The Conversation -- July 20, 2025

A Journalist in Trump's Purgatory. George Chidi of the Guardian: “Prosecutors dropped the last remaining charges against Atlanta-area journalist Mario Guevara last week after he was arrested while livestreaming a protest in June. But the influential Salvadorian reporter remains penned up in a south Georgia detention center, fending off a deportation case, jail house extortionists and despair, people familiar with his situation told the Guardian. Donald Trump’s administration has been extreme in unprecedented ways to undocumented immigrants. But Guevara’s treatment is a special case. Shuttled between five jail cells in Georgia since his arrest while covering the 'No Kings Day' protests, the 20-plus-years veteran journalist’s sin was to document the undocumented and the way Trump’s agents have been hunting them down. Today, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, he’s the only reporter in the United States sleeping in a prison cell for doing his job.... Guevara is arguably the most-watched journalist covering Ice operations in the United States, a story that the English-language media had largely been missing, [Jerry] Gonzales [of GALEO Latino Community Development Fund] said.”

Mike Baker & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: In 1996, Maria Farmer complained to New York police and to the F.B.I. about being assaulted by Jeffrey Epstein & Ghislaine Maxwell. She repeated her complaints -- which included one involving her sister when the sister was a teenager -- in 2006. She described one incident in which Mr. Trump intimidated her and “hovered over her,” but did not assault her after Mr. Epstein told him, “No, no. She’s not here for you.”  “In interviews this week about what she told the authorities, Ms. Farmer said she had no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Mr. Epstein’s associates. But she said she was alarmed by what she saw as Mr. Epstein’s pattern of pursuing girls and young women while building friendships with prominent people, including [Donald] Trump and President Bill Clinton.... The story of Ms. Farmer’s efforts to call law enforcement attention to Mr. Epstein and his circle shows how the case files could contain material that is embarrassing or politically problematic to Mr. Trump, even if it is largely extraneous to Mr. Epstein’s crimes and was never fully investigated or corroborated.” The link is a gift link.

Aaron Boxerman, et al., of the New York Times: “Israeli forces killed and wounded dozens of Palestinians on Sunday in the northern Gaza Strip, after crowds gathered near a crossing from Israel to try to seize aid from United Nations trucks entering the enclave, according to the Gaza health ministry and health workers. The episode was the latest in a string of deadly shootings as hunger and desperation have gripped Palestinians in Gaza during Israel’s nearly two-year campaign against Hamas. The latest attack took place near the Zikim crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel. More than 60 people were killed while seeking aid in northern Gaza on Sunday, according to the health ministry and Mohammad Abu Salmiya, the director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.... At least 32 people were killed on Saturday after Israeli soldiers began shooting near a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation site in southern Gaza, according to the Gaza health ministry.”

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Alan Feuer & Matthew Goldstein of the New York Times: “In the swirl of money and sun-tanned women that was their Palm Beach-and-Manhattan set, Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein spent nearly 15 years mingling side-by-side as public friends. There were lavish dinners with boldface names at Mr. Epstein’s mansion on the Upper East Side and raucous parties with cheerleaders and models at Mr. Trump’s private club and residence at Mar-a-Lago. In between, there were trips back and forth from Florida to New York on one of Mr. Epstein’s private jets. But behind the tabloid glamour, questions have lingered about what Mr. Trump’s long association with Mr. Epstein says about his judgment and character, especially as his allies have stoked sinister claims about Mr. Epstein’s connections to Democrats.... One of the young women [-- Virginia Giuffre --] who later said Mr. Epstein groomed and abused her was recruited into his world while working as a spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago.... Another woman has said that Mr. Trump groped her when Mr. Epstein brought her to Trump Tower in Manhattan to meet him.... Stacey Williams, a former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, has said she was groped by Mr. Trump when she was introduced to him by Mr. Epstein, whom she was dating at the time.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) 

Marie: I don't usually dwell on salacious stories, but an excerpt from a book by former SDNY U.S. attorney Geoffrey Berman, which Marcy Wheeler published last week (and I linked here contemporaneously), so disgusted me that I chose to watch a few podcasts about the Trump/Epstein case. Tim Miller's interview of Miami Herald reporter Julie K. Brown, who has been reporting on the case for years, covers a lot of ground. The video runs almost 50 minutes, so I'm not necessarily recommending you devote that much of your time to this matter. But it held my attention. BTW, Brown -- who comes across as extremely level-headed -- does not think Epstein killed himself. So there's that. I also almost never watch Meidas Touch podcasts as they always overpromise and they're extremely partisan and sensationalist. But here again this reprise of Donald Trump's history of exploiting girls and young women was sickening enough to hold my attention. The video lasts 19 minutes. 

Justin Baragona of the Independent: “JD Vance took a quick day trip to Montana Tuesday afternoon to speak to right-wing media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan, who is the chief of both Fox News and its sister corporation News Corp., which publishes the New York Post and Wall Street Journal. According to the Associated Press, the vice president’s secret meeting also included several executives from Fox News, the conservative cable giant that has largely carried Donald Trump’s water and helped staff up the president’s current administration.... It’s still not clear what the meeting between Vance and the Fox executives was about....” MB: Curiously, Baragona never mentions Epstein even though Tuesday reportedly was the day WSJ reporters contacted Trump for comment on their Epstein birthday-card report. I'd speculate that JayDee, who is often assigned the job of peacekeeper, was sent on an emergency mission to try to persuade Murdoch to kill the Epstein story. 

Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: “Trump’s supporters thought he would shed light on shady elites protecting their own money and power. Now MAGA is reckoning with the fact that Trump is the shady elite, shielding information about Jeffrey Epstein.... On Thursday, Trump posted that he had asked Bondi to produce “any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval.” But judges usually keep such testimony secret. It was hilarious to see Trump hiding behind the judiciary he’s tried to sideline.... Twisting conspiracy theories into a Gordian knot of hate, Trump is claiming some Epstein files were 'made up' by Barack Obama, James Comey, “Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration” and “Crooked Hillary.' It’s tough to blame the deep state when you are the deep state.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Patrick Marley, et al., of the Washington Post: “The Justice Department under the Trump administration has fired dozens of career prosecutors during the past six months, making the dismissal of federal attorneys — generally a move reserved for cases of misconduct — almost commonplace. The dismissals often came without warning and have affected more than 40 prosecutors, based on reporting by The Washington Post and a tally of public information. The total number of lawyers, agents and support staff DOJ has fired since the administration began in January includes dozens more people, according to Justice Connection, an advocacy group for former Justice Department employees. The group estimates that more than 200 career employees have been fired across the department and its component agencies, which include the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... The terminations have alarmed staff members and observers who worry that agency officials are engaged in a broad campaign to erode civil service protections, bolster the political interests of the president and weaken the rule of law.”

Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: “Another senior aide to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is leaving the Pentagon, officials said Saturday, marking at least the sixth departure of a top adviser in Hegseth’s first six months in office. Justin Fulcher, who was named a senior adviser to the defense secretary in late April, said in a text message to The Washington Post that his departure is 'perfectly amicable' and that he planned all along to complete just six months of government service.... The latest shake-up follows a report by The Post published Tuesday that detailed an unusual situation ahead of his appointment in April in which Fulcher — then a member of billionaire Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service — stormed out of a meeting with the Pentagon’s DOGE team lead, Yinon Weiss, and sought help from Hegseth’s front office.... Hegseth brought Fulcher onto his team days later, after he fired three other senior advisers and accused them of leaking information to the news media.”

The Plot Thickens. Sara Fischer of Axios: "Skydance CEO David Ellison and his lawyer met with Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr and an FCC lawyer on Tuesday, a new regulatory filing shows.... The meeting came two days before CBS abruptly announced that it is canceling 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' after the next season in May 2026, citing 'financial' reasons.'... '... we discussed Skydance's commitment to unbiased journalism and its embrace of diverse viewpoints, principles that will ensure CBS's editorial decision-making reflects the varied ideological perspectives of American viewers,'" Ellison's lawyer Matthew Brill wrote.  (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Joe My God's headline: "FCC Chair likely demanded Colbert's cancellation." MB: My God, I think Joe is right. Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.) Update: A reader got what sounds like a virus "warning" when he clicked on the link. I tried clicking on the page again and had no problem, and I assume RAS had no problem, either. But if you think you're particularly susceptible to viruses, I suspect you will want to stay clear of the page, just is case. 

News Ledes

New York Times: “The Cram fire in central Oregon, which is threatening 653 structures, most of them homes, has grown to more than 95,000 acres, making it the largest wildfire of the year so far in the United States.... Moister air and calmer winds are expected to blunt some of the fire’s growth over the weekend. It was 49 percent contained as of late Saturday night local time, according to InciWeb, a government site that tracks wildfires.” 

New York Times: “Torrential rain in parts of the Washington, D.C., area on Saturday led to flash flooding and prompted water rescues in Maryland and Virginia, the authorities said. More than five inches of rain fell in some densely populated Washington suburbs like Silver Spring on Saturday. Several major roads in Montgomery, Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties in Maryland, as well as in Fairfax County in Virginia, were impassable on Saturday evening. In northwest Washington, D.C., parked cars were inundated with floodwaters.”

AP: “A vehicle rammed into a crowd of people waiting to enter a performance venue along a busy boulevard in Los Angeles early Saturday, injuring 30 people and leading bystanders to attack the driver, authorities said. The driver was later found to have been shot, according to police, who were searching for a suspected gunman who fled the scene along Santa Monica Boulevard in East Hollywood.... Twenty-three victims were taken to hospitals and trauma centers, according to police. Seven were in critical condition, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement.... The driver, whose gunshot wound was found by paramedics, was also taken to a hospital.”

The Conversation -- July 19, 2025

Alan Feuer & Matthew Goldstein of the New York Times: “In the swirl of money and sun-tanned women that was their Palm Beach-and-Manhattan set, Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein spent nearly 15 years mingling side-by-side as public friends. There were lavish dinners with boldface names at Mr. Epstein’s mansion on the Upper East Side and raucous parties with cheerleaders and models at Mr. Trump’s private club and residence at Mar-a-Lago. In between, there were trips back and forth from Florida to New York on one of Mr. Epstein’s private jets. But behind the tabloid glamour, questions have lingered about what Mr. Trump’s long association with Mr. Epstein says about his judgment and character, especially as his allies have stoked sinister claims about Mr. Epstein’s connections to Democrats.... One of the young women [-- Virginia Giuffre --] who later said Mr. Epstein groomed and abused her was recruited into his world while working as a spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago.... Another woman has said that Mr. Trump groped her when Mr. Epstein brought her to Trump Tower in Manhattan to meet him.... Stacey Williams, a former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, has said she was groped by Mr. Trump when she was introduced to him by Mr. Epstein, whom she was dating at the time.” The link is a gift link.

Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: “Trump’s supporters thought he would shed light on shady elites protecting their own money and power. Now MAGA is reckoning with the fact that Trump is the shady elite, shielding information about Jeffrey Epstein.... On Thursday, Trump posted that he had asked Bondi to produce “any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval.” But judges usually keep such testimony secret. It was hilarious to see Trump hiding behind the judiciary he’s tried to sideline.... Twisting conspiracy theories into a Gordian knot of hate, Trump is claiming some Epstein files were 'made up' by Barack Obama, James Comey, “Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration” and “Crooked Hillary.' It’s tough to blame the deep state when you are the deep state.”

The Plot Thickens. Sara Fischer of Axios: "Skydance CEO David Ellison and his lawyer met with Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr and an FCC lawyer on Tuesday, a new regulatory filing shows.... The meeting came two days before CBS abruptly announced that it is canceling 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' after the next season in May 2026, citing 'financial' reasons.'... '... we discussed Skydance's commitment to unbiased journalism and its embrace of diverse viewpoints, principles that will ensure CBS's editorial decision-making reflects the varied ideological perspectives of American viewers,'" Ellison's lawyer Matthew Brill wrote. ~~~

     ~~~ Joe My God's headline: "FCC Chair likely demanded Colbert's cancellation." MB: My God, I think Joe is right. Thanks to RAS for the link. 

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Benjamin Weiser & Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: “The Justice Department asked a federal judge on Friday to unseal grand jury testimony from the prosecution of the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.... The request was filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan, where Mr. Epstein was awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges six years ago when he was found dead by hanging in his jail cell about a month after he was arrested.... The government also sought the unsealing of grand jury testimony from the case of Ghislaine Maxwell, the socialite who in a 2021 trial was convicted of helping Mr. Epstein facilitate his sex-trafficking scheme and sentenced to 20 years in prison. She has appealed her conviction.... [Pam Bondi & Todd Blanche filed the motion.] In their motion, Ms. Bondi and Mr. Blanche said the Justice Department would work with the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, which prosecuted Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell, to make 'appropriate redactions' of information related to victims and 'other personal identifying information' before releasing the transcripts.”  (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ The motion is here, via the courts. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It's hard to exaggerate what a sham this is. As the Times reporters write, "Judges rarely agree to grant public access to such materials." AND "The unsealing effort could take months, and the materials being sought are most likely only a small part of the evidence collected in the investigation." You know who has custody of all that other evidence? Pamela Jo Bondi. (See, for instance, Dan Mangan's report, next.) If Blondie wanted to release some revelatory Epstein documents, she could immediately make public some of the thousands and thousands of documents that are under her control. PLUS. As Kyle Cheney of Politico remarks, the motion's caveat that DOJ would make "appropriate redactions" of "other personal identifying information" implies that Bondi would redact any references to say, Donald Trump. 

Dan Mangan of CNBC: “FBI agents assigned earlier this year to review investigative files in the criminal case against notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were instructed to 'flag' any documents that mentioned ... Donald Trump, Sen. Richard Durbin said Friday. Durbin’s claim came as the Illinois Democrat sent the Justice Department and FBI letters asking them to explain what his office calledapparent discrepancies regarding the handling of the Epstein files and findings from a July 7 Department of Justice (DOJ) memorandum and instructions reportedly received by FBI personnel.'... 'According to information my office received, the FBI was pressured to put approximately 1,000 personnel in its Information Management Division (IMD) … on 24-hour shifts to review approximately 100,000 Epstein-related records in order to produce more documents that could then be released on an arbitrarily short deadline,' Durbin wrote to [FBI Director Kash] Patel. 'This effort, which reportedly took place from March 14 through the end of March, was haphazardly supplemented by hundreds of FBI New York Field Office personnel, many of whom lacked the expertise to identify statutorily-protected information regarding child victims and child witnesses or properly handle FOIA requests,' the letter said. 'My office was told that these personnel were instructed to “flag” any records in which President Trump was mentioned.'” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marcy Wheeler has some details. And she's happy to know there are a thousand witnesses to this hoohah.

It isn't only the DOJ that is sitting on Epstein files. The Treasury Department also is holding onto records of thousands of Epstein's bank transactions representing the movement of nearly two billion dollars. Sen. Ron Wyden wants to follow the money: ~~~

     ~~~ Ashleigh Fields of the Hill: “Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on Thursday slammed the Trump administration for not making deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s financial records available to Congress and the public. 'Big news from my investigators on Epstein’s sex trafficking operation: the Trump administration has an Epstein file detailing 4,725 wire transfers and almost $1.1 billion flowing through just one of his banks. Hundreds of millions more through others,' Wyden alleged in a post on the social platform X. 'Epstein had to pay for all his sex trafficking somehow. Further evidence shows he used Russian banks to process hundreds of millions in payments. Again, this is info in the possession of the Trump administration, but they’re refusing to investigate,' he added in a later post.” MB: Wyden made the same claims on the floor of the Senate Thursday. ~~~

     ~~~ Matthew Goldstein of the New York Times (July 17): “Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the powerful Senate Finance Committee, has been digging into Mr. Epstein’s financial network for the past three years.... In particular, filings by four big banks flagged more than $1.5 billion in transactions — including thousands of wire transfers for the purchase and sale of artwork for rich friends, fees paid to Mr. Epstein by wealthy individuals, and payments to numerous women, the senator’s office found. The filings came after Mr. Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges.... The bank records reviewed by Mr. Wyden’s staff — called suspicious activity reports or SARs — are meant to be an early warning system for law enforcement about signs of illegal activity. As dictated by federal law, the reports are so confidential that banks can’t even acknowledge filing them.... To some degree, Mr. Wyden is hamstrung by those rules, which is why he wants the Trump administration to make the reports available to Congress.... The confidential bank reports filed with a Treasury Department agency ... provide the most comprehensive look at the enormous financing machine behind Mr. Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation....”

Winston Cho of the Hollywood Reporter: Donald “Trump has sued the Wall Street Journal owner News Corp. for defamation over a report detailing a 2003 letter from him to Jeffrey Epstein in which he wrote that they share a 'wonderful secret.' With the lawsuit, filed on Friday in Florida federal court, the Journal becomes the latest media outlet targeted by Trump for adversarial reporting, joining ABC News and CBS News. It sets the stage for another legal battle in which media’s incentives to stay out of Trump’s crosshairs by settling will be questioned, this time featuring Journal parent News Corp., owned by close Trump ally Rupert Murdoch.... The lawsuit names Murdoch alongside Journal reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo, who wrote the story. It brings claims for libel, assault and slander. Notably, it was filed in the Southern District of Florida, where a jury might be more receptive to defamation claims than one in New York, where News Corp., which didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, is based.” (Also linked yesterday.) MB: I am looking forward to the discovery phase. ~~~

     ~~~ Here's the New York Times story. The AP's report is here. Oh, Trump is suring for $10 billion. Trump's court filing is here, via the Guardian. News of another Trump lawsuit linked below. ~~~

     ~~~ Mike Masnick of TechDirt: “This is the exact type of behavior that Trump’s supporters spent years ... [decrying] when they falsely accused the Biden administration of doing far less.... The underlying claim in the [Missouri v. Biden (later, Murthy v. Missouri)] case from the states, and a few social media users who had their accounts restricted in some form or another, was that there was a huge First Amendment violation by the Biden administration because it had spoken to social media companies asking them about their policies regarding fighting disinformation on things around Covid. The case was built on out-of-context communications and outright lies, but Trump-appointed Judge Terry Doughty ruled that the Biden administration asking social media companies to explain their editorial policies was 'arguably the most massive attack against free speech in United States history.'... The Supreme Court dismissed the case for lack of standing.... By the legal standard Trump’s own lawyers established, any government request to suppress media coverage violates the First Amendment.... [Trump] didn’t just ask [the WSJ] not to publish the thing, he told them he would sue them if they published and has now said he’s going to sue Murdoch’s 'ass off.'... And yes, part of the problem is that the media keeps capitulating every time Trump does this.”

~~~ "An Enigma Wrapped in a Wonderful Secret." Andrew Egger of the Bulwark: "The idea that Murdoch and the Journal would publish a story like this — knowing Trump’s penchant for retributive lawsuits — without being on rock-solid legal footing is laughable; a small army of lawyers no doubt inspected every word of the report.... In the coming days, it will be fascinating to see how Epstein true believers handle these questions. Which will be stronger? Their years-long conviction that there’s more to the Epstein story and determination to see it brought to light? Or their Pavlovian response to radicalize against any story the president dubs “FAKE NEWS”? Call it an enigma." (Also linked yesterday.) 

Giselle Ewing of Politico:  “... Donald Trump continued to rage over the Jeffrey Epstein case Friday.... 'If there was a “smoking gun” on Epstein, why didn’t the Dems, who controlled the “files” for four years, and had Garland and Comey in charge, use it? BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING!!!' Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday morning, echoing his previous attempts to pin blame for the lack of information in the case on Democrats.... Trump continued to attack the [Wall Street Journal] Friday, writing in a separate Truth Social post: 'I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his “pile of garbage” newspaper,' adding that it 'will be an interesting experience!!!'” MB: It will indeed be an interesting experience. Think of how many damaging stories the WSJ will get out of all the discovery the court will certainly allow. Yes, indeedy, everybody will finally get a look at some pertinent Epstein files (or “files,” as Trump calls them). (Also linked yesterday.) 

RAS has an idea: "... if JD wanted to see [Trump's 2003 note to Epstein,] he could just ask Bondi for the original or at least a photograph of the birthday book." MB: Of course Trump could do something similar; he could ask Bondi to certify that there was no such album of letters and/or no such letter from him in the DOJ's Epstein files. As far as I know, Bondi hasn't commented on the note. I suspect there's a very good reason for that. 

Trump loves to draw. Just saying pic.twitter.com/jMJh3XWvBW

— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@AdamKinzinger) July 18, 2025

     ~~~ Tyler Pager of the New York Times finds some more pictures Donald Trump "wrote." (Also linked yesterday.) 

Lee Moran of the Huffington Post: “Pranksters this week trolled ... Donald Trump by placing Jeffrey Epstein-themed postcards in the gift shop at Trump Tower in New York City. The cards were surreptitiously inserted onto a souvenir carousel and featured an old photo of Trump with the late convicted sex offender Epstein, when the pair were close friends, said comedy duo Davram Stiefler and Jason Selvig, known as The Good Liars, who were behind the stunt.”

Heather Cox Richardson summarizes some of the developments in her daily "letter." At the top of it she mentions something I've heard several times on the teevee: "Now we know why ... Donald J. Trump earlier this week began saying nonsensically that Democrats he dislikes wrote the Epstein files. Apparently, Trump was trying to get out in front of the story Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo broke last night in the Wall Street Journal...." The teevee pundits have noted that the WSJ reporters called Trump for comment on Tuesday, the same day he started blaming Obama, Clinton, Comey, Brennan & unnamed Biden officials for making up the "Epstein hoax." IOW, as soon as he realized he was in trouble, he went to his tried-and-true "Democrats-did-it/hoax" fallback excuse. 

Brianna Tucker of the Washington Post: “A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit brought by ... Donald Trump that attempted to sue Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward for publishing interviews during his first administration in an October 2022 audiobook called 'The Trump Tapes.' According to the court filing [by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe for the Southern District of New York], Trump did not demonstrate that he and Woodward intended to be co-authors or that Trump had any copyright interest in his on-the-record responses during the interviews with Woodward.... The suit also named Woodward’s publisher, Simon & Schuster, and its former parent company, Paramount Global, as defendants. The judge, however, gave Trump the chance to amend and refile his complaint by Aug. 18, though he said it appears 'unlikely' that Trump could 'adequately plead a plausible copyright interest.'” The Hill's story is here.

Doktor Zoom of Wonkette is very skeptical of Donald Trump's claim that Coca Cola has agreed to follow his advice to change the sweetener for its signature U.S. product from corn syrup to "REAL Cane Sugar": “In yet another seeming effort to change the subject from his close friendship with the late child sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump yesterday announced what sounded like a really big trade deal if it was real, which of course it wasn’t. On his fake Twitter substitute (archive link), Truth Social — which many people consider as far from The Real Thing as Tab was from Coca-Cola (making 'X' more like 'New Coke,' but full of Nazis) — Trump ...[announced Coke's capitulation].... Big surprise: Coca-Cola hasn’t confirmed any change in its recipe. But the company, which is very aware of Trump’s fondness for Diet Coke, has also been careful not to explicitly deny it either.” (Also linked yesterday.) 

The Klepto King. Brian Slodysko & Will Weissert of the AP: “If one theme has emerged in ... Donald Trump’s second term, it’s this: He’s leveraged the power of his office for personal gain unlike anyone before in history. From crypto coins to bibles, overseas development deals to an upcoming line of cellphones, Trump family businesses have raked in hundreds of millions of dollars since his election, an unprecedented flood of often shadowy money from billionaires, foreign governments and cryptocurrency tycoons with interests before the federal government. 'He  ... is supposed to be working in the public’s interest,” said James Thurber, an emeritus professor at American University.... 'Instead, he is helping his own personal interest to grow his wealth. It’s totally not normal.' The sums amassed by the Trump Organization, the collection of companies controlled by the president’s children, are far greater than those collected by the family during the president’s first term, when patronage of his hotels, resorts and golf courses was de rigueur to curry favor with the famously transactional commander-in-chief.” (Also linked yesterday.) 

Mattathias Schwartz of the New York Times: “An executive order by ... [Donald] Trump seeking to punish people who work with the International Criminal Court is most likely a violation of the First Amendment, a federal judge found on Friday. Judge Nancy Torresen of the Federal District Court in Maine shielded two U.S. human rights activists from any penalties for violating the directive, saying that by threatening to punish anyone who provides 'funds, goods or services' to I.C.C. officials under sanctions, the order restricts a swath of speech-based activity that goes beyond its stated aims. The ruling marked a striking, if tentative and limited, blow to Mr. Trump’s efforts to penalize and isolate the world’s highest criminal court. It has drawn his ire by issuing arrest warrants for high-ranking Israeli officials and conducting preliminary investigations into U.S. personnel at secret C.I.A. sites overseas years ago. The court, in turn, has said Mr. Trump is trying to harm its 'independent and impartial judicial work.'”

2016 Presidential Election. Russophile Tulsi Gabbard Is Still Crazy. Julian Barnes & David Sanger of the New York Times: “The Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Friday issued the latest in a series of reports from the Trump administration attempting to undermine the eight-year-old assessment that Russia favored the election of Donald J. Trump in 2016. Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, said the information she was releasing showed a 'treasonous conspiracy in 2016' by top Obama administration officials to harm Mr. Trump. Democrats denounced the effort as politically motivated, error-ridden and in contradiction with previous reviews of the assessment. Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called Ms. Gabbard’s accusation of treason 'baseless.'... Multiple reviews, including a Republican-led Senate report, backed the findings of American spy agencies in late 2016 that Russia was trying to influence the election by damaging Ms. Clinton’s campaign and bolstering Mr. Trump. Among the Republican senators on the Intelligence Committee that produced the various reports on Russian influence operations was Marco Rubio of Florida, now the secretary of state.” ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Jacob Wendler & Amy MacKinnon of Politico: “Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called for several Obama administration officials to face criminal prosecution for participating in a 'treasonous conspiracy' surrounding the 2016 election on Friday afternoon, the latest example of the Trump administration targeting critics of the president. In a newly declassified report, Gabbard on Friday alleged the officials 'manipulated and withheld' key intelligence from the public related to the possibility of Russian interference in the election. In a Friday afternoon statement, Gabbard said she would provide all related documents to the Justice Department 'to deliver the accountability that President [Donald] Trump, his family, and the American people deserve.'... The ODNI’s memo names former DNI James Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey, among others allegedly involved in the White House’s review of possible Russian meddling in the election.”

Minho Kim of the New York Times: “A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to restore funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a federally funded newsroom that provides independent reporting in countries with limited press freedom, such as Russia, Iran and Afghanistan. The judge, Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, berated the Trump administration in his ruling, calling its legal arguments 'nonsensical' and its decision to withhold funds 'unprecedented.' The news organization, also known as RFE/RL, is a private nonprofit that has independence over its editorial decisions and hiring practices but receives nearly all of its funding from Congress. Since March, the administration has refused to enter into a new funding contract with RFE/RL after the previous agreement expired, effectively denying funding to the news group. Before denying the funds..., [Donald] Trump signed a budget bill in March that provided funding to the news group until Sept. 30, the end of the current fiscal year. Judge Lamberth found that the Trump administration lacked legal authority to refuse funding that Congress approved without providing a clear basis for such a drastic measure.”

Julie Turkewitz & Hamed Aleaziz of the New York Times: “Ten Americans and U.S. permanent residents who had been seized by the Venezuelan authorities and held as bargaining chips were freed Friday in exchange for the release of more than 250 Venezuelan migrants whom the Trump administration sent to a prison in El Salvador. The release of the Americans and permanent residents was described by the State Department, while the release of the Venezuelans was announced by the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, on X. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that the 10 U.S. citizens and permanent residents had been arrested and jailed in Venezuela 'without proper due process' and called for the 'restoration of democracy in Venezuela.' The capture and imprisonment of the Americans had been part of the Venezuelan government’s efforts to gain an upper hand in negotiations with the Trump administration, while the detention of the Venezuelans in El Salvador played a high-profile role in ... [Donald] Trump’s promise to deport millions of immigrants.” MB: No telling what will happen to the Venezuelans now that they've been sent back to Venezuela, a country from which they fled, many because they believed they were in danger in their home country. (Also linked yesterday.) The AP's report is here.

Terrence McCoy of the Washington Post: “Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday evening that the United States has revoked the visa of a Brazilian judge overseeing the prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro, echoing ... Donald Trump’s allegations that his hard-right political ally was the victim of a 'political witch hunt.' The announcement came hours after the judge, Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, accused Bolsonaro of conspiring with his son to incite U.S. hostilities against Brazil, ordering the conservative politician to wear an ankle bracelet and barring him from contacts with foreign governments.... Friday’s back-and-forth marked an extraordinary escalation in a rapidly widening political rift between the Western Hemisphere’s two most populous nations, rupturing both economic and political ties between the longtime allies in a stunningly short amount of time.”

Adam Taylor of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration’s dramatic reorganization of the State Department, including this month’s firing of more than 1,300 workers, was engineered primarily by a handful of political appointees lacking extensive diplomatic experience and chosen for their 'fidelity' to the president and willingness to 'break stuff' on his behalf, according to people with knowledge of the process.... Critics say it was done arbitrarily, in furtherance of Trump’s polarizing brand of conservatism and will damage the United States’ standing in the world by shedding invaluable expertise across the department. Central to the effort was Jeremy Lewin, a 28-year-old former agent of Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service who earlier this year oversaw its rapid, messy dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) — one of the administration’s first and most drastic acts to impose ... Donald Trump’s 'America’s First' agenda on the government’s foreign policy institutions.... Already, Trump officials have had to backtrack on dozens of job eliminations, acknowledging to those employees that the layoff notices they received were sent in error.”

Zach Montague of the New York Times: “A senior State Department official testified Friday that his office, which the Trump administration has tasked with vetting foreign students’ social media posts and revoking student visas, has operated this year without a working definition of 'antisemitism' and routinely considers criticism of Israel as part of its work. The testimony, at the end of a two-week trial focused on the Trump administration’s efforts to deport students such as Mahmoud Khalil, Rumeysa Ozturk and others, helped build the case by the academic groups behind the lawsuit, who have argued that the government systematically targeted students based on their remarks about Israel. During a heated back-and-forth in Federal District Court in Boston, John Armstrong, the senior bureau official in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, said that the State Department regularly took into account speech or actions that it saw as hostile toward Israel. Pushed for examples of things he might consider in weighing whether to deny or revoke a student’s visa, Mr. Armstrong testified that calls for limiting military aid to Israel or 'denouncing Zionism' could all factor in his agency’s decisions.”

Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will replace the first woman to lead the U.S. Naval Academy, defense officials said, with the Trump administration nominating a Marine Corps general to oversee the institution for the first time in its nearly 180-year history. Vice Adm. Yvette Davids has led the Naval Academy since January 2024, and is about 18 months into serving in a job that typically rotates about every three to four years. Hegseth said Friday in a statement that President Donald Trump has selected Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte, who oversees personnel issues for his service.... The unexpected decision comes as Trump, with Hegseth in the lead, has purged the military of numerous top military leaders — including a disproportionate number of women — whom they have accused of focusing too heavily on diversity.”

Karoun Demirjian of the New York Times: “The Trump administration is trying to recruit recently retired immigration officers to fix a labor crunch, offering hefty signing bonuses and other financial incentives to staff its nationwide deportation campaign.... [Donald] Trump has outlined a plan to expand Immigration and Customs Enforcement by 10,000 officers and detail many of them to large, urban areas to accelerate efforts to remove migrants living illegally in the United States.”

Sarah Mervosh of the New York Times: “The Trump administration said Friday that it would release $1.3 billion in frozen federal funding for after-school programs across the country, after facing growing bipartisan pressure. The Trump administration, which wants to slash spending and reduce the federal government’s role in education, had abruptly withheld the money, along with billions in other education dollars. It said it was conducting a review and had found instances of federal dollars being 'grossly misused to subsidize a radical left-wing agenda.'”

Lisa Friedman & Maxine Joselow of the New York Times: “The Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday that it would eliminate its scientific research arm and begin firing hundreds of chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other scientists, after denying for months that it intended to do so. The move underscores how the Trump administration is forging ahead with efforts to slash the federal work force and dismantle federal agencies after the Supreme Court allowed these plans to proceed while legal challenges unfold. Government scientists have been particular targets of the administration’s large-scale layoffs.... The E.P.A.’s science office provides the independent research that underpins nearly all of the agency’s policies and regulations.... The science office 'is the heart and brain of the E.P.A.,' said Justin Chen, president of [the American Federation of Government Employees Council] 238.” MB: Well, that may be, but Lee Zeldin, the E.P.A.'s administrator, has neither heart nor brains. So definitely not attributes Zeldin wants around the place.

This Is Terrible. Selena Simmons-Duffin of NPR: "Health insurance premiums are going way up next year for people who buy their insurance on Healthcare.gov or the state-based marketplaces, according to an analysis out Friday. The average person who buys Affordable Care Act insurance will be paying 75% more for their premium, according to the analysis from KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group.... 'Pretty much every insurance company is talking about the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits in the ACA markets[, according to researcher Cynthia Cox of KFF]. Those markets are where people go to buy Obamacare plans, which serve people who can't get health insurance through their jobs and who don't qualify for Medicaid or Medicare.... People who are generally healthy might well decide that the higher premium is not worth it. They'll go without health insurance and risk it. The Congressional Budget Office estimates letting the subsidies expire would increase the number of uninsured by 4.2 million people. If healthy people opt out, the insurance pool is left with those who cost insurance companies more.... Congress could extend the enhanced subsidies, but that would mean ... [Donald] Trump and Republican lawmakers supporting the Affordable Care Act, which is unlikely." (Also linked yesterday.) 

David Graham of the Atlantic: “CBS’s current ownership seems determined to demolish [its] legacy [of excellent broadcast journalism. Thursday] evening, the network announced plans to end The Late Show With Stephen Colbert when the host’s contract ends next May.... Colbert ... has consistently led competitors in his time slot. CBS said this was 'purely a financial decision,' made as traditional linear television fades. Perhaps this is true, but the network that once made [Walter] Cronkite the most trusted man in America no longer gets the benefit of the doubt. CBS’s owners have made a series of decisions capitulating to ... Donald Trump, and the surprise choice to allow Colbert — a consistent, prominent Trump critic — to walk seems like part of that pattern.” Thank you to laura h. for this gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) 

New York Times television critic James Poniewozik wonders whether CBS's claim that it is cancelling Stephen Colbert's show for “purely financial” reasons is truthful or an exercise in truthiness. “What we do know is that the president, who has long cried for political comics’ heads — won’t someone rid him of these turbulent hosts? — has gotten another item on his wish list. 'I absolutely love that Colbert’ got fired,' [Trump] wrote on his platform Truth Social.” (Also linked yesterday.) 

Amalia Huot-Marchand of the Hill: “The Writers Guild of America East and West called on New York Attorney General Letitia James to launch an investigation Friday into why CBS canceled 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' accusing the network’s parent company of offering a 'bribe' to the Trump administration. The guild, whose members include writers for the Colbert program, asked whether the cancellation was meant to help Paramount, the owner of CBS, with ... [Donald] Trump.”

Justin Baragona of the Independent: “CBS staffers aren’t buying the network’s claims that the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s top-rated, late-night show was purely a 'financial decision,' but rather a continuation of the 'Trump shakedown' that began with parent company Paramount’s settlement of the 60 Minutes lawsuit, according to multiple sources.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The Conversation -- July 18, 2025

Benjamin Weiser & Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: “The Justice Department asked a federal judge on Friday to unseal grand jury testimony from the prosecution of the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.... The request was filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan, where Mr. Epstein was awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges six years ago when he was found dead by hanging in his jail cell about a month after he was arrested.... The government also sought the unsealing of grand jury testimony from the case of Ghislaine Maxwell, the socialite who in a 2021 trial was convicted of helping Mr. Epstein facilitate his sex-trafficking scheme and sentenced to 20 years in prison. She has appealed her conviction.” Pam Bondi & Todd Blanche filed the motion. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It's hard to exaggerate what a sham this is. As the Times reporters write, "Judges rarely agree to grant public access to such materials." AND "The unsealing effort could take months, and the materials being sought are most likely only a small part of the evidence collected in the investigation." You know who has custody of all that other evidence? Pamela Jo Bondi. (See, for instance, Dan Mangan's report below.) If Blondie wanted to release some revelatory Epstein documents, she could immediately make public some of the thousands and thousands of documents that are under her control.

Winston Cho of the Hollywood Reporter: Donald “Trump has sued the Wall Street Journal owner News Corp. for defamation over a report detailing a 2003 letter from him to Jeffrey Epstein in which he wrote that they share a 'wonderful secret.' With the lawsuit, filed on Friday in Florida federal court, the Journal becomes the latest media outlet targeted by Trump for adversarial reporting, joining ABC News and CBS News. It sets the stage for another legal battle in which media’s incentives to stay out of Trump’s crosshairs by settling will be questioned, this time featuring Journal parent News Corp., owned by close Trump ally Rupert Murdoch.... The lawsuit names Murdoch alongside Journal reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo, who wrote the story. It brings claims for libel, assault and slander. Notably, it was filed in the Southern District of Florida, where a jury might be more receptive to defamation claims than one in New York, where News Corp., which didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, is based.”

Dan Mangan of CNBC: “FBI agents assigned earlier this year to review investigative files in the criminal case against notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were instructed to 'flag' any documents that mentioned ... Donald Trump, Sen. Richard Durbin said Friday. Durbin’s claim came as the Illinois Democrat sent the Justice Department and FBI letters asking them to explain what his office calledapparent discrepancies regarding the handling of the Epstein files and findings from a July 7 Department of Justice (DOJ) memorandum and instructions reportedly received by FBI personnel.'... 'According to information my office received, the FBI was pressured to put approximately 1,000 personnel in its Information Management Division (IMD) … on 24-hour shifts to review approximately 100,000 Epstein-related records in order to produce more documents that could then be released on an arbitrarily short deadline,' Durbin wrote to [FBI Director Kash] Patel. 'This effort, which reportedly took place from March 14 through the end of March, was haphazardly supplemented by hundreds of FBI New York Field Office personnel, many of whom lacked the expertise to identify statutorily-protected information regarding child victims and child witnesses or properly handle FOIA requests,' the letter said. 'My office was told that these personnel were instructed to “flag” any records in which President Trump was mentioned.'”

Julie Turkewitz & Hamed Aleaziz of the New York Times: “Ten Americans and U.S. permanent residents who had been seized by the Venezuelan authorities and held as bargaining chips were freed Friday in exchange for the release of more than 250 Venezuelan migrants whom the Trump administration sent to a prison in El Salvador. The release of the Americans and permanent residents was described by the State Department, while the release of the Venezuelans was announced by the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, on X. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that the 10 U.S. citizens and permanent residents had been arrested and jailed in Venezuela 'without proper due process' and called for the 'restoration of democracy in Venezuela.' The capture and imprisonment of the Americans had been part of the Venezuelan government’s efforts to gain an upper hand in negotiations with the Trump administration, while the detention of the Venezuelans in El Salvador played a high-profile role in ... [Donald] Trump’s promise to deport millions of immigrants.” MB: No telling what will happen to the Venezuelans now that they've been sent back to Venezuela, a country from which they fled, many because they believed they were in danger in their home country.

New York Times television critic James Poniewozik wonders whether CBS's claim that it is cancelling Stephen Colbert's show for “purely financial” reasons is truthful or an exercise in truthiness. “What we do know is that the president, who has long cried for political comics’ heads — won’t someone rid him of these turbulent hosts? — has gotten another item on his wish list. 'I absolutely love that Colbert’ got fired,' [Trump] wrote on his platform Truth Social.”

This Is Terrible. Selena Simmons-Duffin of NPR: "Health insurance premiums are going way up next year for people who buy their insurance on Healthcare.gov or the state-based marketplaces, according to an analysis out Friday. The average person who buys Affordable Care Act insurance will be paying 75% more for their premium, according to the analysis from KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group.... 'Pretty much every insurance company is talking about the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits in the ACA markets[, according to researcher Cynthia Cox of KFF]. Those markets are where people go to buy Obamacare plans, which serve people who can't get health insurance through their jobs and who don't qualify for Medicaid or Medicare.... People who are generally healthy might well decide that the higher premium is not worth it. They'll go without health insurance and risk it. The Congressional Budget Office estimates letting the subsidies expire would increase the number of uninsured by 4.2 million people. If healthy people opt out, the insurance pool is left with those who cost insurance companies more.... Congress could extend the enhanced subsidies, but that would mean ... [Donald] Trump and Republican lawmakers supporting the Affordable Care Act, which is unlikely."

Giselle Ewing of Politico:  “... Donald Trump continued to rage over the Jeffrey Epstein case Friday.... 'If there was a “smoking gun” on Epstein, why didn’t the Dems, who controlled the “files” for four years, and had Garland and Comey in charge, use it? BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING!!!' Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday morning, echoing his previous attempts to pin blame for the lack of information in the case on Democrats.... Trump continued to attack the [Wall Street Journal] Friday, writing in a separate Truth Social post: 'I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his “pile of garbage” newspaper,' adding that it 'will be an interesting experience!!!'” MB: It will indeed be an interesting experience. Think of how many damaging stories the WSJ will get out of all the discovery the court will certainly allow. Yes, indeedy, everybody will finally get a look at some pertinent Epstein files (or “files,” as Trump calls them). 

RAS has an idea: "... if JD wanted to see [Trump's 2003 note to Epstein,] he could just ask Bondi for the original or at least a photograph of the birthday book." MB: Of course Trump could do something similar; he could ask Bondi to certify that there was no such album of letters and/or no such letter from him in the DOJ's Epstein files. As far as I know, Bondi hasn't commented on the note. I suspect there's a very good reason for that. 

Trump loves to draw. Just saying pic.twitter.com/jMJh3XWvBW

— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@AdamKinzinger) July 18, 2025

     ~~~ Tyler Pager of the New York Times finds some more pictures Donald Trump "wrote."

"An Enigma Wrapped in a Wonderful Secret." Andrew Egger of the Bulwark: "The idea that Murdoch and the Journal would publish a story like this — knowing Trump’s penchant for retributive lawsuits — without being on rock-solid legal footing is laughable; a small army of lawyers no doubt inspected every word of the report.... In the coming days, it will be fascinating to see how Epstein true believers handle these questions. Which will be stronger? Their years-long conviction that there’s more to the Epstein story and determination to see it brought to light? Or their Pavlovian response to radicalize against any story the president dubs “FAKE NEWS”? Call it an enigma."

Doktor Zoom of Wonkette is very skeptical of Donald Trump's claim that Coca Cola has agreed to follow his advice to change the sweetener for its signature U.S. product from corn syrup to "REAL Cane Sugar": “In yet another seeming effort to change the subject from his close friendship with the late child sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump yesterday announced what sounded like a really big trade deal if it was real, which of course it wasn’t. On his fake Twitter substitute (archive link), Truth Social — which many people consider as far from The Real Thing as Tab was from Coca-Cola (making 'X' more like 'New Coke,' but full of Nazis) — Trump ...[announced Coke's capitulation].... Big surprise: Coca-Cola hasn’t confirmed any change in its recipe. But the company, which is very aware of Trump’s fondness for Diet Coke, has also been careful not to explicitly deny it either.”

The Klepto King. Brian Slodysko & Will Weissert of the AP: “If one theme has emerged in ... Donald Trump’s second term, it’s this: He’s leveraged the power of his office for personal gain unlike anyone before in history. From crypto coins to bibles, overseas development deals to an upcoming line of cellphones, Trump family businesses have raked in hundreds of millions of dollars since his election, an unprecedented flood of often shadowy money from billionaires, foreign governments and cryptocurrency tycoons with interests before the federal government. 'He  ... is supposed to be working in the public’s interest,” said James Thurber, an emeritus professor at American University.... 'Instead, he is helping his own personal interest to grow his wealth. It’s totally not normal.' The sums amassed by the Trump Organization, the collection of companies controlled by the president’s children, are far greater than those collected by the family during the president’s first term, when patronage of his hotels, resorts and golf courses was de rigueur to curry favor with the famously transactional commander-in-chief.”

David Graham of the Atlantic: “CBS’s current ownership seems determined to demolish [its] legacy [of excellent broadcast journalism. Thursday] evening, the network announced plans to end The Late Show With Stephen Colbert when the host’s contract ends next May.... Colbert ... has consistently led competitors in his time slot. CBS said this was 'purely a financial decision,' made as traditional linear television fades. Perhaps this is true, but the network that once made [Walter] Cronkite the most trusted man in America no longer gets the benefit of the doubt. CBS’s owners have made a series of decisions capitulating to ... Donald Trump, and the surprise choice to allow Colbert — a consistent, prominent Trump critic — to walk seems like part of that pattern.” Thank you to laura h. for this gift link.

~~~~~~~~~~

Adam Cancryn of CNN: “A collection of letters gifted to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003 included a note bearing [link fixed] Donald Trump’s name and an outline of a naked woman, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Thursday. The drawing, depicting a woman’s breasts and a 'Donald' signature in the place of pubic hair, surrounded several lines of typewritten text, according to the newspaper, which reviewed the letter. It concluded with the line: 'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.' Trump in an interview with the Journal on Tuesday denied that he wrote the letter or drew the picture and threatened to sue the newspaper if it published the story.” At 8:30 pm ET Thursday, this was a developing story. MB: Gosh, this letter amplifying the sordid connection between the POTUS* & the Pedophile must be one of the documents in the huge file that Pam Bondi refuses to release. It's but a single page of a massive cover-up. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything.

Donald: Yes, there is, but I won’t tell you what it is.

Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I also know what it is.

Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.

Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it.

Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?

Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.

Donald: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.

     ~~~ Update. Hugo Lowell & Edward Helmore of the Guardian: “Donald Trump said on Thursday he had directed his attorney general, Pam Bondi, to seek the release of grand jury testimony related to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking case as he sought to tamp down controversy over a story that he allegedly contributed a sketch of a naked woman to Epstein’s 50th birthday album. The president said on Truth Social he had authorized the justice department to seek the public release of the materials, which are under seal, citing 'the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein'.... The president said in the post that he had personally told Rupert Murdoch and the Journal’s editor-in-chief Emma Tucker that the letter was fake and that he would sue if a story about the letter was published. 'Mr Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but obviously did not have the power to do so,' Trump wrote. 'Instead they are going with a false, malicious, defamatory story anyway. President Trump will be suing the Wall Street Journal, News Corp and Mr Murdoch shortly.'

“The Journal reported that [Ghislaine] Maxwell collected letters from Trump and dozens of Epstein’s other associates ... for the 2003 birthday album, three years before Epstein was ever investigated for sexual misconduct. The Journal also reported that the leather-bound album was among the documents examined by officials with the justice department who investigated Epstein and Maxwell at that time....” More on the grand jury transcripts from Glenn Thrush of the NYT, linked below. MB: Notice how Trump tries to distance himself from the story by at least twice in the post referring to himself in the third person. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: laura h., who turns out to be a fine conspiracy theorist in her own right, wrote yesterday, "The note from t**** in the Epstein card^^^ is tacky but hardly scandalous. It feels to me like a leak to give the base something to talk about ... or am I wrong about that?" I don't think so. And the "document" is consistent with what is already on the public record regarding Trump's behavior toward women. But see the caveats I note below. OR maybe Obama wrote the note. And Comey drew the picture.

Charlie Nash of Mediaite: “Several drawings made by President Donald Trump in the 1990s and early 2000s resurfaced on Thursday after the president claimed to have 'never wrote a picture in my life.' The president made the claim after a Wall Street Journal report alleged that Trump had written a birthday letter to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003, which included a drawing of a naked woman, complete with pubic hair formed out of Trump’s signature. 'This is a fake thing. It’s a fake Wall Street Journal story,' said Trump in response to the report. 'I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women.'... These sketches from the early to mid-2000s were reportedly drawn with Sharpie markers. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump’s alleged 2003 letter to Epstein 'contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker. A pair of small arcs denotes the woman’s breasts, and the future president’s signature is a squiggly “Donald” below her waist, mimicking pubic hair.'”

Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bullshit. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it. Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump? -- JayDee for the defense, writing on X (via the Guardian) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I find I must agree with JayDee. The note does not "sound like Donald Trump." Or at least not like the Donald Trump of 2025. For one thing, it's an attempt to be clever while not committing anything to paper that would conclusively incriminate the writer in any sort of unlawful behavior. Trump himself is not that clever, or at least he is not that clever today. For another, the language of the note is far more sophisticated than the language he uses today. So either Trump didn't write the note -- at least in its finished form -- or it's more strong evidence of his signtificant cognitive decline. Contrast 2003's "Enigmas never age" with 2025's "I never wrote a picture in my life." Nobody says, "wrote a picture" -- unless momentarily they can't think of the word "drew." So without seeing the note, my guess is that Trump had help writing it, that he may have drawn the picture, and that he signed the figure, not so much grabbing it by the pussy (2005) but staking his claim to the pussy. ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Marie: The company I keep. Looks as if MechaHitler/Grok agrees with me. ~~~

     ~~~ Robert Davis of the Raw Story: "'Yeah, the letter sounds bogus,' posted ... Elon Musk. Even Musk's AI bot Grok was asked to comment about the WSJ report. 'No, the writing style doesn't match Trump's typical direct, boastful prose filled with superlatives like "great" or "tremendous,"' Grok replied to a post on X. 'This letter's cryptic, scripted dialogue and poetic phrasing feel atypical, and the hand-drawn element contradicts his denial of ever drawing such images. Likely a fake.'" MB: Looks like nobody told Grok about Trump's near-contemporaneous doodles or that Trump is a notorious liar.

Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: Donald “Trump announced Thursday night that he was authorizing Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the public release of grand jury testimony from the prosecution of the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, and Ms. Bondi said she would make that request in federal court on Friday. Mr. Trump, under intense pressure from his right-wing base after a Justice Department review found no evidence to support conspiracy theories about the sex trafficking case, ordered Ms. Bondi to 'produce any and all Grand Jury Testimony, subject to Court approval,' in a social media post.... Ms. Bondi, a Trump loyalist accused by far-right influencers of abetting a cover-up, responded immediately with a post on social media that undercut the memo the department and F.B.I. drafted this month declaring Mr. Epstein’s 2019 jailhouse death a suicide and the case closed. 'President Trump — we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts,' she wrote, quickly reversing course at his command.

“But it was not clear that she would succeed, because the secrecy of grand jury transcripts is highly protected.... Even if the transcripts are made public, which might involve months of legal wrangling, the evidence represents a fraction of material collected in the investigation. Over the past several months, dozens of F.B.I. agents and prosecutors with the Justice Department’s national security division were diverted from other assignments to review thousands of documents and a vast trove of video evidence, including footage from video cameras in the prison.” A CBS News story is here.

Washington Post: “White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the Trump administration’s handling of the case of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying 'some of the most trusted voices in the Republican Party movement' reviewed files before the Justice Department decided not to release them publicly. Leavitt also said that ... Donald Trump does not support appointing a special prosecutor in the case, and she chided the press for covering the controversy 'like it’s the biggest story that the American people care about.'” This is an excerpt from a liveblog item. MB: If there was ever the slightest pretense that Trump's DOJ was acting as an independent law enforcement agency -- as has been the tradition for half a century -- it's officially over now. Leavitt just said that political figures “in the Republican party movement,” whatever that is, inserted themselves into the DOJ's deliberative process, combed through secret DOJ files, then advised the DOJ to formalize a cover-up.

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times runs a timeline/overview of what is publicly known about the relationship between Donald Trump & Jeffrey Epstein. Here's one tidbit: “Not long after [Trump and Epstein had a 'falling-out' over rival bids for a Palm Beach mansion], the police in Palm Beach fielded a tip that young women had been observed going in and out of Mr. Epstein’s home.” MB: Any one of hundreds of people could have called in that tip, but maybe the timing of Trump's fight with Epstein & the tip to the cops isn't a coincidence. Like maybe John Barron or one of his close friends was the snitch.

On July 8, Azi Paybarah of the Washington Post ran down a list of statements by Donald Trump and Trump administration officials about releasing the Epstein files.

Michael Gold of the New York Times: “House Republicans, under pressure from Democrats and their own angry constituents, agreed on Thursday night to lay the groundwork for a potential vote calling on the Justice Department to release material from its investigation of the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, breaking with ... [Donald] Trump’s demand that supporters accept his administration’s handling of the case and move on. The measure, a nonbinding resolution, has not been scheduled for a vote. It is unclear whether Republicans will ever bring it up.... But Republicans on the powerful House Rules Committee voted to advance [the resolution] after Democrats threatened to force additional votes on the Epstein disclosures.... The dispute was holding up final passage of legislation to claw back $9 billion in congressionally approved spending.... The measure calls on the Justice Department to make available within 30 days 'documents, records and communications' surrounding the investigation into Mr. Epstein, his death, and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.” ~~~

     ~~~ Stephen Groves of the AP: “House Republicans were grasping late Thursday to formulate a response to the Trump administration’s handling of records in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case, ultimately putting forward a resolution that carries no legal weight but nodded to the growing demand for greater transparency. The House resolution, which could potentially be voted on next week, will do practically nothing to force the Justice Department to release more records in the case. Still, it showed how backlash from the Republican base is putting pressure on the Trump administration and roiling GOP lawmakers.”

More Wonderful Secrets. Daniel Hampton of the Raw Story: "Rep. Jamie Raskin, ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, flagged for MSNBC viewers late Thursday ... Trump’s closing statement in the letter [to Epstein published by the Wall Street Journal] ... '... where he said something to the effect of, "May every day offer another wonderful secret."... And I think he’s going to get his wish on that, because I think every day another wonderful secret about the relationship between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein is going to be leaking out, because so many people knew about it.'... Raskin declared that it's 'obvious' the public needs 'total disclosure of the complete file, redacting only the names and the identities of the minor victims of the sex abuse — victims of Jeffrey Epstein and of the sex ring."

Charlie Warzel of the Atlantic: “In a second term that’s been defined by chaos, unpopular policies, and the dismantling of the federal government, Trump has managed to bounce back from one scandal after another.  Except, perhaps, from this one.... At the center [of the sprawling conspiracy story] is a genuine secret, the main thing that keeps the story from fading away: the specter of Epstein’s so-called client list, a document that supposedly contains the names of powerful people whom Epstein provided girls to. This list is the basis for the most sordid and compelling parts of the conspiracy theory: that Epstein not only facilitated the trafficking of these girls to elites, but that he then entrapped and extorted those elites. The Trump administration had teased the release of this list as though it were a blockbuster movie, even though its very existence remains an open question.... The longer the list stays in the dark, the more power it accrues.” Thank you to laura h. for the link. (Also linked yesterday.) 

If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain. Do not let that happen. Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought. Instead of fear, let this moment fuel the fire that already burns at the heart of this place. A fire of righteous indignation at abuses of power. Of commitment to seek justice for victims. Of dedication to truth above all else. -- Maurene Comey, memo to colleagues, Thursday, July 17 ~~~

~~~ Erica Orden & Kyle Cheney of Politico: “One day after being fired by the Justice Department, Maurene Comey told her former colleagues that 'fear is the tool of a tyrant,' appearing to take aim at the upper ranks of DOJ and perhaps the president....” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Marcy Wheeler: "Maurene Comey was one of the few people who convinced [Epstein & Maxwell's victims that] she would take on very powerful people in search of justice for them. And Pam Bondi fired her, on Donald Trump’s personal authority." Worth reading also for the details from former U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman's book. (Also linked yesterday.) 

David McCabe of the New York Times: “A federal court ruled on Thursday that ... [Donald] Trump’s firing of a Democratic commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission was illegal and that she was a 'rightful member' of the agency. In March, Mr. Trump dismissed Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, an F.T.C. commissioner, and her colleague Alvaro Bedoya from their positions as he asserted control over agencies that regulate companies and workplaces. The move challenged longstanding legal precedent that members of the F.T.C. can be fired only for a narrow set of reasons. Judge Loren L. AliKhan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said in her ruling on Thursday that because 'those protections remain constitutional, as they have for almost a century, Ms. Slaughter’s purported removal was unlawful and without legal effect.' Mr. Bedoya also challenged his removal. But he resigned from the commission in June, saying he could not afford to have no income while his position at the agency was debated in court. As a result, Judge AliKhan dismissed his claims.... A White House spokesman said the administration would appeal the decision.”

Nina Agrawal of the New York Times: “The White House said on Thursday that ... [Donald] Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that occurs when veins have trouble moving blood back to the heart. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, announced the diagnosis while addressing swelling in Mr. Trump’s legs and bruising on his hand in recent weeks. Dr. Sean P. Barbabella, the physician to the president, said in a memo that Mr. Trump had noticed mild swelling in his lower legs and underwent a comprehensive evaluation which revealed the condition. He added that the condition was “benign” and common in people over 70. (Trump is 79.) The risk of chronic venous insufficiency, which is estimated to affect 10 to 35 percent of U.S. adults, increases with age. The condition, which occurs most often in the legs, can cause swelling, as the president experienced.” This is part of a liveblog. Thanks to Ken W. for the link. MB: Well, so much for my suggestion, offered below. But Trump is falling apart. (Also linked yesterday.) An AP story is here.

Jennifer Bendery of the Huffington Post: “... Donald Trump’s budget chief suggested Thursday that he doesn’t need Congress or the Constitution to force through massive cuts to federal spending, hinting that more such cuts are coming soon as Trump demonstrates he’s 'not cowing to a legislative branch’s understanding of its own authorities and powers.' Russ Vought, Trump’s director of the Office of Management and Budget, also called for more partisanship on Capitol Hill on spending matters and said he’d only work with House and Senate Democratic appropriators 'if they conduct themselves with decorum.' Vought made his remarks during a Christian Science Monitor breakfast with reporters.... The OMB director said Trump has a number of tools he can use to impose more spending cuts, like rescissions packages and so-called 'pocket rescissions,' a potentially illegal tactic where a president proposes a funding cut so late in the fiscal year that the funding expires before Congress has had 45 days of session to consider it.” See related stories on Congress's approval of Trump's $9BB rescission package, linked below.

Tony Romm of the New York Times: “The Trump administration is pushing to conduct an on-site inspection of the Federal Reserve as ... [Donald] Trump and his top aides continue to pressure Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chair, to lower interest rates or resign. Russell T. Vought, the White House budget director, told reporters on Thursday that administration officials wanted to visit the Fed to observe the renovations at its Washington headquarters. The administration has asserted that Mr. Powell has mismanaged the project, resulting in a cost overrun, and it has demanded that he provide answers about the project to the Office of Management and Budget. Mr. Powell responded to those accusations on Thursday afternoon, sending a letter to Mr. Vought that said the Fed had obtained proper approval for its renovation. The Fed chair cited the need for 'significant structural repairs' to two buildings that were constructed in the 1930s and sought to rebut accusations that the redesign included extravagant additions.... For all the attention on the Fed and its renovation, Mr. Trump has made clear that he is primarily scrutinizing Mr. Powell because of the Fed’s approach to interest rates.”

Dani Anguiano of the Guardian: “A delegation of US officials toured Alcatraz on Thursday as part of Donald Trump’s pledge to reopen the shuttered federal prison and tourist attraction in the San Francisco Bay, amid an outcry from California leaders who have called the plan 'lunacy'. Doug Burgum, the interior secretary, who visited the island prison with the attorney general, Pam Bondi, said the federal government was beginning 'the work to renovate and reopen the site to house the most dangerous criminals and illegals'.” MB: They really enjoy using offensive language, don't they? ~~~

     ~~~ Marc Caputo of Axios: Donald "Trump's audacious plan to convert Alcatraz back to a maximum- security prison could come with a hefty price tag: $2 billion, administration sources tell Axios.... The U.S. government closed the prison after deeming it too expensive to operate. The structures deteriorated quickly in the bay's saltwater environment, and food and water had to be brought to the prison, while waste had to be shipped out."

Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: “The chief of the Justice Department’s civil rights unit has asked a federal judge to sentence a Louisville police officer convicted in the 2020 killing of Breonna Taylor to one day in prison, a stunning reversal of the unit’s longstanding efforts to address racial disparities in policing. Last year, a federal jury in Kentucky convicted Brett Hankison, the officer, of one count of violating Ms. Taylor’s civil rights by using excessive force in discharging several shots through Ms. Taylor’s window during a drug raid that went awry. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a judge will consider the government’s request at a sentencing scheduled for next week. On Wednesday, Harmeet K. Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, asked the judge in the case, Rebecca Grady Jennings, to sentence Mr. Hankison to one day in prison — essentially the brief time he had served when he was charged — and three years of supervised release.... Such requests are typically filed by career prosecutors who worked on the case. Wednesday’s filing was signed by Ms. Dhillon, a political appointee who is a veteran Republican Party activist with close ties to ... [Donald] Trump, and one of her deputies.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Thanks to RAS for the link, who notes -- correctly, IMO -- that Trump DOJ civil rights division is signaling that it's okay to kill minorities. The NBC News report is here.

Border Patrol Moves Its Racial Profiling 600 Miles North. Jesus Jiménez of the New York Times: “Border Patrol agents conducted an immigration raid on Thursday at a Home Depot parking lot in Sacramento County, in a sign that federal officials are heading deeper into California after focusing on the Los Angeles region in recent weeks. Gregory K. Bovino, the head of Border Patrol’s El Centro region, said in a produced video that federal agents had begun operations in the Sacramento area, and that at least eight people had been arrested for being in the country without authorization. Sacramento is a nearly 600-mile drive northwest of El Centro, Calif., and the border with Mexico. The raid came nearly a week after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to stop indiscriminate immigration arrests in the Los Angeles region. The ruling in the Central District of California did not apply to Sacramento.... [DHS indicated one of the men picked up faced multiple criminal charges.] The department did not indicate a criminal history for most of the other immigrants who were detained on Thursday.... The edited video, which was overlaid with the song 'Power' by Kanye West, appeared to show people running away from masked federal agents in tactical gear in a Home Depot parking lot.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The Border Patrol thinks rounding up and deporting workers is entertaining. They think we'll enjoy the spectacle. 

Lauren Gurley of the Washington Post: “They are nurses, mechanics, sanitation workers and executives. They’ve fallen in love, bought houses and raised children. They’ve opened restaurants and construction companies, paid taxes and contributed to Social Security, living and working legally in the United States since 1999. Now more than 50,000 Hondurans and Nicaraguans stand to abruptly lose their legal status as the Trump administration seeks to end their protections, in place since the Clinton era, under the temporary protected status program, or TPS. Amid a broader campaign to crack down on immigration, the Department of Homeland Security said that because 'conditions have improved' in Honduras and Nicaragua, it is ending the program for natives of those countries in early September. The decision, announced in early July, has been met with outrage from immigrant communities across the country, prompting a lawsuit by the National TPS Alliance, an advocacy group, and seven impacted individuals.”

Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: “Congress approved a White House request to claw back $9 billion for foreign aid and public broadcasting, after Republicans bowed to ... [Donald] Trump in an unusual surrender of congressional spending power. The House’s 216-to-213 vote early Friday morning sent the package to Mr. Trump for his signature. Two Republicans, Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Michael R. Turner of Ohio, opposed the measure. The Senate approved the package in a predawn 51-to-48 vote the day before, overcoming the objections of two Republicans, Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who argued that their party was ceding Congress’s constitutional control over federal funding. The bulk of the funds targeted — about $8 billion — was for foreign assistance programs. The remaining $1.1 billion was for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which finances NPR and PBS.” The NBC News story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Elena Shao & Benjamin Mullin of the New York Times: “The cuts are a time bomb for the public media system. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has disbursed funding for stations through September. After that, more than 100 combined TV and radio stations that serve millions of Americans in rural pockets of the country will be at risk of going dark, according to an analysis from Public Media Company, an advisory firm. But the troubles could run deeper than that, said Tim Isgitt, the organization’s chief executive. The sudden and dramatic reduction in funding will result in a pool of fewer stations to buy programming and solicit donations, potentially creating a 'doom loop' with dire consequences for the rest of the system.” The article includes maps showing the areas across the U.S. at risk of losing public radio and television. ~~~

Perry Stein of the Washington Post: “The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday morning to advance ... Donald Trump’s controversial judicial nominee Emil Bove amid objections from Democratic senators, who walked out of the hearing in protest before the vote.... Bove faced whistleblower allegations ahead of the vote that he suggested to subordinates at a Justice Department meeting they may need to defy a court order that could have hampered the president’s aggressive deportation efforts.... Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee and is considered an advocate for whistleblowers, has so far refused Democratic requests to hold a hearing with the whistleblower.... [Bove] has also been at the center of the [Justice D]epartment’s most controversial actions during the Trump administration, including a push to drop federal corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams.... Ahead of the vote, more than 900 former Justice Department attorneys signed a letter to the senators expressing alarm over Bove’s nomination. The attorneys accused Bove of ignoring constitutional principals and longtime Justice Department norms as he fired employees and pursued legal strategies in the name of the president’s politics....” ~~~

     ~~~ Sara Boboltz of the Huffington Post: “The Democrats’ move ... sparked questions over whether the nominee technically advanced out of the committee. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) continued shouting at the committee chair, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), while all of his Democratic colleagues left the room in protest of the lack of debate over Bove’s fitness. Booker also later left. He had wanted to hear from the whistleblower before the senators voted on whether to advance Bove’s nomination, but Grassley refused to hold a vote on whether the whistleblower should be allowed to speak.... 'You are obligated to address a point of order according to the rules of this committee,' [Booker] said. 'You’re violating your own rules.' Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) accused Grassley of overseeing a 'kangaroo court' as she left. Grassley allowed the remaining senators to vote on advancing Bove and former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, who is nominated to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.” ~~~

~~~ Boxwine Pirro Advances. Keith Alexander of the Washington Post: “Jeanine Pirro came one step closer to becoming the District of Columbia’s full-time U.S. attorney Thursday after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to send her nomination to the Senate floor for a final vote. The committee previously blocked ... Donald Trump’s first choice for the role, Ed Martin, a right-wing podcaster and “Stop the Steal” organizer with no experience as a prosecutor and a history of controversial statements. But Pirro sailed through without any public discussion, her name mentioned only once alongside 10 other federal prosecutors and judges preceding a vote. The vote was split along party lines, but Republican control of the committee gives them enough votes to send the president’s nominees forward.”

How to Handle the Inquisition. Toluse Olorunnipa of the Washington Post: “Facing a far-reaching probe into the inner workings of Joe Biden’s White House, a growing number of his top aides are weighing invoking the Fifth Amendment, underscoring how fraught their legal predicament has become amid an onslaught of subpoenas, criminal allegations and threats from ... Donald Trump and his allies. Anthony Bernal, chief of staff to Jill Biden when she was first lady, on Wednesday became the latest top official to invoke his constitutional right against self-incrimination, repeatedly telling the House Oversight Committee that he 'respectfully' declined to answer members’ questions in an attempt to shield himself from being thrust further into legal jeopardy.... 'Some have claimed the Fifth Amendment, even though I don’t think they actually think that they have committed any crimes[,' said law professor Jonathan Shaub of the University of Kentucky. ']But given the language that has been used and the insinuations, I can understand why their counsel would say, “Just don’t say anything, because we don’t know what they’re willing to do and what they’re willing to prosecute.”’”

John Koblin of the New York Times: “In a decision that shocked the entertainment industry and comedy world, CBS said on Thursday that it was canceling the most-watched show in late night, 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,' and ending a franchise that has existed for more than three decades. Mr. Colbert’s run — and 'The Late Show' itself — will end in May after his contract expires.... CBS executives said in a statement that the cancellation ...'... is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.'... Paramount is in the midst of closing a multibillion-dollar merger with the movie studio Skydance, a deal that requires approval from the Trump administration. Paramount recently agreed to pay ... [Donald] Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit over an interview on '60 Minutes,' a move Mr. Colbert criticized on his show as 'a big fat bribe.' The merger still requires the approval of the Federal Communications Commission.... Mr. Colbert, who has hosted show for a decade, has been a passionate critic of Mr. Trump.”  

     ~~~ laura h. wrote yesterday that the cancellation “feels like another t**** revenge move.” As Koblin writes, both Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who appeared on Colbert's show last night, and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) are suspicious, too. Both said the public has a right to know if CBS cancelled the Colbert show for political reasons. ~~~

     ~~~ Hannah Zeigler & Alexandra Petri of the New York Times: “The first people to hear that CBS was canceling 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' reacted to the news loudly, and viscerally, with a chorus of 'No!' that turned into a sustained round of boos. They were sitting in the audience in the Ed Sullivan Theater in Midtown Manhattan when an emotional Mr. Colbert announced the decision at the conclusion of the taping of his Thursday night show.... Online, fans and public figures reacted with a mix of puzzlement and indignation.... 'CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump — a deal that looks like bribery,' Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, wrote on social media. 'America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.'” ~~~

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