Epstein Files, Saudi Crown Prince, Gaza Conflict & Global Headlines - Nov 19, 2025

Epstein Files Legislation

• 🏛️ Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation compelling the Justice Department to release all files related to Jeffrey Epstein, with near-unanimous votes in both the House and Senate.
• 🗣️ President Trump, who had previously opposed the bill, reversed his stance and encouraged Republicans to support it, vowing to sign it into law.
• 🤝 Several Epstein survivors expressed joy and embraced as the final vote tally was read in the House gallery.

Trump, Saudi Crown Prince, and Jamal Khashoggi

• 🎙️ President Trump called for ABC's broadcast license to be revoked after a reporter asked why he hadn't released the Epstein files.
• 🇸🇦 Trump defended Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman regarding the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, stating he knew nothing about it, contradicting a US intelligence report.
• 💰 Public Citizen noted Trump's comments are linked to his personal business interests, with the Trump family receiving millions annually from Saudi Arabia branding deals.

Gaza Conflict and International Tensions

• 🇵🇸 Hamas and other factions in Gaza rejected a US-backed UN plan to place Gaza under the control of a US-led board and international stabilization force, likening it to a "war of extermination."
• 💥 Israel continued air strikes in Gaza, killing 279 Palestinians since the October ceasefire, and also launched air strikes in Lebanon, killing 13 people in a Palestinian refugee camp.
• 🇺🇸 Local media in Somalia reported 12 civilians killed in a suspected US air strike targeting al-Shabaab, while President Trump voiced support for US attacks in Mexico and Colombia and considered sending ground troops to Venezuela.

US Immigration and Texas Politics

• 🚨 Hundreds protested new federal immigration raids in Raleigh, North Carolina, as federal agents arrested over 200 immigrants in Charlotte.
• ⚖️ A federal court ruled Texas cannot use its new congressional map for the 2026 midterms, citing racial gerrymandering in its creation.
• ☪️ Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) a foreign terrorist organization, a move criticized as lacking authority and being a smear.

Other Headlines

• 🏢 A federal judge ruled in favor of Meta against the FTC in an antitrust suit, stating the market landscape has changed significantly since the suit was filed.
• 🇧🇷 Brazil's Supreme Court sentenced high-ranking military officials and a federal police officer to 24 years in prison for the assassination attempt against President Lula da Silva.