Thursday morning news: November 20, 2025

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Epstein files bill signing » President Trump last night signed a bill into law that compels the Department of Justice to release its case files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Congress passed that bill almost unanimously this week after a yearslong push by survivors of Epstein’s abuse.

House Speaker Mike Johnson voted for the bill, but expressed concerns that it may not contain enough protections for those survivors. But Senate Majority John Thune said Wednesday:

THUNE: I trust the judgment of the Justice Department to ensure that whatever files they release, protect the victims.

The legislation does allow for some redactions, for victims' identities and classified national security material.

The president’s signature starts the clock on a 30-day countdown for the DOJ to produce what’s commonly known as the Epstein files.

Those must include all Epstein-related investigative files, plus its internal communications about him, his associates, and his 2019 death.

U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum / major non-NATO ally » President Trump says the partnership between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia is one of the most consequential in the world, and he said the White House is now formally recognizing that.

He told a gathering of business leaders at a U.S.-Saudi Investment Summit:

TRUMP:  We officially designated the Kingdom yesterday as the major non-NATO ally. That's a big deal. That's actually a very big deal.

That will give the kingdom faster access to American military hardware, and the president says the US plans to sell plenty of that to Saudi Arabia, including tanks, and cutting-edge F35 fighter jets.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has also pledged a trillion dollars in new investments in the US.

 President Trump also said Wednesday that he’s prepared to help the Saudis bring an end to the brutal civil war in Sudan.

TRUMP: It was not on my, uh, my charts to be involved in that. I thought it was just something that was crazy and outta control, but I just see how important that is to you.

The fighting for control of Sudan has killed more than 40,000 people and created the world's worst humanitarian crisis with over 14 million people displaced.

U.S. trade deficit decreases » A new report from the Commerce Department shows the U.S. trade deficit fell sharply in August. WORLD’s Benjamin Eicher has more.

BENJAMIN EICHER: The report was delayed for more than seven weeks due to the federal government shutdown.

But the numbers show the gap between what the United States buys from other countries and what it sells them fell by nearly 24% to $60 billion in August.

That was down from more than $78 billion in July. Imports fell by more than 5%.

Whether the president’s tariffs are an overall net positive for the economy is a matter hotly debated in Washington.

But a drop in the trade deficit is good for GDP and economic growth numbers—at least in the short term, because foreign products are subtracted from the nation's gross domestic product.

For WORLD, I’m Benjamin Eicher.

Hearing on congressional insider trading » On Capitol Hill, Republicans and Democrats were on the same page for a change. Leaders of the House Administration Committee agreed: Something more needs to be done to stop what they say is effectively legalized insider trading in the nation’s capital.

The top Democrat on the committee, Joseph Morelle:

MORELLE: All over Washington from the White House to the Supreme Court. Corruption and self-dealing are a persistent problem.

In 2012, Congress passed the Stock Act requiring members to publicly disclose their trades. But Morelle says that law is not strong enough.

And the Republican Chairman of the committee, Bryan Steil, agrees.

STEIL: I believe we have an opportunity here to make meaningful reforms and restore the public's trust. The American people should be confident that lawmakers are working for them, not seeking office to financially benefit themselves.

A bipartisan group of House members is pushing legislation to bar members of Congress and their direct family members from owning or trading individual stocks.

Several reports show members in both parties profiting from well-timed trades or beating markets’ overall performances. There's even an app where investors can connect their trades with a member of congresses, also known as the “Pelosi Tracker.”

Israel latest » More Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon.

The IDF released video Wednesday of what it says was an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon against weapons storage facilities used by the Hezbollah terror group.

The IDF says Hezbollah deliberately placed facilities in populated areas in an effort to use civilians as human shields.

Israeli residents living near Israel’s northern border say they’re worried. One resident says that unless Hezbollah is disarmed:

PERRY: …then the war will come back here, because otherwise no one will stop them, and they keep on thinking about how to destroy Israel.

And there was renewed fighting in Gaza. Hospital officials there say at least 21 Palestinians were killed when Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City, Khan Younis and the Muwasi area.

The Israeli military says those strikes were responding to militants who opened fire on Israeli forces. No Israeli soldiers were hurt.

DOJ on Ryan Wedding indictments » The Department of Justice has announced sweeping new charges against a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, who authorities say built a new career, as a drug cartel kingpin.

FBI Director Kash Patel:

PATEL: Ryan Wedding is a modern-day iteration of Pablo Escobar. He's a modern-day iteration of El Chapo Guzman, this Justice Department and this FBI will work with our Canadian counterparts and the government officials across the world to bring him to justice.

Prosecutors say Wedding operates a major global drug-trafficking organization, which has been running semi-trucks with cocaine from Mexico to the tune of 60 metric tons per year.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli:

ESSAYLI: This is the number one cocaine drug trafficking kingpin in Canada, trafficking over a billion dollars a year in cocaine. He uses my district, the Southern District, or Southern California, essentially as his hub.

Authorities also accuse Wedding of ordering the murder of a witness in Colombia who planned to testify against him.

The US government is offering a reward of up to $15 million dollars for information leading to his arrest.

The Justice Department says it has also indicted dozens of Wedding’s associates.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: a US carrier group is now in Venezuela’s neighborhood, and it's got Maduro’s attention. Plus, how med-students become doctors may be changing.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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