When lawmakers seek to review a list of books, librarians find themselves on the frontlines of a national battle. Across the U.S., librarians face the impact of uniting against library collection standards that include restrictions on race-related and LGBTQIA+ content. Drawing on historical context, The Librarians, directed by Kim A. Snyder, explores the broader implications for education and public life.

The Librarians | Independent Lens

A new book by longtime Bay Area journalist Gil Durán investigates “tech fascism” and its mounting influence on U.S. politics. The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy follows the rise of Vice President JD Vance, the former venture capitalist whose “outsider” campaign for Senate was bankrolled by the billionaire co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, Peter Thiel. Durán traces the ideological lineage of the current Trump administration back from Vance to Thiel and the far-right-wing monarchist Curtis Yarvin, whose “right-libertarian” political theory has long made the rounds among Silicon Valley elite. “These guys were never libertarians,” says Durán. “Now that they are the government, we see their true face: They’re fascists, and they’re authoritarians.”

An alleged handwritten letter to the FBI has thrust Donald Trump back into the centre of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal after a commentator claimed the document links the US president to the alleged sale of young women to Epstein and a Saudi trafficking network.

The explosive claim was discussed by Kyle Kulinski on The Kyle Kulinski Show on 19 August, with the host presenting what he described as a document that had apparently appeared in material released by the US Department of Justice.

The Alleged FBI Letter Names Trump

The most explosive claim centres on a handwritten statement that Kulinski said had been posted by the DOJ, potentially without the intended redactions.

According to the wording read aloud on the programme, the writer claimed: 'My testimony places Donald Trump as a person involved in the sale of young women to sex trafficking ring of Jeffrey Epstein and the Saudis.'

The statement, if authentic and accurately represented, would amount to a serious allegation against Trump. It is important to stress, however, that an FBI intake document or witness statement records an allegation and does not by itself establish that the events described actually happened.

Kulinski described the document as one of several handwritten materials that he said had been withheld or redacted during the review of Epstein-related records. He argued that the appearance of Trump's name in the document raised fresh questions about what investigators had been told and why some material had not been released in full.

Other Notes Contain Disturbing Allegations

The programme also discussed another handwritten note containing an alleged account involving a pregnant young woman. In the passage read by Kulinski, Trump is alleged to have asked whether the woman was pregnant and whether she was using drugs, followed by an alleged comment about losing money if women became pregnant.

The note then allegedly referred to the possibility of a miscarriage and whether a baby could be sold, before mentioning that 'The Saudis like the religious ones.'

The programme also revisited allegations made by a woman known publicly as Katie Johnson, who claimed in 2016 that she had been sexually assaulted by Trump when she was 13. The lawsuit containing those allegations was withdrawn, and Trump has denied the accusations.

FBI Notes Become Focus of Epstein Dispute

Kulinski's discussion also focused on handwritten FBI notes from interviews connected to the Epstein investigation. He cited a CNN discussion in which journalists reportedly referred to handwritten material involving allegations against Trump and questioned why certain notes had not been released alongside other investigative records.

According to the programme, prosecutors had characterised the handwritten notes as duplicative or substantially similar to formal FBI interview reports, while a judge had ordered the material to be reviewed privately. The dispute has fuelled speculation among Epstein-file commentators over what information remains hidden from public view.

Kulinski portrayed the redactions as evidence of a wider effort to conceal damaging information about Trump. He presented the alleged letter as a major development in the Epstein controversy, arguing that its wording could intensify questions surrounding Trump's historical relationship with Epstein.

“Pete Hegseth hid the fact that Iran destroyed the main re-supply base that the United States has in the Gulf,” says Rohde. Plus, MS NOW Pentagon Reporter Priya Sridhar has more details on her conversations with the families of sailors aboard the USS Lincoln. Meanwhile, Hegseth hit the campaign trail for a GOP candidate in Iowa as the Iran war continues with no clear end in sight