Missing Pages in the Epstein Matter - Transparency With Conditions!
Gaps have appeared in the published Epstein files. Internal serial numbers in the documents show that certain pages were recorded and cataloged but do not appear in the public database. The affected records include materials in which President Trump’s name is mentioned in connection with abuse allegations. After comparing different document lists, more than 50 pages of interview transcripts and accompanying FBI notes are missing.
The Department of Justice cites reasons such as privacy protections, duplications, or ongoing investigations. A political motive is denied. At the same time, pressure is mounting because lawmakers have now been able to review unredacted versions and are criticizing the handling of the release. At the center is the statement of a woman who says she was abused by Trump in the early 1980s when she was a minor. So far, only an early interview in which his name is not mentioned is publicly accessible. Internal file notes, however, document further questioning. It is precisely these transcripts that do not appear in full in the public database.
In recent months, millions of pages have been released. Yet the current review shows that transparency cannot be measured by volume alone. What matters is whether documentation is consistent and complete. As long as registered pages are missing, the question remains under what criteria publication occurred and which records remain in internal holdings.
Merz in Beijing - A Balancing Act Between Xi and Trump
Friedrich Merz is traveling to China for the first time as chancellor and faces a delicate appointment. In Beijing and Hangzhou, he wants to demonstrate that Europe can become more independent without cutting itself off from Washington or Beijing. His approach is clear: less dependency, but no rupture. The situation is tense. Points of contention range from trade to Taiwan to the war in Ukraine. At the same time, China remains a central market for German corporations. Merz will visit facilities of Mercedes-Benz, Siemens, and Unitree Robotics and will be accompanied by numerous business representatives. He is also expected to raise sensitive issues.
Chinese subsidies and a low renminbi are putting German manufacturers under pressure. Thousands of industrial jobs are at stake. In Beijing, there will be calls for greater market access for Chinese products, especially electric vehicles. In addition, China expects backing on the Taiwan issue. Merz, for his part, is likely to urge Xi Jinping to exert influence on Vladimir Putin. Shortly after returning from China, the chancellor will travel on to Washington to meet Donald Trump. Within just a few days, he will have met two of the most powerful heads of state in the world. For Berlin, the stakes involve economic interests, political positioning, and the question of how much room for maneuver Europe truly has between the major powers.
27 Percent Hope - Democrats More Pessimistic Than in Decades
The mood among Democratic voters after the first year under Trump is worse than it has been in decades. A recent Gallup survey shows that on average only 27 percent of Democrats now rate the condition of the country positively. Thirty areas were surveyed, from personal financial situations to health care, moral values, and public education. The result marks a historic low. Neither of the two major parties has looked so bleakly at national conditions under a president in recent years. While Democrats express dissatisfaction across the board, Republicans appear significantly more satisfied - a familiar pattern for the party in the White House. What stands out, however, is the depth of the Democratic decline. It is not just about political opposition, but about a general assessment of life in the United States. When barely more than a quarter of a party’s own supporters see positive conditions, that signals a massive crisis of confidence about the future.
Pentagon Reviews UFO Files - Hegseth Announces Release
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the Pentagon is currently working to identify government files on UFOs and possible extraterrestrial life and to prepare them for release. Appropriate teams have been assigned and existing holdings are being reviewed, he said. In his words, they are digging into the matter. He did not provide details on scope, timeline, or specific documents. In recent years, various agencies have already released reports on so called UAP, unidentified aerial phenomena. The question now is whether additional materials that have been withheld until now exist and in what condition they are. The issue is politically sensitive primarily because parts of the public have been demanding full transparency for decades. Whether there will actually be new findings or merely previously known reports repackaged remains open. What is clear is that the Department of Defense is once again officially taking up the issue and examining a possible release.
Former ICE Federal Prosecutor Denounces Training
Former ICE federal prosecutor Ryan Schwank explains his resignation with a clear reference to his oath of office. He said he had sworn to protect the Constitution. And it was precisely to that oath that he remained faithful with his resignation. Schwank sharply criticizes the prescribed training program at the ICE academy. It is inadequate, flawed, and structurally broken. Those who join the agency do not receive the necessary preparation to work in accordance with the rule of law. For a lawyer like him, that was unacceptable. He understands his decision as a consequence of internal conflict and professional standards. If the training does not meet legal requirements, the oath becomes the decisive point for one’s own position. Schwank’s departure underscores amateur internal procedures within an agency that has been under political pressure for years.
RFK Jr. Fundamentally Questions Trust in Experts
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. calls for an end to blind trust in experts. Trust in specialists, he says, is not a hallmark of science or democracy, but rather resembles religion and totalitarian systems. With this statement, he challenges a foundation of modern policymaking, in which decisions are regularly based on scientific advice. Kennedy is not questioning individual studies or institutions, but the principle of accepting expertise as a basis for state action. At a time when health, climate, and security issues are highly complex, this position affects how facts, responsibility, and public debate are handled. Science thrives on review and criticism, not on authority alone. Democracy, in turn, is based on informed decision making, not on distrust of all expertise. Kennedy’s statement shifts the debate away from the quality of individual experts toward a general rejection of expertise as such.
Trump With Gold Medal - And Mixed Signals From Hockey
Donald Trump demonstratively placed a gold medal around his neck and said, “I’m not giving it back. I never thought I would ever wear this.” The moment appeared deliberately staged and was meant to show proximity to athletic success. While the women’s hockey team recently sought clear distance from political appropriation, the men’s team appeared with the president and provided images that can be used politically. Sports and politics cannot be cleanly separated, but athletes decide for themselves how to deal with symbols. A gold medal stands for performance on the ice, not for loyalty to an officeholder. Different positions within sports show how deeply societal divisions have reached there as well. Those who show up send a signal. Those who stay away do too.
Nine Years Old, Tourist Visa - And Four Months in ICE Detention
Maria Antonia Guerra Montoya is nine years old and lives in Colombia. She traveled to the United States with a valid tourist visa to go to Disney World with her mother. Her mother is married to a U.S. citizen and is in the process of applying for a Green Card. At the airport in Miami, both were separated and questioned by immigration officers. The child, who could only state her name, date of birth, and country of origin, was interrogated for hours. The mother had to surrender her phone. After 42 hours in a cell, they were flown to Texas and brought to the ICE facility in Dilley. They remained there for months. The case only became public through investigative reporting. Maria, who eats a vegetarian diet, reported that she fainted twice at the facility. At night she woke up crying, afraid of being separated from her mother or never being released. In a letter, she wrote that she believed everything was her fault, that she had only wanted to go on vacation like other families. She misses her friend Julieta, her grandmother, and her school.
The case raises questions about the treatment of families with valid visas. It shows how quickly even regular entries can end in detention when doubts or suspicions arise. For a child, what remains above all is the experience that a planned visit to a theme park ended in months of internment. Companies like Disney World maintain close ties to politics and business. Whether they will comment on such cases remains to be seen. We deal with cases like this every day and are doing everything we can to provide help and support as quickly as possible. Our desks are currently so overloaded that it is hard to keep up. That does not stop us from giving our all in every single case.
Wrong Address, Real Damage - Protest at Overton High School
A unit of the Memphis Task Force once again showed up at the wrong address and left uncertainty in the neighborhood. Residents report a massive presence, even though the operation turned out to be a mistake. Such errors affect not only those directly involved, but the entire community. Trust builds slowly and can be shaken by a single wrongful entry. At Overton High School, students responded with a walkout under the motto “ICE out of Memphis.” The protest was directed against the conduct of the authorities and against the feeling that their community is under generalized suspicion. Young people do not leave class lightly for such a step. When they do, it is because they believe their voices would otherwise not be heard.
Regardless of political position, the question of responsibility remains. Those who plan operations must ensure that the information is correct. Mistakes in addresses are not a minor issue, but an intrusion into the lives of uninvolved people. A city that wants to guarantee security must look different.
