Originally published at: https://peakprosperity.com/daily-digest/bondi-clashes-with-congress-in-epstein-hearing-trump-pushes-coal-revival-via-pentagon-order/
Epstein Files
During a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Attorney General Pam Bondi defended President Trump amid questions on the Justice Department’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein files. She clashed with Democrats including Reps. Jamie Raskin, Ted Lieu, Pramila Jayapal, Jerry Nadler, and Zoe Lofgren, as well as Republican Rep. Thomas Massie. Bondi deflected questions on co-conspirators and redactions that exposed victims’ names and photos while obscuring names such as Les Wexner, listed in a 2019 FBI document as an alleged abuser. She shifted to topics including stock market gains, crime rates, and prior administrations, referring to critics as “washed-up losers” and “hypocrites.” Epstein survivors seated behind her raised hands when Rep. Jayapal asked if Trump’s DOJ had never met with them. Bondi declined to face them directly or detail investigations, stating errors were corrected quickly, no client list exists, and no further releases were warranted as of July 2025. The hearing drew bipartisan criticism, with Rep. Massie describing the file handling as “criminal negligence.”
Meanwhile, the DOJ is reportedly tracking all document searches, opens, and reviews by Congress members, including timestamps.
Energy
President Donald Trump plans to issue an executive order directing the Pentagon to purchase electricity from coal-fired plants under the 1950 Defense Production Act, citing national security reasons. The order reportedly includes $175 million in federal funds to upgrade six coal plants in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and North Carolina. Coal generated less than 20 percent of U.S. electricity in recent data from the Energy Information Administration. The White House cited coal’s role during peak demand periods, such as recent winter storms. The Tennessee Valley Authority announced it would retain two coal plants beyond their planned 2035 closure to address growing power needs. Critics described the order as a taxpayer-funded subsidy for the coal industry that could raise electricity prices and increase pollution.
Relatedly, India’s government think tank NITI Aayog projects coal demand could more than double to 2.615 billion tons by 2050 under current policies, up from 1.256 billion tons in 2025, and remain elevated through 2070 despite renewables growth. Coal’s share in power generation would fall from 73 percent in 2025 to 47 percent by 2070, according to the projections. In a net-zero scenario targeting 2070, demand would reach 1.827 billion tons by mid-century before dropping. Officials cited coal’s necessity for baseload reliability amid renewable expansion and heatwave risks.
A U.K. think tank report from the Institute of Economic Affairs estimates net-zero transition costs through 2050 at £7.6 trillion, exceeding the Climate Change Commission’s £108 billion figure. The estimate draws on National Energy System Operator data and market analyses, and challenges assumptions on renewables, offshore wind, electric vehicles, and borrowing rates. Figures including INEOS chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe and former Brexit minister Lord Frost have criticized the transition’s economic impacts and deindustrialization risks. The U.K. Department for Energy Security and Net Zero rejected the higher estimate, citing potential annual savings of £36 billion from reduced fossil fuel exposure.
Japan restarted a 1,356-megawatt advanced boiling water reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Niigata Prefecture on February 9. The facility, the world’s largest with 8.2 gigawatts capacity and operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company, had been offline since the 2011 Fukushima disaster despite sustaining no damage. The reactor achieved criticality after safety checks by the Nuclear Regulation Authority. A prior restart attempt in January halted due to a control rod alarm, with full power generation expected by February 16. The restart supports Japan’s goal to increase nuclear’s share to 20 percent by 2040 amid rising AI data center demands and fossil fuel import costs. Safety advocates, including Friends of the Earth Japan, cited ongoing concerns over control rod issues and seismic risks near fault lines.
Geopolitics
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated Moscow would adhere to expired New START nuclear limits if the U.S. does the same, without rapid arsenal expansion. The treaty expired this month without renewal after Putin proposed a one-year extension for broader talks including China. Trump has called New START flawed, citing Russia’s blocked inspections, while Sen. Rubio emphasized including China’s growing stockpile for modern arms control.
Meanwhile, China rejected U.S. accusations of conducting an underground nuclear test on June 22, 2020, with yields in hundreds of tonnes, calling it a pretext for Washington to end the testing moratorium after New START’s expiry. Spokesperson Lin Jian accused the U.S. of smearing China’s policy to avoid disarmament obligations and undermine global stability. U.S. Undersecretary Thomas DiNanno cited the claim during talks in Geneva as justification for parallel steps.
US Politics
President Trump has advocated eliminating Senate blue slips, a practice allowing home-state senators input on judicial nominees. Republicans have confirmed 33 Article III judges since his second term began, surpassing his first-term total. Recent weeks included half a dozen approvals, drawing Democratic complaints over the practice’s use as a veto. Some GOP senators, such as Thom Tillis, have cautioned against removal due to future reciprocity concerns, while Trump allies described it as outdated following Democratic changes in 2013.
The Federal Aviation Administration reopened El Paso airspace after an overnight closure on February 10 due to security concerns, initially planned for 10 days and covering parts of neighboring New Mexico. The restriction halted commercial, cargo, and general aviation flights at El Paso International Airport, which handled over four million passengers in 2024, with Southwest Airlines operating 45 percent of departures. Authorities warned of potential use of deadly force against threats. Alternative reports attributed the closure to a test mishap in which party balloons were mistaken for drones.
Technology
AI development in 2025 included releases such as OpenAI’s GPT-5.3 Codex and Anthropic’s Opus 4.6. These models can reportedly handle complex tasks autonomously, including writing tens of thousands of lines of code, testing applications, and iterating designs from plain English descriptions. An AI startup founder stated that such systems now exhibit judgment and taste surpassing human levels in coding, eliminating the need for technical work. Progress metrics from METR indicate autonomous task durations doubling every seven months, from hours to projected days within a year. Labs including Anthropic and OpenAI reportedly use AI to develop subsequent versions. Builders anticipate capabilities exceeding most humans across cognitive tasks by 2026-2027, potentially impacting fields from law and finance to medicine and design, with entry-level white-collar jobs at risk in one to five years. Skeptics countered that AI continues to lack human empathy, reliable judgment, and freedom from hallucinations in complex domains.
Privacy & Surveillance
A bipartisan “Kids Off Social Media Act,” backed by Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Kim Schrier, and Sens. Ted Cruz and Brian Schatz, would ban accounts for children under 13, restrict algorithmic recommendations for those under 17, and mandate age verification with data erasure. Platforms would face FTC and state enforcement for user-generated content sites. The bill does not explicitly require government IDs, but critics contend it would necessitate biometrics, identity brokers, or constant data collection, eroding anonymity and enabling mandatory digital IDs, similar to measures in Australia and the U.K.
Sources
Trump to Order Pentagon to Buy Coal Power for National Security
Trump to Order Pentagon to Buy Coal Power for National Security
Source | Submitted by jhughes1973
India’s Coal Demand Could Double by 2050 Under Current Policies
India’s coal demand could more than double by 2050 from current levels under current policies
Source | Submitted by jhughes1973
£7.6 Trillion Net Zero Bombshell: Think Tank Torpedoes Official Cost Estimates
a staggering £7.6 trillion
Source | Submitted by jhughes1973
AI’s Imminent Revolution: It Ate My Job, Yours Is Next
We’re telling you what already occurred in our own jobs, and warning you that you’re next.
Source | Submitted by Gigi Ryan
Bondi’s Fiery Trump Defense Overshadows Epstein Files Reckoning
“You sit here and you attack the president and I’m not going to have it.”
Source | Submitted by Shplad
El Paso Airspace Reopens After Overnight Security Closure
The airspace in El Paso, Texas, is now open again following a closure overnight.
Source | Submitted by A1Topgun
Japan Restarts World’s Largest Nuclear Plant 15 Years After Fukushima
Japan resumed operations at the world’s largest nuclear power plant this week, marking a key development in the country’s return to nuclear energy almost 15 years after the Fukushima disaster.
China Slams US Nuclear Test Claims as Pretext for Breaking Moratorium
Beijing Blasts Washington For Fabricating Excuses To Restart Nuclear Testing
Trump Pushes to Scrap Senate Blue Slips Amid GOP’s Record Judge Confirmations
Trump Pushes To End Senate ‘Blue Slips’ As GOP Confirms Judges At Record Pace
Bondi Erupts in Epstein Files Firefight with Massie and Democrats
This coverup spans decades, and you are responsible for this portion.
Russia to Honor Expired New START Limits—If US Does Too
Moscow will in good faith stick to the nuclear limits outlined in the now-expired arms control treaty, provided Washington does the same.
Bipartisan “Kids Off Social Media Act” Opens Door to Mandatory Digital IDs, Critics Warn
Kids Off Social Media Act opens the door to digital ID by default.
Epstein Survivors Unanimous: Trump’s DOJ Never Met with Them, Jayapal Reveals
“Please note for the record that every single survivor has raised their hand.”
Source | Submitted by Chris Martenson
DOJ Tracks Every Epstein Document Search by Congress Members
DOJ is tracking the Epstein documents Members of Congress search for, open, and review.
In addition to sources submitted by community members, the following were also used in the creation of this report: Yahoo News, UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Institute of Economic Affairs, Friends of the Earth Japan, Dr. Thomas Carr O.P., CSThomas, Egon Alter, Rep. Thomas Massie, KRWG Public Media, Action News 5.
