Shutdown Showdown Could Hand Trump a Fiscal Blank Check

President Trump now says that he wants Republicans to vote to release the Epstein files. But at the same time, he has also appointed a U.S. attorney who played a role in shutting down the Epstein investigation during his first term. What does this mean? It means Congress can vote to release the files on Tuesday for optics but the public won’t see them because the Justice Department will open an “active investigation” that keeps key evidence out of public view. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that she has asked SDNY U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to lead the renewed Epstein investigation. Whitney Webb, one of the most prominent researchers on Epstein’s network, argues that Clayton’s long-standing proximity to Epstein’s world, including emails where Epstein discusses Clayton’s private-equity advisory work, and Clayton’s later move to Leon Black’s firm after Black paid Epstein millions, raises serious concerns about placing him in charge of determining what

President Trump crossed a line with his supporters over the weekend by taking cheap shots at Republican politicians. Trump taking low blows is not new but the nature of these attacks over the Epstein files at people who were loyal to him shocked his base. He chastised Congressman Thomas Massie for remarrying after his wife died and continues to take shots at Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, calling her a traitor to her country. What did they do to cross him? They promote the America First campaign to compete with MAGA and continue to speak out against Trump’s foreign policy. But the truth is: if you cheered Trump when he used this style against others, you always knew it could come for you. Political proximity doesn’t grant immunity. Marjorie Taylor Greene herself appears to recognize this. She told CNN she is “sorry for taking part in the toxic politics” of the

The State Department announced that it will designate Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, framing the move as a crackdown on drug trafficking into the U.S. and Europe. That’s a nice idea but the trafficking in question has long been documented as operating with deep complicity from U.S. intelligence networks, including the CIA. This should come as no surprise to people who are read up on the drug trade. Every corner of the drug trade has the fingerprints of the CIA. Certainly Secretary Rubio knows this which is why it is ironic that Washington is labeling as “terrorism” the very trade routes that its own apparatus exploits. This sudden shift also arrives as the Trump administration continues launching airstrikes on naval vessels under the banner of drug interdiction, despite offering no public evidence to justify these operations. Some analysts argue that “Cartel de los Soles” isn’t

Ukrainian President Zelensky faced protests in Kiev this weekend after a corruption scandal erupted over military procurement and questions about where Western aid has actually gone. Crowds gathered in the capital demanding accountability as frustration grows over corruption, endless mobilization, mounting casualties, and a government that appears increasingly insulated from the suffering of its own people. Russian sources claim the U.S. has been quietly searching for Zelensky’s replacement for months. Former Ukrainian prime minister Nikolay Azarov says American officials have been “actively talking to, meeting and inviting to Washington” alternative figures inside the Kiev government in an effort to gauge who might be the most reliable successor. Given how openly Washington orchestrated the 2014 coup and positioned Zelensky as the West’s wartime figurehead, the idea that they are preparing to swap him out is believable. If these reports are accurate, Zelensky may be preparing to leave Ukraine for good.

The government shut down is over. Absolutely nothing was accomplished other than disrespecting government employees, many of whom reported to work without pay while politicians played theater. It will probably happen again when this funding package runs out on January 30. Because our elected leaders are all just awful on the right and the left. That’s it. That’s the take. That and a middle finger.

The House of Representatives will vote on the bi-partisan Epstein Files Transparency Act in December after a discharge petition secured the required 218 signatures in the House on Wednesday. Most Democrats signed it but only four Republicans did, probably because President Trump has condemned the issue since taking office. This now triggers the mechanism to compel the measure to the floor for a vote. In plain terms: every member of Congress will now have to go on record either to protect the Epstein files or to release them to the public. Which is exactly what the Trump administration has refused to do since President Trump took office. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that Epstein had no clients and only abused young girls on his own and kept pornography on his laptop. That story collapsed under documents released on Wednesday. Emails released by Democrats show that Epstein colluded with reporters from The