Bonus Episode: Reacting to the Epstein Files’ Release

Galaxy Brain

The Atlantic

Technology

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 20 December 2025

⏱️ 72 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Late on the Friday before Christmas—just hours before a deadline mandated by Congress, the Department of Justice released part of the trove of documents known colloquially as the Epstein files. The contents are, at different times, unnerving, enraging, banal, and heavily redacted. At The Atlantic, we’ve been up, poring over the documents to contextualize what they mean. In this special Galaxy Brain episode, Charlie Warzel is joined by Adrienne LaFrance, The Atlantic’s executive editor, and Isaac Stanley-Becker, a staff writer, to talk about the document dump. They share their findings, address the political fallout, and explore what, if anything, we can learn from what’s been released. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	When was the last time you indulged your desires, felt true Rangerover refinement?
0:04.8	The last time you felt total serenity, total confidence, no matter the terrain?
0:09.0	Limitless, effortless, peerless.
0:11.2	How far can Rangerover take you?
0:13.1	Rangerover, designed for distinction.
0:20.4	I'm Charlie Wurzel, and this is Galaxy Brain.
0:24.3	Yesterday, conspiracy theorists, politicians, investigative reporters, concerned bystanders,
0:31.8	they all got what they've long been asking for, at least partially.
0:37.2	The Department of Justice, as mandated by Congress,
0:40.7	has released the Epstein files, which is a massive multimedia tranche of documents. They include
0:47.3	files, more than 3,000 photos of Epstein's homes in New York City and in the Virgin Islands,
0:55.8	images of his house filled with art and photographs of nude and half-clothed women. There are photos of Epstein's
1:01.6	jet-setting lifestyle, a number of which depict Epstein and his associate Galane Maxwell
1:06.7	with former President Bill Clinton. In a statement on X yesterday, a spokesperson for Clinton said,
1:13.5	there are two types of people here.
1:15.5	The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light.
1:19.6	The second group continued relationships with him after.
1:22.6	We're in the first.
1:24.7	This information that has been released has been held by different sections of federal law enforcement.
1:29.5	And for the last month, according to CNN, lawyers at the Department of Justice's National
1:34.0	Security Division have been pouring over these files.
1:37.2	They've been trying to comply with dueling directives to either release the information for
	...

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