Duolingo’s chief business officer Meese sells $256k in stock
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Chief Business Officer of Duolingo, Meese, sells $256k worth of stock
Poland Accuses Russian-Backed Ukrainians of Railway Sabotage
new video loaded: Poland Pins Railway Sabotage on Russian-Backed Ukrainians
Poland said two Ukrainians working with Russia were responsible for two devices on the train tracks of a main supply line to Ukraine, with one causing a minor explosion.
November 18, 2025
House votes overwhelmingly to release Epstein files in strong criticism of Trump
The House voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill Tuesday to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a remarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from President Donald Trump and Republican leadership.
When a small, bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a petition in July to maneuver around House Speaker Mike Johnson’s control of which bills reach the House floor, it appeared a longshot effort — especially as Trump urged his supporters to dismiss the matter as a “hoax.”
But both Trump and Johnson failed in their efforts to prevent the vote. Now the president has bowed to the growing momentum behind the bill and even said he will sign it if it also passes the Senate. Moments after the House vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said his chamber will act swiftly on the bill.
The bill passed the House 427-1, with the only no vote coming from Rep. Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican who is a fervent supporter of Trump. He said in a statement that he opposed the bill because it could release information on innocent people mentioned in the federal investigation.
The decisive, bipartisan work in Congress Tuesday further showed the pressure mounting on lawmakers and the Trump administration to meet long-held demands that the Justice Department release its case files on Epstein, a well-connected financier who killed himself in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial in 2019 on charges he sexually abused and trafficked underage girls.
“These women have fought the most horrific fight that no woman should have to fight. And they did it by banding together and never giving up,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene as she stood with some of the abuse survivors outside the Capitol Tuesday morning.
“That’s what we did by fighting so hard against the most powerful people in the world, even the president of the United States, in order to make this vote happen today,” added Greene, a Georgia Republican and longtime Trump loyalist.
The bill’s passage would be a pivotal moment in a yearslong push by the survivors for accountability for Epstein’s abuse and reckoning over how law enforcement officials failed to act under multiple presidential administrations.
A separate investigation conducted by the House Oversight Committee has released thousands of pages of emails and other documents from Epstein’s estate, showing his connections to global leaders, Wall Street powerbrokers, influential political figures and Trump himself. In the United Kingdom, King Charles III stripped his disgraced brother Prince Andrew of his remaining titles and evicted him from his royal residence after pressure to act over his relationship with Epstein.
The bill forces the release within 30 days of all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison. It would allow the Justice Department to redact information about Epstein’s victims or continuing federal investigations, but not information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”
Trump’s reversal on the Epstein files
Trump has said he cut ties with Epstein years ago, but tried for months to move past the demands for disclosure.
Still, many in the Republican base have continued to demand the release of the files. Adding to that pressure, survivors of Epstein’s abuse rallied outside the Capitol Tuesday morning. Bundled in jackets against the November chill and holding photos of themselves as teenagers, they recounted their stories of abuse.
“We are exhausted from surviving the trauma and then surviving the politics that swirl around it,” said one of the survivors.
Another, Jena-Lisa Jones, said she had voted for Trump and had a message for the president: “I beg you Donald Trump, please stop making this political.”
The group of women also met with Johnson and rallied outside the Capitol in September, but have had to wait months for the vote.
That’s because Johnson kept the House closed for legislative business for nearly two months and refused to swear-in Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona during the government shutdown. After winning a special election on Sept. 23, Grijalva had pledged to provide the crucial 218th vote to the petition for the Epstein files bill. But only after she was sworn into office last week could she sign her name to the discharge petition to give it majority support in the 435-member House.
It quickly became obvious the bill would pass, and both Johnson and Trump began to fold. Trump on Sunday said Republicans should vote for the bill.
Yet Greene told reporters that Trump’s decision to fight the bill had betrayed his Make America Great Again political movement.
“Watching this turn into a fight has ripped MAGA apart,” she said.
How Johnson is handling the bill
Rather than waiting until next week for the discharge position to officially take effect, Johnson held the vote under a procedure that requires a two-thirds majority.
But Johnson also spent a morning news conference listing off problems that he sees with the legislation. He argued that the bill could have unintended consequences by disclosing parts of federal investigations that are usually kept private, including information on victims.
“This is a raw and obvious political exercise,” Johnson said.
Still, he voted for the bill. “None of us want to go on record and in any way be accused of not being for maximum transparency,” he explained.
Meanwhile, House Democrats celebrated the vote as a rare win. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries described it as “a complete and total surrender.”
Senate plans to act quickly
Even as the bill cleared his chamber, Johnson pressed for the Senate to amend the bill to protect the information of “victims and whistleblowers.” But Senate Majority Leader John Thune showed little interest in that notion, saying he doubted that “amending it is going to be in the cards.”
Thune said he would quickly assess senators’ views on the bill to see if there were any objections. He said the bill could be brought forward in the Senate as soon as Tuesday evening and almost certainly by the end of the week.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also indicated he would attempt to pass the bill Tuesday.
“The American people have waited long enough,” he said.
Meanwhile, the bipartisan pair who sponsored the bill, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., warned senators against doing anything that would “muck it up,” saying they would face the same public uproar that forced both Trump and Johnson to back down.
“We’ve needlessly dragged this out for four months,” Massie said, adding that those raising problems with the bill “are afraid that people will be embarrassed. Well, that’s the whole point here.”
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Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Joey Cappelletti, Matt Brown, Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledges trillion-dollar investments with US
During a White House visit, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman promised to invest almost a trillion dollars in new partnerships with the US, including in technology and AI.
Published On 18 Nov 2025
“LeBron James and Stephen Curry Mark the Close of an Olympic Era in Basketball” – Basketball Insiders
Stars Reflect on 2028 and Beyond
LeBron James and Stephen Curry have given fans a clear message about their Olympic futures — and neither expects to suit up for Team USA in 2028. During the latest episode of their “Mind the Game” podcast, co-hosted by Steve Nash, both future Hall of Famers explained why the Los Angeles Games will not feature them on the court.
James, who will be 43 during the 2028 Olympics, closed the door completely. “You already know my answer,” he said. “I will be watching it.” His comment ends any lingering speculation about whether he might attempt one final national team run.
Curry, who will be 40 by the time the Games begin, did not rule it out with the same finality. However, he made it clear that playing in 2028 is very unlikely. “God willing, I still have the choice and physical option where I could impact the team,” Curry said. “Never say never, but I highly doubt it. Highly doubt it.”
A Legendary Olympic Résumé
James’ four Olympic appearances include a bronze medal in 2004 and gold medals in 2008, 2012, and 2024. His impact on Team USA spans two decades, from his early years as a rising star to his leadership role in the most recent gold-medal run in Paris.
Curry entered the Olympic stage later, making his debut in 2024. His performance in the gold medal game became an instant classic. He delivered clutch shooting to help the United States defeat France and reclaim Olympic dominance.
Why 2024 Was the Perfect Final Chapter
For both players, the 2024 Olympics appear to have provided the ideal closing moment. The U.S. team, stacked with elite talent, delivered dramatic wins to secure gold. James reflected on that run during the podcast. “We can’t top what we just did,” he said. “How we gonna top those last two games?”
With age, health considerations, and an already complete Olympic legacy, both stars see little reason to return in 2028. Their decisions mark the end of an era for Team USA, but they also pave the way for a new generation of stars to take over on home soil.
As the countdown to Los Angeles begins, the conversation shifts from what James and Curry won’t do to which rising players will step into the spotlight next.
The Impact of Influence, the Dominance of Music’s ‘Big Three’, and the Looming Threat of a Brain Drain
As a marquee executive leaves Warner Music Group, the firm’s industry positioning warrants pause for thought
Earrings with Health-Tracking Features Monitor Blood Flow to Your Head
In recent years, there has been a growing trend in wearable technology: trackers that look like a fashion accessory and yet are smart enough to help us understand our bodies better. If you’ve ever wondered what comes next after watches and rings, Lumia, an engineering firm from Boston, has just announced its new product – Lumia 2 smart earrings. It took six years to develop, and the result is a tracker that looks like a piece of fine jewellery and provides health data no other wearable has offered before.
Does the feeling of standing up too fast and suddenly getting lightheaded sound familiar? Tracking your blood flow can explain why this is happening, and that’s what sets Lumia 2 apart from other similar devices. With its infrared light sensor, an electronics platform in the back of the left earring measures arterial blood flow in a shallow ear artery – the closest one to the brain.
Lumia Health
Most trackers use green light and measure superficial capillaries at the wrist or finger, providing less precise data. Lumia 2 detects drops in blood flow to the head, and this is a crucial factor affecting our energy, focus, and how we generally feel throughout the day. Blood flow changes constantly, and it depends on many things that are easy to control: how heavy your dinner was, how much water and coffee you drank, when you slept, and when you exercised. These changes are pretty hard to measure regularly, which is exactly the problem that Lumia 2 is claimed to solve.
“If wearables are going to help with managing chronic conditions at home – which account for 90% of US healthcare spending – they need clinical-grade data, and the ear is the ideal place to get it. Smart rings were the next evolution after watches; smart earrings are the leap that finally unlocks the healthcare future wearables have been promising for over a decade,” Daniel Lee, Cofounder and CEO of Lumia, told us.
The creators also note that the device isn’t just for people with chronic blood flow disorders – everyone can benefit from knowing and understanding their blood flow patterns. And besides that, Lumia 2 still includes all the standard metrics we are used to: heart rate, sleep tracking, daily readiness, and body temperature.
Lumia Health
Made from non-allergenic materials such as platinum and titanium, the earrings come in a variety of styles – Huggie Hoops, Cuffs, or Ball Studs – and will be available in Gold, Silver, and Clear finishes. The smart Core, which sits behind the left ear and contains the sensors, battery, and processors, can also be attached to any earring, so there is no need to replace your favorite pair.
Lumia also claims that its new product is the world’s smallest wearable, with the single “active” earring weighing just 1 gram and being one-fifth the size of an AirPod. To me, that sounds like something I would lose on Day One, but it seems that the engineering team thought of that – the earrings feature a back-locking system that keeps them very secure.
They are designed to be worn 24/7, whether you’re sleeping, exercising, or showering. Even charging can be done without taking them off – the device uses modular swappable batteries that can be easily removed and replaced. One battery pack lasts five to eight days, which is not bad compared to most wearables.
Lumia Health
You might think that, due to its design, the Lumia 2 is aimed only at women, but that’s not quite true.
“Like Oura Ring, the large majority of our members are women and going to continue to be even more so as we lean into Smart Earrings. However, we do have the ear cuff option that doesn’t require a piercing, which we will offer in a matte titanium and clear color to be very discreet. The clear cuff is what I personally wear as a dude. So yes, it’ll be more popular with women but will not be exclusively for women – we will offer cool options for men as well,” Daniel told us.
The original Lumia 1 was developed with researchers at Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Duke University for Long COVID and POTS patients, but it is important to note that the Lumia 2 is not a medical device and is not intended for diagnosis or treatment. It’s designed to help us better understand our bodies and direct us towards healthier daily habits.
The product only works with a subscription, which gets you access to all the features and free hardware upgrades for US$9.99 per month. The expected retail price of Lumia 2 itself is $249. You can reserve a set – including one active earring and one matching inactive earring – via the company website.
Source: Lumia Health
Mother and child’s bodies discovered in freezers after going missing in Austria
Getty ImagesThe bodies of a 34-year-old woman and her daughter, 10, have been found inside freezers in an apartment in western Austria.
The remains of the Syrian woman and child, who had been missing for several months, were discovered on Friday. The freezers were hidden behind a drywall partition in the flat, located in the city of Innsbruck.
Two men, a 55-year-old Austrian and his 53-year-old brother, were arrested in June. The older man, a colleague of the Syrian woman, told police last week there had been an accident – but denied murder.
Speaking to reporters earlier, Hansjörg Mayr, a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office, said the pair were being held on “strong suspicion of murder”.
The names of those involved have not been released by police, in accordance with Austrian law.
The family’s disappearance was first reported by the woman’s cousin, who lives in Germany, on 25 July 2024.
Police said the woman’s colleague – the 55-year-old man – told them at the time she had gone on an extended trip with her child to visit her parents in Turkey.
Her bank card was then found to have been used abroad several times.
But when police searched the woman’s home, her mobile phone was found.
A witness also reported hearing a loud noise in the apartment, and cries of “mama”, on the day the two were thought to have disappeared.
A wider police investigation was launched, with officers discovering various messages sent from the woman’s phone – including a resignation letter to her employer and messages to the male colleague.
Authorities said a four-figure sum was also transferred to the man.
Katja Tersch, head of the State Criminal Police Office in Tyrol, told reporters on Tuesday that a storage unit had been rented out before the victims’ disappearance and a freezer had been placed there.
The brothers removed the freezer from the unit on the day the woman and her child disappeared, Tersch said. And a week later, they acquired another freezer.
Authorities say they believe this suggests the deaths were premeditated.
“The cause of death could not be determined due to the state of decomposition of the bodies,” Tersch said.
Mayr – of the public prosecutor’s office – said the exact sequence of events is not yet known, but the bodies were professionally hidden and not discovered during a previous house search.
While the brothers were arrested in June, it was not until 12 November that the 55-year-old admitted to an incident and to hiding the bodies. He denies any intent to kill, authorities said.
Meanwhile, his younger brother admitted to a cover-up but denied knowledge of a homicide.
The pair are currently in pre-trial detention in prisons in Innsbruck and Salzburg, around 117 miles (189km) apart.
In a joint statement, Austria’s Minister for Women Eva-Maria Holzleitner and Justice Minister Anna Sporrer said the “alleged double murder… represents the sudden and brutal end of two human lives and exposes a cruel system”.
“Women and girls are being murdered due to the mere fact that they are women and girls,” they continued.
“Femicides are a deeply rooted and society-wide problem that we must fight resolutely.”
The White House hosts meeting between President Trump and Saudi crown prince
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Donald Trump has welcomed Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House with a 21-gun salute, a Marine band and a military flyover, underscoring the strengthening of US relations with the kingdom in the president’s second term.
The crown prince and Trump are expected to seal a series of deals covering defence, artificial intelligence and nuclear energy — including an unprecedented sale of F-35 fighter jets — over the course of the two-day visit, which will feature a day-long US-Saudi business forum on Wednesday.
“Thanks to our dealmaker-in-chief, the United States secured $600bn in historic investments during the President’s visit to Saudi Arabia earlier this year, and Americans can expect more good deals for our country spanning technology, manufacturing, critical minerals, defence, and more,” White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement on Tuesday.
The lavish welcome for the Saudi crown prince — attended by top cabinet officials, a line of trumpeters on the White House balcony and US Marines on horseback — also underscored the rehabilitation of a US-Saudi partnership badly frayed by the 2018 murder by Saudi agents of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Trump, who has openly courted investment from the oil-rich Gulf, chose Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, for his first trip abroad this year as president.
For Prince Mohammed the reciprocal visit to Washington — his first in eight years — is intended to further strengthen decades of co-operation between Riyadh and Washington, cementing the kingdom’s place as a critical partner on regional security and energy.
The crown prince is also seeking access to US technology, co-operation on Riyadh’s nascent nuclear programme and foreign investment to back his ambitious plans to develop the kingdom and reduce its dependence on oil.
A Trump administration official said the two leaders would make announcements on a “multibillion-dollar investment in America’s AI infrastructure,” co-operation to develop Saudi Arabia’s civil nuclear programme, and “fulfilments” of Prince Mohammed’s previously pledged $600bn investment, announced during Trump’s visit to Riyadh. That included a $142bn defence deal that the White House described as the single largest arms sale in history.
A host of American and Saudi CEOs are expected to attend a black-tie dinner for the Saudi delegation at the White House on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, Trump will host a US-Saudi business forum.
Trump said on Monday he planned to approve the kingdom’s request to buy “a lot” of F-35s, the US’s most advanced stealth fighter. The decision is expected to meet fierce opposition from pro-Israel lobbyists and some lawmakers.
The military flyover that welcomed the crown prince to the White House included three F-35s.
The high-profile visit comes at a sensitive political moment for Trump, who is battling low approval ratings, dissatisfaction with his handling of inflation and pressure to release documents related to late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The president’s domestic opponents have also attacked his blurring of family business interests with US foreign policy. Democrats have accused Trump of leveraging his office to generate income for his family’s companies, and of jeopardising US national security by allowing sales of critical technology.
The true expense of American car batteries
We followed the supply chain for batteries used in millions of U.S. cars to villages in Nigeria where people are being poisoned by lead. Peter S. Goodman, who covers economics and geopolitics for The Times, describes our yearlong investigation.
By Peter S. Goodman, Will Fitzgibbon, Melanie Bencosme, Finbarr O’Reilly, Jon Miller, June Kim, Laura Salaberry and Carmen Abd Ali
November 18, 2025