Good morning.
Power is being tested this week — in a committee room on Capitol Hill, at the ballot box in Texas, and on the ground in South America. Congress is escalating its standoff with the Justice Department over the Epstein files. Texas Democrats have delivered a surprise in a high-stakes Senate primary. And American forces are expanding their footprint in Ecuador in what officials are calling a fight against “narco-terrorism.”
Congress Subpoenas Attorney General Over Epstein Files
The United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability has subpoenaed Attorney General Pam Bondi, demanding she testify about the Justice Department’s handling of records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
It’s an escalation in an already simmering battle between Congress and the DOJ over transparency. Lawmakers say Bondi’s testimony is necessary to clarify what documents exist, what has been redacted, and why some records appear to have been removed after initial release.
The subpoena resolution, introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace, passed in a bipartisan 24–19 vote. All Democrats present voted in favor, joined by several Republicans.
The tension intensified after a CBS News analysis found that the DOJ’s public database of Epstein materials had shrunk. While the department initially said it released more than three million pages of records in response to a congressional mandate, the publicly available total now sits closer to 2.7 million pages. More than 47,000 files — roughly 65,500 pages — were reportedly removed, some due to concerns that they contained unredacted survivor information.
Other removals, including a redacted call log and images of Epstein’s jail cell, remain unexplained.
Epstein, arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges, died in custody that year while awaiting trial. His associate Ghislaine Maxwell was later convicted and is serving a federal prison sentence.
Bondi has faced repeated questioning over redactions, missing records, and whether further investigations tied to Epstein could still proceed.
Texas Democrats Deliver a Primary Surprise
In Texas, the political ground shifted.
State Rep. James Talarico defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, defying weeks of polling that had shown Crockett with a sizable lead.
Pre-primary surveys from the University of Texas at Tyler and the Texas Politics Project consistently placed Crockett ahead by double digits. She entered the race with national backing, including support from former Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as endorsements amplified by high-profile entertainers.
But momentum did not translate into victory.
Talarico, a former public school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian, embedded his campaign with anti-corruption themes — pledging to ban super PACs, prohibit partisan gerrymandering, and reject corporate PAC money. He framed the country’s central divide as “top vs. bottom,” rather than left vs. right.
He now advances to the November 2026 general election, where the Republican nominee is yet to be determined. Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn faces a May runoff against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton after no candidate secured a majority in the primary.
With control of the Senate potentially hanging in the balance, the Texas race is poised to become one of the most closely watched contests of the 2026 midterms.
U.S. and Ecuador Launch Joint Anti-Cartel Operations
Farther south, the United States Southern Command announced the launch of joint military operations with Ecuador targeting organized crime groups newly designated as terrorist organizations.
The Trump administration recently classified two of Ecuador’s most powerful gangs — Los Choneros and Los Lobos — as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, expanding American authority to impose sanctions, share intelligence, and potentially support military operations against them.
Ecuador has become a major transit hub for cocaine shipments moving from Colombia and Peru toward the United States and Europe. In recent years, cartel-linked violence has surged, contributing to prison massacres, assassinations, and a dramatic spike in homicide rates.
President Daniel Noboa has pursued aggressive security measures and sought closer ties with Washington and other international partners.
Details of the new joint mission remain limited. Officials have not specified whether U.S. forces are directly engaged in combat operations, though American personnel are reportedly advising and supporting Ecuadorian troops.
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