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It’s Thursday, November 13. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Why is Amtrak so darn slow? How our top scientific journal abandoned its truth-seeking mission. The era of “based capitalism.” And much more.

But first: Why Jeffrey Epstein will continue to haunt Donald Trump.

If Donald Trump thought the Jeffrey Epstein scandal was over, Wednesday’s news suggested otherwise. Democrats in the House released several emails in which the deceased disgraced New York financier and convicted sex offender mentioned President Donald Trump. In one email, Epstein claimed Trump once “spent hours at my house” with a woman who later accused Epstein of sexually abusing and trafficking her.

In the coming weeks, the House will vote on whether to force the Department of Justice to release its files on Epstein. And that vote will be a critical test of President Donald Trump’s political strength, writes Eli Lake, and show whether he is losing his grip on the Republican Party less than a year into his second term.

It’s no secret that Trump and Epstein were once friends; a quick Google search will show you videos of them dancing together at Mar-a-Lago. But Trump has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking of minors. He’s repeatedly dismissed the Epstein issue as a Democratic smear campaign and opposes the Justice Department releasing the files. But parts of his base aren’t buying it, and some usually loyal members of the House say they’ll join with Democrats and demand their disclosure.

So will Trump stop the revolt—and what will it mean if he can’t? Read Eli’s piece and find out.

—Will Rahn

Why I Cut Ties with Science’s Top Publisher

Anna Krylov

In her more than 30 years in scientific research, Anna Krylov viewed Nature Portfolio as the world’s leading scientific publisher. Now, Krylov is cutting ties with the group, refusing to review or publish papers with them. She says the publisher has abandoned their truth-seeking mission in favor of left-wing politics. Read Anna’s account of why she lost faith in Nature—and what it must do to win back its credibility. Read full story

Why America’s Trains Suck—and Japan’s Don’t

Quico Toro

Once every hour, Amtrak’s flagship Acela service links New York City to Washington, D.C.—a distance of 225 miles—in a little under three hours. Meanwhile in Japan, the Shinkansen line links the country’s two largest cities with 16 trains per hour at twice the speed. Why are our trains so bad—and what can we learn from Japan? Read full story

Woke Capitalism Is Out. Based Capitalism Is In.

River Page

If you thought the decline of “woke capitalism” meant commerce and politics would no longer mix, think again. Instead, something else has taken its place. River Page calls it “based capitalism,” and it explains why Shane Gillis is in beer commercials, why tallow fries are on the menu and, yes, why Sydney Sweeney is talking about genes. Read full story

On Old School: Fareed Zakaria on The Great Gatsby’s 100th Anniversary

In the latest episode of Old School, Shilo Brooks sits down with Fareed Zakaria to explore why F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby still feels so modern a century after it was first published. Zakaria shares his experience discovering the classic as an Indian immigrant, describing Gatsby as his gateway to understanding America. Together, they unpack the book’s enduring themes: the allure of reinvention and the American dream, the search for meaning in a world stripped of faith and tradition, and the spiritual hollowness that accompanies wealth and glamour. Plus: Zakaria sounds off on what’s wrong with journalism—and its consumers—today.

You can watch Shilo’s conversation with Zakaria here, and listen to it here: