Latest News Digest – November 15, 2025
- Elisa Ballard
- Nov 16, 2025
- 5 min read
National News
President Trump Cuts Tariffs on Fruits, Beef, Coffee, and Other Foods – President Donald Trump on Friday, November 14, 2025, rolled back tariffs on more than 200 food products, including beef, tomatoes, bananas, and coffee, as Americans struggle with the high cost of groceries. The new exemption also covers a wide range of tropical foods such as mangoes, avocados, coconuts, pineapples, cocoa, and spices. – Reuters.com; CBSNews.com
More Epstein E-Mails Released and President Trump Asks for Investigations -In response to President Trump's demands, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on November 15, 2025, that she has directed a top federal prosecutor to investigate convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's connections to Trump's political adversaries, amid the release of new case files that have renewed scrutiny of Epstein's elite ties. House Oversight Committee Democrats released over 20,000 emails from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate on November 12, showing President Donald Trump’s name mentioned more often than Bill Clinton’s or Larry Summers’. Left-leaning outlets amplified the implications. Right-leaning outlets cite the emails as proof Trump "informed" on Epstein. The documents detail Epstein’s post-2004 fallout communications tracking Trump’s flights and private notes calling him dangerous, with no evidence linking Trump to crimes. Donald Trump banned Jeffrey Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club in 2007 following reports of Epstein harassing or hitting on the teenage daughter of a club member.
In 2009, during civil lawsuits filed by attorney Bradley Edwards against Jeffrey Epstein on behalf of over 70 victims, Trump was subpoenaed as a potential witness due to his past social ties with Epstein in Palm Beach. He was the only person who voluntarily cooperated without resistance. “He was the only person who picked up the phone and said, ‘Let’s just talk. I’ll give you as much time as you want. I’ll tell you what you need to know.’” — Bradley Edwards, victims’ attorney (2019 interview, widely cited in 2025). Trump provided information about his interactions with Epstein, confirmation of the timeline of their fallout (including banning Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in 2007), and details that corroborated victim accounts. Edwards said the information “checked out” and was “very helpful.” Trump has never been accused of involvement in Epstein’s crimes. Victims like Virginia Giuffre have repeatedly stated Trump was not involved in any abuse. – NPR.org; Posts on X
U.S. Senator John Fetterman Suffers a Fall – On November 13, 2025, U.S. Senator John Fetterman was walking near his home in Braddock, when he became light-headed and fell on his face. He was taken to a hospital where he was found to be suffering from a ventricular fibrillation episode. He required 20 stitches on his forehead and face and, after spending two days in the hospital, has returned home. – X Posts, U.S. Senator John Fetterman; Benny Johnson
Trump Administration is Seeking the Transfer of Ailing 70-year old former Mesa County Clerk and Goldstar Mom, Tina Peters from Colorado Prison – Those close to Tina Peters say she has developed a very bad cough, which is concerning as she’s had part of her lung removed as a cancer survivor. Tina Peters has been incarcerated for over a year and has been serving a 9-year sentence for three counts of attempting to influence a public servant (felonies) stemming from her efforts to pressure county employees to allow unauthorized access to secure election systems; one count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation (felony), which stemmed from coordinating with others, including using a false identity to facilitate the breach and data extraction and four other misdemeanors. As the Mesa County Elections Clerk, Tina says she was trying to preserve the computers’ election records prior to an update that was going to be performed on the system’s computers by Dominion, by making a forensic copy of the election records. During the trial, the judge barred Tina’s attorney from allowing her to present evidence in her defense about her motive for preserving election records which was her duty to do so under Colorado law. She was also prevented from bringing evidence about the changes that were made to the election machine logs and other data changed after the trusted build update. Those who have been following her case, such as Mike Lindell of MyPillow, say Tina is a hero for exposing election fraud by the voting systems. Others paint her as “an election denier”. – X Posts by Lara Logan, General Mike Flynn
California News
The Trump Administration Wants UCLA to Repay $1.2 Billion Due to Allegedly Allowing Antisemitism on Campus. – The Trump administration escalated tensions with the University of California on November 15, 2025, by demanding UCLA repay $1.2 billion in frozen research funding, accusing the institution of permitting antisemitism on campus and threatening ineligibility for future federal grants, a move that has drawn criticism from educators and Democrats. U.S. District Judge Rita Lin in San Francisco issued a preliminary injunction barring the administration from cancelling funding to UC based on alleged discrimination without giving notice to affected faculty and conducting a hearing, among other requirements.– NPR.org
U.S. Senators Rick Scott and Ron Johnson Investigating Failures Regarding Pacific Palisades Fire. - On November 13, 2025, Senators Rick Scott and Ron Johnson, held a field hearing in Pacific Palisades as the pair are launching an investigation into what they call “the failures at all levels of government” in fire preparedness and response. They heard from witnesses impacted by the January 2025 Pacific Palisades wildfire where 12 people lost their lives including seniors and those with disabilities who were not able to escape from the inferno in time. Citizens spoke about the lack of response to the fire and the difficulties and lack of help for the victims. Among those telling their stories at the hearing was Rachel, a 94-year-old holocaust survivor whose home burned down and who hasn’t been able to rebuild. People interested in the hearing were asking where the California Senators are? (Senator Adam Schiff and Senator Alex Padilla did not attend.) - X Posts by Senate Aging Committee
DOJ Joins in Lawsuit Against Prop 50 in California - The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Thursday officially backed the California Republican Party’s lawsuit over Proposition 50, the ballot measure that was approved by voters last week to redraw congressional district lines across the state. The DOJ filed the U.S. complaint in intervention in California federal court Thursday, joining the existing lawsuit filed by the state Republicans the day after Prop 50 passed. The lawsuit states that the ballot measure violates the 14th Amendment, equal protections under the law and the 15th amendment, which prohibits states from denying the right to vote based on race while improperly using voters’ race as a factor in drawing new district boundaries. - NBC Los Angeles
California is Under Legal and Criminal Review – Shiloh Marx, Founder and President of California Election Integrity Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting transparency, accountability, and compliance in California's electoral processes, submitted evidence to the U.S. Department of Justice and the White House of California using mail-in ballots from canceled/removed voters to rig the election for Prop 50. Eight days after the evidence was given, the Trump administration announced that California was under legal and criminal review. – X Posts of Shiloh Marx
Heavy Rains Hit Southern California - Tropical moisture began drenching the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday and then spread south on Friday and Saturday, unleashing heavy rainfall, and triggering evacuation orders for areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires.
