Jeffrey Epstein

BBC -   Bank of America has reached a $72.5m (£54.6m) settlement in a lawsuit brought on behalf of victims of Jeffrey Epstein, who had accused the bank of facilitating his sex trafficking operation.

The proposed class-action lawsuit was filed in October by a Florida woman who says she was abused by Epstein "on at least 100 occasions" between 2011 and 2019 and held two accounts at Bank of America at the direction of his business team.

It alleged that the bank had "a plethora of information regarding Epstein's sex trafficking operation but chose profit over protecting the victims".

In the court documents, Bank of America says the settlement makes "no admission of liability" or "wrongdoing" on its part.  The settlement was reached earlier this month, but details of the deal had not been revealed until documents were filed on Friday in a federal court in New York. They now await a judge's approval.

No Kings protests in some cities grew violent

NY  Post -    No Kings protests in Portland, Los Angeles and Dallas grew violent Saturday — and one near Mar-a-Lago in Florida took a lewd turn — as thousands filled streets around the US in angry demonstrations against the Trump Administration.

No Kings demonstrations in Portland, Oregon got out of hand in the evening with protesters sporting gas masks attacking police officers who were trying to control the crowd, according to video posted on X by FreedomNews.tv. There was no immediate word on arrests.

In Dallas, Police had to separate No Kings demonstrators from “Pro America” counter demonstrators as the two groups engaged in heated clashes. Video of the scene showed a protester being hauled away and arrested and other shouting “f–k you” at apparent pro-Trump demonstrators who were carrying flags and automatic weapons.

.... DHS agents deployed tear gas on the crowd and Los Angeles Police Department officers clad in riot gear were dispatched to the scene.

Israel

Daily Mail, UK -  A CNN journalist was wrestled into a chokehold by Israeli soldiers as they detained an entire news crew in the West Bank. Photojournalist Cyril Theophilos was forced to the ground during a violent confrontation with members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday. The crew were interviewing Palestinians who had allegedly been attacked by Israeli settlers near the town of Tayasir when they were approached by the IDF.

Donald Trump

Newsweek -   President Donald Trump has shared a letter on Truth Social from evangelist Franklin Graham, offering advice on getting into heaven. The letter, which is dated 15 October, 2025, says: "If you accept that by faith and invite Him to come into your heart, you ARE heaven bound, I promise you."

His words were written in response to comments Trump made at the time, in which he doubted whether he would be going to heaven. On 13 October, 2025, Trump told reporters on Air Force One: "I don't think there's anything that's gonna get me in heaven. I really don't. I think I'm not, maybe, heaven-bound. I may be in heaven right now as we fly in Air Force One. I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to make heaven. But I've made life better for a lot of people."

MSN -  Pope Leo said on Sunday that God rejects the prayers of leaders who start wars and have "hands full of blood", in unusually forceful remarks as the Iran war entered its second month.  Addressing tens of thousands in St. Peter's Square on Palm Sunday, the celebration that opens the holy week leading up to Easter for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, the pontiff called the conflict "atrocious" and said Jesus cannot be used to justify any wars.

New Republic -   President Donald Trump was humiliated in a Cabinet meeting Thursday while trying to defend voting by mail in Florida’s special election earlier this week.  When asked by a reporter why he voted by mail—a process he previously referred to as “mail-in cheating” just days earlier—Trump had no coherent response.

“Because of the fact that I’m president of the United States, I did a mail-in ballot for elections that took place in Florida because I felt I should be here, instead of being in the beautiful sunshine,” he responded, claiming he was in Washington, D.C., leading up to the election and could not have voted in person.

That’s not true. The president was at his Mar-a-Lago estate earlier this month, as the reporter pointed out.  “But you were in Palm Beach, sir, the last few weekends—could you have gone in person?” she responded, swiftly dismantling any justification Trump claimed to have for voting by mail.

... According to the Palm Beach County’s Supervisor of Elections website, Trump also voted by mail in 2020.  Following the lie about his whereabouts, Trump rambled aimlessly to defend himself in trademark style.

Turning Yesterday's Solidarity into Political Power

Where Do Conservative Supreme Court Justices Get Their Information?

New Republic -   Thirteen years ago, Justice Antonin Scalia gave an unusually candid interview with New York magazine’s Jennifer Senior....

Perhaps the most enlightening topic was the justice’s media diet. “Where do you get your news?” Senior asked. “Well, we get newspapers in the morning,” Scalia replied. “I usually skim them. We just get The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Times. We used to get The Washington Post, but it just … went too far for me. I couldn’t handle it anymore.”

The Journal, at the time, had the most prominent conservative editorial board among major newspapers, while the Times had an even more right-wing reputation. What’s wrong with the Post, Senior asked? “It was the treatment of almost any conservative issue,” Scalia explained. “It was slanted and often nasty. And, you know, why should I get upset every morning? I don’t think I’m the only one. I think they lost subscriptions partly because they became so shrilly, shrilly liberal.”

Pete Hegseth

The Hill - During his briefing on the Iran war last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that Americans take a knee and pray to Jesus for the success of U.S. forces in the Middle East. A few days later, he read out a sermon praying that “wicked souls” be “delivered to the eternal damnation” in the fight against Iran.  The defense secretary has increasingly used his bully pulpit to promote his combative, controversial brand of Christianity. While the Pentagon says Hegseth is embracing America’s proud history as a Christian nation, some experts and veterans worry that Hegseth’s move to inject the military with more explicitly religious sentiments threatens to divide America’s forces. More

Word

Polls

The Guardian -  One of the biggest conservative gatherings in the US ran a poll showing vice-president JD Vance is the top choice this year to be the next Republican presidential candidate. The poll from the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), released on Saturday, was taken during this year’s gathering. About 53% of the more than 1,600 attendees who voted in the poll chose Vance, Reuters reports. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, came in second with 35%.

Third No Kings protest draws millions from across US

Trump and birthism

MS NOW - Trump got his start in politics by demanding to see former President Barack Obama’s birth certificate. Now he’s asking for everyone’s, argues Ryan Teague Beckwith. The president wants Americans to produce a birth certificate to vote or just play high school sports, either to prove citizenship or decide what gender someone is allowed to present, even though millions of Americans don’t have access to those documents. At the same time, the administration’s lawyers will argue before the Supreme Court that being born in the U.S. should not automatically confer citizenship, which would undermine the major use of the birth certificate. Read more.

Money

MS NOW - As the war in Iran drives up gas prices and snarls supply chains, Republicans have a simple message for Americans: spend less. In recent months, Trump and his allies have bluntly asked Americans to buy fewer Christmas gifts, take fewer trips to Starbucks, eat a bizarre $3 dinner and buy liver instead of steak, among other personal sacrifices, writes Akayla Gardner. Critics, including some Republicans, say the messaging is “more than tone-deaf” and will come back to haunt the party in November, just as a sluggish economy hurt former President Joe Biden. Read more.

Voting fraud

Peter Baker

, NY Times -  Fact checking fraud claims: Heritage Foundation documented 1,620 cases of voter fraud from 1982-2025, including 100 cases of noncitizens voting. That's about 0.000008% of more than 1.3 billion votes cast in presidential elections in that time. 

Philly protest

Health

Washington Post -  Medicare Advantage companies abandoned communities where their plans threatened profits or lost money. Hardest hit were a half-dozen rural states from New England to Idaho.

...Medicare Advantage plans — the privatized version of Medicare — surged in popularity in the last two decades as companies enticed enrollees with things like zero-premium plans, gym memberships, allowances for over-the-counter medical supplies and vision and dental coverage.

...But over the last year, insurers sharply retreated from the plans in some regions, saying rising health care costs and reduced government reimbursements have hurt profitability. That left Petchkis and millions of other elderly people scrambling to find alternatives.

The shift highlights one of the risks for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries, especially in rural areas where options tend to be meager: plans are under no obligation to offer coverage year-to-year. When profit margins are threatened, insurance companies can suddenly withdraw coverage. This year the churn reached a peak.

Pete Hegseth

Andrew Weinstein - Pete Hegseth just removed four decorated Army Colonels from a promotion list they earned through decades of service. Two are Black. Two are women. The Army Secretary called their records “exemplary." Hegseth called it “meritocracy" while overriding him.

Jane Fonda and Joan Baez speak up

NY Times - With the Kennedy Center as the backdrop, Jane Fonda found herself on familiar terrain on Friday — raising an alarm in the nation’s capital, this time over what she described as a growing threat to freedom posed by the Trump administration.

Americans, the actress said in a speech, are “witnessing censorship, political intimidation, and a growing effort to reshape American history and cultural life through fear and attacks on our First Amendment.”

The event was titled “Artists United for Our Freedom,” and was hosted by the Committee for the First Amendment, a collective of artists that promotes free expression. The gathering, on a rainy afternoon with roughly 100 invited guests, included remarks and appearances by people like the actor Sam Waterston, the poet Rupi Kaur, the comedy writer Bess Kalb and the singer Joan Baez.

Ms. Fonda, 88, was one of the artists who last fall spearheaded a relaunch of the committee, which was originally formed in 1947 by a group that included her father, Henry, the actor, as a counter to the McCarthy-era House Un-American Activities Committee. The House panel’s actions led to the blacklisting of artists accused of being Communist sympathizers.
“Today, books are being banned, plaques and monuments depicting historical events this administration wants to forget are being removed,” Ms. Fonda told the crowd.

The White House responded to the demonstration with a statement suggesting that critics have unfairly undervalued the administration’s efforts to overhaul the center.

“President Trump is in the process of making the Trump-Kennedy Center the finest performing arts facility in the world for all Americans to enjoy,” Davis Ingle, a spokesman, said in the statement. “No one cares what Jane Fonda has to say.”

Ms. Baez, 85, and Ms. Fonda have long been ardent activists and are certainly no strangers to demonstrating in Washington. Baez performed the gospel song “We Shall Overcome” at 1963’s March on Washington. She was also a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War. In 1967, the Daughters of the American Revolution denied Baez the use of its Constitution Hall for a concert because of her antiwar activism, so she set up a free concert near the Washington Monument instead.

Cuba

Newsweek - President Donald Trump said “Cuba is next” during a speech at an investment forum in Miami on Friday, raising fresh concerns about potential U.S. action against the island nation.

The remark came as Trump highlighted what he described as successful military operations in Venezuela and Iran, though he offered no clear details on what his statement meant in practice.

Trump’s comments signal a possible escalation in U.S. foreign policy toward Cuba at a time of heightened global tensions. The administration has already taken aggressive steps in several other countries, and even vague suggestions of military involvement could increase instability in the region and strain diplomatic efforts currently underway.

Immigrants

Newsweek -  Minnesota public universities can continue offering in-state tuition and scholarships to some immigrants without legal status after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice, as reported by CBS News.

The ruling on Friday comes after the federal government attempted to halt the programs, which allow students who attended Minnesota high schools for at least three years to access in-state financial benefits.

The decision highlights ongoing tensions between state governments and the federal administration over immigration policy.

By allowing these programs to continue, Minnesota maintains a pathway for undocumented students to access higher education at the same level as state residents, reinforcing efforts to build a more educated workforce while resisting federal challenges. Similar lawsuits have been filed in other states, making this ruling a potential benchmark for future legal battles.

Meanwhile. . .

Tiger Woods Charged with DUI, Causing Property Damage After Rollover Crash

Donald Trump

Time -  Trump’s name and face have appeared on multiple federal buildings around Washington, D.C. He’s unveiled new government programs—and warships—bearing his moniker. And soon, his name may be making its way into many Americans’ wallets.

The Treasury Department announced on Thursday that Trump’s signature will appear on future U.S. currency, the most recent entry in the long list of moves to stamp his name on the world. 

Trump’s signature will appear along with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s in what the Treasury Department characterized as a celebration of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. It will mark the first time a sitting president’s signature will go on paper currency. 

...The U.S. Mint published draft designs in December for another proposed form of semiquincentennial currency honoring the President, a $1 coin with Trump’s face on it. 

New Republic -   Attendees at the 2026 Conservative Political Action Conference seem to be dazed and confused after a disastrously chaotic month for President Donald Trump. In the last 30 days, he has started a war in the Middle East, deployed federal agents to airports, and refused to end the partial government shutdown.

While speaking from the CPAC stage Friday in Grapevine, Texas, American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp asked a question he apparently thought would hype up the crowd.

“How many of you would like to see impeachment hearings?”

The crowd erupted in cheers.

“No,” Schlapp responded, shaking his head. “That was the wrong answer. Let me try it again. How many of you would like to see impeachment hearings?” he asked the crowd for a second time.

Again, he was met with cheers.

“NOOO!” Schlapp responded with a chuckle. He dropped the question and hastily moved on....

Climate change

Newsbreak Post - The North Pole’s sea ice has reached its lowest level for the winter season as increasing temperatures break records across the continents, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), based at the University of Colorado Boulder, on Thursday.

The center’s scientists “stress that the Arctic sea ice extent number is preliminary — weather conditions could change the annual maximum ice extent.”

“This record low maximum gives a head start to the spring and summer melt season,” NSIDC senior research scientist Walt Meier said in the center’s report. “One or two record low years don’t necessarily mean much by themselves, but in the context of the significant downward trend that we’ve observed since 1979, it reinforces the dramatic change to Arctic sea ice throughout all seasons

Inside Climate News - A new report on global air pollution shows that the majority of the world’s population breathes unhealthy air, and climate change is making the problem worse.

The report was published Tuesday by IQAir, a Swiss air monitor and purifier company that posts real-time air quality data aggregated from sensors around the world. It shows that in 2025, most of the world’s cities were plagued with unhealthy levels of air pollution, and that climate-driven wildfires and dust storms as well as the continued burning of fossil fuels are driving toxic air across borders and worsening the problem.

Supercharged wildfires in California, Canada and South Korea and dust storms from China to Texas last year made it harder for millions to breathe. In an era of larger and more severe weather events, living far from the pollution’s origin is no protection.   

Only 14 percent of the more than 9,000 cities included in the report met the World Health Organization’s target level for toxic particulate matter pollution. Canadian wildfires, intensified by climate change, led to deteriorating air quality in regions previously seeing improvements. 

Inside Climate News - Recently released data show how drought, paltry Western snows and unseasonable heat, all exacerbated by climate change, could be priming the nation for a long wildfire season..... As warning lights flash, U.N. Secretary Gen. António Guterres calls out a global climate emergency. “Earth’s energy imbalance, the gap between heat absorbed and heat released, is the highest on record.”

NY Times offers summer student program

NY Times   -  we hope you would consider introducing The School of The New York Times to high school students in your life who may be interested in media, current events and storytelling.

Our Summer Academy offers two-week courses in New York City where students learn core journalism skills, including writing, video reporting, research and editing.

Courses are taught by Times reporters and media professionals who bring real-world insights into the classroom and help students explore a career in journalism and develop media literacy. The curriculum includes visits to journalistic, academic and cultural institutions, allowing students to explore New York City’s vibrant culture.

We invite students to apply for courses such as Introduction to Investigative Journalism, Sports Storytelling and Journalism and Crafting an Argument: Opinion Writing. Limited scholarships are available.  Applications are now open for summer 2026.

Changes in America

Pew Research -   In July, the United States will celebrate its 250th anniversary. The country’s last major milestone was 50 years ago, at its bicentennial on July 4, 1976.

U.S. society has changed profoundly since then. Over the past five decades, the U.S. population has aged significantly, with the percentage of people 65 and older nearly doubling. The country has also become more racially and ethnically diverse, as growing shares of people identify as Asian or Hispanic. And following more than 70 million immigrant arrivals, the percentage of foreign-born people in the population has more than tripled. 

Americans are also less likely to be married than ever before. Women – who now have far more options outside of the home than they did in 1976 – have contributed to a boom in higher education and helped expand the workforce. And even though many Americans are financially better off than they were 50 years ago, economic gaps have widened.  More 

Polls

Pew Research  - Weeks into the U.S. military campaign against Iran, 61% of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict, while a similar share (59%) say the decision to strike Iran was wrong. But partisans differ widely on these questions and in their predictions about how long the U.S. will be involved in the war.  ....61% of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict, while a similar share (59%) say the decision to strike Iran was wrong. But partisans differ widely on these questions and in their predictions about how long the U.S. will be involved in the war.

Money

The Hill - The House and Senate both passed legislation on Friday to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and end one of the longest government shutdowns in the history of Congress — but not the same legislation. For all the activity of the past 36 hours, the impasse over DHS is no closer to being broken and the parties appear as far apart as they were when the agency was first shut down on Feb. 14.

New Republic -  The U.S. government is staring down a projected $1.9 trillion deficit for this fiscal year, with the total national debt now pushing $39 trillion. Simultaneously, the expanding war in Iran and the subsequent crisis in the Strait of Hormuz have fractured global energy supply chains, driving Brent crude to $119 a barrel and sparking a massive inflationary shock. By any standard metric of sovereign risk, a state that is rapidly accelerating its debt issuance while engaging in a war of choice that is throttling the worldwide supply of oil should be facing the possibility of having its bonds repriced.

Yet Wall Street and Washington continue to treat U.S. Treasuries as the ultimate “risk-free” asset, resting comfortably on the AA+ and Aa1 ratings assigned by the major credit agencies. For decades, these ratings have been the financial expression of an imperial dividend. They bank on the assumption that American military power will guarantee both global economic stability and the dollar hegemony required for the United States to service its debts, in perpetuity.

This pristine rating is no longer a reflection of reality. Many countries are beginning to explore alternatives to the petrodollar. And the physical infrastructure and foreign policy that underpin its value are in tatters, replaced by a series of ad hoc military strikes in the Persian Gulf and temporary waivers to “protect” American consumers from the resulting inflation (like the recent suspension of the Jones Act, as well as the suspension of sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil at sea).

Simultaneously, Trump is calling on the U.S. to borrow trillions of dollars to finance the military, while signaling that the U.S. may withdraw from policing the Strait of Hormuz altogether. Viewed in this light, the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government is poised to hit a hard limit in the near future. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the net cost of interest will top $7,700 per household in fiscal year 2026, with the total amount topping $289,000 per household. But for whatever reason, the bond market is failing to price in the risk of the U.S. fighting perpetual wars, whose primary exports are no longer oil but instability.

Iran

Roll Call -   Students studying abroad. Tourists on vacation. A couple on a honeymoon. Layovers, business trips, cruise ships. 

As the war in Iran continues, congressional caseworkers are trying to help — and feeling extra strain — as Americans evacuate from the Middle East. “You think about these people and what they’re going through even after work hours, and in your mind, you’re worried about them, you’re concerned for them, you wish you could do more,” said a caseworker for a Senate Democrat.

“It can be all-consuming because you don’t want to miss any information. You don’t want to be late on providing information that might be key to helping somebody,” added the caseworker, who requested anonymity because they aren’t authorized to speak to the press. 

National Guard in cities costing a half billion $$$

Congressional Insider -  A half-billion-dollar National Guard mission inside America’s cities is colliding with court limits, Pentagon budget strain, and a base that’s tired of “forever wars” abroad and open borders at home...

The Congressional Budget Office reported that National Guard deployments ordered by the Trump administration to Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, Memphis, Portland, and Washington, D.C. cost about $496 million through the end of 2025. CBO also estimated the burn rate could reach roughly $93 million per month if missions continue. That dollar figure matters to voters watching inflation and energy costs, because it puts a hard price tag on interior deployments—not just border security.

Troops were first sent in June 2025 to multiple cities amid protests tied to immigration operations and protection of federal personnel. In August 2025, Washington, D.C. saw an additional deployment connected to a crime crackdown. By December 2025, withdrawals began in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland after a Supreme Court ruling against the administration’s legal authority for military involvement in Illinois law enforcement.

Seniors Share Their 17 Favorite Retirement Hacks

House of Representative Republicans fleeing

The Hill -   An unprecedented number of House Republicans are opting to retire or pursue other offices, complicating Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) bid to fend off a potential blue wave in the 2026 midterms and preserve his razor-thin majority.

So far, 36 House Republicans — including the most recent, Rep. Sam Graves (Mo.) — have announced they will leave their seat at the end of their term, pointing to legislative gridlock, family commitments or a wish to make room for the next generation of leaders.