Bari Weiss' CBS Had an Epstein Exclusive and Buried It
A GOP congressman's lawyer posted what may be CSAM of his 2-year-old daughter, a man with leukemia died after weeks in ICE custody, and an arson arrest was made in the Spokane wildfires
Good afternoon. I’m Ryan Rose, and this is AlterNet America.
CBS’s 60 Minutes had the scoop on Epstein’s shady banking before Bari Weiss’s network fired the reporter chasing it. A Republican congressman’s own attorney admitted to posting an image of the lawmaker’s 2-year-old daughter that could qualify as child sexual abuse material. A 29-year-old man with leukemia coughed up blood for over a week in ICE custody in Georgia before the agency handed his comatose body to his family. And a man was charged with arson in connection to one of three destructive wildfires burning in Spokane County, Washington.
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60 Minutes Killed Story About Epstein’s Shady Bank Transactions
CBS killed the Epstein story faster than — actually, let’s not finish that one.
CBS’s 60 Minutes had the story on Jeffrey Epstein’s shady bank transactions months ago. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi interviewed Democratic Senator Ron Wyden in March about her own reporting into how Wall Street banks and the U.S. Virgin Islands government enabled Epstein.
Wyden found that Deutsche Bank AG failed to promptly notify authorities of more than $250 million in questionable transfers tied to Epstein, including cash to pay women in Russia and Eastern Europe.
Bank of America reported $170 million in Epstein-related transactions tied to billionaire Leon Black, transactions the bank later admitted had “no apparent economic, business, or lawful purpose.” JPMorgan Chase processed more than $1 billion for him despite internal alarm.
None of it aired. In May, in the middle of a network shakeup, Alfonsi was fired after she publicly criticized Bari Weiss’s editorial grip on the show.
Weiss had already blocked a segment Alfonsi reported on Trump’s deportation program and El Salvador’s CECOT prison. CBS confirmed the Wyden interview happened, but claimed the story wasn’t finished by the end of the season. The season just happened to end right on time for Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, and Leon Black.
Max Miller’s Lawyer Admits He Posted a Sensitive Image of 2-Year-Old
Ohio Rep. Max Miller posted a 20-minute video over the weekend to prove he’s innocent. His lawyer then posted what may be child sexual abuse material of Miller’s own daughter.
The video was posted alongside a folder meant to dispute his ex-wife Emily Moreno’s abuse allegations. That package contained private images of the couple’s 2-year-old daughter with her name unredacted, including one that “could be considered Child Sexual Abuse Material” because the child’s genitals appeared visible.
The post was viewed more than 204,000 times before it was taken down.
Miller’s attorney, Aaron Minc, called the image release a “mistake.” He said he missed the last three pages of a 40-page document, then blamed Moreno for making a “media spectacle” of it.
Moreno, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno, has accused Miller of throwing hot water from a skillet at her, holding a gun to her head, and possibly fracturing their daughter’s collarbone. Bernie Moreno called the last two years “pure hell” and said Miller “fails” any basic standard of character to hold office.
Miller hasn’t dropped out. He just drops lawsuits.
Man Diagnosed With Leukemia Dies After Time in ICE Custody
Priciliano Trejo was 29 years old and had lived in the United States since he was 3. He was denied medical care while in custody at Georgia’s Stewart Detention Center before dying from leukemia at a hospital on July 24.
Arrested in North Carolina in mid-June, Trejo was transferred to the privately-run facility in Stewart County. Over three weeks he became increasingly sick. He called his family daily, telling them he was coughing up blood and had a bruise that would not heal.
Trejo was finally taken to the hospital on July 13, more than a week after he first asked for care. Two days later he was in a coma. That is when ICE gave custody back to his family.
Stewart is operated by CoreCivic, one of the largest private prison companies in the country, which has held federal contracts worth billions of dollars. It was last inspected in March 2025 and deemed “acceptable/adequate,” despite deficiencies tied to suicide prevention.
Lawmakers and advocates have repeatedly raised concerns about unsanitary conditions and medical neglect at the facility. Since then, two more detainees have died.
Arson Arrest Made in Connection to Washington Wildfire
Deputies detained the suspect on the first day of the fire. They found him carrying waterproof matches and a butane lighter. Then they let him go.
A man has been arrested on a first-degree arson charge in connection with the Old Trails Fire, one of three wildfires currently devastating Washington state. Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, is now in custody being held on a $1 million bond.
On Saturday, witnesses saw a man “bending down near some grass” near the fire’s origin shortly before smoke rose from the area. Officers questioned Farinacci, found the items on his person, and released him anyway.
Farinacci has a prior manslaughter conviction out of Arizona and had been investigated twice for arson-related incidents in the Spokane area last summer, including one in the same state park the Old Trails Fire tore through. He was never charged.
The fire has destroyed more than 700 structures, forcing nearly 65,000 people to evacuate. All three fires are at 0% containment. The three blazes have burned more than 8,000 acres combined across Spokane County and the sheriff’s office is still trying to locate 14 people who called for help during the fires.
The Spokane County sheriff called what Farinacci did “unconscionable.” He didn’t mention what his deputies did.
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