White House tightens its grip on Jeffrey Epstein messaging  —  White House aides have made it clear that no one in the administration is allowed to talk about Epstein without high-level vetting as Trump attempts to change the subject.  —  WASHINGTON — Jeffrey Epstein is dead, but the White House can't seem to kill his story.

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.

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 …

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

Donald, the Call Is Coming From Inside the House  —  U.S. chipmaker Nvidia really wants to be able to sell AI components in China; U.S. foreign policy hawks are keen to stop that from happening.  President Biden formerly placed strict export controls on the chips.

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

Sen. Angus King Admits His Vote For Anti-Abortion Judge Was ‘A Mistake’  —  The Maine senator says he was “not fully” aware of Josh Divine's record, but “took Josh Hawley's advice” to confirm him to a lifetime federal judgeship.  —  WASHINGTON — Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) admitted Thursday that he made …

RNC chair Michael Whatley to run for Senate in North Carolina with Trump's support … Lara Trump, who the president had previously asked to run, has decided to remain as host of her weekly show on Fox News.  She is expected to back Whatley, with whom she co-chaired the RNC last year …

Regulation by Deal Comes to Higher Ed  —  Earlier this evening, Columbia University announced an agreement with the Trump administration in which Columbia makes a host of concessions in order to restore its eligibility for federal funding.  The agreement is already being described as “unprecedented,” “the first of its kind.”

Newsmax's Greg Kelly on Ghislaine Maxwell: “She just might be a victim.  She just might be.  There was a rush to judgment.”  —  THE LATEST

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 …

MyPillow Founder Will Not Pay Winnings for Election Challenge, Court Rules  —  A court overturned a previous ruling requiring Mike Lindell to pay out $5 million to a software engineer who had entered Mr. Lindell's challenge to skeptics of his election interference claims.

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.

Shaheen cuts foreign aid deal to support Waltz  —  Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) agreed to support former Rep. Mike Waltz's nomination to be ambassador to the UN after securing an agreement with the State Department to release $75 million in foreign aid for Haiti and Nigeria.

Senate GOP-led panel delays testimony for Trump special counsel nominee  —  The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has indefinitely delayed President Donald Trump's pick to run an independent watchdog that investigates wrongdoing in the federal government.

Columbia's Administrators Are Fooling Themselves  —  In 1672, Charles II unilaterally suspended repayment of 1.2 million pounds to London's private bankers.  Having run up this debt, and unable to finance a flotilla of ships to fight the Dutch, Charles became neither the first nor the last absolute monarch to break his word.

The media's latest Trump dilemma: How to cover a president who accuses his predecessor of treason?  —  What's the media's responsibility when the sitting president makes baseless claims about a former president, especially when the goal is distraction?  —  What should the media …

Meghan McCain urges White House to pull credential of CNN's Kaitlan Collins  —  Conservative pundit Meghan McCain attacked CNN anchor and reporter Kaitlan Collins, suggesting she be barred from covering the White House after she aggressively questioned press secretary Karoline Leavitt …

Two Democrats Are Bolting From a Bipartisan Governors' Group  —  The NGA, some Democrats say, has failed to respond forcefully enough to Trump's incursions into state matters.  —  This coming weekend's summer meeting of the National Governors Association has been planned as a postcard-perfect celebration of bipartisan policy making.

Tesla Profit Falls, Hurt by Plunging EV Sales  —  Electric-vehicle maker's net income dropped 16% in second quarter; Musk says robotaxis will ‘greatly expand’ by year's end  —  Tesla's net income plunged 16% in the second quarter, marking another quarter of steep declines at the company as automotive sales continue to fall.

Bombshell Claim on Who Is Hiding Epstein's Birthday Book  —  MANY HAPPY RETURNS  —  An attorney who has represented Epstein victims says the book exists—and could be handed over.  —  A lawyer who has represented over 200 victims of Jeffrey Epstein says the existence of a book given …

Wisconsin's Democratic Gov. Tony Evers won't seek a third term in 2026  —  MADISON - Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers will not seek a third term, retiring from elected public office after nearly two decades and prompting the first wide-open gubernatorial race since 2010.

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 …