Plus: The President Open To Talks With Venezuela's Maduro

Good evening,

A bright spot for travelers ahead of the holidays: the FAA lifted all restrictions Monday on flights at 40 major airports. The news comes as staffing levels have stabilized, and workers are receiving back pay after the nation’s longest government shutdown ended last week.

By the numbers: Last Saturday, November 8, air traffic control centers saw a record 81 staffing-trigger events — cases where too few controllers showed up. By this past Friday, that number had dropped to six. There was just one staffing trigger yesterday.

The FAA still faces major challenges, including ongoing staffing shortages and aging infrastructure. But Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday that officials can now “refocus” on those long-term issues.

Lauren
Producer

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Trump Makes A U-Turn On Epstein Files As House Votes For Release

President Trump abruptly reversed course on Sunday night, saying House Republicans should actually support a measure to release files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “We have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax,” he wrote, calling the controversy a partisan distraction.

How we got here: Last week, four Republicans joined House Democrats in signing a petition to force a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, bypassing GOP leadership. The White House had been lobbying them not to support the petition, but realizing they were on the losing side of the fight, switched positions.
- The legislation would require the Justice Department to release the case files related to Epstein. Note: It is still not clear what will be released even if the bill becomes a law.
What’s next: The House is expected to vote tomorrow on the proposal, which had threatened to become a test of GOP loyalty. Dozens of Republicans were poised to break with the president after months of pressure from the White House to oppose the measure.

One of Trump’s loudest supporters, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) was one of the initial four GOP votes. Her support for releasing the Epstein files led Trump to withdraw his support and endorsement of her re-election, calling her a “traitor,” “disgrace,” and “wacky.”

MORE ON THE EPSTEIN FILES
Based on a request from President Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi has ordered a federal prosecutor to specifically investigate Epstein’s ties to Democrats and Trump’s political foes, including Bill Clinton and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.

Bottom line: Trump has the power to order the DOJ to release most of the information in the Epstein files without legislation. Additionally, even if the Epstein Files Transparency Act is passed, the DOJ might say that they cannot release the files because of an ongoing investigation.

Polling from NPR and CBS shows 80–90% of Americans want the Epstein files released — with victims’ names redacted.

Over the weekend, Trump dismissed a leaked email in which Epstein allegedly claimed Trump “knew about the girls.” He confirmed the two had been friends, but had a public falling out. None of the files have alleged so far that Trump or Clinton ever took part in Epstein’s sexual abuse.

MAGA BREAKUP
Greene says that, as a Republican who overwhelmingly supports Trump’s agenda, his attacks against her are “shocking” and “fuels the venomous nature of his radical internet trolls (many of whom are paid).” She has received threats and hoaxes in the days following her rift with Trump.

CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday pushed back, pointing to Greene’s own long history of extreme rhetoric. Over recent years, Greene has:
- Said Nancy Pelosi committed “treason” — suggesting the crime was “punishable by death”
- Mocked a Parkland school shooting survivors
- Claimed Black Americans are “are held slaves to the Democratic Party”
- Labeled GOP colleagues “traitors” for backing Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill
- Warned of an “Islamic invasion” by Muslim members of Congress
- Proposed a “national divorce” between red and blue states
She has also compared Democrats to feral hogs and said they are a “party of pedophiles.”

Greene said she now recognizes that her rhetoric contributed to threats toward others — and that it is something she is “taking seriously” moving forward.

🚨 ONE THING WE’RE FOLLOWING

Trump Open To Talks With Venezuela’s Maduro While U.S. Eyes Terror Designation

President Trump on Sunday signaled a potential window for diplomacy with Venezuelan Dictator Nicolás Maduro. The comments come as the U.S. Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, arrived in the region over the weekend — part of a military buildup not seen in the region in decades.

“We may be having some discussions with Maduro, and we’ll see how that turns out — but they would like to talk,” Trump said Sunday before boarding Air Force One in Palm Beach, Florida.

Maduro is trying a different approach to call for de-escalation, breaking out into a rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine” at a rally Saturday, swaying with his hands in the air and repeating “peace.”

WAR OR PEACE
“What a beautiful song, the lyrics. For the young people, look up the lyrics. It’s an inspiration for all times,” the Venezuelan president said.

Maduro faces U.S. drug-trafficking charges and is accused of leading the Cartel de los Soles. The U.S. has a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest. The State Department said Sunday it intends to designate the cartel a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), effective Nov. 24.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: “Neither Maduro nor his cronies represent Venezuela’s legitimate government. Cartel de los Soles by and with other designated FTOs including Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel are responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe.”
Trump said that the designation allows his administration to strike inside Venezuela, “but we haven’t said we’re going to do that,” he added.

Since early September, the U.S. has killed at least 75 people in 21 strikes on small boats accused of transporting drugs in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The Trump administration has said the missions target drug-smuggling vessels and “narcoterrorist” networks, mostly connected to Venezuelan gangs. Critics note that if drugs were the main focus, far larger smuggling operations exist in Mexico and Colombia. There are also major questions and concerns about whether what the US has been doing is legal under international and U.S. law.

BIGGER PICTURE
Maduro has shown no signs of preparing to leave power, despite U.S. pressure and losing Venezuela’s election last year.

Along with the USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. has roughly a dozen warships, a nuclear submarine, F-35 jets, and around 15,000 troops in the broader Caribbean.
- A senior administration official said Friday that negotiations are not entirely dead, and that the aircraft carrier gives the U.S. increased leverage.

The focus has been on drug trafficking; but Trump has privately discussed the issue of Venezuela’s massive oil reserves, the New York Times reports — around 300 billion barrels, the largest in the world. Maduro had floated a deal that would have given the U.S. broad access to that oil without military action, but Trump reportedly called off those talks.

⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

Trump targets red state Republican lawmakers in push for congressional redistricting (FOX)
More than 130 arrested in North Carolina as governor says immigration crackdown is ‘stoking fear’ (AP)
Judge appears skeptical of Lindsey Halligan’s appointment as interim US attorney (POLITICO)
Child among six dead after atmospheric river storm drenches California (GUARDIAN)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

Pope Leo XIV shares lunch with more than 1,300 people in need at the Vatican (CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY)
Ahead of UN vote, Hamas rejects ‘dangerous’ US proposal for Gaza stabilization force (TIMES OF ISRAEL), while rights group finds Palestinian prisoner deaths spike amid systematic abuse, neglect (TIMES OF ISRAEL)
Ukraine and France ink deal for jets and missile defenses, Paris says (ABC)
Gunmen kidnap 25 schoolgirls from Nigerian school, kill vice principal (CNN)
Ethiopia confirms outbreak of deadly Marburg virus (GUARDIAN)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

Novo Nordisk cuts direct-to-consumer prices for Wegovy, Ozempic to $349 a month (CNBC)
Ford selling used cars on Amazon (FOX)
Billionaire MAGA donor Bill Ackman shares dating advice for young men — and is ruthlessly mocked (NEW YORK POST)
Here’s how the Visa, Mastercard swipe-fee settlement could affect you (THE HILL)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Tom Cruise finally gets his Oscar moment with a lifetime achievement trophy at the Governors Awards (AP)
‘Moana’ live-action trailer reveals first footage of Catherine Laga’aia and Dwayne Johnson (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER)
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul to fight ex-heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua (ESPN)
Man who grabbed Ariana Grande at Wicked: For Good premiere sentenced to nine days in jail (GUARDIAN)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… Paul McCartney is releasing his first new “recording” in five years — a nearly silent track — as part of a protest against AI companies that he says are exploiting musicians’ work without consent.

The two-minute, 45-second track features only faint hiss and studio noises to symbolize what happens when artists’ intellectual property is taken: music goes quiet.

The Guardian reports that it will appear on the B-side of an LP titled “Is This What We Want?,” which will be out on vinyl later this month.