Lawmakers seek update from DOJ on Epstein disclosure law

A bipartisan group of five lawmakers has asked the Justice Department for a briefing by Friday on any new information that could interfere with the department’s ability to release files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by a mid-December deadline.

Congress overcame initial opposition from the White House last month when it overwhelmingly passed a bill seeking to compel the release of Justice Department files related to the disgraced financier — documents that have propelled a wave of speculation over whether other high-profile figures were tied to the sexual exploitation of girls. President Donald Trump signed it into law.

The lawmakers, in a letter to Attorney General Pamela Bondi, said they were writing to show their interest “in supporting the Department of Justice’s efforts to carry out the provisions of this critical new law.”

“In light of the short 30 day deadline to release the Epstein Files, we are particularly focused on understanding the contents of any new evidence, information or procedural hurdles that could interfere with the Department’s ability (to) meet this statutory deadline,” the letter states.

—CQ-Roll Call

Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro says Kamala Harris’ descriptions of him were ‘bulls—’ intended to sell books and ‘cover her a—'

Gov. Josh Shapiro lashed out over former Vice President Kamala Harris’ portrayal of his interview to become her 2024 running mate, calling Harris’ retellings “complete and utter bulls—” intended to sell books and “cover her a—,” according to The Atlantic.

Shapiro, Pennsylvania’s first-term Democratic governor now seen as a likely presidential contender in 2028, departed from his usual composed demeanor and rehearsed comments in the lengthy Atlantic profile published Wednesday, when journalist Tim Alberta asked the governor about Harris’ depiction of him in her new book.

In her book, titled “107 Days,” Harris described Shapiro as “poised, polished, and personable” when he traveled to Washington, D.C. to interview with Harris to become her running mate during her historic campaign against Donald Trump.

However, Harris said she suspected Shapiro would be unhappy as second-in-command. He “peppered” her with questions, she wrote, and said he asked questions about the vice president’s residence, “from the number of bedrooms to how he might arrange to get Pennsylvania artists’ work on loan from the Smithsonian.”

—The Philadelphia Inquirer

Drunk raccoon found passed out after ‘liquor-fueled rampage’ at Va. store

A “very intoxicated raccoon” was found passed out in the bathroom of a liquor store in Ashland, Va., over the weekend after breaking in and ransacking several shelves, officials said Tuesday.

The “Black Friday break-in” was discovered early Saturday morning by an employee at the Ashland ABC store. The employee called the local animal control office to report that she had found the break-in “suspect” passed out on the bathroom floor.

Animal control officer Samantha Martin responded to the scene and “safely secured our masked bandit and transported him back to the shelter to sober up before questioning,” the Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter said in a Facebook post.

After a few hours of sleep and no signs of injury — “other than maybe a hangover and poor life choices” — the raccoon was released safely back into the wild, hopefully after having learned that “breaking and entering is not the answer,” the agency said.

—New York Daily News

UK: Putin ‘sabre-rattling’ by saying Russia ready for war with Europe

LONDON — British Health Secretary Wes Streeting has dismissed Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s comments that Russia is “ready” for war with Europe as the “same old sabre-rattling.”

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper meanwhile said the Russian leader should “end the bluster” as she joined NATO foreign ministers for talks on Wednesday.

Putin held talks for around five hours in Moscow with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. The Kremlin called those talks, which ended late on Tuesday, “constructive,” but said they had not furthered the push towards peace in Ukraine.

Earlier, Putin had accused Kyiv’s European allies of sabotaging the U.S.-led efforts to end the war and rejected changes proposed by Ukraine and Europe to a U.S.-backed draft peace plan as unacceptable.

—dpa