Congress to vote on Epstein file release, Trump meets Saudi Prince on jet sale
The House is set to vote Tuesday on whether to require the full release of the Epstein files. For months, the White House and top Republicans fought to stop the vote.
Plus, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will arrive at the White House to a full ceremonial welcome, and potentially a major military upgrade.
And a federal judge says the Justice Department might have tainted the grand jury proceedings against former FBI Director James Comey.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025.
House to vote on releasing Epstein files after Trump reverses course
In just a few hours, the House will vote on whether to force the release of every remaining Jeffrey Epstein file. This, less than 24 hours after a reversal from President Donald Trump.
For months, the White House and top Republicans fought to stop this vote.
But on Monday, with momentum surging in both parties, the president said he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk, adding that the U.S. has “nothing to hide.”
Trump also tried to turn the spotlight back toward the Democrats, saying, “We have nothing to do with Epstein; the Democrats do. All of his friends were Democrats. You look at this Reid Hoffman, you look at Larry Summers, Bill Clinton, they went to his island all the time, and many others, all Democrats.”
Tuesday’s vote was triggered by a bipartisan discharge petition, a rare move that forced leadership’s hand.
And on Tuesday morning, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and other backers will hold a news conference demanding full transparency.
Meanwhile, one of the people Trump called out by name is facing fierce fallout.
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers announced he’s stepping back from public appearances after a new trove of emails revealed his long-running, frequent contact with Epstein, including messages sent the day before Epstein was arrested in 2019.
In a statement, Summers said, “I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein.”
Summers will continue teaching at Harvard, but says he’s temporarily stepping back from public life.
UN approves Gaza Peace Plan with Trump to oversee ‘Board of Peace’
Trump’s plan for peace in Gaza has cleared its biggest global hurdle. It’s now officially backed by the United Nations.
The U.N. Security Council voted Monday to approve the president’s 20-point roadmap, greenlighting an international stabilization force to take over security in Gaza. It also establishes a transitional authority that Trump himself would oversee.
The resolution also references the possibility of a future independent Palestinian state, a provision Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately rejected, insisting Israel will not recognize Palestinian statehood.
Still, the White House is celebrating the vote. On Truth Social, Trump called it “one of the biggest approvals in the history of the United Nations.”
The first phase of his plan, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, went into effect last month.
It has mostly held, though both sides have been accused of violations.
Saudi Crown Prince to visit US as Trump talks F-35 sale
On Tuesday morning, Trump will formally welcome Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House. It’s his first visit to the U.S. in seven years.
Even ahead of his visit, we’re already getting news of a major arms deal on the table.
Asked Monday in the Oval Office if he plans to sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia, the president didn’t hesitate.
“Yeah. No, I am planning on doing that. They want to buy; they’ve been a great ally. They’ve got to like us very much. Look at the Iran situation. What we did in terms of obliterating, you know, their … We obliterated their nuclear capability. Yeah. I will say that we will be doing that. We’ll be selling F-35s. Yeah,” Trump said.
If approved, it would be the first time the U.S. has ever sold its most advanced stealth fighter to an Arab military. It’s a move that could reshape the balance of power in the Middle East and potentially erode Israel’s long-standing military edge.
But the visit isn’t without controversy.
The crown prince’s trip marks his first return to U.S. soil since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a killing U.S. intelligence said he likely ordered.
Tuesday, he will arrive to full pomp and circumstance.
The two leaders are expected to sign new defense and economic agreements, including cooperation on oil, security, artificial intelligence and a massive package of U.S.-Saudi business deals.
Tuesday night, Trump will host the Crown Prince for a formal dinner as the White House attempts to finalize a broader security pact and re-engage Saudi Arabia on regional stability.
Comey case in jeopardy as judge cites major errors, DOJ rebuked
A federal judge stated that the Justice Department’s own errors might have compromised the grand jury that indicted former FBI Director James Comey.
In a 24-page ruling, Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick ordered prosecutors to provide all grand jury material to Comey’s defense — transcripts, evidence and audio.
“The record points to a disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps, missteps that led an FBI agent and prosecutor to potentially undermine the integrity of the grand jury proceeding,” Fitzpatrick said.
The judge focused on two statements made by Lindsey Halligan, the interim U.S. attorney selected by Trump to lead the case. He said she suggested Comey might not have a Fifth Amendment right against testifying and told grand jurors that the DOJ had “better evidence” to be revealed later.
The judge said both comments could have jeopardized the entire process.
The ruling also stated that FBI agents “rummaged” through years-old evidence from a different case without a new warrant, calling it “highly unusual.”
Comey has pleaded not guilty to making a false statement and obstructing a congressional proceeding. He is seeking to have the felony charges dropped.
The Justice Department is now taking steps to block the order, labeling it as “contrary to law.”
A critical hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
Federal immigration operations shift to Raleigh, North Carolina
After a turbulent weekend in Charlotte, where federal agents detained over 130 migrants — some with criminal records — and encountered strong opposition from local officials, federal immigration authorities are once again active. This time, they have traveled less than 200 miles north along Interstate 85 to Raleigh, North Carolina.
Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell confirmed to local station WRAL that Border Patrol arrived Monday and will begin operations in the city on Tuesday. Demonstrators took to the streets Monday evening to protest the agency’s presence.
Cowell said her understanding is that the focus will be on people in the country illegally who have committed crimes, but she made it clear the city did not request this federal presence.
“We didn’t ask for this presence,” she said. “We feel like Raleigh police are doing a great job here locally.”
The mayor also said the city received no details about the scope or timing of the crackdown.
Trump’s health questioned due to hoarse voice, says he ‘blew my stack’
Trump’s noticeably hoarse voice at a Monday Oval Office photo-op prompted an unexpected detour into the president’s health.
During a press availability that touched on Venezuela, the Saudi Crown Prince’s upcoming White House visit and the high-stakes Epstein files vote in Congress, NBC News correspondent Garrett Haake prefaced a policy question with something more basic: Was the president feeling OK?
Trump’s voice had sounded raspy in two separate clips earlier in the day, and the press corps noticed.
“I feel great,” Trump said. “I was shouting at people because they were stupid about something having to do with trade and a country, and I straightened it out. But I blew my stack at these people because they’re so stupid.”
The room reportedly broke into laughter and some confusion as Trump repeated that his voice wasn’t the result of illness, just raised volume.
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ATLANTA — Lindsay Casterlow and her husband, Eric, had a love story straight out of the movies. They were high school sweethearts, prom dates and married only a couple of years after graduation. The Casterlows seemed to be ahead of everyone else when it came to building their lives.
But when they started trying to have children, their story didn’t unfold as expected.
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“We were devastated. It took me a while to get over the emotional pain,” she told Straight Arrow News (SAN).
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“We always wanted a family, but it just wasn’t happening for us,” Lindsay said.
Finally, the couple turned to fertility treatments, and with the help of Dr. Sue Ellen Carpenter in Atlanta, Lindsay gave birth to their daughter on their 23rd wedding anniversary. Lindsay was 42, and Eric was 44. Read the full story now>
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
