00:01Today's the day. The House votes on releasing the Epstein files, and after his surprise reversal, President Trump says he will sign it.
00:09Plus, a big day at the White House. The Saudi crown prince arrives to full pomp. A huge U.S. weapons deal waiting in the wings.
00:17And a judge calls out major missteps in the Comey case, saying the indictment may not survive.
00:24The stories that matter, clear and credible, from across the country to around the world.
00:32These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow News.
00:38Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli. In just a few hours, the House will take one of the most explosive votes of the year,
00:44whether to force the release of every remaining Jeffrey Epstein file.
00:48It's coming less than 24 hours after a stunning reversal from President Trump.
00:53For months, the White House and top Republicans fought to stop this vote.
00:57But on Monday, with momentum surging in both parties, the president said he will sign the bill if it reaches his desk, adding there is nothing to hide.
01:06He also tried to turn the spotlight back toward the Democrats.
01:10We have nothing to do with Epstein. The Democrats do. All of his friends were Democrats.
01:15You look at this Reid Hoffman, you look at Larry Summers, Bill Clinton, they went to his island all the time, and many others.
01:23They're all Democrats.
01:24Today's vote was triggered by a bipartisan discharge petition, a rare move that forced leadership's hand.
01:30And this morning, Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene and other backers will hold a news conference demanding full transparency.
01:36Meanwhile, one of the people Trump called out by name is facing fierce fallout.
01:42Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers announced he's stepping back from public appearances after a new trove of emails revealed his long-running, frequent contact with Epstein,
01:53including messages sent the day before Epstein was arrested in 2019.
01:56In a statement, Summers said,
01:59I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused.
02:04I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein.
02:10Summers will continue teaching at Harvard, but says he's temporarily stepping back from public life.
02:16President Trump's plan for peace in Gaza has cleared its biggest global hurdle.
02:21It is now officially backed by the United Nations.
02:24The U.N. Security Council voted Monday to approve the president's 20-point roadmap,
02:29greenlighting an international stabilization force to take over security in Gaza
02:34and establishing a transitional authority that President Trump himself would oversee.
02:39The resolution also references the possibility of a future independent Palestinian state,
02:45a provision Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately rejected,
02:49insisting Israel will not recognize Palestinian statehood.
02:53Still, the White House is celebrating the vote.
02:56On Truth Social, President Trump called it one of the biggest approvals in the history of the United Nations.
03:01The first phase of his plan, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, went into effect last month.
03:07It has mostly held, though both sides have accused each other of violations.
03:12Later this morning, President Trump will formally welcome Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House,
03:19his first visit to the United States in seven years.
03:22And this morning, we're already getting news of a major arms deal on the table.
03:26Asked Monday in the Oval Office if he plans to sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia, the president did not hesitate.
03:33Watch.
03:33Are you planning to sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia?
03:39Yeah.
03:39And also, are you looking at doing a similar security agreement like you did with Putin?
03:43Yeah, no, I am planning on doing that, yeah.
03:45You're going to sell the F-35s?
03:46They want to buy. You've been a great ally.
03:48They've got to like us very much.
03:49Look at the Iran situation, what we did in terms of obliterating, you know, their, we obliterated their nuclear capability.
03:59Yeah, I will say that we will be doing that.
04:01We'll be selling F-35s.
04:03If approved, it would be the first time the U.S. has ever sold its most advanced stealth fighter to an Arab military,
04:11a move that could reshape the balance of power in the Middle East and potentially erode Israel's longstanding military edge.
04:18But the visit isn't without controversy.
04:21The crown prince's trip marks his first return to U.S. soil since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi,
04:28a killing U.S. intelligence said he likely ordered.
04:32Today, he arrives to full pomp and circumstance.
04:34The two leaders are expected to sign new defense and economic agreements,
04:38including cooperation on oil, security, artificial intelligence, and a massive package of U.S.-Saudi business deals.
04:46Tonight, President Trump hosts the crown prince for a formal dinner.
04:49As the White House tries to lock in a broader security pact and re-engage Saudi Arabia on regional stability.
04:56A stinging rebuke for federal prosecutors this morning.
05:00A federal judge says the Justice Department's own missteps may have tainted the grand jury that indicted former FBI Director James Comey.
05:08In a 24-page ruling, Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick has ordered prosecutors to turn over all grand jury material to Comey's defense.
05:17Transcripts, evidence, even the audio, saying, quote,
05:21The record points to a disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps.
05:26Missteps that led an FBI agent and prosecutor to potentially undermine the integrity of the grand jury proceeding.
05:33End quote.
05:34The judge zeroed in on two statements made by Lindsay Halligan,
05:38the interim U.S. attorney handpicked by President Trump to lead the case.
05:41He says she suggested Comey may not have a Fifth Amendment right not to testify and told grand jurors the DOJ had better evidence it would show later.
05:52The judge says both comments could have compromised the entire process.
05:56The ruling also says FBI agents rummaged through years-old evidence from a separate case without a new warrant, calling it highly unusual.
06:05Comey has pleaded not guilty to making a false statement and obstruction of a congressional proceeding.
06:10He wants the felony charges dismissed.
06:12The Justice Department is now moving to block the order, calling it contrary to law.
06:17A critical hearing is set for Wednesday.
06:20Fresh off a volatile weekend in Charlotte, where federal agents arrested more than 130 migrants,
06:26including some with criminal records and drew fierce pushback from local leaders,
06:30federal immigration officers are now on the move again.
06:33This time they're headed less than 200 miles north on I-85 to Raleigh.
06:38Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell confirmed to local station WRAL that Border Patrol arrived Monday
06:44and will begin operations in the capital city today.
06:48Protesters taking to the streets there Monday.
06:50The mayor says it's her understanding the focus will be on people in the country illegally who have committed crimes,
06:56but made clear the city did not request this federal push.
07:00In her words, quote,
07:01We didn't ask for this presence.
07:03We feel like Raleigh police are doing a great job here locally.
07:07Cowell also said the city received no details about the scope or timing of the crackdown.
07:13Finally, we've played two soundbites of the president this morning.
07:17And if you notice something on both, you're not alone.
07:19In fact, it's pretty obvious.
07:21The president's voice is hoarse, very hoarse.
07:24Our reporter noticed yesterday and asked him about it.
07:26And here was that exchange.
07:28I have a question about Venezuela, but can I just first ask the help of the president's always news?
07:33Your voice sounds a little rough.
07:34Are you feeling nervous?
07:35I feel great.
07:36I was shouting at people because they were stupid about something having to do with trade and a country,
07:45and I straightened it out.
07:46But I blew my stack at these people.
07:49So, not a cold, not allergies or the change of season.
07:55Just another day of trade talks, answering lots of questions back and forth, Trump style.
07:59And look, it's a busy week ahead, as well as a busy day, in fact.
08:03An Epstein vote looming.
08:04The Saudi crown prince arriving in just a bit.
08:07So maybe the president's voice is just a sign of what's shaping up to be a very loud and eventful few days in Washington.
08:14I guess you could say that's pretty much par for the course.
08:16By the way, when you do public speaking and you start to lose your voice,
08:19it usually gets worse before it gets better because you're putting a strain on it,
08:24still going out and doing appearances, expecting things to get better.
08:27The only real remedy is time.
08:30That's my two cents on that.
08:32All right, speaking of high-stakes politics on the agenda today,
08:35at 9 a.m., Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene and a bipartisan group of lawmakers
08:39will hold a news conference pushing for full transparency of the Epstein files
08:43ahead of an expected vote on whether to force the release of all remaining records.
08:48At 9.30, the NTSB meets to issue its final ruling
08:51on one of the most dramatic infrastructure disasters in recent memory,
08:55the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge.
08:58At 11, President Trump welcomes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House,
09:04followed by a bilateral meeting.
09:05And at noon, a very different scene across town.
09:08The demonstrators will gather outside the Saudi embassy
09:11to protest the Crown Prince's visit to Washington.
09:15Your inbox deserves better each morning.
09:17Fix it with the Unbiased Updates newsletter.
09:19Sign up at san.com slash newsletters.
09:22Those are your Unbiased Updates for this Tuesday.
09:25We'll see you back here tomorrow.
09:26For all of us here at Straight Arrow News, I'm Craig DeGrelly.
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