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:
NBC News, Telegraph, Politico, New York Magazine, HotAir, Vox, New Yorker, PREVAIL, Axios, NPR, Townhall, The Guardian, Daily Mail, New York Times, Metro.co.uk, KFTC-TV, The Independent, emptywheel, Raw Story, Advocate, Straight Arrow News, Alternet.org, Washington Post, Crooks and Liars, Not the Bee, American Prospect, El País, HuffPost, MSNBC, CNBC, Forbes, Washington Examiner, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, New York Post, Scripps News, Mediaite, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, The American Conservative, Off Message, The Gateway Pundit, Daily Caller News Foundation, The Daily Caller, The Post Millennial, RedState, The Parnas Perspective, The Hill, The National Pulse, The Wrap, CBS News and Semafor, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
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:
Raw Story, twitchy.com, Mediaite, Townhall, Alternet.org, The Independent, MSNBC and PoliticusUSA
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:
New Republic
Rolling Stone:
Team Trump Was on ‘F-cking Warpath’ to Kill Story About Salacious Letter to Epstein — The Wall Street Journal reports that Trump wrote a birthday note to his “pal” about how they have “certain things in common” — Donald Trump wrote a birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein in the early 2000s …
Discussion:
Politico, Townhall, NewsMax.com, Alternet.org, The Independent, Raw Story, The Guardian, Washington Examiner, TMZ.com, Breitbart and CNBC
Glenn Thrush / New York Times:
Trump Tells Bondi to Seek Release of Epstein Grand Jury Testimony — The attorney general plans to ask a court to release the papers. But even if the request succeeds, it would fall far short of critics' demands to release all investigative materials. — President Trump announced Thursday night …
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Salon, Raw Story, Washington Times and Mediaite
Newsweek:
Trump Responds After Report on Birthday Letter to Jeffrey Epstein — President Donald Trump threatened to sue The Wall Street Journal over a news article published on Thursday saying he sent a letter to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Epstein's 50th birthday. — The Context
Discussion:
Associated Press, Breitbart, GB News, NPR, Blaze Media, twitchy.com and One America News Network
Cameron Adams / The Daily Beast:
Trump's Sketchy Epstein Lie Instantly Exposed — INK-CRIMINATING — Turns out there are plenty of examples of Trump doing the exact thing he claims to have never done. — Donald Trump distanced himself from claims he sent a spicy, signed drawing of a naked woman to Jeffrey Epstein by insisting that he never drew pictures.
Discussion:
The Guardian, The Independent and Mediaite
Michael Gold / New York Times:
House Republicans Dangle Possible Vote on Epstein Files, After Voter Backlash — The House Rules Committee laid the groundwork for an eventual vote to call for release of the Epstein files, reflecting Republican uneasiness with the president's refusal to divulge information from the investigation.
Discussion:
The Hill, Politico, New York Sun, Daily Caller News Foundation, NOTUS and The Guardian
G. Elliott Morris / Strength In Numbers:
Trump's approval hits new low as Epstein pressure mounts — This is one of those classic weeks in a Trump presidency where too many stories are moving too fast for an individual writer to keep up. There are new tariffs, expansion of deportation operations, a will-he-or-won't-he dance …
Discussion:
MSNBC
Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:
Trump and Epstein had a relationship, but there's no evidence of Trump wrongdoing — A year ago, we scrubbed the public record. Here are our updated findings. — Summary11 … — President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters, July 16 — The Trump White House and Justice Department …
Discussion:
The Post Millennial and CNBC
The Independent:
Reported birthday card from Trump to Epstein shines new light on their friendship as fallout from files release mounts
Discussion:
Raw Story, Newsweek, Advocate, The Post Millennial, Crooked Media, Mediaite and The Independent
Joe Walsh / CBS News:
Trump orders Bondi to release Jeffrey Epstein-related grand jury testimony
Trump orders Bondi to release Jeffrey Epstein-related grand jury testimony
Discussion:
Civil Discourse …, Washington Examiner, Breitbart, Nashville Banner, UPI, The Gateway Pundit and One America News Network
CNN:
Top oversight Democrat sends letter to Fox News demanding answers on edits to Trump's 2024 Epstein comments
Top oversight Democrat sends letter to Fox News demanding answers on edits to Trump's 2024 Epstein comments
Discussion:
Raw Story, Politico, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Wrap, The Independent, MSNBC and New Jersey Online
Stephen Groves / Associated Press:
House Republicans grasp for response to demands for transparency in Epstein case
House Republicans grasp for response to demands for transparency in Epstein case
Discussion:
The Hill, NewsMax.com, Associated Press, NBC News, Politico and Washington Times
Washington Post:
White House defends handling of Epstein files, chides press for coverage
White House defends handling of Epstein files, chides press for coverage
Discussion:
Reuters, The Bulwark, Associated Press, Alternet.org, ABC News, AP-NORC, New Republic, The Hill, NPR, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit and WFAA-TV
Peggy Noonan / Wall Street Journal:
MAGA's Epstein Fault Line
MAGA's Epstein Fault Line
Discussion:
Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and The Independent
Charisma Madarang / Rolling Stone:
Trump Claims He ‘Never Wrote a Picture in My Life.’ He Actually Drew Plenty of Them
Trump Claims He ‘Never Wrote a Picture in My Life.’ He Actually Drew Plenty of Them
Discussion:
USA Today
Washington Post:
Trump tells Justice Dept. to seek release of Epstein grand jury testimony
Trump tells Justice Dept. to seek release of Epstein grand jury testimony
Discussion:
Al Jazeera
Dareh Gregorian / NBC News:
Trump isn't interested in naming a special counsel for the Jeffrey Epstein case, White House says
Trump isn't interested in naming a special counsel for the Jeffrey Epstein case, White House says
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:
RedState, The Wrap, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, Townhall, Mediaite, Blaze Media and Washington Times
Andrew Solender / Axios:
Scoop: Why Dems didn't try to thwart Trump's funding clawback — House Democrats passed up what appeared to be a golden opportunity to block a bill codifying $9 billion in DOGE cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid. In leadership's telling, victory was never a real possibility.
Discussion:
Punchbowl News
RELATED:
NBC News:
Trump's cuts to NPR, PBS and foreign aid clear Congress — The $9 billion package passed the House and the Senate with only Republican votes through the rarely used “rescissions” process. Trump is now expected to sign it into law. — WASHINGTON — The Republican-controlled House voted 216-213 …
Discussion:
Politico, MSNBC, Talking Points Memo, Cincinnati.com, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Mediaite, Forbes, Deadline, The Gateway Pundit, The Independent, New York Post, Axios, USA Today and NPR, more at Mediagazer »
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 …
Discussion:
The Hill, Raw Story, Christian Science Monitor, Talking Points Memo and Bloomberg
Savannah Kuchar / USA Today:
House passes Trump's cuts to public broadcasting, foreign aid; next stop president's desk
Discussion:
24sight News, Washington Times and The Japan Times
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:
Poynter, CNN, Associated Press, Meidas+, NPR, The Hollywood Reporter, Fox News, Townhall, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, The Guardian, Mediaite, New York Times, Instapundit, RTÉ, Breitbart, Raw Story, New York Sun, Washington Examiner, Deadline, New Jersey Online, twitchy.com, Vanity Fair, Lawyers, Guns & Money, RedState, Newsbusters, That Park Place, The Wrap, The Hill, PoliticusUSA, Alternet.org, Mercury News, The A.V. Club, The Daily Caller, Hollywood in Toto, WUSA, Adweek, Rolling Stone, Straight Arrow News, The Post Millennial, New York Post and New York Daily News, more at Mediagazer »
Miriam Waldvogel / The Hill:
How will PBS/NPR cuts impact your local stations? — Congressional Republicans stripped more than $1 billion in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) this week, a move that could force local radio and television stations to consolidate, cut services or shutter altogether, particularly in rural areas.
Discussion:
NPR, Variety, New York Times, Deadline, RTÉ, Slate, Bloomberg, New York Post, CNN, ABC News and Los Angeles Times, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
Selena Simmons-Duffin / NPR:
ACA health insurance will cost the average person 75% more next year, research shows — Health insurance premiums are going way up next year for people who buy their insurance on Healthcare.gov or the state-based marketplaces, according to an analysis out Friday.
Discussion:
CNN, CBS News, Peterson-KFF Health …, The Texas Tribune, Forbes and KFF
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 …
Discussion:
NBC News, The Dispatch, Reuters, Straight Arrow News, Daily Kos, Louisville Public Media, Raw Story, The Atlantic, CBS News, Alternet.org, UPI, Al Jazeera, The Virginian-Pilot and The Hill
RELATED:
Cameron Peters / Vox:
DOJ seeks a single-day prison sentence for an officer convicted in the Breonna Taylor raid
DOJ seeks a single-day prison sentence for an officer convicted in the Breonna Taylor raid
Discussion:
New York Times
Emily Davies / Washington Post:
White House shares diagnosis in rare acknowledgment of Trump's age — Trump has chronic venous insufficiency, White House physician says, a diagnosis common in people over 70. — The White House on Thursday said that President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a mild but chronic illness related …
RELATED:
Betsy Klein / CNN:
Trump diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency following leg swelling
Trump diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency following leg swelling
Discussion:
Forbes, The Hill, CNBC, Fox News, Kyodo News, Daily Mail, Politico, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Washington Examiner, Washington Times and New Republic
Associated Press:
For Sale: Trump is leveraging power of his office to reap profits for family businesses — If one theme has emerged in President Donald Trump's second term, it's this: He's leveraged the power of his office for personal gain unlike anyone before in history.
Associated Press:
Most US adults think the GOP tax bill will help the wealthy and harm the poor, AP-NORC poll finds — Republican elected officials are promoting their recently passed tax and spending bill as a win for working Americans, but a new survey shows that Americans broadly see it as a win for the wealthy.
Discussion:
Salon
ABC News:
Unreleased Epstein files include logbooks for private island, records show — The Department of Justice released an index of the evidence earlier this year. — Jeffrey Epstein in court in West Palm Beach, Fla., July 30, 2008. — Uma Sanghvi/The Palm Beach Post via AP
Discussion:
Alternet.org
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 …
Terrence McCoy / Washington Post:
Spurred by Bolsonaro's son, Trump mulls sanctions on Brazilian judge — If implemented, the sanctions against supreme court justice Alexandre de Moraes would dramatically escalate a widening feud between the United States and Brazil. — Summary — RIO DE JANEIRO — A son …
Discussion:
El País, Bloomberg and Foreign Policy
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 …
Marc Caputo / Axios:
Scoop: Trump's new Alcatraz could cost $2 billion … - A “supermax” prison complex that would cost more than $2 billion. … - A scaled-back prison that would cost $1 billion and not occupy the entire island. — Putting the project out to bid for private prison contractors to build and operate.
Discussion:
Reuters, New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Raw Story, Los Angeles Times, Fox News, New York Post, USA Today, The Guardian, The Hill and Washington Examiner

