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Trump says House Republicans should vote to release Epstein files: 'We have nothing to hide'

admin - Latest News - November 17, 2025
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President Donald Trump on Sunday called on House Republicans to support the release of files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, dramatically changing course on a flashpoint issue he has long opposed.“House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party,” Trump wrote on Truth



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November 10, 2025
Nov. 9, 2025, 9:45 AM ESTBy Kaitlin SullivanDrinking caffeinated coffee is safe for people with atrial fibrillation and may help protect against recurrence of the disorder, a new study finds.More than 10 million Americans live with atrial fibrillation, or A-fib, a common heart disorder that causes heart palpitations and can lead to heart failure, blood clots and stroke. Doctors have long tried to understand whether caffeine — which can increase heart rate and blood pressure — appears to trigger episodes that feel like a fluttering or thumping in the chest and cause dizziness or breathlessness.“There is no standard advice for atrial fibrillation and caffeine,” said Dr. Gregory Marcus, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who led the DECAF (Does Eliminating Coffee Avoid Fibrillation?) study. “It is very common for me to encounter patients who have stopped drinking caffeinated coffee only because their physician has told them to do so because of their atrial fibrillation.”The results of the DECAF study, a four-year clinical trial examining the effects of drinking coffee in people with a history of irregular heart rhythm that had either resolved or been treated, were presented Sunday at the annual American Heart Association conference in New Orleans and published in JAMA. Marcus is an associate editor of JAMA.The researchers recruited 200 older adults in Australia, Canada and the United States who were regular coffee drinkers at some point in the last five years. The average age was 70 and one-third were women.Over six months, the participants were randomized to two groups: those who cut out caffeine, and those who had at least one cup every day. Everyone self-reported their coffee and caffeinated beverage consumption during telehealth or video check-ins that occurred one, three and six months into the trial.Using data from electrocardiograms, or ECGs, taken in a doctor’s office, wearable heart monitors and implantable cardiac devices, Marcus and his team determined if and when people in each group had their first recurrent episode of A-fib. They included episodes of atrial flutter, a related condition that also causes abnormal contractions in the upper chambers of the heart.Both groups had about the same alcohol habits. Not everyone was a coffee drinker when the study began, but the number of daily coffee drinkers in each group was similar.Before the study began, 60% of people in the coffee-drinking group and 65% in the no-coffee group said that coffee had never triggered an A-fib episode.During the six-month study, 111 people, or 56%, had a recurrent episode of atrial flutter. People in the coffee drinking group were less likely to have a recurrence — 47% compared to 64% of people in the no-coffee group — and went a longer period of time before they had their first episode.(About a third of people in the no-coffee group did admit to drinking at least a cup during the study, while the rest didn’t consume any.)A cup a day ‘perfectly safe’It’s the latest study to show coffee may lower risks of heart problems and other metabolic disease. Previous observational research has suggested that people who drank coffee had less of a risk of A-fib, but the new trial shows a cause-and-effect relationship, said Marcus.“I was somewhat surprised at the magnitude of how protective caffeinated coffee does seem to be to prevent atrial fibrillation,” Marcus said.Dr. Johanna Contreras, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital in New York, said the most significant takeaway from the study was that drinking a cup of coffee a day seems to be perfectly safe for people with A-fib, rather than that coffee is protective.“There’s not a hard-and-fast rule. Not everyone has the same reaction to caffeine,” said Contreras, who was not involved with the trial.There are notable limitations in the study, including the effects of caffeinated beverages other than coffee. The trial didn’t track differences in exercise habits or diet. People who drink coffee may also be exercising more, Marcus suggested.The study found that drinking just one cup of coffee per day appeared to have a protective effect, and while some people in the study did drink more than that, it’s unclear if more than a cup of coffee per day could have any effect on A-fib recurrence.Moderation is key, Contreras said.“If people are having six or seven cups of coffee, and then Red Bulls and Celsius, that’s different,” she said.It’s unclear why drinking coffee was linked with a lower risk of irregular heartbeat recurrence. It’s possible that an anti-inflammatory compound in coffee, not specifically caffeine, could have reduced recurrence in the coffee-drinking group, Marcus said.If caffeine is at play, it is possible that stimulating the body’s adrenaline response with caffeine could help stave off A-fib. People often report episodes when they are relaxed, such as while sleeping or after a big meal, when adrenaline is low, Marcus said, when the “rest and digest” part of the nervous system is activated.Also, the trial included only people who were not currently experiencing episodes of A-fib. The findings may not translate to people with the unmanaged disorder.“If someone was in the midst of A-fib, caffeine could certainly increase the pulse rate during that episode and therefore lead to worse symptoms,” he said.For people who are already regular coffee drinkers, “this shows you can have a cup of coffee in the morning and be OK if you have A-fib,” Contreras said.Kaitlin SullivanKaitlin Sullivan is a contributor for NBCNews.com who has worked with NBC News Investigations. She reports on health, science and the environment and is a graduate of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at City University of New York.
October 2, 2025
Oct. 2, 2025, 10:41 AM EDTBy Raquel Coronell Uribe and Megan LebowitzThe federal government shut down Wednesday after lawmakers left the Capitol without passing a funding bill.Agencies and departments each have their own operational procedures during a shutdown, and they have issued guidance about what to expect as the money runs out.Here’s what’s happening as the shutdown continues.Will federal workers be paid during a shutdown? What about layoffs?No, federal workers will largely not be paid during a shutdown. Employees who are considered essential must still report to work, although they will not be paid until the government reopens.Furloughed and essential employees will receive back pay after a shutdown ends.President Donald Trump and members of Congress, however, are continuing to receive paychecks during a shutdown. Their pay is constitutionally protected.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday that layoffs would be “imminent.” Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought also told House Republicans during the day that federal employees would begin to be fired in “one to two” days, according to sources. On Thursday, Trump said in a Truth Social post that he would meet with Vought to decide which “Democrat Agencies” the OMB director “recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent.”Trump, like other Republican leaders, blamed Democratic leaders in Congress for the shutdown and warned them about the impact, writing, “I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity.”How does a shutdown affect the military?The majority of veteran benefits and military operations will continue to be funded regardless of the shutdown. However, pay for military and civilian workers will be delayed until a funding deal is reached, forcing them to continue their duties without compensation.Military personnel on active duty, including active guard reserves, remain on duty, but no new orders may be issued except for extenuating circumstances — such as disaster response or national security. Some National Guard members serving through federal funding could have their orders terminated unless performing an essential duty.Ahead of the shutdown, the Department of Veterans Affairs said it expected 97% of its employees to work, though regional offices would be closed. Some death benefits, such as the placement of permanent headstones at VA cemeteries, and ground maintenance, are expected to cease. Communication lines, including hotlines, emails, social media and responses to press inquiries, are expected to be affected a well.The Army and Navy said in social media posts that they will provide “limited updates” on their websites during the shutdown. The Air Force and Space Force said their websites are “not being updated.” How is air travel affected?Air traffic control services will continue, allowing more than 13,000 air traffic controllers to work through a shutdown — but without pay until the government is funded again. Other essential services are also still occurring, such as the certification and oversight of commercial airplanes and engines, and limited air traffic safety oversight.Still, the Department of Transportation has stopped other activities, including the hiring and field training of air traffic controllers, facility security inspections, and support for law enforcement.The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said in a statement Wednesday that shutdowns “reduce the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS) and erode the layers of safety that allow the flying public to arrive safely and on-time to their destinations.””During a shutdown, critical safety support staff are furloughed, and support programs are suspended, making it difficult for air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals to perform at optimum levels,” the group said.Will Social Security checks still go out?Social Security benefits, considered mandatory under law, continue regardless of a shutdown, so recipients can expect to continue receiving their payments. However, the Social Security Administration could face a furloughed workforce. Fewer workers could mean that processing new Social Security applications could be delayed.How does the shutdown affect the Department of Health and Human Services?The Department of Health and Human Services — home to agencies such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration — said in its contingency plan that it expects more than 32,000 of its nearly 80,000 workers to be furloughed during the shutdown.HHS said “excepted activities” will continue, offering as an example responses to pandemic, flu and hurricanes. Additionally, the National Institutes of Health is still conducting research and clinical services necessary to protect human life and government property.But research contracts and grants to external organizations, such as universities, are now frozen, and NIH will not admit new patients to its research hospital unless medically necessary. HHS also said it will not process Freedom of Information Act requests during a shutdown.How is the FDA affected?The FDA will continue certain exempt activities, including drug and medical device reviews and recalls, monitoring and response of foodborne illnesses and the flu, pursuing some investigations when the agency believes the public is at risk, and screening food and medical products imported to the U.S.The agency warned it will end its ability to monitor the use of new ingredients in animal food, and thus will not be able to ensure that meat, milk and eggs of livestock are safe for the public to eat. Long-term food safety initiatives are also expected to be stop during the shutdown.The FDA is not processing new drug applications and medical device submissions. The agency warned it will not support staff that oversee protection of unsafe or ineffective drugs unless it is an imminent threat.Are students able to get loans for school?The Department of Education continues to disburse student aid through Pell Grants and Federal Direct Student Loans — assistance that goes to nearly 10 million students at 5,400 schools, the department said.Borrowers still need to make their loan payments during a shutdown, the memo added.In the first week of a government shutdown, the department said it would furlough about 95% of staff who don’t work on federal student aid. The department is also halting new grant-making activities during a lapse in funding.What is the impact on the CDC?The CDC will continue to monitor and respond to disease outbreaks, but it will be hampered in providing the public with health-related information, its contingency plan said.The agency also won’t be able to provide state and local health departments with guidance on issues like preventing opioid overdoses, HIV and diabetes.Certain other operations are also being halted, including responses to inquiries about public health issues and the analysis of surveillance data for certain diseases, the Department of Health and Human Services said.The department also said ahead of the shutdown that slightly more than a third of the staff at the CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry will continue working during the shutdown.How are nutritional programs for the the poor and women and children affected?The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) will continue to provide benefits during the shutdown “subject to the availability of funding,” according to the Department of Agriculture’s contingency plans posted Tuesday afternoon.The document added that a May letter from the Office of Management and Budget previously committed funds for SNAP for October, ensuring the programs would run through that month. It added that SNAP has multiyear contingency funds available, but did not specify how long those funds would last.However, the Department of Agriculture, which houses WIC, said in a letter to state agency directors of the program on Wednesday saying they would not receive their next funding allocation as a shutdown continues. The nonprofit group National WIC Association warned that a shutdown that lasts longer than one or two weeks could cause “devastating disruptions” for people who rely on the program. Will national parks stay open?A National Park Service contingency plan released Tuesday night said parks remain partially open during the shutdown.Open-air sites — such as park roads, outlooks, trails and some memorials — remain accessible to the public. Restrooms remain open, and trash is still being collected.The National Park Service advised, however, that emergency services will be limited.Buildings that require staffing, such as visitor centers or sites like the Washington Monument, are closed. The agency said it will not issue new permits during a shutdown, either. The National Park Service’s contingency plan said certain excepted activities would continue during a shutdown, including trying to suppress active fires, sewage treatment operations and the protection of borders and coasts. Can I still go to Smithsonian museums or the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.?The Smithsonian Institution’s museums and National Zoo — major draws for visitors to the nation’s capital — said Tuesday afternoon that they will use funds from the previous year to remain open to the public at least through Oct. 6.An FAQ page on the zoo’s website said animals at the zoo and the Smithsonian’s Conservation Biology Institute will continue to be fed and cared for, but animal cams will no longer broadcast.Raquel Coronell UribeRaquel Coronell Uribe is a breaking news reporter. Megan LebowitzMegan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.
October 22, 2025
Savewith a NBCUniversal ProfileCreate your free profile or log in to save this articleOct. 22, 2025, 4:00 PM EDTBy Julia Ainsley and Didi MartinezWASHINGTON — Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed new recruits into its training program before they have completed the agency’s vetting process, an unusual sequence of events as the agency rushes to hire federal immigration officers to carry out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policy, one current and two former Homeland Security Department officials told NBC News. ICE officials only later discovered that some of these recruits failed drug testing, have disqualifying criminal backgrounds or don’t meet the physical or academic requirements to serve, the sources said.Staff at ICE’s training academy in Brunswick, Georgia, recently discovered one recruit had previously been charged with strong arm robbery and battery stemming from a domestic violence incident, the current DHS official said. They’ve also found as recently as this month that some recruits going through the six-week training course had not submitted fingerprints for background checks, as ICE’s hiring process requires, the current and former DHS officials said.Per ICE policy, applicants are required to pass a drug test and undergo a security vetting through ICE’s human resources office prior to showing up for the training course. The former officials said that process was more strictly adhered to before a hiring surge that began this summer. That process was meant to weed out disqualified candidates before they would be sent to training.Since the surge began, the agency has dismissed more than 200 new recruits while in training for falling short of its hiring requirements, according to recently collected internal ICE data reviewed by NBC News. The majority of them failed to meet ICE’s physical or academic standards, according to the data. Just under 10 recruits were dismissed for criminal charges, failing to pass drug tests or safety concerns that should have been flagged in a background check prior to arriving at training, the data indicated and the current and former DHS officials confirmed.The officials said there is growing concern that in the Trump administration’s race to expand the number of ICE agents to 10,000 by the end of the year, the agency could miss red flags in the backgrounds of some new recruits and inadvertently hire them. “There is absolutely concern that some people are slipping through the cracks,” the current DHS official said. The official said many of the issues that have been flagged during training only surface because the recruits admitted they did not submit to fingerprinting or drug testing prior to arriving.“What about the ones who don’t admit it?” the official said. In a statement to NBC News, the Department of Homeland Security said most of its new recruits are former law enforcement officers and former ICE officers who go through a different process. “The figures you reference are not accurate and reflect a subset of candidates in initial basic academy classes,” said DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin. “The vast majority of new officers brought on during the hiring surge are experienced law enforcement officers who have already successfully completed a law enforcement academy. This population is expected to account for greater than 85% of new hires. Prior-service hires follow streamlined validation but remain subject to medical, fitness, and background requirements.”A detail view of an ICE promotion as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Aug. 26 in Arlington, Texas.Ron Jenkins / Getty Images fileThe Atlantic reported this week on the struggle some ICE recruits have had with meeting the agency’s physical fitness requirements. The broader scope of issues and specific data have not been previously reported. ICE has been under pressure from the White House to increase hiring with the funding designated by Congress in the sweeping tax and spending bill that Trump signed into law on July 4. The agency has frequently lagged behind the White House’s arrest goal of 3,000 per day, which they have attributed to a lack of manpower. As part of the effort, ICE shortened the training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Georgia from 13 weeks to eight weeks. The training was later shortened to six weeks, the DHS official said.Recruits also are supposed to attest that they can pass ICE’s physical fitness test, which includes sit-ups, pull-ups, and running one-and-a-half miles in under 14 minutes and 25 seconds.Darius Reeves, who recently left his position as ICE field office director in Baltimore, said he believes the agency’s Aug. 6 decision to waive age limits so that older people can join has led to more recruits failing the physical test.“These new recruits are dropping like flies,” Reeves said in an interview after speaking with colleagues seeking to bring new hires into the agency. “And rightly so, it makes sense. We’re going to drop the age requirements, of course this was going to happen.” Nearly half of new recruits who’ve arrived for training at FLETC over the past three months were later sent home because they could not pass the written exam, according to the data. The academic requirement includes an exam where officers are allowed to consult their textbooks and notes at the end of a legal course on the Immigration and Nationality Act and the Fourth Amendment, which outlines when officers can and cannot conduct searches and seizures.A slightly smaller group was dismissed because they failed the physical fitness test or had medical challenges, though some of those sent home had made clear on their application that they could not meet ICE’s physical requirements but were sent to training anyway, the current and former DHS officials said. Fewer than 10 of the new recruits were dismissed because ICE training leaders learned from the recruits during the training program that they had pending criminal charges, failed their drug test or were otherwise considered a safety concern, the officials said. The three sources said the agency’s human resources office is overwhelmed with more than 150,000 new applicants that have applied since ICE began offering $50,000 signing bonuses in August. The HR office is rushing to clear new recruits, which they believe is leading to mistakes. “They are trying to push everyone through, and the vetting process is not what it should be,” said one of the former DHS officials with knowledge of the agency’s hiring.The current DHS official likened the pressure on ICE’s human resources employees to clear recruits to “asking them to pull a rabbit out of a hat.”Julia AinsleyI am NBC News’ Senior Homeland Security Correspondent.Didi MartinezDidi Martinez is a producer for NBC News’ national security unit.Laura Strickler contributed.
October 6, 2025
Presidential Powers in Focus as Supreme Court Begins New Term
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