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      Trump’s investigation into Epstein ties to political foes might be ‘smokescreen’, Republican says

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      Republican congressman Thomas Massie challenged Donald Trump on Sunday over whether the US president is making a “last-ditch effort” to keep the full files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein from becoming public by ordering a fresh investigation.Massie and Democratic congressman Ro Khanna, the two US representatives leading the bipartisan push to make all the files held by the government public both raised fresh concerns about the latest actions by the White House.Speaking on ABC’s This Week, Massie criticized Trump for ordering attorney general Pam Bondi on Friday to examine Democrats with ties to Epstein.This despite emails released last week by the House of Representatives’ oversight committee that suggest Trump was aware of Epstein’s conduct and that Epstein had also advised Steve Bannon, a key figure in Trump’s Make America Great Again (Maga) base.“The president’s been saying this is a hoax,” Massie said, referring to several claims Trump has made in reaction to repeated calls for full disclosure of the files. “He’s been saying that for months. Well, he’s just now decided to investigate a hoax, if it’s a hoax. And I have another concern about these investigations that he’s announced. If they have ongoing investigations in certain areas, those documents can’t be released.“So, this might be a big smokescreen, these investigations, to open a bunch of them, as a last-ditch effort to prevent the release of the Epstein files,” he added.ABC anchor Jonathan Karl asked Massie about what the Epstein records might contain and why Trump appears afraid of what they might reveal.“You know, I’ve never said that these files will implicate Donald Trump,” Massie replied. “And I really don’t think that they will. I think he’s trying to protect a bunch of rich and powerful friends, billionaires, donors to his campaign, friends in his social circles. That’s my operating theory on why he’s trying so hard to keep these files closed.”Massie also said it was possible that more than 100 House Republicans may vote in favor of releasing the Epstein files, documents currently held by the justice department related to the alleged crimes and alleged clientele of the late financier and sex offender, when the measure reaches the House floor for a vote this week. He urged skeptics to rethink their position.“I would remind my Republican colleagues who are deciding how to vote: Donald Trump can protect you in red districts right now by giving you an endorsement. But in 2030, he’s not going to be the president, and you will have voted to protect pedophiles if you don’t vote to release these files, and the president can’t protect you then. This vote, the record of this vote, will last longer than Donald Trump’s presidency,” Massie said.Meanwhile, Khanna of California said moments later on NBC News’ Meet the Press that the effort was “not about Donald Trump” and encouraged the president to meet with the victims who have survived Epstein’s alleged sex-trafficking ring and have since spoken out.“What we’re asking for is justice for the survivors,” Khanna said. “So, it’s not about Donald Trump. I don’t even know how involved Trump was. There are a lot of other people who are involved who have to be held accountable.”He also noted that many survivors who have spoken publicly about their abuse will be in Washington on Tuesday, where they plan to request a meeting with Trump.Epstein killed himself in prison in 2019 while awaiting federal trial in New York on sex crimes, having previously served time in Florida for sex offenses after negotiating a plea deal there in 2008. His associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently in prison.Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, said on Sunday he believed the approaching vote would help put an end to allegations that the president had any ties to Epstein’s abuse and trafficking of underage girls.“They’re doing this to go after President Trump on this theory that he has something to do with it. He does not,” Johnson said of critics, on the Fox News Sunday program.“Epstein is their [Democrats] entire game plan, so we’re going to take that weapon out of their hands,” Johnson said. “Let’s just get this done and move it on. There’s nothing to hide.”The Senate is thought unlikely to produce the necessary support to advance the legislation, however, and Senate majority whip John Barrasso, speaking on NBC on Sunday, declined to commit to holding a vote even if the pending bill passes in the House.Georgia Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has also demanded the release of all the Epstein documents, despite it causing a rift with Trump. More

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      Dozens reportedly arrested in Charlotte, North Carolina, amid immigration crackdown

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      A top border patrol commander touted dozens of arrests in North Carolina’s largest city on Sunday as Charlotte residents reported a surge of encounters with federal immigration agents near churches and apartment complexes.The Trump administration has made the Democratic-led city of about 950,000 people its latest target for an immigration enforcement crackdown it says will combat crime, despite fierce objections from local leaders and the fact that crime rates in the city are steadily declining.Some businesses in Charlotte chose to stay closed at the weekend and many areas that would often be bustling on a Saturday afternoon were quiet as people stayed home in fear of anti-immigration raids and sweeps.Gregory Bovino, who led hundreds of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents on a similar operation in Chicago, took to social media to document some of the arrests he said had reached more than 80. He posted pictures of people the Trump administration commonly dubs “criminal illegal aliens” as a damning characterization for people living in the US without legal permission who have alleged criminal records. That included one of a man with an alleged history of drunk driving convictions.“We arrested him, taking him off the streets of Charlotte so he can’t continue to ignore our laws and drive intoxicated on the same roads you and your loved ones are on,” Bovino wrote on X.The latest effort by federal law enforcement has been labeled “Operation Charlotte’s Web” as a play on the title of the children’s book but conjuring an image of people caught in a trap.At Camino, a nonprofit group that offers services to Latino communities, some said they were too afraid to leave their homes to attend school, medical appointments or work. A dental clinic the group runs had nine cancellations on Friday, spokesperson Paola Garcia said.“Latinos love this country. They came here to escape socialism and communism, and they’re hard workers and people of faith,” Garcia said. “They love their family, and it’s just so sad to see that this community now has this target on their back.”Recent operations led by Bovino in Chicago and Los Angeles triggered a flurry of lawsuits and investigations over questions about use of force, including wide deployment of chemical agents against protesters.Democratic party leaders in both cities said that agents’ presence inflamed community tensions and actually led to violence.Bovino and other Trump administration officials have called the use of force appropriate, citing a growing threats on agents’ lives.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees CBP, did not respond to inquiries about the Charlotte arrests. Bovino’s spokesman did not return a request for comment on Sunday.DHS has not offered many details about who it has been arresting. For instance in Chicago, the agency only provided names and details on a handful of its more than 3,000 arrests in the metro region from September to last week.By Sunday, reports of CBP activity in Charlotte were “overwhelming” and difficult to quantify, Greg Asciutto, executive director of the community development group CharlotteEast, said in an email.“The past two hours we’ve received countless reports of CBP activity at churches, apartment complexes and a hardware store,” he said.City council member-elect JD Mazuera Arias said targeting houses of worship was “just awful”.“These are sanctuaries for people who are looking for hope and faith in dark times like these and who no longer can feel safe because of the gross violation of people’s right to worship,” he said.

      The Associated Press contributed reporting More

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      Trans air force members sue Trump administration over denied pension

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      A group of 17 transgender US air force members has sued the Trump administration for denying them early retirement pensions and benefits.The complaint, submitted in federal court, describes the government’s move against them as “unlawful and invalid”.The legal action follows the air force’s confirmation it would deny early retirement benefits to all transgender service members with 15 to 18 years of military experience, a decision that effectively pushes them out of the military with no retirement support at all.“The Air Force’s own retirement instruction provides that retirement orders may only be rescinded under very limited circumstances, none of which were present here,” the lawsuit says.Among the named plaintiffs are Logan Ireland, Ashley Davis, Kira Brimhall and Lindell Walley.Glad Law, one of the advocacy groups behind the lawsuit who is representing the affected service members, said the revocation of early retirement support had ripped away financial support and benefits these families were counting on after long years of excellent service to their country.“These service members will lose $1-2m in lifetime benefits, jeopardizing their families’ economic security,” Glad Law said in a statement. “The action also strips the airmen and their families of access to TRICARE, the military health insurance program, which would have provided access to civilian health care providers beyond VA [Veterans Administration] facilities.”The lawsuit came amid the latest escalation by the Trump administration to prohibit transgender people from joining the military and to remove those already serving. The Pentagon has argued that transgender people are medically unfit, something civil rights activists have pushed back on and say constitutes illegal discrimination.In March, a federal judge blocked Trump’s executive order banning transgender people from military service. US district judge Ana Reyes in Washington DC ruled that the order likely violated their constitutional rights. Pentagon officials have said in the past that 4,200 service members were diagnosed with “gender dysphoria”, which they use as an identifier of being transgender.The air force, however, has stood apart in its enforcement of policies that go beyond just separating troops from military service. As well as rescinding early retirement benefits, the service rolled out a new policy in August to deny transgender members the right to argue before a board of their peers for the right to continue serving.The most recent lawsuit, the latest in a string, is challenging that.According to the court documents, the “plaintiffs’ retirement orders remain valid and effective”. Their legal team are calling for these “orders to be reinstated” and pushing for “their military records be corrected accordingly”. The lawsuit also says “interest, costs and attorney’s fees” must be accounted for and “further relief as the court deems just and proper.”Ireland, a master sergeant in the air force with 15 years of service, told the Associated Press: “The military taught me to lead and fight, not retreat.“Stripping away my retirement sends the message that those values only apply on the battlefield, not when a service member needs them most.” More

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      The US has drafted a coin featuring Trump. Here’s a better way to immortalize him | Robert Reich

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      The US treasury has drafted a design for a $1 coin featuring Donald Trump on both sides, for the purpose of “honoring America’s 250th Birthday and @POTUS”, according to treasury officials.Meanwhile, Trump reportedly wants the Washington Commanders to name their planned $3.7bn stadium after him. A senior White House source told ESPN: “It’s what the president wants, and it will probably happen.”The giant $300m ballroom that Trump is adding to the White House is called “the President Donald J Trump Ballroom” on the list of donors to the project, and senior administration officials told ABC the name was likely to stick – though Trump has since said he is not planning to name it after himself.Still, Trump is moving to immortalize himself with his name etched far and wide.This is what fascist dictators have done when in power. Stalin, Hitler and Mussolini built monuments to glorify themselves so they’d be exalted in history.Democracies prefer to memorialize their heroes after they’ve died, and only if the public wants them commemorated.Trump deserves to be remembered – but not as a hero. To the contrary: it is our solemn duty to ensure he is remembered for all he has done and may still do to destroy American democracy.He must be remembered as the president who claimed without evidence that an election was “stolen” from him. Who then instigated a coup attempt that included false electors and was followed by an assault on the US Capitol that resulted in five deaths and injuries to 174 police officers.He should be remembered as the president who, after being re-elected, tried to erase the nation’s memory of what he had done by pardoning 1,600 people connected with the Capitol attack and 77 who were accused of trying to overturn the 2020 election. He called the rioters “patriots”.He must be remembered as the president who then usurped the powers of Congress. Who denied people due process of law. Who prosecuted his political opponents. Who violated international law by killing people he labeled enemy combatants. Who sent the military into American cities over the objections of their mayors and governors.We must not allow Trump to erase this history with false tributes to himself, etched into silver, marble or granite.Instead, after he is gone, a monument should be erected to remind future generations of Trump’s treachery and the treachery of officials who supported him.It would be a simple building constructed of iron and cement, containing the records of his attacks on democracy and the names of everyone who aided him.Over its doorway would be the words “Trump’s Treason”.It would be situated on the White House lawn where the Trump ballroom (since demolished) once stood. It would face outward toward Pennsylvania Avenue so that families visiting the nation’s capital – including those commemorating the 500th anniversary of the US – have easy access, and will long remember this catastrophe.

      Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is a professor of public policy emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a Guardian US columnist and his newsletter is at robertreich.substack.com. His new book, Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America, is out now More

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      Marjorie Taylor Greene says Trump’s remarks hurtful but hopes they can make up

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      Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene on Sunday called Donald Trump’s remarks labeling her a traitor and a lunatic “hurtful” but said she hopes she and the US president can “make up”, despite stark differences over policy and the release of documents about Jeffrey Epstein.Greene, a longtime ally and fierce defender of Trump and the “Make America great again” (Maga) base, pushed back against his name-calling in her first interview since Trump withdrew his support for her on Friday.She told CNN’s State of the Union show: “His remarks, of course, have been hurtful … the most hurtful thing he said, which is absolutely untrue, is he called me a traitor and that is so extremely wrong.”Greene said on Saturday she had been contacted by private security firms “with warnings for my safety” since Trump said he was withdrawing his endorsement of her as a Republican member of Congress, following several days of remarks and posts criticizing her.Greene had said in an X post that “a hot bed of threats against me are being fueled and egged on by the most powerful man in the world”, without referring to Trump by name, adding it was “the man I supported and helped get elected”.She did not go into further detail on Sunday morning about the nature and sources of such threats.But she added in her TV interview about Trump’s attacks, especially the label traitor: “Those are the types of words used that can radicalize people against me and put my life in danger.”“It has all come down to the ‘Epstein files’ and that is shocking and, you know, I stand with these women, I stand with rape victims … and survivors of trafficking … I believe the country deserves transparency in these files,” she said.Greene plans to join a vote in the House of Representatives later this week to demand the release of all files held by the US government on Epstein, the late financier and sex offender who killed himself in prison while awaiting trial on sex offenses in New York in 2019.Even though the Senate is expected to kill any such bill, the upcoming vote and last week’s release of thousands of documents with revelations about Epstein’s ties to Trump, Steve Bannon and other powerful figures, is putting huge pressure on the administration, including from victims of Epstein.Greene’s falling out with Trump was months in the making but matters escalated dramatically in recent weeks.Greene also called on Sunday for an end to “toxic infighting” in politics. CNN anchor Dana Bash challenged Greene on her track record of past violent rhetoric towards Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama and posts such as an image of herself posing with a gun alongside pictures of the “Squad” group of congressional leftwingers, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.“I’m sorry for taking part in the toxic politics … put down the knives, be kind to one another … I never wanted to cause any harm,” Greene said.Greene has also diverged from Trump’s focus on foreign policy issues, arguing he should be concentrating on bringing down inflation in the US and take an even harder line on immigration.“I would like to see Air Force One parked and staying at home,” she said.But she ended the interview with CNN, when asked if there could be reconciliation with Trump, by saying: “Well, I certainly hope that we can make up. I can only speak for myself. I’m a Christian and one of the most important parts of our faith is forgiveness, and that’s something I’m committed to.” More

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      The banality of evil: how Epstein’s powerful friends normalised him

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      He got by with a little help from his friends. From British royalty to White House alumni, from a Silicon Valley investor to a leftwing academic, connections and influence were the ultimate currency for Jeffrey Epstein.Yet none appeared to challenge Epstein over his horrific crimes. If silence is complicity, the casual disdain of the elite circles he moved in spoke volumes.Emails released this week by the House of Representatives’ oversight committee revealed how Epstein maintained contact with business executives, reporters, academics and political players despite his 2008 guilty plea for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl.Epstein’s death – he was charged with sex trafficking in 2019 and killed himself in prison a month later – has long been a magnet for conspiracy theories but the documents expose a reality less about a shadowy cabal and more about a system of power that operates in plain sight, indifferent to conviction or consequence.Spanning 2009 to 2019, Epstein’s short, choppy emails laden with spelling and grammatical errors do little to implicate his contacts – including Donald Trump – in any criminal activities. But they do show some acquaintances supporting him during legal troubles while others sought introductions or advice on everything from dating to oil prices.Their bantering, frivolous tone implies that Epstein would have felt still welcome as a member of polite society, receiving no social incentive to change his ways. Far from being ostracised as a sex offender, he was normalised.In several messages in 2018, he advised longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon on his political tour of Europe that year. Bannon forwarded Epstein a news clip that described the German media as “underestimating” Bannon and saying he was “As Dangerous as Ever”.“luv it,” Epstein responded.Epstein wrote that he’d just spoken to “one of the country leaders that we discussed” and that “we should lay out a strategy plan. . how much fun.”Several months later, Epstein sent some advice: “If you are going to play here , you’ll have to spend time, europe by remote doesn’t work.”“its doable but time consuming,” Epstein continued in a follow-up email, “there are many leaders of countries we can organize for you to have one on ones.” Bannon replied: “Agree 100% How do I do that???”When physicist Lawrence Krauss faced sexual harassment allegations, he emailed Epstein for advice on how to handle a journalist’s inquiry. After asking whether Krauss had had sex with the person in question, Epstein advised him not to reply to the journalist.Larry Summers, who was treasury secretary under Bill Clinton and later president of Harvard University, discussed his interactions with a woman and Epstein offered coaching on his response, writing: “you reacted well.. annoyed shows caring. , no whining showed strentgh.”In another email, Summers opined: “I’m trying to figure why American elite think if u murder your baby by beating and abandonment it must be irrelevant to your admission to Harvard, but hit on a few women 10 years ago and can’t work at a network or think tank. DO NOT REPEAT THIS INSIGHT.”In a further message, Summers asked: “How is life among the lucrative and louche?” Epstein replied: “When we meet I will endeavor to mesmerize you with stories of D.C. so wild !!!”Summers was not the only Democrat in Epstein’s orbit. Kathryn Ruemmler, a former White House counsel under Barack Obama, sent a message to him calling Trump “so gross”. A portion of that message was redacted, but Epstein replied: “worse in real life and upclose.”In other emails with Ruemmler, Epstein detailed a whirlwind of well-known people he appears to have been meeting, hosting or speaking with that week, including an ambassador, a tech giant, foreign business people, academics and a film director. “you are a welcome guest at any,” he wrote.In one message, Ruemmler expressed apparent contempt for the people of New Jersey as she planned a road trip to New York: “Think I am going to drive. I will then stop to pee and get gas at a rest stop on the New Jersey turnpike, will observe all of the people there who are at least 100 pounds overweight, will have a mild panic attack as a result of the observation, and will then decide that I am not eating another bite of food for the rest of my life out of fear that I will end up like one of these people.”The documents also cast significant doubt on the former prince Andrew’s official account of his relationship with Epstein and his accusers. An email from March 2011 shows continued contact four months after Andrew later publicly claimed to have ended the relationship. In a message to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell regarding allegations, Andrew wrote: “I can’t take any more of this my end.”Another email appears to corroborate the famous photograph of Andrew with accuser Virginia Giuffre. Epstein wrote: “Yes, she was on my plane and yes, she had her photo taken with Andrew, as many of my employees have.” This stands in contrast with the prince’s public speculation during a 2019 interview that the photograph may have been faked.Journalist Michael Wolff appears in numerous exchanges, often acting as an informal adviser to Epstein regarding his relationship with Trump. In 2015, Wolff advised Epstein to “let him [Trump] hang himself” if Trump were asked about their relationship during a CNN appearance, suggesting that any denial from Trump would give Epstein “valuable PR and political currency”.Shortly before the 2016 election, Wolff wrote to Epstein: “There’s an opportunity to come forward this week and talk about Trump in such a way that could garner you great sympathy and help finish him. Interested?”The emails show that Epstein’s role in his network went far beyond social pleasantries. He was treated as a trusted consigliere, a fixer whose judgment on matters of politics, scandal and personal life was actively sought by the powerful.He even sought to shape foreign policy. In the run-up to Trump’s 2018 bilateral meeting with Vladimir Putin, Epstein proposed that Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, might benefit from his own insights into the then-US president.“I think you might suggest to Putin that Lavrov can get insight on talking to me,” Epstein wrote in an email to Thorbjørn Jagland, the former Norwegian prime minister who was at the helm of the Council of Europe at the time.Epstein went on to claim that he had previously discussed Trump with Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s ambassador to the UN, before Churkin’s death in 2017. “Churkin was great,” Epstein wrote. “He understood Trump after our conversations. It is not complex. He must be seen to get something – it’s that simple.”In January 2010, biotech venture capitalist Boris Nikolic was attending the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and Epstein emailed to ask: “any fun?” Nikolic replied that he had met “your friend” Bill Clinton, as well as then-French president Nicolas Sarkozy and “your other friend”, Andrew, “as he has some questions re microsoft”.But then Nikolic said he was getting sick of meetings. Later, he wrote Epstein that “it would be blast that you are here”. He mentioned flirting with a 22-year-old woman and wrote that “It turns out she is with her husand. Did not have chance to check him out. But as we concluded, anything good is rented ;)”.In emails with Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, an Emirati businessman, Epstein complimented Bannon, saying in 2018 that “We have become friends you will like him”.“Trump doesn’t like him,” responded Sulayem.A year earlier, Sulayem had asked Epstein about an event where it appeared Trump would be in attendance, asking: “Do you think it will be possible to shake hand with trump.”“Call to discuss,” Epstein wrote back.The list of associates was wide and varied. In 2011, Epstein asked the publicist Peggy Siegal to contact media entrepreneur Arianna Huffington to “champion the dangers of false allegations” and investigate accuser Virginia Giuffre. Siegal called the request “moronic”.In a 2015 email, Epstein offered Noam Chomsky, a linguist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and political activist, use of his New York and New Mexico residences. Their exchange also covered topics such as currency collapses and behavioral science.The artist Andres Serrano discussed the 2016 election with him, writing that he was so “disgusted by the outrage over ‘grab them by the pussy’ that I may give him my sympathy vote”.Epstein was also in touch with Peter Thiel, a Silicon Valley investor and ally of JD Vance. Epstein sent Thiel an email in 2014 saying “that was fun , see you in 3 weeks”. Four years later, Epstein asked if Thiel was enjoying Los Angeles, and, after Thiel said he could not complain, replied “Dec visit me Caribbean”. It is unclear whether Thiel ever responded.The secrets of Epstein’s inbox do not reveal an overarching conspiracy but paints a more sobering picture: a world where immense wealth, privileged access and proximity to power can insulate individuals from accountability and consequences. For those inside the circle, the rules of the outside world do not apply.Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House judiciary committee, said: “This is a guy who I believe gave huge donations to colleges and universities, including Harvard and MIT, and those kinds of gifts can buy you a lot of currency and access in different elite circles.“People will want to know to what extent all of these different actors understood what was going on. It may be that the people he interacted with at MIT or Harvard did not have the same level of awareness as Prince Andrew or Donald Trump did but everybody should be asked to tell what they knew.” More

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      Trump news at a glance: Marjorie Taylor Greene raises fears for her safety as row with Donald Trump escalates

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      Marjorie Taylor Greene, a longtime Republican ally who previously fiercely defended Donald Trump and his Maga movement, said on Saturday she had been contacted by private security firms “with warnings for my safety” after Trump announced on Friday he was withdrawing his support for and endorsement of the Georgia representative.In a post on X, Greene said that “a hot bed of threats against me are being fueled and egged on by the most powerful man in the world”, without referring to Trump by name, adding it was “the man I supported and helped get elected”.In a later post on X, Greene posted a chart of rising average grocery bills, calling it “the ultimate warning to all of my Republican colleagues” and equating cost-of-living pressures to a vote in Congress over the release of further Epstein files next week.Marjorie Taylor Greene says she’s had ‘warnings’ after posts by TrumpThe dispute between Greene and Trump, simmering for months, has broken out into the open as the once solid Maga supporter has found herself opposing Trump on a series of issues, including US military aid to Israel, the government shutdown and the so-called “Epstein files”.“Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Green is a disgrace to our GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY!” Trump fumed on social media, a day after ending his support for Greene, calling her “Wacky Marjorie” and saying he would endorse a challenger against her in the next midterm election “if the right person runs”.The war of words between the congresswoman and Trump has become increasingly bitter primarily over the release of government-held documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein, which Greene supports. The House speaker, Mike Johnson, is expected to hold a vote next week on releasing the entirety of unclassified communications and documents.Read the full storySteve Bannon advised Epstein for years, texts showHundreds of texts over almost a year show Maga influencer Steve Bannon and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein workshopping legal and media strategies to protect Epstein from the legal and publicity quagmire that enveloped him in the last year of his life.The texts, released by the House oversight committee on Wednesday, show that as early as June 2018 the pair were devising responses to the gathering storm of public outrage about Epstein’s criminal history, his favorable treatment by the justice system, and his friendships with powerful figures in business, politics and academia.Bannon conspiratorially described the renewed scrutiny of Epstein as a “sophisticated op”, and over time he counseled Epstein in his adversarial responses to media outlets, the justice system and his victims.Read the full storyICE begins sweep in Charlotte, North CarolinaFederal immigration officers on Saturday began a sweep through Charlotte, the largest city in North Carolina, officials confirmed.Local media reports said that one location targeted by masked federal agents was a church in east Charlotte, where an arrest was made while about 15 to 20 church members were doing yard work on the property.“Right now, everybody is scared. Everybody,” the pastor at the church told the Charlotte Observer.The mayor, Vi Lyles, said these actions “are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty”.Read the full story‘Trump is inconsistent with Christian principles’Justin Douglas, a minister who studied at a Christian university founded by the conservative pastor and televangelist Jerry Falwell, is running for the US Congress – as a Democrat.He is among about 30 Christian white clergy – pastors, seminary students and other faith leaders – known to be potential Democratic candidates in next year’s midterm elections, including a dozen who are already in the race.Douglas, 41, based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is among a new generation of the Christian left aiming to change that narrative by ensuring that the Democratic brand is not associated with only college-educated urbanites, but can also connect with white working-class churchgoers.Read the full storyWhat else happened today:

      The justice department replaced pardons posted online that bore strikingly similar copies of Trump’s signature with others that varied. It comes after the Trump administration tried to undermine pardons issued under Joe Biden that were in many cases signed by autopen – a longstanding White House practice.

      Donald Trump reverted to his familiar “threat of tariffs” as he leaned on Thailand to recommit to a ceasefire with Cambodia. Thailand last week suspended its participation in the ceasefire, accusing Cambodia of laying fresh landmines along the border.

      Experts say New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s selection of Lina Khan, the former Federal Trade Commission chair, for his transition team acts as a warning to private equity firms in the state that have raised rents and monopolized local healthcare industries.
      Catching up? Here’s what happened on Friday 14 November 2025. More

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      Federal immigration officers begin sweep in Charlotte, North Carolina

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      Federal immigration officers on Saturday began a sweep through Charlotte, the largest city in North Carolina, federal officials confirmed.Local media reports said that among the locations targeted by masked federal agents was a church in east Charlotte, where an arrest was made while about 15 to 20 church members were doing yard work on the property.The pastor at the church, who did not want to identify himself or his church, told the Charlotte Observer that agents reportedly asked no questions and showed no identification before taking the man away. The man’s wife and child were inside the church at the time, said the pastor.“Right now, everybody is scared. Everybody,” he said. “One of these guys with immigration, he said he was going to arrest one of the other guys in the church. He pushed him.”Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant homeland security secretary, said in a statement to the Associated Press that federal agents “are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed”.“Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens hurting them, their families, or their neighbors,” McLaughlin added.Local officials including the mayor, Vi Lyles, criticized such actions, saying in a statement that they “are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty”.“We want people in Charlotte and Mecklenburg county to know we stand with all residents who simply want to go about their lives,” the statement said.In another interaction with federal agents in east Charlotte, two workers were hanging Christmas lights in Rheba Hamilton’s front yard when two Customs and Border Protection agents walked up.One tried to speak to the workers in Spanish, she said. They did not respond, and the agents left without making arrests.“This is real disconcerting, but the main thing is we’ve got two human beings in my yard trying to make a living. They’ve broken no laws, and that’s what concerns me,” said Hamilton, 73, who recorded the encounter on her cellphone.Hamilton said that the agents were “looking for easy pickings. There was nobody here with TV cameras, nobody here protesting, there’s just two guys working in a yard and an old white lady with white hair sitting on her porch drinking her coffee.”Willy Aceituno, a 46-year-old Honduran-born US citizen, said he was on his way to work Saturday when he saw “a lot of Latinos running”, chased by “a lot of border patrol agents”.Aceituno said he was stopped twice by agents. During the second encounter, he said, he was forced from his vehicle by agents who broke the window of his vehicle.“I told them: ‘I’m an American citizen,’” he told the Associated Press. “They wanted to know where I was born, or they didn’t believe I was an American citizen.” Aceituno said he was taken to a border patrol vehicle and later released after showing documents proving his citizenship.Rumors of an impending sweep in the area have been circulating for days after the county sheriff, Garry McFadden, said that two federal officials had told him customs agents would be arriving soon.Paola Garcia of Camino, a bilingual non-profit serving families in Charlotte, said she and her colleagues had observed an increase in stops since Friday.“Basically what we’re seeing is that there have been lots of people being pulled over,” Garcia said.Businesses in the area, including a local Latin American bakery, had closed before the raids, said city council member JD Mazuera Arias.“This is customs and border patrol. We are not a border city, nor are we a border state. So why are they here?” he said. “This is a gross violation of constitutional rights for not only immigrants but for US citizens.”Democratic governor Josh Stein said on Friday that the vast majority of people detained in such operations have no criminal convictions, and some are citizens. Stein urged people to record any “inappropriate behavior” and notify local law enforcement.But Mecklenburg county Republican party chair Kyle Kirby said Democratic officials “have abandoned their duty to uphold law and order” and are “demonizing the brave men and women of federal law enforcement”.“Let us be clear: President Trump was given a mandate in the 2024 election to secure our borders,” Kirby said in a statement. “Individuals who are in this country legally have nothing to fear.”The raids on Charlotte come three months after the Trump administration identified the city as an example of a Democratic-led city that was not doing enough to protect citizens, following the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian immigrant Iryna Zarutska aboard a Charlotte light-rail train.The sweeps follow a pattern of similar immigration enforcement operations across the US, including in Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland and New York City.The east Charlotte church where the raid took place on Saturday said it was suspending services and yard work until congregants felt safe to gather again, 15-year-old Miguel Vazquez told the Charlotte Observer.“We thought church was safe and nothing gonna happen,” Vazquez said. “But it did happen.” More