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The U.S. Coast Guard is pursuing an oil tanker in the Caribbean that it says has links to Venezuela. The Department of Justice has released a limited number of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. And, an analysis by NPR finds thousands of immigrants without legal status aren’t showing up to immigration court, leading to a rise in deportation removals.
Leila. Hi, Steve. You sound a little impatient with me already. No, no. Whoops. It's just really early. I'm tired. Well, it's good to hear your voice. It's good to hear your voice. And before we get started, we're supposed to, and I'm happy to make a note here that public media has not only brought you the news this year, we've been part of the news this year. Yeah, we don't like to be part of the news, but we're happy to still be here, happy to still bring you up first and all the podcasts you love from NPR. Public media, it's made for you. We're not thinking about shareholders or advertisers. We're thinking about what you need to know and what we need to ask to help you understand the world we're living in. Federal support was canceled for public media this year and yet stations across this country. And I visited a bunch of them, by the way, are in good shape for now are all right for now because so many Americans have stepped up to support what we do. Yeah, it has touched us so much. And we hope that you continue to support us. So many listeners are stepping up. People like Greg in Arizona who say, I listened to up first to start my day while walking my dog. It is spiritual. Spiritual. I hope the dog likes it too. Thanks, Greg. And thank you. If you already go the extra mile as an NPR+ supporter. If not, you can join the plus community and get a bunch of perks like bonus episodes and more from across NPR's podcasts. And you also, this is the big thing. You support public media by signing up for NPR+ and you can do it today at plus dot NPR dot org. The United States says the Coast Guard is pursuing an oil tanker in the Caribbean. The USC is a different tanker over the weekend. What justification does the administration offer for its actions off the coast of Venezuela? I'm Lila Faldil. That's Stephen Skeep and this is up first from NPR News. Lawmakers are far from satisfied with the limited number of Epstein files released in time for a legal deadline. Pam Bondi is breaking the law and this is the corrupt system, the Epstein class that people are sick of. What consequences would the attorney general face? Also, an analysis by NPR finds thousands of immigrants without legal status are not showing up to immigration court and that is leading to a rise in deportation orders. Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day. Stay tuned for the following announcements and messages from our sponsors. This message comes from Prolon. Want to look and feel your best this fall? Prolon's five-day fasting mimicking diet is a clinically developed nutrition program with the goal of promoting fat loss while protecting lean body mass developed at USC's longevity institute. It aims to assist the body in entering a fasting-like state that helps reset metabolism, target visceral fat and support healthy metabolic markers. Get 15% off plus a bonus gift when you subscribe at prolonlife.com/npr. This message comes from KeyBank. Growing a successful business isn't easy. That's why KeyBank offers strategies to help your business grow today and into the future. Re-imagine business as usual. KeyBank opens doors. More at key.com/b2b. This message comes from BetterHelp. Your brain has limited storage, so why is it still holding on to that embarrassing moment from years ago? BetterHelp is an online therapy platform that gives you space to talk about what's taking up too much of yours. BetterHelp is now in network with more than 125 health plans, with many co-pays as low as $15 for eligible members. And if you don't have eligible insurance, you can still get 20% off your first month. Visit BetterHelp.com/npr. Cost and coverage may vary. Discount cannot be combined with insurance. The Trump administration says the Coast Guard is pursuing an oil tanker linked with Venezuela. That's one of several developments over the weekend in the U.S. campaign against the government of President Nicolas Maduro. The U.S. is trying to enforce a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela. Okay, there's a lot to catch up on here, so NPR's Kerry Kahn is tracking it all from Rio de Janeiro. Kerry, welcome. Hi. Terms to define here, what does the United States mean when they say they are pursuing a tanker? Right. We have limited official information on the situation right now in the Caribbean. The Pentagon and the Coast Guard is referring all inquiries to the White House, which is not commenting. But late yesterday, one U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly did tell NPR the Coast Guard was in quote active pursuit of a ship. The officials said that ship the