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PDB Afternoon Bulletin | February 10th, 2026: Epstein Files Trigger Political Chaos In Europe & Russia’s Assassination Accusations
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It's Tuesday, the 10th of February. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. The first up, new Epstein disclosures are driving resignations, investigations and political turmoil across Europe, but not so much in the us I'll have those details later in the show. The latest on the attempted assassination of a high ranking Russian general as Moscow points the finger not only at Ukraine, but at Poland as well. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. We're starting things off today with new developments tied to the recent disclosure of millions of files associated with the Jeffrey Epstein case. Perhaps you've heard about it. Developments that are now producing political fallout on both sides of the Atlantic. Now, we haven't spent much time on this story here at the pdb, not because it doesn't matter. It does, but largely because the conversation surrounding Epstein has often been based on speculation, not verifiable facts. So we've left the opinions and speculation to others. But new disclosures based on recently released files are now driving real political consequences in Europe and, and to some degree the U.S. according to a compilation of recent reporting by Axios, those consequences are landing far more heavily in Europe. In the UK and across parts of the continent, political figures are facing resignations, investigations and mounting pressure over past associations. While in the US well, the response so far has been less consequential. In the uk, the fallout has arguably been the most severe, with reverberations reaching the very top of British public life, from the civil government to the royal family. The disclosures of reopen scrutiny of long standing associations involving political elites and a member of the monarchy, reigniting public anger over accountability and transparency. Politically, the pressure has landed squarely on Prime Minister Keir Starmer. His decision to appoint veteran labor figure Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington has obviously drawn renewed criticism given Mandelson's previously acknowledged ties to Epstein. The move has prompted sharp pushback from opposition parties and growing unease within Starmer's own political camp, with some critics now openly calling for his resignation and demanding greater transparency around the appointment. Now there's also the royal angle on this Prince Andrew, whose long denied wrongdoing remains closely associated with the Epstein scandal in the public mind following past lawsuits and his withdrawal from a official royal duties. While no new criminal allegations have been brought, the renewed attention has once again forced the monarchy to confront questions about judgment, accountability and its relationship with political power at a moment when public trust is already somewhat fragile. In other European countries, the Fallout has been quieter but still consequential. In Norway, authorities have opened an investigation tied to a former prime minister over past connections to to Epstein. Associated Networks Norway's Crown Princess Mette Marit has issued a public apology for previous contact with Epstein, acknowledging it as a serious lapse in judgment. Norwegian officials have framed both responses as part of a broader effort to maintain transparency and public trust, even in cases where no criminal wrongdoing has been established. In France, the disclosures have reignited scrutiny of senior political figures with past ties to Epstein, including a former cabinet level official whose name appears in flight records and contact logs. French lawmakers have since called for formal ethics reviews and parliamentary inquiries to determine whether disclosure requirements or influence peddling laws were violated, even in cases where, again, no criminal wrongdoing has been alleged. Across Europe, the pattern is consistent when names surface in these files. Governments are responding through resignations, investigations or public explanations in an effort, of course, to contain political damage and reassure voters. And that response stands in somewhat sharp contrast to what we're seeing so far in the US where the same disclosures have yet to produce comparable political consequences. Well, really, to be honest, in politics in the US there's not a connected line between actions and consequences. In the US the reaction has so far anyway been far more restrained. A number of prominent Americans appear in the same tranche of documents, including political figures and business leaders such as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. But so far, the disclosures have produced little in the way of resignations or formal investigations or sustained political fallout. In most cases, the people who've been named in the documents have either declined to comment or emphasized that appearing in records does not imply criminal activity. Instead, the response is largely played out as a debate over transparency. Some lawmakers have renewed calls for the full unredacted release of Epstein related records, arguing the public deserves a complete accounting. Others caution against drawing conclusions from names appearing in flight logs or contact lists absent evidence of wrongdoing. So far, federal law enforcement agencies have not announced any new criminal cases tied to the disclosures. And there's been no coordinated political response comparable to what we're seeing in Europe. Now, to be fair, as we say here on the PDP, Washington, D.C. is of course where investigations go to die. Coming up next, new fallout from the attempted assassination of a high ranking Russian general as the Kremlin expands its accusations to include Poland. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, whether you're in a one or two income household, if you're a breadwinner, look, you know this. You're carrying a lot of responsibility. Mortgage payments, tuition, everyday bills that don't just disappear should something unfortunate happen to you or your partner. Thinking about It Thinking about the what ifs in life can be overwhelming. But I'm here to tell you that taking steps to protect your family financially is now a lot easier than it used to be. It's why I recommend Ethos Life Insurance. That's Ethos E T H O S. It's fast, it's easy, and it's 100% online. 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Just last week, as we covered here on the podcast, a senior Russian military intelligence general was shot inside his apartment building. Now Russia has a suspect in custody and they've also got a narrative that they're now pushing out the door. In the hours following Friday's shooting, Moscow moved quickly to assign blame but offered no evidence. As we mentioned, the Kremlin pointed the finger at Ukraine immediately, even as basic questions lingered about how such a senior figure within the Russian military infrastructure could again be targeted inside the capital. At that point, there was no suspect in custody and no evidence to support their accusation. Only growing unease, of course, within Russia's security establishment. Now the Kremlin says that uncertainty is over. Russia's Federal Security Service, or the fsb, claims it's identified the gunman behind the attack and detained a suspect. According to the FSB, the suspected gunman is 65 year old Lubyamir Korba, whose authorities say was detained in Dubai and extradited back to Russia with the assistance of officials from the United Arab Emirates. Russian investigators claim two additional suspects were involved, one now detained in Moscow and one now another who they say fled to Ukraine. The victim, as we detailed, is Lt. Gen. Vladimir Aleksev, the deputy commander of Russia's military intelligence agency, more commonly known as the gru. According to Russian security services and investigators, Alexeyev was confronted in the stairwell of his apartment building by a man disguised as a food delivery courier. Authorities say the attacker opened fire at close range and striking Alexeyev multiple times as the general attempted to fend off the attack. Investigators claim he was shot again before the gunman fled the building. Alexeyev was rushed to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery. Russian officials say he is expected to recover, though no updated information on his condition has been released since Friday. Kremlin authorities alleged the gunman was Korba, who was a Ukrainian born Russian citizen, a development that Moscow is using to anchor its claim that the attack was directed by Kiev. And the FSB says Korba and one alleged accomplice have confessed, claiming the attack was carried out on orders from Ukraine's security service, known as the sbu. In a video released by Russian authorities, footage that could not be independently verified, Korba alleges he was recruited by the SBU in August of 2025 in Western Ukraine, trained in Kiev and promised $30,000 in cryptocurrency to assassinate Alexey of. Russian security services claim Korba conducted surveillance on senior officers in Moscow, obtained a firearm and an electronic access key to Alexei's apartment through Ukrainian handlers and then fled Russia following the shooting. The FSB also accused Polish intelligence of playing a role in Corbus recruitment, an allegation also offered without details or evidence. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the shooting as a, quote, terrorist act, accusing Ukraine of sabotaging peace efforts. Now Lavrov accusing Ukraine of sabotaging peace efforts may possibly be the funniest thing Lavrov has said since becoming Putin's foreign minister. As you might guess, Ukrainian officials reject Lavrov's claims. Ukraine's foreign minister told Reuters that Kyiv had nothing to do with the attack, and the country's intelligence service has not commented on Moscow's latest assertions. And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon bulletin for Tuesday 10th February. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the first tv.com and of course to listen to the show ad free. Well, you can do that, and you can do it very simply. 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