The Latest: Bill to release Epstein files passes in Senate, heads to Trump for signature

The Senate immediately passed a bill Wednesday morning to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In an unusual move, Republicans and Democrats in the Senate agreed Tuesday evening to pass the bill as soon as it was sent over from the House, which passed it 427-1 earlier in the day.

Formerly a fierce opponent to the proposal, President Donald Trump in recent days bowed to political reality, saying he would sign it into law.

The decisive, bipartisan effort showed the pressure mounting on lawmakers and the Trump administration to meet long-held demands that the Justice Department release its case files on Epstein, a well-connected financier who killed himself while awaiting trial in 2019 on charges he sexually abused and trafficked underage girls.

The bill forces the release within 30 days of all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison.

It allows for redactions about the victims or ongoing investigations but not information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”

Here's the latest:

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway says she as asked the U.S. State Department to serve asset seizure notices on China to try to collect a nearly $25 billion court judgement related to COVID-19 pandemic.

Hanaway wants to seize properties owned in the U.S. by the Chinese government or by companies partly owned by the Chinese government as a means of fulfilling a court award. Earlier this year, a federal judge sided with Missouri’s claim that China hoarded personal protective equipment during the pandemic, thus harming the state and its residents.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said it does not recognize the U.S. judicial ruling.

Hanaway acknowledged Wednesday that collecting from China will be difficult but said she is prepared for a long court battle.

Trump in his remarks at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum said Prince Mohammed told him that bringing an endgame to the war “would be the greatest thing you can do, that would be greater than what you’ve already done.”

The fighting for control of Sudan has killed over 40,000 people and created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis with over 14 million displaced. The civil war has pitted the Sudanese Armed Forces against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Trump, who boasts of ending several wars since returning to office and has openly lobbied for the Nobel Peace Prize, admitted he hasn’t given a lot of thought to the fighting in Sudan.

“I thought it was just something that was crazy and out of control,” Trump said as he shared the stage with the crown prince. “But I just see how important that is to you. And to a lot of your friends in the room.”

Trump and Vance are visiting Lejeune High School, where 10 Marines standing in front saluted as they arrived.

They greeted students from several classes, including one on advanced placement research, and sat at tables where small groups of students were working on projects.

Among the topics were artificial intelligence and researching social media.

One report being presented explored electronic media’s effects on sleep and adolescent wellbeing. Another explored social media’s impact on youth body image and esteem.

Their trip is meant to show appreciation for military service members and their families as the holidays approach.

The president in remarks at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum suggested that some in his base are being too rigid about the need for high-skilled foreign workers.

“They just don’t understand,” Trump grumbled. “People have to be taught this is something they’ve never done. But we’re not going to be successful if we don’t allow people that invest billions of dollars in plants and equipment to bring a lot of their people from their country to get that plant open, operating and working. I’m sorry.”

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Tuesday’s Oval Office meeting said that his country would invest $1 trillion in the U.S., up from a $600 billion pledge made when Trump visited the kingdom in May.

But Trump joked at Wednesday’s U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum that he’s already lobbying Prince Mohammed to commit to invest more.

“While we were taking the picture, I said, ’Could you make it $1.5 trillion?’” Trump said he told the crown prince as the two posed for photos backstage before their remarks.. “So he’s got something to think about.”

Kaploun is a Miami-based businessman and Hasidic rabbi, and said the president and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have “made it perfectly clear that any type of antisemitism does not have a place in America.

“You have a right to hate, but we have a right to explain and stand up and abhor everything that you say,” he said. “So I believe very strongly that we can condemn remarks whenever they need to be condemned and educate people.”

Kaploun would replace Deborah Lipstadt, a historian, to lead the State Department’s office charged with tackling prejudice against Jews around the world.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said he asked Prince Mohammed about the prospects of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine during a bipartisan meeting at the Capitol hosted by Speaker Johnson.

Jeffries said the crown prince said a one-state solution is “impractical” in the region. The Democratic leader said they are working toward a safe and secure Israel alongside a Palestinian state.

Jeffries said the killing of Khashoggi was not raised or discussed during the meeting.

The wives of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, a former Marine, have arrived in North Carolina for a visit with military personnel at Camp Lejeune, the largest Marine Corps base on the East Coast.

First lady Melania Trump and Usha Vance, the second lady, were also set to visit personnel at Marine Corps Air Station New River, which is in the same area.

They planned to make joint appearances with military-connected students and to both address a gathering of service members and their families.

Trump’s nominee to be special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism said prejudice against Jews “is to be condemned everywhere” when asked whether the Republican president should have responded strongly against commentator Tucker Carlson over an interview with a white nationalist who spews antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun spoke Wednesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to be confirmed to the post. He was questioned by U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen about the controversy broiling Carlson over an interview with Nick Fuentes who has also praised Adolf Hitler.

Asked at a press conference Wednesday about the Epstein files, the attorney general repeatedly said the department would “continue to follow the law with maximum transparency.”

But Bondi did not say when additional files would be released or whether any documents would be withheld because of a new investigation by the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan.

Bondi recently assigned Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to investigate Epstein’s ties to Trump’s political foes after a demand from the Republican president. That’s despite a July memo that said authorities had no evidence “that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”

Bondi said the investigation was prompted by “new information,” but would not elaborate.

It was a muted return to the public stage for Elon Musk.

It was a muted return to the public stage for Elon Musk.

For 20 minutes, the Space X and Tesla CEO chatted in tech-speak with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang about the near-term future of artificial intelligence as featured guests at a US-Saudi investment forum in Washington.

Musk was making his first public-speaking appearance since leaving the White House in May, when he stepped down as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency.

Far from the chainsaw-wielding, government-efficiency warrior and regular Mar-a-Lago guest he became, Musk Wednesday was back to his soft, futuristic musings.

“In the long term, maybe 10 to 20 years, my prediction is work will be optional,” Musk said, sparking applause. “It will be like playing sports or a video game.”

Musk has seldom been seen in public with Trump since May, though he was among the invited guests to the White House state dinner on Tuesday.

About 300 National Guard members from Indiana will be deployed to Washington D.C. starting in December for a period of no longer than four months.

According to a news release from the Indiana National Guard, the request came from the D.C. National Guard to “increase safety in the nation’s capital.

“The news release said the Indiana members will be relieving troops from other states who were mobilized in August.“Hoosiers are proud of our Guardsmen, who are well-trained and fully prepared for this mission,” Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican, said. “We are grateful for their service and support in our nation’s capital.”

Some West Virginia National Guard members are extending their stay in the nation’s capital through the end of the year to support President Donald Trump’s crime-fighting efforts.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey said about 160 Guard members volunteered to remain in Washington, D.C. Those who chose not to continue the mission returned to West Virginia on Monday. More than 300 Guard members had been sent to Washington in August.

The governor said he would re-evaluate extending the mission every quarter through the end of June.

Earlier this month a state judge rejected a challenge to the state National Guard’s presence in Washington.

The Justice Department says the grand jury that charged former FBI Director James Comey wasn’t presented with a copy of the final indictment.

Prosecutors made the acknowledgment under questioning Wednesday from the judge overseeing the case.

Comey’s lawyers said that lapse was grounds for dismissal of the case. There was no immediate decision from the judge.

▶ Read more about the case against former FBI Director James Comey

The World Health Organization has reduced its workforce by roughly one-fourth compared to staff levels at the end of last year as the United States and other top backers have cut funding.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Trump administration’s decision to pull the U.S. out of WHO along with funding cuts from other top donors has left the U.N. health agency with a gap of about $500 million for its 2026-27 budget.

The WHO chief on Wednesday told member states the agency has eliminated 1,282 positions and another 1,089 staffers have left due to retirement, getting jobs elsewhere or having contracts expire.

The Geneva-based health agency had a staff of more than 9,400 in December last year, according to WHO’s annual report on human resources issued in May.

Many U.N. organizations including the refugee, migration and humanitarian aid agencies have slashed thousands of jobs this year as the administration has sharply cut U.S. foreign aid outlays.

Musk is back in Washington for President Trump’s meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The former Trump adviser is making bold predictions about the impact artificial intelligence and humanoid robots will have. He claimed that work will become optional for human beings and that poverty will be eliminated and monetary currency will be “irrelevant.”

“I imagine robots will actually eliminate poverty,” Musk said at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum held at the Kennedy Center, saying robots are one way to “make everyone wealthy.”

Nvidia co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang said he expects AI will make people like him busier and more productive, “because we have so many ideas.”

Tammy Bruce told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the United Nations has lost the confidence of the American people and it’s now time for its 193 member nations to return to its founding mission — to maintain international peace and security.

The former State Department spokesperson said it’s vitally important that multilateral organizations remember they are not “global governing entities.”

Sen. James Risch, the committee chairman who said he is “no fan” of the U.N., asked Bruce how she could help “course correct the U.N. from the horrible antisemitic course it is on” if confirmed.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat, said the U.S. failure to pay its U.N. dues in full “is weakening peacekeeping when global stability is already under strain” and asked Bruce if confirmed how she would address this risk to American interests.

The super PAC that has been a mainstay of President Trump‘s political operations in recent years is backing the Republican candidate in a Tennessee special election, marking the group’s re-emergence for the first time since Trump returned to the White House.

Data from AdImpact shows that MAGA Inc. has reserved hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of ads to support GOP nominee Matt Van Epps starting this week in the 7th District race.

Formed by Trump allies in 2022, the group spent millions supporting Republicans in that year’s midterm elections, and hundreds of millions more promoting Trump‘s 2024 presidential bid.

The Dec. 2 general election in Tennessee could gauge the popularity of Trump’s aggressive second-term agenda, especially with suburban Republican voters.

The seat is one of three districts GOP lawmakers drew as safely red in 2022 by dividing left-leaning Nashville.Van Epps won a crowded GOP primary with Trump‘s backing last month. He faces Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn in the general election.

In a report delayed for more than seven weeks by the federal government shutdown, the Commerce Department said Wednesday that the the gap between what the United States buys from other countries and what it sells them fell to $59.6 billion in August, from $78.2 billion in July.

Imports of goods and services dropped 5% to $340.4 billion in August from July when U.S. companies were stocking up on foreign products before Trump finalized taxes on products from almost every country on earth. Those levies went into effect Aug. 7.

U.S. exports blipped up 0.1% in August to $280.8 billion.

Trump, charging that America’s persistent trade deficits mean other countries have taken advantage of the U.S., has overturned decades of U.S. policy in favor of free trade, slapping double-digit tariffs on imports from most countries and targeting specific products, including steel, copper and autos, with their own levies.

▶ Read more about the trade deficit

Johnson met privately with Prince Mohammad bin Salman despite ongoing concerns about the gruesome death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in 2018.

The GOP speaker also attended a lavish White House dinner for the crown prince, who’s known as MBS, alongside billionaire Elon Musk and others the night before as the Trump administration rolls out the red carpet for the visitor.

The legislation would force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on Epstein, who was a convicted sex offender.

In an unusual move, Republicans and Democrats in the Senate agreed Tuesday evening to pass the bill as soon as it was sent over from the House, which had passed it 427-1 earlier in the day.

The Senate received the bill Wednesday morning and it was immediately passed without any floor action.

The quick Senate action came after months of opposition from Trump and Republican leadership. But they relented as it became clear it would pass with many Republican votes.

Trump has now said he will sign the bill.

The government lawyer knew what was coming as she stood inside a courtroom and texted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent waiting in a corridor a few feet away.

“I can’t do this,” the lawyer said in a text message. “This is a new emotional load.”

“I understand,” the agent responded. “Hopefully we meet again in a better situation.”

Nearby, a Cuban man who’d lived in the U.S. for years stepped into the courtroom where the government lawyer was waiting for what the man thought was a routine hearing. The man was doing what the law required, and brought along his wife, a legal resident, and their 7-month-old infant.

Then the lawyer moved to have the man’s asylum claim dismissed and a judge agreed, making the man eligible for “expedited removal.” As he left the courtroom, the man was swarmed by plainclothes immigration agents who’d been surveilling him. A struggle ensued and the wife’s shouts could be heard from the hallway as the lawyer moved on to the next case.

The agent replied minutes later: “Got him.”

Over several months, reporters for The Associated Press observed immigration court proceedings in 21 cities. Hearings repeatedly ended with cases dismissed by the government, allowing plainclothes federal agents to carry out arrests in courthouse hallways in close coordination with attorneys from the Department of Homeland Security.

▶ Read more about arrests at immigration courts

Melania Trump and Usha Vance were headed out on their first trip together Wednesday to spend time with North Carolina service members and their families in a show of appreciation for their service and sacrifice as the holidays approach.

The wives of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, a former Marine, are scheduled to visit with military personnel at Camp Lejeune, the largest Marine Corps base on the East Coast, and Marine Corps Air Station New River.

The day includes joint appearances with military-connected students and remarks from both women to a gathering of service members and their families, according to Trump’s office.

The first lady was expected in her remarks to recognize the Marine Corps’ 250 years of service, express gratitude to Marines and military families, especially during the holiday season, and highlight the importance of families in supporting the U.S. military.

▶ Read more about Melania Trump and Usha Vance’s visit

An Economic Club of New York event scheduled Wednesday afternoon featuring Larry Summers and economist R. Glenn Hubbard, has been postponed, according to event organizers.

The former U.S. treasury secretary said yesterday that he’ll step back from public commitments after the release of emails showing he maintained a friendly relationship with Jeffrey Epstein long after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl in 2008.

As President Trump laid it out to reporters this summer, the plan was simple.

Republicans, he said, were “entitled” to five more conservative-leaning U.S. House seats in Texas and additional ones in other red states. The president broke with more than a century of political tradition in directing the GOP to redraw those maps in the middle of the decade to avoid losing control of Congress in next year’s midterms.

Four months later, Trump’s audacious ask looks anything but simple. After a federal court panel struck down Republicans’ new map in Texas on Tuesday, the entire exercise holds the potential to net Democrats more winnable seats in the House instead.

“Trump may have let the genie out of the bottle,” said UCLA law professor Rick Hasen, “but he may not get the wish he’d hoped for.”

▶ Read more about Trump’s redistricting efforts

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers is resigning from OpenAI’s board of directors, the ChatGPT maker and his office said Wednesday.

His departure comes after the release of emails showing he maintained a friendly relationship with Jeffrey Epstein long after the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl in 2008.

Summers, who is also the former president of Harvard University, joined the OpenAI board in Nov. 2023, part of an effort to restore stability at the nonprofit and bring back its CEO Sam Altman after its previous board members fired Altman days earlier.