Newly disclosed emails indicate that former US President Donald Trump was aware of the criminal conduct of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The correspondence, released by Democrats on the House oversight committee, includes one memo where Epstein himself stated that Trump "of course knew about the girls" he was trafficking.
What the Epstein Emails Reveal
One particularly damning message, sent by Epstein to his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell in April 2011, explicitly mentions Trump. The email notes that Virginia Giuffre, a victim of Epstein's trafficking ring, "spent hours at my house with him". While Giuffre has detailed her experiences of being trafficked by Epstein, she has not accused Trump of abuse.
The committee's Republican majority responded by publishing over 20,000 documents, accusing Democrats of selectively choosing information to create sensational headlines. On his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed the email release was a Democratic attempt to distract from the ongoing government shutdown.
Longest US Government Shutdown Concludes
In a separate development, the longest US government shutdown in history ended on Wednesday after lasting 43 days. President Trump signed a funding bill negotiated by Republicans and a group of Democrat-aligned senators, allowing government operations to resume through January.
The stalemate was caused by expiring tax credits for the Affordable Care Act, which were created under the Biden administration to lower insurance premiums. This core issue remains unresolved. The bill passed with support from six Democrats who voted against their party, while two Republicans opposed it.
World on Track for Catastrophic 2.6C Temperature Rise
Two major climate reports delivered alarming news, finding the world is still heading for a catastrophic 2.6C temperature increase by 2100. This is despite pledges made at the Cop30 climate talks in Brazil.
Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics, warned that such a rise would end agriculture in the UK and Europe, cause monsoon failure in Asia and Africa, and bring lethal heat and humidity. The world has already warmed by approximately 1.3C since the Industrial Revolution, intensifying extreme weather events.
While progress has been made since the 2015 Paris Agreement—which initially predicted 3.6C of heating—the current commitments remain dangerously insufficient. The increase in renewable energy deployment has helped lower the projected temperature rise, but far more action is urgently needed.
In Other News
Tensions escalated on the Thai-Cambodia border, resulting in one death after a ceasefire agreement collapsed. In the UK, the US ambassador expressed disappointment that Rolls-Royce, not an American manufacturer, will build Britain's first small modular reactors.
A former top aide to California Governor Gavin Newsom faces indictment for allegedly plotting to steal campaign funds. In Oklahoma, Tremane Wood made a final plea before his execution for a murder his brother has confessed to committing.
A global health review revealed a concerning statistic: the rate of high blood pressure in children and teenagers has nearly doubled in 20 years, rising from 3.2% to 6.2%, with obesity identified as a major contributing factor.
