Friday, November 21, 2025

Epstein survivors have a message

Plus, the Coast Guard's controversy around hate symbols. ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 
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This is America

Stories of justice and action across America

Fri Nov 21 2025

 

Jeffrey Epstein's victims aren't leaving America's headlines − and they're paying close attention.

Greetings, This is America readers, I'm Phillip M. Bailey, chief political correspondent for USA TODAY.

After months of pressure, Congress and President Donald Trump have moved to release all files from the Epstein investigation, including those about the disgraced financier's associates.

But there are already doubts that all the information will see the light of day.

Under the Jeffrey Epstein Transparency Act − approved by Congress and signed into law by Trump this week − officials could withhold documents that would jeopardize an "active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution." And just days before, Trump ordered the Justice Department to investigate Democrats linked to Epstein, who died by suicide in a federal prison in 2019.

Survivors who have come forward aren't planning to drop the issue and remain watchful.

"None of us here signed up for this political warfare. We never asked to be dragged into battles between people who never protected us in the first place," Wendy Avis said at a news conference before Congress voted on the Epstein files bill.

Usa Trump Epstein

Protesters stand behind the barricades at a news conference with U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., as she calls for the release of the Epstein files, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on Nov. 18.

Annabelle Gordon, REUTERS

For more on what's happening with the Epstein files, check out USA TODAY's coverage:

Larry Summers resigns from OpenAI board: The former U.S. Treasury secretary and Harvard president is under intense fire for his connection to Epstein.
Epstein's brother says 'Bubba' isn't Clinton: Mark Epstein is dispelling a rumor about former President Bill Clinton and President Donald Trump that has spread online in recent days.
After being asked about the Epstein files, Trump tells a reporter: 'Quiet, piggy.'

Swastikas and nooses 'potentially divisive' symbols?

The U.S. Coast Guard this week clarified its policy around "hate symbols" after a revision to the service's anti-harassment regulations caused outcry.

In the revision, the Coast Guard reclassified symbols including "a noose, a swastika, and any symbols or flags co-opted or adopted by hate-based groups" as "potentially divisive." Under previous policy, the Coast Guard would investigate the display of such symbols as a "potential hate incident."

The Coast Guard updated the policy after a Washington Post story about the policy revision sparked furor from lawmakers and Jewish groups.

"These symbols have been and remain prohibited in the Coast Guard per policy," Adm. Kevin Lunday, the service's acting commandant, wrote in an email to USA TODAY. "Any display, use or promotion of such symbols, as always, will be thoroughly investigated and severely punished."

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, said swastikas and nooses aren't "potentially divisive" but rather "representations of genocide and lynching."

Thanks for reading! See you back next week with more stories of justice from across the country.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt takes questions from reporters during a press briefing at the White House on Nov. 20, 2025.

The president accused a group of Democrats of "seditious behavior, punishable by death."

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Ohio officer not guilty in fatal shooting of pregnant woman

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott gives the thumbs up during the signing event for an executive order to shut down the Department of Education by President Donald Trump, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 20, 2025.
 

Court blocks Texas from using new GOP-friendly maps in 2026 midterms

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