John Merrow

fmr NewsHour Ed Correspondent.
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[Occupy Democrats @OccupyDemocrats]

BREAKING: BOMBSHELL! Epstein secrets leak online and leave Trump team reeling after DOJ BOTCHES redaction job.

The Department of Justice tried to bury the ugliest corners of Jeffrey Epstein’s empire under thick black boxes – and got outsmarted by the digital equivalent of peeling off a Post-it note. With nothing more than Photoshop and a simple copy and paste, internet sleuths are yanking the curtain back on “redactions” that were never truly secure, just cosmetically censored.

Behind those flimsy blocks of black ink sits a paper trail of cash, power, and protection. One exhibit from the Virgin Islands case against Epstein’s estate reveals over $400,000 funneled to “young female models and actresses,” including a former Russian model quietly wired more than $380,000 in $8,333 installments, month after month, for years.

Let that sink in. Regular monthly payments. For years. To a Russian model. Through an estate executor who managed Epstein's finances. That is not accounting; that is an allowance for abuse.

The same files show Epstein’s machine allegedly paying off participant witnesses, covering their lawyers, and leaning on threats and smear campaigns to keep victims silent and evidence destroyed. In other words, a protection racket built not just on money, but on fear, reputational assassination, and calculated obstruction of justice.

Then there is the creative bookkeeping: shell companies like Cypress reporting a few thousand dollars in cash while secretly shelling out more than $100,000 in Santa Fe property taxes in a single year. These weren’t accounting “irregularities”; they were neon signs screaming that someone with serious connections was confident no one important would ever look too closely.

Yet even as the Virgin Islands walked away with a $105 million settlement and half the proceeds from Epstein’s island, the executors who allegedly moved the money, Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, never had to admit wrongdoing.

But here's where it gets even more disturbing: Indyke is now employed by the Parlatore Law Group—the firm that represents Trump's Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and previously defended Trump himself in the classified documents case.

Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act to force the DOJ to shine light on all of this, then DOJ “erred on the side of redacting” – and apparently also on the side of doing it incompetently. Now the redactions are unraveling in real time, not because the powerful chose transparency, but because the public refused to let them hide behind shoddy digital whiteout.

The hacked open files are a reminder: when elites can buy their way out of consequences, the black bar is just another luxury accessory. What scares them is not the crimes everyone already suspects – it is the receipts, the names, the dates, and the dollar amounts that prove the system bent over backward to protect them, right up until a few determined citizens hit “highlight all.”

Please like and share to spread the news!

[Chris Mack @THEChrisMack]

53 years ago today… everything changed.

[Covie @covie_93]

Bill Clinton saw everyone calling him a pedophile and said release the files to clear my name.

trump saw everyone calling him a pedophile and said the files are a Democratic hoax and fought the release.

Strange.

[Orla Joelsen @OJoelsen]

Premier of Greenland 🇬🇱 statement this morning;

This morning, I am both saddened and grateful 🇬🇱

Saddened, because during a press conference last night, the President of the United States once again expressed a desire to take over Greenland. With such statements, our country is reduced to a question of security and power. That is not how we see ourselves, and it is not how Greenland can or should be spoken about.

We are a people with a long history, a strong culture, and a vibrant democracy. We are a country with responsibility for our own territory and for our own future. Our territorial integrity and our right to self-determination are firmly anchored in international law and cannot simply be ignored.

That is also why I am grateful.

Thank you to everyone here at home for the clear support and unity that has been shown. The calmness and dignity with which you have met this situation send a strong signal of a people who stand firm in their values and in their responsibility.

I would also like to thank heads of government and partners around the world who have clearly and unequivocally expressed their respect for Greenland, for our democratic institutions, and for the fundamental principles of international law. That support confirms that we here at home do not stand alone.

Once again: Greenland is our country. Decisions are made here. And I will at all times fight for our freedom and our right to decide for ourselves and to shape our own future.

For now, I hope that the peace of Christmas can settle over us all.
Merry Christmas 🇬🇱💙🇬🇱

[Chris D. Jackson @ChrisDJackson]

It’s seriously underestimated how Andy Beshear unapologetically stands for Democratic values in deep-red Kentucky and still commands a 65 percent approval rating. That’s not luck. That’s credibility, discipline, and real leadership.

The guy is flat-out legit.

[Jo @JoJoFromJerz]

It’s the year 2025 and Americans have to watch a bootlegged international version of a news program because it was censored here in our country to protect a criminal president.

[Jim Acosta @Acosta]

This is a damning piece about a torture prison that is being used by the Trump administration. That’s why the piece was pulled. All Americans deserve to see this story. Shame on Bari Weiss.

[Harry Sisson @harryjsisson]

I just watched the whole 60 Minutes segment on CECOT and Trump that was killed by Bari Weiss and… wow. It was devastating for Trump and highlighted how brutally this regime has treated people. Here are some notes I took:

[Cindi 💚🔥💙🖕🏼🫶🏼👻🌞🩷💘✌🏼👊🏼🏖️☃️🌈💧 @cindikg161]

✌🏽💙

[A @bluhue123]

Raise your hand ✋ if you STAND with Jack Smith against Trump

[Crazy Vibes @CrazyVibes_1]

Officer Miller responded to a call at a local grocery store. The manager had caught a shoplifter.

When Officer Miller arrived, he expected to see a teenager stealing candy or a professional thief. Instead, he saw an elderly man, about 80 years old, sitting on a bench in the security office, looking at the floor.

"He tried to walk out with a loaf of bread, a carton of eggs, and a small bag of dog food," the manager said. "We have a zero-tolerance policy. I want to press charges."

Officer Miller looked at the items. The total value was maybe $12.

He sat down next to the old man. "Sir, why did you do this?"

The old man’s hands were shaking. "My social security check was late," he whispered. "I haven't eaten in two days. And my dog... my dog is hungry. I can handle the hunger, but I couldn't watch him look at me like that anymore."

Officer Miller looked at the old man’s worn-out shoes and his thin jacket. He thought about his own grandfather.

Officer Miller stood up and turned to the manager. "I'll take it from here."

He walked the old man to the checkout counter. The manager thought he was escorting him out.

But Officer Miller stopped. He took the bread, the eggs, and the dog food. Then he added a rotisserie chicken, milk, vegetables, and a large bag of high-quality dog food.

He pulled out his own credit card and paid for everything.

"Sir, you are not going to jail today," Officer Miller told the old man. "You are going home to feed your dog."

The old man started to weep right in the middle of the store. "Why?" he sobbed. "I broke the law."

"Sometimes the law is black and white," Officer Miller said. "But humanity is grey. We take care of our elders in this town."

Officer Miller drove the man home and helped him put the groceries away. He gave the man his personal cell number. "Next time you’re hungry, don't steal," Miller said. "Call me."

The police department posted the photo of the receipt. It went viral, reminding everyone that policing isn't just about making arrests; it's about making a difference.

Let’s spread kindness like Officer Miller. Share this story and inspire others to make a difference today!

[Ted Lieu @tedlieu]

Pro Trump supporter Bari Weiss tried to suppress 60 Minutes from showing this video.

Here is the video. You know what to do.

[Devin Duke @sirDukeDevin]

💯%

[Resisting ( 👀 Pinned Post) @Resisting313392]

Repost it

[Isaiah Martin @isaiahrmartin]

CBS would really hate it if you spread this

[Protect Kamala Harris ✊ @DisavowTrump20]

Congress named it the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and remains that name tonight for the Kennedy Center Honors.

RETWEET if you stand with the legacy of President Kennedy against Trump!

[John Merrow @John_Merrow]

He hasn’t gone far enough. I think he should rename more: The Trump Washington Monument, the Trump Lincoln Memorial, the Trump
Jefferson Memorial, and the Trump
Smithsonian. I forgot the
Trump Reagan National Airport

[Protect Kamala Harris ✊ @DisavowTrump20]

Congress named it the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and it will stay that name.

RETWEET if you stand with the legacy of President Kennedy against Trump!