I hope everyone is having an amazing afternoon! This morning, I interviewed France’s Foreign Minister for my first interview with a world leader.
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Now, let’s get to the news.
Donald Trump is changing his statement on Jeffrey Epstein. In a recent statement, Donald Trump claimed that Jeffrey Epstein had hired individuals from one of his spas without permission, prompting Trump to confront him. “People were taken out of the spa, hired by Epstein… I told him we don’t want you taking our people, whether it’s spa or not spa,” Trump said. He added that after Epstein repeated the behavior, he told him to leave. When asked by a reporter whether one of the individuals Epstein had allegedly taken was Virginia Giuffre, Trump responded, “I think so. He stole her.”
Ghislaine Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, has told Congress she will testify only if granted immunity and other conditions are met—including delaying her deposition until after her Supreme Court appeal and habeas petition; the House Oversight Committee rejected the immunity demand, while calls grow for transparency in the Epstein case amid DOJ resistance to releasing further documents.
A CBS News investigation into the surveillance footage from Jeffrey Epstein’s jail cell reveals serious discrepancies with official government claims, showing the video does not clearly capture entrances to his cell block and may have been edited. Forensic experts found gaps in footage, signs of tampering, and missing minutes that raise doubts about the thoroughness of the investigation.
While the government insists Epstein died by suicide, the CBS analysis highlights unresolved questions about video integrity, access to his cell, and potential witness misstatements — further fueling skepticism around the official narrative.
Chuck Schumer has officially called on the FBI to conduct a counterintelligence threat assessment to evaluate the risk of a foreign adversary gaining access to the Jeffrey Epstein files.
South Park is blasting Donald Trump again in its upcoming episode. Wow.
CEO Elijah Clark revealed he’s “extremely excited” about using AI to lay off workers, saying it improves efficiency and eliminates issues like strikes or pay demands. He’s part of a growing number of executives actively replacing employees with AI, despite the technology’s ongoing flaws and public backlash, as companies prioritize cost-cutting over job security.
Florida has no formal hurricane plan for Alligator Alcatraz raising safety concerns from nearby Miccosukee Tribe and prompting criticism over lack of preparation for storms and flooding.
Bill Essayli, the Trump-appointed interim U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles, has overridden DOJ policies, pressured staff to pursue weak or politically motivated cases, and prompted mass resignations amid allegations of misconduct, internal dissent, and controversial prosecutorial decisions—raising concerns about the politicization of federal law enforcement in California.
The Trump administration plans to incinerate $9.7 million worth of long-lasting contraceptives purchased by USAID—stored in Belgium and mostly expiring between 2027–2031—instead of distributing them overseas, citing policy and contractual changes; offers to relocate or repurpose the supplies were rejected, sparking criticism from global health organizations and lawmakers who warn this could worsen access to reproductive care in vulnerable regions.
Shane Devon Tamura, a 27-year-old former high school football player, killed four people—including a police officer—and injured an NFL employee in a Manhattan skyscraper shooting before taking his own life; authorities found a note on him blaming the NFL for his suffering from CTE, a brain disease linked to repeated head trauma, raising questions about mental health, football-related brain injuries, and the NFL’s long-standing controversy over player safety.
U.S. and Chinese officials failed to resolve key trade disputes in Stockholm talks but agreed in principle to extend their tariff truce beyond the August 12 deadline—pending Donald Trump’s final approval—amid escalating tensions over tariffs, Russian oil purchases, and rare earth restrictions; the deadlock adds uncertainty to global markets despite a modest IMF global growth upgrade and growing pressure from multiple countries facing looming U.S. tariff hikes.
UCLA has agreed to a $6.5 million settlement with Jewish students and a professor who alleged the university allowed antisemitic threats and discrimination during 2024 pro-Palestinian protests; while admitting it had “fallen short,” UCLA pledged funding for Jewish community groups and anti-hate initiatives, as the Department of Justice investigates the broader UC system for possible civil rights violations amid ongoing tensions over campus responses to the Israel-Gaza war.
Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs as high as 25% on Indian imports if a long-delayed trade deal isn’t reached, accusing India of maintaining high tariffs and restrictive regulations; while both sides say negotiations continue, the U.S. is pressuring New Delhi to open its markets, with an August 1 deadline looming and global trade tensions rising.
New polling shows Donald Trump’s approval rating has completely tanked:
The Trump administration’s Justice Department has requested personal data on non-citizens removed from voter rolls in several major California counties, part of a broader push targeting alleged voter fraud despite no legal requirement to search for non-citizen voters and extensive evidence that such fraud is exceedingly rare; critics warn the move diverts federal focus from protecting voting rights and could be used to justify election interference ahead of 2026.
A coalition of 20 U.S. states is suing the Trump administration over its demand for personal data from SNAP (food assistance) recipients, fearing the information—such as immigration status, addresses, and birthdates—will be used to fuel mass deportations; attorneys general argue the request violates privacy laws and accuse the administration of repurposing anti-fraud measures for an “inhumane immigration agenda.”
Venezuelan migrants, including musician Arturo Suárez, have come forward with harrowing accounts of abuse, beatings, and psychological torture during 125 days of detention in El Salvador’s Cecot mega-prison—after being secretly deported there by the Trump administration as part of its anti-immigration crackdown; despite lacking criminal records, the detainees were branded “terrorists,” with rights groups and lawyers calling the detentions a violation of human rights and warning that human beings were used as political bargaining chips.
Gaza News:
Thirty-one prominent Israeli figures—including artists, academics, and former officials—have called for "crippling sanctions" on Israel over the starvation crisis in Gaza, accusing the government of a "brutal campaign" and urging a permanent ceasefire, amid growing domestic and international condemnation of Israel's actions.
The UK government, led by Keir Starmer, announced it will formally recognise the state of Palestine in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire and commits to a two-state solution, citing Gaza's worsening humanitarian crisis and growing domestic and international pressure; the plan, supported by France and Germany, faces backlash from Israel, which views it as a "reward for Hamas."
Palestinian activist and journalist Awdah Hathaleen, co-creator of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was shot dead by an Israeli settler during a violent raid in the West Bank village of Umm al-Khair, sparking global outrage and condemnation of settler impunity; the killing occurred amid ongoing settler attacks, military raids, and a surge in violence that has killed over 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 2023.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is proposing a phased annexation of parts of Gaza if Hamas rejects a cease-fire, in a move aimed at appeasing far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich and preserving his coalition. The plan, reportedly supported by the Trump administration, would begin with buffer zones and northern Gaza areas near Israeli cities, escalating tensions with the international community and possibly triggering global recognition of a Palestinian state or sanctions against Israel.
U.S. labor activist Chris Smalls was allegedly beaten, choked, and detained by Israeli forces after boarding the Gaza-bound aid ship Handala, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which sought to breach Israel’s blockade amid Gaza’s deepening famine; the coalition condemned the assault as discriminatory and called for accountability, while critics labeled the interception in international waters as a violation of international law.
The European Commission has proposed suspending Israel from the prestigious Horizon Europe science programme—specifically its European Innovation Council arm—due to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, citing famine, severe aid restrictions, and rising malnutrition; the unprecedented move, requiring support from a qualified majority of EU member states, could cut access to €200m in funding for 46 Israeli companies and signals growing EU pressure over Israel’s actions.
Good news:
Dozens of disabled Californians experienced the joy of sailing for the first time at a special event in Sacramento, hosted by the Challenged Athletes Foundation, using specially adapted boats and assistive sailing controls to help participants of all ages—some with no limb movement—enjoy the freedom and weightlessness of being on the water.
In an astonishing coincidence, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science discovered a 67-million-year-old dinosaur fossil directly beneath its own parking lot during drilling for a geothermal energy project—marking the city’s deepest and oldest fossil find, and suggesting plant-eating dinosaurs like Thesculosaurus once roamed the area now known as Denver.
While serving in Vietnam, Marine Cpl. Scott Harrison coped with trauma by imagining a peaceful carousel in a mountain meadow. Decades later, he brought that vision to life, hand-carving animals and restoring a century-old ride that became the Carousel of Happiness in Nederland, Colorado. Now a nonprofit, the carousel has brought joy to over a million visitors and helped Harrison manage his PTSD, turning his healing project into a source of happiness for others.
