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Good morning, everyone. There is a lot of news to cover today. The president has been ordered to hand over key financial records during discovery in his defamation lawsuit against the BBC, and legal experts say the case may be backfiring. Meanwhile, there are major developments involving Jeffrey Epstein: the Trump Justice Department reportedly shut down a criminal investigation in 2019 and is now accused of failing to honor a key agreement, while an alleged Epstein recruiter was found dead today. Trump has also threatened to bomb one Iranian power plant or bridge for every ship Iran attacks, plus much more.
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Here’s the news:
Trump Ordered to Hand Over Discovery:
A federal judge ruled that Donald Trump must disclose detailed financial information about his businesses in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC. The decision could provide unusual insight into hundreds of ventures held by his family trust. It also illustrates the risks of seeking enormous damages in lawsuits against media organizations. Trump’s legal team is expected to appeal.
Trump sued over the BBC’s 2024 documentary “Trump, A Second Chance,” which misleadingly spliced parts of his January 6 speech to make it seem he directly encouraged supporters to attack the Capitol. The BBC apologized for the edit but maintains that Trump’s defamation claims lack merit. The judge is also allowing the BBC to subpoena Trump relatives and advisers, including Donald Trump Jr., Steve Bannon, and Stephen Miller. The BBC hopes these subpoenas will reveal evidence about Trump’s intentions and state of mind on January 6.
Trump’s lawyers plan to amend the complaint to claim only reputational harm, rather than damage to his businesses. They argue this change would make disclosure of his financial records unnecessary. For now, however, the BBC may continue requesting those records. It intends to show that Trump’s wealth increased after the documentary aired, undermining his claim of financial harm.
Epstein News:
Former New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas says federal prosecutors have failed to honor a 2019 agreement concerning the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Under the arrangement, New Mexico investigators stopped interviewing potential witnesses at Epstein’s Zorro Ranch. In return, federal prosecutors were supposed to refer state-related evidence to the New Mexico attorney general after completing their case. Balderas says partially redacted federal files contain handwritten notes confirming the agreement. Here is the agreement by federal prosecutors, under then President Trump, to hand over all relevant state files. They have failed to uphold this agreement:
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Current Attorney General Raúl Torrez has accused the federal government of obstructing New Mexico’s investigation into Zorro Ranch. He says the Justice Department has delayed providing records identifying potential witnesses, survivors, and co-conspirators. Without those materials, state investigators may be unable to fully investigate or prosecute possible crimes. Balderas’ account supports Torrez’s claim that New Mexico cooperated while federal authorities did not.
Torrez argues that the federal government’s alleged breach strengthens New Mexico’s case for obtaining the records. He says the state is entitled to the materials and will use every available method to secure them. Those efforts could include litigation against the federal government. The dispute centers on whether New Mexico can access enough evidence to pursue unresolved criminal matters connected to Epstein’s property.
An external review found roughly 30 meetings between Jeffrey Epstein and 10 Gates Foundation leaders and employees, including Bill Gates, from 2011 to 2014, despite staff repeatedly warning senior leadership about reputational risks stemming from Epstein’s prior conviction. The meetings reportedly concerned philanthropy, donor engagement, polio strategy, and a possible donor-advised fund. Investigators found no evidence that foundation personnel knew about or participated in Epstein’s criminal activities, that Epstein received foundation payments, or that the meetings involved illegal conduct. Gates has expressed regret for the association, while the foundation has approved stronger vetting, oversight, and risk-escalation procedures.
Daniel Siad, a 69-year-old modeling scout whose name appeared thousands of times in the Jeffrey Epstein files, was found unresponsive in the kitchen of his home in Colombes, near Paris. A 28-year-old woman staying with him discovered his body, and a neighbor attempted CPR but could not revive him. French prosecutors opened an investigation and ordered a post-mortem to determine the cause of death, while Le Parisien reported that Siad suffered cardiac arrest. Siad was under investigation in France over his alleged connections to Epstein and also faced rape accusations; he denied knowing the extent of Epstein’s crimes but acknowledged introducing models to him. His inclusion in the Epstein files does not by itself prove criminal wrongdoing.
Iran:
The U.S. completed an 11th consecutive night of strikes on Iran, targeting aircraft hangars and drone-storage facilities as efforts to restore an interim ceasefire faltered. President Donald Trump also threatened to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant each time Iran attacks a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that the U.S. could soon heavily strike the fortified Pickaxe Mountain site near a major Iranian enrichment facility. Iran insists no nuclear activity occurs at that location and describes Washington’s focus on it as a pretext for aggression. Iran’s foreign minister also revealed that he survived the opening U.S.-Israeli strike that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei by escaping through the rubble of a targeted leadership compound.
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The conflict is increasingly disrupting regional transportation and global energy supplies. Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply, with only three commodity vessels crossing Tuesday and no visible large crude-oil or liquefied-natural-gas tankers making the passage. Brent crude reached about $95 a barrel, representing a 20% increase during the month. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis threatened tankers using Saudi ports, prompting several vessels carrying Saudi oil to change course, while Jordan intercepted four Iranian missiles. European aviation authorities also advised airlines to avoid Jordanian airspace because of rapidly increasing military activity.
Leaked body-camera footage reportedly shows U.S. troops rushing for shelter during an Iranian missile alert at Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base on July 17.
Diplomatic and financial pressures are mounting as the conflict expands across the region. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the war has already cost the United States $37.5 billion and requested another $67.1 billion to sustain operations, pay troops, and replenish equipment. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that allowing Iran to control or charge ships for access to the Strait of Hormuz would threaten the global economy and establish a dangerous international precedent. Meanwhile, new U.S.-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon are scheduled for August 4 in Italy, with Lebanese officials prioritizing a complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The broader crisis also includes renewed debate over Israeli military conduct, as Britain’s defense secretary said Israel had fallen short of British standards in Gaza and the West Bank.
The U.S. military identified Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of New York as the third service member believed killed in Iran’s July 17 attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. Rampersad was initially listed as missing, but her status changed to “believed to be deceased” after troops recovered unidentified remains that are still being examined. She served with an air-defense artillery unit based in Ansbach, Germany, and her death would bring the number of American troops killed since the war began to 18. Two other soldiers, 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, were killed in the same attack, while Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton died separately during a controlled drone detonation in Iraq. The casualties come as the United States and Iran resume strikes following the collapse of an interim ceasefire, with the conflict reportedly costing the U.S. $37.5 billion so far.
Other news:
The House passed a stopgap funding measure, 220–205, that would keep the federal government operating through December 4 and avoid a shutdown shortly before the midterm elections. The bill now goes to the Senate, where it will need bipartisan support before current funding expires September 30. Republicans described the early vote as protection against another shutdown, while Democrats criticized the bill’s rushed drafting and its border patrol funding without significant reforms. Failure in the Senate would force lawmakers into difficult September negotiations complicated by partisan divisions and the approaching elections.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian long-range strikes successfully hit key logistics hubs in Russia’s Krasnodar and Stavropol regions. He characterized the attacks as “long-range sanctions” intended to increase pressure on Moscow. Zelenskyy argued that Ukraine has already presented Russia with every available diplomatic proposal. He said continued military pressure is therefore necessary to force Russia to pursue diplomacy.
Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, a 28-year-old Mexican tourist, was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer on July 14 after fleeing an encounter with ICE and Homeland Security agents at a St. Augustine, Florida, gas station. His wife and Mexican officials said he held a tourist visa, had visited relatives in Georgia, and traveled to Florida to enjoy the beaches, although U.S. authorities have not confirmed his visa status or explained what prompted the encounter. Coronilla Durán was among four vehicle occupants who ran, but officials have not disclosed what happened to the other three, citing an ongoing investigation. An advocacy group and the Mexican consulate are helping his wife repatriate his remains for burial in Guanajuato, where the couple’s two children—ages seven months and seven years—remain. His death was reportedly the third fatality involving an ICE encounter within roughly a week and at least the tenth since President Trump began his latest mass-deportation campaign.
Canada canceled a joint celebration with the United States for the Gordie Howe International Bridge after President Trump threatened a 50% tariff on most Canadian goods. Canada will hold its own ceremony, while the $4.4 billion bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit is still expected to open to traffic July 27. The tariff threat, prompted by alleged Canadian discrimination against U.S. products, has renewed tensions after earlier disagreements over the bridge’s financing and ownership. Canadian leaders remain open to negotiations but have warned of matching retaliatory tariffs if the U.S. measures proceed.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged that his administration lacks independent legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under the International Criminal Court’s warrant. After reviewing possible legal options, Mamdani called on the federal government to join the ICC and enforce the warrant instead. The United States has not ratified the Rome Statute, and both Donald Trump and Joe Biden have opposed the ICC’s allegations against Netanyahu, which Israel denies. Mamdani’s position drew criticism from Israeli officials and legal analysts, who emphasized that foreign affairs and the treatment of visiting heads of state fall under federal authority.
Republican state Rep. Alexander Kolodin won Arizona’s GOP nomination for secretary of state, defeating former state party chair Gina Swoboda. Kolodin, who has repeatedly questioned previous election outcomes, led lawsuits seeking to overturn Arizona’s 2020 and 2022 results and was rebuked by judges and the state bar. Supported by Turning Point USA and several Republican members of Congress, he will face Democratic incumbent Adrian Fontes in November. The winner will become Arizona’s chief elections officer, overseeing voting systems, ballots, and statewide result certification during the 2028 presidential campaign.
A federal appeals court reversed the ruling that freed Columbia University pro-Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi, potentially allowing the Trump administration to rearrest him while pursuing his deportation. The unanimous panel said the lower court intervened prematurely because Mahdawi had not exhausted the immigration-court process, but it did not decide whether he was unconstitutionally targeted for criticizing Israel. Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident, is appealing his removal order, while his ACLU attorneys maintain that the government cannot detain or deport him during the appeal. He called the decision a serious setback that could enable the government to intimidate and punish dissent.
Nicolás Maduro returned to a New York court for a pretrial hearing in the U.S. drug-trafficking case against him and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both have been jailed in Brooklyn since U.S. forces seized them from their Caracas home during an overnight raid in January, an operation the Trump administration calls lawful but Maduro describes as a kidnapping. Prosecutors allege that Maduro conspired with Venezuelan law enforcement and drug traffickers to send thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States, charges that could result in life sentences. Maduro and Flores have pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys plan to challenge the legality of what they call his “military abduction.” Neither defendant has requested bail, and no trial date has been set while the court considers complex preliminary legal issues.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and appointed popular general Mykhailo Drapatyi to reorganize the military’s command structure and update its defense strategy. The reshuffle follows nationwide protests over Zelenskyy’s earlier dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, whom the president has now offered an unspecified prominent government role overseeing technology. Drapatyi is regarded as an innovative commander aligned with Fedorov’s push for military modernization, automation, and advanced drone operations. Zelenskyy thanked Syrskyi for defending Kyiv and leading Ukraine’s 2024 incursion into Russia’s Kursk region while promising a coordinated transition and continued long-range strikes against Russian targets.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s widow, Tenisha Warner, is suing his mother, Pamela Warner, for at least $1.27 million over alleged breaches of the couple’s prenuptial agreement. She claims her late husband failed to provide a $1 million life insurance policy, annual payments, a retirement account, and a monthly salary promised before their 2022 marriage. The lawsuit seeks to prevent Pamela, trustee of the Warner Family Trust, from distributing trust assets while the dispute proceeds. Tenisha says she pursued legal action to protect herself and their 9-year-old daughter after unsuccessful efforts to settle the estate privately following Warner’s accidental drowning in July 2025.
Five adults, including two married couples from Honduras, drowned during a fishing trip in Ohio’s Scioto River after one person struggled and the others attempted a rescue. Officials said the river appeared calm but was running high and fast, sweeping all five underwater; two bodies were recovered Sunday and three Monday. The two children of one couple, ages 8 and 10, are now in Ohio’s care, with plans to reunite them with relatives in Honduras. Honduran authorities are working to repatriate the victims, while relatives are raising money for funeral, transportation, and childcare expenses.
President Trump has reportedly approved a 30-year civilian nuclear agreement that could allow Saudi Arabia to build a uranium-enrichment facility after a joint U.S.-Saudi study, with American companies helping develop the program. The deal is expected to be announced soon and submitted to Congress, where lawmakers concerned about nuclear proliferation may oppose it. It reportedly excludes the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol, which would permit stronger inspections and monitoring. Critics warn that domestic enrichment could eventually support a Saudi weapons program, particularly given Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s suggestion that the kingdom might pursue nuclear arms if Iran acquires them.
See you soon.
— Aaron
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