On this edition of The Adult in the Room, Victoria Taft brings you a high-octane mix of special operations fiction and real-world investigative updates:

• Hot Book Summer — Alex Decker (Desert Heist): Debut novelist and 20-year Army Special Forces Green Beret Alex Decker joins the show to discuss his new military/archaeology thriller, Desert Heist. Decker shares how he drew from his real-world combat experience in 5th Special Forces Group, his intelligence background, and extensive archaeological research to create protagonist Nate Wilde. He also opens up about surviving a near-ambush grenade blast in Afghanistan and marrying a former CIA operations officer.

• Epstein Thursday — Moguls & Models: Victoria breaks down major new developments in the Jeffrey Epstein saga. French model recruiter Daniel Sayad—who appeared in over 1,000 declassified Epstein documents and was facing a rape complaint from a former Swedish model—has been found dead in his home outside Paris.

• The Gates Foundation Review: A deep dive into the official WilmerHale internal review examining Bill Gates’s 30+ meetings with Jeffrey Epstein between 2011 and 2014, the failed Donor-Advised Fund (DAF), and Warren Buffett's decision to pull billions in donations. Plus, a look at Epstein victims testifying on Capitol Hill regarding Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche.