Good afternoon, everyone. While today started off as a relatively slow news day, two major stories broke wide open: bombshell revelations that the Department of Justice is working to conceal Republican names from the Epstein files, and a stunning bipartisan grilling of RFK Jr. on Capitol Hill—Democrats and Republicans alike blasting his dangerous vaccine claims and his handling of the CDC.

But perhaps the most consequential story I’m tracking is one that could fundamentally reshape the media landscape. Bari Weiss, founder of the Free Press, is reportedly preparing to sell her right-leaning outlet to Paramount for $200 million. In return, she is expected to gain significant editorial control at CBS News—an extraordinary shift that could ripple across American journalism.

Moves like this underscore exactly why the platform we are building together matters so much. I’m not here to sell out to legacy media or corporate interests.

I’m here to deliver factual, accurate, and unfiltered reporting to you—independent of the institutions that have failed the public again and again. But here’s the truth: I can’t do it alone (and I know I ask often, but to keep it free and independent, I have to). Your subscriptions are what power this movement, keep us independent, and ensure that no one can silence or steer our work.

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If you want me to dig deeper tonight into Weiss, the Free Press, and the seismic shift ahead for U.S. media, let me know—and make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it.

With that, here’s the news:

  • James O’Keefe released a video showing a DOJ official allegedly saying Republicans would be edited out of the Epstein files; DOJ attempted to counter with an email from the same official, but the message only confirmed that O’Keefe caught him on tape. While O’Keefe’s word should be taken with a grain of salt, the video does show what he is alleging, and the Justice Department’s reply did not contradict his reporting.
  • The DOJ Deputy Chief allegedly admitted the government would “redact every Republican” while “leav[ing] all the liberal, Democratic people” on the Epstein client list; also stated Ghislaine Maxwell was moved to a lower-security prison “as a benefit… to keep her mouth shut,” despite it being against Bureau of Prisons policy since she is a convicted sex offender.
  • Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Senate Finance Committee testimony drew bipartisan criticism, with Republicans joining Democrats in questioning his stance on vaccines—particularly COVID-19—and the firing of former CDC Director Susan Monarez. Kennedy spread vaccine misinformation, defending claims that mRNA vaccines cause “serious harm,” contrary to scientific consensus that they are safe and effective.
  • Kennedy denied Monarez’s accusation that she was forced out for refusing to pre-approve recommendations from a restructured, vaccine-skeptical panel, instead saying she admitted she was not “trustworthy.” Democrats, including Sen. Ron Wyden, called for his resignation, with Wyden accusing Kennedy of lying under oath during his confirmation.
  • In his defense, Kennedy said reshaping the CDC was necessary to restore credibility, arguing that the agency failed during COVID with policies that harmed small businesses, civil liberties, and children. He claimed the U.S. performed worse than any country in preventing COVID deaths and insisted chronic disease—not pandemics—is the nation’s true health and security crisis.
  • Sen. Warnock pressed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the Atlanta CDC shooting, noting the gunman blamed the COVID vaccine; Kennedy had never visited the CDC before the attack and only toured the site afterward, with many CDC employees holding him responsible for spreading misinformation that may have fueled the violence.
  • The Department of Transportation scrapped a Biden administration proposal that would have required airlines to automatically compensate passengers for delays, a plan opposed by U.S. carriers that would have mirrored European standards—though the EU recently relaxed its own rules.
  • Hawaii joined the newly formed West Coast Health Alliance—created by California, Oregon, and Washington—to provide science-based immunization guidance amid CDC turmoil and red-state rollbacks, with Gov. Josh Green stressing the need for consistent, evidence-driven public health protections.
  • The Justice Department has opened a criminal mortgage fraud investigation into Fed Governor Lisa Cook, issuing grand jury subpoenas in Georgia and Michigan after a referral from FHFA director Bill Pulte. Cook is accused of listing multiple properties as her “primary residence” to secure better mortgage rates, allegations she denies as politically motivated. Her lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said the probe is an attempt to justify Trump’s effort to fire her, a dispute now headed toward the Supreme Court with major implications for the Fed’s independence on interest rate policy.
  • ProPublica reported that while Trump’s administration is targeting political foes like Fed Governor Lisa Cook, Sen. Adam Schiff, and NY AG Letitia James over alleged mortgage fraud, records show at least three Trump cabinet members—Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin—also hold multiple “primary residence” mortgages, a practice experts say is often legal and rarely prosecuted.
  • A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to release $11.5B in congressionally approved foreign aid, rejecting Trump’s attempt to withhold $4.9B via a “pocket rescission.” The ruling said the president lacks discretion to block spending already authorized by Congress, though the administration has appealed.
  • Washington, DC sued to block Trump’s deployment of more than 2,200 National Guard troops, calling it an “involuntary military occupation” and illegal use of the military for domestic law enforcement; the lawsuit argues the operation violates constitutional limits, undermines local autonomy, and has fueled tensions as troops patrol streets and conduct law enforcement activities without the city’s consent.
  • The attorneys general of Rhode Island and Connecticut announced lawsuits against the Trump administration for halting the nearly complete Revolution Wind project, calling the stop-work order unlawful and baseless. The offshore wind farm—set to power 350,000 homes and cut Rhode Island’s emissions by 11 million metric tons—faces parallel legal action from developers Ørsted and Skyborn Renewables seeking an injunction.
  • The U.S. will phase out some security assistance for European nations bordering Russia—including Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—as part of Trump’s “America First” foreign policy, pushing allies to shoulder more of their own defense costs.
  • New York AG Letitia James asked the state’s highest court to reinstate Donald Trump’s $500M civil fraud penalty, appealing a lower court ruling that struck it down as unconstitutional while leaving other punishments, including Trump’s corporate leadership ban, in place.
  • ICE and Homeland Security carried out a major enforcement action at Hyundai’s LG Energy battery plant in Georgia, halting construction with a search warrant and questioning workers about their citizenship; Hyundai confirmed it is cooperating with authorities.

    • Good news:

  • Logan Smallwood, a lifelong train enthusiast from County Durham, UK, has become one of the youngest licensed train drivers in the country at 18, fulfilling his childhood dream after graduating from Newcastle College Rail Academy and volunteering on the Weardale Railway Line.
  • The Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food in Virginia is training veterans and military spouses in farming through its Veteran Farmers Training Program, offering a new mission and path to civilian life while addressing PTSD, the aging farmer population, and the national need for more agricultural workers.
  • Dr. Alfred DiStefano was reunited with his Fordham University class ring 56 years after losing it in the Long Island Sound, thanks to metal detector hobbyist David Orlowski, who tracked him down through a reunion Facebook group and returned it instead of selling it—an act DiStefano called a miracle.
  • An Argentine traveler named Flor accidentally booked an Airbnb in Castel San Lorenzo, Italy, that turned out to be her father’s childhood home; the hosts confirmed their family had purchased the house from her grandparents, helping her reconnect with her family history in an extraordinary coincidence.

    • See you in the morning.

    — Aaron