NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT 5/1/2026*NEWSDUMP FRIDAY*EPSTEIN COLLEGE CHIEF RETIRES*MAIL-ORDER ABORTION DRUG RULING*5,000 US TROOPS LEAVING GERMANY*TRUMP SLAMS IRAN POSITION, WAR POWERS ACT*ARREST JERUSALEM NUN ATTACK*CHINESE COMPANY FIGHTS AUSTRALIA PORT SEIZURE*CANADA HOST NATO BANK*

 

(SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING TILL 11 PM OR LATER EASTERN US TIME)

                    LATE NEWS TONIGHT:

THE PRESIDENT OF BARD COLLEGE OUTSIDE NEW YORK CITY RETIRING FOLLOWING REVELATION ABOUT A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP TO CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER JEFFREY EPSTEIN THAN PREVIOUSLY KNOWN.

LEON BOTSTEIN SAYS HE WILL LEAVE AT THE END OF JUNE REMAINING AS A TEACHER AND MUSICIAN ON THE FACULTY.

HIS DECISION FOLLOWS COMPLETION OF AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH EPSTEIN...ASSOCIATED PRESS USA-DAILY MAIL UK...

THAT PROBE FOUND 25 BOTSTEIN VISITS TO JEFFREY EPSTEIN'S MANHATTAN TOWNHOUSE AND A TWO-DAY VISIT TO 'ESPTEIN ISLAND'  BY BOTSTEIN.

JEFFREY EPSTEIN ALSO MAKING TWO VISITS TO BARD COLLEGE ACCOMPANIED BY FEMALES LATER IDENTIFIED AS EPSTEIN VICTIMS...JULIE K. BROWN "X"

In New Mexico investigators casting a wide net as they probe Jeffrey Epstein's "Zorro Ranch".   More than a dozen former employees questioned.

They are being asked about visitors to the ranch and other things they saw.

It has been suggested that Epstein envisioned turning the ranch into a 'baby-making facility' where women would give birth to children bearing his DNA...Mirror UK

POPULARITY POLLING FOR US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SHOWING HIGH LEVELS OF UNPOPULARITY.

THE TRADITIONALLY FRIENDLY 'RASMUSSEN REPORTS' POLL OUT TODAY WITH A 56 PERCENT DISAPPROVAL RATING FOR TRUMP ONLY 43 PERCENT APPROVING OF HIS PERFORMANCE.

ANOTHER POLL FROM 'RMG RESEARCH' WITH 57 PERCENT DISAPPROVAL AND 42 PERCENT APPROVAL FOR THE PRESIDENT.

THE MORE SKEWED AGAINST REPUBLICANS 'PEW RESEARCH' POLL GIVES TRUMP A 64 PERCENT DISPPROVAL RATING VERSUS 34 PERCENT APPROVAL...REAL CLEAR POLITICS LATEST POLLS

Shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz at its lowest level since the start of the Iran War.

Between April 23rd and April 29th (Last Wednesday) only 24 ships transited the strait.

If the strait were re-opened now, it would take until September for traffic to return to normal...USNI News USA

A FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULING AGAINST MAIL-ORDER DISTRUBTION OF AN ABORTION DRUG.

THE FIFTH US CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS AGREEING WITH THE STATE OF LOUISIANA IN ITS LAWSUIT AGAINST THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION.

THE RULING MEANS THAT THE ABORTION DRUG 'MIFEPRISTONE' MUST BE PRESCRIBED AND DISPENSED IN PERSON...THE HILL USA

In Istanbul 500 protesters arrested at a May Day demonstration.  They wanted to march to Taksim Square but Turkish authorities ban protests there...NOS Netherlands (Translation Prompt)

THE PENTAGON ANNOUNCING A PULLOUT OF US TROOPS IN GERMANY.     

FIVE THOUSAND OF THE 38,000 TROOPS BASED THERE WILL LEAVE IN THE NEXT SIX TO 12 MONTHS...ABC NEWS USA

President Trump contesting the validity of the "War Powers Act" in a letter to Congressional leadership.

Mr. Trump saying the ending of hostilities 41 days into the Iran War negates any notion of Congressional approval for warfare 60 days into the conflict as provided for in the law.

Today is 60 days since the war began...Associated Press-Times Of Israel

US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING HE REJECTS IRAN'S REPORTED BUT UNDISCLOSED RESPONSE TO PAKISTAN.

THAT RESPONSE REPORTED EARLIER TODAY BY INSIDER MEDIA OUTLET 'AXIOS'...(NEWS AGENCIES)...

MR. TRUMP SAYING IRAN WANTS TO MAKE A DEAL BUT ALSO SAYING 'I'M NOT SATISFIED WITH IT' WHEN IT COMES TO IRAN'S POSITION ON SUCH A DEAL...

In Israel a 36-year-old man arrested for the attack on French Catholic nun in Jerusalem's Old City.

The attack was recorded on video.

Police arresting the suspect 'on suspicion of a racially motivated attack'.

Video of the attack shows the nun bruised and the attacker wearing an undergarment associated with observant Jewish men...Euronews

CHINA'S UN AMBASSADOR SAYS A DECISION TO END THE MANDATE OF THE UN FORCE IN LEBANON SHOULD BE REVISITED.

THE MANDATE OF THE PEACEKEEPING TROOPS SET TO EXPIRE AT THE END OF THE YEAR...TIMES OF ISRAEL

US President Donald Trump announcing a 25 percent tariff on vehicles made in the European Union.

Mr. Trump says the EU is not complying with a trade deal.

His move follows EU moves against US tech companies that could lead to billions of dollars in revenue collection by the Europeans...Tass Russia

INSIDER JOURNALIST BARAK RAVID LEAKING A STORY ABOUT IRAN'S RESPONSE TO PAKISTANI MEDIATORS OVER US DEMANDS.

NO DETAILS REPORTED...OSINTdefender "X"

                            (This Story Is Updated)

Israel releasing almost all of the Gaza flotilla activists on the Greek island of Crete after seizing their boats in nearby waters.

Greek authorities taking a group of around 200 people into custody moving them to Athens for repatriation to their home countries...Euronews...

But two of the activists taken to Israel for interrogation one a Spanish-Palestinian national the other Brazilian.

48 boats anchored off Crete from the flotilla. Those vessels were not seized by Israel...NOS Netherlands (Translation Prompt)

IN BRAZIL LAWMAKERS OVERRIDING PRESIDENT LULA DA SILVA'S VETO TO PASSING A BILL REDUCING THE PRISON SENTENCE OF FORMER PRESIDENT JAIR BOLSONARO.

BOLSONARO GIVEN A 27-YEAR SENTENCE FOR ALLEGEDLY PLOTTING A COUP IN CONNECTION WITH PROTESTS IN BRAZIL'S CAPITAL CITY ON JANUARY 8, 2023.

THE NEW LAW CUTTING 20 YEARS OFF THE SENTENCE WILL BE CHALLENGED IN COURT...FRANCE 24

A Chinese-owned company going to a World Bank associated court over Australia's decision to seize control of the Port of Darwin from it.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged in the last election campaign to take back control of the northern Australian port.    He said it was necessary for national security...ABC News Australia

In the Netherlands firefighters tackling wildfires at various locations including a military training ground.   Additional firefighters have arrived from Germany and France to help put the fires out...NOS Netherlands (Translation Prompt)

The markets today.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average down 152.87 points or .31 percent. 

The NASDAQ up 222.13 points or .89 percent.

The price of oil in New York  closed at 102 dollars 50 cents a barrel down two dollars 57 cents or 2.45 percent...Marketwatch

THE NEW YORK TIMES SEEKING TO RELEASE A FILE CONTAINING A SUICIDE NOTE WRITTEN BY JEFFREY EPSTEIN.

IT'S IN THE FILE OF EPSTEIN'S FORMER CELLMATE CONVICTED QUADRUPLE MURDERER NICOLAS TARTAGLIONE.

TARTAGLIONE SAID HE FOUND IT AFTER EPSTEIN ATTEMPTED TO KILL HIMSELF IN JULY OF 2019.

A FEDERAL JUDGE ASKING PARTIES IN THE MATTER TO RESPOND BY MONDAY...ABC NEWS USA

Canada selected as the host nation for a bank to finance military projects of NATO countries.

The bank will provide 'low-cost, long-term financing' to NATO nations and allies.

Canada's Big Six banks all committed to the project which would lower costs of borrowing money for military spending...GLOBAL NEWS CANADA

IN MYANMAR FORMER LEADER AUNG SAN SUU KYI MOVED TO HOUSE ARREST.

ITS PART OF A BROADER MOVE BY THE MILITARY RULED COUNTRY TO REDUCE SENTENCES OF POLITICAL PRISONERS AND SEEK NEGOTIATIONS WITH REBEL FORCES...REUTERS-ASSOCIATED PRESS-AL JAZEERA QATAR

Political polling in Germany showing a surge in political support for the "far-right" Alternative for Germany Party (AfD).

The rising support accompanies negative economic news in Germany associated with the Iran War.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats trailing the AfD by four to five percentage points in recent polling...Wikipedia-"Opinion polling for the next German federal election"

INTERNET AND PHONE CUSTOMERS IN NEW ZEALAND EXPERIENCED OUTAGES LINKED TO PROVIDER "ONE NZ" TODAY.

THE AREAS MOST SERIOUSLY IMPACTED AROUND THE CITIES OF CHRISTCHURCH AND WELLINGTON.

THE OUTAGE IS BEING INVESTIGATED...ONE NEWS NEW ZEALAND