I just spoke with Congressman Robert Garcia, the Democratic lead on the House Oversight Committee, who provided me with exclusive updates on the expected timeline for the release of the Epstein files. According to Congressman Garcia, here’s what to expect:
A subpoena to the Department of Justice could be issued within the next few days. Chairman James Comer has indicated he plans to move swiftly on this.
Once issued, the DOJ would have up to 30 days to turn over the requested documents to the Committee.
If this timeline holds, Congress could obtain the Epstein files before the end of August. I won’t stop fighting to get to the truth, and while at a time when corporate news outlets are retreating in the face of authoritarian threats, fearless, independent journalism has never been more essential.
I won’t back down. Not now. Not ever. Subscribe today. Stand with us.
With that, here’s the news:
Jeffrey Epstein Files:
US justice department officials reportedly met with Ghislaine Maxwell in Florida amid mounting pressure on the Trump administration to release Jeffrey Epstein-related documents, as speculation grows over what Maxwell and Epstein may have known about Trump.
GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin introduced a non-binding resolution urging federal and state courts to unseal all Epstein-related materials, including grand jury evidence, while simultaneously blocking a Democratic resolution calling on the DOJ to release its Epstein files—highlighting bipartisan pressure for transparency amid ongoing judicial resistance.
Mullin did, however, block an amendment put forth by Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego to call for the DOJ to release the files and said the quiet part out loud: "What we’re simply trying to do is give [Trump] cover."
All other news:
The Trump White House lashed out at South Park after its premiere mocked the president with graphic satire, calling the show “fourth-rate” and “desperate”; the backlash comes as Paramount faces scrutiny for a $1.5 billion streaming deal and a controversial settlement with Trump amid ongoing corporate coziness with his administration.
During a public tour of the Federal Reserve’s renovation site, Donald Trump clashed with Fed Chair Jerome Powell over the project’s $3.1 billion cost—Trump claimed mismanagement, while Powell disputed the figure and explained it included an unrelated building completed years ago; Trump used the moment to renew pressure on Powell to lower interest rates.
GOP Senators Lindsey Graham and John Cornyn called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to appoint a special counsel to investigate Obama-era intelligence on Russian election interference, a move critics say is meant to deflect attention from the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files.
The White House has declined to support GOP Senators Lindsey Graham and John Cornyn’s call for a special counsel to investigate the Obama administration over the Russia probe, saying President Trump trusts the DOJ to handle the matter; this comes as the DOJ forms a “strike force” to review claims of misconduct in the original Russia investigation.
Venezuelan migrants deported by the Trump administration to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador without due process have described harrowing abuse, including beatings and torture, before being repatriated in a U.S.-Venezuela prisoner swap—fueling international outrage and legal challenges to Trump’s immigration policies.
The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against New York City, aiming to block enforcement of local “sanctuary” laws it claims hinder federal immigration enforcement and violate the Constitution.
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan warned that government officials defying court orders poses a major threat to the rule of law, indirectly referencing recent accusations that the Trump administration ignored judicial rulings in immigration cases.
Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order titled “Ending Vagrancy and Restoring Order,” directing cities and states to remove homeless people from streets and encampments, reverse legal constraints on such actions, and redirect federal funds toward treatment facilities—part of what the White House calls a push to “Make America Safe Again.”
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg is considering disciplinary referrals against DOJ lawyers over their conduct in the Venezuela deportations case, citing a whistleblower complaint that strengthens allegations the Trump administration defied court orders and acted in bad faith during the removal of migrants to a Salvadoran prison.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will formally recognize Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly in September, calling it a “solemn” decision and urging an end to the war in Gaza, declaring, “Peace is possible.”
Wrestling legend and Trump ally Hulk Hogan died at 71 after a cardiac arrest at his Florida home.
Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 37% in a new Gallup poll, the lowest of his second term.
See you in the morning.
— Aaron
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