标签： North America

Newly disclosed court documents have exposed the remarkable persistence of Jeffrey Epstein’s connections within elite political and academic circles long after his criminal conviction for soliciting prostitution. The revelations, drawn from over 23,000 pages of personal correspondence, demonstrate how the convicted sex offender maintained influential relationships despite public scandal and legal condemnation.

The documents reveal particularly troubling communications between Epstein and sitting officials, including Democratic Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett. During a 2019 House committee hearing featuring testimony from Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, Plaskett exchanged text messages with Epstein, who encouraged specific lines of questioning. Though Plaskett claims Epstein was merely one of many constituents she communicated with that day, the timing—after his 2008 conviction but before his 2019 arrest for sex trafficking—raises questions about the normalization of his presence in powerful circles.

The extensive document trove illustrates Epstein’s sophisticated strategy of cultivating what author Barry Levine describes as ‘transactional relationships’ with powerful figures. Epstein positioned himself as a ‘people collector’ who leveraged financial expertise and social connections to maintain access to America’s elite. This access persisted despite his 2008 conviction and a damning Miami Herald investigation that detailed allegations of sexual abuse on his private island.

Among the most significant revelations are continued communications with prominent British politician Lord Peter Mandelson, who maintained contact with Epstein as late as 2016. The disclosures ultimately led to Mandelson’s dismissal as UK ambassador to the United States in September. Similarly, former Harvard President Larry Summers sought romantic advice from Epstein in November 2018—the same month the Herald investigation published—resulting in Summers recently stepping back from public commitments.

The documents also detail Epstein’s relationships with intellectual figures like linguist Noam Chomsky, who praised Epstein’s intellect in correspondence while acknowledging his criminal record. Notably absent from the communications is former President Donald Trump, who reportedly severed ties with Epstein years before his first arrest.

The revelations have triggered widespread examination of how social capital and financial influence can override ethical considerations in elite circles. As Levine notes, ‘His credentials among power brokers were extremely high, and many individuals probably just dismissed the conviction against him.’ This case continues to reveal the complex dynamics that allowed a convicted sex offender to maintain standing among the world’s most powerful people.

In a significant development at the intersection of international justice and diplomatic relations, former U.S. President Donald Trump has declared his intention to pardon convicted Honduran ex-leader Juan Orlando Hernández. The announcement came via Trump’s Truth Social platform on Friday, where he characterized Hernández’s treatment as “excessively harsh and unjust.”

Hernández, who presided over Honduras from 2014 to 2022, was found guilty by a New York jury in March 2024 on charges including conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States and illegal possession of machine guns. Following his extradition to the U.S. in April 2022, the former National Party leader received a 45-year prison sentence for orchestrating a violent drug trafficking network responsible for smuggling hundreds of tons of cocaine into American territory.

The political context of Trump’s announcement is particularly notable as Honduras prepares for Sunday’s general election. Trump simultaneously expressed strong support for conservative candidate Tito Asfura, the former mayor of Tegucigalpa and current National Party leader. In his social media post, Trump framed Asfura as a champion of democracy standing against what he described as Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s influence.

Trump’s commentary extended to criticism of other presidential contenders, including Rixi Moncada of the leftist LIBRE Party and centrist candidate Salvador Nasralla, whom he labeled a “borderline Communist” allegedly seeking to split the opposition vote.

The current Honduran political landscape under LIBRE Party President Xiomara Castro has maintained cooperative relations with the United States despite her government’s ties to Cuba and Venezuela. Honduras continues to host a U.S. military base targeting transnational organized crime and upholds an extradition treaty with Washington.

This development occurs against the backdrop of heightened U.S. anti-narcotics operations in the region. The controversial “Operation Southern Spear” has resulted in over 80 fatalities from U.S. strikes on vessels suspected of drug trafficking, though legal experts have questioned the operation’s evidentiary standards and legality.

A deadly shooting targeting National Guard members in Washington DC has triggered immediate immigration policy changes by the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has suspended all Afghan immigration applications pending comprehensive review of security protocols after identifying the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered through the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) program.

Republican officials assert the suspect entered without proper vetting, though documentation indicates he underwent the Special Immigrant Visa process and was granted asylum under the current administration. The political response has been sharply divided: Trump administration officials characterize OAW as permitting ‘unvetted criminals’ while immigration advocates note the program resettled over 190,000 Afghans with this being the first major security incident.

Government audits reveal mixed results regarding OAW’s vetting effectiveness. A 2022 Office of Inspector General report found incomplete documentation and admitted some evacuees without full vetting, while a more recent review commended the FBI’s handling of security risks. The suspect had previously worked with CIA operations in Afghanistan and underwent military vetting procedures before his U.S. entry.

The tragedy has intensified debate about humanitarian protection versus national security, with the administration implementing immediate restrictions while critics argue the response unfairly penalizes thousands of successfully resettled Afghan allies.

The Afghan community in the United States has united in condemnation of Wednesday’s fatal shooting in Washington DC that claimed the life of 20-year-old National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom and left her colleague Andrew Wolfe critically injured. The alleged perpetrator, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the U.S. through a special immigration program established for Afghans who collaborated with American forces during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.

In response to the incident, President Donald Trump has implemented an immediate suspension of all Afghan immigration applications and ordered a comprehensive review of green cards issued to nationals from 19 countries. The administration has signaled potential broader restrictions on migration from what it characterizes as ‘third-world countries.’

The Afghan Community Coalition of America expressed profound sympathy for the victims’ families while urging authorities not to delay or suspend Afghan immigration claims. ‘Twenty years of Afghan-US partnership must not be forgotten,’ their statement emphasized, referencing the two-decade military engagement that began in 2001.

Multiple Afghan immigrants who spoke with media outlets on condition of anonymity due to Taliban reprisal concerns described the shooting as ‘deeply tragic’ and ‘really shocking.’ They emphasized that the suspect’s actions represented an individual criminal act rather than reflecting their community’s values. ‘Afghans in the United States are hardworking, tax-paying members of society,’ one interviewee noted, adding that many remain grateful for American evacuation efforts during the Kabul crisis.

Lakanwal reportedly assisted U.S. forces as a guard at Kabul airport during the withdrawal operation and entered America the same year. According to official sources, his asylum application was approved earlier this year after being filed in 2024. The FBI confirms the suspect had established relationships with ‘partner forces’ during the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.

The political fallout has created widespread uncertainty among immigrant communities, with many expressing concern about potential policy changes that could affect their status. One Afghan resident articulated the dual challenges facing his community: ‘For us Afghans there’s problem for us in Afghanistan as well as here.’

In a significant policy announcement, former US President Donald Trump declared intentions to implement a permanent suspension on migration from countries he categorizes as ‘third-world,’ asserting this measure is essential for allowing the American system to recover. The controversial proposal follows the recent suspension of immigration applications from Afghan nationals after a shooting incident in Washington, D.C., that resulted in the death of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom and critical injuries to another.

Trump’s immigration framework includes aggressive measures such as mass deportations of individuals deemed ‘not a net asset to the United States,’ denaturalization of those accused of undermining domestic tranquility, and the expulsion of foreign nationals considered public charges or security risks. Additionally, the plan entails cutting federal benefits for non-citizens and terminating millions of immigration approvals granted under the Biden administration.

The terminology used in the proposal—’third-world’—has drawn criticism for being outdated and potentially derogatory. Modern international institutions, including the United Nations, now employ more precise classifications such as ‘Least Developed Countries’ (LDCs), which are evaluated based on economic, educational, and technological metrics, alongside human asset indicators and economic vulnerability.

Currently, 44 nations are classified as LDCs, with 32 in Africa, 8 in Asia, 1 in the Caribbean, and 3 in the Pacific. This list is dynamic, with countries such as Bangladesh, Laos, and Nepal scheduled for ‘graduation’ from the category as early as 2026 based on improved development indicators.

The announcement reinforces Trump’s longstanding hardline stance on immigration, though it lacks specificity regarding which nations would be affected under the broad and historically charged ‘third-world’ label.

In a significant policy address delivered on Friday, November 28, 2025, US President Donald Trump declared an immediate and permanent suspension of migration from nations he characterized as ‘third-world countries.’ This decisive action, according to the President, is essential to enable the United States’ immigration framework ‘to fully recover.’

The announcement follows a tragic national security incident that occurred on Thursday, resulting in the death of a National Guard member. The servicemember was fatally shot in an ambush near the White House perimeter. Preliminary investigations by law enforcement agencies indicate the attack was executed by an Afghan national, leading the President to formally label the incident ‘an act of terror.’

Expanding on his policy stance via his preferred social media platform, Truth Social, President Trump outlined a series of stringent additional measures. These include the termination of all federal benefits and subsidies for noncitizens. Furthermore, his administration plans to initiate denaturalization proceedings against migrants deemed to ‘undermine domestic tranquility’ and will pursue the deportation of any foreign national classified as a public charge, a security risk, or ‘non-compatible with Western civilization.’

This policy shift reinforces a notably more aggressive immigration strategy adopted since the beginning of his current term. The administration has consistently prioritized enhanced border security, stricter enforcement protocols, and the systematic dismantling of policies established under the previous presidential tenure. This latest directive aligns with a separate executive decision made just one day prior, which indefinitely halted the processing of all immigration petitions from Afghan nationals pending a comprehensive reassessment of security and vetting procedures.

Concluding his statement, the President extended Thanksgiving wishes to the nation, with a pointed exception for those he stated ‘hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for,’ adding a stark warning: ‘You won’t be here for long!’