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Day: February 22, 2023

Russia and Ukraine

Ukraine war latest: Russia hunting Ukrainian civilians with drones in crime against humanity, UN inquiry finds

Post author By Mike Nova
Post date February 22, 2023

Russia and Ukraine

Ukraine war latest: Putin tests ‘Skyfall’ nuclear missile; Ukraine launches almost 200 drones into Russia

Post author By Mike Nova
Post date February 22, 2023

Russia and Ukraine

Ukraine war latest: Trump’s oil sanctions are ‘act of war’ against Russia, Putin ally warns

Post author By Mike Nova
Post date February 22, 2023

Russia and Ukraine

Ukraine war latest: British Storm Shadow missiles used in ‘massive’ attack on Russia – as six killed in Kyiv

Post author By Mike Nova
Post date February 22, 2023

Russia and Ukraine

Ukraine war latest: ‘Massive’ attack hits Ukrainian city; Russia and China hold joint military drills

Post author By Mike Nova
Post date February 22, 2023

Russia and Ukraine

Ukraine war latest: US holds secret meeting with Russians on peace – as Kyiv and Moscow trade deadly attacks

Post author By Mike Nova
Post date February 22, 2023

Russia and Ukraine

Ukraine war latest: Trump’s peace plan revealed in full – but Zelenskyy says his team must check it’s ‘genuine’

Post author By Mike Nova
Post date February 22, 2023

Russia and Ukraine

Ukraine war latest: Zelenskyy sends new message to US over long-range missiles – and welcomes Ukraine ‘heading towards’ EU membership

Post author By Mike Nova
Post date February 22, 2023

Putin and Putinism

Saison 1 de Gossip Girl – Télé-Loisirs

Post author By Mike Nova
Post date February 22, 2023

Découvrez le résumé et les épisodes de la saison 1 de Gossip Girl. Retrouvez toute l’actualité de Gossip Girl avec Télé Loisirs.

Putin and Putinism

North Charleston leaders poised to increase mayor’s salary to …

Post author By Mike Nova
Post date February 22, 2023

NORTH CHARLESTON — City leaders are on track to increase the salary of the mayor to $218,310 a year, a 12.6 percent increase over incumbent Keith Summey’s current pay of $193,880.

Mike Nova 2

Podcast by Mike Nova 2

Epstein files and Trump
https://gemini.google.com/share/520bda4c204b

As of early February 2026, the relationship between Donald Trump and the Jeffrey Epstein files has entered a major new phase following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act in late 2025.

The situation is currently defined by a massive document release, intense political debate over redactions, and new details regarding Trump’s inner circle.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act (2025)
In a rare moment of bipartisan unity, Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November 2025. President Trump signed the bill on November 19, 2025, which legally mandated the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release all investigative files related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Trump’s Reversal: Initially, Trump dismissed the push for the files as a “Democrat hoax” and “pretty boring stuff.” However, facing a near-unanimous House vote, he shifted his stance, urging Republicans to support the release and claiming he had “nothing to hide.”

The “Final” Release: On January 30, 2026, the DOJ released its largest tranche to date—over 3 million pages, 180,000 images, and 2,000 videos. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche (a former personal lawyer for Trump) stated this fulfilled the government’s legal obligations.

Key Findings Regarding Donald Trump
While the millions of pages have not produced evidence of criminal activity by Trump, they have shed more light on his past social ties:

Frequent Mentions: Trump’s name appears over 3,000 times in the latest documents. Most references are in news articles Epstein collected, correspondence between other parties, or unverified tips sent to the FBI.

Unverified Allegations: The files include previously unsealed FBI tips and “sensationalist” claims made shortly before the 2020 election. The DOJ has explicitly defended Trump against these, labeling them “unfounded and false.”

Specific Incidents: One document contains an allegation that Epstein introduced a 14-year-old girl to Trump at Mar-a-Lago in the early 2000s, though no charges or corroborating evidence of misconduct were provided.

Trump’s Response: On February 1, 2026, Trump told reporters that the files actually “absolve” him and prove the claims against him were a “radical left” fabrication.

Inner Circle & Wider Connections
The 2026 release has been notable for revealing that members of Trump’s circle remained in contact with Epstein longer than previously known:

Steve Bannon: The files show text and email exchanges between Bannon and Epstein as late as 2019, including a discussion about Epstein’s private plane.

Elon Musk: Emails from 2012 show Musk inquiring about “wild parties” on Epstein’s island. Musk has defended these on X, stating Epstein “hounded” him and that the release is an attempt to “smear” him.

Howard Lutnick: The Commerce Secretary also appears in the files, though his representatives state his interactions were limited and social.

Current Controversies
Redaction Failures: The DOJ faced a massive backlash after it was discovered that “blacked-out” text could be revealed by simply copying and pasting it. This accidentally exposed the identities of dozens of victims, leading to a legal battle between survivors’ attorneys and the administration.

“Cover-Up” Claims: Democrats, led by Representative Jamie Raskin, have accused the Trump administration of a “full-blown cover-up,” arguing that only half of the 6 million responsive documents have actually been released.