This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A top Republican in Congress is making the bombshell claim that FBI files on pedophile Jeffrey Epstein may have been destroyed, possibly by the federal government.
U.S. Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, told journalist Benny Johnson on Tuesday: "I don't think the Department of Justice has [the Epstein files] – or at least the attorney general does not have them – or she would have turned them over.
"The president ordered them released. The attorney general ordered them released. We all know they have not been released," Comer continued.
"One of my biggest fears, which I expressed with [FBI Director] Kash Patel and a lot of people, including [White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy] Stephen Miller, going into the new administration, was this: I hope they're not shredding documents right now. This was a few weeks before the transition.
"I said, 'I hope they're not shredding documents.' But you all need to go on that first day and try to get all this stuff released, because my fear – based on what I've dealt with in investigations and in communication with this deep state apparatus – is that they're probably in there shredding documents as we speak. So, hopefully someone has a copy of that."
In response to Comer's conjecture the FBI may be "shredding documents" relating to the Epstein case, Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters Wednesday that's not the case.
So are there documents missing?
"No," said Bondi. "The FBI, they're reviewing tens of thousands of videos of Epstein with children or child porn."
"The FBI is diligently going through that," she continued, noting the large volume of files. She added: "There are hundreds of victims."
"And no one victim will ever get released," she said. "It's just the volume, and that's what they're going through right now. The FBI is diligently going through that."
Bondi said she would get in touch with Comer about his theory.
"I haven't seen that statement, but I'll call him later and find out," she indicated.
While Bondi released a "first phase" of documents Feb. 27, fulfilling the Trump campaign promise to release them all has not yet happened.
The failure to release more information has elicited criticism from several lawmakers and conservative commentators alike.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
'Mike always has been a great friend. He was a newsman's newsman'
Longtime California political reporter, newspaper editor and much-loved WND commentary writer Thomas "Mike" Pottage died last week at the age of 83.
His son, Edward Pottage, told WorldNetDaily how, despite his father's suffering from advancing cancer, the one activity that kept Mike forward-looking and positive, even toward the end, was being able to continue his writing.
"My father," Edward assured WND, "will be missed dearly by not just me, but millions of conservative Americans. Thank you for allowing him to publish on your site. That privilege made him very happy because writing was his passion. He was like a 10-year-old who just learned how to ride a bike when you asked him to write a column for WND."
Even toward the end, noted Edward, Mike's opportunity to practice his craft of political journalism "made his last few weeks tolerable as his pain subsided under the joy of writing again."
"As a commentator," said longtime WND Commentary Editor Ron Strom, "Mike had a great combination of keen insight, a deft writing style and, perhaps most importantly, a humble spirit about his work."
Added Strom, "He will be greatly missed."
WND's David Kupelian recalled: "Mike explained to me a few months ago about how, now in his 80s, he was so grateful to have gotten back into writing after having spent 15 years mostly away from journalism while caring for his wife, who was very ill. After she passed away, Mike, now all alone, found himself gravitating back to the activity he said he had always loved – and that was writing.
"I remember before last November's election talking to Mike about Kamala Harris, who had risen through the ranks in California politics while Mike, then a Sacramento journalist, was a very interested and astute eyewitness. He really opened my eyes about Kamala's astonishingly radical early years.
Added Kupelian: "Though he was dealing with serious health issues, I remember being struck not only by how cogent Mike still was, but how genuinely cheerful and enthusiastic as well – mostly about being able to write for WND."
Pottage shared a long and strong bond of friendship and professional camaraderie going back decades with WorldNetDaily founder Joseph Farah, back when Farah was, like Pottage, a working journalist in California.
It was while Farah was editor-in-chief of the Sacramento Union newspaper in the early 1990s that he first came to know Mike Pottage. Indeed, they became professional colleagues and good friends – for life.
"He worked for me at the Sacramento Union as city editor," said Farah. But more than that, he added, "Mike always has been a great friend."
Reflecting on Mike's passing, Farah said, "I get choked up just thinking about it."
Of his old friend and compatriot Mike Pottage, Farah added simply, "He was a newsman's newsman."
India launched an aerial assault on Pakistan early Wednesday that killed 26 and injured several more, ABC News reported. The overnight attack was in retaliation for a terrorist attack last month that killed 26.
In April, an attack in the Indian section of the Kashmir region known as the Pahalgam incident claimed dozens of lives. Pakistan has denied any involvement in the attack launched by a terrorist organization.
However, India has retaliated with an aerial strike following a missile launch on Pakistan the day before. The latest attack is being perceived as a "blatant act of aggression" by the Pakistani military.
India disagrees with that assessment, instead calling the move "measured, non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible." Meanwhile, the world watches as tensions ratchet up between these two nuclear-armed nations.
India launched its attack on nine strategically chosen targets, CNN reported. It claimed the aim was to avoid civilian casualties and to target "terrorist infrastructure" that supports the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist organizations.
Dubbed "Operation Sindoor," the strikes lasted about 25 minutes. The name is significant as it references a cosmetic powder women wear to signify marriage, and the April strike that targeted Indian men left many widows.
The strikes were carried out in six locations with a total of 24 hits. Footage of the strikes, including in the province of Punjab, which is heavily populated, was shared on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday by EurAsian Times.
"Strikes hit camps in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad. India says the operations were measured and non-escalatory, focusing only on terrorist infrastructure, not military assets. Still, Pakistan called it 'an act of war,'" the account noted.
Strikes hit camps in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad. India says the operations were measured and non-escalatory, focusing only on terrorist infrastructure, not military assets. Still, Pakistan called it “an act of war.” pic.twitter.com/uxMLJ7OBSh
— EurAsian Times (@THEEURASIATIMES) May 7, 2025
During the strike, Pakistan claims it shot down a drone and five jets belonging to the Indian Air Force. India has yet to confirm that any planes, including three thought to be highly valued Rafale jets, were lost in the attack.
The world is facing a new threat with this conflict, as both nations have nuclear weapons. In an address to his nation on Wednesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he had "every right" to counterattack as India engaged in an "act of war."
Sharif pledged that the Pakistani military would "avenge the loss of innocent Pakistani lives." The two nations have previously fought over Kashmir, with both making claims to the area.
The Indian-controlled territory is majority Hindu, while Pakistan controls a majority Muslim area. With this conflict already a tinderbox, the latest moves could escalate the conflict and have a ripple effect worldwide.
These foreign skirmishes destabilize the world, but America doesn't need to jump in and take sides just yet. These disagreements go back generations, and the U.S. has spilled too much blood and spent too much money getting involved elsewhere in these types of disputes.
Democrats peppered Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with tough questions at a hearing for the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Breitbart reported. Noem discussed issues such as budget cuts, immigration, and REAL ID travel requirements.
The hearing occurred on Tuesday as Noem faced the panel of four Democrats and seven Republicans. She defended President Donald Trump's positions and her own actions on several key issues.
The wide-ranging topics included Noem defending recent budget cuts and the immigration crackdown currently underway. There was also news on the REAL ID front, which has hit some snags in implementation.
As Spectrum News reported, Noem was asked about reducing the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's budget by $491 million. "Despite the growing cyber threats, your budget cuts nearly half a billion dollars—half a billion dollars from the main agency charged with protecting our federal network," Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) charged.
Noem explained that it was reshifting priorities rather than cutting something necessary. "So in CISA, instead of doing censorship, misinformation and disinformation, they are back to securing our critical infrastructure," Noem explained.
She said it was the same thing for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, explaining that Trump "wants to eliminate FEMA as it exists today and to have states have more control over their emergency management response." Democrats challenged Noem on the cuts, but they clearly thought immigration was a winning issue.
Underwood pressed Noem on whether the government was able to deport American citizens. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) similarly took that line of questioning, referencing deported citizens who decided to take their American-born children with them.
"No, and we are not deporting U.S. citizens," Noem explained. "The specific cases that you're referencing with these children, it was the parents' choice to take their children, which is the policy of the Trump administration to keep families together," Noem said, destroying the narrative.
Noem also fielded questions about the REAL ID requirement that the Associated Press noted would go into effect Wednesday. All airplane travel, including domestic, requires a passport or a compliant identification card or driver's license.
This comes from a 2005 law that was a recommendation after the 9/11 Commission investigation. The thought is that state-issued identification documents must comply with uniform federal standards for national security purposes in travel and entering certain federal buildings.
During Tuesday's hearing, Noem announced that travelers without a REAL ID "may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step" at airports, but wouldn't be denied access to travel. "But people will be allowed to fly," Noem assured the public.
"We will make sure it’s as seamless as possible," she added. Although Noem said nearly 81% of Americans wishing to travel have the complaint IDs, many have worried about the problems it might cause for those who don't in the interim.
Noem handled herself like a pro during the onslaught of pointed questions. Officials in the Trump administration, including Noem, are doing a phenomenal job implementing and explaining his agenda.
The Senate voted on Tuesday to repeal the Biden-era regulations that restricted emissions from tire manufacturing, putting a climate-focused strain on the industry.
The resolution was then sent to President Donald Trump's desk for a signature, which is expected to happen sometime in the near future, The Washington Examiner reported.
The Senate passed a resolution that would repeal the Environmental Protection Agency's standards regarding hazardous air pollutants from rubber tire facilities in a 55-45 vote.
In March, the bill was approved by the House when introduced by Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and advanced through the Congressional Review Act, which offers an expedited procedure for Congress to cancel rules, bypassing the filibuster in the Senate.
“I am happy we are one step closer to eliminating the Biden-era NESHAP rule driven by radical environmentalism that did nothing but hurt workers and businesses across the nation,” said Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).
“Republican leadership continues to deliver for the American people by getting rid of government overreach and inefficiency and paving the way for productivity and prosperity.”
“The Biden administration forced needless regulations on American tire manufacturers and producers. Increasing the NESHAP standard puts an unnecessary financial and environmental burden on rubber manufacturing facilities," said Wicker.
"Reversing this decision will protect jobs and bring back the time-tested NESHAP rule, which has kept our environment clean and our communities safe."
On the House side, Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) spoke to the bill, saying“House and Senate Republicans are acting decisively to repeal onerous regulations from the Biden EPA, like the rubber tire manufacturing rule, that do very little to serve public health.
"Like many of the regulations issued during the waning days of the Biden-Harris Administration, the rubber tire manufacturing emission standard utilized questionable emissions data and pointed to negligible health benefits as justification for the rule.
He went on to thank the "strong conservative leaders in the Senate, like Senators Tim Scott and Roger Wicker, Congress is exercising its authority to undo this harmful Biden EPA measure and provide relief to America’s rubber tire manufacturers.
Last week the upper chamber passed a resolution sponsored by Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) disapproving of the Biden administration’s energy conservation standards for commercial refrigerators and freezers.
After a 52-45 vote, the proposition was approved. The bill is now on its way to the president's desk after passing the House.
This Congressional Review Act resolution would repeal the rule Biden signed into law mandating energy efficiency ratings for freezers and refrigerators.
The Biden administration claims that the Department of Energy's final regulation, published on January 17th, greatly improved energy efficiency by revising the requirements for freezers and refrigerators.
Former First Lady Jill Biden is stepping into a new chapter, venturing into the field of women's health advocacy with the Milken Institute. On Tuesday, the institute declared that she will act as the chair of the novel "Women's Health Network," an integral move to enhance the focus on women’s health issues, the Daily Caller reported.
The newly formed initiative aims to revolutionize women's health by bolstering both existing and fresh efforts within this crucial area of research and development.
Her commitment to women’s health stretches back decades. Two years after her husband was inaugurated as Vice President, Jill Biden created the Biden Breast Health Initiative in 1993, which focused on awareness surrounding breast cancer. This new endeavor with the Milken Institute signifies a natural progression from her prior philanthropic activities.
The Milken Institute is recognized for its influential annual gatherings that tackle worldwide challenges. In introducing Jill Biden, the institute consolidates its efforts to address persistent underinvestment in areas unique to women’s health. The Women's Health Network seeks to forge partnerships that can significantly impact women’s well-being.
According to Esther Krofah, an executive at the institute, the organization greatly values what Jill Biden represents. Her dedication to enhancing investment in research pertaining to women's health was appreciated during her time in the White House. Jill Biden’s association is expected to propel the initiative studies forward.
Data highlights the ongoing challenges within women's health when it comes to investment in research and innovations. By leading the Women’s Health Network, Jill Biden will be a pivotal figure in addressing these disparities and elevating the conversation on women’s health.
Jill Biden's involvement with the Milken Institute signifies a continued passion for thematic advocacy that began decades ago. As First Lady, she also upheld her professional life as an educator, teaching English and writing at Northern Virginia Community College. Her diverse background enriches her capability to steer dialogues and initiatives related to health.
Just last year, she played a significant role in pushing forward the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, announcing a substantial $100 million in federal funding dedicated to this cause in February 2024. This not only underscored her existing commitments but also set a precedent for subsequent efforts like her latest role with the Milken Institute.
Michael Milken established the institute to engage with a diverse spectrum of global issues, some of which involve political nuances. Despite being officially pardoned for securities fraud five years ago, his organization continues to stand largely with center-left policies, though occasionally supporting right-leaning views such as corporate tax rate reduction.
Although Jill Biden's new role is prominently non-partisan, her political engagements are far from over. She remains a supportive force for the Democratic Party alongside her husband, who continues to assist in the party's endeavors. In the wake of the 2024 elections, both former President Joe Biden and Jill Biden appear ready to tackle political challenges head-on.
A source close to Jill Biden has indicated that she upholds her role as a privilege and is eager to support the party in any viable manner. Professional and personal responsibilities seamlessly interweave in her approach, encompassing political, educational, and now health-centric advocacy.
Both Joe and Jill Biden are also reportedly working on writing projects. The extent of these publications is yet unknown, but they may reflect their long careers in public service. Meanwhile, Jill Biden's new appointment combines her past experiences with forward-facing objectives at the Milken Institute.
As Jill Biden joins the Milken Institute's initiative, her added value to the women’s health conversation is undeniable. The potential transformative impact of her leadership complements her history of diligent service and advocacy.
President Trump notched a big legal victory in his effort to streamline Voice of America (VOA), the state-funded international broadcaster that has long been coopted by leftists.
A federal appeals court in Washington D.C. found that a district court judge overstepped when he ordered Trump to reinstate 1,000 Voice of America employees.
Kari Lake, who runs VOA's parent agency US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), praised the appeals court's ruling as a check against an activist judiciary that has blocked Trump from exercising his constitutional powers.
"BIG WIN in our legal cases at USAGM & Voice of America. Huge victory for President Trump and Article II. Turns out the District Court judge will not be able to manage the agency as he seemed to want to," she wrote on X.
Trump's effort to reform VOA is part of a broader push to rein in publicly funded news organizations, like NPR and PBS, that are nominally neutral put often put a left-wing spin on the news of the day.
"Voice of America has been out of step with America for years. It serves as the Voice for Radical America and has pushed divisive propaganda for years now," a senior White House official told Fox News Digital in March.
On April 22, Judge Royce Lamberth, a Ronald Reagan appointee, blocked Trump's March executive order directing USAGM to downsize to the furthest extent possible under law.
The judge ordered Trump to reinstate 1,000 VOA employees who were put on leave and restore grant funding to two private non-profits that USAGM oversees, Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks.
In a sharp reversal, a divided panel of the D.C. Circuit Court overruled Lamberth on Saturday, finding he lacked jurisdiction to dictate how Trump manages international broadcasting.
Two Trump appointees, Neomi Rao and Gregory Katsas, rebuked the lower court for its troubling "intrusion" into foreign affairs, noting the president's special prerogative in that realm.
"This intrusion is particularly harmful because it implicates the Executive Branch’s foreign-affairs authority," the court wrote.
"By depriving the Executive Branch of control over the individuals involved in its international broadcasting, the injunction threatens its prerogative to 'speak with one voice' on behalf of the United States in foreign affairs."
Cornelia Pillard, an Obama appointee, dissented, warning that the court's ruling "all but guarantees that the networks will no longer exist in any meaningful form by the time this case is fully adjudicated."
Pete Hegseth has given orders to trim the top brass at the Pentagon, part of his ongoing effort to streamline a bloated military bureaucracy.
Hegseth's memo directs the Pentagon to eliminate "redundant" positions to make the armed forces more lethal and efficient.
"Through these measures, we will uphold our position as the most lethal fighting force in the world, achieving peace through strength and ensuring greater efficiency, innovation, and preparedness for any challenge that lies ahead,” Hegseth wrote.
The ratio of senior officers to enlisted personnel has increased dramatically in recent years. The number of four-star officers jumped 107% from 1965 to 2013, according to the Congressional Reseach Service.
Critics of the modern military, including Hegseth, have often said the armed forces have grown bloated and top-heavy, and Hegseth framed his latest shakeup as an effort to cut bureaucracy and prioritize the common soldier.
"This is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers,” Hegseth said in a video on X.
“This has been a deliberative process, working with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with one goal: maximizing strategic readiness and operational effectiveness by making prudent reductions in the general and flag officer ranks.”
Hegseth said the overhaul will be the largest the Pentagon has experienced since the 1980s and will take place in two stages.
In the first, there will be a minimum 20% reduction in active-duty four-star generals and admirals and a minimum 20% reduction of general officers in the National Guard.
Phase two will include an additional 10% reduction in general and flag officers.
This will take place alongside a systematic review of the Unified Command Plan, which is a classified document that designates the missions and geographic areas of responsibility for each of the military's combat commands.
Critics have complained about Hegseth's lack of senior military experience ever since Trump recruited him to shake up the Pentagon and restore a focus on warfighting and lethality.
Hegseth's defenders have touted the Army vet as an outsider who will deliver necessary reforms to a "woke" Pentagon resistant to change. Hegseth has not hesitated to fire top military officers who pushed a divisive "diversity" agenda, like former chairman of the Joint Chiefs C.Q. Brown.
The White House has dismissed ongoing criticism of Hegseth, and dissension from within the Pentagon itself, as a defensive response from the "Swamp" to Trump's military reforms.
Netflix child actress Millena Brandão, 11, died of cardiac arrest Friday, People reported. The young Sintonia actress contracted an unknown illness that her parents, Thays and Luiz Brandão, believe contributed to her death.
The young actress and model began having symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches, and leg pain. Millena's parents took her to a doctor on April 24, but there's reason to believe the diagnosis was insufficient.
"She had a headache, but she could walk and talk. The doctor said it was dengue fever, but he didn't do any tests. He told us to take her back home and give her dipyrone," Thays Brandão said of her daughter.
Just two days after that visit, Millena briefly lost consciousness. Her parents took her back to the hospital, where things went from bad to worse.
Thays Brandão explained how things got severe for Millena with doctors providing few answers. "She put her hand on her head and screamed in pain," her mother said.
Millena remained in the hospital, where she suffered a cardiac arrest. "Her lip turned purple," Millena's mother explained.
"Then they resuscitated her and intubated her. From that day on, she never woke up again," Thays Brandão recalled. Doctors noted a mass in her brain, but without a neurologist to consult, they were unable to conclude exactly what it was.
"She got worse, with two to three cardiac arrests per day. She had 13 arrests in total. She had never had that before. There was one day when she had seven respiratory arrests. Sometimes they gave her massages and other times they gave her shocks [with a defibrillator]," Thays Brandão went on.
After doctors declared Millena brain dead, her family made the choice to stop treatment. "I said that if we were to let her little heart stop beating on its own, we would suffer more, and so would she. And we asked for the machines to be turned off," Thays Brandão explained.
Thays Brandão wrote a heartfelt post to Instagram memorializing Millena that People translated from Portuguese to English. "An open letter to my little girl," she began in the post featuring a photo of her daughter made to look like an angel.
"On May 2nd we lost our little girl, but I'm sure she's in the arms of our almighty father and in a beautiful place to play. The memories we spent together will remain in my memory and I'll never forget your joy that was contagious to everyone around you," her mother said Saturday.
"My girl, I'm already missing you more and more not having you here and I know I'll miss you even more in the days to come! You were the light in our lives and I know that from up there you'll continue to watch over us and light up our lives. And I'll love you forever, and you'll always be in my heart. I love you my girl," Thays Brandão said.
View this post on Instagram
It's unusual for a young girl to get ill and die so quickly, especially when it involves the heart. This is truly a tragic story of a little girl gone so suddenly, so soon.
The Trump administration filed a lawsuit Friday against Colorado and the city of Denver for providing sanctuary for illegal immigrants, the UK Daily Mail reported. Attorney General Pam Bondi previously pursued legal action against Chicago, Illinois, and Rochester, New York, for the same reason.
The Department of Justice asserted the federal government's authority in immigration law in its legal filing. "The United States has well-established, preeminent, and preemptive authority to regulate immigration matters," the lawsuit said.
Bondi said that the state's lack of cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement violated the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. The Justice Department attorneys believe that the state's "sanctuary policies" contributed to the gang takeover of an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado.
Democrats downplayed the fact that the Tren de Aragua gang occupied at least five buildings in The Edge at Lowry in the suburban area just outside of Denver. In February, the structures were condemned due to the dangerous situation the gang's occupation created.
President Donald Trump made illegal immigration a central issue during the campaign. At a presidential debate in September, Trump warned about the dire situation at The Edge at Lowry.
"We have millions of people pouring into our country from prisons and jails, from mental institutions and insane asylums. You see what's happening with towns throughout the United States. You look at Springfield, Ohio. You look at Aurora in Colorado," Trump said at the time, USA Today reported.
"They are taking over the towns. They're taking over buildings. They're going in violently," Trump added before blaming then-President Joe Biden and then-Vice President Kamala Harris for the situation.
"These are the people that she and Biden let into our country, and they're destroying our country. They're dangerous. They're at the highest level of criminality, and we have to get them out," Trump said during the debate with Harris, who was his Democratic opponent.
Although Democrats and their media accomplices attempted to deny this fact at the time, it was announced in January that the buildings would close the following month. This is all because the state chose to protect illegal immigrants over its citizens.
The residents who once called the apartment complex home finally had their say during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on April 1. One of those was Cindy Romero, who was forced out by the rampant and dangerous gang activity.
"I am a wife, a mother of five, a grandmother of three, a part-time worker and student, and a former resident of Aurora, Colorado. I am one of the many victims across the nation of the violent transnational terrorist organization Tren de Aragua and a former lifelong Democrat," she told the committee.
Her testimony was shared on X, formerly Twitter, by Libs of TikTok. "They brought prostitutes, drugs, guns, and crime. The police were instructed to ignore pleas for help. Remember when the media and Democrats said this wasn’t happening?" the caption noted.
Wow. Heartbreaking testimony from an Aurora, CO resident about Tren de Aragua gang members taking over her apartment complex.
They brought pr0stitutes, drugs, guns, and crime.
The police were instructed to ignore pleas for help.
Remember when the media and Democrats said this… pic.twitter.com/dI0vK1NQ9r
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) April 1, 2025
It's about time the people of Aurora, Colorado, and other sanctuary areas to see justice being served. Much to the chagrin of the Democrats, Bondi will continue to go after these places to right the wrongs, just as voters hoped when pulling the lever for Trump.