So... Why No Epstein List?

Hi Global Recap readers,

Just as public outrage over the lack of investigations and the unreleased "Epstein client list" seemed to fade, Prince Andrew—allegedly involved in Epstein’s child trafficking—dropped a bombshell that has reignited the conversation.

Will we finally get a glimpse of this alleged list (if it exists)?

I doubt it—but surprises do happen. 👇🏼

🇬🇧 UNITED KINGDOM
Andrew Drops York Title

Prince Andrew agreed to renounce his Duke of York title after talks with King Charles. The move deepens his royal exile as allegations tied to Jeffrey Epstein resurface.

• Statement: Buckingham Palace released Andrew’s Friday night note from London saying accusations against him “distract” from the king’s work and that he will not use his title or honors, while still “vigorously” denying wrongdoing.

• Accusations: Virginia Giuffre’s forthcoming memoir excerpts, published this week, recount that she was 17 when she first met Andrew via Ghislaine Maxwell and include his line that his daughters were “just a little younger than you.” Andrew settled her civil suit in 2022; Giuffre died by suicide this year in Neergabby, Australia.

• Parliament: Charles cannot legally revoke a dukedom; stripping titles would require an act of Parliament, last used in 1917 under the Titles Deprivation Act.

• Associations: UK media reported Andrew met Chinese official Cai Qi in 2018 and 2019 and emailed Jeffrey Epstein in February 2011, undercutting his claim that he severed ties in December 2010.

• Consequences: Andrew will skip royal Christmas, give up Order of the Garter membership, keep the prince status, and remain at Royal Lodge. Sarah Ferguson will not use “Duchess of York.” York residents previously removed his Honorary Freedom of York.

Here’s a viral video released earlier this year by O’Keefe Media featuring John Bryan, former crisis advisor to Prince Andrew, saying that Prince Andrew was "f**king underage girls."

However, Bryan later retracted his words on Piers Morgan Uncensored.

🇺🇦🇺🇸 UKRAINE & UNITED STATES
Trump Blocks Tomahawks

Donald Trump just resisted Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request for Tomahawk missiles, calling them "dangerous" and warning they could escalate the war a day after he spoke with Vladimir Putin.

• Meeting: Zelenskyy left the White House on Friday without a US pledge to send the long-range missiles, despite months of European lobbying to secure Trump’s backing.

• Reasoning: Trump told reporters that Tomahawks are "a big deal" and argued that supplying them could drain US stockpiles and push the conflict into riskier territory.

• Timing: His reversal came less than 24 hours after a phone call with Putin, where both leaders agreed to meet in Budapest for a summit.

• Reaction: Zelenskyy said the dialogue on Tomahawks is "not cancelled" but admitted he is “realistic” about US reluctance, while also pressing for more air defense systems and security guarantees.

• Note: In the video above, when asked by a reporter what he would do if Putin refuses a ceasefire or peace deal in their upcoming Budapest meeting, Trump says he believes Putin called because he actually wants to end the war. However, concerns are growing across the political spectrum over whether Trump is accurately assessing Putin’s intentions.

• Backdrop: On Truth Social, Trump urged both Kyiv and Moscow to "make a DEAL," even as Russia continues heavy bombardments and Ukraine insists Tomahawks could force Putin to negotiate by threatening distant energy and military targets.

🇨🇳 CHINA
China Expels Generals

Beijing just expelled two of its highest-ranking military leaders, General He Weidong and Admiral Miao Hua, from the Communist Party and the army on corruption charges.

• Figures: He Weidong, 68, was China’s number two general, vice chair of the Central Military Commission, and a Politburo member. Miao Hua was the military’s former top political officer.

• Charges: Officials accused them and seven others of "serious duty-related crimes involving an extremely large amount of money," calling the offenses grave and damaging.

• Timing: The announcement landed days before the Communist Party’s Central Committee meets in Beijing for its Fourth Plenum next week, where Xi Jinping is expected to fill empty seats on the military commission.

• History: He (the general) is the first sitting general on the Central Military Commission to be purged since the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s.

• Ties: He’s career overlapped with Xi’s in Fujian and Zhejiang in the 1990s, and he led the Eastern Theatre Command during the 2022 live-fire drills around Taiwan after Nancy Pelosi’s visit.

🇺🇸🇻🇪 UNITED STATES VS VENEZUELA
US Detains Survivors

Trump says Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro offered US access to oil and gold, then got rebuffed as Washington escalates anti-drug strikes.

Trump's response? "... he doesn't want to fuck around with the United States." This is not hyperbole; he actually said this. 👇️ 

Here's a brief timeline:

• Proposal: The New York Times reported Oct. 10 that Maduro dangled current and future oil and gold projects to US companies with "preferential" contracts, and pledged to curb energy and mining deals with China, Iran, and Russia.

• Rebuff: The Trump administration dismissed the offer and said it was no longer interested in diplomatic engagement with Caracas.

• Latest: On Thursday, October 16, 2025, the US struck another drug-running vessel in the Caribbean and took the survivors into custody. This marks at least the sixth such operation since early September.

• Strikes: A September 30 White House memo told Congress that the US is in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug smugglers. However, on October 17, Senators Adam Schiff, Tim Kaine, and Rand Paul filed a war powers resolution to block US "hostilities" against Venezuela amid Trump’s discussions of potential land operations.

🎙️ SPOTIFY
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