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WASHINGTON: Pam Bondi Set for Epstein Files Questioning as DOJ Narrows the Room
The former attorney general finally faces House Oversight investigators, but not quite the way Democrats wanted.
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi is set to appear before House Oversight investigators Friday for questioning about the Jeffrey Epstein files, after the Justice Department previously argued she should not have to testify at all. The panel will get her in the room, but under terms that have already triggered a fight over whether this is accountability or containment.
Bondi will not sit for a formal deposition. Instead, she will take part in a transcribed interview, a softer arrangement that has angered Democrats who say it undermines the subpoena. She also will not be filmed, will not be formally sworn in as a witness, and reportedly will not have to give a specific legal basis if she refuses to answer certain questions.
The DOJ has also moved to limit the scope of questioning to Epstein-related matters and has signaled it wants the interview capped at around two hours. Bondi is expected to appear with Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, prompting Democrats to ask whether the department is effectively supplying her with personal legal cover.
The whole thing lands after Bondi was fired by Trump in April, with DOJ then claiming the subpoena no longer required her appearance because she no longer held office. Oversight leaders pushed back. Now Bondi is showing up, but the fight over the format tells its own story: everybody says they want answers, but nobody wants too much daylight.
Hot Take
In Washington, the cover-up never walks in wearing a black hat. It comes dressed as procedure, asks for two hours, and makes sure the cameras stay dead.
CALIFORNIA: Google Engineer Accused of Using Secret Search Data to Bet on D4vd
Prosecutors say he saw the internet’s future before the rest of the internet did.
A Google information security engineer has been charged with fraud after prosecutors accused him of using confidential internal search data to win more than $1.2 million on prediction markets. Michele Spagnuolo allegedly placed bets on Polymarket tied to who would become the most searched person on Google in 2025.
One of those wagers reportedly centered on D4vd, whose real name is David Burke. Prosecutors say Spagnuolo had access to internal Google analytics showing D4vd’s search traffic exploding after the singer’s April 2026 arrest in Los Angeles on charges tied to the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
At the time, public markets allegedly treated D4vd as a long shot. Investigators say Spagnuolo knew better because he had seen confidential search trends before Google released its Year in Search rankings. When D4vd topped the list, the bets paid. Google says it is cooperating with investigators and called the alleged conduct a serious policy breach.
Hot Take
Insider trading used to mean boardrooms and stock tickers. Now it’s search bars, crypto slips, and a man betting on tomorrow’s scandal before the public even smells smoke.
NEW MEXICO: Ruben Gallego Opens Legal Fund Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations
The senator denies the claims, while the ethics fight moves into money and paperwork.
Senator Ruben Gallego has established a legal expense fund as he faces an ethics-related fight over allegations raised by Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna. Luna has said she heard from multiple women alleging unwanted sexual advances, and that some claims are sexual in nature while others involve possible campaign finance issues.
Gallego’s office has denied the allegations and framed the complaint as a political attack from Luna, the Trump administration, and right-wing opponents. A spokesperson said the fund was created specifically in response to Luna’s ethics filing, not as an admission of wrongdoing.
Luna has said one woman may come forward with attorneys and has publicly described claims involving inappropriate touching and alleged lewd messages. The Senate ethics process will now determine what, if anything, can be substantiated. For now, this is a case of accusation, denial, and a legal fund built for the fight ahead.
Hot Take
Politics is full of clean suits standing in dirty rain. The fund goes up, the statements go out, and somewhere behind the curtain the lawyers start counting exits.
TEXAS: Man Arrested Over Alleged Threats Against Erika Kirk and Turning Point Event
Police say online posts turned into a terroristic threat case before the summit began.
A Texas man has been arrested after allegedly threatening to kill Erika Kirk and attack a Turning Point USA women’s leadership event in San Antonio. Police charged 26-year-old Jacob Wenske with making a terroristic threat after posts allegedly called for Kirk and other speakers to die.
According to reports, the posts referenced bombing Turning Point rallies and events and claimed the writer knew where to attack. Wenske was booked and given a $60,000 bond. His attorney has not publicly commented on the allegations.
Turning Point USA said it takes all threats seriously and is working with law enforcement ahead of the June summit, which is expected to draw more than 2,500 attendees. The case comes after Charlie Kirk’s assassination and amid heightened concern around political violence, making every threat feel less like noise and more like a fuse.
Hot Take
A threat online is still only words until it is not. That is the part nobody likes saying out loud, because by the time the difference is clear, the room is already running.
FLORIDA: New Court Documents Reveal Details in Anna Kepner Cruise Death Case
A family vacation case turns darker as prosecutors ask to take the teenage suspect back into custody.
Newly unsealed court documents have revealed disturbing details in the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, who was found under a bed and covered with life vests during a family cruise. Her 16-year-old stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, is charged as an adult with murder and aggravated sexual abuse.
Prosecutors told the court Kepner last used her phone at 8:14 p.m. and that she and Hudson were alone in the cabin before surveillance showed him peeking out, blocking a younger stepbrother from entering, and later disposing of Kepner’s phone in a trash bin on the ship.
A coroner found Kepner died from asphyxiation involving significant force, and prosecutors said evidence indicated she was sexually assaulted while alive. Hudson’s public defender argued he should remain on house arrest with his uncle, while prosecutors said he poses a danger. The judge has not yet ruled on whether he will be taken back into custody.
Hot Take
Cruise ships sell escape. This one became a locked corridor, a missing phone, and a family story that went down into the dark and came back as evidence.