This afternoon, I spoke with Lisa Phillips, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s horrific crimes. Now in her 40s, Phillips was just 21 when she met Epstein—and was sexually assaulted by him. For years, she buried the memory. It wasn’t until Epstein’s death in 2019—while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking girls as young as 14—and through meeting other survivors, that she began to fully understand the truth of what had been done to her.
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As a teenager in the 1990s, Phillips dreamed of becoming a model. By her early twenties she was living in New York, booked for magazine covers, and working internationally. That’s when a seemingly routine shoot took her to the British Virgin Islands. A fellow model, praising Epstein, suggested they visit his private island. Epstein sent a boat to collect them. The island was stunning, but Phillips noticed an older man in the pool with a young woman. At the time, she did not think it was strange. In that era, seeing older men surrounded by much younger women was often dismissed as normal.
That evening, at dinner, Phillips met Epstein for the first time. He sat with her, her friend, and two other young women, even introducing her to someone he presented as a prince. Later that night, back in her shared room, there was a knock. Epstein, she was told, was ready for his massage. Confused and uneasy, Phillips resisted, but her friend urged her to go along.
Feeling trapped on the island and still naive about the danger, Phillips went. She and her friend entered Epstein’s room. He was on a massage table. Her friend acted unfazed, so Phillips tried to follow her lead. That confusion—the mix of charm and menace—was central to how Epstein operated. During the massage, he sexually assaulted them.
For nearly two decades, Phillips tried to lock the memory away. But Epstein’s death cracked the silence. In meeting other survivors, she found the language—and the strength—to name what happened. Today, she says she hopes more of Epstein’s powerful associates will be publicly exposed. She could never have spoken out while he was alive, when he still held an unshakable grip over her. Now, she is determined that the truth be heard.
Here’s the rest of the news you missed today:
Donald Trump was met with boos at the US Open men’s final in New York, where his attendance alongside top aides and family delayed the match due to heightened security; the USTA asked broadcasters not to air crowd reactions, but clips showed jeers, reviving memories of Trump’s past icy receptions at major sporting events.
Vice-president JD Vance sparked backlash after defending a US military strike on a Venezuelan boat that killed 11 alleged drug traffickers, calling it the “highest and best use of our military”; Republican senator Rand Paul condemned the remarks as “despicable” and “thoughtless,” warning against glorifying extrajudicial killings as tensions escalate between the US and Venezuela under Trump’s aggressive anti-cartel campaign.
As Chicago braces for a federal immigration crackdown and possible National Guard deployment, churches are urging calm resistance and community preparedness; clergy warn congregants to carry ID, stay connected with family, and assert their rights, while local leaders denounce Trump’s threatened intervention as authoritarian and unnecessary, calling instead for investment and resources to address crime and inequality.
Florida’s health department said the state’s plan to drop certain school vaccine mandates will not take effect for about 90 days and will initially cover only chickenpox, hepatitis B, Hib influenza, and pneumococcal diseases, while vaccines for measles, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, mumps, and tetanus remain required unless lawmakers expand the rollback; the move, pushed by surgeon general Joseph Ladapo and governor Ron DeSantis, has drawn fierce criticism from health experts who warn it will fuel outbreaks of preventable diseases amid rising measles and whooping cough cases nationwide.
Arizona Republicans filed an ethics complaint seeking to expel Democratic state senator Analise Ortiz after she reshared a community post warning of ICE activity near an elementary school; Ortiz says the move is a political attack on her First Amendment rights, while GOP leaders claim she endangered agents, and free speech advocates — including Arizona’s attorney general — argue the complaint is an intimidation tactic with little chance of resulting in expulsion.
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent defended Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, denying they are a tax on American consumers despite warnings from major companies and economists; he dismissed job losses and higher costs as temporary, predicted economic “acceleration,” and expressed confidence the supreme court will uphold Trump’s authority after a federal appeals court ruled the tariffs unlawful.
Around 300 South Korean nationals detained in a large ICE raid at a Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia will be released and flown home, after Seoul intervened amid growing diplomatic tensions; nearly 500 workers, including South Koreans, Mexicans, and others, were arrested in what marked the largest single-site sweep under Trump’s immigration crackdown, drawing criticism from South Korean officials who warned the incident undermines trade ties and trust between the two countries.
Russia launched its largest air attack of the war on Ukraine, striking Kyiv’s cabinet building for the first time and killing at least three people, including a mother and baby; the assault with hundreds of drones and missiles injured dozens, set buildings ablaze across multiple cities, and drew global condemnation, with Zelenskyy urging tougher sanctions and Trump signaling possible escalation of US measures against Moscow.
Israel’s supreme court ruled that the government is failing to provide Palestinian security prisoners with enough food to meet basic subsistence, ordering authorities to improve nutrition after rights groups documented malnutrition, starvation, and abuse in prisons; the decision clashes with far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s policy of reducing conditions to the “bare minimum,” which he vowed to maintain despite the court’s order.
See you in the morning.
— Aaron
