Plus: Tensions Rise As U.S. Fleet Gathers In Caribbean

Good evening,

After 43 days, the government shutdown could come to an end tonight. The House is back in session Wednesday — for the first time in 54 days — to vote on a Senate-passed bill. It will then need to be signed by President Trump.

House Speaker Mike Johnson apologized to Americans hurt by missed paychecks, calling the shutdown a “national nightmare” — while blaming Democrats for the impasse.
- About 670,000 federal workers were furloughed and 730,000 others continue to work — both groups without pay. Congressional lawmakers received paychecks during the entire shutdown, but some opted not to accept their pay or donate it.

Timing: Voting started around 5 pm ET, and a final vote is expected after 7 pm on the legislation that will fund and reopen the government. Watch the livestream ⬆️

Check out the Mo News Instagram for the latest.

Mo News Team

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

U.S. Warship Build-Up Near Venezuela Fuels Fears Of Escalation

The world’s largest aircraft carrier — the USS Gerald R. Ford — has arrived in the area around the Caribbean, marking the biggest U.S. naval buildup in the region in decades. Venezuela is responding, putting its entire military arsenal of about 200,000 soldiers at the ready.

The USS Gerald Ford joins eight warships, a nuclear submarine, F-35 jets, and about 15,000 U.S. military personnel that have been built up in recent months.
- Military analysts say you’d have to go back to the 1980s or even the Cuban Missile Crisis to see this many American vessels in the area.

It comes as the Trump administration continues a series of deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in international waters, in what’s being framed as a “war on narco-terrorism.” The moves have fueled speculation about the Trump administration's intentions, which could go as far as regime change in Venezuela.

ESCALATING TENSIONS
So far, there have been at least 19 U.S. strikes killing 76 people across the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. The most recent was reported on Sunday. The White House alleges that Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro is running one of the cartels out of Venezuela, and has a $50 million U.S. bounty on his head.

Members of Congress in both parties have raised alarms about the escalating attacks. The Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed some members of Congress last week on the mission’s scope.
- The Washington Post reports that administration officials told lawmakers that there are no active preparations for attacks on Venezuela.

UK INTELLIGENCE SHARING: The United Kingdom is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes the attacks are illegal, according to reporting from CNN.

The decision shows growing skepticism from one of the U.S.’s biggest allies about its current military campaign around Latin America.

The big question: How far will this “war on narco-terrorism” go — and will it turn into something much bigger. Experts note that an aircraft carrier is not optimal for counter-drug operations, but for larger military operations.

🚨 ONE THING THAT’S DEVELOPING

House Democrats Release Never-Before-Seen Epstein Emails About Trump

Jeffrey Epstein claimed Donald Trump “spent hours at my house” with one of his victims and “knew about the girls,” according to several newly released emails dating from 2011 to 2019.

The correspondence, obtained by the House Oversight Committee and made public by Congressional Democrats Wednesday, includes messages to his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell and author Michael Wolff, who has written several critical books chronicling Trump’s presidency. It is unclear what the phrase “knew about the girls” in the email meant.

About two hours later, House Republicans released a trove of 23,000 pages of documents from Epstein’s estate. They paint a picture of Wolff advising Epstein, suggesting that Epstein “talk about Trump in such a way that could garner you great sympathy and help finish him.”

HOW WE GOT HERE
Epstein reportedly died by suicide in federal prison in 2019. He and Trump were friendly in the 1990s and early 2000s, but had a falling out about 20 years ago. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, saying he banned Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida because Epstein was stealing spa workers to go work for him. Trump has also not been charged with any wrongdoing regarding Epstein victims.

Over the summer, Maxwell told Justice Department officials that Trump was “never inappropriate with anybody” during the years he knew Epstein.
- Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on sex trafficking charges and is serving a 20-year sentence, and she is reportedly pushing to get a pardon from Trump.

WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS
Trump responded Wednesday, saying, “Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap” that Democrats are setting. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed that message, accusing Democrats of selectively leaking “emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump.”

“The ‘unnamed victim’ referenced in these emails is the late Virginia Giuffre, who repeatedly said President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever and ‘couldn’t have been friendlier’ to her in their limited interactions,” Leavitt said.
- “The fact remains that President Trump kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club decades ago for being a creep to his female employees, including Giuffre,” Leavitt said.
- Giuffre died by suicide in April, but supported Trump, noting she believed he would release the Epstein files.

House Speaker Johnson swore in Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona Wednesday after a seven-week delay she believes is tied to her push to release the Epstein files. Her signature will force a House floor vote on making the files public.

ABC News reports that top White House and Justice Department officials met Wednesday morning with Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) to persuade her to withdraw her name from a bipartisan petition.
- The effort did not appear to work, as the petition secured enough signatures on Wednesday evening.
- Now, a bipartisan bill to release more Epstein-related files will get a House floor vote.

It follows uproar in Trump’s MAGA base over the summer when the heads of the DOJ and FBI put out a joint statement saying there was no Epstein client list and that he died by suicide.

⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

Dozens of Venezuelans deported from US to notorious Salvadoran prison subjected to torture, rights groups claim in new report (CNN)
Jack Schlossberg officially launches New York House campaign (POLITICO)
Newsom at UN climate summit says Trump is “doubling down on stupid” (AXIOS)
Atmospheric river storm approaching Bay Area with high winds, rain (MERCURY NEWS)
DOJ launches investigation into UC Berkeley unrest outside Turning Point USA event (FOX)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

Indigenous activists in Brazil clash with security at COP30 (DW)
Dominican Republic suffers nationwide blackout (BBC)
Taiwan evacuates 8,300 and shuts schools before tropical storm brushes island (AP)
Ukraine’s interception rates of Russia’s drones and missiles are slipping, data show (ABC)
IDF’s West Bank chief condemns attacks from Israeli settlers against Palestinians and troops (TIMES OF ISRAEL)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

US to mint its last penny as Treasury halts production after more than 230 years (FOX)
Atlanta Federal Reserve President Bostic says he will retire in February (USA TODAY)
Toyota opens new U.S. battery plant, confirms $10 billion in new investments (CNBC)
Google sues cybercriminals behind E-ZPass, US Postal Service text scams (THE HILL)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Cleto Escobedo III, leader of Jimmy Kimmel’s house band, dies at 59 (NPR)
‘Toy Story 5’ teaser trailer released that finds Woody, Buzz fearing technology takeover (ABC)
Netflix House Philadelphia, an immersive site and experience, opens to the general public (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER)
College football: Ohio State stays on top of playoff bracket, while Miami makes a big move (AP)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… The Northern Lights lit up the skies over the northern part of the U.S. Tuesday night. And you’ll have ANOTHER chance to see them tonight — even stronger than the previous two nights.

Typically the Northern Lights aren’t visible this far south. But there were extremely strong geomagnetic storms, which happen when charged particles from the sun’s atmosphere interact with the Earth’s magnetic field.
- The Space Weather Prediction Center says the aurora may become visible “over much of the northern half of the country, and maybe as far south as Alabama to northern California.”

It’s difficult to predict the exact timing, but typically, 10 pm to 2 am is the best time to see them. A dark setting is key, so try to get away from light pollution. Thanks everyone for sending in your 🤳 pics — keep ‘em coming.