DOJ, Sen. Wyden Clash Over Access to DEA Epstein Files as Transparency Fight Intensifies

Senator alleges Justice Department obstruction in release of unredacted documents; DOJ counters that records are already available to Congress.

WASHINGTON, D.C. | A growing dispute between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is reigniting scrutiny over the federal government’s handling of records tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, underscoring broader tensions around transparency, accountability, and political trust in high-profile investigations.

At the center of the clash is a 2015 DOJ memorandum prepared for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), detailing an interagency probe into alleged illicit financial activity linked to Epstein and his network. The document—released earlier this year as part of a broader trove of Epstein-related files—was heavily redacted, prompting calls from lawmakers for full disclosure.

Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, has accused the DOJ of intervening to block the DEA from providing an unredacted version of the memorandum. In a sharply worded letter to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Wyden argued that such actions represent a continuation of what he described as a “long-running obstruction” of congressional oversight.

“Your alleged interference in this matter is highly disturbing,” Wyden wrote, suggesting the redactions obscure evidence of broader criminal conduct, including potential ties to drug trafficking and organized exploitation networks.

Wyden further asserted that the underlying investigation indicated Epstein may have been involved in cross-border criminal conspiracies, including the use of illicit substances to facilitate abuse of victims—allegations that, if substantiated, could significantly expand the scope of known misconduct.

DOJ Pushes Back

Blanche responded forcefully, rejecting Wyden’s claims as unfounded and politically motivated. In a public statement, he said the senator had “completely fabricated a story for clicks,” emphasizing that unredacted versions of the DEA report are available for congressional review in a secure DOJ reading room.

EPA’s Misleading Claim of $1.3 Trillion in Deregulatory ‘Savings’

Trump administration officials have claimed that they are saving Americans over $1.3 trillion by ending regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. But the figure does not incorporate any benefits of the emissions standards. By one of the Environmental Protection Agency’s own calculations, getting rid of the standards could cost billions.

On Feb. 12, the EPA announced that it was revoking the 2009 endangerment finding, which allowed the agency to regulate greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide that trap heat and cause climate change. Without that policy in place, the agency said it was terminating its rules that limit such pollution from vehicles. The regulation has primarily acted to increase fuel efficiency, since more efficient cars and trucks burn less gas and release less carbon pollution. 

Since unveiling the finalized rulemaking last month that eliminates the emissions standards, officials have frequently touted an alleged savings of $1.3 trillion.

“This action will save American taxpayers over $1.3 trillion,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in the press conference announcing the policy change. “What that means is lower prices, more choices, and an end of heavy-handed climate policies. With today’s announcement, American families will save over … $2,400 for a new vehicle.”

In the same briefing, President Donald Trump and Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, also mentioned the $1.3 trillion figure. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has similarly referred to it, and in official communications, the EPA has also emphasized it.

But the $1.3 trillion is not a net total. It only includes the added cost of making cars and trucks more fuel efficient over a period of nearly three decades, without considering any of the benefits, such as reduced fuel or maintenance costs. One of the agency’s own estimates, which also ignores any health or environmental benefits, shows that repealing the policy could ultimately cost Americans $180 billion.

DHS Shutdown Standoff Deepens as Democrats Submit New Immigration Proposal to White House

Second-month funding lapse exposes widening partisan divide over immigration enforcement reforms following Minneapolis shootings, with no breakthrough in sight.

WASHINGTON | Congressional negotiations to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remain deadlocked as Senate Democrats delivered a revised immigration enforcement proposal to the White House, marking the latest effort to end a shutdown now stretching into its second month.

The impasse, which began on February 14, has halted funding for key DHS components — including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the U.S. Coast Guard — underscoring deep ideological divisions over immigration policy and federal law enforcement accountability.

At the center of the dispute is a Democratic push for sweeping changes to immigration enforcement practices following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis earlier this year. The deaths — which occurred during a large-scale federal operation known as “Operation Metro Surge” — triggered nationwide protests, congressional scrutiny, and renewed calls for oversight of federal agents.

Democrats have vowed to withhold support for a full funding bill unless the administration agrees to reforms, including stricter accountability measures such as expanded use of body cameras, clearer identification protocols for agents, and enhanced oversight mechanisms.

Republicans, however, have rejected proposals that would separate funding for immigration enforcement agencies from the broader DHS budget, arguing that such measures would undermine national security operations. Senate Majority Leader John Thune signaled little movement after reviewing the latest Democratic offer, noting that it “didn’t change much from where we were.”

GOP Strategists Urge Trump to Shift Focus From 2020 Election Claims as Midterm Pressure Builds

Republican officials warn that revisiting past election grievances could distract from economic messaging as the party prepares for a challenging midterm political landscape.

WASHINGTON | A growing number of Republican strategists and party officials are signaling concern that renewed focus on the 2020 presidential election could complicate the GOP’s strategy heading into a difficult midterm cycle.

While President Donald Trump has intensified efforts to revisit election disputes — including calls for investigations and stronger voting requirements — some Republicans worry the strategy risks diverting attention from economic issues that polling shows resonate more strongly with voters.

Conversations with Republican state and county party leaders reveal a party navigating a familiar political tension: balancing loyalty to Trump and his political base while attempting to broaden the party’s appeal ahead of competitive general election contests.

“I’m always one to believe you should look forward, not backward,” said Charlie Gerow, a Pennsylvania-based Republican strategist and longtime Trump ally. Gerow suggested that emphasizing economic growth and policy achievements could provide a stronger message for voters than continuing to revisit disputes from the last presidential election.

$8.4 Million Verdict Sparks National Conversation on False Accusations, Defamation, and Military Justice

Retired Army Col. David “Wil” Riggins discusses his defamation case and the broader implications for military justice on 'TELL IT LIKE IT IS' 

A landmark defamation verdict involving a retired U.S. Army officer is reigniting national debate about false accusations, due process, and the powerful consequences of allegations in the digital age.

Retired Army Col. David “Wil” Riggins, a decorated combat veteran who served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, recently joined the 'TELL IT LIKE IT IS' Talk Show to discuss the legal battle that followed a public accusation made against him decades after his time as a cadet at West Point.

In a Fairfax County, Virginia courtroom, a jury awarded Riggins $8.4 million in damages after determining that statements accusing him of rape—published on a personal blog and social media—were false and defamatory.

The verdict is drawing renewed attention not only for its size but also for what it represents: the growing tension between accountability, public accusations, and due process in the military justice system.

UC San Diego Draws No. 3 TCU in NCAA Tournament First Round as Big West Champion Tritons Eye Major Upset

Fresh off their second straight Big West title, the 14-seeded Tritons head to Fort Worth to face powerhouse TCU in a high-stakes NCAA Women’s Tournament showdown.

The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament is known for dramatic upsets and Cinderella runs — and UC San Diego is hoping to write the next chapter in that tradition.

The Big West Champion Tritons (24–8) earned the No. 14 seed and will face No. 3 seed TCU (29–5) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas. The matchup is part of the Sacramento Regional, with the winner advancing to face either No. 6 Washington or No. 11 South Dakota State in the second round.

For UC San Diego, the tournament berth represents another milestone in the program’s rapid rise since transitioning to NCAA Division I competition.

Tritons Riding Momentum After Big West Championship

UC San Diego enters the tournament with confidence after capturing its second consecutive Big West Tournament championship, defeating Hawai‘i in Henderson, Nevada.

Star guard Makayla Rose delivered a standout performance throughout the tournament and was named Most Valuable Player, helping propel the Tritons to a perfect 5–0 all-time record in the Big West Championship Tournament.

‘Paradise’ Season 2 Review: Sterling K. Brown Anchors Dan Fogelman’s Haunting Sci-Fi Drama as the Hulu Hit Expands Its Post-Apocalyptic World

The second season of Hulu’s political thriller deepens its emotional stakes and dystopian intrigue, weaving Sterling K. Brown, Shailene Woodley, and Julianne Nicholson into a gripping story of survival, power, and humanity after catastrophe.

In an era where dystopian dramas often prioritize spectacle over substance, Hulu’s “Paradise” returns for Season 2 with something far more compelling: a deeply human story about survival, power, and the fragile bonds that hold people together when civilization collapses.

Created by Emmy-winning storyteller Dan Fogelman, the sci-fi political thriller builds upon the shocking finale of Season 1 while boldly reshaping the narrative structure of the series. At the center of it all remains Sterling K. Brown, whose layered performance as rogue Secret Service agent Xavier Collins continues to anchor the show with emotional gravity.

Season 2 opens far from the Colorado bunker that defined the first season. Instead, the story begins in Memphis, Tennessee, years before the extinction-level event that devastated the planet. Here, viewers meet Annie Clay (Shailene Woodley), a former medical student struggling to rebuild her life after a personal collapse. Working as a tour guide at Graceland, Annie forms an unlikely friendship with security guard Gayle (Angel Laketa Moore) — just as a mysterious black cloud begins to engulf the world.

The sequence serves as both a haunting prologue and a thematic reset for the series, reminding audiences that “Paradise” has always been less about apocalypse and more about the human choices made in its aftermath.

Oscars 2026: ‘One Battle After Another’ Dominates With 6 Wins as ‘Sinners’ Scores 4, Signaling a Political Turn in Hollywood’s Biggest Night

Paul Thomas Anderson’s dystopian thriller captures Best Picture and Best Director at the 98th Academy Awards, while Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Sinners’ and Warner Bros.’ blockbuster slate underscore a shifting power dynamic in the global film industry.

The 98th Academy Awards delivered a night of cinematic triumphs, political undertones and industry uncertainty, with “One Battle After Another,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s dystopian political thriller, emerging as the evening’s biggest winner.

The Warner Bros. release secured six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, cementing Anderson’s film as one of the most influential cinematic statements of the year.

Standing close behind was “Sinners,” the Warner Bros. drama written by Ryan Coogler, which captured four Oscars, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan and Best Original Screenplay.

The dual victories capped a remarkable year for Warner Bros. Discovery, which has dominated both the box office and awards circuit—even as the studio faces a potential $111 billion merger with Paramount, a deal that could reshape Hollywood and trigger major layoffs across the entertainment sector.

Maryland Gymnastics Dominates George Washington Quad, Finishes Regular Season Strong Ahead of Big Ten Championships

Aine Reade’s stellar 9.900 floor routine powers the Terrapins to a 196.100 team score as Maryland secures three victories in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. | The Maryland Terrapins gymnastics team delivered a strong finish to the regular season, posting a 196.100 team score to capture three victories at the George Washington Quad on Saturday.

The Terrapins topped host George Washington, Towson, and Temple, improving to 19–6 on the season and building momentum heading into the Big Ten Championships next weekend in Champaign, Illinois.

Leading the charge for Maryland was Aine Reade, who dazzled on the floor exercise with a 9.900 score, highlighting a consistent and confident performance across all four rotations.

UCLA Stuns Michigan State 88–84 in Big Ten Tournament Thriller as Spartans’ Late Rally Falls Just Short

Jeremy Fears Jr. breaks Michigan State’s single-season assists record, but sixth-seeded UCLA holds off a furious Spartans comeback in the Big Ten quarterfinals in Chicago.

CHICAGO | A furious late comeback from No. 8 Michigan State nearly flipped the script Friday night, but sixth-seeded UCLA held firm in the closing seconds to secure an 88–84 victory in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals at the United Center.

Despite trailing by as many as 15 points in the second half, the third-seeded Spartans rallied to within two points in the final minute, but clutch free throws and a late layup from UCLA sealed the win and ended Michigan State’s run in the conference tournament.

The Bruins improve to 23–10, while Michigan State drops to 25–7 and will now turn its focus to the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on Sunday as the program seeks its 28th consecutive March Madness appearance.

Jeremy Fears Jr. Makes History in Defeat

While the loss was a tough one for the Spartans, Jeremy Fears Jr. delivered a historic performance.

The redshirt sophomore scored 21 points and dished out 13 assists, setting a Michigan State single-season record with 294 assists, surpassing the previous mark of 291 set by Cassius Winston during the 2018–19 season.

Fears has now scored in double figures in 20 straight games and recorded his ninth 20-point performance this season, continuing a breakout year that has solidified him as one of the Big Ten’s premier guards.

Bruins’ Hot Shooting Sets the Tone

UCLA’s offensive efficiency proved to be the difference in the game.

The Bruins shot 55.6 percent from the field and connected on 48.1 percent from three-point range, building a commanding lead by halftime.

UCLA went into the locker room ahead 44–33, fueled by a stretch where Michigan State went more than five minutes without a field goal late in the first half.

The Bruins also shot an impressive 63 percent from the floor in the first half, creating the cushion they would ultimately need to survive the Spartans’ late surge.

Michigan vs. Purdue: Wolverines, Boilermakers Set for High-Stakes Big Ten Tournament Championship Showdown

No. 3 Michigan rides late-game heroics into the title game against No. 18 Purdue as the rivals battle for the 2026 Big Ten Tournament crown at Chicago’s United Center.

CHICAGO | Championship Sunday in the Big Ten Tournament is set, and it features one of the conference’s most compelling matchups of the season. No. 3 Michigan (31-2, 19-1 Big Ten) will face No. 18 Purdue (26-8, 13-7 Big Ten) for the tournament title Sunday at the United Center, with tipoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS.

The Wolverines arrive with momentum after a dramatic semifinal win over Wisconsin, capped by Yaxel Lendeborg’s game-winning three-pointer with just 0.3 seconds remaining. The buzzer-beater secured Michigan’s return to the championship game for the second straight year and reinforced the team’s reputation for late-game poise in March.

Michigan now seeks its fifth Big Ten Tournament title and its second consecutive championship after defeating Wisconsin in last year’s final.

No Broad Autism Approval for Leucovorin, Despite FDA Commissioner’s Prior Suggestions

The Food and Drug Administration on March 10 changed the approval for a version of the prescription drug leucovorin to include people with a very rare genetic condition. FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary had previously implied that the drug’s new label would cover a much broader group of people with autism, saying that “hundreds of thousands of kids” would benefit. 

The condition targeted in the FDA approval is a genetic version of cerebral folate deficiency, caused by mutations in a folate receptor gene. People with CFD — whether from genetic or other causes — have low levels of folate in their cerebrospinal fluid, which leads to reduced folate in the brain. This affects brain development. Patients with genetic CFD can experience developmental delays, movement disorders and seizures. Some behaviors are similar to those of people with autism.

However, this form of genetic CFD is estimated to occur in 1 in a million people, according to the FDA. That would translate to around 70 kids in the U.S. — far from “hundreds of thousands of kids.” Leucovorin had already been used for decades to treat genetic CFD via off-label prescribing, a common practice when evidence shows a drug approved for one condition improves another.

Despite this limited approval, Makary had initially implied a more substantial change. “Today the FDA is filing a Federal Register notice to change the label on an exciting treatment called prescription leucovorin so that it can be available to children with autism,” Makary said in a Sept. 22 press conference. “We are going to change the label to make it available,” he went on to say. “Hundreds of thousands of kids, in my opinion, will benefit.”

This was the same press conference in which President Donald Trump and others touted an unproven link between autism and the use of Tylenol, or acetaminophen, during pregnancy. 

Makary later referred to a subset of people with autism with antibodies that block their own folate receptors, called autoantibodies. Some researchers have hypothesized that a subset of people with autism have CFD caused by these autoantibodies, but this is not well-established, as we will explain.

How Iran Blocking the Strait of Hormuz Affects the U.S.

President Donald Trump claimed that Iran essentially shutting down the Strait of Hormuz “doesn’t really affect” the United States the way it does “other countries.” It’s true that a small share of U.S. oil imports comes from the Persian Gulf. But the U.S. has been affected by the global rise in oil prices.

Since the waterway has been effectively closed – significantly reducing crude oil exports from the Persian Gulf region – oil prices have increased by double-digit percentages, contributing to a 50-cent-plus spike in the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the U.S.

“The US is definitely affected,” Mark Finley, the nonresident fellow in energy and global oil at Rice University’s Baker Institute, told us in an email. Because it’s a global oil market, “if something goes wrong anywhere, the price goes up everywhere,” he said.

Iran has blocked the flow of oil and other goods through the strait in retaliation for joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that began on Feb. 28. Iran has threatened to shoot or bomb vessels that attempt to pass through the narrow body of water that separates Iran from Oman and connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

About 20 million barrels per day of crude and other oil products were transported through the strait in 2025. That has slowed “to a trickle” since the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran began, according to the International Energy Agency.

In a March 9 press conference, Trump talked about offering “risk insurance” to oil tankers operating in the region, possibly by having U.S. Navy ships escort the tankers, “because you have to keep the straits flowing.”

But then he said, “With all of that, it affects other countries much more than it does the United States. It doesn’t really affect us. We have so much oil. We have tremendous oil and gas, much more than we need.” And he added, “I mean, we’re doing this for the other parts of the world, including countries like China. They get a lot of their oil through the straits. So, we’re doing this.”

Is the U.S. at ‘War’? Politicians Disagree

Is the U.S. at “war” with Iran? Americans are getting conflicting messages from the Trump administration and congressional leaders.

“We are not at war. We have no intention of being at war,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a press conference on March 5, hours after Republicans in the House blocked a war powers resolution that would have required congressional approval for any further military action against Iran. Instead, Johnson called the military action a “limited operation.”

But in remarks to reporters on March 7 — and on other occasions — “war” is exactly how President Donald Trump has described it.

“We’re winning the war by a lot,” Trump told reporters on March 7. “The war itself is going unbelievably. It’s as good as it can be.”

While there are varying definitions of war, even among academics who study such things, the war-or-not political debate is mostly about the legal definition of war under the Constitution and the implications that come with such a designation.

While Article II of the U.S. Constitution designates the president as “Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy,” Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress — and only Congress — the power “To declare War.” In other words, the president is obligated to seek authorization from Congress before he initiates a war.

But Congress hasn’t formally declared war since World War II. And it didn’t happen with the military attack initiated by Trump in Iran. Rather, in accordance with the 1973 War Powers Resolution, Trump provided a report to Congress on March 2 about the administration’s justification for the U.S.-Israeli joint strikes against Iran initiated on Feb. 28.

Trump’s Claim About the Obama Nuclear Deal and Iran’s Nuclear Development

President Donald Trump has claimed that the 2015 Iran nuclear deal was “a road to a nuclear weapon” and the country “would be sitting with a massive nuclear weapon three years ago” if he hadn’t withdrawn the U.S. from the deal in 2018 during his first term. The multilateral deal aimed to restrict Iran’s uranium enrichment program, and experts told us that after the U.S. withdrawal, Iran accelerated it instead.

It’s not possible to predict what would have happened if the agreement, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and negotiated by former President Barack Obama’s administration, had remained in place. In addition to imposing restrictions on Iran’s enrichment of uranium, the deal required international inspections of the country’s nuclear facilities.

On March 3, when speaking about the U.S. airstrikes on Iran that began Feb. 28, Trump said that Obama “made maybe the worst deal I’ve ever seen, because he gave all power in the Middle East to Iran, he went the exact opposite way, and I terminated that. If I didn’t terminate that deal, they would be sitting with a massive nuclear weapon three years ago, which would have been used already on Israel at least, and other countries also. And we wouldn’t be talking about it right now.”

The president went on to say that Obama “was giving them the right to have the path to a nuclear weapon,” saying that the deal “expired.”

The next day, Trump said: “If we didn’t terminate the worst deal, one of the worst deals ever made, the Obama nuclear deal … it was a road to a nuclear weapon. Bad things would have happened four years ago, because they would’ve had a weapon four years ago, if I didn’t terminate that deal.”