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The House will vote today on releasing more Epstein files. That's where we're starting the seven. From the Washington Post, I'm Hannah Jewell. It's Tuesday, November 18th. Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories. The bill before the House today would compel the Justice Department to release files from its investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The vote will end a months long political standoff between the House and the president. Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democrat Ro Khanna of California have worked together to build support for the measure in the House. Trump had opposed it for weeks, but he reversed course this weekend as it became clear he would lose. When the vote came to the House floor on Sunday, he said Republicans should vote for it if it passes the House. It's unclear whether the Senate would take up the measure if it passes there. Trump said yesterday he would sign it. Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump once again tried to downplay the Epstein files and cast them as a problem for Democrats.
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Let, let the Senate look at it, let anybody look at it, but don't talk about it too much because honestly, I don't want to take it away from us. It's really a Democrat problem. The Democrats were Epstein's friends, all of them. And it's a hoax. The whole thing is a hoax.
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Trump has been under intense scrutiny, including from his base, over his own personal ties to Epstein. The Saudi crown prince is set to meet Trump at the White House today. That's our second story. In 2018, the CIA concluded that Mohammed bin Salman had approved the killing of Washington Post opinion columnist Jamal Khashoggi. But today he will receive an extensive and elaborate welcome from Trump at the White House. According to White House officials, the leaders are expected to sign deals on weapons sales and agreements around artificial intelligence and critical minerals. It's a remarkable turnaround. Once branded a pariah, the crown prince's isolation did not last long. Even before Trump's welcome, former President Joe Biden had turned to him for help with global oil prices after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Tech CEOs and other business luminaries are expected to attend an elaborate dinner with the prince tonight. Number three, the Supreme Court agreed to review a key immigration case. The case deals with the question of when a migrant actually arrives in the US to claim asylum. Yesterday, justices announced they will consider a petition from the Trump administration to reverse a decision from a lower court. The lower court ruling held that migrants stopped on the Mexico side of the US Border still have the right to apply for asylum in the US the case centers on a former practice called metering that allowed border officials to stop migrants without documentation before they enter the U.S. the court's decision could determine whether migrants intercepted before crossing US borders can still apply for asylum. 4. The UN Security Council approved Trump's peace plan for Gaza. This 20 point plan was introduced in September. It initiated the first stages of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel last month. The plan requires Hamas to give up their weapons. It hands temporary control of the territory to a Board of Peace, which would be appointed and headed by Trump for two years. That board would control virtually every aspect from security and governance to to reconstruction in Gaza. Yesterday, 13 members of the Security Council voted in favor of the plan and none against. Russia and China abstained. The vote enshrines Trump's plan in international law. But in a statement yesterday, Hamas said the plan did not meet Palestinian political and humanitarian demands. And some Israeli officials have objected to the plan's vague commitment to a future Palestinian state. Foreign. A new analysis shows that hundreds of clinical trials were impacted by Trump's spending cuts this year. The Trump administration slashed millions of dollars of National Institute of Health grants from the end of February to August. Grants for 383 clinical trials were terminated, according to research published in a medical journal today. Over 74,000 trial participants were affected. Researchers say the cuts disproportionately affected trials that focused on infectious diseases such as COVID 19 and HIV, as well as prevention and behavioral interventions. More than 100 of the canceled grants were for cancer research. One public health expert said the cuts could slow progress on medical interventions that could save lives for years to come. New research shows how baby boomers got so rich. That's number six. Boomers are the wealthiest generation by far. They hold more than $85 trillion in assets. Perhaps you've heard a boomer attribute their generation's wealth on their superior financial decision making. Like how they didn't spend it all on avocado toast. Well, new research credits their success more to lucky timing and the uniquely favorable economic conditions that occurred during their working lives. Boomers were in their prime earning, saving and investing years during long bull markets. They faced lower tuition and healthcare costs and benefited from favorable tax policies. And they generally bought homes at younger ages than later cohorts when prices were significantly lower. That's a feat that their children and the generations to come will have a hard time replicating, at least without a time machine. And at number seven, a wolf stole a fish and gave us new evidence of animals using tools. Last year, people of the Haltsuk Nation in central British Columbia were confused why their crab traps kept getting damaged, so they set up a camera. Just a day later, it captured the culprit. Red Pod, A female wolf was seen diving into the water and fetching a fishing float and a rope to pull a trap to shore. There, she cracked it open and enjoyed the bait inside. Good for her. This may be the first documented instance of a wild wolf using a tool. According to new research, wolves were already known to be intelligent, but the discovery adds to an expanding list of animals capable of manipulating tools to forage for food. That trait was once thought to be unique to humans. It turns out we're not that special. Alright, you're all caught up. A quick heads up and apology. We're having some technical hiccups today, so if you're hearing today's episode late or not on the platform, you prefer. Sorry about that. Our intrepid engineers are on the case, so thanks for your patience. Perhaps we can find a clever wolf to help us. I'm Hannah Jewell. I'll meet you back here tomorrow.
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