Justice Department asks court to unseal Jeffrey Epstein grand jury records
Deputy attorney general Todd Blanche filed a motion urging the court to release the transcripts a day after President Donald Trump directed the Justice Department to do so.
The Trump administration has been embroiled in controversy since the Justice Department last week announced that it would not be releasing any more evidence in its possession from Epstein's investigation.
Mr Trump's demand to release the grand jury transcripts came after The Wall Street Journal reported on a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper says bore Mr Trump's name and was included in a 2003 album for Epstein's 50th birthday.
Mr Trump denied writing the letter, calling it 'false, malicious, and defamatory'.
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26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Federal Budget Cuts That Disproportionately Affect Blue States
In May, the White House released its budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, which included $163 billion in cuts to non-defense spending. Consider This: Read More: Critics contend that the cuts disproportionately affect blue states that typically vote Democrat. Keep an eye on the following proposed cuts, which could particularly bludgeon blue states. Also find out how some federal budget cuts could disproportionately affect red states. Infrastructure Funding The budget proposal includes cutting $19.3 billion from the Department of Energy, specifically by slashing funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The states currently collecting the most funds for renewable energy include California, Michigan, New York, Washington, and Georgia. But the changes to infrastructure spending don't end there. The Administration has reshuffled federal funds for flooding and water construction budgets from blue to red states. The two biggest losers included California and Washington, which stand to lose a combined $606 million, according to a report by CNN. Meanwhile, Texas stands to gain an extra $206 million. The budget proposal shifts civil works projects so that blue states receive just 33% of the funds, compared to 64% for red states. Find Out: Medicaid Cuts The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) proposed over $600 billion in cuts to Medicaid, which could rise to $900 billion in the Senate version of the bill. The bill was signed into law on Jul. 4. 'Shifting Medicaid benefits over to the states will put a burden on their budgets that many cannot handle,' explains Tasha Preisner, tax law specialist with DeMar Consulting Group. For example, California tops the list for total Medicaid spending at $124.1 billion, per U.S. News and World Report. Following on their heels is New York, with $97.9 billion. SNAP (Food Stamp) Cuts The OBBBA cuts funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by nearly $300 billion through 2034. The program provides food benefits for one in five children in the U.S., and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that over 2 million children will lose some or all of their food benefits. Aaron Razon, consumer budgeting expert with CouponSnake, expects many blue states to struggle with the cuts. 'Blue states like Massachusetts and California have a high cost of living and many residents who rely on social services,' Razon noted. 'SNAP and other social support cuts would hit them hard, and potentially lead to greater food insecurity, poverty putting further strain on these states' resources and social safety nets.' Science and Health Research Cuts Under the White House budget proposal, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would lose $18 billion, or 41% of its funding. The numbers look even worse for the National Science Foundation (NSF), which stands to lose 57% of its annual funding ($5.2 billion). Guess which states receive the most research funding from the NIH and NSF? California ($6.2 billion), New York ($4.1 billion) and Massachusetts ($4 billion) round out the top three, according to Axios, with Maryland not far behind. Education Cuts Originally, the Trump administration called for dismantling the Department of Education entirely. On Jul. 14, the Supreme Court allowed the administration to continue laying off DOE workers, leaving the department's fate in limbo, per CNN. The proposed White House budget cuts $12 billion in funding for the DOE. The administration particularly called for cuts to student aid and a new limit on Pell Grants, which provide subsidies to low-income students. The budget eliminates the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), along with all $910 million in funding. The TRIO programs and Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) programs also get the axe, and the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program loses $980 million in funding. It proves another blow to blue states like Maryland whose economies largely run on 'eds, meds, and feds.' Editor's note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on More From GOBankingRates 3 Luxury SUVs That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Summer 2025 10 Unreliable SUVs To Stay Away From Buying 5 Types of Cars Retirees Should Stay Away From Buying This article originally appeared on Federal Budget Cuts That Disproportionately Affect Blue States
Newsweek
29 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Emerald AI Has a New Approach to Meeting AI's Energy Demand
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump and members of his cabinet highlighted the surging demand for energy that will be needed to power the growth in artificial intelligence (AI) at an event this week in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Republican Senator Dave McCormick organized an AI and energy summit Tuesday at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he and other political and business leaders framed the race to develop AI as crucial to economic and national security interests. "This is a competition we must win," McCormick said in opening remarks at the event. Billionaire businessman Jonathan Gray, president and CEO of the asset management firm Blackstone Group, said in a panel discussion at the event that access to energy has emerged as the main constraint on AI. President Donald Trump and Pennsylvania Republican Senator Dave McCormick at an event Tuesday focused on AI and energy. President Donald Trump and Pennsylvania Republican Senator Dave McCormick at an event Tuesday focused on AI and energy. Courtesy of Carnegie Mellon University "Energy is the limiting factor," Gray said. "Unless we get the energy side right, we can't do this." Energy analysts predict a coming spike in electricity demand for energy-hungry data centers. A Department of Energy report in December predicted that electricity use by data centers in the U.S. could nearly triple over the coming three years, consuming as much as 12 percent of the country's total electricity output by 2028. Tech companies are racing to secure connections to the electric grid, pouring money into new energy sources and, in some cases, securing their own power supplies. Grid managers, utility companies and regulators, meanwhile, are wrestling with how to meet the growing demand while keeping the power supply affordable and reliable. Sustainability is also at risk as the AI boom drives up greenhouse gas emissions, knocking many tech companies off target for their net-zero climate goals. Against this fraught backdrop, one emerging technology seeks to make AI data centers friendlier users of the power grid. "Our goal is to make these data centers flexible in their power consumption," Varun Sivaram, CEO and founder of Emerald AI, told Newsweek. Emerald made waves this month when it announced a $24.5 million round of financing backed by big names connecting the tech, energy and climate worlds, including chip maker Nvidia, former climate envoy John Kerry and Kleiner Perkins chair John Doerr. Sivaram explained that Emerald's platform allows grid managers to remotely shift power demand for data centers without affecting AI performance. "That makes it possible to connect far more data centers to today's energy system and more efficiently use today's energy system without a massive build-out of new infrastructure," he said. Utility companies and grid managers must plan for peak energy demand—those times when electricity use will be highest across the service area—and build electricity generation capacity to match those peak moments. Often, some of the most expensive and most polluting sources in a regional power fleet are "peaker plants," the ones that turn on only at times of peak demand. But if those power companies could better anticipate and control the demand for electricity, they might avoid the need for those extra peak power supplies and reduce the risk of blackouts. Sivaram said Emerald applies that concept of demand-side management to the special properties of data centers, giving power system managers more flexibility. 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Sivaram said he thinks this approach has the potential to flip the script on the AI energy issue, turning data centers into "grid allies" instead of a potential threat. "Communities are afraid their rates will go up, their power grid will crash, and these data centers will use diesel generators, which are dirty and create air pollution," he said. "Emerald AI's approach to flexibility mitigates all three of these." Newsweek will dive further into the issues around data center energy demand during an all-day event in September during Climate Week NYC. Mark your calendar for "Powering Ahead" on Thursday, September 25.
Newsweek
29 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Ukraine Gets Major Abrams Tank Boost
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Australia has sent Ukraine the first batch of dozens of U.S.-built M1A1 Abrams tanks that it had promised Kyiv for its fight against Russian aggression, according to the Defense Ministry in Canberra. Ukraine's ally in the South Pacific announced that Kyiv had received the majority of the 49 decommissioned tanks it had pledged, with the rest scheduled to arrive later this year. The delivery follows reported delays due to initial resistance from the U.S. about the American vehicles. An Australian army M1A2 Abrams tank is loaded onto U.S Army Vessel Paulus Hook in Townsville, Australia, on July 19. An Australian army M1A2 Abrams tank is loaded onto U.S Army Vessel Paulus Hook in Townsville, Australia, on July It Matters Australia is one of Ukraine's largest non-NATO partners and has been supplying Kyiv with assistance, ammunition and defense equipment since the beginning of the war. The delivery of main battle tanks could be a battlefield boost for Ukraine as it awaits further pledges of military support from U.S. President Donald Trump. What To Know Australia is providing 49 Abrams tanks to Ukraine to help its fight against Russia as part of a pledge it made in October. The delivery was delayed because of objections from the U.S., the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported, citing unnamed defense officials. Washington had warned Canberra against sending the tanks, and Trump's decision to pause military aid earlier this year may also have added to complications, according to the Australian outlet. Experts have voiced concerns about their battlefield effectiveness due to the vulnerabilities of the tank's roof to drones. However, the Australian Defense Ministry said on Friday that most of the tanks had been shipped to Ukraine, adding to the mobility and firepower of Kyiv's forces. The rest are set to arrive in the coming months. Ukraine also awaits additional military aid pledged by Trump on July 7, when he unveiled a plan to funnel weapons to Ukraine via a NATO- and EU-backed program. Retired U.S. Vice Admiral Robert Murrett told Newsweek that Washington's decision to provide more arms to Ukraine mostly through European allies was a good step, although the Kremlin is still convinced that conditions on the ground are working in its favor. Despite high Russian losses, Moscow is not interested in a ceasefire, in spite of Kyiv's willingness to accept such a move, added Murrett, the deputy director at Syracuse University's Institute for Security Policy and Law. He continued, "Both sides are likely to sustain the fight, and keep a close eye on arms, prospective additional sanctions and military activity in the skies and front lines in Ukraine." What People Are Saying Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said: "The M1A1 Abrams tanks will make a significant contribution to Ukraine's ongoing fight against Russia's illegal and immoral invasion." Australian Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy said: "These modified M1A1 Abrams tanks will deliver more firepower and more mobility to the Ukrainian Armed Forces." What Happens Next Australia said it would ship the rest of the Abrams tanks to Ukraine later this year. Kyiv also awaits other U.S. weapons. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that its next Patriot air defense system, promised by Trump, would be sent to Germany rather than Switzerland to speed up its transfer to Ukraine.
