Why Did Acosta Let Epstein Off Easy? Former Prosecutor Testifies

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Former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta on Friday offered long-awaited testimony to the House Oversight Committee, breaking his silence on why he approved a controversial 2007 plea deal that shielded Jeffrey Epstein from federal prosecution.

Acosta, who previously served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, admitted the decision was fraught with risk and legal uncertainty — and ultimately, a matter of judgment.

“There was real concern that a failed prosecution would allow Epstein to walk free completely,” Acosta said, according to a committee press release summarizing the testimony.

Epstein, who was facing potential life in prison on federal sex trafficking charges, instead pleaded guilty to two state-level charges in 2008. He served just 13 months in a Palm Beach County jail and was granted controversial work release privileges.

A 2020 Department of Justice report found Acosta had used “poor judgment” in the case but did not commit professional misconduct. The report also acknowledged internal disagreements over whether to prosecute Epstein at the federal or state level, citing evidentiary weaknesses that could have jeopardized a trial.

“A trial and loss would have sent a devastating message,” the committee summary stated. “We believed a negotiated resolution — flawed though it was — would at least establish some accountability.”

Acosta expressed regret over the outcome and accepted personal responsibility for the decision to approve the deal.

“I stand by my role in trying to secure some measure of justice,” he told the committee. “But I regret the outcome — deeply.”

Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on new federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide, though questions surrounding his connections and past legal deals have persisted.

FBI Scandal: Docs Reveal Deep State Targeted Trump and Charlie Kirk

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Under the Biden administration, the FBI launched a covert operation code-named “Arctic Frost” in 2022 — a sweeping probe that has now been exposed as a blatant weaponization of federal power against conservatives.

Thanks to whistleblower disclosures and new Senate releases from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), we now have leaked documents revealing that this partisan witch hunt targeted a staggering 92 Republican-linked individuals and groups, including the late Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA, in a clear effort to silence Trump allies and dismantle the conservative movement.

Arctic Frost “was the vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and Department of Justice prosecutors could achieve their partisan ends and improperly investigate the entire Republican political apparatus,” Grassley said on September 16, 2025, during his opening remarks at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the FBI.

Blaze News editor in chief and co-host of “Blaze News: The Mandate” Matthew Peterson is appalled by this latest development. “This is a broad investigation, in other words, of political opponents,” he says.

(Read more from “FBI Scandal: Docs Reveal Deep State Targeted Trump and Charlie Kirk” HERE)

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Marjorie Taylor Greene Releases Final Texts From Charlie Kirk Amid Israel Tensions

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Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R‑Ga.) on Wednesday published a screenshot of text messages she says were sent to her by Charlie Kirk just weeks before his assassination.

The messages, dated August 27, show Kirk inviting Greene to speak at AmericaFest, the annual Turning Point USA conference set for December, and proposing a debate about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Greene posted the screenshot amid a contentious debate about Kirk’s stance toward Israel and its leadership. Some conservatives, including Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Matt Gaetz, have defended Kirk’s position as being critical of certain Israeli leaders while maintaining support for Israel overall.

In her post, Greene urged her followers to trust Kirk’s friends over foreign leaders when it comes to interpreting his views. She wrote: “Believe Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson.”

Greene also warned: “Do not allow a foreign country, foreign agents, and another religion tell you about Charlie Kirk. And I hope a foreign country and foreign agents and another religion does not take over Christian Patriotic Turning Point USA.”

Charlie Kirk, 31, was fatally shot on September 10 at a debate event in Utah as part of his “American Comeback Tour.”

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

House Staffer Dies After Freak Fire Incident

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Regina Santos-Aviles, a staffer for Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas, passed away after an “accident” in which she caught on fire at home Saturday.

Uvalde Police Chief Homer Delgado noted that there had not been any sign “of foul play.”

“It was an accident,” the woman’s mother, Nora Ann Gonzales, said, noting her daughter had sustained burns, according to the San Antonio Express-News. . .

While the call got canceled as crews were en route, four firefighters responded since the residence was near the station, Rangel noted, according to the outlet.

“When we arrived, we learned of a fire behind the residence that had been put out with a fire extinguisher,” he said, according to the outlet. “At the same time, EMS personnel were attending to a female who had suffered burns. She was transported by EMS and, at some point, flown to a San Antonio hospital.” (Read more from “House Staffer Dies After Freak Fire Incident” HERE)

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FBI Sources Alleged Biden Stopped Burisma Investigation ‘To Protect The Interests Of Hunter,’ New Docs Show

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While he was vice president, Joe Biden stepped onto taxpayer-funded Air Force 2, traveled to Ukraine, and conducted personal business with Ukraine’s then-President Petro Poroshenko. He was there “to protect the interests of Hunter Biden,” according to documents released Tuesday by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the oversight of the FBI.

The new documents strengthen the information in previously released records. Last Congress, Grassley released FBI 1023 records — statements from confidential sources — alleging that when Biden was vice president, executives for Ukrainian gas company Burisma put his son Hunter Biden on the company’s board of directors to “protect us through his dad, from all kinds of problems,” according to that “confidential human source.”

Burisma wanted to do business in the United States, but was facing a corruption investigation in Ukraine, led by then-Ukraine Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin.

“Regarding that investigation’s impact on its ambitions in North America, Burisma CEO Mykola Zlochevsky reportedly said, ‘Don’t worry Hunter will take care of all of those issues through his dad.’ Zlochevsky reportedly stated that he had to pay $5 million to Hunter Biden and $5 million to Joe Biden, an arrangement he described as ‘poluchili,’ which is Russian crime slang for being “forced or coerced to pay,” according to the document declassified in 2023.

The confidential human source who provided that information, Alexander Smirnova, was later prosecuted for lying to his FBI handler and took a guilty plea, but the Trump DOJ is reexamining the case. Now, more evidence has come to light that tells a similar story to his. (Read more from “FBI Sources Alleged Biden Stopped Burisma Investigation ‘To Protect The Interests Of Hunter,’ New Docs Show” HERE)

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Trump Adding $100K Fee to H-1B Visa Applications in Latest Crackdown on Foreign Workers

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President Trump signed an executive order Friday adding an annual fee of $100,000 to all H1-B visa applications.

The move marks the latest crackdown by the administration on migrants coming into the US for job opportunities, and is likely intended to limit visa applicants to those from higher financial brackets.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the idea behind the order is to have American companies hire and train US workers, instead of hiring foreign ones.

The policy would apply to all H1-B visa holders, including those seeking to renew their status, he said.

The $100,000 fee would have to be paid out per year for the next six years. (Read more from “Trump Adding $100K Fee to H-1B Visa Applications in Latest Crackdown on Foreign Workers” HERE)

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Trump Calls for Firing of US Attorney Investigating Tish James: ‘I Want Him Out’

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The federal prosecutor weighing mortgage fraud claims against New York state Attorney General Letitia James should be fired, President Trump said Friday.

“I want him out,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office in response to a question about US Attorney Erik Siebert, whom he nominated to the post for the Eastern District of Virginia back in May.

Siebert has yet to be confirmed by the Senate, but Trump said he changed his mind after he learned that Virginia’s two Democratic senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, had expressed support for him.

“When I saw that he got two senators, two gentlemen that are bad news, as far as I’m concerned, when I saw that he got approved by these two men, I said, ‘Pull him,’ because he can’t be any good,” Trump claimed.

“I have other people, judges, and I have US attorneys for other states where I have the same situation. And they can’t get approved. So when I learned that they voted for him, I said, ‘I don’t really want him.’” (Read more from “Trump Calls for Firing of US Attorney Investigating Tish James: ‘I Want Him Out’” HERE)

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Tucker Carlson Warns Trump Admin Is Using Kirk’s Death to Justify War on Free Speech

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Tucker Carlson delivered a sharp rebuke of the Trump administration Wednesday, accusing Attorney General Pam Bondi of weaponizing the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk to erode First Amendment protections.

In the latest episode of The Tucker Carlson Show, the former Fox News host said Kirk — a close personal friend — would be “heartbroken” to see his name invoked in efforts to restrict so-called hate speech.

“Charlie was a free speech champion. He died believing Americans have the right to say what they believe — even if it’s ugly. And I pray that’s his legacy,” Carlson, 56, said.

The comments were a direct response to Bondi’s Monday appearance on The Katie Miller Podcast, in which the Attorney General vowed to “target” individuals spreading hate speech in the wake of Kirk’s September 10 killing.

“There’s free speech, and then there’s hate speech,” Bondi said. “And there is no place — especially now, especially after what happened to Charlie — for hate speech in our society.”

Carlson took issue with that distinction.

“The implication that hate speech is a crime — there’s no sentence Charlie Kirk would’ve objected to more than that,” Carlson said. “You’ve got to think the Attorney General didn’t think that through and was not attempting to desecrate the memory of the person she was purporting to celebrate. You hope that.”

Kirk, 31, was shot and killed during a public event in Dallas last week. The alleged shooter, a 23-year-old student, reportedly cited Kirk’s “rhetoric” as a motive. The killing has since reignited political debates over speech, extremism, and accountability online.

But Carlson warned that grief and fear should not be manipulated into policy.

“You hope that Charlie’s death won’t be used by a group we now call ‘bad actors’ to create a society that was the opposite of the one he hoped to build,” Carlson said.

Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and host of The Charlie Kirk Show, frequently criticized efforts to criminalize offensive speech. In 2024, he tweeted:

“Hate speech does not exist legally in America. There’s ugly speech. There’s gross speech. There’s evil speech. And ALL of it is protected by the First Amendment.”

Carlson went further, suggesting that Bondi’s comments echoed the very ideology that led to Kirk’s murder.

“That thinking that she just articulated on camera is exactly what got us to a place where some horrifying percentage of young people think it’s okay to shoot people you disagree with,” he said.

The White House did not comment directly on Carlson’s accusations, but on Tuesday President Trump praised Bondi’s performance, telling reporters, “Pam has done an unbelievable job, and everyone agrees with that.” The Department of Justice has not responded to media requests for clarification on Bondi’s remarks.

Carlson’s podcast, which has gained a massive audience since his departure from Fox News in 2023, has become a leading voice for populist conservatives and libertarians skeptical of state power. His criticism of the administration has added to a growing chorus across the political spectrum alarmed by government efforts to monitor speech.

Just hours after Carlson’s episode aired, ABC announced it had “indefinitely” pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! from its late-night lineup. The move followed a threat from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to revoke the network’s broadcast license over Kimmel’s controversial remarks about Kirk’s death. President Trump celebrated the decision on Truth Social, calling it “Great news for America.”

Carlson warned that such developments point to a dangerous trend.

“There are a lot of people who’d like to codify their own beliefs by punishing those under the U.S. code who disagree with them,” he said. “Any attempt to do that is a denial of the humanity of American citizens and cannot be allowed under any circumstances. That’s got to be the red line. When they can do that, what can’t they do?”

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

After Kimmel Suspension, Trump Sets Sights on Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers: ‘Do It NBC!’

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By USA Today. President Donald Trump is doubling down on comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension.

Trump, a frequent critic of Kimmel and the entire late-night host lineup, first took to Truth Social late Wednesday, Sept. 18, to deride Kimmel’s ratings and throw some shots at Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon.

“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done,” Trump wrote. “Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT”

Then during a Sept. 18 press conference, Trump said that the comedian should have been fired “a long time ago” for a “lack of talent” and pushed back at concerns about the state of free speech in the United States. Kimmel has not been officially fired, though it remains unclear if, and when, his show will return to the air. . .

During his Monday, Sept. 15 episode, Kimmel said the following: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” (Read more from “After Kimmel Suspension, Trump Sets Sights on Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers: ‘Do It NBC!’” HERE)

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Jimmy Kimmel cancellation sparks fierce celebrity split in Hollywood

By Fox News. Jimmy Kimmel’s indefinite suspension from ABC’s late-night lineup has Hollywood stars in a tailspin.

The network’s decision to pull “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” has set off widespread controversy, with many of Kimmel’s famous friends calling it censorship, while others argue the move was justified.

Kimmel’s show was pulled over his comments about alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson.

“Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views or values of the local communities in which we are located,” Nexstar Media Group’s broadcasting chief, Andrew Alford, said in a press release.

On the show Monday, Kimmel suggested that the 22-year-old Utah man charged for Kirk’s assassination, was part of the “MAGA gang” despite reports he had a left-wing ideology, which was later reaffirmed in Tuesday’s indictment. (Read more from “Jimmy Kimmel cancellation sparks fierce celebrity split in Hollywood” HERE)

Poor Oral Hygiene Linked to Tripled Risk of Pancreatic Cancer, New Study Finds

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That unbrushed mouth may be doing more than turning people away — it could be quietly raising your risk of one of the deadliest forms of cancer.

A major new study from NYU Langone Health and its Perlmutter Cancer Center has identified more than two dozen microbes in the mouth that may significantly increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, a disease notorious for its low survival rate and late detection. The findings, published in JAMA Oncology, suggest that oral hygiene may play a far more critical role in cancer prevention than previously thought.

The research tracked 122,000 individuals over nine years, analyzing their saliva for bacterial and fungal DNA. Comparing data from 445 pancreatic cancer patients with 445 matched cancer-free individuals, researchers discovered 24 species of bacteria and fungi that appeared to alter pancreatic cancer risk — either increasing or decreasing it. Of those, 27 microbes in total were linked to a more than threefold increase in risk.

“It is clearer than ever that brushing and flossing your teeth may not only help prevent periodontal disease but may also protect against cancer,” said co-senior author Dr. Richard Hayes, professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

The study proposes a mechanism as unsettling as it is fascinating: harmful oral microbes may travel from the mouth to the pancreas via swallowed saliva. Once there, they may contribute to inflammation or immune dysregulation, potentially creating a microenvironment favorable to cancer growth.

“Our findings provide new insight into the relationship between the oral microbiome and pancreatic cancer,” said lead author Yixuan Meng, a postdoctoral fellow at NYU. “These microbes could be influencing tumor development through systemic inflammation or by altering immune responses in the pancreas.”

Some of the bacteria flagged in the study are already known culprits in gum disease — a chronic infection that damages the soft tissue and bone supporting the teeth. Gum disease itself has been previously linked to systemic inflammation and an increased risk of several illnesses, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

This new research adds pancreatic cancer to that growing list. The inflammatory markers released by the bacteria involved in periodontal disease may contribute to a “pro-tumor environment,” the study suggests.