Top Items:
Alex Isenstadt / Axios:
Exclusive: DOJ, FBI conclude Epstein had no “client list,” committed suicide … - The administration is releasing a video — in both raw and “enhanced” versions — that it says indicates no one entered the area of the Manhattan prison where Epstein was held the night he died in 2019.
RELATED:
Max Tani / Semafor:
Times pushed ahead to avoid being scooped on Mamdani Columbia story — The Scoop — The afternoon before a long holiday weekend isn't always the best time to drop a major scoop. But the New York Times did not want to wait to publish its story about Zohran Mamdani's application …
The Texas Tribune:
Texas lawmakers failed to pass a bill to improve local disaster warning systems this year — A GOP state lawmaker who represents Kerr County says he likely would vote differently now on House Bill 13, which would have established a grant program for counties to build new emergency communication infrastructure.
Discussion:
New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Townhall, Alternet.org, Ace of Spades HQ, TEXAS RURAL REPORTER, Bloomberg and HuffPost
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Live Updates: Desperate Search for Missing in Texas Floods as Death Toll Passes 50 — More than 80 people were killed in the disastrous floods that roared through Central Texas on Friday. Dozens, including 10 young campers, were still unaccounted for. — Kerrville, Texas Kerrville, Texas Hunt, Texas
Wall Street Journal:
At Least 82 Dead in Texas Floods as Families of Missing Wait and Hope
Discussion:
Public Notice, New York Times, Associated Press, Al Jazeera, Forbes, Bangor Daily News, WTOP News, The Japan Times, MSNBC, CBS News and Houston Public Media
CNN:
Beleaguered Weather Service defends its forecasts as Texas officials point fingers over flood warnings
Beleaguered Weather Service defends its forecasts as Texas officials point fingers over flood warnings
Sarah Fortinsky / The Hill:
Johnson on Texas floods: ‘We feel just as helpless as everyone else does’
Johnson on Texas floods: ‘We feel just as helpless as everyone else does’
Discussion:
Washington Times
Punchbowl News:
7/7/25 ☀️ AM: … The Senate returns Tuesday, the House is out of session until July 14. President Donald Trump is back in D.C. Trump said he'll likely visit disaster-stricken Texas on Friday. … The horrific tragedy in Texas continues to unfold. The death toll is more than 80, including 28 children.
Discussion:
New York Post and The Hill
RELATED:
Frank Bruni / New York Times:
Now You See Josh Hawley, Now You Don't — Senator Josh Hawley sure knows how to scurry away. — The Missouri Republican showed as much on Jan. 6, 2021, when he gave that infamous clenched-fist salute to the unruly mob bound for the Capitol — go get 'em, tigers! — then sprinted …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Alternet.org and Daily Kos
Arjun Kharpal / CNBC:
Tesla shares drop 7% in premarket trading after Elon Musk says he is launching a political party … Tesla shares fell in premarket trade on Monday after CEO Elon Musk announced plans to form a new political party. — The stock was down 7.13% by 4:27 a.m. E.T.
Discussion:
The Guardian, Reuters, Bloomberg and NewsMax.com
RELATED:
Michelle L. Price / Associated Press:
Musk says he's forming a new political party after split with Trump over tax cuts law
Discussion:
CNN, USA Today, The Daily Wire, Salon, Al Jazeera, Townhall, PennLive, The Post Millennial, The Kyiv Independent, Reuters, NewsMax.com, Vanity Fair, New York Post, One America News Network, Newsweek, No More Mister Nice Blog, Semafor, The Independent, Business Insider, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Raw Story, New York Times, Rolling Stone and Bloomberg
Politico:
Playbook: Why Biden wanted the CNN debate — With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco — Good Monday morning. This is Jack Blanchard. — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Biden bombshell: Here's one for the history books. This morning, Playbook readers can read the actual six-page memo …
Maya Goldman / Axios:
Trump bill's health effects won't be felt until after midterms — President Trump's tax and spending bill sets in motion nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and other health policy changes that could loom over the midterm elections. — But the real effects likely won't be felt until well after the ballots are cast.
Discussion:
The Hill
Jason Zengerle / New York Times:
The Ruthless Ambition of Stephen Miller The Ruthless Ambition of Stephen Miller — Stephen Miller was livid. It was a couple of months after Donald Trump's inauguration, and Mr. Miller, a senior White House adviser, believed that the federal government was not doing nearly enough to stem …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Allysia Finley / Wall Street Journal:
The Progressive Paucity Agenda—From Mamdani in New York to California — Forget the chatter about ‘abundance.’ The left hopes to solidify control of cities by driving the middle class out. — Not that long ago, the “abundance” agenda was all the rage among liberal elites.
Ana Swanson / New York Times:
Trump Keeps Foreign Countries on Edge as Tariff Deadline Nears — The president is again threatening higher tariff rates on a dozen foreign nations, as a deadline elapses this week for making trade deals. — President Trump is set to rekindle economic pressure on America's trading partners this week …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Axios, NPR, Business Insider, NewsNation, Blaze Media, CBS News, The Hill, Newsweek and USA Today
Alex Isenstadt / Axios:
Potential 2028 GOP contenders already making moves … Now several ambitious Republicans are signaling they see an opening to offer themselves to primary voters as the future of the party. — “Everyone knows Trump has one term left, and I would say its a wide-open opportunity,” …
Daryna Krasnolutska / Bloomberg:
Zelenskiy Spoke With Trump on Replacing Kyiv's Envoy to US — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussed replacing the current ambassador to the US during his phone call with President Donald Trump on Friday, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Discussion:
Reuters and The Kyiv Independent
Peter Beinart / New York Times:
Israel Is Fast Alienating the Democratic Base — To grasp the significance of Zohran Mamdani's shocking victory in last month's Democratic primary for mayor of New York, it's worth recalling another upset, which took place 11 years ago and some 300 miles to the south, in a Republican …
Kevin T. Dugan / Wall Street Journal:
The Mamdani Millionaires Supporting the Socialist for NYC Mayor — Those pulling for the surprising primary winner include some inside the business community and even Wall Street—they are just quiet — In early September, Kathy Wylde, one of New York's undisputed power brokers …
Tara Siegel Bernard / New York Times:
Social Security Email Says Policy Bill Eliminates Tax on Benefits. Does It? — The Social Security Administration circulated an imprecise email about the provisions in the new law. Here's what it actually does. — In a celebratory email sent to Americans across the country …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Axios, The Hill and Washington Times
Victor Davis Hanson / American Greatness:
The Frightening Dream House of Zoran Mamdani … After his first-place win in the New York City mayoral primaries, Zoran Mamdani is furiously denying everything that he once glibly thought was cutting-edge and cool. — So, like a good postmodern relativist, Mamdani now claims he didn't really mean …

