Venezuela quake rescue efforts grow; Judge orders more Epstein files released

The search for survivors continues in Venezuela as the death toll climbs after the country’s twin earthquakes. Rescue crews are still racing to find people trapped beneath the rubble.

Plus, a judge is ordering the Justice Department to release more of the Epstein files, or explain every remaining redaction. The deadline is now set for next week.

And the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool controversy takes another turn. A court filing details knife damage investigators found, but not every problem at the landmark.

These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, June 26, 2026.

Death toll climbs in Venezuela as search for survivors continues and global help arrives

The death toll in Venezuela continues to climb Friday as rescue crews race to find survivors after two powerful earthquakes struck, leaving widespread devastation across the country.

Red Cross crews say the search has become an around-the-clock operation, with many people still missing as rescuers dig through collapsed buildings.

The latest official figures show 235 people have died and more than 4,300 are injured. Officials expect both numbers to rise.

The international response is also growing.

The United States has deployed search-and-rescue teams, military support, medical personnel and humanitarian aid, while the United Nations and more than a dozen other countries are sending rescuers, supplies, financial assistance and emergency relief.

The back-to-back quakes, a 7.2 followed just 39 seconds later by a 7.5, are among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century.

The shaking was so powerful that it was felt more than a thousand miles away in Brazil’s Amazon region.

Judge orders DOJ to release more Epstein files, justify remaining redactions

A federal judge is giving the Trump administration a week to release more of the Epstein files, or explain why it’s keeping them secret.

The DC judge’s ruling is in response to a lawsuit brought by an independent journalist, claiming the Justice Department has not fully complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. That’s the law passed by Congress last November requiring a broad public release of the records.

The judge ordered the government to remove redactions from certain documents, including exposing the people who sent and received emails referring to a so-called “torture video” and alleged sexual activity with young women, including minors.

The order also covers interview notes with a woman who made unverified claims that she was sexually abused by President Donald Trump when she was a minor. Again, the department has the option to explain why it’s choosing not to release certain info.

On top of that, the judge wants the Justice Department to produce a log identifying every redaction it has made to the published files, which is required by law. 

The agency has so far released more than three million pages of Epstein records.

Iran attacks cargo ship in Hormuz, marking the first test of the Iran deal

The first major test of the U.S.-Iran agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz may have already arrived.

A U.S. official confirms Iran’s Revolutionary Guard attacked a Singapore-flagged cargo ship Thursday as it traveled through the Strait of Hormuz.

The ship — the ever lovely — was struck by what U.S. officials say was a drone.

Its bridge was damaged, but there were no reported injuries.

The attack came just hours after Iran warned ships not to use a U.N.-backed shipping route that passes closer to Oman instead of Iranian waters.

Iranian state media said vessels using routes not approved by Tehran would no longer be guaranteed safe passage or insurance coverage.

The United Nations’ International Maritime Organization has now paused its evacuation plan for hundreds of ships still stranded in the region while it reassesses safety.

The attack puts new pressure on last week’s U.S.-Iran agreement, which was meant to reopen the Strait after months of disruption.

“What we’re interested in is whether or not ships are moving,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. “If ships are moving as they should be moving, then that’s what we’re going to judge, and that’s what we’re going to react to. If, on the other hand, this rhetoric is backed up by actual ships being threatened and ships are not moving, that’s a violation of the agreement, and we’re going to have a problem with it.”

About one-fifth of the world’s oil typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

We had just started seeing a shipping rebound this week, with about 70 vessels getting through on Wednesday — up from just six a week earlier. But Thursday’s attack raises new questions about whether that recovery can continue.

Mangione plea talks end without a deal, federal case heads to trial

One of the country’s most high-profile murder cases may have come close to a plea deal, but for now it’s still headed to trial. Sources told multiple outlets that Luigi Mangione’s attorneys discussed a possible plea deal with federal prosecutors, but the talks did not result in an agreement.

The discussions followed his defense team’s earlier attempt — later withdrawn — to raise a potential psychiatric defense in the state case.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to both the state and federal charges. He is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Midtown Manhattan sidewalk in December 2024.

The case will proceed on two tracks: a state murder case and a federal prosecution. The state trial is scheduled for September, with the federal case expected to follow.

ABC News reported that Mangione could still change his plea before — or even during — the proceedings. His attorney pushed back on the reports, saying information from “anonymous sources” is part of a pattern designed to prejudice Mangione and undermine his right to a fair trial.

Court filing details Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool damage

The mystery surrounding the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool just took another turn. A new court filing said part of the reflecting pool’s new liner was cut with a sharp knife or razor, providing the first detailed account of the damage the Trump administration has previously blamed on vandals.

The sworn declaration by a top National Park Service official said crews found cuts in the foam sealant, damage to the surface material and about 70 fence post caps thrown into the pool.

U.S. Park police also released surveillance video showing a person they want to identify in connection with an investigation into the destruction of government property. Officials have not said whether that person is responsible for all the damage described in the court filing.

The pool has also been dealing with a severe algae bloom and areas of peeling liner following its multi-million-dollar renovation.

The National Park Service said it plans to drain the reflecting pool after the July Fourth celebrations to repair the liner and assess any additional damage.

Europe bakes in record heat

France once believed it wouldn’t face such heat until 2050, but it’s here now. A record-breaking heat wave is hitting Europe, with some regions of France experiencing over 110 degrees this week.

This surpasses temperatures in Las Vegas and Phoenix, as well as the predictions of French TV weather forecasts for 2050.

Parisians are seeking relief everywhere — cooling off in fountains, using umbrellas to shield from the sun and swimming in the Canal Saint-Martin, where the city has extended public swimming hours. Major landmarks are also adjusting to the heat. The Louvre has started closing early on some days, and officials have raised the health alert to its highest level as hospitals prepare for more heat-related emergencies.

The extreme heat will spread eastward, with Germany, the Czech Republic and other parts of Central Europe bracing for near-104-degree temperatures, as forecasters warn these dangerous conditions could persist into next week.

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More from Straight Arrow:

Have we reached the end of the affordable American car commute?

LAS VEGAS — Even as the heat exceeds 105 degrees, bar porter Arnold Arias rides his bicycle to work on the Las Vegas Strip as a means of saving at the pump, his tires hugging the shade to avoid the heat.

Arias has owned the same 1995 Toyota Celica for more than a decade. But with the rising cost of everything from gas prices to insurance premiums, he now wonders whether it’s time to sell it. 

“Now that things have gone up, people [like me] have to consider whether driving is worth it,” he told Straight Arrow. “I didn’t think that would happen.”

Read the full story now>

Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief