Congress acts swiftly to force release of Epstein files, and Trump agrees to sign bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — Both the House and Senate have acted decisively to pass a bill to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It’s a remarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from President Donald Trump and Republican leadership. Trump now says he will sign the bill. Just hours after the House passed the bill, the Senate approved a motion to pass the bill with unanimous consent once it is sent to the Senate. For survivors of Epstein’s abuse, passage of the bill was a watershed moment in a years-long quest for accountability.
Trump dismisses US intelligence that Saudi prince was likely aware of 2018 killing of journalist
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is dismissing U.S. intelligence findings that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman likely had some culpability in the the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The comments came Tuesday as Trump warmly welcomed the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia on his first White House visit in seven years. The U.S.-Saudi relationship had, for a time, been sent into a tailspin by the operation targeting Khashoggi. But now, years later, Trump has tightened his embrace of the 40-year-old crown prince, who he said is an indispensable player in shaping the Middle East in the decades to come. Prince Mohammed, for his part, denies involvement in the killing of Khashoggi.
DHS plans to deploy 250 border agents to Louisiana in major immigration sweep, AP sources say
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Federal agents are set to conduct a major immigration crackdown called “Swamp Sweep” in New Orleans in the coming weeks. The operation aims to arrest around 5,000 people across southeast Louisiana and Mississippi. People familiar with the matter tell The Associated Press the deployment is expected to start in early December. This is part of a series of nationwide immigration crackdowns under the Trump administration. Republican Governor Jeff Landry has fully supported aligning state policy with federal immigration. Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol commander known for large-scale immigration crackdowns, will oversee the operation. The plan includes agents fanning out across neighborhoods and commercial hubs, with staging sites planned at the FBI field office and a nearby naval base.
Fear spreads as federal immigration crackdown in North Carolina expands to Raleigh
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Federal agents have expanded their North Carolina immigration crackdown to the area around the state capital of Raleigh. The crackdown spread fear in at least one immigrant-heavy suburb where restaurants closed and many people stayed home. The North Carolina operation began over the weekend in the state’s largest city, Charlotte, where officials said more than 130 people have been arrested. Mayor Janet Cowell said she did not know how large the operation would be or how long agents would be present. Immigration authorities have not spoken about it.
The US plan for Gaza won UN backing. Carrying it out could be far more difficult
CAIRO (AP) — The U.N. Security Council has backed the United States’ plan for the future of the Gaza Strip. How and when it will be carried out remains largely unknown. In a twist unimaginable across the tumultuous history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the plan would mean U.S. President Donald Trump becomes the de facto ruler of Gaza. The territory remains devastated by Israel’s campaign to eliminate Hamas after its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war. An international body chaired by Trump is to govern Gaza and oversee reconstruction under a 2-year, renewable U.N. mandate. An armed International Stabilization Force is to keep security and ensure the disarming of Hamas. Major questions hang over nearly every part of the plan.
One of 25 abducted students in Nigeria escapes as the search continues for the missing girls
MAGA, Nigeria (AP) — One of the 25 schoolgirls abducted from a dormitory in northwestern Nigeria’s Kebbi state has escaped and returned home. Gunmen attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School before dawn on Monday, taking the girls and killing a staff member. The school principal Musa Rabi Magaji says the student who escaped fled through forests and arrived home late Monday. He said another student was able to escape her captors shortly after the raid and was not abducted. Hunters have joined security forces in the search for the missing students in forests close to the school.
Zelenskyy will visit Turkey in a new bid to jump-start talks to end Russia's invasion
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to visit Turkey this week to revive talks on ending Russia's invasion, which began nearly four years ago. It remains unclear if U.S. representatives will attend, but Russia says it will not send a representative. Earlier talks in Turkey achieved only prisoner exchanges. Heavy U.S. sanctions on Russia's oil industry are set to take effect Friday. On Tuesday, Zelenskyy was in Spain where the government said it would provide Ukraine with aid worth $946 million for defense and reconstruction.. Meanwhile, Ukraine launched aerial attacks on energy infrastructure in the occupied Donetsk region, and Russian drones caused fires in Dnipro. The conflict continues with heavy casualties.
Federal judges block Texas from using its new US House map in the 2026 midterms
A panel of three federal judges has blocked Texas from using a new congressional map that Republicans drew in hopes of picking up five U.S. House seats. That map had touched off a nationwide redistricting battle and is a major piece of President Donald Trump’s efforts to preserve a slim Republican majority ahead of the 2026 elections. In a 2-1 ruling Tuesday, a panel of federal judges in El Paso sided with opponents who argued that Texas’ unusual summer redrawing of congressional districts would harm Black and Hispanic residents. Texas filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday evening.
Meta prevails in historic FTC antitrust case, won't have to break off WhatsApp, Instagram
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Meta has prevailed over an existential challenge to its business that could have forced the tech giant to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp after a judge ruled that the company does not hold a monopoly in social networking. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued his ruling Tuesday after the historic antitrust trial wrapped up in late May. His decision follows two separate rulings that branded Google an illegal monopoly in both search and online advertising, dealing yet another regulatory blow to the tech industry that for years enjoyed nearly unbridled growth.
NTSB finds 2 blackouts struck huge cargo ship before it crashed into Baltimore bridge
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Federal investigators say the loss of electrical power from a loose wire caused a huge cargo ship to lose propulsion and steering before crashing into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse last year and killing six construction workers. The National Transportation Safety Board voted unanimously Tuesday for the disaster's probable cause and safety recommendations during a hearing in Washington. Investigators found that a loose signal wire connection to a terminal block on the container ship called the Dali stemmed from the improper installation of a label on the wire that prevented the wire from being fully inserted.
