The files are sealed, but the pressure’s mounting. Meanwhile, Trump says the Epstein controversy is helping him instead of hurting him.
Plus, Trump goes on the offensive, accusing Barack Obama of treason — without providing any evidence to back the allegation. We cover the claim, the context and the fallout — and Obama’s response.
And the Prince of Darkness takes his final bow. Ozzy Osbourne has passed away at 76, after one last show for the fans. How the long ride on a crazy train is now over for the legendary rocker.
Judges weigh unsealing Epstein grand jury records as pressure builds
We begin this morning with the battle over the Jeffrey Epstein files. It’s reaching a fever pitch on Capitol Hill and in federal court.
Two Manhattan judges are now fast-tracking a decision on whether to unseal grand jury transcripts tied to both Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
The Justice Department has until August 5 to justify the release, citing what they call “extraordinary circumstances,” but also warning that private details from more than a thousand victims are interwoven throughout.
Meanwhile, the political pressure is intensifying.
Speaker Mike Johnson abruptly shut down the House early just to avoid a vote on whether to force the files to go public. That move set off a firestorm of accusations of a cover-up even from within his own party.
And the Democrats aren’t letting go, either. From California to Congress, they’re hammering Trump and Republicans, saying the public deserves answers and accusing the GOP of protecting the powerful.
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-California) expressed Democratic concern and interest in finding answers: “Donald Trump and his son, and his closest friends, spent years fanning the flame of this theory. And now we’re holding them accountable. Do they want to protect the rich and the powerful? Or do they want the truth?”
On Tuesday night, President Trump added fuel to the fire, saying the Epstein saga has actually helped his poll numbers and calling the whole affair a “made-up hoax.”
Ghislaine Maxwell, now serving 20 years for sex trafficking, has just been subpoenaed by House Republicans.
Victims, Epstein’s estate, and Maxwell’s lawyers all have just two weeks to weigh in on what, if anything, should be made public.
Trump announces new trade deals as global deadline nears
With a major tariff deadline just weeks away in August, President Trump is unveiling a fresh wave of trade deals aimed at shoring up America’s position before time runs out.
In a Truth Social post Tuesday, Trump touted a “massive” deal with Japan featuring 15% “reciprocal” tariffs on exports to the U.S.
Trump claims Japan will “open its markets to U.S. cars, trucks, rice, and more… While investing $550 billion in the U.S. economy,” and says the U.S. will keep “90% of the profits” and that the deal will create hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Deals with the Philippines and Indonesia were also announced on Tuesday.
After a meeting with the Philippine president at the White House, Trump set a 19% tariff on imports from both countries. In return, the Philippines will drop all tariffs on U.S. goods. Indonesia agreed to cut tariffs to zero on 99% of trade.
As for China, Donald Trump said he may go there in the “not too distant future.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed talks are underway to extend the current trade truce before it expires August 12th.
The U.S. and China remain in a 90-day hold on heavy tariffs while negotiations continue.
Trump deflects Epstein fallout; accuses Obama of ‘treason’
President Trump is not just downplaying the Epstein story, he’s going on the attack.
In the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump accused former President Barack Obama of “treason” and called him the “leader of the gang” behind what he claimed was an attempted coup in 2016. Trump alleged that Obama had tried to make it seem like Russia had helped him win the election. Trump offered no evidence to substantiate those allegations.
Those remarks came as Trump sat beside the president of the Philippines and followed a question about a controversial new report from Trump’s Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard.
That report has already been debunked by Republican-led Senate findings. Still, Gabbard went on cable news last night, claiming the Obama administration “manufactured intelligence” about Russia.
Obama’s office issued a firm rebuttal. A spokesman said: “These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction” from the ongoing Epstein scandal.
Obama’s office also pointed out that a bipartisan 2020 Senate Intelligence Committee report, led at the time by Marco Rubio, confirmed earlier findings that Russia did attempt to interfere in the 2016 election in favor of Donald Trump.
Judges block Trump loyalist for NJ prosecutor; DOJ fires back
A power struggle is brewing in New Jersey between the Trump administration and a panel of federal judges over who gets to serve as the state’s top federal prosecutor.
Just hours after a panel of federal judges rejected President Trump’s pick, Alina Habba, the Justice Department fired the woman they chose instead, Desiree Leigh Grace.
Habba, a Trump loyalist and sometimes his personal attorney, was appointed as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey back in March. Her 120-day term expired this week.
The judges then voted to install Grace — Habba’s deputy — as the permanent replacement. But now she’s out, fired by Trump’s Justice Department.
It’s a rare high-profile standoff. For now, it’s unclear who will lead one of the most powerful U.S. attorney offices in the country.
Columbia University suspends, expels pro-Palestinian demonstrators
Class is out, the semester’s over, but Columbia University is just now handing out the punishment.
The Ivy League school has suspended more than 70 students for staging pro-Palestinian protests on campus, including the May takeover of Butler Library that ended with dozens arrested and another demonstration during alumni weekend.
A student group called “Columbia University Apartheid Divest” says the penalties range from one to three years, with some students fully expelled. The divestment group accuses Israel and the U.S. of deliberately starving the people of Gaza.
The United Nations has warned that Gaza is on the brink of mass starvation and has repeatedly called for urgent humanitarian aid to be allowed into the strip.
Columbia has now faced two years of turmoil, with many Jewish students saying they’ve been intimidated on campus and fearful to attend class. Things got so tense that the university canceled graduation in 2024.
Remembering legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne
Finally this morning: Remembering a legend who rewrote the rules of rock.
The Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, has died at age 76, just weeks after his final performance.
Born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham, England, he went from juvenile delinquent to heavy metal messiah. He dropped out of school at 15, served time for burglary, and then found his salvation in a microphone.
Ozzy co-founded the band Black Sabbath, building a sound and an attitude that defined a generation. His raw, howling voice became an anthem for outsiders, headbangers and rulebreakers worldwide.
In a 2023 Rolling Stone interview, he spoke candidly about battling Parkinson’s and undergoing spinal surgeries. Earlier this year, he and his wife Sharon revealed that he could no longer walk.
But earlier this month, Ozzy stood tall on stage one last time, belting out to 45,000 fans in Birmingham while more than five million watched online.
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Author: Craig Nigrelli
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