Top Items:
Wall Street Journal:
Jeffrey Epstein's Friends Sent Him Bawdy Letters for a 50th Birthday Album. One Was From Donald Trump. — The leather-bound book was compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell. The president says the letter ‘is a fake thing.’ — It was Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday, and Ghislaine Maxwell was preparing a special gift to mark the occasion.
Discussion:
Rolling Stone, Politico, Newsweek, Washington Post, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC News, Townhall, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Advocate, Mediaite, RedState, Raw Story, Alternet.org, The Gateway Pundit, Daily Caller News Foundation, The Wrap, The Post Millennial, The Parnas Perspective, The National Pulse, The Independent, The Guardian and The Atlantic, more at Mediagazer »
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Oliver Darcy / Status:
Trump's WSJ Epstein Fury … On Thursday, anticipation rippled through political and media circles as insiders awaited a potentially explosive Wall Street Journal story examining Donald Trump's ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein. The article, said to be in the works for days …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Associated Press, Raw Story, The Bulwark, The Post Millennial, The Independent, PoliticusUSA, Alternet.org, Rolling Stone, New York Sun and So What
Washington Post:
White House defends handling of Epstein files, chides press for coverage — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the Trump administration's handling of the case of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying “some of the most trusted voices in the Republican Party movement” …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Raw Story and TotalProSports
Politico:
Looming Epstein vote has Republicans eager to leave Washington
Discussion:
The Hill, CNN, New Jersey Online, The Independent, Raw Story and Newsweek
Sarah Beth Hensley / Associated Press:
Trump underwent vascular testing because of leg swelling: White House
Trump underwent vascular testing because of leg swelling: White House
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, New York Post, Washington Times and The National Pulse
Tatiana Siegel / Variety:
Trump Was Attempting to Block Publication of Embarrassing WSJ Jeffrey Epstein Story
Trump Was Attempting to Block Publication of Embarrassing WSJ Jeffrey Epstein Story
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Politico, MSNBC, RedState, Townhall, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story and Blaze Media
Jennifer Bendery / HuffPost:
Trump's Budget Chief Gives The Middle Finger To Congress And The Constitution — Russ Vought said to expect more massive spending cuts because Trump is “not cowing to a legislative branch's understanding of its own authorities and powers.” — WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's budget …
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Katherine Tully-McManus / Politico:
Russ Vought: Appropriations process ‘has to be less bipartisan’ — Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought isn't interested in giving assurances to lawmakers on Capitol Hill that the White House will abide by any bipartisan spending agreements made this year.
Discussion:
Fox News, Roll Call, Washington Times, New Jersey Online, Raw Story, Deseret News, NOTUS and Alternet.org
NPR:
House nears vote on cuts to NPR, PBS and foreign aid programs
Discussion:
Variety, OPB, Reason, Bloomberg, The Gateway Pundit, CNN, New York Post, Ars Technica, MPR News, twitchy.com, The Post Millennial, ABC News, The Daily Signal, The Hill and Daily Kos, more at Mediagazer »
Catie Edmondson / New York Times:
Senate Approves Trump's Bid to Cancel Foreign Aid and Public Broadcast Funds
Senate Approves Trump's Bid to Cancel Foreign Aid and Public Broadcast Funds
Discussion:
BBC, HotAir, Associated Press, The Free Press, Financial Times, The Lid, Bangor Daily News, National Review, Reason, Axios, Newsweek, Must Read Alaska and Salt Lake Tribune
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
CBS to Cancel ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Citing ‘Financial Decision’ — TV's ongoing problems with late night have come for Stephen Colbert, with CBS announcing Thursday that it plans to end his “Late Show” after the next TV season, citing a “financial decision.”
Discussion:
CNN, Meidas+, The Hollywood Reporter, Fox News, The Hill, CBS News, The Guardian, New Jersey Online, Vanity Fair, RedState, Adweek, The Wrap, Mercury News, Raw Story, twitchy.com, Associated Press, KARE-TV, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Newsbusters, That Park Place, PoliticusUSA, New York Times, Alternet.org, Rolling Stone, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, Hollywood in Toto, New York Daily News, New York Post and The Post Millennial, more at Mediagazer »
Politico:
Maurene Comey warns her former colleagues: ‘Fear is the tool of the tyrant’ … NEW YORK — One day after being fired by the Justice Department, Maurene Comey told her former colleagues that “fear is the tool of a tyrant,” appearing to take aim at the upper ranks of DOJ and perhaps the president …
Discussion:
The Hill, CNN, New York Post, NBC News, Washington Examiner, The Independent and Raw Story
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New York Times:
Prosecutor Fired by Trump Calls Fear the ‘Tool of a Tyrant’ — Maurene Comey, who helped prosecute Jeffrey Epstein and Sean Combs, was dismissed without a detailed explanation. She is the daughter of James B. Comey, a longtime adversary of President Trump.
Betsy Klein / CNN:
Trump diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency following leg swelling — President Donald Trump was examined for swelling in his legs and has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, the White House announced Thursday. — Trump, 79, underwent a “comprehensive examination …
Discussion:
Kyodo News and The Hill
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Addy Bink / The Hill:
What is chronic venous insufficiency?
Discussion:
Politico, Daily Mail, Axios, Plain Dealer, USA Today, Washington Examiner, Scientific American, Reuters and WUSA
Kevin Breuninger / CNBC:
Trump diagnosed with common vein condition after ankle swelling raises concerns
Trump diagnosed with common vein condition after ankle swelling raises concerns
Discussion:
CBS News, Todd Starnes, Washington Times, Straight Arrow News, MPR News, Axios, Townhall, Florida Politics, Alternet.org and NOTUS
Emily Davies / Washington Post:
White House shares diagnosis in rare acknowledgment of Trump's age
White House shares diagnosis in rare acknowledgment of Trump's age
Discussion:
The Hill, Associated Press, CBS News, Breitbart, The Guardian, New York Times and Raw Story
Associated Press:
Trump administration hands over Medicaid recipients' personal data, including addresses, to ICE — Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials will be given access to the personal data of the nation's 79 million Medicaid enrollees, including home addresses and ethnicities …
Glenn Thrush / New York Times:
Justice Dept. Asks for 1-Day Sentence for Ex-Officer Convicted in Breonna Taylor Raid — The move was a stunning reversal of Biden-era efforts to address racial disparities in local law enforcement. — The Justice Department's civil rights chief has asked a federal judge to sentence …
Sara Boboltz / HuffPost:
Democratic Senators Walk Out Of Trump Judicial Nominee Emil Bove's Hearing — Republicans say the controversial nominee is ready for a floor vote. Democrats say they're moving too fast. — Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee abruptly walked out of a Thursday hearing …
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Meredith Kile / People:
Ex-Casino Boss Claims Trump and ‘Best Friend’ Jeffrey Epstein Were Once Caught Bringing Underage Girls to Casino Floor — A former executive at Trump's Atlantic City casino told CNN that the duo brought three girls to the gambling floor who were not yet 21. The White House is calling his story “fabricated”
Discussion:
Mediaite and New Republic
Matthew Goldstein / New York Times:
This Democrat Won't Let Go of the Jeffrey Epstein Case, Either — Senator Ron Wyden has found that four banks waited until Mr. Epstein's arrest on federal charges to flag $1.5 billion in suspicious transactions. Mr. Wyden wants the documents made public. — President Trump and his administration …
Discussion:
The Hill, Semafor, Straight Arrow News, Salon and New York Post
Miami Herald:
Alligator Alcatraz isn't meant for minors. A 15 year old ended up there anyway — In the rush to open a detention camp in the Florida Everglades for “some of the most vicious” migrants illegally in the country, state and federal officers detained a 15-year-old boy with no criminal record …
Mike Masnick / Techdirt:
Fascism For First Time Founders — from the democracy-is-actually-important-for- innovation dept — Over the last year or so I've seen a disturbing tendency in tech/startup/VC worlds to buy into the neoreactionary view that for startups to be successful they need to get on board the Trump train.
Financial Times:
Donald Trump set to open US retirement market to crypto investments — President preparing executive order to allow 401k plans to tap broad pool of alternative assets — Donald Trump is preparing to open the $9tn US retirement market to cryptocurrency investments, gold …
Discussion:
Crypto Briefing, The Verge and The Independent, more at Techmeme »
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NBC News:
Trump administration shuts down LGBTQ youth suicide hotline — The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline's LGBTQ youth service, which has provided queer youths with specialized services since 2022, was officially terminated Thursday. — The Trump administration on Thursday afternoon officially terminated …
Discussion:
LAist, Advocate, Governor of California, NOTUS, The 19th, Bangor Daily News and Raw Story
CNN:
Top oversight Democrat sends letter to Fox News demanding answers on edits to Trump's 2024 Epstein comments — A top oversight Democrat sent a letter on Thursday to Fox Corp chairman Lachlan Murdoch and Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott demanding answers about Fox's editing of a Donald Trump interview …
Discussion:
CNBC, The Wrap, MSNBC, Raw Story and The Independent
US Department of Justice:
Former Voice of America Employee Indicted for Threatening Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — For Immediate Release — U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia — WASHINGTON - An indictment unsealed today in the District of Columbia charges a Maryland resident with influencing …
Associated Press:
Trump's approval rating on immigration and government spending has slipped, new AP-NORC poll finds — Only about one-quarter of U.S. adults say that President Donald Trump's policies have helped them since he took office, according to a new poll that finds underwhelming marks for him on key issues …
Discussion:
AP-NORC, New Yorker, The Independent, Reuters, The Hill, Salon and New Republic
Jason Lange / Reuters:
Trump faces backlash as 69% believe Epstein details concealed, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds — Most Americans think President Donald Trump's administration is hiding information about accused sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and give it poor marks on the issue after pledging to make public documents in the case, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
Discussion:
The Guardian, The Editorial Board, Daily Kos, Axios and The Post Millennial
NBC News:
New U.S. assessment finds American strikes destroyed only one of three Iranian nuclear sites — President Donald Trump rejected a military plan for more comprehensive strikes on Iran's nuclear program that would have lasted weeks, NBC News has also learned.
Discussion:
New York Times, New York Sun, Daily Mail, NewsMax.com, VINnews and Raw Story
Philip Bump / Washington Post:
When institutions crumble, strongmen step in — Trump wants to be the sole authority. With trust in institutions cratering, he sees his opportunity. — What would it take to put the swirling conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein to bed? Nothing complicated; just an authoritative …
Wall Street Journal:
White House Prepares Executive Order Targeting ‘Woke AI’ — Order would be one of several expected to outline Trump's vision for winning AI race with China — White House officials are preparing an executive order targeting tech companies with what they see as “woke” artificial-intelligence models …
Makena Kelly / Wired:
DOGE Put Free Tax Filing Tool on Chopping Block After One Meeting With Lobbyists — A key operative from DOGE initiated plans to potentially kill Direct File, the free tax filing tool developed by the IRS, after offering assurances it would be spared from cuts.
Jason Koebler / 404 Media:
Flight Manifests Reveal Dozens of Previously Unknown People on Three Deportation Flights to El Salvador — The flight manifests for three legally contested deportation flights from Texas to El Salvador contain dozens of additional, unaccounted for passengers than a previously published Department …
Discussion:
New Republic
Shane Harris / The Atlantic:
Former Intel Chief Banned From Dog's Graduation Ceremony — The pettiness of the administration's retribution campaign begins to bite. — Earlier this year, an adorable yellow Lab named Susan completed a CIA training program for “detection K9s.” She was a natural at sniffing out concealed explosives …
Discussion:
Raw Story
US Department of Justice:
Mexican National Charged in Federal Criminal Complaint with Staging Fake Immigration ‘Kidnapping’ — For Immediate Release — U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California — LOS ANGELES - An illegal alien from Mexico has been charged in a federal criminal complaint …
Discussion:
The Washington Free Beacon, Fox News, RedState, Washington Times, Daily Caller News Foundation and Blaze Media
Becky Morton / BBC:
Voting age to be lowered to 16 by next general election — Sixteen and 17-year-olds would be able to vote at the next general election, under government plans to lower the voting age. — The pledge is part of a raft of measures being introduced through a new Elections Bill.
