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Epstein's Survivors Rally, Saudi Ruler's Visit & Facebook Payouts - Tuesday, November 18, 2025
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Today is Tuesday, November 18th. What to know about mounting support for releasing the Epstein files and a key step for the future of Gaza as President Trump envisioned it. Also, how Trump is once again cooperating with Saudi Arabia despite some pushback here in the U.S. plus, enrollment at American colleges has shifted. There's a new plan to help international soccer fans see the World cup in the US And Jeff Bezos is taking on his first new hands on role since Amazon. And those stories and even more news to know coming up. Welcome. Welcome to the Newsworthy. All the day's news in around 10 minutes. Fast, fair, fun and on the go. I'm Erica. Mandy, thanks so much for being here. You ready? Let's do this. Today, the US House is expected to vote to force the Epstein files to be released. In fact, the vote could be nearly unanimous, which would pressure the Senate to also take it up quickly. Remember, this is about all of the records from the Department of Justice related to its investigation of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including documents, communications, flight logs, and so on. And the measure recently got a boost since President Trump announced his sudden support for it. Now, if it passes both the House and Senate, President Trump says he'll sign it. Of course, he could also direct the Justice Department to release the files even without an act of Congress. But he hasn't taken that step. The DOJ has already said there was no other incriminating information in the files. It has also argued releasing everything could compromise victims, invade their privacy or retraumatize them. That said, some women who survived Jeffrey Epstein's abuse want the information out. And they're going to the Capitol today for the vote. Already this week, a new PSA came out featuring a group of Epstein survivors advocating for the files to be released. They say in the video, quote, it's time to bring the secrets out of the shadows. As for President Trump, who has been named as an Epstein associate, he insists he and other Republicans have nothing to hide. And he says he's ready to move past this issue and focus on the economy. In what President Trump called a moment of true historic proportion, his plan for the future of Gaza got a key endorsement. The UN Security Council voted to approve the 20 point plan to move past the initial ceasefire and rebuild the Palestinian territory. One part of that includes an international stabilization force to enter, demilitarize and govern Gaza. It also establishes a Board of Peace led by Trump to oversee Gaza at least until the end of 2027. And day to day it has Gaza being managed by a, quote, technocratic, apolitical committee of competent Palestinians from the Strip. The plan also envisions a possible future path to an independent Palestinian state. For that reason, Israeli officials expressed some concern about the plan. But before the vote, Israel's UN Ambassador said he was grateful to President Trump for lead peace. The plan also got support from Arab and other Muslim nations in the Middle East. Hamas opposes it, saying the plan does not meet the Palestinian people's political and humanitarian demands. The resolution also talks about disarming Hamas and the eventual withdrawal of Israeli forces out of Gaza. President Trump is deepening America's ties to Saudi Arabia. Already this week, the president said he plans to approve the sale of American made fighter jets to the country. In fact, we're talking about the world's most advanced fighter jets that come with stealth technology that keeps enemies from being able to detect it. This marks a big policy shift, possibly changing the military balance in the Middle east despite the US Promising Israel a military edge. For now, Israel is the only Middle Eastern country to have the advanced fighter jet. That's one of the reasons why here in the U.S. some lawmakers from both parties are scrutinizing the sale and a high profile visit happening today. President Trump is hosting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House. As multiple reports point out, this is the first such visit since he was implicated in the killing of Washington Post columnist jamal Khashoggi in 2018. The Crown Prince has denied actually ordering Khashoggi's death, but has acknowledged responsibility as the kingdom's leader. Besides the fighter jet deal, Saudi Arabia and the US Are expected to cooperate more on oil and security, and more announcements are expected later today. There's another leadership shakeup at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or fema. The acting head of fema, David Richardson, stepped down after just six months on the job. During his tenure, he faced criticism for being unavailable during deadly flooding in Central Texas, though generally he's kept a low profile and agency employees have said he did not play a big role in the day to day. As for who's set to replace Richardson, that's FEMA's chief of staff Karen Evans. Like Richardson, she also does not have experience in emergency management, but she has played a central role in efforts to cut costs at FEMA this year. Remember, President Trump has said he wants to get rid of the agency entirely and to instead give states the responsibility for disaster response. But for now, the Trump administration is waiting for guidance from a review council that's working on a report about how to improve disaster response in the U.S. stay tuned. There may soon be fewer environmental protections for many of America's wetlands, rivers and streams. The EPA moved to limit the country's main clean water law, giving itself less authority to lower pollution. Specifically, it will make it so the law only applies to relatively permanent standing or continuously flowing bodies of water, so 85% of wetlands will no longer qualify for federal protection. The EPA administrator says it's all part of an effort to boost the U.S. economy. He says the EPA under previous presidents have taken too much power away from American farmers, landowners and families, and that this is a correction. Though environmentalists are criticizing the change, saying it will only encourage industries to destroy thousands of miles of natural areas that are necessary for wildlife, they specifically point to wetlands that they say can be critical for water purification and flood control as well. For now, the rule is up for public comment before becoming official. We have more news ahead in just a moment, but first I want to talk about our sponsor, Hiya Health. As a parent, there's so much to keep up with and try to get right. But let's be real with a four year old that can feel like a moving target when it comes to nutrition. Some days he eats great, other days it seems like he's surviving on crackers and bread. And many kids vitamins seem to basically be sugar gummies. But Haya is different. My son takes both the daily vitamin and the probiotic every day and the best part is he's actually excited about it. He loves the taste, he loves adding stickers to the bottle and I love knowing it's made with zero sugar, zero gummy junk and all the essentials that kids often miss. Plus every batch is third party tested for heavy metals and microbials in a qualified GMP compliant lab. And by the way, Haya now also has the Kids Daily Greens plus Superfoods, a chocolate flavored greens powder specifically for kids packed with over 55 whole food ingredients you scoop, shake and sip with milk or a non dairy alternative for a nutritious boost your kids will actually enjoy. Now we've worked out a special deal with Hiya for their best selling children's vitamin receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal you must go to Hiyahealth.com newsworthy this deal is not available on their regular website. Go to H I Y A H E a l t h.com newsworthy and get your kids the full body nourishment they need to grow into healthy adults. Now back to the news. As expected, schools around the US are educating fewer international students. New data released yesterday shows the number of foreign college students enrolling in American schools for the first time dropped by 17% this fall. As we've told you, the Trump administration has raised the standards for student visas, and visa application issues like delays and denials are thought to be among top reasons for this drop. Also, some colleges say some international students are just concerned about feeling unwelcome in the US Even if they could get a visa. Meanwhile, President Trump has recently been talking about plans to let up to 600,000 Chinese citizens get student visas. Some of his supporters have raised national security concerns, but Trump defends the move by saying foreign students are important to the economy and an important income source for colleges. Stay tuned. As the US Prepares to host the largest international soccer tournament in the world, the Trump administration is making it easier for fans to see it in person. The U.S. state Department is creating a priority visa system so people who have a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World cup will get priority access to visa interviews. Still, President Trump insists everyone will be properly vetted. Of course, next year's World cup could deliver an economic windfall to host cities, but there are other challenges besides visas, especially with the immigration crackdown and efforts to expand federal policing in democratic cities. In fact, yesterday Trump reiterated his threat to move games from those cities if he thinks crime is too high or or if local leadership isn't cooperating with the federal government. He has specifically singled out the host cities of Boston and Los Angeles. As he put it, the governors and mayors are going to have to behave. But moving World cup games away from a current host city would be a decision with very little precedent, since those cities have been announced since 2022. They've spent time and money preparing for the tournament with infrastructure improvements, security planning and extensive plans to host millions of visitors. So so for now, Trump says the idea of moving the games is just up for discussion. AT&T customers could soon get up to $7,500 as part of a settlement over a data breach. Today was originally the deadline to submit a claim, but it was just pushed back so you now have another month. Overall, the company is paying $177 million in a class action settlement related to data breaches. Meanwhile, Facebook users who made claims a couple of years ago are getting payments from a separate settlement. This all goes back to the case of political firm Cambridge Analytica accessing nearly 90 million Facebook users personal info without getting consent. How much you get depends on how long you had a Facebook account, but for a lot of People it's about $38. The payments are going directly into bank accounts as well as through PayPal, Venmo and Zelle, the founder of Amazon is now dedicating himself to a new artificial intelligence startup. It's called Project Prometheus, and Jeff Bezos has signed on to be co CEO. This is the first time he's taken a formal operational role in a company since he stepped back from Amazon in 2021, though he's also deeply involved in the space company Blue Origin. And this isn't totally unrelated. Project Prometheus is specifically focused on applying AI to physical tasks. Among its first tasks, improving manufacturing for spacecraft as well as computers and cars. Project Prometheus is starting with $6.2 billion in funding, partly from Bezos, the New York Times reports. That makes it one of the most well financed early stage startups in the world. Of course, this is just the latest company out of many vying to compete with industry giants like Google, Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI. To be continued. Well, that's it for the main news today. So now it's time for Trivia Tuesday, when we ask a different trivia question every week. But first, this episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. For some people, the holiday season can be a time for gathering. For others, it can be a time of stress or loneliness. Or. Or maybe it's a little bit of both. So check in on friends, reconnect with loved ones, and remind people in your life that you're there whether or not you agree on everything. I always feel better after sending that text to someone I'm thinking about, or bringing that coffee to a friend who could use a pick me up. Or even telling someone when I'm extra stressed out. And just like those things can take a little extra effort and courage, so can reaching out for therapy. But I've found it's worth it. We're all healthier when we have Support. With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is one of the world's largest online therapy platforms. BetterHelp therapists work according to a strict code of conduct, and if you aren't happy with your match, you can switch to a different therapist at any time from their tailored recommendations. This month, don't wait to reach out. Whether you're checking in on a friend or reaching out to a therapist yourself, BetterHelp makes it easier to take that first step. Our listeners get 10% off their first month@betterhelp.com newsworthy. That's better. H E L P okay, now back to Trivia Tuesday and today's trivia question. What country drinks the most beer per capita. Listen again next Tuesday for the answer and explanation. As for our last trivia question, why are marathons exactly 26.2 miles? The answer has to do with ancient Greek mythology, the Olympics and the British royal family. The idea for the modern marathon was originally inspired by the legend of an ancient Greek messenger who raced from the Greek town of Marathon to Athens with news of an important Greek victory over an invading army. That distance was about 25 miles, and the first time the marathon was in the Olympic Games, it was meant to commemorate that run. Then the course was extended for the 1908 Games in London, apparently to accommodate the British royal family. While Queen Alexandra reportedly wanted the race to start on the lawn of Windsor Castle and finish in front of the royal box at the Olympic Stadium. And that distance happened to be 26.2 miles, well, that length ended up sticking and becoming the standard. Now there are marathon races everywhere from the North Pole to the Great Wall of China. In the US alone, there are now more than 1100 marathons each year, and every one of them is 26.2 miles. Well, thanks for joining us to get caught up on the news today. We'll be back tomorrow with the latest to know. Until then, have a great.