Regarding Trump’s so-called flipflop regarding the Epstein files — apparently he was informed that the House will pass the bill ordering a release of the files. So, he “magnanimously” said the House should go ahead and vote to release the files. He could have just ordered them released, of course. The only reason there needs to be a vote is him.

The bill still has to pass in the Senate. If it does, Trump will have prepared an excuse to veto the bill, or at least stuff it in a drawer and not sign it. For example, he could cite the ongoing investigation he ordered last week into Epstein’s relationships with Democrats. (And I’m sure if there were anything really juicy in them about anyone Trump doesn’t like it would have been leaked already.) See also David Kurtz at TPM.

There’s just been a development in the James Comey case. Last week the judge in the case complained that the grand jury records he was given appeared to be incomplete. As I understand it, this throws the indictment itself into doubt. You’ll remember the indictment was obtained by the possibly not properly appointed lawyer Lindsey Halligan, who had no prior experience with grand juries. She could have messed up in some way that would get the indictment thrown out of court.  Halligan and Pam Bondi insist the grand jury records given to the court are complete. But apparently the judge doesn’t believe them.

This morning the judge issued an order saying that the complete grand jury records must be given to him today.

ORDERED that, by 3:00 p.m. on November 17, 2025, the Clerk of Court shall make available to the defense all grand jury materials filed on the docket under seal by the government (ECF 179); and it is further ORDERED that the government shall, no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 17, 2025, produce to the defense the complete audio recording of the grand jury proceedings; and it is further ORDERED that the Clerk of Court shall file on the public docket the version of the Memorandum Opinion containing narrow redactions of grand jury material; and it is further ORDERED that the Clerk of Court shall maintain the unredacted version of the Memorandum Opinion under seal until further order of the Court as to James B. Comey, Jr. Signed by Magistrate Judge William E. Fitzpatrick on 11/17/2025. (jlan) (Entered: 11/17/2025)

So we’ll see what happens. I think the Comey case is doomed.

Stuff to read — Timothy Snyder, The Grift Bubble

Paul Krugman, The Plutocrats Who Cried “Commie”. It turns out nobody is fleeing New York because Zohran Mamdani was elected.

Michael Embrich, Rolling Stone, Trump Is Turning the Screws on Vets So the Rich Can Get Richer