2025 – Page 86 – Texas Weekly Online

DOJ cleared to release secret Jeffrey Epstein case grand jury materials

A federal judge has cleared the Justice Department to release secret grand jury transcripts from Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking case on Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Richard Berman reversed his earlier decision to keep the transcripts under wraps, citing Congress’ recent action on the Epstein files. Berman had previously warned that the contents of the roughly 70 pages of grand jury materials contain little new information. The move comes just one day after Judge Paul Engelmayer granted the DOJ’s motion to unseal separate grand jury transcripts and exhibits in Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal case. Last week, Judge Rodney Smith also moved to allow the DOJ to release transcripts from an abandoned federal grand jury probe from the 2000s. Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking charges in December 2021, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence. Her attorney said she took no position on the requested unsealing of records but noted that the release could harm Maxwell’s plan to file a habeas petition, according to The Associated Press. FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS UNSEALING OF EPSTEIN CASE GRAND JURY RECORDS The Epstein Files Transparency Act requires the DOJ “to publish (in a searchable and downloadable format) all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in DOJ’s possession that relate to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein.” HOUSE VOTES OVERWHELMINGLY TO FORCE DOJ TO RELEASE JEFFREY EPSTEIN FILES The act was passed in November and paves the way for the public to have more insight into the infamous cases against the late disgraced financier. The law places a deadline for releasing files on Dec. 19. The DOJ is reportedly working with survivors and their attorneys to redact records to protect survivors’ identities and prevent the dissemination of sexualized images, according to the AP. Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

Judge blocks Trump National Guard deployment in Los Angeles

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles and ordered them returned to the control of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The order, handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer, is a blow to the Trump administration, and comes six months after the president in June deployed thousands of federalized National Guard troops to the city in response to a wave of immigration protests. Breyer on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration’s claim that the demonstrations in Los Angeles amount to a “rebellion” sufficient to justify the president’s continued deployment of National Guard troops in the city under U.S.C. Section 12406, which allows a sitting president to call up or federalize National Guard troops during instances of a foreign invasion or in instances when the president is “unable to execute the law.” Breyer said in the 35-page order that the deployment runs “contrary to law” and risks “creating a national police force made up of state troops.” “The founders designed our government to be a system of checks and balance,” Breyer said Wednesday. “Defendants, however, make clear that the only check they want is a blank one.” White House officials told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that they looked forward to “ultimate victory” on the issue, suggesting they are likely to appeal the order to a higher court for review. 9TH CIRCUIT COURT RULES ON TRUMP’S NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT IN PORTLAND “President Trump exercised his lawful authority to deploy National Guard troops to support federal officers and assets following violent riots that local leaders like ‘Newscum’ refused to stop,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital in response to the ruling. “We look forward to ultimate victory on the issue.” Breyer, the brother of retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, had issued a temporary restraining order in June blocking Trump’s National Guard deployment from immediately taking effect in California. That order was quickly stayed by the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and Trump ultimately deployed roughly 5,000 troops in Los Angeles over the summer, as the protests continued, including 4,000 California National Guard troops and roughly 700 U.S. Marines. “Six months after they first federalized the California National Guard, Defendants still retain control of approximately 300 Guardsmen, despite no evidence that execution of federal law is impeded in any way—let alone significantly,” Breyer said Wednesday. In anticipation of another appeal, Breyer stayed the new preliminary injunction from taking force through Dec. 15. TRUMP IS THREATENING TO ‘FEDERALIZE’ DC WITH NATIONAL GUARD AND MORE. HERE’S HOW THAT COULD PLAY OUT The new order comes as Trump’s National Guard deployment has sparked fierce backlash from officials from California and other Democratic-led states where Trump launched similar federalization efforts this year, including Oregon and Illinois. Newsom, who immediately sued to block the effort in his state, has continued to assail the effort as both unprecedented and illegal. Senior Trump administration officials have argued that the deployment is a necessary step to crack down on what they say is an uptick in violent crime and protect against threats from protesters, including anti-ICE demonstrations in many downtown areas, including Los Angeles.

Cotton moves to loosen rules to boost supply of household staple, ease affordability crunch

FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican wants to lower the costs of eggs by loosening certain regulations as the nation deals with growing affordability concerns. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., plans to introduce a bill that would tweak federal egg-handling rules to allow more to enter the market in a bid to lower prices of the household staple. Cotton’s bill, the Lowering Egg Prices Act of 2025, first obtained by Fox News Digital would update federal egg-handling rules to make it easier for surplus broiler hatching eggs — fertile eggs originally intended for broiler chicken production — to be diverted into the food supply as pasteurized liquid egg products. BROOKE ROLLINS: YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER COSTS LESS AND THAT’S A REASON TO GIVE THANKS “Arkansas consumers have paid higher egg prices and faced egg shortages because of bureaucratic red tape that forces farmers to throw out hundreds of millions of usable eggs each year,” Cotton said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “My bill will cut these excessive regulations and lower egg prices.” The legislation would require that the Food and Drug Administration, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, rewrite its egg rules so that eggs intended to be hatched could also enter into the food supply as a liquid egg product, effectively creating a regulatory glide path to bolster the number of eggs in the supply chain. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LAWSUIT CRACKS DOWN ON CALIFORNIA’S EGG PRODUCTION REGULATIONS Egg prices had steadily inched upward late last year into earlier this year, reaching record highs by March of more than $6 per dozen eggs. But the cost of eggs has since been steadily dropping, thanks in part to efforts by President Donald Trump and his administration to combat the effects of avian flu. If the virus is detected in a hatchery, the entire flock is generally killed to halt its spread. Doing so can put a dent in the supply chain, and cause prices to creep up. TRUMP INSISTS PRICES ARE ‘COMING DOWN,’ BLAMES BIDEN — BUT VOTERS SAY THEY’RE STILL GETTING SQUEEZED Trump ordered the USDA earlier this year to dump $1 billion into a plan to bolster the egg supply chain against avian flu, with a focus on biosecurity measures, farmer relief, vaccine research and increasing imports. There were a spate of lawsuits against egg producers for alleged price fixing this year and notably, the Trump administration sued the state of California for allegedly going against federal law and increasing egg prices with red tape. But egg prices have trended downward since the record highs earlier this year. According to the USDA’s most recent egg markets overview, egg prices during the first week of December dropped overall, save in some markets like California. Large white eggs, for example, dropped by roughly 17% to an average of $1.91 per dozen egg.

Cause of death confirmed for Mitt Romney’s sister-in-law

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The death of former Sen. Mitt Romney‘s sister-in-law has been confirmed to be a suicide, the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office announced Tuesday. Carrie Elizabeth Romney, 64, died of “blunt traumatic injuries” after plunging from a five-story parking garage in California in early October. She had been married to Mitt Romney’s older brother, George Scott Romney, 81, and the pair had been going through a months-long divorce. “Our family is heartbroken by the loss of Carrie, who brought warmth and love to all our lives,” Mitt Romney said in a statement after Carrie’s death. FETTERMAN’S BRUTALLY CANDID ACCOUNT OF BATTLING DEPRESSION, FEELING SUICIDAL, BEING THROWN OUT OF HIS HOUSE “We ask for privacy during this difficult time,” he added. Carrie and George had been married since 2016. They had been separated since late May, and George filed a divorce petition in early June. FLASHBACK: MITT ROMNEY MOCKED IN 2012 FOR SELF-DEPORTATION CONCEPT THAT HAS NOW BECOME A REALITY Mitt Romney served as a Utah senator until 2024, when he decided not to run for re-election. “I have spent my last 25 years in public service of one kind or another. At the end of another term, I’d be in my mid-eighties. Frankly, it’s time for a new generation of leaders. They’re the ones that need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in,” Romney said at the time. “We face critical challenges — mounting national debt, climate change, and the ambitious authoritarians of Russia and China. Neither President Biden nor former President Trump are leading their party to confront them,” Romney said. “It is a profound honor to serve Utah and the nation, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so.”

House Democrat introduces impeachment articles against RFK Jr

A House Democrat filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., announced the move on Wednesday, arguing Kennedy has failed in his role. Stevens had previously vowed to file the articles in September. “Today, I formally introduced articles of impeachment against Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. RFK Jr. has turned his back on science and the safety of the American people. Michiganders cannot take another day of his chaos,” she wrote in a statement posted on social media. HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon reacted to the impeachment effort in a statement to NBC News. NOEM TEASES ‘NEXT BIG ANNOUNCEMENT’ THAT MAY CHANGE AIRPORT SECURITY RULE “Secretary Kennedy remains focused on the work of improving Americans’ health and lowering costs, not on partisan political stunts,” Nixon said. The move comes just days after Stevens’ fellow Democrat, Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., filed articles of impeachment against War Secretary Pete Hegseth. NEW TSA PROGRAM LAUNCHED TO ELIMINATE DOUBLE SCREENINGS FOR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS Thanedar pointed to reports that Hegseth issued orders to “kill everybody” onboard a small vessel that was allegedly involved in drug trafficking. DUFFY URGES SENATE TO PASS BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’S $12.5B AIR TRAFFIC SYSTEM FIX “Pete Hegseth has been using the United States military to extrajudicially assassinate people without evidence of any crime,” said Thanedar. “Former military attorneys have come out and asserted that his conduct constitutes war crimes. We cannot allow his reprehensible conduct to continue, which is why I have filed these articles to impeach him.” Both Michigan Democrats are facing hotly contested Democratic primaries for the upcoming 2026 elections. This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.

Nancy Mace vows to ‘fight like hell’ to rename old Black Lives Matter Plaza for Charlie Kirk

FIRST ON FOX: A new bill could see part of the national capital renamed after slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, introduced three months after his assassination. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is introducing legislation to rename the area that until recently had been known as Black Lives Matter Plaza, she first told Fox News Digital. “Black Lives Matter is a terrorist organization that wants to defund the police and take your speech away,” Mace argued. “And what I want to do on the three-month anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s political assassination is celebrate him and the First Amendment and freedom of speech by renaming the plaza after him.” CONSERVATIVES FROM PASTORS TO SENATORS WISH CHARLIE KIRK A POSTHUMOUS HAPPY BIRTHDAY Black Lives Matter is a far-left activist group that gained traction after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis by a White police officer. It is not designated as a terrorist organization, but people on the right and even some Democrats have criticized it for going too far with calls to “defund the police,” while questions have also been raised in the past about how it spends its funding. A two-block area of Washington, D.C., was renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza by the city’s government in June 2020 amid nationwide protests over Floyd’s killing. It was marked by a massive mural depicting the words “Black Lives Matter” in the middle of the street. STATE REP’S BILL WOULD PUNISH COLLEGES FINANCIALLY IF THEY DON’T RENAME ROADS AFTER CHARLIE KIRK That was reversed in March of this year after pressure from Republicans, including President Donald Trump, amid a crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts across the country. Mace suggested she was not optimistic that her bill would get a House-wide vote but said she would “fight like hell” for it. It comes three months after Kirk was assassinated while speaking at a college free-speech event in Utah. Both Republicans and Democrats have condemned the killing as a tragedy and an attack on free speech. Prosecutors in Utah are seeking the death penalty against Tyler James Robinson, Kirk’s accused killer. Mace’s bill is one of several pieces of legislation introduced to memorialize Kirk in the wake of his death. “I think members of Congress have done their part, rank-and-file members. But there’s still more to do yet. And we need to make sure that we continue his legacy forever,” Mace said. A resolution honoring Kirk passed the House of Representatives in September with support from all Republicans and 95 Democrats. Fifty-eight Democrats voted against it, while another 38 voted “present.”

Homeland Security moves toward scrutinizing foreign tourists’ social media accounts before entry

The Department of Homeland Security is moving toward scrutinizing the recent social media histories of foreign travelers before allowing them to enter the United States. In a notice filed Tuesday in the Federal Register, U.S. Customs and Border Protection wrote, “In order to comply with the January 2025 Executive Order 14161 (Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats), CBP is adding social media as a mandatory data element for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application.” “The data element will require ESTA applicants to provide their social media from the last 5 years,” it added. Homeland Security describes ESTA as “an automated system used to determine the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program and whether such travel poses any law enforcement or security risk.” TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REVOKES RECORD 85,000 VISAS IN SWEEPING IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN TARGETING SAFETY THREATS The Visa Waiver Program currently allows citizens of designated countries — such as the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Japan — “to travel to the United States for business or tourism for stays of up to 90 days without a visa,” according to the DHS. Fox News Digital has reached out to Homeland Security for further comment. The notice said the American public has 60 days to comment on the CBP proposal. STATE DEPARTMENT YANKS VISAS FROM MEXICAN EXECUTIVES IN MIGRANT SMUGGLING CRACKDOWN The White House said in the executive order referenced in the Federal Register notice that, “It is the policy of the United States to protect its citizens from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes.” “To protect Americans, the United States must be vigilant during the visa-issuance process to ensure that those aliens approved for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans or our national interests,” read the order signed by President Donald Trump on Jan. 20, 2025. “More importantly, the United States must identify them before their admission or entry into the United States. And the United States must ensure that admitted aliens and aliens otherwise already present in the United States do not bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles, and do not advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to our national security,” it added.

Year: 2025