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Metadata Shows the FBI's ‘Raw’ Jeffrey Epstein Prison Video Was Likely Modified — There is no evidence the footage was deceptively manipulated, but ambiguities around how the video was processed may further fuel conspiracy theories about Epstein's death. — The United States Department …
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Scoop: FBI's Dan Bongino clashes with AG Bondi over handling of Epstein files — FBI deputy director Dan Bongino took a day off from work Friday after clashing at the White House with Attorney General Pam Bondi over their handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, four sources familiar with the conflict told Axios.
Discussion:
HotAir, The Hill, New Jersey Online, The Independent, Mediaite, The Post Millennial, The Gateway Pundit and The Guardian

Surge in U.S. Concern About Immigration Has Abated — WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans have grown markedly more positive toward immigration over the past year, with the share wanting immigration reduced dropping from 55% in 2024 to 30% today. At the same time, a record-high 79% of U.S. adults …
Discussion:
Axios, New York Magazine, The Hill, Daily Kos, Newsweek, New Republic, Eschaton, No More Mister Nice Blog, Free Thinking Through …, Semafor and BBC

Trump administration moves away from abolishing FEMA — As the president heads to Texas to see the impact of last week's deadly flash floods, the White House has backed away from plans to abolish the agency, officials said. — For months, President Donald Trump and his homeland security secretary …
Discussion:
The Hill, MSNBC, Reuters, Balanced Weather, Alternet.org, The Independent and New Republic
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Trump plans to tour Texas flood damage as disaster tests his pledge to shutter FEMA
Steve Benen / MSNBC:
‘Completely absent’: Why is Trump's acting FEMA chief nowhere to be found?NEW!
‘Completely absent’: Why is Trump's acting FEMA chief nowhere to be found?NEW!
Discussion:
Salon, The Independent, Raw Story, Alternet.org, Mother Jones and E&E News

Harvard Explores New Center for Conservative Scholarship Amid Trump Attacks — The Ivy League school has discussed an effort to ‘support viewpoint diversity’ with potential donors, says it ‘will not be partisan’ — Harvard leaders have discussed creating a program that people briefed …
Discussion:
The Washington Free Beacon and HotAir
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Skydance Is in Early Talks to Acquire The Free Press — David Ellison, the founder of Skydance, and Bari Weiss, the co-founder of The Free Press, are attending the annual Allen & Co. conference in Sun Valley this week. — David Ellison, the chief executive of the media company Skydance …

State Department is firing over 1,300 employees under Trump administration plan — The State Department is firing more than 1,300 employees on Friday in line with a dramatic reorganization plan unveiled by the Trump administration earlier this year, a move that critics say will damage America's …
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State Department Lays Off 1,300 Employees in Sweeping Reorganization — Agency led by Marco Rubio intends to shrink its domestic workforce by around 15% — The State Department is laying off more than 1,300 employees as part of a sweeping reorganization plan that Trump administration officials …
Discussion:
New York Times, MSNBC, CBS News, The Guardian, Reuters, The Hill, Bloomberg and Semafor

George Mason Is the Latest University Under Fire From Trump. Its President Fears an “Orchestrated” Campaign. — When university president Gregory Washington received notice that the Trump administration had opened an investigation into complaints of antisemitism, he was “perplexed.”

Emil Bove declines to rule out 3rd Trump term or denounce Jan. 6 rioters in Senate questionnaire — Washington — Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official who previously served as President Trump's criminal defense attorney, declined to rule out the possibility of the president running …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Grabien and Politico

Shunned Myanmar leader thrilled at US contact after Trump tariff letter — Min Aung Hlaing expresses ‘sincere appreciation’ for letter from US president threatening 40% tariff — Myanmar's military leader has praised Donald Trump and asked him to lift sanctions, as the junta sought …

Behind Trump's Decision to Tax Brazil to Save Bolsonaro — Right-wing Brazilians wanted sanctions against the judge prosecuting Brazil's former president. President Trump opted for something far bigger — tariffs. — Since March, the son of the former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro …
Discussion:
To the Contrary, Reason, New York Daily News, CBS News, Bloomberg, The Hill, Florida Politics, Political Wire and MSNBC
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Whistleblower Documents Implicate Emil Bove in Criminal Contempt Order by Chief Judge Boasberg — A whistleblower's documents provided to Congress implicate Emil Bove in the administration's violation of a court order that prohibited the transfer of more than 100 Venezuelans to El Salvador's CECOT prison.
Discussion:
Law Dork, MSNBC, The Status Kuo, NOTUS, Talking Points Memo, emptywheel, Alternet.org, Washington Examiner, The Hill, The Guardian, The Bulwark, Rolling Stone, NewsMax.com, Politico and CBS News

Start Budgeting Now — Households will pay an average of $2,400 more for goods this year, thanks to Trump's policies. — You might have forgotten about the trade war, but the trade war has not forgotten about you. — This week, Donald Trump reignited the global financial conflict he started in January …
Discussion:
Al Jazeera, Forbes and The Budget Lab at Yale
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Stephen Robinson / Public Notice:
An embarrassing exercise in economic and diplomatic futility
An embarrassing exercise in economic and diplomatic futility
Discussion:
Reason and New York Times

Mike Lee Can't Stop Throwing Social Media Grenades. His Church Isn't Happy. — The Utah senator's online persona has further damaged his already frayed relationship with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. — It was Father's Day morning, but Mike Lee was still hard at work on social media.
Discussion:
Raw Story and Alternet.org
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Zack Stanton / Politico:
Playbook: The Trump era, phase two

Senate GOP campaign arm hits Paxton over divorce filing — The Senate GOP's campaign committee swung at Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday after news broke that his wife, Angela Paxton, had filed for divorce. — “What Ken Paxton has put his family through is truly repulsive and disgusting …
Discussion:
MSNBC, Fox News, Vanity Fair, NewsMax.com, USA Today, Texas Monthly, Mock Paper Scissors, The Independent, Straight Arrow News, PennLive, Salon, The Gateway Pundit, Crooks and Liars, Off the Kuff, CBS News, IJR, NBC News, One America News Network, Axios, FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, NOTUS, Associated Press, New York Post, Mediaite, Alternet.org, Advocate, New York Sun, KHOU-TV, Blaze Media, New York Daily News, Washington Examiner, New Republic, Politico, Newsweek, The Texas Tribune, Raw Story and The Daily Caller
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How Netanyahu Prolonged the War in Gaza to Stay in Power … Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 5. — ‘You no longer have a government’ — Six months into the war in the Gaza Strip, Benjamin Netanyahu was preparing to bring it to a halt. Negotiations were underway …
Discussion:
Confessions …, OutsideTheBeltway, Algemeiner.com, Commentary Magazine and Christian Science Monitor

Missouri Governor Signs Bill Rolling Back Voter-Approved Minimum Wage and Sick Leave — The reversal reflected a growing struggle over the use of ballot measures to answer policy questions in Republican-led states. — When Missouri voters were asked last year whether they wanted to increase …
Discussion:
Missouri Chamber, Daily Kos, Associated Press, Raw Story, Newsweek, The Federalist, Ballotpedia News and PennLive

New poll delivers troubling signs for Democrats — The Democratic Party's credibility with voters has plummeted even further since the 2024 election, raising alarm bells as the party looks to rebuild ahead of the midterms and the next presidential election, according to a new poll obtained by The Hill.
Discussion:
Magnolia Tribune, Blaze Media, NewsMax.com and Slate

Republicans run a risky strategy for holding the House that rests on redrawn maps … “They are playing a little bit of roulette with these maps,” said Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Texas). “In a wave election like what we have a potential opportunity for in '26 I think it makes these Republicans very vulnerable.”

Justice Department Files Statement of Interest on Suppression of Competition in the Marketplace of Ideas Through Deplatforming of Rival Viewpoints — For Immediate Release — Today, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in the United States District Court for the District …
Discussion:
Gizmodo, Daily Caller News Foundation and Breitbart

Who would vote for Elon Musk's America Party? — Will Elon Musk be the next Ross Perot, or Cornel West? — For those getting caught up: After being frustrated by the increase in the federal budget deficit that Republicans have caused with their “One Big Beautiful Bill,” …
Discussion:
HuffPost, New Yorker and Blaze Media

Why You Should Fear a MAGAfied Fed — Jerome Powell's term as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board will end in May 2026. We don't know who Donald Trump will choose to replace him, but we already know that his successor will be a disaster. — How can I say that without knowing who will get the nod?
John Keller / Lawfare:
The Paramount and Global Law Firm Settlements With Trump Don't Constitute Bribery — Bribery law requires an unambiguous intent to influence a public official's action through money or something else of value. — Meet The Authors … Last week, Paramount Global agreed to pay $16 million …
Discussion:
Politico

Musk's Chatbot Started Spouting Nazi Propaganda. That's Not the Scariest Part. — Last Tuesday, when an account on X using the name Cindy Steinberg started cheering the Texas floods because the victims were “white kids” and “future fascists,” Grok — the social media platform's in-house chatbot …

White House reviews mass federal layoff plans, aims for swift action — The White House is scrutinizing layoff plans by federal agencies in an effort to limit further court challenges after the Supreme Court cleared the way for a sweeping downsizing of the government workforce …
Discussion:
Nextgov/FCW

Trump readies blanket tariffs as he brushes off inflation worries — In a wide-ranging interview with NBC News, Trump talked about tariffs, sending Patriot missiles to NATO for Ukraine and how he'll sell his recently passed “big, beautiful bill.” — President Donald Trump on Thursday …

Man on life support from injury during immigration raid in Ventura County, family says — Este artículo se ofrece en Español — A man is on life support after he was injured during an immigration raid at an agricultural area of Camarillo, according to a family member.
Discussion:
ABC7

Zohran Mamdani Is Making History. When Will Top Democrats Catch On? — Mamdani won a record-setting primary victory, and unions, grassroots Democratic groups, and savvy elected officials are rushing to back him. Now it's the establishment's turn. — Bluesky — Pocket
Discussion:
Blaze Media, New York Post, Fox News, CNN, The Hill, abc7NY and Washington Examiner

Appeals court throws out plea deal for alleged mastermind of Sept. 11 attacks — A divided federal appeals court on Friday threw out an agreement that would have allowed accused Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to plead guilty in a deal sparing him the risk of execution for al-Qaida's 2001 attacks.
Politico:
France launches criminal investigation into Musk's X over algorithm manipulation — PARIS — French prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into X over allegations that the company owned by billionaire Elon Musk manipulated its algorithms for the purposes of “foreign interference.”
Discussion:
Associated Press and Semafor, more at Techmeme »

‘That ends now:’ White House vows removal of illegal immigrants from taxpayer benefits — New policy will prevent illegal immigrants from receiving $40B in public assistance — The White House is ramping up efforts to remove illegal immigrants from an array of taxpayer-funded benefits …
Discussion:
Not the Bee, Daily Caller News Foundation, New York Post, The Federalist, Breitbart and Wall Street Journal

HHS facing billion-dollar backlog of delayed grants after DOGE — The Department of Health and Human Services has asked some laid-off staff if they could return to work temporarily, as the department grapples with a backlog of grants that has swelled to more than a billion dollars in the wake of hurdles set up by DOGE.
Discussion:
Straight Arrow News