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Good morning, everyone. Today’s headlines are packed. America is slipping in literacy and increasingly becoming a post-literate society. On Capitol Hill, the Epstein investigation is accelerating ahead of Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing. Democrats are calling it Trump’s Watergate, survivors are accusing a key witness of misleading Congress, and new developments continue to emerge. Overseas, the war with Iran is escalating, while Ukraine is intensifying its strikes deep inside Russia as pressure mounts on the Kremlin. I also woke up to find that I had lost multiple paid subscribers because I have spent so much time covering the Epstein files here on Substack. That isn’t going to change. I will continue reporting on the Epstein files and giving survivors a platform because I believe this story deserves sustained scrutiny. Over the next week, I’ll be interviewing multiple survivors and providing comprehensive coverage of Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing. When you subscribe, you’re supporting independent journalism grounded in verified facts, not speculation, and reporting that answers only to the truth. If you’re not yet a subscriber, I hope you’ll consider joining today.
Here’s the news: Mexico says it will pursue legal action against the United States after an ICE agent fatally shot a Mexican national during an immigration enforcement operation in Houston. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the killing, arguing that undocumented migrants should not lose their lives over immigration violations and vowing to take the case beyond diplomatic protests to international human rights bodies. ICE says the man, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, rammed an agency vehicle and attempted to run over an agent, prompting the officer to fire in self-defense. The victim's family disputes the circumstances surrounding the shooting, noting he had lived in the United States for nearly 35 years and was working toward obtaining a legal work permit, while relatives and community leaders are calling for an independent investigation. This is from President Sheinbaum:
"Unfortunately, there has been another death of a Mexican national in the United States for being detained, when that person's only offense was lacking immigration documents, even though they had been hired by an American company" America is increasingly becoming a post-literate society, where people consume more information than ever but spend less time engaging with long-form reading and critical analysis. Instead of books, newspapers, and in-depth reporting, information is increasingly absorbed through short videos, social media clips, podcasts, and AI-generated summaries, weakening attention spans and the ability to process complex ideas. The trend is reshaping politics, education, and public discourse by rewarding emotional, simplistic, and personality-driven communication over evidence-based reasoning. As one recent analysis argues, the challenge is no longer widespread illiteracy but "post-literacy"—a culture where sustained reading becomes a niche activity while deep comprehension, critical thinking, and independent analysis steadily erode.
A federal appeals court rejected President Donald Trump's emergency request to temporarily block the release of more than $5 million from the court registry to E. Jean Carroll's attorneys. The one-sentence order from the Second Circuit leaves in place Judge Lewis Kaplan's ruling, allowing the funds to be transferred while Trump's broader appeal continues. The decision does not resolve the merits of the underlying case but signals the appeals court saw no basis for granting immediate emergency relief. As a result, Carroll's legal team has already gained access to the funds while the litigation proceeds.
The Trump administration is preparing to host a meeting with officials from dozens of countries to discuss combating antifa, but the effort has sparked concern among some U.S. and European officials. Critics worry the initiative, led in part by counterterrorism official Sebastian Gorka, could expand the use of powerful counterterrorism authorities originally intended for foreign terrorist organizations to target left-wing activists inside the United States. Some administration officials have privately warned that creating such a precedent could allow a future Democratic administration to use the same authorities against conservatives. The White House rejected those concerns, saying it will not allow America’s counterterrorism capabilities to be weaponized for partisan purposes.
Epstein news: House Democrats are signaling that the Jeffrey Epstein investigation will become a major priority if they regain control of Congress after the 2026 midterms. Rep. Melanie Stansbury called the matter the Trump administration’s “Watergate,” arguing officials have helped shield the president from accountability and saying she wants key figures to testify under oath. Democrats point to the Oversight Committee’s decision to compel former President Bill Clinton to testify as a precedent that could support seeking testimony from other presidents, including Donald Trump. Trump has acknowledged knowing Epstein in the past but says they had a falling-out years before Epstein’s 2019 death, and he has not been charged with wrongdoing. Republicans also expect the investigation to continue, though for different reasons. House Oversight Chair James Comer said each witness interview has produced additional leads, making it difficult to wrap up the probe. Lawmakers from both parties anticipate more depositions and subpoenas as investigators continue examining Epstein’s network, the Justice Department’s handling of the case, and whether any new evidence could warrant criminal referrals. Multiple survivors of Jeffrey Epstein told CNN that his longtime assistant, Lesley Groff, gave false testimony during her June interview with the House Oversight Committee. Survivors said Groff personally met them on numerous occasions, discussed their ages, handled travel documents, distributed cash payments and Broadway tickets, and was present at Epstein’s New York townhouse—directly contradicting her claims that she never met the girls, never knew their ages, never handled passports, never paid them, and never entered the townhouse. The committee said it is reviewing Groff’s testimony against available evidence, while Democratic staff warned that lying to Congress is a crime. Groff has never been charged with a crime, despite previously being identified as a potential co-conspirator in Epstein’s 2008 non-prosecution agreement, and she maintains that Epstein deceived her about his abuse. Survivors expressed frustration that, aside from Ghislaine Maxwell, few people connected to Epstein have been held accountable, saying repeated denials from former associates have hindered efforts to uncover the full truth. They argue Groff’s testimony minimizes her role and ignores years of firsthand interactions they say clearly demonstrated her awareness of Epstein’s operations. The House Oversight Committee has indicated it welcomes additional evidence as its investigation continues.
Iran war: The United States and Iran exchanged another wave of major military strikes after President Trump declared the ceasefire “over” following Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military said it struck roughly 90 Iranian military targets, including missile sites, air defenses, drone facilities, naval assets, and logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coast. Iranian state media reported additional U.S. strikes hours later, including explosions near the Bushehr nuclear power plant, while accusing Washington of targeting civilian infrastructure such as railway bridges. Iran’s Health Ministry said at least 14 people were killed and 78 wounded during two days of U.S. attacks. According to Axios reporter Barak Ravid, citing a senior U.S. official, the U.S. Air Force deliberately bombed two railway bridges in Iran during Wednesday's strikes. The reported targets appear to match earlier reports of attacks on a rail line in Iran's northeastern Golestan Province near the border with Turkmenistan. The strikes suggest the U.S. expanded its campaign beyond military sites to include transportation infrastructure with potential strategic value. The U.S. has not publicly detailed the operational rationale for targeting the railway bridges.
 Iran retaliated by launching attacks against U.S. allies across the Middle East, triggering security alerts in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. Jordan said it intercepted eight Iranian missiles as the conflict spread beyond Iran itself. The renewed fighting has effectively frozen negotiations that began after the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding in June aimed at ending the war. Those talks are now on hold as Iran holds funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed earlier in the conflict. Here is a video of an Iranian missile strike on Bahrain:
 Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced what it described as the first phase of a broader military campaign targeting U.S. military assets and regional partners. According to the IRGC, Iranian forces struck two U.S. bases in Kuwait, including Ali Al Salem Air Base, as well as U.S. military installations in Bahrain. The claims come as fighting between the United States and Iran continues to escalate following renewed U.S. strikes inside Iran. At the time of the announcement, there was no immediate confirmation from U.S. or Gulf officials regarding the reported attacks or the extent of any damage.
Trump defended the renewed military action, calling it retaliation for Iran’s attacks on shipping and warning that any further escalation would bring an even stronger response. While he questioned whether Iran could be trusted to honor any agreement, he also said Tehran still wants a deal and suggested negotiations could eventually resume. Analysts warned that both sides remain stuck in an unstable position where neither renewed war nor a lasting peace appears likely. Control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil previously passed, remains one of the central disputes driving the conflict.
International news: Ukrainian drones launched a new wave of strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, setting oil depots and two tankers in the Sea of Azov ablaze as Kyiv intensified its campaign to disrupt Russia's fuel supplies. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attacks part of Ukraine's strategy of imposing "long-range sanctions" on Russia, while Moscow said the strikes would only prolong the war and expand its military objectives. The escalation came a day after President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would license Ukraine to manufacture Patriot air defense systems, though Ukrainian officials cautioned it could take a year or more before domestic production begins. Both sides continued exchanging drone and missile attacks overnight, underscoring that despite renewed diplomatic efforts, the conflict remains far from a negotiated settlement.
 After the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan surprised world leaders by giving each of them an engraved vintage Turkish-made revolver, complete with live ammunition, as a showcase of Turkey’s growing defense industry. The unusual gifts created logistical challenges, with leaders taking different approaches to handling them, including turning them over to police, storing them at embassies, donating them to museums, or waiting for customs clearance. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s gift reportedly included a cleaning kit and 500 rounds of ammunition. Turkey has become one of the world’s largest exporters of small arms, and the gifts highlighted Ankara’s efforts to promote its domestic weapons industry on the global stage. At least 39 people have died and nine remain missing after severe flooding triggered by Tropical Storm Maysak devastated southern China, including the partial collapse of a reservoir dam in Guangxi province. Rescue crews have evacuated about 130,000 people and are working to reach thousands still stranded, including more than 10,000 students and teachers. Floodwaters also swept animals into surrounding communities, leaving more than 100 zoo animals missing and prompting warnings after snakes escaped from a farm. As recovery efforts continue, China and Taiwan are now preparing for Typhoon Bavi, which is expected to bring another round of heavy rain and flooding this weekend. At least five children were killed and several others injured after monsoon-triggered landslides swept through an Islamic school inside a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district while classes were underway. Rescue crews continued searching the rubble, fearing additional victims remained buried. The tragedy comes just three days after separate landslides killed at least eight people in the same refugee camps, where more than one million Rohingya refugees live. Authorities have begun relocating more than 1,000 people from high-risk areas, but many refugees are reluctant to leave their makeshift homes despite forecasts of more heavy rain. The International Criminal Court says it has made a major breakthrough in its investigation into war crimes and genocide committed during Sudan’s civil war in Darfur. Prosecutors say they have obtained new evidence linking atrocities in the cities of al-Geneina and al-Fashir to senior leadership, a critical step toward potentially bringing high-level officials to justice. Investigators have collected testimony describing executions, sexual violence, and attacks against non-Arab communities that U.N. experts say bear the hallmarks of genocide. While no new arrest warrants have been announced, the ICC says it is confident the investigation is moving toward concrete results in the coming months.
Other news: A Trump-appointed federal judge ordered the release of Karina Alvarez San Juan, a nursing mother of four U.S. citizen children, after ruling that ICE failed to justify detaining her despite its own policy discouraging the detention of pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women. San Juan, who was arrested during a Florida traffic stop and transferred to a Louisiana detention center, had been separated from her three-month-old baby for more than three months while facing what her attorney described as poor detention conditions. The judge found the government failed to demonstrate compliance with its own policies, and the administration offered no additional evidence to support keeping her in custody. The case has intensified scrutiny of ICE's treatment of nursing mothers and family detention practices under the Trump administration. As the U.S. resumed strikes on Iran, Trump briefly shifted attention to domestic matters by posting photos on Truth Social highlighting his latest renovations to the White House, including new West Wing signage, landscaping, and maple trees. The posts came amid a broader series of messages about the renewed military campaign, drawing criticism from opponents who questioned the timing and praised by supporters who welcomed the changes. The article also notes Trump's extensive redesign of the White House since returning to office, including changes to the Oval Office, Rose Garden, and other historic areas. Meanwhile, Trump continued to defend the renewed strikes on Iran, declaring the ceasefire effectively over while insisting Tehran still wants to negotiate despite the escalating conflict. U.S. Olympian David Hearn is set to be arraigned on a felony destruction of property charge after prosecutors accused him of damaging the lining of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during its controversial renovation. Hearn denies the allegations, saying he merely touched an already-detached piece of the pool’s peeling blue coating while observing the project and did not damage anything. He is one of four people charged in connection with removing pieces of the deteriorating liner from the recently renovated pool, which has faced criticism after algae problems and costs ballooned to more than $14 million. Three others charged with misdemeanor property damage have already pleaded not guilty. A federal crime-fighting task force in Memphis was involved in its second fatal shooting in four days after a DEA agent shot and killed a man while serving a drug warrant at a hotel. Authorities initially said the suspect pointed a handgun at officers after they forced entry when he refused to open the door, though the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation later said only that the situation escalated before the agent fired. The incident follows Sunday’s fatal shooting of 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson by National Guard members assigned to the same Memphis Safe Task Force during a downtown pursuit. Both shootings are now under investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, with findings to be reviewed by the local district attorney. Bonnie Tyler, the legendary Welsh singer behind hits like "Total Eclipse of the Heart," "Holding Out for a Hero," and "It's a Heartache," has died at the age of 75 after weeks of hospitalization in Portugal. Tyler had recently undergone emergency surgery for a perforated intestine and had spent time in a medically induced coma before her condition worsened. Her signature raspy voice made her one of the defining pop stars of the 1970s and 1980s, earning global acclaim, Grammy nominations, and more than a billion streams for "Total Eclipse of the Heart." Tributes have poured in from across the U.K. and music world, celebrating her enduring legacy and decades-long impact on popular music. A Brown University economics professor suspects widespread AI cheating after his class’s average score on a take-home midterm reached an unprecedented 96%, with 40 students earning perfect scores, far above the historical average of 65-80%. Believing many students had relied on ChatGPT, he switched the final exam to an in-person test, prompting 27 students to drop or skip the exam, including 22 who had previously scored 100%. Among those who took the final, the average score plummeted to just 48%, reinforcing his belief that generative AI had been used extensively on the midterm. The professor has criticized what he sees as a weak institutional response, warning that widespread AI-enabled cheating undermines learning and could contribute to a “failed society” if universities fail to address it. Graham Platner has suspended his Democratic Senate campaign in Maine after a woman accused him of sexual assault, an allegation he denies. His withdrawal allows the Maine Democratic Party to replace him before the state's deadline, with party leaders now planning a nominating convention to choose a new candidate to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins. National Democratic leaders and several prominent progressives withdrew their support and warned the party would not invest in the race if Platner remained the nominee. The race is considered one of Democrats' best opportunities to flip a Republican-held Senate seat, making the search for a replacement especially significant in the battle for Senate control. Patrick Dempsey says he will not run for the U.S. Senate in Maine, despite speculation that he could replace Democratic nominee Graham Platner after Platner's campaign collapsed. The "Grey's Anatomy" actor said he seriously considered a run but ultimately concluded he could have a greater impact through his charitable work with the Dempsey Center, which supports cancer patients and their families. His announcement comes as Maine Democrats scramble to find a new nominee after Platner suspended his campaign amid a sexual assault allegation he denies. The state Democratic Party will now hold a nominating convention to choose a replacement candidate to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
See you soon. — Aaron You’re currently a free subscriber to the Parnas Perspective. For the full experience, more content, and to support Aaron, upgrade your subscription.
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