In the past 12 hours, the dominant thread in coverage is the ongoing House Oversight probe into Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Multiple reports describe Lutnick’s closed-door, transcribed testimony and the sharp partisan fallout afterward. Democrats accused him of being evasive and “changing his story,” with Rep. Yassamin Ansari calling him a “pathological liar,” while Republicans—including Oversight Chair James Comer—argued Lutnick was “forthcoming” and that Democrats were repeating questions because there were limited angles to pursue. The reporting also emphasizes that Lutnick’s account has evolved: he told lawmakers he saw a massage table and said he avoided a personal/professional relationship after spotting it, but other details from the broader Epstein record set off renewed scrutiny.

Several of the most recent articles also frame what Lutnick said about the nature and timing of his interactions. Coverage states that Lutnick told investigators he met Epstein three times, including a 2005 coffee/tour when they were neighbors, and later acknowledged additional encounters after earlier public claims that he had cut ties in 2005. One report says Lutnick told lawmakers he was “unsettled” by how Epstein’s assistant knew he was in the U.S. Virgin Islands when he received a lunch invitation—referring to a 2012 lunch on Epstein’s island. Another report notes that Democrats criticized the closed-door format itself, pointing out the interview was not videotaped and that Lutnick was not under oath in the way a public proceeding might be.

Alongside the Epstein-related political coverage, the other major “last 12 hours” item is the lead-up to the National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger food drive on Saturday, May 9. Multiple USPS-linked and local announcements reiterate how the drive works—residents leave non-perishable donations in a bag by their mailbox and letter carriers collect them for local pantries—and stress the scale and timing rationale, including that food banks often see shortages by spring and summer. The coverage also highlights the program’s long-running footprint, including that the Postal Service network reaches Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In the broader 7-day window, the same themes continue with additional supporting context. The Epstein coverage expands beyond Lutnick to include other allegations and investigations referenced in the articles (including claims about grooming and additional Epstein-linked legal scrutiny), while the food-drive theme remains consistent across multiple outlets and locations. There is also continuity in Virgin Islands-related reporting through travel and local-interest items—such as Breeze Airways adding nonstop service to St. Thomas from Atlantic City—though the most recent evidence in this dataset is sparse on Virgin Islands-specific policy or community developments beyond the food-drive logistics and the travel announcement.