FBI daily news briefing, May 15, 2025, with item on Epstein files release

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Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - FBI Daily News Briefing - May 15, 2025¶

Date: Thu, 15 May 2025 10:20:10 +0000¶

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Federal Bureau of Investigation - Seal¶

May 15, 2025¶

Federal Bureau of Investigation¶

Daily News Briefing¶

(In coordination with the Office of Public Affairs)¶

Email Public Affairs to subscribe to the Daily News Briefing. Mobile version and archive available here.¶

Table of Contents¶

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Jeffrey Epstein Survivor Demands Release of Files¶

Newsweek (05/14, Croucher) reported that a survivor of sexual assault by Jeffrey Epstein urged the Trump Administration to release the case files about the disgraced financier, as it has promised to do, after weeks of delay that have frustrated those campaigning for full transparency. “Releasing the Epstein files must be an imminent objective,” Teresa Helm, who was assaulted by Epstein in the early 2000s, and is now the survivor services coordinator at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, told Newsweek. “The ongoing cover-up and extreme lack of transparency has been exhausted. The truth in full is what’s deserved, for the survivors of Epstein’s sex trafficking operation, and for the public.” The Trump Administration has long pledged to release the Epstein files amid concerns that information about his activities and accomplices was being withheld from the public. The article added that Attorney General Pam Bondi said previously the FBI is having to review “tens of thousands of videos” of Epstein with children or involving child porn. She said there are “hundreds of victims,” and the volume explained the delay. “The FBI is diligently going through that,” Bondi told reporters on May 7. The article quoted Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who said, “We are working with the DOJ on the Epstein case and, as the AG stated, there are voluminous amounts of downloaded child sexual abuse material that we are dealing with.”¶

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS¶

Bypassed by Trump, Israel Dismayed but Silent¶

Reuters, Fox News, Times of Israel, Politico, Newsweek¶

Refusing to Meet Zelensky, Putin Sends Junior Team for Talks With Ukraine¶

Wall Street Journal, BBC, Reuters¶

At Least 21 Killed in Crash in Mexico, Official Says BBC, Reuters¶

Detained Philippines Ex-president Duterte Wins Mayoral Race in His Home City¶

Associated Press, NPR¶

How Qatar Spent Billions to Gain Influence in the U.S.¶

Wall Street Journal¶

Trump’s Critics and Supporters Unite Against Qatar Plane Deal BBC¶

Why India Could Not Stop IMF Bailout to Pakistan¶

BBC¶

Rubio and Other Top NATO Diplomats Meet in Turkey Ahead of Possible Ukraine-Russia Talks Associated Press¶

APEC Warns of Tariff Impact on Trade as China, U.S. Trade Reps Meet Reuters¶

Former Chinese Chip Boss Gets Suspended Death Sentence in Corruption Case¶

Wall Street Journal¶

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OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS¶

RFK Jr. Says People Should Not Take Medical Advice From Him¶

Reuters, ABC News, NBC News, Washington Post, New York Times¶

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Ex-girlfriend Says He Raped Her, Paid $20 Million in Settlement¶

Reuters, CNN, New York Post, Washington Post, Associated Press¶

UnitedHealth Group Is Under Criminal Investigation for Possible Medicare Fraud¶

Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Forbes, Bloomberg¶

Republicans Push Ahead on Trump Tax, Spending Plans, Despite Intra-Party Dissent¶

Reuters, New York Times, Wall Street Journal¶

Google Says Hackers That Hit UK Retailers Now Targeting American Stores¶

Reuters, The Guardian¶

Americans Worry About Trump’s Handling of Measles Outbreak, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds¶

Reuters, The Hill¶

Homeland Security Reveals Staggering Increase in Secret Service Agent Applications¶

Fox News¶

Democrats Rattled Again by Fresh Claims That Biden Aides Hid His Frailty¶

Washington Post¶

Bags of Cash From Drug Cartels Flood Teller Windows at U.S. Banks¶

Wall Street Journal¶

Drug Overdose Deaths Plummeted in 2024, C.D.C. Reports New York Times¶

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WASHINGTON SCHEDULE¶

White House¶

President Trump¶

• 1:10 AM: The President arrives Abu Dhabi International Airport

• 1:15 AM: The President departs Abu Dhabi International Airport en route Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

• 1:25 AM: The President arrives Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

• 1:30 AM: The President visits Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

• 2:20 AM: The President departs Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque en route The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi

• 2:25 AM: The President arrives The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi

• 4:10 AM: The President departs The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi en route Qasr Al Watan

• 4:25 AM: The President arrives Qasr Al Watan

• 4:30 AM: The President participates in a United Arab Emirates State Visit

• 7:35 AM: The President departs Qasr Al Watan en route The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi

• 7:50 AM: The President arrives The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi

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• 8:00 AM: Out-of-Town Pool Call Time

• 9:15 AM: The President participates in a Roundtable with Business Leaders

• 10:30 AM: The President departs the St. Regis Doha en route Al Udeid Air Base

• 11:20 AM: The President arrives in Al Udeid Air Base

• 11:40 AM: The President delivers remarks to troops at Al Udeid Air Base

• 1:00 PM: The President departs Al Udeid Air Base en route Abu Dhabi International Airport

Vice President Vance¶

• No official presidential schedule released or announced.

US Senate¶

• Business meeting to consider the nomination of Janet Dhillon, of Virginia, to be Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. – 9:30 AM – Host: Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

• Hearings to examine the Department of Defense responsibilities related to Foreign Military Sales system and international armaments cooperation. – 9:30 AM – Host: Armed Services

• Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of Transportation. – 10:00 AM – Host: Appropriations

• Business meeting to consider the nominations of James O’Neill, of California, to be Deputy Secretary, and Gary Andres, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary, both of the Department of Health and Human Services.

– 10:00 AM – Host: Finance¶

• Hearings to examine pipeline safety reauthorization, focusing on ensuring the safe and efficient movement of American energy. – 10:00 AM – Host: Commerce, Science, and Transportation

US House of Representatives¶

• Hearing: Deterrence Amid Rising Tensions: Preventing CCP Aggression on Taiwan. – 9:00 AM – Host: Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party

• Hearing: Oversight Hearing U.S. Customs and Border Protection – 10:00 AM – Host: Committee on Appropriations

• Hearing: Oversight Hearing of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. – 10:00 AM – Host: Committee on Appropriations

• Hearing: Budget Hearing - U.S. Department of Labor. – 10:00 AM – Host: Committee on Appropriations

• Hearing: Budget Hearing - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. – 10:00 AM – Host: Committee on Appropriations

• Hearing: Budget Hearing Environmental Protection Agency. – 10:00 AM – Host: Committee on Appropriations

• Hearing: Oversight hearing titled “Fixing Our Forests: How Improved Land Management Can Protect Communities in the Wildland-Urban Interface”. – 10:00 AM – Host: Committee on Natural Resources

• Hearing: “A Small Part in A Big Company: Examining the Power of Franchising in the American Economy”. – 10:00 AM – Host: Committee on Small Business

• Hearing: "FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024: An Update on Implementation One Year Later". – 10:00 AM – Host: Committee on Transportation and Infraestructure

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• Hearing: From Detection to Deflection: Evaluating NASAs Planetary Defense Strategy. – 10:00 AM – Host: Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

• Hearing: “Reclaiming OSHA’s Mission: Ensuring Safety Without Overreach”. – 10:15 AM – Host: Committee on Education and Workforce

• Hearing: In Defense of Defensive Measures: Reauthorizing Cybersecurity Information Sharing Activities that Underpin U.S. National Cyber Defense. – 2:00 PM – Host: Committee on Homeland Security

• • Hearing: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Request for Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027 Advance Appropriations. – 2:00 PM – Host: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

• Hearing: Defense Intelligence Enterprise Posture Hearing. – 3:00 PM – Host: Committee on Armed Services

Cabinet Members¶

• Secretary of Defense Hegseth is traveling with the president.

• Secretary of State Rubio is on travel to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Türkiye from May 11-16, 2025.

• Secretary of State Rubio meets with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Antalya, Türkiye at 8:30 AM Local.

• Secretary of State Rubio meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Antalya, Türkiye at 9:20 AM Local.

• Secretary of State Rubio participates in an informal NATO Foreign Ministers Family Photo in Antalya, Türkiye at 9:50 AM Local.

• Secretary of State Rubio participates in an informal North Atlantic Council Meeting in Antalya, Türkiye at 10:00 AM Local.

• Secretary of State Rubio in a meeting with European Quint Counterparts and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Antalya, Türkiye at 2:00 PM Local.

• Secretary of State Rubio an engagement with Syria in Antalya, Türkiye at 5:00 PM Local.

• Secretary of State Rubio meets with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Antalya, Türkiye at 4:00 PM Local.

• Secretary of State Rubio meets with employees of U.S. Mission Türkiye and U.S. Mission NATO in Antalya, Türkiye at 6:30 PM Local.

Visitors¶

• No events scheduled.

General Events¶

• Carnegie: Deliberative Democracy in a Digital Era – Thursday, May 15, 2025. Location: Online event, 12:00 PM. Democratic deliberations are a worldwide phenomenon, with national and subnational governments re-envisioning citizen-informed policymaking. The digital era, including developments in artificial intelligence, offers a new approach to conducting deliberations. California is one of a handful of democracies experimenting with its value with the recently deployed Engaged California program.

• • American Progress: Who Pays for Choice? The Threat Privatization Poses to Public Education – Thursday, May 15, 2025. Location: Online event, 11:00 AM. Join CAP and NCLD for a virtual event about the growing trend of privatizing public education and unpack the real costs of school choice, revealing how it affects students, weakens local schools, and strains communities.

• Aspen Institute: Socrates Colombia 2025 – Thursday, May 15, 2025. Location: Online event, 11:00 AM. Held in Partnership with the Aspen Institute Colombia, join the Aspen Institute Socrates Program for our Spanish-

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language seminar in Medellín, Colombia.¶

• Aspen Institute: The Potential and Peril of AI for Women in the Economy – Thursday, May 15, 2025. Location: Online event, 2:00 PM. We’ve all read the news—generative AI, or genAI, is rapidly reshaping our nation’s economic landscape. But what does the new wave of technological innovation really mean for women in their many roles as workers, managers, entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders?

• • Atlantic Council: Guatemala’s economic outlook: A conversation with Gabriela García-Quinn – Thursday, May 15, 2025. Location: Online event, 4:30 PM. On Thursday, May 15 at 4:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CST, the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center will host a conversation with Guatemalan Minister of Economy Gabriela García-Quinn to explore the country’s economic outlook and priorities for sustainable, long-term growth as an extended continuation of the Atlantic Council’s IMF-World Bank Week programming.

• Rand: AI in healthcare, what’s the problem? A clinical and industry perspective – Thursday, May 15, 2025.

Location: Online event, 6:00 PM. Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising healthcare, but are we ready for its challenges? How safe are AI-powered clinical decisions? Who ensures their fairness and effectiveness? What evidence do we need for responsible deployment?¶

• Hudson Institute: Driving US Investment in Latin America – Thursday, May 15, 2025. Location: Hudson Institute, 10:30 AM. As Congress considers reauthorizing the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), lawmakers from both parties are recognizing Latin America’s importance to US interests. Increased American investment in the region could help counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative, drive economic growth in the Western Hemisphere, and promote America’s global standing.

• Hudson Institute: European Economic Security in an Age of Renewed Competition – Thursday, May 15, 2025.

Location: Hudson Institute, 12:15 PM. Russia’s no-limits partnership with China has accelerated a fundamental shift in the global economic and security order. As the Kremlin continues to wage war against Ukraine, the United States and Europe should ramp up cooperation to counter Moscow’s growing economic and political ambitions. Europe needs to take significant steps to restore its economic security, including (a) ending dependence on Russian energy, (b) dismantling illicit financial networks that enable sanctions evasion, and (c) preventing Western technology transfers to Russia (and further to China, Iran, and North Korea).¶

• Hudson Institute: Motwani Jadeja US-India Dialogue Series | Strategic Technology and the US-India Relationship – Thursday, May 15, 2025. Location: Hudson Institute, 2:30 PM. Strategic initiatives under the last two United States presidential administrations have made technology the core of the US-India partnership. The Biden administration introduced the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), and the second Trump administration is pursuing the Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology (TRUST) agreement. Both deals seek to boost collaboration between governments, academia, and the private sector in areas such as defense, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum, biotechnology, energy, and space.

Email Public Affairs to subscribe to the Daily News Briefing. Mobile version and archive available here.¶

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