FiveStack with Dean Blundell & Zev Shalev

The FiveStack threw out the playbook today, dedicating the full hour to former Congressman and military intelligence expert Denver Riggleman for a war special on Day 3 of the Iran conflict. Four U.S. service members dead, three F-15Es downed by friendly fire from Kuwait, the U.S. Embassy hit, nine countries under Iranian attack — and an administration that, as Riggleman put it, is “confused and incompetent” with no day-after plan. Riggleman, who tracked Qasem Soleimani in 2006-2007 as an F-15E intelligence officer and ran the Counter-ID Operations Integration Center monitoring Iranian EFP supply chains, brought firsthand expertise that cut through the noise.5️⃣ The Quagmire Is RealRiggleman laid out why this war has no exit strategy. The CIA warned Trump directly that killing Khamenei wouldn’t lead to regime collapse, but sycophants told him it would be like Venezuela — quick and easy. “You can’t topple a movement,” Riggleman said, pointing to 93 million Iranians, Hezbollah networks across the region, and Iranian sleeper cells that have been preparing since 1979. Dean drove the point home after Riggleman departed: Trump is “bucket listing” as a dying president who doesn’t care about consequences, standing at a podium saying “I don’t get bored” while stumbling through sentences.4️⃣ Draft EO 14248: Nationalizing ElectionsThe bombshell of the show was Riggleman’s analysis of a 17-page draft executive order on election interference. He traced the conspiracy pipeline from 2016 Stop the Steal through Italian satellites, Chinese servers, German server farms, Hammer and Scorecard, EO 13848, the December 18 White House meeting with Patrick Byrne, Michael Flynn, and Sidney Powell — all the way to the current draft order. “This is absolutely nationalizing elections,” Riggleman warned, noting the order targets specific swing counties, not all 50 states. With Texas primaries tomorrow serving as a bellwether for 2026, the timing is not coincidental.3️⃣ Three Reasons for WarRiggleman offered the sharpest framework for understanding why this war happened: election manipulation and rationalization for seizing election infrastructure, personal enrichment for Trump, MBS, and Netanyahu — including the Qatar jet, Air Force One billing, real estate deals, and Kushner’s Saudi connections — and cratering poll numbers, since wars historically boost presidential approval. MBS wants geographic control and oil dominance, Netanyahu wants a regional rival eliminated, and Trump needs a distraction. Dean added that Trump has now launched 626 bombing sorties on seven countries, three of which the United States has never attacked, timed precisely to Epstein developments and bad polling.2️⃣ The Missing Epstein TranscriptsFive days after James Comer promised the Clinton Epstein deposition transcripts within 24 hours, they still haven’t been released. The videos haven’t been released. As Zev noted in the closing, the question remains: why aren’t we hearing from Bill and Hillary Clinton directly, in unedited testimony, about what they said about Donald Trump? The Iran war conveniently buried that story, and as Dean’s data shows, you can set your watch to Trump’s distraction wars.1️⃣ Sabotage — The Anthem for 2026Dean closed with a moment that stopped the show — reading the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” lyrics and connecting them to exactly what’s happening in America. “Scheming on a thing, that’s a mirage. I’m trying to tell you now, it’s sabotage.” Written in 1994 by three Jewish rappers from Brooklyn who understood the government wasn’t their friend, the song maps perfectly onto 2026: the mirage of manufactured crisis, the push of a button to shut you up, the Watergate-level political interference. Zev connected it to the Iran-Contra playbook — sponsoring both sides of a war to control the outcome while using crisis for domestic policy influence. Putin’s playbook. Same sabotage, new century.The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.Thank you Lev Parnas, Ellie Leonard, Brodee Myers-Cooke, Cat: Poli-Psych, Cathy R. Payne, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dean Blundell! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

Today’s show opened with breaking news: former President Bill Clinton testifying under oath before the House Oversight Committee at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. Clinton’s opening statement — “I saw nothing and I did nothing wrong” — set the stage for what Zev called “one of the most important days in the Epstein investigation,” noting that Epstein likely targeted Clinton as an intelligence asset and even claimed credit for setting up the Clinton Global Initiative.5️⃣ The Epstein Network Is CrumblingThe walls are closing in on the Epstein network globally. World Economic Forum CEO Borj Brande resigned after it emerged he attended three dinners with Epstein. The Telegraph ran a headline about Ariane de Rothschild pleading “don’t leave me over Epstein” — the same Rothschild family whose Edmond de Rothschild bank signed a $25 million contract with Epstein’s Southern Trust Company in 2015. Howard Lutnick, Trump’s Commerce Secretary, was also in the spotlight after photos surfaced showing him on Epstein’s island with metadata confirming the location. “The network is unraveling,” Zev noted, “and it goes all the way to the Rothschilds, who have been connected to Epstein since 1987.”4️⃣ Trump Moves to Seize AIThe Pentagon gave Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei a 5:01 PM deadline to drop safety guardrails from Claude, the company’s AI model, so the military could deploy it without restrictions. Amodei refused. “This is not about national security,” Dean argued, “this is about surveillance and control.” Trump reportedly wants an ownership stake in Anthropic, and the administration is floating nationalization — which Zev called “hardline communism, pure and simple.” The AI wars are no longer theoretical; they are a live fight over who controls the most powerful technology on earth.3️⃣ War on Two FrontsSix countries have begun evacuating citizens from Iran as the USS Gerald Ford and massive American firepower positions in the Mediterranean. Nuclear talks between the US and Iran produced no deal. Meanwhile, China quietly shipped anti-ship missiles to Iran. In a separate theater, Pakistan bombed Taliban positions in Kandahar, Afghanistan — the first strike of its kind. “You’ve got two active war fronts developing simultaneously,” Zev said, connecting the military buildup to Rothschild banking interests in the Gulf region.2️⃣ Media Mega-MonopolyNetflix dropped an $83 billion bid for Warner Brothers Discovery, while Paramount and Skydance offered $111 billion — a deal that would absorb CNN, TNT, TBS, the Cartoon Network, Discovery, and the entire Warner empire. Combined with Larry Ellison’s CBS takeover, where he installed Barry Weiss to turn the network into what Zev called “Trump regime state media,” the consolidation leaves virtually no independent major media voice standing. “We can tell you about the Rothschilds until we’re blue in the face,” Zev said, “but you won’t see that on CNN.”1️⃣ Trump Moves to Steal ElectionsA group of right-wing activists working with the White House is circulating a draft executive order that would give Trump unilateral power to ban mail-in ballots and voting machines before the 2026 midterms. The basis is a debunked conspiracy theory that China interfered in 2020. Dean warned that Maduro could become central to the scheme, with the administration pressuring the captured Venezuelan president to corroborate claims of foreign election interference. The SAVE Act died in the Senate, but an executive order could still strip voting access from an estimated 130 million Americans who lack passports. “Don’t boo — vote,” Dean said, channeling Obama. “It’s going to be so vitally important that we go full Obama in 2026.”From Clinton under oath on Epstein to Trump seizing elections, AI, media and war — Day 38 of the second Trump administration is a roadmap to authoritarianism, and it’s happening in real time.The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.Thank you Dean Blundell, Stephanie G Wilson, PhD, Robin Payes, Iulia Huiu, Sue Ploeger’s script to novel, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

BREAKING NEWS: Hillary Clinton testified behind closed doors today before the House Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York, with Bill Clinton set for tomorrow. Clinton demanded the hearing be public, telling Chairman Comer, “If you want this fight, let’s have it in public.” Comer refused. Then Rep. Lauren Boebert broke committee rules by passing a photo from the closed-door deposition to conservative influencer Benny Johnson, who posted it online, pausing the hearing. Clinton’s opening statement was direct: “I had no idea about their criminal activities. I do not recall encountering Mr. Epstein.” She then delivered what Dean called “a stake in the heart of Comer,” noting that the committee held zero public hearings, refused media access, and that not a single Republican member showed up for Leslie Wexner’s deposition. The real question, as Zev put it, is why the committee is interrogating someone with no connection to Epstein while the man with 5,400 mentions in the files sits in the Oval Office untouched.5. Armed Cubans Shot Off CoastA Florida-registered speedboat carrying ten armed Cuban nationals opened fire on the Cuban Coast Guard about a mile off the coast, seriously injuring the commander. Cuban forces returned fire, killing four and wounding six. They seized assault rifles, body armor, and Molotov cocktails. Dean, who broke the story on his Substack, raised the Gulf of Tonkin comparison, pointing to a pattern of incursions including an incident where Americans planted a flag on a Mexican beach from Elon Musk’s Space City. “They are actively trying to start a war with Cuba,” Dean said, noting the Trump administration’s oil embargo has already crippled the island. Rubio said he didn’t have enough information, which Dean found hard to believe from the Cuban-American Secretary of State who has openly pushed Cuba as the next target.4. Trump Juicing the EconomyMortgage rates fell below 6% for the first time in three years, and Trump took credit at the State of the Union. What he didn’t mention: he ordered Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to buy $200 billion in mortgage-backed bonds to push rates down. “That’s not a free market move,” Zev explained. “He’s doing this only to win the next elections. It’s one of the first signs we’re seeing of him juicing the market to get the economy humming so he can win in November.” Dean compared it to Ontario’s premier handing out cheap booze and rebate checks before elections. “It’s just another cooked up bribe,” Dean said, while warning that it actually works and Democrats shouldn’t assume November is in the bag.3. Trump Plans Election EmergencyA Washington Post exclusive revealed that pro-Trump activists coordinating with the White House are circulating a 17-page draft executive order declaring a national emergency over elections, claiming China interfered in 2020. The order would let Trump ban mail ballots and voting machines by executive fiat, bypassing Congress and the Constitution. The SAVE Act died in the Senate, so this is Plan B. Dean imagined a bingo wheel in the White House spinning through countries to blame: Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Italy, Iran, and now China. “The Chinese had no interest in helping Biden get elected in 2020,” Zev noted, pointing out that China rolls out the red carpet for Trump, not his opponents. Combined with the mortgage rate manipulation, these two stories reveal Trump’s full midterm strategy: juice the economy and rig the rules.2. Democrats Say DOJ Running a Cover-UpNPR identified more than 50 pages the DOJ withheld from the Epstein file release, including four FBI 302s from a woman who testified under oath in 2019 that Trump and Epstein sexually abused her when she was between 13 and 15. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and dozens of major outlets have now confirmed the story. Rep. Robert Garcia called it a “White House cover-up” and opened a parallel investigation. “Pam Bondi, on orders from the president, took it upon herself and the entire DOJ and the FBI to delete these files out of the public record,” Dean said. “These are 302s. These are victim statements under oath.” The DOJ said it would “review and republish.” They got caught.1. The Rothschild-Trump-Epstein NetworkNew Narativ analysis published today reveals the financial architecture connecting Trump and Epstein. Zev reported that Wilbur Ross, who ran Rothschild’s bankruptcy practice in the United States for two decades, bailed out Trump’s Atlantic City casinos by convincing bondholders to keep Trump in control. Three years earlier, Baron Elie de Rothschild personally endorsed Epstein to Leslie Wexner. Both men then moved through the same banks for decades. The Commerce Department seat went from Rothschild’s man Ross to Epstein’s man Howard Lutnick, whose photo with Epstein and his two sons on Little St. James Island surfaced during the show. Newly uncovered emails from the Epstein files show Epstein claiming descent from the Ritter von Epstein banking dynasty of 1870s Vienna, a claim accepted without question by the Rothschilds themselves. “No one’s asking those questions,” Zev said. “They’re not actually concerned about the organized criminal ring trafficking underage girls. They’re trying to score points against the Democrats.”The Clintons testify while Trump hides. Fifty pages vanish. The financial network stays invisible. And the committee asking questions is looking everywhere except where the evidence points.The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.Thank you This Will Hold, Brodee Myers-Cooke, Cathy R. Payne, Iulia Huiu, Karen Gordon, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dean Blundell! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

Hours before Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address, the Epstein case detonated on multiple fronts — and the FiveStack brought Denver Riggleman and Lev Parnas along for a special prime time broadcast to cover it all live. NPR confirmed what Roger Sollenberger first reported on Substack: the Trump Justice Department has withheld or removed 53 pages of FBI interviews with women who accused Trump of sexually assaulting them as minors. One woman was interviewed by the FBI four times — credible enough for four separate sit-downs — and only the first interview, the one that doesn’t mention Trump, made it into the public database. A second woman described being taken to Mar-a-Lago as a minor, where Epstein introduced her to Trump and said, according to the FBI document, “This is a good one, huh.” That interview was removed from the database after publication and restored only after Sollenberger flagged it. “They basically covered up for the president of the United States,” Zev said. “And they have no interest in giving us the truth.”Meanwhile, Ryan Goodman at Just Security documented a bombshell buried in the newly released files: five days after Epstein’s arrest in July 2019, the FBI directed NYPD’s Special Victims Unit to stand down on all Epstein investigations. The email in the files reads: “SVU has been directed to stand down and that all Epstein stuff needs to go to and through us.” By January 2020, an FBI agent wrote that after the order, “our assumption was obviously that they closed anything they had after his death.” New York was ground zero for Epstein’s crimes, and the FBI shut down the investigators best positioned to reach co-conspirators. “This is a pattern of shutting down parallel investigations,” Zev noted, pointing out that New Mexico’s investigation into Zorro Ranch was also closed in 2019 at the request of SDNY.Congressman Thomas Massie went to the House floor and named three men from the Epstein files that the DOJ should investigate: Leon Black, the billionaire former CEO of Apollo Global Management; Jes Staley, the former head of JP Morgan’s investment bank; and Leslie Wexner, the founder of L Brands whom the FBI internally labeled a co-conspirator in 2019. “Those aren’t the first people that come to mind in terms of rape, although they are associated with rape,” Zev observed. “But those are the first people that come to mind when you come to think of financial crimes related to Jeffrey Epstein. Leon Black, very connected to Russia. Les Wexner, very connected to Israel. Jes Staley was Jeffrey Epstein’s best friend while he was in charge of the private wealth bank at JP Morgan, who funded this huge organization. And guess who else they funded? They funded this man who’s giving the speech right now.”As Trump spoke, Epstein survivor Annie Farmer sat in the gallery as a guest of Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia. She had told CBS earlier in the day: “We’re not going away until the law is followed.” Her sister Maria Farmer, the first person to report Epstein and Maxwell to law enforcement in 1996, sent a statement read on air: “I’m so proud of my sister Annie for representing us both since I’m unable to fly. We are all deeply honored to be part of the awakening Virginia’s cause. Thanks to all whose minds are recognizing the significance of her sacrifices.” Dean drove the point home throughout the broadcast: “That man on our screen right now, the president of the United States, has been credibly accused of or settled 31 different rape and sexual assault suits. And as a man, I have a problem with that.”The show closed with the hosts refusing to watch another minute. “I’d much rather listen to Annie Farmer than to Donald Trump,” Zev said. “This is the night for the survivors,” Dean said. This is a night for the people who have fought so hard to bring this man to justice.” Zev’s final message was direct: “Reply to everybody, everywhere — Jeffrey Epstein, Jeffrey Epstein, Jeffrey Epstein — because that is the only story here tonight.”The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.Thank you John Liccione, ESBC NFL And SportsBetting, Robin Payes, Richard Hogan, MD, PhD(2), DBA, Elaine Cimino, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dean Blundell and Lev Parnas! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

Lord Peter Mandelson — one of the most powerful figures in British political history — was arrested today at his London home, led out in handcuffs by plainclothes police officers. The charge: misconduct in public office for allegedly leaking sensitive government documents to Jeffrey Epstein while serving as Gordon Brown’s business secretary. Police raided his mansion near Regent’s Park and a second property in Wiltshire. Files show Mandelson shared EU bailout plans, Brown’s resignation details, and government property sales with Epstein, who allegedly sent him £56,000 in return. This comes four days after Prince Andrew was arrested on the same charge for leaking confidential information while serving as Britain’s trade envoy. “It’s massive that we’ve had Prince Andrew and now Lord Mandelson,” Zev said. “This is happening with the permission of the crown. It should terrify everyone involved in this network, especially Donald Trump.” Dean pointed out that Mandelson is reportedly ready to start telling investigators who he was working with. “Two for the UK, zero for the United States,” Dean said. “The walls are closing in — in London. The question is when it reaches Washington.” Tomorrow night, at least 10 Epstein survivors will sit in the Capitol gallery as Trump delivers the State of the Union.5️⃣ Kash Patel Parties at the OlympicsWhile an armed man was breaching Mar-a-Lago and Americans were sheltering in place across Mexico, FBI Director Kash Patel was chugging beer in a locker room in Milan with the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team after their gold medal win — the first in 46 years. Videos of Patel spraying beer went viral, drawing fierce criticism. “He spent $250,000 of taxpayer money flying to Milan so he could get shithoused with Team USA and record viral videos,” Dean said. Zev called it “a new low for the FBI director” and noted that Patel found time for political investigations and partying but not actual crises. Trump invited the team to his State of the Union — “because there is nothing this man can hang on his mantle as far as his own accomplishments that makes America great,” Dean said.4️⃣ Binance Funneled $1.7B to IranThe New York Times reported that internal investigators at Binance discovered $1.7 billion flowed from two accounts to Iranian entities linked to the Revolutionary Guards Corps, a designated terrorist organization. When investigators flagged the transactions, Binance fired or suspended at least four of them. Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, and his family’s crypto venture World Liberty Financial has business ties with the exchange. “Nobody is doing anything about the profit-taking and theft through crypto, through Bitcoin, through digital assets,” Dean said. “Donald Trump knew that his only way to truly enrich himself and get away with it is to do it through crypto.” Zev connected the dots: “Meanwhile, Kash Patel’s partying in Milan. Nothing to investigate. No crime anywhere.”3️⃣ Cannon Seals Smith EvidenceJudge Aileen Cannon blocked public release of Jack Smith’s classified-documents report, burying detailed evidence of Trump illegally retaining defense secrets so sensitive that senior national security officials didn’t know they existed. Cannon called Smith’s investigation “a brazen stratagem.” Dean called it judicial protection of presidential crimes: “There’s only one reason a judge would say Americans aren’t allowed to see the criminality of Donald Trump — it’s too explosive. And it’s got nothing to do with the rule of law and everything to do with her fealty to the guy who put her in that position.” Zev noted that First Amendment groups are appealing to the 11th Circuit, but the damage is done — Trump addresses Congress tomorrow with the evidence of his crimes sealed by his own judge.2️⃣ El Mencho Killed, Mexico BurnsMexican special forces killed “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, after U.S. intelligence helped track him through a romantic partner to a small town called Tapalpa. At least 62 people were killed in the retaliation that swept across a dozen Mexican states — highways blocked, banks and supermarkets torched, Puerto Vallarta locked down with tourists sheltering in place. Dean, whose partner had family on the ground in Puerto Vallarta, offered context: “The cartel lit buses and cars on fire and blocked intersections. The Mexican government has it in hand. Puerto Vallarta is one of the safest tourist destinations in the world.” Both hosts noted Trump’s attempt to claim credit for the operation, which Mexican President Sheinbaum firmly rejected. “All these stories are somehow connected,” Dean said. “There’s an earthquake happening in the world right now. And the people who were in power for criminal purposes are losing it,” Zev said1️⃣ Mandelson Arrested for Epstein LeaksReturning to the top story, Zev laid out the deeper significance. Mandelson’s arrest connects to a web that includes the Rothschild banking family, Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, and the broader Epstein intelligence operation. Mandelson was found on Deripaska’s yacht in Corfu with Nate Rothschild years ago — and now those same connections run through the Epstein files. “Peter Mandelson was pulled out of the United States because he is so guilty of working with a pedophile network,” Dean said. Zev noted that 17 or 18 countries have now launched independent Epstein investigations. “The Epstein network is being dismantled in real time — in London,” Zev said. “The question Americans should be asking: when does it reach Washington?”Five stories, one thread. The criminals who operated in darkness are losing their grip — and tomorrow night, Epstein survivors will sit in the gallery and watch the president try to pretend none of it is connected.The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.Thank you This Will Hold, Cat: Poli-Psych, Cheech Previti, John Liccione, Beth Cruz, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dean Blundell! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

🚨 BREAKING NEWS: SCOTUS STRIKES DOWN TARIFFSThe Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Donald Trump never had the authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Chief Justice Roberts, joined by Gorsuch, Barrett, and the three liberal justices, held that IEEPA does not grant the president the power to set tariffs — and no president in the law’s half-century history ever tried to use it that way until Trump. Over 60 percent of all tariff revenue collected last year came through IEEPA, and economists now estimate $175 billion is at risk of refund. Trump called it a “disgrace” and immediately tried invoking Section 301 and Section 232 as alternatives, but as Zev noted, “Roberts has already indicated this is b******t, and you’re going to have to re-litigate this entire process.” Dean pointed out that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick — standing right next to Trump during his furious rant — had been buying up tariff refund claims from struggling businesses at pennies on the dollar through Cantor Fitzgerald, positioning himself to collect billions now that the tariffs have been ruled illegal. The ruling also killed Trump’s plan to announce $2,000 tariff dividend checks at Tuesday’s State of the Union. Dean delivered the Canadian perspective with particular satisfaction: “To all of those people who chastised Mark Carney for not getting a deal done with Donald Trump — now you know why.”5️⃣ Hamas Retakes GazaWhile Donald Trump told the inaugural Board of Peace meeting that “the war in Gaza is over,” an IDF assessment presented to Prime Minister Netanyahu tells a very different story — Hamas has reasserted control over 90 percent of the populated areas in Gaza. The group appointed five new district governors linked to its armed al-Qassam Brigades, restarted 14 of 17 government ministries, and is collecting taxes on imports by force. The U.S.-backed technocratic committee led by Ali Shaath hasn’t been allowed to enter the territory. Dean described the Board of Peace roster as “mafia states” and the inaugural meeting as “broken English open mic night” during which Trump repeatedly fell asleep, at one point drooling and sweating with his mouth hanging open. “That is the president of the United States and a show of strength with the biggest losers in the world,” Dean said, “and he couldn’t stay awake for any of it.”4️⃣ Allies Fracture Over IranBritain told the United States no. Prime Minister Keir Starmer blocked American use of RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia for any preemptive strike on Iran, citing the legal reality that lending a runway makes you a party to the war. France also refused to make its bases available. Trump retaliated by torpedoing U.S. support for the Chagos Islands sovereignty deal one day after his own State Department endorsed it. Two aircraft carriers are now moving into the region, and Trump gave Iran a 10-day deadline for a nuclear deal. Dean argued that Trump’s military posturing is theater: “He is so scared to death of starting a war — more scared than any president in the history of the presidency.” Zev pointed to Russia’s coordinated drills with Iran as the real tell, noting that Trump never moves without Putin’s coordination on geopolitical strategy.3️⃣ Wexner Names Names Under OathLes Wexner’s congressional testimony became the most riveting moment of the Epstein investigation this week. Under oath, the 88-year-old billionaire began naming names — the Queen, the Rothschilds, Sergey Brin, Jeff Bezos, the Saudi prince — while his own lawyer grew visibly agitated, at one point leaning in and telling him “if you give another answer that’s more than five words, I will f*****g kill you.” Zev noted the lawyer received a text message that changed his entire demeanor, and identified four separate interventions to shut Wexner down. Wexner also revealed that Epstein had worked for the Rothschilds before joining him in 1987 — a fact Zev said he had never encountered despite years of research. The emails in the Epstein files tell the rest of the story: Epstein once wrote to Wexner, “We did gang stuff. You owe me. I owe you.” When Epstein got caught, Wexner replied: “You broke our number one rule.” As Dean put it: “This is the beginning of the great sellout of everybody that was involved.”2️⃣ Andrew Arrested — Epstein WidensThe first arrest of a senior British royal in nearly 400 years happened on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to forwarding confidential government trade reports to Jeffrey Epstein while serving as UK trade envoy. He was held for 11 hours, and police are still searching his former Royal Lodge residence through Monday. Met Police are now asking Andrew’s former protection officers to consider whether anything they witnessed — including visits to Epstein’s island — is relevant. Virginia Giuffre’s family said “our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.” Trump called it “very sad” and “a shame” without once mentioning Epstein’s name. Zev connected Andrew to the same Al-Yamana arms deal network that linked Douglas Lees, Adnan Khashoggi, and Epstein — noting that Andrew’s arrest came the same day Wexner named the Queen under oath.1️⃣ Bombshell J6 Texts From Denver RigglemanDean Blundell’s exclusive interview with former J6 investigator Denver Riggleman produced never-before-published text messages revealing the origins of the fake elector scheme. A November 4, 2020 text from then-Energy Secretary Rick Perry to chief of staff Mark Meadows laid out the plan: get Republican-controlled state legislatures to declare election results invalid and send their own electors to be ruled on by the Supreme Court. The next day, Don Jr. texted Meadows a detailed blueprint for stealing the election through fake electors, culminating with: “We have multiple paths. We control them all. We have operational control. Total leverage. Moral high ground. POTUS must start second term now.” The texts also identified Justice Clarence Thomas as their “ace in the SCOTUS hole” — his wife Ginni Thomas was already working the independent state legislature theory that would have given state legislatures the power to override election results. Riggleman told Dean that Liz Cheney blocked him from going public with the Clarence Thomas material because of “familial relationships” between the Cheneys and the Thomas family. Riggleman has thousands more texts and plans to release them weekly.The walls are closing in from every direction. The Supreme Court gutted Trump’s tariffs. His allies are refusing him war bases. Wexner is naming names under oath. Andrew’s been arrested. And now the original texts proving January 6th was a planned coup are finally seeing daylight. Tuesday’s State of the Union has never looked more precarious.The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.Thank you Lev Parnas, This Will Hold, Nick Paro, Cat: Poli-Psych, Stephanie G Wilson, PhD, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dean Blundell! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor this morning was not telegraphed to the palace beforehand, but a profound shift in royal power to Prince William is what allowed it to happen. Months before Thames Valley Police showed up at Wood Farm on the King’s Sandringham estate to arrest Andrew on his 66th birthday, a showdown inside the royal family had already sealed his fate. William demanded Andrew be excluded from Christmas, stripped of all remaining protections, and sent into the wilderness — and Charles gave in. “At that moment, royal watchers have said the king was no longer the king,” Zev Shalev said. “The crown actually, in effect, passed down to William because Charles gave in to William on that demand.” The king’s only statement was the public confirmation of a private power shift— referring to his own brother not as family but as “Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor,” declaring “the law must take its course,” and signing as “Charles R.” — not his royal majesty - not even the King. . “The royal family does not get arrested if the king doesn’t want them arrested,” Shalev said. “He’s let this happen.” William and Kate are rebuilding the monarchy by burning its worst parts down — and that fire is now visible from Washington.The charge is misconduct in public office, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. But what made this arrest possible was the DOJ Epstein files released January 30 showing Andrew forwarded classified trade intelligence to a convicted sex offender with no security clearance. The last time a royal was arrested was 1647 — King Charles I, who was later beheaded. Maria Farmer, the first known survivor to report Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to law enforcement, issued a statement : “Today is just the beginning of accountability and justice brought forth by Virginia Roberts Giuffre — a young mother who adored her daughter so deeply, she fought the most powerful on earth to protect her. She did this for everyone’s daughters. Let’s now demand all the dominos of power and corruption begin to fall.” Lev Parnas, who lived inside the world now being exposed, called the arrest the first real accountability beyond Epstein and Maxwell themselves. “If the king’s own brother, his own blood, is being allowed to stand in the face of justice, what that should do is force President Trump to do the same exact thing — to open up all the files, unredact all of the stuff, even if it is Howard Lutnick, even if it is somebody close to you.”The dominos Farmer invoked are already in motion. Lutnick, Trump’s Commerce Secretary, went from claiming he’d never been to Epstein’s island to admitting he’d visited with his children and nannies — and files released this week show Epstein specifically requested access to one of those nannies. Shalev connected Lutnick directly to the royal-Epstein nexus: he gave Sarah Ferguson’s charity office space above Cantor Fitzgerald, where Ghislaine Maxwell co-managed funds through “La Dolce Vita” fundraising parties that raised money that never reached charity. Trump called his state visit to Windsor Castle last September “one of the highest honors of my life” and described Charles as a close friend. Five months later, Charles’s brother is in handcuffs. Sixteen countries now have open Epstein investigations. Canada is next. The files released so far represent an estimated two to four percent of the total archive. Dean Blundell put it as plainly as it gets: “If we can get a prince, we can get a f*****g president.”This Breaking News special is available as audio on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Narativ Breaking News is a production of narativ.org, deanblundell.substack.com, and levremembers.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

Today’s FiveStack broke format to go deep on the Epstein network with investigative journalist Ellie Leonard of The Panicked Writer on Substack. What emerged was a devastating portrait of a criminal enterprise hiding in plain sight — and the Commerce Secretary sitting at its center.5️⃣ Lutnick’s Nanny ProblemEllie Leonard uncovered a previously unreported email in the Epstein files from Richard Kahn, Epstein’s accountant, attaching the resume of Howard Lutnick’s nanny and arranging a meeting with Epstein. “Epstein doesn’t have children. Epstein doesn’t need a nanny,” Leonard noted. The email surfaced months after Lutnick’s documented December 2012 visit to Epstein’s island — a trip he swore under oath never happened until confronted with his wife’s own emails describing the boat ride there. Lutnick bought the Manhattan townhouse next door to Epstein’s from a trust Epstein controlled, reportedly for as little as $10.4️⃣ The FBI 302 That Should Have Stopped a Cabinet PickAn FBI whistleblower’s 302, published in the latest Epstein file release, accuses Lutnick of money laundering with the Russian mafia through Cantor Fitzgerald, fraud, and facilitating charity theft alongside Ghislaine Maxwell. The whistleblower, a 30-year securities industry veteran who worked on Cantor’s desk, gave the FBI this information in 2021. A search of FBI databases returned 34 hits on Lutnick including three suspicious activity reports. When the FBI vetted him for Commerce Secretary, those red flags were either minimized or withheld entirely. “They were just brushed away,” Zev reported.3️⃣ Wexner Ducks His DepositionLeslie Wexner, who gave Jeffrey Epstein $46 million, multiple houses, and power of attorney, was scheduled to testify before Congress today. Congress had already moved the deposition from Washington to Ohio to accommodate him. Instead, Wexner sent a letter claiming he was too ill to appear — even at a courthouse minutes from his home. “Every single one of these pricks relies on some last-minute excuse not to be accountable,” Dean said. Wexner has never answered questions about his relationship with Epstein, and his withdrawal came as the Lutnick revelations were accelerating.2️⃣ Zorro Ranch Gets Its InvestigationNew Mexico has greenlit a $2 million investigation into Epstein’s 8,000-acre Zorro Ranch compound — a property with its own airstrip, four layers of electrified fencing, and allegations of buried victims. The ranch was purchased by mega-donor Don Huffines through an LLC and only identified as his after road renaming forced a tax disclosure. Huffines is now claiming he’ll convert the property into a Christian retreat for sex abuse victims — an announcement that arrived suspiciously soon after investigators started asking questions. Multiple victims describe Zorro Ranch as where the worst abuse occurred, with Eastern European women flown in privately and impossible to trace. “You’re not keeping people out — you’re keeping people in,” Dean observed of the fencing.1️⃣ The $80 Trillion HeistZev presented an evolving network map connecting Epstein, Trump, Lutnick, the Russian mafia, and dozens of other players across four decades of financial crime. Lutnick currently ranks fifth in the number of connections across the entire network. The map draws from both the Epstein files and years of independent investigation into what Narativ calls the Greatest Heist — an estimated $80 trillion siphoned from the American economy through money laundering, securities fraud, and criminal networks now operating from the White House. “You’ve got the Russian mafia sitting in the White House right now,” Zev said. The FBI’s own files note that queries on Epstein and Maxwell were blocked “due to the sensitive nature of the case” — a detail that speaks to intelligence protection that persisted across four administrations.Today’s episode made one thing clear: the sex crimes are the tip of a financial iceberg that may represent the largest theft in human history, and every layer of the U.S. government has failed to stop it.The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

This episode of The FiveStack is brought to you by Ground News — the app we use every day to find the stories that matter. Get 40% off the Vantage plan at groundnews.com/fivestack or just click this button.5️⃣ Lutnick’s Epstein Web Grows DeeperNew details from the Epstein files reveal Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s extensive financial ties to Jeffrey Epstein, including a Manhattan mansion at 11 East 71st Street — next door to Epstein’s own residence — that Lutnick acquired through a chain of Epstein-controlled trusts for just $10. An FBI whistleblower who worked in the securities business for 32 years told agents that Lutnick “instructed all the fraud” at Cantor Fitzgerald and that the firm laundered money for the Russian mafia through an affiliate called Parabridge International Services, which was connected to Deutsche Bank. The whistleblower complaint identifies 37 separate instances involving Lutnick in money laundering investigations, all hidden from public view until the files were released. Lutnick was also tied to Liquid Funding, Epstein’s offshore vehicle at Bear Stearns that was the only fund saved during the 2008 crash — with $6.7 billion from the U.S. Treasury. “This guy’s as crooked as you can get,” Zev said, noting that the FBI flagged Lutnick in two major cases before he was confirmed as Commerce Secretary, and the warnings were simply ignored. Dean pointed out that Lutnick’s sons have since set up a company at Cantor Fitzgerald allowing businesses to take advances on tariff refunds — profiting from the very tariff chaos their father’s boss created.HOW DID THE LUTNICK STORY RATE ON GROUND NEWS?We checked it on Ground News and the bias meter tells you everything. The Lutnick-Epstein connection — a sitting Commerce Secretary tied to money laundering, the Russian mafia, and Jeffrey Epstein's financial network — is virtually invisible in right-wing media. It barely registers in mainstream outlets. The only places covering it consistently are independent journalists and a handful of left-leaning sources. That's the kind of blind spot Ground News was built to expose. When you can see who's covering a story and who's burying it, the silence becomes the story. Get 40% off Ground News at groundnews.com/fivestack.4️⃣ Anderson Cooper Walks as CBS Turns to State TVAnderson Cooper has left CBS’s 60 Minutes after 20 years, and while the network cites personal reasons, the real story is what’s happened to CBS News under editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. Since taking over in October 2025, Weiss spiked a 60 Minutes report on CECOT — the El Salvador prison Trump flew migrants to — heavily edited Cooper’s January story on Trump’s South Africa refugee policy, and is reportedly planning to fire correspondents including former anchor Scott Pelley and Sharon Alfonsi. The censorship extended to late night when CBS blocked Stephen Colbert from airing an interview with James Talarico, the born-again Christian Texas Democrat mounting a serious challenge to flip the state. Colbert was told he couldn’t air the segment, couldn’t explain why, and couldn’t discuss the conversations that led to the decision — but because he owns the content rights, the interview appeared on YouTube anyway. “She is turning CBS into a propaganda arm of the government,” Zev said. Meanwhile, Warner Brothers has reopened negotiations with the Ellison family for a sale that would include CNN, threatening to consolidate yet another major news network under the same forces dismantling independent journalism.3️⃣ DHS Subpoenas Social Media Over ICE CriticismThe Department of Homeland Security has been issuing hundreds of administrative subpoenas to Google, Meta, Reddit, and Discord demanding the personal information of users who posted negative comments about ICE. The subpoenas target anyone who criticized the agency on social media, with legal threats for noncompliance. Half the targeted companies have already handed over the data. “They’re going to go after them,” Dean said, noting the chilling effect on free speech. Zev connected the compliance to the broader broligarchy, pointing to Peter Thiel — who he reported is functioning as a Russian asset — and the pre-2016 dinner where Musk, Thiel, and others sat with Epstein plotting what would become their current grip on American power. The Epstein files now show Thiel’s email exchanges with Epstein describing daily GHB use, raising serious questions about the compromisability of the men holding the keys to America’s data infrastructure through Palantir and DOGE.2️⃣ U.S. Sends 50 Fighter Jets Toward IranThe United States has moved more than 50 fighter jets toward the Middle East in the past 24 hours as round two of Iran nuclear talks began. A framework has emerged but the posturing continues, with Israel potentially acting unilaterally. Dean flagged that an Iranian official recently claimed the Trump regime called Tehran asking them to stage a fake war — a claim that went largely unreported in American media.1️⃣ Canada Cuts Out the U.S.Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a sweeping national defense and trade pivot that effectively writes the United States out of Canada’s security architecture. Canada will pursue partnerships with Indo-Pacific nations and the EU, with the United States relegated to an afterthought. Carney referenced his Davos remarks about taking down the shop sign and no longer catering to Washington. Zev also revealed that his Epstein network graph has grown from 20 names to 330, with Epstein at number one, Trump at number two, Robert Maxwell at three, and Howard Lutnick at four — a ranking by data points that tells you everything about the Commerce Secretary’s proximity to the network. The show closed with a tribute to Reverend Jesse Jackson, who died at 84 after a long illness, a reminder of the Rainbow Coalition era and a very different vision for America.The house of lies is collapsing. From Lutnick’s fraud to CBS’s capitulation to Canada’s defiance, the pattern is the same: the network is exposed, the resistance is growing, and the people dismantling democracy are running out of places to hide. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

5️⃣ Cohen Flips AgainMichael Cohen surfaced on the PBD podcast in a pre-recorded interview that Lev Parnas flagged as an audition tape for Donald Trump. Cohen spent ten minutes insisting he never once witnessed Trump interact with Jeffrey Epstein — still calling him “the boss” — then let slip: “However, there was one file.” A Jane Doe lawsuit crossed his desk. Trump said “make it go away.” Cohen admitted he still doesn’t know who the person was or how old they were. “Michael Cohen is full of s**t,” Dean said. “He changes depending on his audience.” According to Parnas, who’s known Cohen for 40 years, he’s desperately trying to get back into Trump’s circle for a pardon.4️⃣ Epstein-Thiel-Russia NetworkZev’s deep-dive into every Epstein-Thiel email revealed something unreported: Epstein connected Peter Thiel directly to Russian intelligence figures during the 2016 campaign. Five weeks before the election, Epstein’s assistant coordinated meetings between Thiel and Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s UN ambassador and known handler. Separately, Epstein introduced Thiel to FSB-trained Sergei Belayakov from Putin’s economic ministry. Epstein also told Thiel he was heading to Mar-a-Lago to suggest replacements for Treasury Secretary Mnuchin. “Jeffrey Epstein didn’t just play a central role in Trump’s pedophilic life,” Zev said. “He played a central role in filling out his administration.” Dean called the interactive relationship map connecting Thiel, Trump, Putin, Musk, Kushner, and Bannon “a f*****g map of the most important people in the destruction of the United States.”3️⃣ Epstein Scalp CounterThree more scalps in 24 hours. Former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland was arrested at his home — the first head of state taken down by the Epstein files. Goldman Sachs chief legal officer Kathy Ruemmler resigned after emails showed she called Epstein “Uncle Jeffrey” and spoke with him daily. DP World chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, who oversaw 10% of global trade, resigned after a torture video surfaced. The running list now includes Brad Karp, Peter Mandelson (criminally charged), Morgan McSweeney, Miroslav Lajcak, Joanna Rubinstein, Peter Attia, David Ross, and Larry Summers. “They can arrest prime ministers and defrock Prince Andrew,” Dean said, “but they can’t get Donald f*****g Trump.”2️⃣ Don Lemon Pleads Not GuiltyDon Lemon pleaded not guilty in St. Paul federal court for covering an anti-ICE protest at a Minneapolis church. Prosecutors charged him under a KKK-era religious freedom statute from the 1920s. The original Minnesota prosecutor refused to bring the case and was fired. “Don Lemon did not commit a crime. Don Lemon walked into a church,” Dean said. “They arrested him because he’s Black and because he’s a reporter and because they hate him.” Attorney Abbe Lowell is mounting a First Amendment defense. Dean called the prosecution “the dumbest f*****g thing among millions of other dumb things the Trump regime has done” — one that turned Lemon into a martyr for press freedom.1️⃣ $38 Billion Detention MachineICE plans to spend $38.3 billion converting warehouses into a mass detention network holding nearly 100,000 people, according to documents published on New Hampshire’s state website Thursday. Sixteen processing centers will hold 1,000 to 1,500 detainees each. Eight mega-centers will hold 7,000 to 10,000 for deportation staging. The news broke as DHS shut down for the third time after Senate Democrats blocked funding, demanding ICE reforms following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. “This is obviously not just intended for immigrants,” Zev said. “We’ve seen how this rolls out in other autocratic states. This will turn into detention centers for dissidents.”The Epstein files are rewriting the history of how Donald Trump came to power. The question is no longer just about sex crimes — it’s about whether Jeffrey Epstein helped rig a presidential election.The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.Thank you Cat: Poli-Psych, John Liccione, Robin Payes, IAMPEGS, Iulia Huiu, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dean Blundell! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

🎂 Happy 53rd birthday to Dean Blundell, the birthday boy of the FiveStack. To celebrate, Dean opened the show with a meditation on minimalism, the hedonic treadmill, and why Donald Trump is a cuckoo bird who kicks everyone out of the nest. “Nero had everything. He was buried with his donkey. We are months away from watching Donald Trump get buried with the donkeys.” That’s the birthday energy we’re working with today.5️⃣ Bondi’s Burn Book: DOJ Surveilled LawmakersAG Pam Bondi walked into yesterday’s five-hour hearing carrying a binder with a printout labeled “Jayapal Pramila Search History” — every Epstein file the congresswoman had searched on DOJ computers. The Department of Justice tracked what lawmakers were reviewing, then handed the intelligence to Bondi to use against them on live television. Jayapal nailed it: “Is this the whole reason they opened the files up to us two days early? So they could surveil members to see what we were going to ask?” Bondi spent the hearing attacking everyone who asked a question, calling Raskin a “washed-up lawyer” and Massie a “failed politician.” Behind her, Epstein survivors raised their hands when asked if the DOJ had contacted them. Not one had been. Bondi wouldn’t even turn around to look at them. Rep. Jasmine Crockett delivered the line of the day: “Let me say thank you for having more courage and moral clarity in your pinky fingers than the entire Department of Justice.”4️⃣ House Votes to Repeal Trump’s Canada TariffsThe House voted 219-211 to repeal Trump’s tariffs on Canada, with six Republicans crossing the aisle. Trump threatened them in real time on Truth Social during the vote: “Any Republican that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time, and that includes Primaries.” It’s symbolic — Trump vetoes it — but as Dean put it, “you’ve got people that have basically said, yeah, go f**k yourself.” Harry Enten’s research shows 70 percent of Americans view Canada more favorably than their own president. Six months from midterms, Republicans won’t break with Trump on democracy, but they’ll break with him on your wallet.3️⃣ Homan Declares Victory, Ends Metro SurgeTom Homan declared Operation Metro Surge over — mission accomplished. The cost: two U.S. citizens dead, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, both killed by federal agents. Two of the three homicides in Minneapolis in 2026 came at the hands of immigration agents. Governor Walz: “I will come over and pack your damn bags if that’s what it takes.” Homan cited arresting 200 protesters as a win without mentioning a single criminal apprehension — the entire stated premise of the operation. Dean called it: “You take a loss and you tell everybody that loss is really a win. That is Trump 101.” Minnesota refused to back down, and Homan is leaving town.2️⃣ Canada Under SiegeThe tariff vote opened a broader conversation about MAGA’s campaign to break Canada apart from the inside. U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra — a Project 2025 author who was kicked out of the Netherlands for organizing far-right movements — is actively stoking Alberta separatism, where 29 to 31 percent now support leaving Canada. The Save America Movement launched ads warning Albertans about Hoekstra, with Dean calling it “the same thing that preceded the war in Ukraine.” Prime Minister Carney’s emotional response in Parliament showed a unified Canada that Dean said he hasn’t seen matched in the United States.1️⃣ Pentagon Readies Second Carrier for IranThe Pentagon ordered a second carrier strike group to prepare for the Middle East. The USS George H.W. Bush could deploy within hours to join the USS Abraham Lincoln already in the region — two strike groups pointed at Iran for the first time in nearly a year. This on the same day Trump sat with Netanyahu for three hours at the White House. Dean shared a story from Iranian state television claiming the Trump regime proposed a staged mini-conflict: “Hit a couple of areas, we go we won, and we’ll let you continue doing your stuff.” Whether true or not, it captures the performative nature of everything this regime does — fake strength masking real weakness.The FiveStack closed with a shared conviction: what we’re watching is a mirage collapsing. Fifteen countries are now investigating the Epstein network. The Bondi hearing imploded. The cracks in MAGA are showing. As Zev put it: “This is a takeover that can be shrugged off and it’s a takeover that will be defeated.” In the words of the Big Lebowski: this will not stand, man.The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.Thank you Ellie Leonard, Brodee Myers-Cooke, Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, Amy Gabrielle, Cheech Previti, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

This episode is brought to you by Ground.News—the media literacy tool we use every day to prep The FiveStack. Get 40% off at groundnews.com/fivestack.5️⃣ Lutnick Finally Admits He Went to the IslandCommerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified before the Senate Oversight Committee today and conceded for the first time that he did in fact visit Jeffrey Epstein’s private island — directly contradicting his previous sworn testimony and recent podcast statements. Lutnick claimed he stopped by “just for lunch” in 2012 while on a family boat trip, insisting his wife, four children, and nannies were present and that he “doesn’t recall” why they went. “He made sure to tell us he collected all his nannies and kids before he left Epstein Island,” Dean noted. “Was he planning on leaving some there?” Justice Department documents show Lutnick was in contact with Epstein through 2018, and some 250 emails between the Lutnick family and Epstein detail a cordial, ongoing relationship that included business discussions, fundraiser plans, and an email listing the specific ages, names, and sexes of children coming to the island. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt offered only a tepid defense, calling Lutnick “a very important member of President Trump’s team” before quickly pivoting to other topics.WE RELY ON GROUND NEWS AND YOU SHOULD TOOToday's Lutnick testimony is a perfect example. We checked Ground News and found the same Senate hearing framed completely differently across outlets. CNN led with Lutnick contradicting his own sworn statements. The Washington Times buried a line saying there's "no suggestion of wrongdoing" on Trump's part. Fox News called it "a failing attempt by the legacy media to distract from the administration's accomplishments." Same hearing, same lies, wildly different stories. Ground News rates sources by ownership, bias, and factuality so you can see who's funding each narrative. That's why we partner with them — our mission is accountability journalism, theirs is media literacy. Get 40% off at groundnews.com/fivestack.4️⃣ Six Redacted Names UnmaskedRepresentatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie visited the DOJ to read the unredacted Epstein files and emerged to announce that six wealthy, powerful men had been hidden from the public for no apparent reason. After the congressmen flagged the improper redactions, the DOJ acknowledged its “mistake” and released the names: Salvatore Navora, an NYPD detective previously disciplined for connections to an escort service; Zurab Mukhaladze; Leonic Leonov; Nicola Caputo, an Italian politician and former member of the European Parliament; Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, CEO of Dubai Ports World, who allegedly sent Epstein torture videos and requests for 10 and 11-year-old girls and purchased the neighboring island to Little St. James; and billionaire Leslie Wexner, labeled a co-conspirator by the FBI. “If we found six men they were hiding in two hours,” Khanna said on the House floor, “imagine how many men they are covering up for in those three million files.” Wexner is expected to testify on February 18.3️⃣ One Million Trump MentionsRepresentative Jamie Raskin walked out of the DOJ redaction room and confirmed that a search for Donald Trump in the unredacted Epstein files returned more than one million results. With only about 38,000 mentions in the publicly released files, that means roughly 960,000 references to Trump were scrubbed by the FBI before release. “It doesn’t happen because of press clippings or duplicates,” Dean explained. “It happens because a person is deeply and structurally embedded into the documentary record of a federal investigation.” The unredacted files also include a 2009 email exchange between Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell recounting a phone call with Trump in which Trump admitted Epstein was never asked to leave Mar-a-Lago — he was a guest, not a member — directly contradicting Trump’s longtime claim that he banned Epstein from the club. The files further reveal that Trump told the Palm Beach police chief after Epstein’s arrest that “everybody knew” what Epstein was doing and that Epstein was “stealing women from him.”2️⃣ The Melania ConnectionNarativ’s exclusive reporting revealed two references in the unredacted files — one made under a proffer, meaning under oath — stating that Jeffrey Epstein introduced Donald Trump to Melania. Trump reportedly kept emerging from a bedroom telling people Melania was “a great piece of ass.” The Epstein files show Melania entered the United States through the modeling world connected to Paolo Zampolli, who now holds a diplomatic position in the Trump administration, and through Elite Models, part of Epstein’s orbit. The connection dovetails with Narativ’s ongoing investigation with Ellie Leonard into a coded survivor journal that names Mar-a-Lago as what the survivor described as a “slave camp” and child prostitution center. “Every single brick in this wall turns up to be a brick in the foundation that proves Melania Trump is absolutely part of this,” Dean said, pointing to her Einstein visa, her documented ties to Epstein-connected figures, and her reported direct line to Vladimir Putin.1️⃣ The Cover-Up Is the StoryThe biggest revelation of the day may be what we’re not seeing. Khanna confirmed that 70 to 80 percent of the Epstein files remain redacted and that the FBI sent pre-scrubbed files to the DOJ — meaning survivor statements naming powerful men who raped and abused underage girls were systematically hidden before Congress ever passed the Epstein Transparency Act. “Donald Trump’s FBI scrubbed these files in March, long before Thomas Massie and I passed the Epstein Transparency Act,” Khanna told the House. Lauren Boebert emerged from the redaction room saying there are “definitely” implicated co-conspirators and that Maxwell deserves more prison time, not clemency. Marjorie Taylor Greene said publicly it’s “way worse than you even think.” A new statement from Epstein survivors accused the DOJ of perpetuating “the very dynamics Epstein relied upon — powerful actors protected by secrecy while victims are exposed, scrutinized and made to bear the consequences.” Deputy AG Todd Blanche declared the review “over.” It is anything but. The survivors sent a letter to Pam Bondi ahead of her testimony before the judiciary committee tomorrow morning.The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.Thank you Ellie Leonard, Robin Payes, Richard Hogan, MD, PhD(2), DBA, Leah Anderson, CO, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dean Blundell! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

5️⃣ I Am Not Your Personal IncubatorNarativ’s investigation of the Epstein files has unearthed a journal written in code by a 16-year-old victim — a journal the FBI never bothered to decode. Researcher Ellie Leonard cracked the code and what she found is staggering: at least eight documented pregnancies, multiple forced abortions, and children taken from their mothers. The decoded entries name Leon Black, Harvey Weinstein, and others whose names are redacted in the official FBI files. One entry reads: “So I came out in the toilet and I didn’t know what to do. So I just flushed the tiny little fetus. I hope I never have to see you again. I’m not your personal incubator.” Zev called it the heaviest material he’s encountered in years of reporting on the Epstein network, and warned that tonight’s installment with Ellie Leonard on Narativ Live will be even more harrowing.4️⃣ Wexner’s Day of ReckoningLes Wexner, the billionaire who gave Jeffrey Epstein power of attorney, a $77 million Manhattan mansion, and access to his corporate empire at The Limited, will be deposed under oath on February 18th. The DOJ files include a draft message from Epstein to Wexner referencing “gang stuff” and outstanding debts. Wexner is mentioned over a thousand times in the archive. He claims Epstein stole hundreds of millions from him, but he never filed a police report, never sued, and continued the relationship for years after the alleged theft. Dean’s assessment was blunt: Wexner will lie under oath because he’s guilty and has everything to lose. The deposition will be the first time Wexner answers questions under oath about the most consequential relationship in the Epstein network.3️⃣ Maxwell’s Clemency ConGhislaine Maxwell appeared virtually from a Texas prison before the House Oversight Committee and invoked the Fifth on every question. Her lawyer David Oscar Markus — who is close friends with Deputy AG Todd Blanche — told lawmakers Maxwell would talk for clemency, and that she could clear both Trump and Clinton. That was the tell. As Zev explained, the clemency talk is theater. Maxwell already has a path out through her December habeas petition, which argues that 25 men received secret DOJ settlements and four co-conspirators were never indicted. By pleading the Fifth, she covers for Trump. By looping in Clinton, she’s sending a coded message: take the deal and stay quiet, or we all go down together. The Clintons testify February 26-27, and as Dean put it, they have an opportunity to save America — if they don’t fall for the ploy.2️⃣ Congress Gets 30 Pages of 3.5 MillionRep. Thomas Massie and Rep. Jamie Raskin went to the DOJ today to view unredacted Epstein files. What they found is a charade of its own: no computers, no phones, no notes allowed, and access to roughly 30 to 40 pages out of a 3.5 million page archive. The DOJ claims it released everything required under the Transparency Act, but Rep. Ro Khanna has pointed out that the department identified over 6 million responsive pages and released barely half. Victims’ names sit unredacted throughout the files while the perpetrators — especially those connected to Trump — remain blacked out.1️⃣ Lutnick’s 250 LiesCommerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is mentioned over 250 times in the Epstein files and documents show he planned a visit to Epstein’s private island in 2012 — seven years after he claimed he cut ties. He lied on a podcast, he lied to Congress, and when the New York Times confronted him, he said he “spent zero time” with Epstein but refused to address the island. Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Thomas Massie are calling for his resignation. As Dean put it, the only reason this government exists in its current form is to protect Trump and his friends from the truth about their acts against children. Lutnick is Exhibit A.The Epstein cover-up is running in real time, but the walls are closing in. Subscribe and share.The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.Thank you Cat: Poli-Psych, Debbie Hupp, Robin Payes, Cathy R. Payne, Karen Hinton, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dean Blundell! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

BREAKING: Just after the show, former President Bill Clinton posted a bombshell thread demanding the full release of the Epstein files and a public hearing before the House Oversight Committee. Clinton said he has provided a sworn statement and agreed to appear in person, but Republicans want cameras only behind closed doors. “Who benefits from this arrangement? It’s not Epstein’s victims, who deserve justice. Not the public, who deserve the truth,” Clinton wrote. He called the closed-door format a “kangaroo court” and said he would not be used as a “prop” by a Republican Party running scared. If the committee wants answers, Clinton said, do it the right way: in a public hearing where Americans can see for themselves what this is really about.5️⃣ Epstein Cover-Up Deepens: Secret Deals Shield AbusersThe Trump regime’s latest attempt to cover up the Epstein files went largely unnoticed until now. Ghislaine Maxwell’s December court filing alleged that 25 men involved in Epstein-related crimes cut secret settlements with victims’ lawyers, and the government then helped conceal their identities from the released files. As Zev explained, 43 of the 47 victims are named in the files, but almost none of their abusers are — because those names were redacted under the cover of these secret deals. Maxwell is set to testify before the House committee on Sunday, followed by Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Scotland Yard raided Lord Mandelson’s properties in London and Wiltshire after Epstein files revealed he leaked sensitive government documents to Epstein, and new evidence showed Epstein had a mole inside Buckingham Palace whose office was actually in the palace itself. Dean called for Canada to immediately launch its own investigation, joining Poland, Lithuania, France, Britain, Estonia, and Ukraine in demanding accountability. “There is no statute of limitations when it comes to murder and child rape,” Dean said. “None. Zero in the United States.”4️⃣ Iran Talks Are an Oil and Real Estate PlayThe United States and Iran sat down in Oman for their first talks since Trump ordered strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June, with the U.S. delegation led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Iran’s Foreign Minister called it a good start but said discussions were exclusively nuclear, refusing to discuss missiles or proxy forces. Senior administration officials admitted they don’t have clear guidance on what Trump actually wants from these talks. Dean pointed out that Witkoff has done business with Putin and his associates for 30 years and was handpicked by Putin to be Trump’s guy, while Kushner carries his own Epstein ties through Apollo Group. “This is a real estate and natural gas slash oil play,” Dean said. “Iran is loaded with energy. That’s all this is about.” Meanwhile, the United States announced plans to reestablish military cooperation with Russia, including possible joint exercises — even as NATO allies conducted Arctic exercises in Greenland without the Americans.3️⃣ Judge Orders Border Patrol Body Cam ReleaseA federal judge in Chicago ruled that the public will see the body camera footage and text messages from the Border Patrol agent who shot Marimar Martinez, a 30-year-old teacher’s assistant and U.S. citizen, five times during an immigration operation on Chicago’s southwest side. After the shooting, Agent Charles Exum texted colleagues bragging about the kill. The government argued releasing the texts would sully Agent Exum, and the judge pointed out that the administration showed zero concern about sullying Martinez’s reputation. In Minneapolis, the executions of Alex Preddie and Nicole Renee Good were ruled homicides, and there are whispers of state attorneys general preparing to bring murder charges not just against the agents who pulled the trigger but everyone in the chain of command. “No one has immunity in the United States of America,” Zev said. “No one is above the law, including the president.”2️⃣ Trump Posts Racist Obama VideoLate last night, Trump posted a video on Truth Social depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes in a jungle. He deleted it and blamed someone else for posting it, which Dean called classic Trump. But the damage was done and the video spread across every platform. Dean noted that of all the racist, fascist content Trump has put out, this video topped them all. But both hosts agreed the real purpose was distraction. “He wants us to talk about everything else other than Epstein files,” Zev said. “Every time they try to gaslight us, every time they try to divert our attention, we need to double down on covering Epstein.” The cover-up itself reveals the scale of the crime: if you go to the trouble of making secret deals with 25 billionaires and subverting the law, the crime must be enormous.1️⃣ Trump Holds Infrastructure Hostage for His NameThe Trump administration told Chuck Schumer they would release frozen funding for the Gateway Rail Tunnel, the biggest infrastructure project in the country at $16 billion connecting New York and New Jersey under the Hudson River, if Schumer agrees to rename Penn Station and Dulles Airport after Donald Trump. Schumer pointed out it’s not his call, but the shakedown reveals everything about the man. Dean drew a direct line from Napoleon building the Arc de Triomphe to Hitler to Kim Jong-un to Trump slapping his name on buildings and constructing a 250-meter Freedom Arc. “He knows this thing’s not gonna last,” Dean said, “so he’s trying to indelibly tattoo Trumpism on buildings.” But Dean offered hope through Roman Emperor Nero, who built a 165-foot bronze statue of himself next to the Colosseum and ended up buried next to his donkey. “Donald Trump will be buried with the donkeys when this is over,” Dean said, “and we will strip his name from every single building.”ShareThe FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today Show anchor Savannah Guthrie, was taken from her Catalina Foothills home on January 31st—just 60 miles from the Arizona-Mexico border. Ransom demands for millions in Bitcoin were sent to TMZ and local news outlets. Police discovered a sophisticated operation: the doorbell camera was digitally disconnected at 1:47 a.m., physical hardware was removed from the front door, and blood matching Nancy’s DNA appeared on the doorstep. Dean observed, “You can pretty much say this is a professional hit of some sort,” noting that “this kind of thing doesn’t tend to happen in America” outside of 1990s Medellín cartel cases. The timing, methods, and crypto demands raise questions as the Epstein files consume national attention and Trump seeks political cover.President Trump who has shown zero compassion for families separated at the border, for victims of mass shootings, for the parents of dead soldiers. Yet he personally called Savannah Guthrie and directed 'ALL Federal Law Enforcement' to the case. Former FBI agent Chris O’leary says investigators would be assessing the involvement of Mexican cartels known for these type of kidnapping plots. A Chihuahua state advisory board leader said explicitly: the decrease in migrant flow is forcing organized crime to "find different ways to obtain resources." Kidnappings for ransom are surging in border cities. Juarez alone saw eight civilians kidnapped for ransom in early 2025, including a businesswoman, a doctor, a retiree. One was shot dead after a $40,000 ransom wasn't paid. Trump has deep ties to the very cartels operating along the Arizona border. His granted members of the Sinaloa cartel permanent residence in the US. This story is dominating the news at a time when Epstein would be the main talking points. 5️⃣ Brad Karp Steps Down as Epstein Reckoning AcceleratesThe chairman of Paul Weiss, one of America’s most powerful corporate law firms, resigned after newly released Epstein files revealed email exchanges with the convicted sex trafficker—exchanges that occurred after his conviction. Dean emphasized that “every one of these people had something to do with him after he was convicted” and publicly outed as a pedophile. The broader Epstein reckoning is picking up speed with calls for Hillary Clinton’s public testimony, though House Oversight Chair Comer wants to keep it private. Bill Gates, Leon Black, Leslie Wexner, Jess Staley, and Jamie Dimon should all be testifying, Zev argued, noting Trump’s name appears 38,000 times in the files—yet he remains untouched.4️⃣ Peter Attia’s 1,700 Epstein Emails Expose the LoopThe Canadian longevity guru appears in the Epstein files not once, but 1,700 times—with communications continuing years after Epstein’s conviction. One email from Attia to Epstein reads, “The biggest problem with being friends with you—the life you lead is so outrageous, and yet I can’t tell a soul.” Another email discusses Little St. James Island with unmistakable innuendo. Dean stated flatly: “Those 1,700 mentions are not a f*****g accident, especially when that proximity in those mentions occur after Epstein’s conviction.” Remarkably, Attia was just hired by Bari Weiss to CBS News, while Peter Thiel—who appears 1,800 times in the files—recommended Alan Dershowitz as a potential contributor to her “credible” news operation.3️⃣ Jeff Bezos Guts Washington Post, Courts PowerJeff Bezos fired 300 journalists from the Washington Post, the most significant staffing cut at a major American newspaper since 2008—despite having no financial pressure to do so. Dean noted the connection: immediately after the theatrical launch of Hooker and Boots (the Melania Trump film Bezos bankrolled with $75 million), Pete Hegseth visited Blue Origin to discuss billions in NASA and space grants. The film itself was ticket-laundered—only 22,000 people worldwide actually watched it, with military personnel forced to attend. Bezos pulled Kamala Harris’s endorsement mid-election and now silences his newsroom. Dean concluded: “Jeff Bezos only cares about himself. He doesn’t give a f**k about democracy. He never did.”2️⃣ Tulsi Gabbard Raids Voter Files Under Trump’s WatchThe DNI, a Russian asset tied to a Hawaiian cult, personally attended FBI raids on Fulton County offices and seized voter rolls and voting machines. She claimed “serious irregularities” but has disclosed nothing. Trump initially said he didn’t order it; then blamed Pam Bondi (who is now unavailable for comment). Two months prior, Gabbard conducted the same operation in Puerto Rico. Dean stressed the illegal absurdity: “She’s the director of national intelligence—that’s outward focus—yet she’s a Trump and Putin operative desperate to cook 2026.” The goal appears to be manufacturing evidence of election fraud to justify ending democracy itself.1️⃣ Vance Admits: It’s a New World OrderVice President J.D. Vance told Megyn Kelly that Trump is forging “a new world order” in trade, globalization, and alliance structures—willing to shake up NATO and abandon old relationships. Dean translated bluntly: “F**k democracy. We’re in it for the elites and the kleptocracy, and we’re going to work with the world’s worst people.” A new study shows 72% of the world now lives under autocratic rule, with America classified as an autocracy. Trump has destroyed every American trade alliance, leaving only “failed petro-states and dictators” as partners. The new world order means one thing: Trump is the dictator, nobody else has rights, and democracy is dead.Democracy dies in darkness, but Jeff Bezos turned off the lights on purpose.The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.Thank you Cat: Poli-Psych, Robin Payes, Story Carrier, Sushipheliac 🍣🍥🍣, Iulia Huiu, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dean Blundell! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

Today’s FiveStack became a One Stack. The allegations in the Epstein files were too significant to rush through. Congressman Ted Lieu stood before reporters and said what everyone has been thinking: “Donald Trump is in the Epstein files thousands and thousands of times. There’s highly disturbing allegations of Donald Trump raping children, of Donald Trump threatening to kill children.” That’s not speculation from a basement blogger. That’s an elected official, a constitutional lawyer, entering it into the public record. “Elected officials are not going to repeat conspiracy theories unless you’re in MAGA,” Dean noted. “You don’t just say those things.”The first location is Zorro Ranch, Epstein’s 10,000-acre New Mexico compound. In November 2019, a former staff member sent an email to investigators claiming two foreign girls were buried in the hills there after dying during rough sex. “Did you know somewhere in the hills outside Zorro, two foreign girls were buried on orders of Jeffrey and Madam G, both died by strangulation during rough fetish sex,” the email read. The managers who ran the ranch for two decades—Brice and Karen Gordon—vanished after Ghislaine Maxwell’s arrest. “Nobody knows where they are. Some people say maybe New Zealand. Who knows?” The ranch was searched in 2019, but details remain scarce. “It is about as remote as you could place anything,” Zev observed. Victims describe waking up in what appeared to be a laboratory, people in hazmat suits, significant memory gaps.The second location is Trump’s golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. FBI files contain a complaint from a victim and witness to a sex trafficking ring there between 1995 and 1996. The complaint names Ghislaine Maxwell as the broker, with clients including Epstein and Robin Leach. Two separate witnesses reported seeing Leach strangle a young girl during a sex party. “He claims that she’s buried behind the 19th hole at the Donald Trump golf course,” Zev read from the files. Another document warns that witnesses would “end up in the hole as well” if they talked. “You’ve got two eyewitnesses calling the FBI about Robin Leach strangling somebody during rough sex and the body being buried. That is something you have to investigate.”The patterns repeat across 38,000 mentions of Trump in the files—far more than the original 5,400 estimate. Women waking up drugged with $300 on the bed. Victims who later disappeared, remains found years later matching their last known clothing. Threats against anyone who spoke. “It is not possible that over 30 years, hundreds of brave women and young men had the exact same story that resulted in the exact same threats,” Dean said. Even Jeffrey Epstein, in emails from 13 years ago, described Trump as “the worst of us. There’s nothing this f*****g guy is incapable of.”The question now is whether anyone will investigate. “We need to at least consider getting a search warrant for the president’s golf course,” Zev said. “Are there girls buried in the presidential golf course? Is this actually possible? Shouldn’t we at least check it out?” The surveillance footage seized from Epstein’s properties—footage that could confirm or disprove these allegations—has never been released. “They say where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Dean concluded. “But we’re literally watching a bonfire. And Donald Trump is trying to tell everybody it’s not.”The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.Thank you Pamela, Lisa 🌿🔍🔎🌿, Leah Anderson, Suzanne Sky, Noble Blend, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dean Blundell! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

This episode is brought to you by Ground.News—the media literacy tool we use every day to prep The FiveStack. Get 40% off at groundnews.com/fivestack.BREAKING: The House just passed spending bills 217-214 to end the partial government shutdown. The package funds most of the federal government through September 30 and the Department of Homeland Security through February 13—a 10-day window for Republicans and Democrats to negotiate new accountability measures for ICE agents.5️⃣ Epstein ReckoningBill and Hillary Clinton finalized an agreement today to testify under oath about Jeffrey Epstein this month after House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer set a noon deadline to clarify terms or face contempt proceedings. . Meanwhile, three months after Epstein died, a former Zorro Ranch staff member sent the FBI a chilling tip claiming two foreign girls were buried in the hills outside the compound, strangled during rough fetish sex on orders of Jeffrey and Madam G. 4️⃣ Paris Raids Musk’s XFrench police raided Elon Musk’s X offices in Paris this morning as part of a criminal investigation into child sexual abuse images, deepfakes, and Holocaust denial, with the Paris prosecutor’s office summoning Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino to appear for questioning on April 20th. We found the Musk story on Ground News. It showed us 82 sources covering the Paris raid worldwide with completely different headlines. France24 went with straightforward reporting, The Guardian led with Musk’s name, while Russian state media RT framed it as Western censorship against free speech. Ground News rates sources by ownership, bias, and factuality so you can see who’s funding each narrative. That’s why we partner with them—our mission is accountability journalism, theirs is media literacy. Get 40% off at groundnews.com/fivestack or click the button below.3️⃣ Trump Seizes The VotePresident Trump told Republicans to take over and nationalize voting in at least 15 states this weekend while repeating debunked 2020 fraud claims, and simultaneously his administration is threatening to cut federal funding to blue states that resist his agenda. Trump explicitly called for Republicans to nationalize elections in 15 states during weekend remarks while threatening to withhold federal funding from states that don’t comply with his policies, prompting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to call it outlandishly illegal. These aren’t separate stories but rather the same coordinated strategy—defund states that resist, seize election control in states that comply, and call it election integrity. When a president demands his party nationalize elections while holding federal dollars hostage, that’s not policy but rather a coup dressed in budget language, making the authoritarian blueprint explicit.2️⃣ Killers Named, Cameras DeployedDHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced body cameras for all federal immigration officers in Minneapolis effective immediately, but the timing reveals everything—ProPublica had just identified Border Patrol agents Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez as the men who killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, on January 24. Two Americans were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis this month with Renee Good dying January 7 and Alex Pretti dying January 24, yet the government stonewalled for weeks refusing to identify the agents until ProPublica did the work and published their names. Noem announced body cameras immediately after the names went public despite having 30 billion dollars in enforcement funding at her disposal, yet no charges have been filed against either agent. Federal agents kill two Americans, the government stonewalls for weeks, journalists identify the killers, and then body cameras appear—cameras aren’t accountability when they only show up after the bodies pile up.1️⃣ Iran Attacks US ForcesIran launched two very aggressive actions against U.S. vessels in six hours today with Revolutionary Guard fast boats attempting to board a U.S.-flagged commercial ship near the Strait of Hormuz this morning, then hours later an Iranian drone approached the USS Lincoln aircraft carrier and was shot down by an F-35. The Iranian boats scattered before a U.S. Navy destroyer arrived to escort the commercial vessel with no shots fired, while U.S. Central Command described the drone’s intent as unclear before destroying it. Nuclear talks scheduled for Friday in Istanbul are now in jeopardy after Iran demanded changes to venue and format, with White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expected to lead delegations. A U.S. carrier strike group is in the region and Trump bombed three Iranian nuclear sites last summer while threatening more strikes if no deal is reached, as Iran’s Supreme Leader warned Sunday of regional war if attacked and Iranian officials say they’re authorized to use weapons against protesters after killing at least 6,842 people in January’s crackdown alone.Five stories, one pattern: power without accountability, institutions captured or corrupted, and when the reckoning finally comes, it comes too late.The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.Thank you Kait Justice, Stephanie G Wilson, PhD, Cat: Poli-Psych, James Rowles, ESBC NFL And SportsBetting, and many others for tuning into my live video with Ellie Leonard! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

I joined Wajahat Ali this weekend to discuss what I’m finding in the Epstein files. The short version: everywhere you look, two names keep coming up—Russia and Trump.We covered:* Leon Black went to Russia with Donald Trump in 1996. The same Leon Black who paid Epstein $158 million. The same Leon Black who sat on Putin’s sovereign wealth fund board.* Peter Thiel advised Ehud Barak to invest in Palantir—while Barak was photographed entering Epstein’s mansion. Thiel’s Founders Fund invests alongside Masha Drokova’s Day One Ventures. Drokova did PR for Epstein.* 31% of Trump’s inner circle appears in the Epstein files. The statistical probability of your name appearing by accident? 0.0000001%.* This is bigger than trafficking. It’s financial warfare. It’s intelligence operations. It’s a worldwide cover-up now cracking open.As Waj put it: “It implicates Elon Musk, Steve Bannon, Howard Lutnick, Leon Black, Leslie Wexner, Israel, Russia, Melania Trump, Peter Thiel. So many people.”Watch the full conversation above.Subscribe to Narativ for continuing investigation into the Epstein files.Thank you Cat, Lyudmila and Daniel, Robin Payes, IAMPEGS, Story Carrier, and many others for tuning into my live video with THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali and Lev Parnas! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.narativ.org/subscribe

A special report live from Nuuk, Greenland with Malcolm Nance, Dean Blundell, and Jacob Kaarsbo bringing firsthand reporting on NATO’s response to Trump’s territorial demands while covering the day’s critical stories from Minneapolis to Beijing.5️⃣ Trump Deploys Homan to Minneapolis After Video Exposes LiesTrump deployed border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis for meetings with Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey as federal agents began leaving the state. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino was pulled from command after video proved he lied about Alex Pretti trying to “massacre law enforcement,” but Bovino keeps his job, Kristi Noem keeps her job, and Trump made no public statement about either American killed by federal agents this month. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a statement threatening impeachment unless Trump fires Noem immediately, telling the administration “we can do this the easy way or the hard way” while Senate Democrats block DHS funding. Pretti’s sister Micayla condemned the “disgusting lies” told about her brother, writing “When does this end? How many more innocent lives must be lost before we say enough?” The retreat came after a two-hour White House meeting where Trump expressed frustration with Noem, but refused to accept her resignation or hold anyone accountable for the deaths.4️⃣ NATO Deploys Troops as Trump Demands Greenland Base SovereigntyTrump told the New York Post he wants U.S. sovereignty over American military bases on Greenland, a demand Denmark and Greenland immediately rejected as crossing a red line that would end NATO. Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, and the UK deployed forces to Greenland for Operation Arctic Endurance while Denmark accelerates $2.3 billion in Arctic defense spending. Broadcasting from Nuke, Greenland, correspondents reported finding no Russian presence despite Trump’s claims, discovering instead a pristine landscape where land ownership is prohibited to protect the ecosystem. The terrain makes military invasion nearly impossible, with fjords offering no resupply routes and temperatures that would freeze unprepared forces even in summer. Trump backed down from tariffs threatening eight NATO allies last week after meeting NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at Davos, claiming they reached “the framework of a future deal” on Greenland that NATO says doesn’t exist.3️⃣ Larry Ellison Censors “Epstein” on TikTok as Greatest Heist Chapter 8 PublishesLarry Ellison’s first act after buying TikTok was blocking the word “Epstein” in direct messages, prompting California Governor Gavin Newsom to open an investigation. The timing coincided with the publication of Greatest Heist Chapter 8, detailing how Trump made $54 million profit selling a Palm Beach mansion during the worst housing crash in history to a Russian oligarch who demolished it, while Leon Black’s Apollo ran similar extraction plays as ten million families lost their homes. TikTok also began closing accounts of prominent critics, including military analyst Malcolm Nance, in what observers called the Putin playbook of nationalizing social media platforms. Big Tech faced its first jury trial in Los Angeles over claims Meta, TikTok, and YouTube deliberately designed addictive features to harm children, with over 1,500 similar cases waiting for the verdict, though Snap and TikTok settled on the eve of trial.2️⃣ Xi Jinping Purges Generals Who Said Taiwan Invasion Impossible by 2027Xi Jinping purged his top two military commanders Saturday for defying his 2027 Taiwan invasion deadline, with Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli under investigation for “seriously trampling” Xi’s authority. Zhang wanted 2035 for joint operations capability and made clear in his November 2025 article he intended to fix training problems first, but Xi demands 2027 and wants “speed and scale.” When January’s training plan showed no correction toward Xi’s timeline, the defiance became visible across the PLA and Xi announced the purge on a Saturday afternoon, rushing the editorial overnight. The move follows a pattern of dictators setting unrealistic deadlines for unrealistic objectives, with Xi’s generals telling him 2027 is impossible but facing replacement by commanders willing to rush toward failure with increasingly aggressive training and exercises.1️⃣ Trump an Hour Late to Sell Iowa Farmers Tariff WelfareTrump was scheduled to speak in Clive, Iowa about “bridge payments” to farmers whose livelihoods his tariffs destroyed, but arrived an hour late to an empty podium. The billions in taxpayer-funded payments compensate for damage Trump caused, with Iowa farming groups furious the Republican House failed to include year-round E15 ethanol sales in last week’s spending plan. Trump sits at 61% disapproval nationally with Iowa giving him lower approval than any other Republican-led state, while three of Iowa’s four House districts remain competitive and Democrats see Senator Joni Ernst’s retirement as an opportunity. Broadcasting from Greenland, correspondents noted Trump appears increasingly ineffectual on the world stage, backtracking on Minneapolis executions, facing EU and NATO rejection of his Greenland demands, and threatening to punish Americans with more tariffs after Mark Carney embarrassed him at Davos.The pattern revealed across today’s stories: retreat without accountability, threats without consequences, censorship timed to investigations, purges for truth-telling, and rallies selling failure to the people paying the price.The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.Thank you Nick Paro, Northern Variables, Story Carrier, ann schneider, Omar Moore, and many others for tuning into my live video with Jacob Kaarsbo! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. 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5️⃣ Europe Stands Up, Trump Backs DownTrump wanted Greenland and threatened to take it by force. The European Union told him to back off, and according to Washington Post analysis published today, pushback actually works. When the EU threatened retaliatory tariffs over Trump’s military threats, Trump ruled out using force within hours. The pattern is clear, as Zev explained: when confronted by equals with actual leverage, Trump folds, then immediately retaliates against weaker targets he controls. After backing down to Europe, Trump withdrew Canada’s invitation to the Board of Peace in petty retaliation for Prime Minister Mark Carney stealing the limelight at Davos. Dean compared the situation to a camp talent show where someone who lost got violent until given a participation trophy, calling it exactly what happened in Davos. They pulled Trump into a room and told him you can have all the stuff you already have, or you can go to war with the rest of the European Union, because we’re filling it up with ammunition, soldiers, cutters, and everything. No one’s backing down. Dean’s assessment: stand up to bullies and they fold, appease them and they escalate.4️⃣ Minnesota Rises Against ICE TerrorHundreds of businesses across the Twin Cities closed today in sub-zero temperatures for a general strike against ICE operations, with their message clear: history is on our side. The strike centers on 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was used as bait by ICE agents. Dean described the heartbreaking scene: this little boy wearing a cute blue toque with bear ears and carrying his Spider-Man backpack, was made to knock on his own door to lure adults out so agents could arrest them. The photo shows an officer’s hand jammed down the boy’s backpack, holding him in place in front of an ICE vehicle. They told him he’d get a treat if he did it, Dean explained, treating him like a dog. Then when the family did come out, they just led him back to the car and made him stand with his face in front of the car and arrested him and his entire family. Interfaith services, labor unions, and business leaders united for the strike, with a march planned for 2 PM despite minus-50 degree wind chill. One protester captured the community’s resolve: we’re being invaded at all levels of society from kids to old people, but it’s not working. If anything it’s making our community tighter.PRO TIP: HERE’S HOW FIVESTACK’S DEAN BLUNDELL AND ZEV SHALEV STAY AHEAD IF THE NEWSGround News helps you compare perspectives and see through media bias. In today's polarized media landscape, it's more important than ever to understand how different sources cover the same story. Ground News processes thousands of articles daily, merging them into single stories that reveal multiple perspectives from multiple sources in one place. You can see coverage details showing total articles published worldwide on a given story, compare headlines from different political leanings, and understand ownership and factuality ratings for each source. Ground News is subscriber-supported and independent - not funded by media, big tech, government, or institutional investors.Subscribe to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan by going to groundnews.com/fivestack or by clicking the link.3️⃣ WHO Exit Hands China Health ControlTrump’s second withdrawal from the World Health Organization was finalized this week, with the United States refusing to pay $270 million owed to the organization. Dean revealed the stark truth about why Trump pulled out of 66 global organizations: the United States simply doesn’t have the money to pay those organizations for their entry, submission, subscription fees. They don’t have the money. Where’s the money going? Tax cuts to the wealthy and funding massive federal operations. Zev pointed out they’re giving themselves that money, dude. They are giving that money. They’re stealing that money is what’s going on. The WHO withdrawal hands Beijing control of global health infrastructure by default, gutting pandemic surveillance. Dean noted the suspicious pattern: Trump is doing the same steps again, the same moves that he did back before COVID. Let’s withdraw from the WHO. Let’s give China all this control. His conclusion: he doesn’t want to be accountable to anybody. He wants to steal all the f*****g money.2️⃣ Ukraine Talks Test Territorial SurrenderThe first trilateral meeting between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States took place today in Abu Dhabi, with Russia demanding Ukraine withdraws from Donbas entirely. Trump keeps claiming he’s getting close to a deal, though Zev noted that yesterday’s meeting with Zelensky was reportedly frosty, and judging by Zelensky’s speech afterwards, could not have been very friendly. The show acknowledged the inevitable: U.S. allies are watching to see if America just abandons Ukraine, which of course they have, and completely sides with Putin, which of course they have too. Meanwhile, Ukrainians have no electricity in the worst winter conditions. But Dean highlighted the Ukrainian resolve that continues to inspire: they continue to give the rest of us hope, showing how to stand up to tyranny. He described watching Zelensky’s speech at Davos: he simply said, but we will fight with all the confidence in the world and we will win. And this hasn’t dampened their resolve. Dean’s takeaway: if there is a lesson here for everybody, it’s the Ukrainian stoic way.1️⃣ Patel Purges FBI Trump InvestigatorsSix senior FBI agents were forced out today, every single one connected to Mar-a-Lago or January 6 investigations. Miami field office lost six agents who executed the search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, Atlanta’s Special Agent in Charge is gone, New York’s acting assistant director is out, and the former New Orleans SAC who oversaw January 6 investigations was terminated. The purge came one day after Jack Smith’s largely sealed public testimony at a congressional hearing. Dean delivered a scorching assessment of FBI Director Kash Patel: he was a podcaster that liked to play dress up, literally liked to play dress up. He was a cosplayer. He’d LARP like he’s LARPing to be an FBI director right now. He larped as a wizard in a series of children’s books, participated in backyard wrestling parties with his friends. That guy just fired six career FBI employees for doing an excellent job in a very difficult set of circumstances to protect the United States from Donald Trump. Zev connected it to the show’s central pattern: Trump backs down to the EU in story five because they have power. Then he retaliates against FBI agents who have none. Greenland showed the strategy. Patel’s purge proves it. Appease the strong. Crush the vulnerable. Governing principle.The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org.Thank you John Liccione, Robin Payes, Petrena Wilbur, Andy Collen, Sushipheliac 🍣🍥🍣, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dean Blundell! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. 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