Odds and Ends — 17 November 2025

…Trump is making a last-ditch push to dissuade House Republicans from supporting a measure this week to release files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in what is shaping up as a major test of GOP loyalty to the president.
Trump failed last week to stop a House petition from reaching the critical 218th signature, including those of four Republicans, prompting the House to hold a vote this coming week mandating that the Justice Department turn over its Epstein-related files. While the proposal is expected to pass with all Democrats and at least some Republicans in the narrowly divided chamber, broader GOP defections could show the limits of the White House’s power.

And then, Mr. Mercurial does a 180.

https://twitter.com/BMeiselas/status/1990250608436342894

https://twitter.com/JamieBonkiewicz/status/1990410899555758445

Massie predicts a ‘deluge’ of House Republicans will vote to release Epstein files

The Kentucky Republican on Sunday indicated that he hopes to secure a veto-proof majority — two-thirds of the Democrats and Republicans — in support of the effort.

https://twitter.com/golub/status/1989941847805006215

https://twitter.com/JSweetLI/status/1989006939578315091

https://twitter.com/SpencerHakimian/status/1989377669893689385

https://twitter.com/mehdirhasan/status/1990412928193814984

———— Autocracy R Us ————

https://twitter.com/SkylineReport/status/1989795936051114290

Federal Agents Raid Church

About 15 to 20 church members were doing yard work on the property off Albemarle Road while their children played games and their spouses cooked meals. Agents parked just outside a closed gate leading to the church parking lot and ran into the yard…
The agents asked no questions and showed no identification before taking one man away, whose wife and child were inside at the time… They attempted to grab others, too.

https://twitter.com/AhmedBaba_/status/1989882821574382022

https://twitter.com/BMeiselas/status/1990142499361579442