Tonight’s update is a bit shorter — not because there isn’t important news, but because we’re at a moment that demands reflection and resolve. What I’m about to say isn’t hyperbole: the First Amendment is under attack in America, and the stakes for journalism — real, independent journalism — have never been higher.
This isn’t just about cries of “fake news.” This is about a full-scale, coordinated effort to intimidate, sue, and silence the press. Donald Trump is suing major news outlets — and they’re folding. ABC News. CBS News. Now, even the Wall Street Journal is under pressure. The Murdochs say they’ll fight back, but we’ve heard that before.
As someone still growing and learning in this field, I never thought I’d be reporting under these conditions. I didn’t expect to feel this isolated. And yet, here we are — in a country where the flow of news feels like drinking from a firehose, and yet somehow too many vital truths still go untold.
I’m not backed by a corporation. I don’t have legal teams or PR buffers. What I have is you — and the trust we’ve built here. I don’t publish clickbait. I don’t chase algorithms. I investigate, report, and write because I believe in journalism’s core mission: to hold power to account.
That’s why I’m asking you — if you value independent reporting, if you believe that truth-telling still matters — please consider becoming a subscriber.
Your support doesn’t just help me keep the lights on. It sends a message: that truth is worth defending, even when — especially when — it’s under siege.
Now, onto tonight’s news.
We have a major update about the Los Angeles incident. This morning, ABC News reported that the driver of the vehicle that struck 30+ innocent people fell unconscious when driving. That’s no longer true. We now know that it was intentional. A driver intentionally rammed a Nissan Versa into a crowd outside a nightclub in East Hollywood early July 19, injuring 30 people — including 7 critically — before being shot by a bystander; LAPD is investigating the motive.
We are now learning more about the relationship between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. According to the New York Times, the two were close social companions for nearly 15 years, frequently attending private parties together in Palm Beach and Manhattan, flying on Epstein’s jet, and mingling in elite circles that revolved around wealth and access to young women; their relationship was well-documented through photos, public events, and mutual acquaintances.
At a Mar-a-Lago party hosted by Trump for a “calendar girl competition,” Jeffrey Epstein was reportedly the only other guest, raising concerns about the nature of the gathering and the exclusivity of events the two men shared that centered on young women.
Several women have alleged disturbing encounters involving both men — including one woman who said she was groped by Trump after being introduced by Epstein, and another, Virginia Giuffre, who was recruited as a teen at Mar-a-Lago and later claimed Epstein trafficked her to powerful men; while Trump has denied all wrongdoing, these associations have continued to raise serious questions.
Thousands of California National Guard troops deployed by President Trump to support federal immigration enforcement in Los Angeles are experiencing low morale, questioning the legality and purpose of their mission, facing public backlash, and prompting concerns over recruitment, retention, and constitutional violations.
Andy Byron, CEO of software startup Astronomer, resigned after a viral video showed him embracing the company’s HR head, Kristin Cabot, on the Coldplay concert kiss cam; both had been placed on leave prior to his departure amid scrutiny over workplace conduct.
Latino MLS fan groups are boycotting games and protesting teams' silence on ICE raids, citing betrayal of immigrant communities, while MLS enforces bans on political messaging and teams fear retaliation from the Trump administration.
Andry Hernández Romero, a Venezuelan makeup artist who was deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration and imprisoned in a notorious mega-prison, has now been returned to Venezuela, according to Rep. Robert Garcia, who confirmed he is alive and that U.S. officials are in contact with his team and the State Department.
Deep cuts to SNAP (food assistance) programs signed into law by Trump on July 4 are expected to devastate small, rural grocery stores — including many in communities that heavily supported him — by stripping critical revenue tied to low-income shoppers who rely on federal food aid.
The law imposes expanded work requirements and will phase out key benefits, putting independent grocers at risk of closure, triggering potential layoffs, and endangering food access in remote areas like reservations and food deserts, where stores often double as community centers and economic hubs.
Justin Fulcher, a former member of Elon Musk’s DOGE team and senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is no longer with the Pentagon, according to sources.
Good news:
Fousseynou Cissé, a 39-year-old immigrant and school receptionist in Paris, heroically climbed out onto a narrow 6th-floor ledge to rescue six people — including a one-month-old baby — from a burning apartment, an act of courage that went viral, earned him national recognition from President Macron, and highlighted his bravery despite not yet holding French citizenship.
David Serkin, a cancer survivor from Alberta, Canada, has defied extraordinary odds by winning the lottery three times in the past year — first $500,000, then $1 million three months later, and again another $1 million recently — all after beating cancer and already having won a quarter-million a decade ago; he says he’s enjoying the ride with his wife, celebrating with trips to Hawaii and Newfoundland.
Angus Collins, a five-time world record holder in ocean rowing, is attempting to become the first person to solo row 2,000 miles around Great Britain in under 60 days in a custom-built boat designed for shifting coastal winds; battling harsh seas and raising funds for men's mental health charity James’ Place, Collins says the challenge is his toughest yet, inspired in part by his own past struggles with depression.
See you in the morning.
— Aaron
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