Epstein abuse survivor Haley Robson speaks during a news conference with lawmakers on the Epstein Files Transparency Act outside the U.S. Capitol on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — A group of women victimized by late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein spoke out at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday ahead of a highly anticipated vote on a House bill ordering the release of the Justice Department’s files on Epstein.
“We are fighting for the children,” said survivor Haley Robson, as she held up a photograph of herself as a young girl.
Robson said this is a “human issue” and called for political agendas to be put aside before delivering a direct message to President Donald Trump.
“And to the president of the United States of America, who is not here today, I want to send a clear message to you. While I do understand that your position has changed on the Epstein files and I’m grateful that you have pledged to sign this bill, I can’t help to be skeptical of what the agenda is. So with that being said, I want to relay this message to you: I am traumatized. I am not stupid.”
“You have put us through so much stress, the lockdown, the halt of these procedures that were supposed to have happened 50 days ago, the Adelita Grijalva who waited to get sworn in, and then get upset when your own party goes against you, because what is being done is wrong,” Robson said. “It’s not right. For your own self-serving purposes. This is America. This is land of the free, land of the free.”
“I do not feel free today,” Robson added. “I don’t know if the women behind me feel free today, so I am begging every member of Congress, every representative, to step up and choose the chaos. Choose the survivors, choose the children. Protect the children, all children. You protect all of us equally.”
Another survivor, Jena-Lisa Jones, also directly addressed Trump and criticized his administration’s handling of the Epstein matter.
“I beg you, President Trump, please stop making this political. It is not about you, President Trump. You are our president. Please start acting like it. Show some class, show some real leadership, show that you actually care about people other than yourself. I voted for you, but your behavior on this issue has been a national embarrassment,” Jones said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
US Capitol Building (Photo by Mike Kline (notkalvin)/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Democratic Sens. Martin Heinrich and Mark Kelly will introduce legislation in the Senate on Tuesday that would strip out a provision in the just-passed government funding bill that allows senators to sue the government if their phone records are investigated without notifying them.
The bill comes after Senate Republicans included within the massive government funding bill that ended the 43-day government shutdown a provision that would allow senators whose phone records were subpoenaed by Special Counsel Jack Smith as part of his investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol to sue for $500,000 per accessed device.
News of the Senate’s inclusion of this provision caused bipartisan outrage in the House of Representatives.
House Speaker Mike Johnson last week said the House would hold a standalone vote on a provision to strip the language out of the funding bill this week. Due to the bipartisan objection to these provisions, the House bill has a high likelihood of being successfully passed out of the lower chamber.
“I think that was way out of line. I don’t think that was a smart thing … and the House is going to reverse — we are going to repeal that, and I’m going to expect our colleagues in the Senate to do the same thing,” Johnson said at a press conference last week.
Kelly and Heinrich’s bill is not identical to the House provision but the two bills closely resemble one another.
Efforts to repeal the phone record provision face a far more difficult path in the Senate than in the House.
The bill has 24 Democratic co-sponsors but currently no GOP supporters.
Sources told ABC News that Senate Majority Leader John Thune was personally responsible for including the language in the bill. Thune would be the one responsible for placing the bill on the floor, where it would need 60 votes to advance.
The Cloudflare logo appears on a smartphone screen and as the background on a laptop computer screen in this photo illustration in Athens, Greece, on October 31, 2025. (Photo by Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Web infrastructure company Cloudflare said it is experiencing problems across its network on Tuesday, curtailing access to some popular websites.
“Cloudflare is aware of, and investigating an issue which potentially impacts multiple customers,” the company said online at around 7 a.m. ET.
Minutes later, the company said it had begun to resolve the issue. “We are seeing services recover, but customers may continue to observe higher-than-normal error rates as we continue remediation efforts,” Cloudflare said.
Some popular websites, like social media platform X and artificial-intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, appeared to be down or limited on Tuesday.
Cloudflare helps companies handle user traffic, including efforts to respond to cyberattacks and load information.
A landing page on X alerted ABC News to an “internal server error,” urging users to “visit cloudflare.com for more information.” A similar warning appeared on ChatGPT’s website, telling ABC News to “please unblock challenges.cloudflare.com to proceed.”
X did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment. Neither did OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) –A Tennessee judge on Monday night blocked the deployment of National Guard into Memphis, concluding that Gov. Bill Lee exceeded his authority by sending troops into the city.
Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal issued a temporary injunction to prohibit the deployment into Memphis, though she put the ruling on hold for five days to allow an appeal.
“The power committed to the Governor as commander-in-chief of the Army and Militia is not unfettered,” Moskal said.
Unlike other legal battles over the National Guard in states where governors have opposed the deployment, Gov. Bill Lee has supported using the troops to help local law enforcement.
President Donald Trump announced plans to send the soldiers into Memphis in September in response to what he claimed were the surging crime rates.
A group of elected officials sued over the deployment, arguing that the governor only has the power to deploy the guard in response to civil unrest, such as a rebellion or invasion.
In a statement, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris called the decision “a positive step toward ensuring the rule of law applies to everyone, including everyday Tennesseans and even the Governor.”
While the ruling curtails the use of the National Guard, other parts of a federal task force established by Trump — including agents from the FBI, ATF and DEA — are allowed to continue operating in the city.
(WASHINGTON) — Just as SNAP benefits were reinstated for millions of Americans following the reopening of the federal government, many are now set to permanently lose them.
Nearly 42 million Americans, including low-income families and vulnerable households, rely on SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to help pay for groceries or other household essentials.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been directing states to implement new guidance as part of President Donald Trump’s megabill signed into law in July, which will include new work requirements, decreased eligibility for refugees and states shouldering some of the cost of the program.
Estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) published in August suggest that, as a result of the changes, more than 3 million Americans could lose assistance within the next few years.
“I think millions of people are going to lose food. … There’s no question this is going to create more harm and suffering and hunger,” Joel Berg, CEO of the nonprofit hunger relief organization Hunger Free America, told ABC News.
New work requirements
Under the megabill, the upper age limit for those who need to meet work requirements was raised from age 54 to 64 for the first time for able-bodied adults without dependents
Additionally, exemptions were changed for parents or other family members with responsibility for a dependent under 18 years old to under 14 years old.
According to CBO estimates, about 1.1 million people will lose SNAP benefits between 2025 and 2034, including 800,000 able-bodied adults through age 64 who don’t live with dependents and 300,000 parents or caregivers up to age 64 with children aged 14 and older.
Exemptions were also removed for homeless individuals, veterans and young adults who were in foster care when they turned age 18. Meanwhile, exemptions were added for American Indians.
CBO estimates the removal of these exemptions will lead to a loss of benefits for 300,000 people among those groups.
Berg said these requirements will be harmful because people may have to leave work to visit a government office providing proof of work and potentially losing wages.
“It’s really work reporting requirements, and we know none of these requirements actually increase work,” Berg said. “It’s adding them for veterans, as if they haven’t given enough to the country. It’s adding work requirements for parents of teenagers. It’s adding work reporting requirements for homeless people. How homeless people are going to be able to get and keep jobs is really beyond me.”
Berg added that it’s important to dispel the myth that all Americans who are on SNAP don’t have jobs or participate in work programs.
Data from the 2023 American Community Survey shows the majority of American families receiving SNAP benefits had at least one family member working in the past 12 months.
However, work requirements can reduce program participation. A 2021 report from the National Bureau of Economic Research found SNAP work requirements could lead to up to 53% of eligible adults exiting the program within 18 months.
Asylum seeker restrictions
Under the megabill, refugees, asylum seekers and those granted legal protection for humanitarian reasons are no longer eligible for SNAP benefits, removing decades of federal precedent.
This includes trafficking victims who were previously certified by the Department of Health and Human Services and Iraqi or Afghan special immigrant visa holders who worked with U.S. forces or agencies.
Under CBO estimates, about 90,000 people in these categories will become ineligible for SNAP benefits.
The only non-citizens who can still receive benefits include lawful permanent residents, although they must wait five years after receiving their green card, with certain exceptions.
Additionally, Cuban or Haitian entrants under humanitarian parole, as well as people in the U.S. under the Compact of Free Association — a series of international agreements between the U.S. and three Pacific Island nations — are also eligible.
“This policy is both mean-spirited and counterproductive,” Naomi Steinberg, HIAS Vice President of U.S. Policy and Advocacy, said in a statement. “Resettled refugees and asylees have been granted legal protection to permanently live and work in the United States. Denying families who are just getting their feet on the ground in their new American communities is unspeakably misguided, especially when denying basic nutritional assistance undermines their ability to achieve self-sufficiency and stability as quickly as possible.”
States sharing costs
States will have to share in the cost of SNAP benefits under the megabill, a change from the federal government shouldering the cost of the program.
Under the megabill, states with SNAP payment error rates above 6% have to pay a share of 5% — starting in 2028 — up to a maximum of 15 % of SNAP benefit costs.
CBO estimates some states will keep their current benefits and eligibility, while others will modify and some will leave the program altogether. This will reduce or eliminate SNAP benefits for about 300,000 people between 2028 and 2034.
A Commonwealth Fund analysis found that about $128 billion in federal costs will shift to the states, and many will not have the funds to meet the required matches. This could force states to opt out of SNAP for their residents.
“They’re increasing administrative costs on states, which many states are going to use to reduce access,” Berg said. “That’s going to cause states to either raise taxes, cut something else, or cut food.”
After the Hunt is heading to Prime Video. The Amazon MGM Studios drama film will arrive on the streaming service on Nov. 20. It stars Julia Roberts as a college professor at a crossroads. Ayo Edebiri and AndrewGarfield also star in the film from director Luca Guadagnino …
The official trailer for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery has arrived. The third installment of RianJohnson‘s mystery series will debut in select theaters on Nov. 26 and will stream on Netflix on Dec. 12. It follows Daniel Craig‘s Benoit Blanc as he travels to upstate New York to solve a new murder case. JoshO’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church also star …
A special episode of My Next Guest with David Letterman is coming to Netflix. The host will interview AdamSandler in this standalone episode of the series, which will premiere on Dec. 1. The pair will discuss Sandler’s journey from standup comedian to Saturday Night Live cast member and his movie stardom that followed. The upcoming season 6 of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman will be available to stream later on in December …
(RALEIGH, N.C.) — The mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina, said that federal agents would be continuing their operations in the area Tuesday after Federal agents fanned out across nearby Charlotte over the weekend, detaining more than 130 people within about 48 hours.
Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell released a statement on Monday night on the expected Border Patrol enforcement in the city, saying that the federal action was not requested.
“As the capital city, it is important to us that everyone who lives, works, plays, and learns in Raleigh feels safe,” Cowell said. “We have been made aware that Customs and Border Protection are coming to Raleigh. While [the Raleigh Police Department] is not involved in immigration enforcement, we are committed to protecting our residents and to following the law.”
Cowell also confirmed that the police department has not participated in any of the immigration planning activities.
“Above all, Raleigh is a safe city, with crime down year-over-year,” Cowell continued. “Public safety is a priority for me and this City Council.”
Cowell said the Raleigh police will be doing their regular jobs out in the community and are not coordinating with Border Control agents.
Of the more than 130 people taken into custody in Charlotte over the weekend, 81 people were arrested in the first five hours of operation “Charlotte’s Web” on Saturday, according to government officials.
Charlotte is the latest city targeted by the Trump administration to enforce immigration laws, in a nationwide effort that has included Los Angeles and Chicago, which are so-called “sanctuary” cities and states that limit actions their local authorities take to aid the work of immigration agents. The Department of Homeland Security in announcing its action in North Carolina said the state also has “sanctuary” politicians.
“We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “There have been too many victims of criminal illegal aliens. President [Donald] Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem will step up to protect Americans when sanctuary politicians won’t.”
Federal agents are expected to stay in Charlotte until Friday, according to preliminary information from federal authorities. By the end of the week, about 200 agents are expected to be re-deployed to New Orleans to begin “Operation Catahoula Crunch” in the Big Easy, according to multiple law enforcement sources.
“This is a key moment to reaffirm our commitment to serving all members of our community,” Cowell said. “If you need help from the police, you call 911, and help will come. I ask Raleigh to remember our values and maintain peace and respect through any upcoming challenges.”
On Wednesday night, Lainey Wilson steps into the spotlight to host the CMA Awards solo for the very first time, after sharing the honor with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning in 2024.
“It’s crazy to think that I even got the opportunity to host the first time,” she reflects. “But I’m getting to do it this year again, and it feels good to have a little bit of experience under your belt.”
“Truth is, I don’t think you could ever be fully prepared for something like this,” she admits, “but I like doing things that are a little scary, so throw me in coach!”
Ultimately, Lainey feels like Luke and Peyton got her ready to lead Country Music’s Biggest Night by herself.
“I learned to get up there and relax and don’t take yourself too serious and just keep the main thing about the main thing,” she says. “We’re there to celebrate country music. It is really the biggest night in country music, so that’s what it’s gonna be.”
Lainey’s also tied with Ella Langley and Megan Moroney for the most nominations going into the night, with six apiece.
Tune in to witness all the winners and the performances live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena starting at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday on ABC. You’ll also be able to stream the 59th annual CMA Awards Thursday on Hulu.
Poster for Erykah Badu’s Veeps livestream of Mama’s Gun ’25 tour (Courtesy of Veeps)
Erykah Badu wants fans to join her in celebrating 25 years of her album Mama’s Gun. She’s teaming with VEEPS to livestream one of the performances from her Mama’s Gun ’25 – Return of The Automatic Slimtour.
Erykah Badu: Mama’s Gun | Live from King’s Theater will capture her second show in Brooklyn, featuring a performance of the album in full, storytelling and “signature Badu arrangements,” a press release states.
“Celebrate 25 years of Mama’s Gun with @ErykahBadu. Raw emotion. Deep grooves. Pure Baduizm,” Veeps writes on Instagram.
Tickets are now available at online, with the stream set to take place Dec. 6 at 9 p.m. ET. It will also be available for ticket holders to watch following the live broadcast.
Mama’s Gun ’25 – Return of The Automatic Slim tour kicked off in early October and is set to wrap Dec. 10 in Dallas. The next stop is Tuesday in Boston.
