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Yearly Archives: 2025
The DOJ’s document dump of hundreds of thousands of pages failed to comply with the law authored by @RepThomasMassie and me. One document, 119 pages of Grand Jury testimony, was completely redacted.
I explain what is missing and what the survivors and their lawyers are still expecting to be released.
Epstein, Israel, and the CIA: How the Iran-Contra Planes Landed at Les Wexner‘s Base
Stanley Pottinger, as it happens, was a notable figure in the scandal that became known as Iran-Contra, in which the CIA used Israel as a middleman to move off-the-books weapons to Iran. In the early 1980s, under the CIA’s supervision, Pottinger advised an Iranian banker on shipping embargoed arms to Iran using fraudulent paperwork and overseas “dummy companies”—in the very same period that Pottinger and Epstein worked together selling “tax-avoidance” strategies from a penthouse by Central Park. Pottinger’s system eventually gave rise to a network of covert intermediaries shipping arms around the world; the CIA’s profits became a slush fund used to illegally bankroll the insurgent Contra army, who waged a war against Nicaragua’s leftist government while simultaneously trafficking cocaine to the United States.
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Pottinger escaped prosecution after the FBI’s incriminating tapes of his conversations mysteriously disappeared; he went on to make a fortune on real estate deals in the 1980s, and became a New York Times’ bestselling novelist. His Times obit from last year reports that his final spy thriller remains unpublished. Hashemi died in 1986 after being infected with “a rare and virulent form of leukemia” that was diagnosed only two days before he died. (His death was later alleged to be foul play.)
“National Security” Blocks Epstein Files Release
(November 18, 2025)
The truth is that the rich and powerful (including the FBI) are ultimately going to be protected from those who are clamoring for change. They aren’t hiding behind national security. They are national security.
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Though the 50-year-old Freedom of Information Act states that the federal government can’t withhold data from the public merely because it is embarrassing, in a 2021 lawsuit still pending where attorney Dan Novack sued for Epstein records, the FBI rattled off a long list of information it says it has but cannot disclose. That includes:
“Names, Identifying Data and/or Information Provided by Individuals Under an Implied Assurance of Confidentiality”
“Names, Identifying Data and/or Information Provided by Individuals Under an Express Assurance of Confidentiality”
“Names and/or Identifying Information of Third Parties who Provided Information”
“Names and/or Identifying Information of Third Parties of Investigative Interest”
“Names and/or Identifying Information of FBI Special Agents”
“Foreign Government Agency Information Under Implied Confidentiality”
“Dates/Types of Investigations”
“Collection/Analysis of Information”
“Names and/or Identifying Information of Non-FBI Federal Government Personnel
“Name and/or Identifying Information of Local Government Personnel”
“Information Regarding Targets, Dates, and Scope of Surveillance”
S.2557 – Epstein Files Transparency Act
(3) DECLASSIFICATION TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall declassify, to the maximum extent possible, any information that the Attorney General would otherwise withhold or redact as classified information under this section.
(B) UNCLASSIFIED SUMMARY.—If the Attorney General determines that information described in subparagraph (A) may not be declassified and made available in a manner that protects the national security of the United States, including methods or sources related to national security, the Attorney General shall make publicly available an unclassified summary of the information.
DOJ withheld more Epstein files in first batch than law requires
In a letter to Congress Friday describing the release, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said that the Justice Department believes it can black out information, even when it falls outside of the legally mandated redactions for protecting victims, showing gruesome injury or abuse, exposing personal information, or jeopardizing ongoing investigations and national security.
Epstein Library
This site houses materials responsive under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. This site will be updated if additional documents are identified for release.
Some of the library‘s contents include descriptions of sexual assault. As such, please be advised that certain portions of this library may not be appropriate for all readers.
Last Updated: December 19, 2025
See photos and documents from the latest Epstein file release
The Justice Department released tens of thousands of records Friday on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, though many of the files are heavily redacted and the agency failed to meet a legal deadline to release all files related to its investigations.
The material comes after a yearlong bipartisan push for the government to release its files on the Epstein investigation.
Epstein files explode open as DOJ details discovery of powerful figures and more than 1,200 victims
The Justice Department redacted the names and identifiers of victims. Fox News Digital has learned that the same redaction standards were applied to politically exposed individuals and government officials.
Later, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News Digital in a phone interview that the Justice Department is „not redacting the names of any politicians.“
„The only redactions being applied to the documents are those required by law — full stop,“ Blanche told Fox News Digital, pointing to victims‘ names, victims‘ stories, any identifiable information. „Consistent with the statute and applicable laws, we are not redacting the names of individuals or politicians unless they are a victim.“
„There are no redactions of famous people,“ Blanche stressed.
US launches widespread airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria after deadly Palmyra attack
The Syrian Foreign Ministry also issued a statement extending “its condolences to the families of the Syrian and American security personnel who were killed in the terrorist attacks that took place in Palmyra and northern Syria.” The statement reiterated Syria’s “firm commitment to fighting the Islamic State.” A US official told CNN that since the December 13 attack, US forces and partner forces have carried out 10 operations that resulted in the killing or arrest of approximately 23 individuals. On December 14, Syria’s Ministry of Interior said that its units carried out an operation in Palmyra to arrest five suspects accused of involvement in the killing of US service members in “coordination with the General Intelligence Directorate and the International Coalition forces.”
US launches retaliatory strikes in Syria on dozens of ISIS targets
Hegseth said „Operation Hawkeye Strike“ was carried out in Syria „to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on Dec. 13 in Palmyra, Syria.
U.S. Central Command also confirmed in a statement that Jordanian fighter aircraft also participated in Friday’s strikes.
„This is not the beginning of a war — It is a declaration of vengeance,“ said Hegseth.
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Not in that: PM says T&T not involved in US blockade against Venezuela
“They have asked for no assistance about blockading in Venezuela, no, they have not,” Persad-Bissessar said after attending the funeral for former colleague Daphne Phillips.
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When asked about Trinidad and Tobago’s position should any US military strikes occur, Persad-Bissessar stressed that the Government’s priority is to keep the country safe. She made it clear that T&T has no aggressive intent towards Venezuela.
“T and T first, that will always be our position. We have no intention of engaging in any war with Venezuela. I’ve always said we stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela and we will continue so to do.”
House Rejects McGovern’s Bipartisan War Powers Resolution, Shamefully Surrendering More Power to the White House
WASHINGTON—Today, House Republicans (and sadly, one spineless Democrat) shamefully rejected Congressman McGovern‘s War Powers Resolution, which would have directed President Trump to cease all hostilities within or against Venezuela.
“I’m furious that cowardly lawmakers have once again surrendered Congress’ Constitutional responsibility on matters of war to a wannabe dictator in the White House,” said Ranking Member McGovern. “The Founders intentionally did not want any president to have unilateral power to start a war, much less one like Donald Trump, who campaigned on ending unnecessary foreign conflicts. He‘s now breaking that promise—and his weak, pathetic lackeys in Congress are letting him drag us into yet another endless war that no one except their billionaire buddies in Big Oil want.”
House Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Meeks‘ Floor Debate Remarks on War Powers Resolution to Prohibit Hostilities Against Venezuela
„As I said earlier today on this floor, during the debate on my War Powers Resolution to end this administration’s extrajudicial strikes on boats in the Western Hemisphere, those bombings are not about drugs. If the administration did want to stop drugs, Trump would not have pardoned the former President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, or Ross Ulbricht, who operated the Silk Road drug marketplace. He wouldn’t be seizing an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Or threatening CIA operations, blockades, and ground strikes on Venezuela.
„It’s not about drugs, it’s about regime change, and it’s about oil. That’s not just me saying that. It’s Trump himself saying it. It’s President Trump’s Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, who said Trump wants to, and I quote, “keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.” And it relies on the magical thinking that military force can bring democracy in Venezuela or anywhere else.
„But his chief of staff also conceded, as any reasonable person with any knowledge of the constitution should, that if Trump, quote, “were to authorize some activity on land, then it’s war, then [we’d need] Congress.”
„On that, she’s right. Congress would need to pass an Authorization for the Use of Military Force if Trump wanted to put boots on the ground or conduct military strikes on Venezuela. And for that, Republicans in Congress would need to cast their vote on whether to commit U.S. armed forces to an open-ended conflict their constituents certainly do not want.
„Trump ran on ending forever wars, but now he’s forgotten what they are. What his own Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth characterized as, quote, “interventionism, undefined wars, regime change, and feckless nation building.” Yet with Venezuela, Trump is provoking a new war right in our backyard and threatening to destabilize an entire region.
Congress Squanders Last Chance to Block Venezuela War Before Going on Vacation
“Americans do not want another Iraq. If we intensify hostilities in Venezuela, we have no idea what we’re walking into,” McGovern said. “At least George Bush had the decency to come to Congress for approval in 2002. Don’t the American people deserve that respect today?”
Bush in 2002 sought and received a formal authorization for his attack on Iraq. Without taking any similar steps, Trump has massed thousands of American service members in the Caribbean without formal approval.
‘Absolute Dereliction of Duty’: House Republicans Kill Venezuela War Powers Resolutions
The resolution was defeated 210-216, with seven lawmakers not voting. Two Republicans—Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Thomas Massie of Kentucky—voted in favor of the measure. Democratic Texas Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez joined their GOP colleagues in voting down the proposal.
The second resolution, introduced by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), would have directed Trump to “remove the use of United States armed forces from hostilities within or against Venezuela, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization for use of military force.”
The resolution failed by a vote of 211-213, with nine members not voting. Republicans Bacon, Massie, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia voted “yes” on the legislation, while Cuellar voted against the proposal.
Iraq welcomes US vote to repeal war authorizations
The ministry added that the move “sends a clear signal to the international community that Iraq has become a secure and attractive destination for investment.”
On counterterrorism, the ministry stressed that the repeal does not weaken ongoing efforts, noting that the 2001 authorization—enacted after the September 11 attacks to confront al-Qaeda and affiliated terrorist groups—remains in force.
Iraq welcomes US Congress vote to repeal war authorizations
Iraq on Wednesday welcomed a US Congress vote to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Baghdad, included within the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2026.
The Foreign Ministry said it views “with great pleasure” the vote by the House of Representatives and the Senate, noting that the repeal awaits ratification by President Donald Trump.
Senate passes $901 billion defense bill that pushes Hegseth for boat strike video
But overall, the bill represents a compromise between the parties. It implements many of Trump‘s executive orders and proposals on eliminating diversity and inclusion efforts in the military and grants emergency military powers at the U.S. border with Mexico. It also enhances congressional oversight of the Department of Defense, repeals several years-old war authorizations and seeks to overhaul how the Pentagon purchases weapons as the U.S. tries to outpace China in developing the next generation of military technology.
Sweeping US defense bill passes, with Ukraine, Venezuela provisions defying Trump
And it has a provision to withhold a chunk of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth‘s travel budget if he does not provide Congress with unedited videos of military strikes on boats in the southern Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The Trump administration has said the strikes are directed at Venezuelan drug-traffickers.
The Senate vote came a day after Trump ordered a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, his latest move to increase pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro‘s government.
It repeals the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMFs) against Iraq, an attempt to reassert Congress‘ role in deciding to send troops into combat.
„Willkommen in der Hölle“
Im Bericht werden einige der in Israel teils seit Jahrzehnten gängigen Folterpraktiken aufgezählt: die Opfer werden oft tage- oder wochenlanger Isolationshaft ausgesetzt, sie werden in käfigähnlichen Einrichtungen festgehalten, über längere Zeit nackt ausgezogen und müssen Windeln tragen. Zudem werden ihre Augen verbunden und der Entzug von Nahrung, Wasser, Schlaf und medizinischer Behandlung sind an der Tagesordnung. Hinzukommt Folter mit elektrischen Schocks, dem Verbrennen mit Zigaretten, mit Waterboarding (simuliertem Ertrinken) und dem Aufhängen an den Händen oder Füßen an der Decke. Die Rede ist außerdem von Hunden, die auf Gefangene losgelassen wurden – und immer wieder auch von sexueller und geschlechtsspezifischer Gewalt. Inzwischen existieren mehrere Berichte, dass Hunde für die sexuelle Folter Gefangener eingesetzt wurden.[4] Anlässlich der Veröffentlichung des Berichts sprach der UN-Menschenrechtsbauftragte Volker Türk, der zugleich auch die palästinensische Autonomiebehörde wegen willkürlicher Verhaftungen, Folter und Misshandlungen kritisierte und bewaffnete palästinensische Gruppen wegen des 7.Oktober verurteilte, von eklatanten Verletzungen der internationalen Menschenrechtsnormen und des humanitären Völkerrechts seitens Israel.
Prisoners’ institutions: 9,300 Palestinian detainees held in Israeli occupation prisons
RAMALLAH, December 16, 2025 (WAFA) – Prisoners’ institutions said on Tuesday that the number of Palestinian detainees and prisoners held in Israeli occupation prisons has reached around 9,300, the majority of whom are detainees and administrative detainees.
In a joint statement, the institutions said the figures are based on data provided by prisoners’ institutions and information released by the Israeli Prison Service up to the beginning of the current month of December, noting that the total does not include detainees held in camps run by the Israeli occupation army.
Gaza death toll rises to 70,667 since Oct. 07
Thousands of others are still missing and buried under rubble in the Gaza Strip.
Since the ceasefire was established on October 11, 2025, 393 people have been martyred and 1,074 others have been injured. Also, the bodies of 634 martyrs have been recovered from the rubble during this period.
Two Palestinian Youths Killed in under 24 Hours in Ongoing West Bank Raids
Tuqu Mayor Muhammad al-Badan said that as mourners dispersed following the funeral of 16-year-old Ammar Sabah who was killed on Monday evening, a few youth remained at the northern entrance to the town, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
An illegal settler then got out of his vehicle and opened fire at them, killing Muheeb Ahmed Jibril and seriously wounding another young man, the report added.
Two Caribbean countries added to new U.S. travel restrictions
Two Caribbean countries—Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica—are now subject to new United States travel restrictions under a proclamation signed by President Donald Trump, citing concerns over screening, vetting and citizenship by investment programmes.
US gets green light …Military aircraft to use local airports
“In keeping with established bilateral cooperation, the ministry has granted approvals for United States military aircraft to transit Trinidad and Tobago’s airports in the coming weeks,” Monday’s release stated.
Hegseth says Pentagon won’t release video of strike on drug boat survivors to public
At issue is whether the Sept. 2 military strike on the alleged drug boat amounted to a war crime, as some lawmakers have suggested. Officials have confirmed there were four military strikes against the boat — the first strike killing nine of the 11 people aboard. Some 40 minutes later, a second strike was ordered to kill the remaining two survivors. Two more strikes were ordered to sink the boat, officials say.
Trump initially said he would release the video, telling reporters on Dec. 3 “whatever they have, we’d certainly release, no problem.” Trump later backtracked, saying he would defer to Hegseth.
Trump declares ‚Venezuelan regime‘ a foreign terrorist organization, orders oil tanker blockade
President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered a total blockade of oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, declaring the Nicolás Maduro regime a foreign terrorist organization and accusing it of using stolen U.S. assets to finance terrorism, trafficking and other criminal activity.
„Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,“ Trump said on Truth Social. „It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before – Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us.
U.S. military says strikes on 3 boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean kill 8 people
(December 16, 2025)
The military said in a statement on social media that the strikes targeted „designated terrorist organizations,“ killing three people in the first vessel, two in the second boat and three in the third boat. It didn‘t provide evidence of their alleged drug trafficking but posted a video of a boat moving through water before exploding.
House To Vote This Week on Bill To Block Trump From Launching a War With Venezuela
(December 15, 2025)
The House is expected to vote on Thursday on a bipartisan War Powers Resolution aimed at blocking President Trump from launching an attack on Venezuela amid a major US military buildup in the Caribbean and threats of a regime change war to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
US War Department Says ‘No Force Posture Changes’ in Syria After Three Americans Killed
(December 15, 2025)
“Currently, we have no force posture changes to announce,” a War Department official told Antiwar.com when asked if the Trump administration was planning to withdraw from Syria.
The US withdrew a few hundred soldiers from Syria earlier this year, but the comment signals a full withdrawal isn’t on the table. There are currently around 1,000 US troops in the country, a Pentagon official told The New York Times.
After the Bondi massacre, we don’t have the luxury to grieve silently
In response to the Bondi attack, it is tempting, as many on the Jewish left have done for years, to promote the idea of safety through solidarity, according to which the strengthening of bonds between different marginalized communities is the key to each other’s protection. But as a colleague said to me recently, the pursuit of safety may be a delusion. Such sentiments feel empty in the face of an attack like Bondi. Indeed, so few of these communities enjoy any sense of safety in the unfolding era of political violence and instability.