CHATTEL SLAVERY

Bombshell new photo shows Epstein jokingly selling ‘fully depreciated’ woman to Trump

Robert Davis
September 8, 2025

RAW STORY

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a photo on Monday showing disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein jokingly selling a "fully depreciated" woman to Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

The redacted photo was released after Democrats released a photocopy of the birthday letter Trump sent to Epstein on his 50th birthday. The image shows Epstein holding a large check with Trump's name on it.

"Epstein and a longtime Mar-a-Lago member joking about selling a 'fully depreciated' woman to Donald Trump for $22,500," House Oversight Democrats posted on their official X account.

Conversation

Matthew Yglesias

@mattyglesias

Tough beat that you’d have an inside joke with your buddy about how you pay money to Jeffrey Epstein for him to sell you women and then it turns out by coincidence that Epstein was doing large-scale sex crimes.

Nepal prime minister resigns after deadly protests

Kathmandu (AFP) – Nepal's prime minister resigned on Tuesday, a day after one of the deadliest crackdowns on protesters in years saw at least 19 people killed.


Issued on: 09/09/2025 - FRANCE24

A protester shouts slogans outside Parliament in Kathmandu on September 8. The country's prime minister resigned Tuesday following deadly protests 

© PRABIN RANABHAT / AFP

"I have resigned from the post of prime minister with effect from today... in order to take further steps towards a political solution and resolution of the problems," KP Sharma Oli said in a letter to the president.

The protests, which began on Monday with demands that the government lifts a ban on social media and tackles corruption, reignited despite the apps going back online.

At least 19 people were killed on Monday, and Amnesty International said live ammunition had been used against protesters.

Oli, 73, began his fourth term last year after his Communist Party forged a coalition government with the centre-left Nepali Congress in the often-volatile parliament.

Dissatisfaction has grown with political instability, corruption, and slow economic development in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people.

People aged 15-40 make up nearly 43 percent of the population, according to government statistics -- while unemployment hovers around 10 percent and GDP per capita is just $1,447, according to the World Bank.

The country became a federal republic in 2008 after a decade-long civil war and a peace deal that saw the Maoists brought into government, and the abolishment of the monarchy.

Since then, a revolving door of ageing prime ministers and a culture of horse-trading have fuelled public perceptions that the government is out of touch.

Since Friday, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, which was not blocked.

© 2025 AFP

Lisbon funicular cable disconnected before deadly crash, inspectors say

A cable linking two cabins disconnected shortly before the funicular crash that killed 16 people in Lisbon this week, inspectors said Saturday. The vehicle passed a visual inspection on the morning of the accident.


Issued on: 06/09/2025 -
By: FRANCE 24
Video by: Sarah MORRIS

A woman places flowers next to other tributes displayed at the site of the Gloria funicular accident in Lisbon on September 5, 2025. © Patricia de Melo Moreira, AFP
01:34


A cable linking two cabins disconnected shortly before the funicular crash that killed 16 people in Lisbon this week, hours after the cable had passed a visual check, accident inspectors said Saturday.

The information came in a note on Wednesday's accident published by Portugal's air and rail accident investigations bureau (GPIAAF).

"According to the evidence observed so far, the scheduled maintenance plan was up to date, and a scheduled visual inspection had been conducted on the morning of the accident, which detected no anomalies in the vehicles' cable or braking systems," said the agency note.

But it had not been possible to visually inspect the condition of the section of the cable where it separated from the vehicle before the crash, it added.


According to the investigators' initial findings, the funicular crashed at a speed of 60 kilometres (37 miles) an hour. The whole incident happened in just 50 seconds, they added.

Investigators had already announced that 11 foreign nationals were among the 16 people killed in Wednesday's crash.

Three Britons, two South Koreans, two Canadians, one Frenchwoman, one Swiss, one American and one Ukrainian were identified among the victims.

In all, about 20 people were injured, including at least 11 foreigners, the emergency services have said.

The Portuguese victims included four members of staff from the same social care institution, whose offices are situated at the top of the steep side-road serviced by the funicular.
Two investigations

Two separate investigations are now under way into the accident: one carried out by the accident investigators' office and another by the prosecutors' office.

The GPIAAF stressed in its note that the two investigations were entirely independent of each other.

It will publish a preliminary report into the accident within 45 days, it added.

Local media speculation about the cause of the crash had already mentioned ruptured high-tension cables and maintenance work overseen by Lisbon's public transport operator Carris.

The head of Carris, Pedro Bogas, has repeatedly defended the company's equipment maintenance policy, insisting that procedures had been "scrupulously followed".

Portuguese media have published the report of the daily inspection conducted on the morning of the tragedy, which indicated the operating system was running smoothly.

According to the weekly publication Expresso, the number of passengers using the three funiculars operated by Carris in Lisbon jumped by 53 percent between 2022 and 2024, to 1.5 million passengers last year.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Interview

From soft power to digital firepower: France steps up fight against disinformation

France is ramping up its fight against online disinformation with a new digital tool, known as French Response, aimed at countering hostile allegations from abroad. FRANCE 24 spoke with Dr Maxime Audinet, an influence strategies researcher at the Institute for Strategic Research (IRSEM), about how the account signals a shift toward proactive, strategic messaging.


Issued on: 08/09/2025 -
By: Anaelle JONAH

France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot leaves the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris, on August 27, 2025. © Stephane de Sakutin, AFP



France’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday will gather experts on information manipulation for a special conference dedicated to "information warfare". Among the topics on the table will be the government’s brand new digital tool: French Response.

Launched last week on X (formerly known as Twitter), the account is designed to counter foreign disinformation targeting France. Described by Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot as an "official response account", it aims to provide rapid replies to hostile allegations while complementing traditional diplomatic channels.

Its first intervention came on Friday, when it pushed back against US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s claim that Hamas had withdrawn from hostage negotiations immediately after France announced plans to recognise a Palestinian state later in the year.

"The recognition of the State of Palestine did not cause the breakdown of hostage negotiations," French Response posted on X, refuting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's claims. © Screenshot, FRANCE 24


"No @SecRubio, the recognition of the State of Palestine did not cause the breakdown of hostage negotiations," the account replied, posting a timeline showing Israeli officials had reported the collapse of talks before Emmanuel Macron’s announcement in July.

The launch signals a more assertive French approach in the Middle East, where Paris has faced criticism for its diplomatic positions. The ministry said the initiative is part of a broader strategy to defend France’s image internationally amid rising online disinformation campaigns. While initially focused on the Middle East, French Response could eventually cover other continents and subjects.

FRANCE 24 spoke with Dr Maxime Audinet, a research fellow in influence strategies at the Institute for Strategic Research (IRSEM), who is set to attend Tuesday’s conference, about the significance of the move.

FRANCE 24: How significant is the launch of French Response? Are we looking at a one-off experiment or a real shift in French diplomacy?

Dr Maxime Audinet: We’re at a key moment when it comes to influence strategies. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is really at the forefront of these issues. If it ends after two tweets, given the current political context in France – where the government faced a confidence vote on Monday that led to its fall – it will just disappear without much consequence. But if we assume they’re serious and it sticks, then this is part of a much bigger shift.

Over the past three years, France has been transforming its approach to influence. Traditionally, French influence relied on cultural outreach and soft power – language, education, heritage. But now, more offensive approaches are being considered. The "French Response" account reflects this posture: moving from simply monitoring and debunking foreign disinformation, as with the Viginum programme [Editor's note: a unit launched by the government in 2021 dedicated to detecting, analysing and countering foreign information operations targeting the country], to actively producing France’s own narratives in the information space.

To what extent can one X account really make a difference in countering disinformation?

A single account won’t change international opinion. But it’s symbolic of a wider posture. France has recognised that the information space is a battlefield. It’s not just about fact-checking anymore. It’s about being proactive, using formats and tones that resonate.

We’ve seen examples already – humour, irony, even memes – used by states to gain traction. Ukraine has been very effective with this since 2022, while Russia and China have long used these methods, often without ethical restraint. For France, "French Response" shows a readiness to adapt, to be more direct and to speak the language of these platforms.

What are the main opportunities and risks for France in adopting this kind of online strategy?

The opportunity is to be more impactful. On platforms like X, messages that are emotionally charged, polemical, or bold have a much higher reach than those that are strictly factual, technocratic or bureaucratic. It’s about engaging more deeply, tapping into emotional resonance and making sure your message sticks.

It also shows that France accepts that the information space is now strategic. And if you want your voice to carry, you have to adapt to its codes.

But there are risks too, especially the risk of undermining public credibility if the tone becomes too aggressive or excessive. It’s a fine line to walk.

That said, we’re seeing certain ethical barriers breaking down. The sheer scale of disinformation threats has pushed the authorities toward a more pragmatic approach. As long as they stay within ethical bounds – no disinformation, no blatant lies like Russia – there is space to operate.

There’s a broad spectrum between total politeness and outright propaganda. And I think France is now learning to navigate that space.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

RIP

Supertramp founding frontman Rick Davies dies at 81

Rick Davies, co-founder and lead singer of British rock band Supertramp, whose soulful voice and songwriting helped shape hits like “Goodbye Stranger” and “Bloody Well Right”, has died at 81 after a decade-long battle with cancer, the band announced Sunday.


Issued on: 08/09/2025 
By: FRANCE 24

Supertramp rock band's founder, singer and musician Rick Davies performs on stage during a concert on October 18, 2010 at the Bercy POPB concert hall in Paris. © François Guillot, AFP
01:39

Rick Davies, who was co-founder and lead singer for British rock band Supertramp, has died at age 81 after a decade-long battle with cancer, the group announced Sunday.

As co-writer with partner Roger Hodgson, Davies was the voice and pianist behind Supertramp's most iconic songs, leaving a mark on rock music history with hits like "Goodbye Stranger" and "Bloody Well Right".

"His soulful vocals and unmistakable touch on the Wurlitzer became the heartbeat of the bands' sound," the band said, whose progressive rock was among the most successful in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Born in Swindon, England in 1944, Davies discovered his passion for music as a child listening to Gene Krupa's "Drummin' Man", which sparked a lifelong love of jazz, blues and rock 'n' roll.


In 2015, the singer announced he was suffering from multiple myeloma, a bone marrow cancer, and began "aggressive treatment" that forced Supertramp to cancel a European tour.

He then suffered from it for over a decade, and the band never performed again.

The singer died Saturday at his home on Long Island in the United States, according to Rolling Stone.

Supertramp achieved massive commercial success with albums including "Crime of the Century" (1974), "Crisis? What Crisis?" (1975), and their breakthrough "Breakfast in America" (1979), topping charts in the United States and Canada, winning two Grammys and selling over 18 million copies worldwide.

Supertramp was known for their art rock albums and theatrical live performances, helping define the progressive rock era alongside pioneering bands like Pink Floyd and Yes.

"Beyond the stage, Davies was known for his warmth, resilience and devotion to his wife Sue, with whom he shared over five decades of marriage," the band said.

After serious health challenges forced him to stop touring with Supertramp, Davies continued performing with his local group Ricky and the Rockets in his hometown, they added.

"Rick's music and legacy continue to inspire many and bears testament to the fact that great songs never die, they live on," the statement said.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

 

 

TRUMP'S RUBBER STAMP

US Supreme Court lifts restrictions on LA immigration raids

The US Supreme Court on Monday allowed government agents to resume roving patrols to detain migrants in California, a practice critics call racial profiling. The ruling bolsters President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration stance amid stepped-up raids in Los Angeles and other parts of the state.


Issued on: 09/09/2025 -
By: FRANCE 24

Demonstrators gather in front of the Federal building guarded by a mix of US marines and National guards, in Los Angeles, California on July 4, 2025. © Etienne Laurent, AFP

The US Supreme Court on Monday lifted an order preventing government agents from carrying out roving patrols to detain migrants in California, upholding at least for now a practice critics say amounts to racial profiling.

The decision is the latest ruling by the country's highest court in favor of President Donald Trump's increasingly hardline stance in the wake of ramped up raids across Los Angeles and other parts of California.

The conservative majority court announced the decision in an unsigned order that gave no reasons. Its three liberal members dissented. The case remains alive, however, in lower courts and could again end up before the highest court.

The ruling came after a lower court said agents must have specific reasons to arrest people, beyond their speaking Spanish or gathering in places popular with those seeking casual work, and issued an order banning the practice.


Opponents immediately slammed Monday's ruling, with California Governor Gavin Newsom saying it was a deliberate attempt to hurt the state and its diverse people.

"Trump's hand-picked Supreme Court majority just became the Grand Marshal for a parade of racial terror in Los Angeles," said Newsom.

"This isn't about enforcing immigration laws - it's about targeting Latinos and anyone who doesn't look or sound like Stephen Miller's idea of an American," he said, referring to the architect of Trump's immigration enforcement policy.

"Trump's private police force now has a green light to come after your family - and every person is now a target."

USA: 'Trump is a wannabe dictator' says Illinois Governor 

on National Guard deployments © France 24
01:48



Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described the ruling as an "attack" on civil liberties.

"The rule of law used to mean something not just to us, but to the Supreme Court, but now, with the stroke of a pen, the Supreme Court has undermined the rights of millions," she said.

Earlier this year masked and heavily armed agents began targeting groups of people at home improvement stores, car washes or on farms around Los Angeles, sparking weeks of mostly peaceful protests in the city.

Critics said the raids -- which swept up a number of US citizens, as well as others in the country legally -- were bluntly aimed at anyone who appeared to be Latino or who was speaking Spanish.

Even after the stay order was issued, agents continued to push the boundaries.

In one high-profile case last month ICE agents grabbed more than a dozen people outside a Los Angeles home furnishings store in a "Trojan Horse" raid.

Read moreProtests over Trump's immigration raids spread across the US

Agents sprang from the back of a rented moving truck in an episode filmed by embedded journalists from Fox News.

Last month a three-judge panel denied a government appeal to overturn the judge's original order, after rights groups argued that the raids appeared to be arresting people largely based on their race.

While the Supreme Court did not state reasons for its decision, one of the conservative justices, Brett Kavanaugh, wrote a concurring opinion in which he said "illegal immigration is especially pronounced in the Los Angeles area."

One of the three liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina named to the court, dissented.

"We should not have to live in a country where the Government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and appears to work a low wage job," she wrote.

"The Constitution does not permit the creation of such a second-class citizenship status."

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

'Frankly outrageous': Dem slams court for using 'shadow docket' to hand Trump another win

Robert Davis

September 8, 2025 

RAW STORY

CNN screenshot

Democratic strategist Neera Tanden slammed the Supreme Court's decision on Monday to allow immigration officials to use race to decide who to target for immigration actions.

Neera Tanden, CEO of the Center for American Progress, joined CNN's "NewsNight with Abby Phillip" on Monday to discuss the Supreme Court's ruling. Tanden argued that it the court should give a "rationalization" of its decision because of the magnitude of the case.

"The fact that they are providing these decisions without any explanation, while Justice Amy Coney Barrett has time to write a memoir but not a decision, on an issue that affects all of our rights, is frankly outrageous," Tanden said.

"And the truth is, we have no idea whether the Supreme Court is basically sanctioning a system where everyone who is Brown has to come with papers," she continued. "ICE officers can go after every single person. We don't know whether the limit of this decision is or not because they didn't give us any rationalization."

Watch the entire clip below or by clicking here.

'Horrifying': Supreme Court's 'insane' new ruling sparks immediate outrage

Travis Gettys
September 8, 2025 

ALTERNET

 U.S. Supreme Court justices pose for their group portrait at the Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., October 7, 2022. Seated (L-R): Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., Samuel A. Alito, Jr. and Elena Kagan. Standing (L-R): Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson

. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

Legal experts were aghast Monday at a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows immigration agents to continue using racial profiling to stop and detain suspected undocumented migrants.

The court's conservative majority issued a decision without explanation blocking a federal judge's ruling that restricted federal agents' ability to carry out "roving patrols" in the Los Angeles area in response to an emergency request filed by President Donald Trump's administration, drawing a furious dissent from Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

“We should not have to live in a country where the Government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and appears to work a low wage job. Rather than stand idly by while our constitutional freedoms are lost, I dissent,” she wrote.

The liberal justice argued the Constitution's Fourth Amendment, which protects against unlawful searches and seizures, should apply to everyone.

"After today, that may no longer be true for those who happen to look a certain way, speak a certain way, and appear to work a certain type of legitimate job that pays very little," Sotomayor wrote.

The conservative majority did not explain the decision, but Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote a separate opinion casting doubt on whether a constitutional violation occurred in the challenges to the Trump mass deportation policy.

"Especially in an immigration case like this one, it is also important to stress the proper role of the Judiciary," he wrote. "The Judiciary does not set immigration policy or decide enforcement priorities."

Legal experts, historians and others lambasted Kavanaugh and the rest of the conservative majority.

"License for racial profiling on the basis of people speaking Spanish and with Kavanaugh saying ethnicity can be a 'relevant factor' in immigration stops," posted immigration advocate Thomas Kennedy. "Insane."

"SCOTUS: considering race as one factor in a college applicant's file is blatantly unconstitutional," said Steven Mazie, Supreme Court correspondent for The Economist. "ALSO SCOTUS: considering race as one factor in targeting whom to detain and deport is cool cool cool."

"The Supreme Court today gives Trump a license to engage in racial profiling, with Justice Kavanaugh writing in concurrence to expressly endorse ICE and Border Patrol targeting any Latinos they observe in Los Angeles speaking Spanish and then demanding their papers," added Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council.

"Only Justice Kavanaugh even bothers to write anything to justify this horrifying action," said legal blogger Chris Geidner. "And it is not in any way reassuring."

"Justice Kavanaugh agrees with the America Trump wants to create: One in which all brown people have to walk around with citizenship proof on them at all times, for when there is the inevitable 'papers please' stop," agreed X user Jeremy Wilcox. "This is bleak stuff."

"Justice Kavanaugh writes that ICE agents can use 'apparent ethnicity' and language spoken as a factor when deciding to detain people," added NPR correspondent Tom Dreisbeck. "That could have profound effects on Los Angeles County, where most people are non-white and most speak a language other than English at home."

"The high court’s majority offered no explanation for its decision to green light racial profiling nationwide," opined David J. Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute. "This is catastrophic for our freedoms and the lawlessness is bound to result in many illegal detentions of Americans and inevitably lead to violence."

"This is one good illustration why diversity on the court matters: Sotomayor can imagine a version of the world where this ruling would affect a younger version of herself, her family and people that look like her. Kavanaugh cannot," wrote University of Michigan professor Dan Moynihan.

"In her dissent today in the case over whether roving patrols of ICE agents in L.A. were stopping & detaining people without reasonable suspicion (Pedro Vasquez Perdomo case), Justice Sotomayor (joined by Kagan & Jackson) twice omitted the word 'respectfully' from her 'I dissent's," noted legal analyst Roger Parloff.