News Wrap: Federal judge approves motion to unseal records in Ghislaine Maxwell investigation

In our news wrap on Tuesday, a federal judge allows a request to unseal records of the grand jury investigation into Ghislaine Maxwell, President Trump considers expanding U.S. military operations against drug trafficking targets, Honduras seeks to arrest the country’s former president, Ukraine’s president opens the door to elections, and Australia imposes a social media ban.

Jeff Bennett:

Today we start with other addresses in New York.

A federal judge has granted a Justice Department request to unseal records of a grand jury investigation into Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime associate. Judge Paul Engelmayer had rejected such requests in the past, but today he cited a new law signed by President Trump requiring the government to release files related to Epstein by December 19.

But he warned that the Maxwell files would not reveal anything new, noting that they did not reveal any hitherto unknown means or methods of Epstein or Maxwell’s crimes.

We now have an update to the story we brought you last month. The military has filed criminal charges against a gynecologist who was accused of secretly photographing patients. Dr. Blaine McGraw was charged with inappropriate video recording and conduct inappropriate for an officer, among other things.

It stems from his work at Fort Hood Army Base in Texas. Officials say there are a total of 44 victims. He is currently being held in a county jail in Texas.

President Trump is stepping up threats to expand US military operations against drug trafficking targets. In a wide-ranging interview with Politico magazine, Trump said he was open to action in Colombia and Mexico, and repeatedly refused to rule out a ground invasion in Venezuela.

This comes as administration officials briefed top lawmakers today on nearly two dozen military strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Democratic lawmakers are pressing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to release unedited video of the September strike in which two survivors were killed while clinging to the wreckage of their boat.

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York):

His answer: We have to study it.

Well, in my view, they’ve studied this long enough, and Congress should be able to see it. I told him that every member of Congress, and many members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, have the right to see it, want to see it, and should see it.

Jeff Bennett:

Also today, Navy Adm. Alvin Hulsey, who is retiring from leading the campaign to destroy alleged drug boats, held a separate secret video call with lawmakers.

Honduras is seeking to arrest the country’s former president, Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was pardoned by President Trump and released from a US prison last week. The Honduran prosecutor is asking authorities there and Interpol to execute a 2023 arrest warrant for Hernandez on fraud and money laundering charges.

He was sentenced last year to 45 years in prison for helping transport tons of cocaine into the United States. Trump announced his plan to pardon Hernandez just days before national elections in Honduras, claiming he had been unfairly treated by prosecutors.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is ready to hold elections within 90 days, but only if Ukraine’s American and European partners can help ensure security for such elections. Zelensky was criticized for remaining in office after his term ended last year.

Just today, President Trump said in a Politico interview that without elections in Ukraine – quote – “it’s going to get to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore.” Zelensky said it was unsafe to hold voting during war and pointed to the Ukrainian constitution, which prohibits holding elections while martial law is in effect.

But today he offered to work with that country’s parliament to change the law to allow voting.

Australia has officially launched the world’s first social media ban for under-16s. It is up to companies to decide how to enforce the ban. Ten platforms, including Instagram and TikTok, face fines of up to US$30 million if they fail to comply.

One high school student, part of a lawsuit challenging the ban, says it unfairly blocks his access to the wider world.

Noah Jones, Social Media Lawyer:

As young Australians, we will be completely silenced and isolated from our country and the rest of the world with this ban. We’ve grown up with this our whole lives, and now it’s suddenly taken from us.

Jeff Bennett:

The rollout is being closely watched by other countries considering similar measures amid global concerns about the impact of social media on children’s health and safety.

On Wall Street, stocks ended the day mixed ahead of tomorrow’s Fed interest rate decision. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 180 points during the day. The Nasdaq index was able to achieve modest gains of about 30 points. The S&P 500 is down just six points, and is roughly flat.

And the death of Raul Malo, lead singer of The Mavericks. He helped write some of the band’s most popular songs, including “There Goes My Heart” from 1994. He co-founded the Grammy Award-winning group in 1989 by fusing Latin American and Latino sounds.

Malo has brought his expansive, soulful sound to more than a dozen albums in both English and Spanish. He announced last year that he had stage 4 colon cancer. Raul Malo was 60 years old.