Top Items:
Megan Brenan / Gallup:
Independents Drive Trump's Approval to 37% Second-Term Low — WASHINGTON, D.C. — Six months into his second term, President Donald Trump's job approval rating has dipped to 37%, the lowest of this term and just slightly higher than his all-time worst rating of 34% at the end of his first term.
Discussion:
Politico, The Independent, The Hill, PoliticusUSA, Raw Story, Mediaite and New Jersey Online
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Will Sommer / The Bulwark:
MAGA Inches Closer to a Ghislaine Maxwell Alliance — DONALD TRUMP'S JEFFREY EPSTEIN DISASTER has now been dragged into its third week, with the Wall Street Journal's report Wednesday confirming that Trump's own name is in the Epstein files and that he knew it back in May.
Discussion:
Public Notice, Meidas+, The Red Letter, The Hill, New Republic, All Rise News, Raw Story and USA Today
Politico:
The Epstein bombshell explodes
Discussion:
Punchbowl News, Raw Story, PoliticusUSA and So What
Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:
Trump Redefines the Washington Scandal
Roger Cohen / New York Times:
France Will Recognize Palestinian Statehood, Macron Says — The announcement sets France apart from the United States and most of its close allies, and could cause friction with President Trump. — President Emmanuel Macron announced late Thursday that France would recognize Palestine …
Discussion:
Reuters
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Yair Rosenberg / The Atlantic:
The Worst-Kept Secret of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict — The president opened the door to the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. He needs to close it. — One of the more poorly kept secrets of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is that many of those involved would prefer to take all the land and have the other side disappear.
TMZ.com:
Hulk Hogan Dead at 71 — EXCLUSIVE — Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan has died at 71 years old, TMZ Sports has learned. — Medics were dispatched to the WWE icon's Clearwater, Florida home early Thursday morning ... with operators stating it was regarding a “cardiac arrest.” — CARDIAC ARREST CALLED IN
Discussion:
The Handbasket, The Hollywood Reporter, Daily Mail, NBC New York, New York Post, NBC News, The A.V. Club, WTOP News, The Wrap, Mercury News, FOX 13 Tampa Bay, The Sun, Raw Story, Washington Post, The Hill, RedState, Mediaite, Boston Herald, The Gateway Pundit, Blaze Media, Newsweek, PinkNews, The Floridian, The National Pulse, NewsNation, New Jersey Online, MSNBC, Fox News, New Republic, Washington Examiner, E! Online, KARE-TV, twitchy.com, HuffPost, Orlando Sentinel and NewsMax.com
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Tara Suter / The Hill:
Political world expresses condolences over Hulk Hogan's death
Political world expresses condolences over Hulk Hogan's death
Discussion:
The Sun, One America News Network, NewsNation, Breitbart, RedState, New York Post, Mediaite, New York Daily News, Daily Mail, Fox News and Ace of Spades HQ
Andrew Hay / Reuters:
Columbia ends uncertainty with Trump deal, head says — Columbia University's agreement to pay over $200 million to the U.S. government in a settlement with President Donald Trump's administration to resolve federal probes and restore most of its suspended federal funding ends a period of …
Discussion:
CBS News, The Guardian, The Atlantic, U.S. Department of Education, twitchy.com, Washington Times, Algemeiner.com, PBS NewsHour, New York Times, STAT, Politico, Fox Business, Daily Kos, Rolling Out, The Forward, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Washington Free Beacon, The Hill, Washington Post, israelhayom.com, Jewish Insider and New York Sun
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Joey Garrison / USA Today:
Trump tussles with Powell during Federal Reserve visit but backs off firing threat — President Donald Trump said he won't fire Jerome Powell following a clash at the Federal Reserve that saw the Fed chair correct the president — WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump …
Discussion:
Business Insider, The Hill, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, RedState, NewsMax.com, The Post Millennial, CNBC, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian and CBS News
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New York Times:
Fed Staff Members Cite Tariffs and Inflation for Costly Renovations
Discussion:
Associated Press, Semafor, Washington Examiner, Chicago Tribune and Bloomberg
Colby Smith / New York Times:
Here's what to know. — The administration has led a pressure campaign against Jerome H. Powell …
Here's what to know. — The administration has led a pressure campaign against Jerome H. Powell …
Discussion:
CNN, CNBC, Washington Examiner, New York Times, MeidasTouch News, Bloomberg, CBS News, Axios, USA Today, The Daily Signal, The Guardian, Mediaite, PBS NewsHour, The Hill, Rolling Out, Scripps News, WTOP News, Washington Post, The Independent, NewsMax.com and NPR
Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:
F.C.C. Approves Skydance's Merger With Paramount — The agency's blessing was one of the last hurdles for the deal, which was being subjected to close scrutiny by the Trump administration. — The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday it would allow Paramount to merge …
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CNN:
FCC approves Skydance merger with Paramount, ending a yearlong saga of uncertainty
Discussion:
Deadline, Mediaite, The Wrap and That Park Place
David Folkenflik / NPR:
Trump administration approves sale of CBS parent company Paramount
Trump administration approves sale of CBS parent company Paramount
Discussion:
Newsbusters and Variety
Rolling Stone:
Trump White House Rages Over ‘South Park’ Episode, Calls Show ‘Fourth-Rate’ — The president cowed Paramount execs, but the company's talent is rebelling. Now, the administration is melting down … “The Left's hypocrisy truly has no end — for years they have come after South Park …
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Paul Dallison / Politico:
South Park skewers Trump over Epstein files, depicts him in bed with Satan
South Park skewers Trump over Epstein files, depicts him in bed with Satan
Discussion:
Entertainment Weekly, The Guardian, Variety, PinkNews, Mediaite, Wired, Washington Examiner, The Hollywood Reporter, Raw Story, Los Angeles Times, The A.V. Club, The Daily Caller, New Republic, Fox News, Plain Dealer, Forbes, Daily Mail, New Jersey Online, Breitbart, The Wrap, masslive.com, Decider, Advocate, The Parnas Perspective, TMZ.com and New York Sun
Joey Garrison / USA Today:
Trump to sign order pushing cities and states to remove homeless people from streets — Amid record high homelessness, Trump wants to move homeless people from the streets and into treatment centers. — WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump is set to take executive action that looks …
Discussion:
Fox News, CBS News, The Hill, Washington Times, Bloomberg, The Guardian, NPR, PBS NewsHour, The Post Millennial, The Daily Signal, New York Daily News, NewsMax.com and Newsweek
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David Ovalle / Washington Post:
Trump order pushes forcible hospitalization of homeless people
Trump order pushes forcible hospitalization of homeless people
Discussion:
STAT, New York Post and Washington Examiner
Kate Plummer / Newsweek:
Barack Obama Sees Death Threat Surge After Trump's Treason Claims — Former U.S. President Barack Obama has been the subject of online death threats and calls for imprisonment after President Donald Trump and the director of national intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard accused …
Discussion:
Global Project …, twitchy.com and NewsMax.com
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Axios:
Trump's “Russiagate” crusade enters fraught new territory … - For MAGA, the new focus on “Russiagate” offers a unifying reprieve — a return to familiar territory where Trump is the victim of a conspiracy, not the subject of one. — It's a retribution campaign that's deeply personal …
Wall Street Journal:
Jeffrey Epstein's Birthday Album Included Letters From Bill Clinton, Leon Black — Former president, Wall Street billionaire were listed along with Donald Trump as ‘friends’ in the 2003 book's table of contents, which named around five dozen contributors — The biggest name …
Discussion:
The Wrap, The Gateway Pundit, New York Magazine and Forbes
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Matthew Goldstein / New York Times:
Epstein's Estate Includes Book Said to Have Note From Trump, a Lawyer Says
Epstein's Estate Includes Book Said to Have Note From Trump, a Lawyer Says
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, New Republic, The Hill, Newsweek and The Independent
Robin Pogrebin / New York Times:
Amy Sherald Cancels Her Smithsonian Show, Citing Censorship — The artist said that she made the decision after she said she learned that her painting of a transgender Statue of Liberty might be removed to avoid provoking President Trump. — Amy Sherald — the artist who rocketed to fame …
Farrah Tomazin / The Daily Beast:
RFK Jr. Pictured Partying With Child Sex Predator Jeffrey Epstein — WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE — The renewed scrutiny on the HHS Secretary comes amid an ongoing firestorm over the Epstein files. — Robert Kennedy Jr. is facing fresh questions about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein …
Discussion:
New Republic and Raw Story
NBC News:
House Democrats force Republicans to take vote after vote on Epstein files — The House left a day early for a summer break that Sen. Chuck Schumer has dubbed “the Epstein recess” as Democrats try to capitalize on a major pain point for Republicans. — WASHINGTON — As the Republican-led House …
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Joe Walsh / CBS News:
House Speaker Johnson says Jeffrey Epstein case is “not a hoax”
House Speaker Johnson says Jeffrey Epstein case is “not a hoax”
Discussion:
NBC News, Politico, The Hill, New York Post, Reuters and NewsMax.com
Washington Post:
Mass starvation stalks Gaza as deaths from hunger rise — Israel has severely limited the amount of food entering Gaza, where society is on the brink of collapse. — After four months of a near-total Israeli siege, Gaza's few remaining hospitals now have wards for the growing number …
Discussion:
Doctors Without Borders, New York Times, BBC, Politico and The Free Press, more at Mediagazer »
Mark Joseph Stern / Slate:
The Supreme Court Is Now Asking Judges to Do the Impossible … The Supreme Court expanded Donald Trump's power yet again on Wednesday, granting him the authority to fire Democratic members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission in direct violation of federal law.
Discussion:
Techdirt, Law Dork and Washington Post
NBC News:
Can Ghislaine Maxwell be trusted to tell the truth about Jeffrey Epstein? — As the uproar over the Epstein files continues, prosecutors say the late sex offender's longtime accomplice has a history of lying. Her defense lawyer says she will speak truthfully.
Discussion:
Fox News, The Post Millennial, UPI, CNBC and The Independent
Emily Peck / Axios:
Social Security recipients set to face an $18,000 benefit cut in just seven years — Retirees are facing the prospect of substantial Social Security cuts in just seven years, sooner than projected, due to the “big, beautiful bill,” per an analysis out Thursday from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
Discussion:
Committee for a …, Washington Examiner, Fox Business and Fingerlakes1.com
CTV News:
Quebec man warning Canadian boaters after he was detained by U.S. Coast guard, put in jail cell — A Quebec man says he is outraged after the U.S. Coast Guard accused him of fishing in American waters and then arrested him before putting him in a jail cell for nearly two hours.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Mercury News and Raw Story
Jacob Bogage / Washington Post:
IRS considers eliminating non-English language tax services — To comply with an order making English the official language, Treasury officials say the IRS may need to get rid of free interpreters and translation services. — Trump administration officials are considering eliminating multi …
Discussion:
The Independent and Raw Story
Pooja Salhotra / New York Times:
Ken Paxton Claimed Three Houses as His Primary Residence, Records Show — The attorney general of Texas, who is challenging Senator John Cornyn, could have secured favorable mortgage rates, and may have violated the law if he knowingly falsified loan documents.
Discussion:
Associated Press and Washington Examiner
Christopher Wiggins / Advocate:
Gay makeup artist Andry Hernández Romero describes horrific sexual & physical abuse at CECOT in El Salvador — After 125 days in silence, detained inside an El Salvador concrete fortress built to disappear people, Andry Hernández Romero is finally home in Venezuela …
Annabella Rosciglione / Washington Examiner:
UnitedHealth says DOJ is investigating company after it denied inquiry — Insurance giant UnitedHealth Group said Thursday the Department of Justice is investigating the company for its Medicare billing practices. — The Wall Street Journal reported in May that the DOJ was conducting …
Discussion:
STAT, UnitedHealth Group, CNBC, The Hill, Chicago Tribune, Gizmodo, San Diego Union-Tribune, UPI, twitchy.com, One America News Network, KARE-TV and Fox Business
Nick Reisman / Politico:
New York's Kathy Hochul opens the door to redrawing House lines … “I'm not surprised that they're trying to break the rules to get an advantage,” Hochul added. “But that's undemocratic, and not only are we calling them out, we're also going to see what our options are.”
Discussion:
Orlando Sentinel, Associated Press, New York Daily News and Gothamist
David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:
LA Grand Juries Are Refusing to Indict ICE Protestors — A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM's Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. — U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli Under Pressure From Bondi — A major new development out of Los Angeles …
Discussion:
New Republic
New York Times:
How a Frantic Scouring of the Epstein Files Consumed the Justice Dept. … Justice Department officials diverted hundreds of F.B.I. employees and federal prosecutors from their regular duties to go through the Jeffrey Epstein files at least four times — including once to flag any references …
Discussion:
Vox and The Status Kuo
Jack Detsch / Politico:
Pentagon suspends participation in think tank events … The move would sideline the Pentagon from national security dialogues that it has used for decades to advance its policy and explain the department's rationale. Former Defense Secretaries Jim Mattis, Mark Esper and Lloyd Austin …
Discussion:
The Hill, New York Times, The Daily Caller and NewsMax.com
New York Times:
As Starvation Rises, Israeli Minister Says Israel Is ‘Driving Out’ Gazans — Amichay Eliyahu's comments came amid growing hunger in the territory, where Israel controls the delivery of food. — Amid rising starvation in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli government minister said on Thursday …
Lila Shroff / The Atlantic:
ChatGPT Gave Instructions for Murder, Self-Mutilation, and Devil Worship — OpenAI's chatbot also said “Hail Satan.” — On Tuesday afternoon, ChatGPT encouraged me to cut my wrists. Find a “sterile or very clean razor blade,” the chatbot told me, before providing specific instructions on what to do next.
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money and Futurism

