Trump Denies Epstein Letter, Threatens WSJ With Lawsuit
Written By Lexx Thornton The controversy surrounding President Trump and the so-called Epstein files has moved back to the legal system as he threatens to sue The Wall Street Journal and wants some case files released. The Journal published an article on Thursday that claims the then-real estate mogul Trump contributed a lewd birthday letter to a compilation given to billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2003, three years before Epstein was arrested for prostitution-related offenses. That article claims that among the materials in an Epstein investigation years ago was a book of birthday letters from 2003, including one with the
New Bills Target Toxic Chemicals in Black Hair Products
By Deon J. Hampton Federal lawmakers on Wednesday introduced four bills aimed at banning or regulating dangerous chemicals in hair and beauty products largely marketed toward Black women. The four proposals in the Safe Beauty Bill Package would remove ingredients that are known to cause cancer from beauty and personal care hair products, thus protecting women of color and salon workers who are at a high risk of exposure to these ingredients, lawmakers said. Lawmakers also say there’s mounting scientific evidence linking harmful beauty ingredients to serious health conditions such as breast cancer, reproductive harm, early puberty and learning disabilities. Ingredients that
Senate Approves Trump’s $9B Cuts to Aid, Public Media
The US Senate has approved Donald Trump’s plan for billions of dollars to be cut from funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, handing the Republican president another victory as he exerts control over Congress with little opposition. The Senate voted 51 to 48 in favour of Trump’s request to cut $9bn in spending, which had already been approved by Congress. Most of the cuts are to programs to assist foreign countries dealing with disease, war and natural disasters, but the plan also eliminates the $1.1bn the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was due to receive over the next two years. Trump and
GOP Pushes Trump to Release Epstein Files, Seeks Answers
By Scott Wong and Sahil Kapur Conservative Republicans in Congress are breaking with President Donald Trump’s handling of the case of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the latest development in a rare MAGA revolt against the administration. After the Justice Department and the FBI said they would not release any further information related to the case and Trump sought to downplay it, his allies on Capitol Hill called for the government to release the Epstein files, which has consumed right-wing circles for years. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told conservative commentator Benny Johnson said he supported the release of the files related to the
House Democrats Divided Over Trump Impeachment Pushes
By Scott Wong and Julie Tsirkin House Democrats have been publicly grappling with the issue of impeaching President Donald Trump, with grassroots activists pressuring lawmakers to more aggressively confront Trump and centrist members of the party dismissing the push as futile. During a six-week stretch this year, House Democrats twice were confronted with impeachment votes — forced by their own rank-and-file members — that had zero chance of passing, given that Republicans control the chamber. In May, Democratic leaders convinced Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., to back off his impeachment push at the last minute. But the following month, Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, forced a failed
Supreme Court Backs Trump’s Education Dept. Restructure
By Walter Hudson The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to restructure the Department of Education, allowing the administration to proceed with laying off nearly 1,400 employees. The ruling, handed down Monday, is seen as a significant step in the President’s ongoing efforts to shrink the federal government and reshape its agencies. The decision pauses a previous injunction from U.S. District Judge Myong Joun, who had temporarily blocked the layoffs in a ruling that criticized the plan as potentially crippling the department. Judge Joun’s initial order, issued in Boston, warned that the layoffs
States Brace for Budget Crisis After Trump Aid Cuts Bill
By Adam Edelman State lawmakers are scrambling to deal with the expected financial fallout from President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” with many in blue states demanding special legislative sessions they say are necessary to shore up funding for health care and food assistance programs affected by the new law. Democratic governors in at least five states are weighing such special sessions, and Democratic lawmakers in several more are urging their governors to convene them to address expected funding shortfalls. Trump’s law institutes steep cuts to Medicaid and food aid benefits, mostly by establishing new work requirements. It also restricts state-levied fees on health care
Judge Blocks Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Order Again
By Ana Faguy A US judge has once again blocked President Donald Trump from implementing an executive order ending birthright citizenship for some US residents as a legal challenge moves forward. A New Hampshire judge approved a class action lawsuit against Trump’s executive order, and temporarily stopped the president’s order from taking effect. The class action lawsuit was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of immigrant parents and their infants. The decision comes weeks after the Supreme Court introduced limits on how and when universal injunctions are issued by federal courts. However, the decision still allows them
State Department to Begin Layoffs Amid Major Reorganization
The State Department will begin issuing layoff notices to employees via email “in the coming days” as a part of the Trump administration’s plans to downsize government, Michael Rigas, the deputy secretary of state for management and resources, told staff on Thursday in a memo obtained by The Washington Post. The memo did not detail the number of employees who would be let go but said “every effort has been made to support our colleagues who are departing.” Uncertainty over the status of the plan has negatively impacted morale at the department, with some of the workforce exasperated and embittered
Trump’s $9.4B Cuts Spark Funding Showdown in Congress
By Sahil Kapur, Frank Thorp V and Brennan Leach President Donald Trump’s push for Republicans to bypass Democrats and claw back $9.4 billion in approved spending has ignited a new fight in Congress that could upend the normally bipartisan government funding process. Ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline to prevent a shutdown, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is laying down a marker by warning that Democrats won’t sign off on an agreement if the GOP follows through with Trump’s request. “If Republicans cave to Donald Trump and gut these investments agreed to by both parties, that would be an affront — a huge affront
