores of North Sea Sports 1966 L.A. Dodgers’ ace pitcher Sandy Koufax retires U.S. Government and Politics 1987 Congress issues final report on Iran-Contra scandal World War I 1916 Battle of the Somme ends World War II 1940 Hitler furious over Italy’s debacle in Greece

🔬 Stat du jour: Clinical trial cuts Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios More than 74,000 patients were enrolled in clinical trials interrupted by the Trump administration's termination of federal research grants earlier this year, Axios Vitals co-author Maya Goldman writes from a new study. More than 14% of infectious disease trials had their NIH funding pulled, the highest by far of any focus area, according to the research in JAMA Internal Medicine. About 6% of respiratory illness trials and 5% of cardiovascular trials were also affected. Keep reading.

🇷🇺 Scoop: U.S., Russia discuss prisoner swap Russia and the U.S. have discussed the possibility of conducting another prisoner exchange, Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev told Axios' Barak Ravid and Dave Lawler in an interview. A U.S. official confirmed that and said the U.S. side was receptive, but cautioned that nothing was imminent. Why it matters: At least eight Americans are in Russian prisons. Bringing detained Americans home is a priority for President Trump, and a swap could help as the Kremlin seeks to improve relations with his administration despite tensions over Ukraine. The potential prisoner swap was one of the issues on the agenda during an Oct. 24-26 visit to the U.S. by Dmitriev, who runs Russia's sovereign wealth fund and has also played a prominent role in diplomacy over Ukraine. Keep reading. ⚽ Quick visas for World Cup travelers The Trump administration is announcing a new initiative for foreigners traveling to the U.S. for the World Cup next year that will allow them to get interviews for visas more quickly, AP's Seung Min Kim writes. Why it matters: The administration is balancing President Trump's tough-on-migration stance with an influx of global travelers for the soccer tournament. Dubbed "FIFA Pass," it will allow those who have purchased World Cup tickets through FIFA to get expedited visa appointments. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration has dispatched more than 400 additional consular officers around the world to handle the demand for visas. Go deeper.

⚡ Larry Summers enters Epstein exile Newly released files on former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers' ties to Jeffrey Epstein prompted him to announce last night that he's "stepping back from public commitments," Axios' Rebecca Falconer writes. Why it matters: A trove of emails released by lawmakers last week showed frequent exchanges between Epstein and the former Harvard president — including one in which the late financier called himself Summers' "wing man." House Republicans released Epstein emails that included back-and-forth messages with Summers from 2013 to 2019, a string of communication that continued until the day before Epstein was arrested, The Harvard Crimson notes. The docs — which provided new information on the well-documented relationship between Summers and Epstein — prompted both a senior Trump administration official and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to demand that businesses and institutions cut ties with Summers. Summers is on the board of OpenAI and is still a professor at Harvard. In a statement first reported by the Financial Times ($), Summers said: I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein. While continuing to fulfill my teaching obligations, I will be stepping back from public commitments as one part of my broader effort to rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me.

🏗️ Mapped: Trump's growing business empire Data: The Trump Organization. (The Serbia tower project isn't listed on The Trump Organization website, but recently gained political approval.) Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals Protests in Serbia last week over a planned Trump Tower in Belgrade were just the latest example of the president's business empire rubbing up against U.S. foreign policy, Axios' Dave Lawler writes. Why it matters: Officially, the president has handed management of his real estate portfolio to his sons. But for some governments around the world, it may be hard to entirely separate President Trump's business from Trump himself. 🔭 Zoom in: Serbia's government passed a law this month to fast-track development of the future Trump Tower Belgrade by an investment firm founded by Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law. The project is backed by strongman President Aleksandar Vučić, who has tried to court Trump while facing mass protests at home. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied that Trump or his family engaged "or ever will engage" in conflicts of interest. "The media's continued attempts to fabricate conflicts of interest are irresponsible and reinforce the public's distrust in what they read," she said in response to questions for this story. The Trump Organization did not respond to requests for comment. Zoom out: It's not the first Trump-branded project that's reportedly been expedited by a foreign government during Trump's second term — or the first to face backlash. Work was allowed to begin earlier this year on a massive hotel and golf development outside Hanoi without all the required legal and environmental reviews, while Vietnam was also holding high-stakes trade talks with the Trump administration, according to a New York Times investigation. 🎨 The big picture: Investment funds backed by Gulf states or royals have poured money into Kushner's investment fund and the Trump family's crypto venture, for example. Those countries — the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia — also struck massive deals with the Trump administration for AI chips and arms. Keep reading. 🇸🇦 Driving the day: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to meet Trump at the White House this morning, Axios' Barak Ravid writes. Trump said yesterday he'll approve the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia, making the kingdom the first Middle Eastern country other than Israel to obtain the advanced fighter jets. Go deeper. ps:This is what this person is only interested in! He couldn't really do this as just a citizen of the US, but now that he's potus he can just go against everything the US stands for!! Making our enemies his friends and our real friends our enemies!!!!!

Trump's mortal moment Photo illustration: Maura Losch/Axios; Photos: Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images, U.S. Department of Justice It's too early to call President Trump a lame duck. But Congress is ready to clip his wings over the Epstein files, Axios' Marc Caputo reports. Why it matters: Today's expected House vote to release the files — over Trump's initial objections — will mark the first time this term that a GOP-led congressional chamber will so openly defy him. The vote's inevitability led him to change tack, bless the vote — and look the weakest he's been since his inauguration. 🥊 Reality check: Trump isn't a weak president. He wields unprecedented influence in his party, which controls Congress. The GOP base loves him. But today's vote will show that some laws of political physics still apply to the gravity-defying Trump, who's grappling with the karma of setting the mess in motion. "House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it's time to move on from this Democrat Hoax," Trump posted Sunday on Truth Social, in a rare admission of defeat. Trump said yesterday that "sure" he'll sign the bill if it passes the Senate and reaches his desk: "'I'm all for it." Trump's Sunday statement came only after four Republicans balked at White House pressure and agreed to vote with Democrats to release the Justice Department's investigative files into the convicted sex offender. "We were told it wouldn't make the floor — and then all of a sudden he makes this statement and gives us a hall pass," a House Republican told Axios. "So a lot of us are taking it." The backstory: The Epstein vote, which was preceded by hairline fractures of dissent within the GOP, comes two weeks to the day after Republicans suffered bigger-than-expected election losses in Virginia and New Jersey. The results echoed other elections this year, and reflected polls showing Trump's popularity declining as economic anxiety rises. And the GOP is riven by an internal feud over antisemitism and Israel policy. 🔎 Inside the room: White House staff, veterans of Trump's winning campaign last year, say they're built for the challenges ahead and, like the president, will just power through. But there's a growing recognition in Trump's inner circle that something needs to change. "What we lack is an enemy that unites us and divides them," one Trump adviser said. Said another: "The Trump team has been through worse. We survived. We know we're in this era where everything is accelerated. Just a year ago, we won the presidency, and Congress and Democrats looked finished. Now look where we are. It'll change." A senior administration official said Trump threw in the towel because he realized the Epstein files vote was "a major distraction" that kept Republicans from talking about his tax cuts, immigration policy and peace deals. A top Republican said: "It's more amazing this [Epstein vote] didn't happen sooner ... Only four Republicans defied him at first. If anything, it's like: Wow, this guy has a lot of power still. But he's not all-powerful."