Epstein Files Fallout, Charlotte Immigration Patrols, Economic Impact Of Shutdown

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🗓️ 14 November 2025

⏱️ 13 minutes

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Summary

The White House is calling the recent trove of Epstein documents a "distraction" as both Democratic and Republican lawmakers call for the full release of the Epstein files. In Charlotte, North Carolina, city leaders and residents are scrambling after last-minute notice that Border Patrol agents could arrive within days. And economists warn the government shutdown left lasting scars on the U.S. economy, from lost wages to missing federal data that may never be recovered.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	President Trump ends the week in conflict with the House of Representatives.
0:05.8	A meeting in the White House situation room was just one of the tactics used in response to a new eruption of questions about Jeffrey Epstein.
0:13.3	How does this end?
0:14.2	I'm Steve Inskeep with Laila Faddle, and this is up first from NPR News.
0:20.8	Border Patrol agents are packing up in Chicago.
0:24.1	Charlotte, North Carolina is preparing for their arrival.
0:27.5	City leaders say they got almost no details.
0:30.4	The public has the right to know what's happening and why it's happening.
0:35.4	What's driving this sudden move and why Charlotte?
0:37.9	And economists are tallying the cost of the longest government shutdown in American history.
0:43.2	Our estimate of the White House is that each week that we were shut down is worth about $15 million off of GDP.
0:50.0	Is some of that money lost forever?
0:52.2	Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day.
1:00.7	President Trump is finishing this week in conflict with a majority of the House of Representatives.
1:06.0	That conflict emerged just as the House returned to work and reopened the government. Some Republicans
1:11.8	joined Democrats to revive discussions of Jeffrey Epstein. As we have reported, a House committee
1:17.1	released 23,000 documents about the convicted sex offender. The more than 1,000 mentions of
1:23.2	Trump in those documents include an email saying Trump spent hours at Epstein's house with a victim and another in which Epstein says Trump, quote, knew about the girls.
1:33.0	To discuss the White House's response, we have NPR White House correspondent Deepa Sheperam with us. Good morning.
1:39.1	Hey, Leila.
1:39.9	Hey, so the release of these documents has been a key demand of the president's supporters.
1:45.3	What's the reaction been to this latest release of files?
	...

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