Good evening, everyone. Tonight, I am taking my wife to a Beyonce concert (so hopefully this is the only news update you will hear from me). Shoutout to all of you for your support over the past several days.
If you believe in holding power accountable and making sure the truth reaches the American people, your support means everything. Please consider subscribing today to help me keep this work going.
Before I get in the news, I do want to highlight one other thing. As part of becoming a journalist, I am working on not just what news I report, but also how I report it. That’s why I unpublished and retraced a post from earlier today about Senator Ted Cruz on vacation in Europe. While everything was factual, the framing was too sensational, and for that I apologize.
With that, here’s the news you missed today:
DOJ says no Epstein ‘client list’ exists, halts release of further files: The Justice Department confirmed Monday that Jeffrey Epstein did not maintain a “client list,” contradicting earlier claims by Attorney General Pam Bondi, who had teased the document’s release. Despite prior promises, the DOJ said no additional files from the sex trafficking investigation will be made public, angering Trump supporters and conspiracy theorists hoping for major revelations.
Tesla stock tumbles after Musk announces new political party, drawing Trump’s ire: Tesla shares fell as much as 7.6% after CEO Elon Musk announced plans to form a new U.S. political party, prompting Donald Trump to call the move “ridiculous” and accuse Musk of becoming a “train wreck” in recent weeks.
Trump announced a broad set of new tariffs via letters to world leaders, with rates taking effect in August. The list includes 25% tariffs on goods from Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, and Tunisia; 30% on South Africa and Bosnia; 32% on Indonesia; 35% on Bangladesh and Serbia; and 36% on Cambodia. More tariff announcements are expected soon as the administration expands its trade offensive across Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe.
Texas flood death toll rises to 94: Among the dead are 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic; 10 campers and one counselor remain missing.
Ongoing search efforts: Rescuers continue looking for dozens of people still unaccounted for.
No advance warning: Kerrville’s mayor said there was no prior alert about the extreme rainfall.
More flooding possible: A level 3-of-4 flood risk remains for parts of central Texas, with experts linking the worsening events to climate change driven by fossil fuel emissions.
Coast Guard hero rescues 165 people: New Jersey native and first-time rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan was credited with saving 165 lives in Kerr County, Texas. He coordinated triage alone during the mission.
Ted Cruz vacationing in Europe as deadly floods hit Texas: The Daily Beast reports that Senator Ted Cruz was seen visiting the Parthenon in Athens with his wife while floods in Central Texas killed at least 89 people, including 27 from a summer camp. There is no evidence that Cruz went to Europe because of the floods.
Heavily armed immigration agents sweep LA’s MacArthur Park: Dozens of Border Patrol officers, some on horseback and others in armored vehicles, conducted a major immigration raid Monday in the heart of Los Angeles’ immigrant community. The show of force follows Trump’s new budget boosting DHS funding, with over 1,600 arrests in LA since June 6. Activists attempted to warn locals ahead of the raid.
White House denies Trump ordered Ukraine weapons pause: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the pause in weapons shipments to Ukraine was part of a routine Pentagon review led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, not a directive from Trump. She emphasized it applied to global aid, while Pentagon officials cited concerns about U.S. stockpiles. Democrats, however, accused them of not being truthful.
Trump’s ‘border czar’ Tom Homan vows deportation push in NYC despite opposition: Speaking at the White House, Homan responded to Democratic NYC mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s vow not to cooperate with mass deportations by saying, “Good luck on that. We’re gonna be in New York City.” Trump has repeatedly threatened Mamdani since his rise in the race.
Planned Parenthood sues Trump administration over Medicaid funding cut: Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit in Boston federal court challenging a provision in Trump’s domestic policy bill that would block its nearly 600 health centers from receiving Medicaid reimbursements, calling it unconstitutional and warning of “catastrophic consequences” for over 1 million low-income patients.
Former Russian transport minister dies after dismissal by Putin: Roman Starovoit was found dead from a gunshot wound in his car shortly after President Putin signed an order removing him from office. While the Kremlin’s order was dated July 7, reports suggest Starovoit may have died days earlier, raising questions about the timeline. Russian officials say he appeared to have taken his own life.
Major U.S. medical groups sue health agencies over Covid vaccine limits: Top medical associations—including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Infectious Diseases Society of America—filed a lawsuit against U.S. health agency leaders, accusing them of restricting access to Covid-19 vaccines and eroding public confidence. The suit was filed in Massachusetts and includes a pregnant doctor denied a booster dose.
Trump administration plans to deport Abrego Garcia before trial: A DOJ attorney said Kilmar Abrego Garcia could be deported to El Salvador before his human smuggling trial in Tennessee if he's released from custody, despite having been wrongly deported earlier this year. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis questioned whether the administration would bypass due process.
Top cancer researcher warns of threat to U.S. scientific progress: Joyce Schroeder, who leads a metastatic breast cancer lab at the University of Arizona, praised recent breakthroughs in cancer therapy but expressed deep concern that shifting federal policies and reduced funding could jeopardize her lab’s future and broader scientific advancement in the U.S.
See you in the morning.
— Aaron
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