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New Mexico reopens investigation of Epstein ranch

February 19, 2026 11:39 PM UTC / Reuters

Zorro Ranch, one of the properties of financier Jeffrey Epstein, is seen in an aerial view near Stanley, New Mexico, U.S., July 15, 2019. REUTERS/Drone Base/File Photo [Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab]

• Summary

• New Mexico AG reopens criminal investigation of alleged crimes at Epstein ranch
• State legislature has also launched separate probe of Zorro Ranch
• New owner of former Epstein property says he plans to turn ranch into a Christian retreat

Feb 19 (Reuters) – New Mexico’s attorney general on Thursday ordered the reopening of the state’s criminal investigation into alleged crimes at a ranch owned by late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, based on new information made public by the U.S. Justice Department, the state’s Department of Justice said.

The U.S. Justice Department on January 30 made public millions of Epstein-related files in the latest release that sheds new light on the financier’s criminal activities in New Mexico over three decades.

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New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez ordered the reopening of the investigation of Epstein’s ranch south of state capital Santa Fe after his predecessor, fellow Democrat Hector Balderas, closed it in 2019 to avoid overlap with federal probes. Pressure to uncover Epstein’s crimes has become a political headache for President Donald Trump, a Republican.

“Revelations outlined in the previously sealed FBI files warrant further examination,” New Mexico Department of Justice spokesperson Lauren Rodriguez said in a statement.

The renewed probe comes two days after New Mexico’s Democratic-controlled legislature launched what lawmakers said was the first comprehensive investigation into Epstein’s alleged crimes at Zorro Ranch, which is 30 miles (48 km) south of Santa Fe.

The lawmakers have opened a committee that will take testimony at the state house. The investigation announced on Thursday is a separate, criminal probe and led by the state’s top prosecutor.

As part of the New Mexico criminal investigation, special agents and prosecutors will seek immediate access to the U.S. Department of Justice’s complete, unredacted case file on Epstein and work collaboratively with the legislature’s investigative committee, Rodriguez said.

The criminal investigation will include the “collection and preservation of any relevant evidence that remains available,” she added.

The U.S. Justice Department and FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Epstein died in what was ruled a suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while facing federal sex trafficking charges.

Zorro Ranch was sold by Epstein’s estate in 2023 to Texas businessman and politician Don Huffines. A spokesperson for Huffines, in a statement, said the owners had never been approached by law enforcement requesting access to the ranch, but would “grant full and complete cooperation” in the event they were.

In a social media post on Monday, Huffines said he planned to turn the ranch into a Christian retreat.

The New Mexico Department of Justice on Wednesday said it was investigating an allegation, which emerged from the U.S. Department of Justice release, that Epstein ordered the burial of the bodies of two foreign girls on hills outside Zorro Ranch.

Reporting by Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico; Additional reporting by Erica Stapleton in Phoenix, Arizona, Editing by Donna Bryson and Matthew Lewis

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Massie faces backlash over Epstein demand, critics suggest he should ‘seriously reconsider’ Congress

By Elizabeth Elkind, Leo Briceno | Fox News
Published February 19, 2026 6:00pm EST

The right-wing sphere has been divided over Rep Thomas Massie’s actions

President Donald Trump’s top House GOP critic admitted in a recent interview that he once offered Republican leaders his vote in exchange for a public expression of gratitude for his role in forcing the disclosure of the federal government’s Jeffrey Epstein files.

It’s a move that has drawn backlash from at least one of his fellow House Republicans and others in the right-wing sphere.

“Anyone who uses the victims of Epstein’s horrific sexual abuse to advance a political agenda or chase public recognition should seriously reconsider their line of work,” said Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis.

In an interview with Politico earlier this week, Massie said he had made the offer when the speaker had approached him for his support on a key vote.

LAWMAKERS ESCALATE EPSTEIN PROBE WITH POSSIBLE BILL GATES SUBPOENA

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., arrives for a House vote on Feb. 3, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“One day, they needed my vote, and I offered to give them my vote if [Johnson] would issue a press release thanking me for my good work on the Epstein Files Transparency Act. That’s all I required to get my vote. And I think he probably went and gave somebody else a bill to pass instead of doing the public statement,” Massie said.

He told Fox News Digital that it was a test of whether Johnson would take responsibility for opposing his effort to force the vote — but said Johnson refused.

“I wanted to see if the speaker would admit that it was a mistake to oppose the bill, but even with all the new revelations about depraved and illegal activity of rich and powerful men, the speaker refused to acknowledge the success of the Epstein Files Transparency Act,” Massie said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

But the move also caught blowback from others in the Republican social media sphere, which has erupted into a civil war of sorts between Massie and Trump’s supporters.

“Coming soon to a campaign ad: Thomas Massie requires that he be praised publicly in order to secure his vote in Congress,” right-wing influencer Ryan Saavedra wrote on X.

Sean Davis, who founded conservative outlet “The Federalist,” wrote on social media, “Good grief. It really is all ego-driven.”

Some defended him, however, like an X account tied to someone only identified as “Jeremy”: “You really can’t blame the guy who’s constantly getting crapped on my conservatives for wanting the speaker of the house to say something positive about the Epstein files coming out and giving him the credit. It is childish on the surface, but this is also how their games work.”

Massie last year led a handful of Republicans to join with Democrats to force consideration of the Epstein Files Transparency Act over the objections of House leadership and Trump, who argued the legislation did not come with sufficient protections for the identities of Epstein’s sex-trafficking victims.

The bill was aimed at forcing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release nearly all information on Epstein’s case, and Massie maintained its language did provide for sufficient coverage for the late pedophile’s victims.

But Johnson and Trump both affirmed they supported efforts for government transparency but maintained they could not support Massie’s bill.

THESE HOUSE MAVERICKS DEFIED THEIR OWN PARTIES MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE IN 2025

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., walks with staff and his security detail.(Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Notably, however, all House members except for Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., wound up voting for the bill.

In the view of Matthew Green, professor of politics at The Catholic University of America, Massie’s ask — and its denial — underscores how reliant Johnson is on the president for support.

Republicans currently hold just a one-vote majority in the chamber amid the recent resignation of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and the sudden death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif, both of which happened in January. Republicans will likely win back a seat in March when Georgia holds a special election to fill Greene’s vacancy.

But until then, Johnson has battled against a vanishingly small margin of error to pass GOP-led priorities, a margin Massie has made consistently smaller.

In this case, Green believes Massie was asking for something that would threaten one of the key things holding the party together: Trump’s support.

“What he was actually asking for, to my mind, was illustrating how closely Republican leadership is or has to be aligned with President Trump,” Green said.

“You know, to just say ‘I support a bill’ or ‘I think this bill is a good idea,’ you’d think would be a relatively harmless ask, but with the Epstein files, you had the president, until the very end, saying, ‘Do not vote to release these,’ and the speaker agreeing.”

GOP MUTINY FORCES HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON TO DELAY VOTE ON KEY PIECE OF TRUMP’S AGENDA

President Donald Trump pictured on Feb. 5, 2026.(Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In the lead-up to a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Trump slammed the effort, calling on Massie to abandon his push and condemning the “Democrat Epstein Hoax” in a post to Truth Social.

It’s the president’s opposition to Massie’s Epstein transparency push that makes Green think the Kentucky lawmaker knew his request would go unfulfilled.

“He knew the answer would be no,” Green said. “If Johnson said yes, it would be not only going against what he had said about the bill himself, but also potentially upsetting President Trump.”

Despite the improbable nature of the request, Green thinks it’s noteworthy Massie was willing to negotiate at all.

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“What is interesting, though, is that he suggests that he actually was willing to vote yes in exchange for something,” Green said.

Massie’s office did not address Van Orden’s statement about his vote offer.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6388884990112

US House lawmakers propose comprehensive aviation safety bill after fatal crash

February 19, 2026 9:23 PM UTC / Reuters / By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters) – A bipartisan group of U.S. House lawmakers on Thursday proposed legislation to address 50 aviation safety recommendations issued after a year-long investigation into the January 2025 collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people.

The chairs of the House Transportation and Infrastructure and Armed Services committees and the panel’s top Democrats said the bill aims to address a series of issues including deficiencies in the FAA’s safety culture, enhancing air traffic control training and procedures, and strengthening safety of airspace around Reagan Washington National Airport where the fatal collision occurred last year.

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The U.S. House is separately set to vote Monday on the ROTOR Act, legislation passed by the U.S. Senate unanimously in December that would require aircraft operators to equip their fleets with a safety system known as automatic-dependent-surveillance-broadcast system, or ADS-B, by the end of 2031.

The Senate bill also boosts oversight of commercial jet and helicopter traffic and flight routes near commercial airports.

It’s unclear if the House might add parts of the bill unveiled Thursday to the Senate bill. “This comprehensive bill will make our aviation system safer by directly addressing various factors that contributed to this accident,” said House Transportation Committee chair Sam Graves.

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Representative Rick Larsen, the panel’s top Democrat, said the bill addresses all 50 NTSB recommendations to “improve airspace safety to protect travelers from future accidents.”

The House bill calls for a comprehensive independent audit of the FAA’s safety culture and safety-management system, mandates improved helicopter route design and addresses a number of concerns about military aviation practices.

Last month, the NTSB found systemic failures by the FAA led to the collision that was the worst U.S. aviation disaster since 2001.

The NTSB determined the accident was caused by the FAA’s decision to allow helicopters to travel close to the airport with no safeguards to separate them from airplanes and its failure to review data and act on recommendations to move helicopter traffic away from the airport.

The NTSB made more than 30 recommendations to the FAA, citing a series of failures before the Washington crash. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, speaking at a conference Thursday, said the agency needed to improve its culture and has vowed to implement safety board recommendations.

Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Diane Craft

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Trump says Obama shared ‘classified information’ on UFOs

February 19, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. EST / The Washington Post

Obama said last week that aliens are ‘real’ before clarifying he was guessing. Trump did not specify what Obama said that was classified.

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President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday that he didn’t know if aliens are “real or not.” (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

By Dan Diamond

President Donald Trump on Thursday criticized his predecessor for saying that aliens are “real,” claiming that former president Barack Obama had revealed “classified information” by sharing his thoughts on extraterrestrial life.

Top Maryland Democrat defies Jeffries on mid-cycle redistricting push to boot state’s lone Republican

The proposed House map would disadvantage the one Maryland Republican in Congress

By Elizabeth Elkind, Paul Steinhauser
Fox News

Published February 19, 2026 3:00pm EST

A top Democrat in Maryland’s state legislature threw cold water on House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ campaign to oust the state’s lone Republican from Congress.

Jeffries, D-N.Y., was in Annapolis on Wednesday meeting with state leaders to discuss redrawing Maryland’s congressional map before the November 2026 midterms.

He’s one of the highest-profile Democrats pushing the state to join the growing redistricting war, which could see Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., effectively drawn out of the one Republican-leaning district in the state.

That would require both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly to approve a new map recommended by Gov. Wes Moore’s redistricting commission earlier this year. But Senate President Bill Ferguson is resisting pressure from fellow Democrats.

BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE RUNS THROUGH VIRGINIA AS COURT OKS HIGH-STAKES REDISTRICTING VOTE

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., attends a House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hearing in the Capitol Visitor Center, Oct. 22, 2025.(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

“It’s precisely because we want Leader Jeffries in the majority that most members in the Maryland Senate Democratic Caucus do not support moving forward with mid-cycle redistricting that will backfire in our State courts and lose Democrats in Congress,” Ferguson said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

It’s a position he’s held since last year, when he wrote a letter to state Democrats warning that “mid-cycle redistricting for Maryland presents a reality where the legal risks are too high, the timeline for action is dangerous, the downside risk to Democrats is catastrophic, and the certainty of our existing map would be undermined.”

Ferguson said they also discussed “the importance of responding to the lawless Trump Administration through economic, social, and immigration policies” and how they could cooperate in those areas.

SCOTUS ALLOWS TEXAS TO USE TRUMP-PUSHED REDRAWN CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING MAP FAVORING REPUBLICANS

Moore, who spoke with Fox News Digital on Wednesday, called for Ferguson to at least allow a vote to be held on the new map.

“As someone who fought for this country and someone who fought for democracy, I just believe in fighting for democracy, and I think that requires a vote, no matter how the vote turns out,” Moore said. “It frankly doesn’t matter, but just vote. And so I think that was also the message that Leader Jeffries shared with the Senate President.”

Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson is resisting pressure from fellow Democrats.(Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Jeffries has met with Democrats in various states about redistricting across the country, but it’s rare for him to wage such a public pressure campaign on a fellow party leader.

He told reporters on Wednesday that he shared with Ferguson, “It’s our view, and I believe this is the view that has been clearly and decisively shared by Governor Wes Moore, that the best course of action at this moment is to allow an up-or-down vote in the Maryland State Senate so that we have an opportunity to move forward in a transparent way and see where things will land.”

Jeffries also suggested Ferguson’s decision was not final and that there were still ongoing conversations on the matter.

REDISTRICTING BATTLES BREWING ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS PARTIES COMPETE FOR POWER AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS

Harris, Maryland’s lone Republican representative, is the leader of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.

He told Fox News Digital last month that he would bring a lawsuit to challenge the new map if it somehow did get approved.

“Wes, we’ll see you in court,” the conservative caucus leader said.

Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Andy Harris talks to reporters as he walks to the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on July 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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Redistricting is normally a process seen every 10 years, after a new census calls for the modification of congressional districts based on changes in population.

But a redistricting war has broken out ahead of the November midterms that could upend electoral maps across the country.

Both Texas and California have moved to redraw their congressional maps in favor of Republicans and Democrats, respectively.

A similar effort by Indiana Republicans, backed by President Donald Trump, was shot down by members of their own party while pushes in Ohio and North Carolina prevailed in favor of the GOP. But states like Virginia and Florida and could follow suit.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

JPMorgan says Trump’s lawsuit improperly named Dimon as defendant

February 19, 2026 9:09 PM UTC / Reuters

By Tom Hals

WILMINGTON, DEL., Feb 19 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump improperly included Jamie Dimon as a defendant in his $5 billion debanking lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase as a way to get the case into state court, the bank and its CEO said in a Thursday court filing.

Trump’s claim that Dimon engaged in unfair trade practices does not apply to bank officers who are directly regulated by federal banking agencies, according to the court filing.

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Trump filed the lawsuit in his personal capacity in a Miami-Dade County court in January. The lawsuit sought $5 billion in damages and also alleged that JPMorgan engaged in trade libel by putting him on a banking “blacklist” after it closed some of his accounts in 2021, shortly after his first term ended.

JPMorgan and Dimon denied the allegations in the court filing and said they were unaware of a blacklist.

The filing was made in federal district court in Miami, where the defendants were seeking to move the case, before seeking a transfer to federal court in Manhattan. Corporate defendants often prefer to have cases proceed in federal court.

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A statement from a spokesman for Trump’s legal team said the bank and Dimon debanked and blacklisted Trump, his family and their businesses. “The defendants committed these tortious acts only because of the president’s America First policies, which have saved our nation. President Trump is standing up for all those wrongly debanked by JPMorgan Chase and their cohorts, and will see this case to a just, and proper conclusion.”

The lawsuit against JPMorgan is one of at least six that Trump has brought in his personal capacity since returning to the presidency.

Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Daniel Wallis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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How a U.S. strike on Iran could affect American drivers and borrowers

February 19, 2026 / 3:28 PM EST / CBS News

Oil prices are climbing amid signs the U.S. may be planning to launch military strikes on Iran, raising questions about the potential economic fallout of heightened conflict in the region.

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President Trump has ratcheted up pressure on Iran, home to some of the world’s largest oil reserves, over the country’s disputed nuclear program. Open hostilities between the countries could constrict global oil flows, raising U.S. energy prices and driving up inflation, according to economists.

While Mr. Trump hasn’t yet made a final decision about whether to strike, top national security officials have told the president that the military could be ready as soon as Saturday, sources familiar with the discussions have told CBS News.

At the inaugural meeting for Mr. Trump’s “Board of Peace” on Thursday, the president said Iran has about 10 days to make a deal ending its nuclear program, or “bad things will happen.”

“Maybe we’re going to make a deal,” he said. “You’re going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days.”

How high could oil prices rise?

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The most immediate economic impact would be felt in the oil market, given that Iran’s crude production and its control of the northern side of the Strait of Hormuz, which is used by ships carrying about 20% of the world’s daily oil supply. On Thursday, a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 2.6% to $66.71, a 16% increase since the start of the year.

The impact of a military conflict would depend on the scale and intent of an American attack, including whether U.S. forces avoided strikes on Iranian oil facilities and on any response from Tehran, Wall Street analysts noted.

“If [Iran’s] oil infrastructure is hit and oil supplies are affected … we suspect that oil prices could rise towards $100 per barrel, especially as that would raise the probability that Iran attempts to block shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz,” Capital Economics analysts said in a recent research note.

At its narrowest point, the Strait of Hormuz is just 21 miles wide, making it vulnerable to disruption. The channel, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, is used by other major oil-producing nations in the region to ship crude to other countries.

Although oil prices have jumped, they remain far below their most recent peak of $123 per barrel in March 2022. Even if the U.S. strikes Iran, the impact on oil supplies may be minimal or short-lived, adding to the uncertainty of the impact on the global economy, experts noted.

How could a U.S. attack affect inflation?

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Iran produces 4.7 million barrels of oil per day, or about 4.4% of global supplies, Capital Economics notes. While most of Iran’s oil is shipped to China, any disruption could trickle through the world economy by pushing up petroleum prices.

For U.S. consumers, the most immediate impact could be higher prices at the pump, potentially straining household budgets and slowing the recent year-over-year decline in gas prices.

“Crude oil prices [are] pushing up on elevated risk of U.S. attacks on Iran,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at Gas Buddy, wrote Thursday on social media. “This will enhance the spring rise that gas prices will see, but not necessarily cause a 2022-era spike.”

A 5% annual increase in oil prices typically adds about 0.1 percentage points to average inflation across advanced economies like the U.S., according to Capital Economics. That means inflation could rise by 1 percentage point if oil prices rose to $100 per barrel and about 0.5 percentage points at $80 per barrel, analysts with the investment advisory firm estimated.

“Clearly, the precise upside to oil prices and ultimately inflation is highly uncertain,” they wrote in a note to clients.

U.S. inflation in January cooled to a 2.4% annual rate, but prices are still rising faster than the Federal Reserve’s 2% annual target. A reacceleration in inflation could cause the Fed to hold off on additional rate cuts, a potential headwind for borrowers seeking loans and for business investment.

Edited by Alain Sherter

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/why-the-us-ramped-up-its-military-presence-near-iran/

Team USA wins gold over Canada in women’s hockey overtime thriller at the Winter Olympics

Updated on: February 19, 2026 / 4:31 PM EST / CBS/AP

Team USA defeated Canada in a stunning 2-1 overtime comeback win at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games to take home their third Olympic gold medal in women’s ice hockey.

After being down 1-0 headed into the third period, the U.S. tied things up late in the period and then Megan Keller scored the game-winner in overtime to avenge their loss in the final match from four years ago. This was the seventh gold medal match, and fifth in a row, between the two hockey powerhouses. It was also the third U.S.-Canada showdown to go to overtime.

Team USA captain Hilary Knight prolonged her final game at the Olympics by sending it to overtime tied 1-all.

Knight deflected Laila Edwards’ shot past Ann-Renee Desbiens with 2:04 left in regulation and the U.S. skating 6 on 5 with goaltender Aerin Frankel pulled for an extra attacker. The goal was her 15th at the Olympics, the most in team history.

Hilary Knight #21 of Team USA celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal in the third period during the women’s ice hockey gold medal match between the United States and Canada. Bruce Bennett / Getty Images

Canada had led since Kristin O’Neill scored short-handed less than a minute into the second period, ending the U.S. shutout streak at 352 minutes, 17 seconds. Desbiens and Frankel went save for save in a back-and-forth game that was far more competitive than the rivals’ first meeting in the preliminary round, when the U.S. routed Canada 5-0.

The Americans romped through the tournament, outscoring opponents 31-1.

The U.S. and Canada have met in all but one Olympic final — the 2006 Turin Games won by Canada — since women’s hockey made its debut at the 1998 Nagano Games. The loss gives Canada its third silver medal in the event.

Knight, 36, has already announced these will be her U.S.-record fifth and final Games, with a shot at adding a second gold medal to go with her three silvers. The game was played a day after Knight proposed to U.S. speedskater Brittany Bowe.

Megan Keller #5 of Team USA scores the game winning goal in overtime against Ann-Renee Desbiens #35 and Claire Thompson #42 of Team Canada to win the women’s ice hockey gold medal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Sarah Stier / Getty Images

The defending Olympic champion Canadians had shown signs of age during a tournament in which they lost 5-0 to the Americans in the preliminary round, and eked into the final with a 2-1 win over Switzerland.

The loss to the Americans was the most lopsided and also the first time the Canadian women were shut out in Olympic play.

Canada had captain Marie-Philip Poulin back in the lineup after missing two games — including the loss to the U.S. — with a right knee injury.

Switzerland beat Sweden in overtime in the bronze medal game on another clutch goal by Alina Müller.

A top Senate Republican demanded that if former Prince Andrew is found to have broken American laws with respect to his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, he should stand trial in the U.S.

“If he’s violated American law, absolutely,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital.

Scott’s comments came after the news that the former prince, now Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who is linked to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in the United Kingdom Thursday.

[EPSTEIN PROBE LEADER COMER SAYS ‘NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW’ AFTER EX-PRINCE ANDREW ARREST]

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said former Prince Andrew, who was arrested under suspicion of misconduct in public office in the United Kingdom Thursday, should “absolutely” stand trial in the U.S. if he is found to have broken any American laws with his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.(Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

British authorities were reportedly investigating whether Mountbatten-Windsor had shared confidential trade information with Epstein while acting as Britain’s special envoy for trade over a decade ago, The Associated Press reported.

Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein despite being one of his most well-known associates. He was also accused by the late Virginia Giuffre — one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers — in her memoir of having sex with her when she was a minor.

The list of co-conspirators and those connected to Epstein continues to grow after Congress’ move to force the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release millions of documents related to him known as the “Epstein Files.”

[MASSIE, TOP OVERSIGHT DEMOCRAT CALL FOR SECRETARY LUTNICK TO RESIGN FOR ‘LYING’ ABOUT ALLEGED EPSTEIN TIES]

The former Prince Andrew attends the Easter service at St. George’s Chapel April 20, 2025, in Windsor, England. He lost his princely title in October.(Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)

But criminal action against those alleged to have ties with Epstein has remained scarce, given that appearing in the files doesn’t directly translate to criminal charges. Scott argued that if people “violate the law, you should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

“It’s as simple as that. It’s despicable what Epstein did,” Scott said. “I can’t imagine these people who had relationships with Epstein, especially after he was convicted the first time, and they kept their relationship.

“If they’ve done anything wrong, they should be held accountable,” he continued. “I don’t know if Prince Andrew has done anything wrong, but everybody who has should be held accountable. What you read that happened to these young girls is just like — I’ve got two daughters, I’ve got a granddaughter, and I can’t imagine, you know, the position that Epstein and, it seems like, some other people put these young women in.”

The Senate voted unanimously last year in favor of legislation that President Donald Trump signed into law that required the DOJ to release all unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials “publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format” related to the late financier and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.

[STARMER CALLS ON EX-PRINCE ANDREW TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS AFTER LATEST EPSTEIN RELEASE]

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Feb. 12, 2026.(Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Several names of prominent Americans, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, were revealed in the trove of unredacted documents.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., when asked if Lutnick or others should face consequences, said earlier this month that “transparency is something we all ought to aspire to here.”

“And if there are folks who are, you know, named in there or discussed in there in some way, they’re going to have to answer for that,” Thune said.

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Millions of files and a handful of months later, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced earlier this week that the DOJ had unloaded all the documents. But lawmakers have said it’s not enough.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., charged that the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files “is a travesty.”

“But in France, the Paris prosecutor’s office just opened two investigations based on new leads from the released files,” Schumer said on X. “And in Britain, former Prince Andrew has been arrested over ties to Epstein. When will there be justice in America?”

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

Lawsuit against Amazon over suicides linked to chemical can go to trial, court rules

By Mary Cunningham
Updated on: February 19, 2026 / 5:15 PM EST / CBS News

A lawsuit against Amazon alleging the retailer sold a chemical on its website that played a role in the suicides of several teenagers and adults can proceed to trial, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.

In their complaint, four families whose loved ones died after consuming sodium nitrite allege that Amazon sold the compound despite being aware it could be used for suicide.

Sodium nitrite is an ingredient used in curing salt for meat preservation and metal refinishing and is typically sold at lower concentrations.

The plaintiffs allege that those who died of sodium nitrite poisoning used Amazon’s e-commerce platform to buy versions of the chemical with 98% purity or higher. Amazon also didn’t adequately display warning labels for the sodium nitrite products sold on its site, according to the suit.

“Big Tech companies must be held accountable when their platforms facilitate predictable and preventable harm,” Naomi Leeds, lead partner at C.A. Goldberg, the law firm representing the families, said in a statement.

C.A. Goldberg said it represents a total of 28 families with relatives who died after consuming sodium nitrite they bought on Amazon’s website.

Amazon’s response

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In a statement to CBS News, an Amazon spokesperson said the company is committed to a “safe shopping experience” and that it requires sellers on its platform to abide by applicable laws.

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“High-concentration sodium nitrite is not intended for direct consumption, and unfortunately, like many products, it can be misused,” the spokesperson said.

Amazon said it began prohibiting sales of sodium nitrite in concentrations greater than 10% in November of last year.

The court’s ruling on Thursday reverses an earlier decision by an appeals court that found Amazon could not be held liable for the deaths because they had died by suicide.

Amazon’s “argument that plaintiffs may have misused the product does not eliminate Amazon’s duty,” the Washington Supreme Court justices wrote in Thursday’s ruling.

While Amazon sells multiple brands of sodium nitrite on its website, the case centers on two products from chemical companies Loudwolf and HiMedia, according to the court ruling.

Carrie Goldberg, the lead attorney in the case, alleged in a previous interview with CBS News that Amazon knew “as early as 2018” that minors were buying sodium nitrite on its website. She said usage of the chemical was discussed on an internet forum where people can discuss suicide methods.

Forum users advised people to go to the “jungle” — a purported code name for Amazon — to purchase sodium nitrite, Goldberg said.

Companies like eBay, Walmart, and Etsy also formerly sold sodium nitrite on their sites, but removed it years ago when they realized people were using it for suicide, according to Goldberg.

_If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the_988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline_by calling or texting 988. You can also_chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here_. For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Eastern Time at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org._

Edited by Alain Sherter