Good afternoon, everyone. There is a lot to cover today. I did a deep dive into the Trump administration’s effort to block the release of major Epstein files ahead of Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing. War is erupting again between the United States and Iran. A new report reveals Trump has what he calls the “Lewinsky room,” where he shows off memorabilia to visiting world leaders. Mitch McConnell is reportedly communicating with Senate leadership after weeks of speculation about his health. There has been another ICE shooting, new allegations that the U.S. shared confidential immigration information with Iran, accusations that Ken Paxton violated voting laws, and much more.
Get ready for some big Epstein news this week and next. Stay tuned…
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Here’s the news:
Epstein:
The Justice Department is asking a federal court to reject an expedited Freedom of Information Act request seeking acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s emails and messages related to Jeffrey Epstein before his Senate confirmation hearings. The lawsuit, filed by watchdog group American Oversight, argues the records are urgently needed because Blanche’s handling of the Epstein files is directly relevant to whether he should lead the Justice Department. The group requested communications mentioning Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, Trump, and other related terms. It asked for the records to be released before Blanche’s confirmation hearings on July 15 and 16. The request is part of growing scrutiny over Blanche’s role in handling the Epstein files.
In response, the Justice Department argued that expediting the request would unfairly allow one organization to skip ahead of other FOIA requesters and disrupt the normal records process. DOJ lawyers said granting the request would create a precedent encouraging groups to use high-profile events to jump the line for government records.
It comes as more than 1,200 former Justice Department employees who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations have signed a letter urging the Senate to reject Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general. They argue Blanche has created a “culture of fear” within the DOJ, prioritized loyalty to President Trump over the rule of law, and undermined the department’s independence. The letter says an attorney general should serve the Constitution and the law, not the president personally.
The former DOJ officials also claim that under Blanche’s leadership, more than 16,000 Justice Department employees have left, with some allegedly fired without notice and others resigning rather than carry out what they viewed as unethical or unlawful orders. They argue the departures have hurt recruitment, weakened the department’s ability to carry out its mission, and left communities less safe and Americans’ rights less protected. The group points to cases involving Trump’s perceived political opponents as examples of Blanche carrying out the president’s agenda.
Europe and Trump:
According to a new Wall Street Journal report, European leaders developed surprisingly detailed strategies for managing interactions with President Trump, often tailoring their language and behavior to appeal to his communication style.
European officials reportedly workshopped text messages to Trump together, even debating which words should be written in ALL CAPS because they believed it would resonate better with him. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s messaging style became a model, with leaders consciously mirroring Trump’s tone and hyperbole. Officials also began rebranding policies to fit Trump’s preferences, referring to proposed sanctions on Russia as “tariffs” after he objected to the term “sanctions.”
The report also recounts several unusual White House moments. During one meeting, Trump reportedly became frustrated when a video call with then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau malfunctioned and threw the tablet across the Oval Office. On another occasion, Trump brought German Chancellor Friedrich Merz into a side office he referred to as the “Lewinsky room,” showed off stacks of MAGA merchandise, and encouraged Merz to take hats and other memorabilia, joking that their wives could sell the items for “thousands of dollars.”
Mitch McConnell
I want to start this section off by making clear: There is no confirmation Mitch McConnell has passed away. He could have. He could also be brain dead. But right now anyone who tells you McConnell has passed is just speculating. Once we know the status of his health, I will be the first to tell you.
Senate Republican leaders John Thune and John Barrasso said they each spoke with Sen. Mitch McConnell this week as questions continue about his health following his hospitalization on June 14. According to their offices, McConnell was "fully engaged," discussed national security, Senate business, key political developments, and said he is eager to return to work.
The calls come after online speculation intensified over McConnell's condition, fueled in part by reports of emergency radio traffic linked to his residence, though his office has not disclosed why he remains hospitalized. McConnell's staff has only said that he "continues to improve" and is working closely with his staff, without providing additional details about his medical condition.
Ken Paxton:
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has made election integrity a cornerstone of his political platform, is facing scrutiny after a Texas Tribune investigation found he may have voted in six elections using an address where he no longer lived. The report says Paxton continued voting from his former Collin County home even after his wife stated in divorce filings that he moved out in 2024, while evidence suggests he has been living at a home in neighboring Denton County. Election law experts told the reporters that Paxton may have violated the same Texas residency laws his office has aggressively enforced against other voters, though proving criminal intent in these cases is difficult. Paxton’s campaign denied wrongdoing, calling the investigation a “baseless” attack, but did not directly answer questions about why he remained registered at his former address.
Ken Paxton was also caught in a new video in London on the 4th of July during celebrations for America’s 250th:
Iran:
The U.S. military says it has launched a new round of strikes against Iran. According to a statement from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), U.S. forces have begun “a series of powerful strikes against Iran” in response to what it says were Iran’s recent attacks on commercial ships using the U.S.-protected shipping route near Oman through the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement follows multiple reported attacks on tankers earlier today that U.S. officials have attributed to Iran, including strikes on commercial vessels transiting the waterway. This marks another significant escalation in the conflict after the U.S. earlier revoked its sanctions waiver allowing Iranian oil and petrochemical sales, citing the same tanker attacks.
CNN reports that U.S. military commanders approved some strikes on Iran using intelligence that multiple sources said was years out of date after bypassing warnings that target information had not been updated before the conflict began. According to the report, the decision was made for "expediency" under pressure to quickly generate targets, and one of the strikes mistakenly hit a school, killing nearly 200 children and adults. Sources told CNN that military officials realized within days that the strike resulted from outdated intelligence, but the Pentagon has not yet publicly released its investigation into the incident. The Pentagon has not publicly responded to CNN's reporting, and the findings are based on unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
The threat level for commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz has been raised to "severe" after multiple Iranian attacks on tankers this week, according to the U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center. Officials warned that further deliberate hostile action by Iran is likely, with Tehran reportedly targeting ships using a U.S. Navy-protected shipping corridor near Oman despite an interim agreement guaranteeing safe passage. Qatar blamed Iran for an attack on one of its liquefied natural gas tankers and called on Tehran to stop endangering global energy supplies, while maritime security officials reported several separate attacks in or near the strait. Although shipping traffic has increased since the U.S. and Iran reached a temporary agreement in June, vessel traffic and oil exports through the critical waterway remain far below prewar levels as security concerns continue to disrupt global energy markets.
Oil prices climbed sharply Tuesday after multiple commercial vessels were reportedly attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, raising fears of further disruption to one of the world's most important energy shipping routes. A U.S. official told NBC News that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired missiles at two ships and struck a third with a drone, while U.S. forces intercepted additional Iranian drones. The attacks briefly rattled financial markets, sending oil prices above $70 per barrel, pushing Treasury yields higher, and contributing to a broader stock market decline. Technology stocks also came under pressure after Samsung shares fell despite strong earnings, with concerns about slowing AI-related growth and reports that China's DeepSeek is developing its own AI chips adding to the market sell-off.
The Trump administration has revoked the 60-day sanctions waiver that had temporarily allowed Iran to sell oil and petrochemical products, following today's attacks on multiple commercial tankers in and around the Strait of Hormuz. The move effectively restores U.S. restrictions on Iranian oil exports that had been eased as part of an interim agreement aimed at reducing tensions and advancing nuclear negotiations. The decision comes after U.S. officials blamed Iran for attacks on several vessels, including a Qatari LNG tanker, and condemned the strikes as unacceptable. Oil prices surged following the announcement as markets reacted to renewed fears of supply disruptions and escalating conflict in one of the world's most important energy shipping routes.
Other news:
The White House promoted a "Freedom Fuel" gas station as evidence that President Trump is lowering gas prices, highlighting regular gasoline selling for $3.47 per gallon. However, historical Google Street View images show the same station, when it was branded as a Sunoco, advertised gas for $2.99 per gallon in November 2024, before Trump took office. The MeidasTouch report also notes Trump repeatedly promised during his campaign to bring gas prices below $2 per gallon, making the promoted price higher than both the station's pre-presidency price and his campaign pledge.
A man was shot and killed by an ICE officer during an enforcement operation in Houston after authorities say he allegedly tried to flee in his vehicle and attempted to run over an officer. ICE identified the man as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national whom the agency said was in the country illegally, and said the officer fired in self-defense after Araujo allegedly rammed an ICE vehicle and ignored repeated commands. Araujo was taken to a hospital, where he later died, and the FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting. Local officials, including Rep. Sylvia Garcia and Houston Councilwoman Alejandra Salinas, have called for a full, independent, and transparent investigation, including the release of any available body camera footage and other evidence.
A civil rights group has sued the Trump administration, alleging it secretly shared confidential immigration and asylum records of Iranian nationals with the Iranian government, potentially putting asylum seekers and their families at risk. The lawsuit claims the information included asylum applications, removal orders, and other sensitive immigration records belonging to Iranians in ICE custody, many of whom are pro-democracy activists, religious minorities, or LGBTQ individuals fleeing persecution. The Department of Homeland Security strongly denied the allegations, calling them "false" and saying ICE only works with foreign governments to obtain travel documents in accordance with U.S. law and policy. The lawsuit seeks to block the alleged information-sharing agreement and reopen affected immigration cases, arguing that disclosing asylum information to the government asylum seekers are fleeing could expose them to persecution, torture, or death if deported.
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from obtaining the names and contact information of everyone who worked the 2020 election in Georgia’s Fulton County, ruling that the Justice Department’s subpoena was overly broad and unreasonable. The subpoena was part of an investigation tied to President Trump’s longstanding, unsupported claims that widespread voter fraud in Fulton County cost him the 2020 election. Fulton County argued the request would intimidate election workers and discourage future participation, while the Justice Department said it wanted to identify people who might have relevant information. The judge agreed the government’s need for the records did not outweigh the burden on election workers and quashed the subpoena, though the broader federal investigation into the 2020 election in Fulton County is still ongoing.
A 37-story high-rise in Midtown Manhattan was evacuated Tuesday after two steel support columns on the 21st floor began buckling, prompting officials to warn the building remains structurally unstable and at risk of a localized collapse. The former Pfizer headquarters, which is being converted into a 1,500-unit luxury apartment building, was cleared along with seven neighboring buildings, and a large section of the surrounding area near Grand Central Terminal was shut down. New York City officials said engineers are working to stabilize the damaged floor before beginning repairs, while emphasizing the situation is changing minute by minute. No injuries were reported, all construction workers were safely evacuated, and authorities continue to monitor the building as they assess whether it is safe to begin reinforcement efforts.
Maryland Democrats announced they will hold a special legislative session in August to begin the process of potentially redrawing the state’s congressional districts before the 2028 elections. The move comes after recent court decisions weakening parts of the Voting Rights Act and amid Republican-led redistricting efforts in several Southern states. Lawmakers are expected to consider a constitutional amendment that would allow mid-decade congressional redistricting, but voters would still have to approve the change in a statewide referendum before new maps could be drawn. The proposal stops short of earlier calls from some Democrats to redraw Maryland’s districts before the 2026 midterms, reflecting concerns that doing so could violate the state constitution and be struck down in court.
Colombia's political crisis escalated after President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella suspended the transition of power, accusing outgoing President Gustavo Petro of attempting a coup by refusing to recognize the results of the June 21 election. Petro alleged, without providing evidence, that the election was fraudulent, while de la Espriella, who also offered no evidence, claimed Petro was trying to cling to power and called on Colombia's military to defend the Constitution and reject any unlawful orders. In response, Petro's administration halted the formal transition process, deepening uncertainty ahead of the scheduled Aug. 7 inauguration. International election observers, including the European Union and the Carter Center, previously said Colombia's election was transparent and that the vote-counting process was reliable.
A cold case that went unsolved for more than 40 years has led to the arrest of a 62-year-old Ohio man in the 1985 killing of traveling salesman John Christopher Warren. Investigators say items belonging to the victim that were discarded behind a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Georgia, along with evidence from Georgia, Ohio, and Florida, were reanalyzed in 2019 using modern forensic techniques. The new analysis identified Randy Lane McAllister and a now-deceased alleged accomplice as suspects, resulting in an indictment for aggravated murder during a robbery. McAllister is being held on a $500,000 bond while prosecutors move forward with the decades-old case.
See you soon.
— Aaron
