President Trump said Sunday that House Republicans should vote to release the files related to late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein — a surprising reversal after previously dissuading the GOP from backing the measure.
Monday, November 17, 2025
Trump does Epstein U-turn as House Republicans prepare to spurn him
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/16/jeffrey-epstein-vote-house-republicans-00652460
President Donald Trump is suddenly reversing his monthslong campaign to bottle up a bipartisan effort to disclose federal records dealing with Jeffrey Epstein — just as scores of House Republicans prepare to defy his demands concerning the late convicted sex offender.
At the end of last week, Johnson and senior House leaders appeared powerless to stop perhaps as many as 100 Republicans from breaking ranks and voting with Democrats to release the files. The situation worsened over the weekend, as Trump lashed out in deeply personal terms at Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who is leading the effort to force a House vote on Epstein, and publicly spurned Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a one-time close ally who has recently broken with Trump on Epstein and other matters.
Trump, in reversal, calls on House GOP to vote to release Epstein files
https://thehill.com/homenews/5608565-trump-truth-social-epstein-files
President Trump on Sunday night called on House Republicans to vote to release files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, reversing his previous position.
Trump’s announcement came amid signs that a vote this week on a measure forced by a discharge petition might have won dozens of Republican votes despite the president’s opposition.
Sunday, November 16, 2025
Measles patient exposes masses at Bnei Brak event hall
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/417861
Israel's Health Ministry on Sunday reported that a measles patient was present at an event held last Tuesday in the “Keter Harimon” hall on Aharonowitz Street 10 in Bnei Brak.
The event took place starting at 11:00 p.m. The Health Ministry requests that anyone who was in the hall during that time verify that they are vaccinated against measles according to the updated recommendations.
The Ministry also stated that guests who were present in the hall during the above time are requested to contact the “Kol Habriut” hotline in order to receive guidance regarding their vaccination status and possible exposure risk.
Saturday, November 15, 2025
US says its plan for postwar management of Gaza offers pathway to Palestinian statehood
In a joint statement arranged by the US on Friday, multiple countries working toward an end to the Gaza conflict voiced backing for Washington’s UN Security Council resolution to establish an International Stabilization Force in Gaza, amid pushback from Russia and China.
The statement, supported by Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan and Turkey, noted that the process “offers a pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”
The Epstein Email Cache: 2,300 Messages, Many of Which Mention Trump
Analysis of documents released this week by Congress shows President Trump was mentioned in more than half of the messages
37 years in prison for Orthodox Jewish man from New York convicted of multimillion-dollar fraud
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/nfnr1axca
New York resident Eliyahu (Eli) Weinstein (51), who was released from custody in 2021 after receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump, has been sentenced to 37 years in prison for a new fraud scheme. According to prosecutors, Weinstein, who belongs to the Orthodox Jewish community, used the alias "Mike Konig" to conceal his identity and solicited money from investors claiming he would invest in COVID masks, baby formula and emergency equipment destined for Ukraine. The money was actually used for gambling, real estate purchases and luxury watches. The federal court in New Jersey determined that Weinstein defrauded more than 150 investors of $41 million and ordered him to pay $44 million in restitution.
MAGA Reacts As Donald Trump Cuts Ties WIth Marjorie Taylor Greene
https://www.newsweek.com/maga-reacts-as-donald-trump-cuts-ties-with-marjorie-taylor-greene-11052892
A major rift opened in the MAGA world this week after Donald Trump formally broke with Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of his most vocal supporters.
In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump said he was withdrawing his endorsement of Representative Greene. "I am withdrawing my support and endorsement of 'Congresswoman' Marjorie Taylor Greene, of the great state of Georgia," he wrote.
He also vowed "Complete and Unyielding Support" to any conservative primary challenger leading into the 2026 midterm elections, and described Greene as "wacky" and a "lunatic," saying all she does is "complain."
Whataboutism: what it is and why it’s such a popular tactic in arguments
Formally speaking, whataboutism is a fallacy most closely related to the ad hominem fallacy, wherein a person responds to an accusation by attacking the person making it.
It is a fallacy because even if the counter-accusation is true, it doesn’t defend whoever is being accused (the lying partner, the messy child, Donald Trump) in the first place. At best, it shows that both parties behaved shamefully. And, of course, two wrongs do not make a right.
Friday, November 14, 2025
Johnson shifts strategy on Epstein files vote – as GOP leaders brace for mass defections
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/13/politics/epstein-files-house-vote-johnson
House Speaker Mike Johnson decided to quickly schedule a House vote on an effort to force the release of all of the Jeffrey Epstein case files once the calculation was made that it couldn’t be stopped.
The decision marked a shift in strategy for Johnson and the White House, who had long sought to delay the process, three sources told CNN.
House GOP leaders are bracing for a significant number of Republicans to break from President Donald Trump and support the bipartisan bill led by GOP Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna calling for the Justice Department to release the Epstein files — as supporters push for a veto-proof majority.
Republican sources say there’s a broad cross-section of the conference willing to support the plan — and it will be hard to limit defections.
The decision to move quickly with a floor vote came shortly after thousands of new Epstein emails were released by the panel on Wednesday and top Trump administration officials met with GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert, one of the few Republicans who signed onto the effort demanding DOJ release its trove of Epstein files.
Hamas reinstates fees on imported goods, raises taxes as it reasserts control in Gaza
From regulating the price of chicken to levying fees on cigarettes, Hamas is seeking to widen control over Gaza as US plans for its future slowly take shape, Gazans say, adding to rivals’ doubts over whether it will cede authority as promised.
After a ceasefire began last month, Hamas swiftly reestablished its hold over areas from which Israel withdrew, killing dozens of Palestinians it accused of collaborating with Israel, theft, or other crimes. Foreign powers demand the terror group disarm and leave government, but have yet to agree on who will replace them.
Israel uneasy as U.S. adds statehood path to Gaza plan and Russia steps in
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hjmzosngbe
The United States has spent weeks working to secure approval for a UN Security Council resolution that would establish an international stabilization force in the Gaza Strip. A draft that surfaced highlights what Washington calls a reliable path to Palestinian self-determination and a future state, after the proposal was shaped with Arab countries based on President Donald Trump’s original plan. Late Thursday, however, Russia submitted its own resolution, threatening to delay the process because of its veto power.
The American draft, built on Trump’s 20-point plan and his “declaration for lasting peace and prosperity,” signed at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, states that “the United States will establish dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for prosperous coexistence.” Israeli officials say the new draft includes clauses that are “uncomfortable for Israel,” including language on a path to Palestinian statehood and a clause that denies Israel the ability to veto which countries may send troops to the stabilization force. Even so, the officials say the proposal maintains the framework of the ceasefire agreement approved in Jerusalem, although it is considered less favorable than the original.
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