Good morning everyone. We are waking up to major developments. The fallout from the Epstein files is intensifying as a world leader now faces criminal charges, a powerful Gulf executive has been forced out, and a top Wall Street lawyer has resigned. Accountability is moving across the globe, and I am working relentlessly to ensure that same scrutiny reaches those in the American government.
At the same time, serious questions are mounting around Kristi Noem and a senior aide after reports that a Coast Guard pilot was fired in what appears to have been an attempt to conceal a relationship described by insiders as far closer than previously acknowledged.
I am heading to New York for a day trip to film a television episode, but the news cycle does not pause. In the past 24 hours alone, the attacks over my Epstein reporting have escalated, including attempts to hack several of my social media accounts. That will not deter me. I will not stop. The truth, accountability, and justice matter too much. I answer to you and to the facts.
Here’s the news:
- A Wall Street Journal investigation describes an unusually close dynamic between Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski—both married and publicly denying affair rumors—though colleagues say they make little effort to conceal their relationship inside DHS; the report recounts Lewandowski allegedly firing a U.S. Coast Guard pilot after Noem’s blanket was left on a plane (with the pilot later reinstated due to lack of alternatives), and claims that Noem closely monitored her television appearances relative to border official Tom Homan, berating staff if she felt overshadowed and insisting on maintaining greater media visibility.
- Goldman Sachs general counsel Kathryn Ruemmler resigned after Justice Department documents revealed a yearslong, personal friendship with Jeffrey Epstein—including advising him on handling sex-crime allegations, exchanging intimate messages, and receiving gifts—contradicting prior claims that their relationship was strictly professional and prompting mounting internal and public pressure despite the firm’s initial defense of her.
- Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem stepped down as CEO and chairman of Dubai-based logistics giant DP World after newly released U.S. Justice Department documents revealed explicit 2015 emails he sent to Jeffrey Epstein describing a sexual relationship with a young woman; the company announced that Yuvraj Narayan will serve as CEO and Essa Kazim as chairman as leadership changes take effect.
- Norway’s former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland has been charged with aggravated corruption following a police investigation into alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein, including scrutiny over gifts, travel and loans connected to his official roles; Jagland denies wrongdoing as authorities conduct searches and questioning, amid broader fallout in Norway involving members of the royal family over past Epstein contacts.
- The fallout is growing from the Epstein files, and this morning, World Without Exploitation has launched this petition to send to members of Congress to take further action. Sign it by clicking the button below:
- In 2016, one month before Trump’s inauguration, Epstein emails Bill Gates telling him “new administration people” were visiting the island.
- Another horrific email from the Epstein files revealed:
- The Department of Homeland Security is set to shut down as Congress left Washington without a funding deal, with Democrats blocking Republican proposals unless the White House agrees to stricter limits on ICE and immigration enforcement following the killing of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota—while most frontline agencies like ICE and Border Patrol will continue operating and being paid due to prior funding, and negotiations remain ongoing but unresolved.
- Federal prosecutors in Minnesota have moved to dismiss felony assault charges with prejudice against two Venezuelan men accused of attacking an ICE officer—one of whom was shot in the leg—after newly discovered evidence and video testimony materially contradicted the officer’s account that he was assaulted with a shovel and broom.
- The case, stemming from a January traffic stop and foot chase, had relied largely on the agent’s testimony, but inconsistencies revealed in court and lack of corroborating evidence prompted the Justice Department to seek dismissal, adding to growing scrutiny of recent immigration enforcement incidents.
- President Trump refused to discipline any staffer or apologize after a racist video posted to his Truth Social account depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, dismissing the backlash as overblown, claiming he hadn’t watched the full clip before it was shared, and insisting the controversy was not a real issue despite bipartisan condemnation.
- Trump’s approval rating is underwater today:
- President Trump nominated hospitality executive Scott Socha, whose company previously sued over trademark rights to the name “Yosemite National Park,” to lead the National Park Service, drawing criticism from conservation groups who argue he lacks public service experience and represents corporate interests at a time of staffing cuts and political pressure on the agency.
- The Trump administration reached a trade agreement with Taiwan in which Taipei will remove or reduce 99% of its tariff barriers and invest up to $250 billion in U.S. industries—particularly semiconductors and AI—while most Taiwanese exports to the U.S. will face a 15% tariff, signaling deepened economic ties ahead of Trump’s planned China visit and aimed at boosting U.S. chip manufacturing and reducing the trade imbalance.
- An analysis of EPA records finds that under Trump (2025–2026), enforcement actions against major polluters have sharply declined— with far fewer consent decrees under key environmental laws—amid staffing cuts, increased political oversight, and a shift from punitive enforcement to voluntary compliance, raising concerns about increased pollution and reduced corporate accountability.
- According to NBC News, Britain’s High Court ruled that the government acted unlawfully and disproportionately in designating the protest group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization after activists targeted a Royal Air Force base, finding the group’s activities did not meet the threshold for proscription—though the ban will temporarily remain in place pending appeal, even as thousands have been arrested under the designation.
- The FDA declined to review Moderna’s new mRNA-based flu vaccine, citing concerns about the design of its clinical trial for older adults, but outside experts argue the move reflects a broader anti-vaccine stance within the Trump administration and warn it could deter future vaccine development.
See you soon.
— Aaron
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