The Latest: Justice Department to meet with Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell

Independent

a day ago

Justice Department officials are set to meet on Thursday with Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned girlfriend of financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The meeting in Florida, which Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Tuesday he was working to arrange, is part of an ongoing Justice Department effort to cast itself as transparent following fierce backlash from parts of President Donald Trump's base over an earlier refusal to release additional records in the Epstein investigation.
Here's the latest:
State Dept. remains mum on what 'alternative options' US will use for Israeli hostage release after breakdown in talks
At a news briefing Thursday, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott would not offer details on what the 'alternative options' the U.S. is considering to release hostages in Gaza after Trump envoy announced a breakdown in negotiations.
When pressed for clarity on whether and how the U.S. would proceed, Pigott did not offer clarity and said, 'This is a very dynamic situation.'
He said there's never been a question of the U.S. commitment to reaching a ceasefire, but Hamas' commitment.
Journalists get rare tour of Fed building renovations before Trump visit
On Thursday, reporters wound through cement mixers, front loaders, and plastic pipes as they got a close-up view of the active construction site that encompasses the Fed's historic headquarters.
Fed staff pointed out new blast-resistant windows and seismic walls that were needed to comply with modern building codes and security standards set out by the Department of Homeland Security.
Sensitivity to the president's visit later Thursday among Fed staff was high during the tour. Reporters were ushered into a small room outside the Fed's boardroom, where 19 officials meet eight times a year to decide whether to change short-term interest rates. The room is oval-shaped, and someone had written 'oval office' on plywood walls.
The Fed staff downplayed the inscription as a joke. When reporters returned to the room later, it had been painted over.
▶ Read more about Fed headquarters
CISA nominee won't say whether he'd bend to Trump on false election security claims
Trump's pick to run the nation's cybersecurity agency, Sean Plankey, evaded some questions about election security in his confirmation hearing with a Senate committee on Thursday morning.
When Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) asked him if the 2020 election was rigged and stolen, the nominee said he had not reviewed that election's cybersecurity and his personal opinions weren't relevant. He acknowledged that President Joe Biden was confirmed by the electoral college and sworn in.
Blumenthal then pressed Plankey on what he would do if Trump later pushed him to falsely claim the 2026 or 2028 elections were rigged.
'Senator, as a cybersecurity professional, these are state-run elections,' Plankey answered. 'I have not reviewed the cybersecurity posture of all 50 states. That's like a doctor who's diagnosing somebody over the television because they saw him on the news.'
'No, it's like a doctor who has a patient come to him and is responsible for doing the diagnosis,' Blumenthal replied. The senator called Plankey's answers 'unsatisfactory' and accused him of 'undermining the confidence of the nation in the election apparatus.'
The uncomfortable exchange reflects partisan tensions over the role CISA should play in combating the rise of election fraud claims that have frayed the nation's trust in election officials and voting machines. CISA is tasked with protecting the nation's critical infrastructure, from dams and power plants to banks and voting systems.
Trump signed an executive order earlier this year directing the Justice Department to investigate former CISA head Chris Krebs and strip his security clearances. Krebs became a target of the president's ire after he insisted the 2020 election was secure and ballot counts were accurate.
Obama heading to fundraiser for Democrats' redistricting efforts
Former President Barack Obama is attending a fundraiser next month for a group that advocates for Democrats in an effort to push back toward congressional maps they see as unfairly drawn to favor Republicans.
Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush said Thursday that the former Democratic president would be attending an August event on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.
The event, first reported by Politico, is hosted by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, a group headed up by Obama's former attorney general, Eric Holder. It has filed and supported litigation in several states over GOP-drawn district maps.
President Donald Trump mourns 'a great friend,' Hulk Hogan
Trump offered condolences to Hogan's wife and family on his social media platform Thursday.
Using Hogan's 'Hulkster' nickname, Trump said the pro wrestling star was 'strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart.'
He said Hogan 'MAGA all the way' and praised his speech at the Republican National Convention as 'one of the highlights of the entire week.'
Where do gaps remain in Gaza ceasefire talks?
The talks have been bogged down over competing demands for ending the war. Hamas says it will only release all hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal and end to the war. Israel says it will not agree to end the war until Hamas gives up power and disarms — a condition the militant group rejects.
The U.S. plan called for an initial 60-day ceasefire and partial hostage release, with pledges from the U.S. that Israel would not resume the fighting after that.
Hamas is believed to be holding the hostages in different locations, including tunnels, and says it has ordered its guards to kill them if Israeli forces approach.
Senate Republicans quash Democratic bid to force release of Epstein files
It was the latest attempt by Democrats on Capitol Hill to force Republicans to vote for greater disclosure of the Epstein files, yet notably, the first time many Republicans in the Senate had to take a stand on the issue. For now, they voted against forcing the release of the case files.
The vote unfolded Thursday morning with tense exchanges as the Senate Judiciary Committee prepared to advance a bill meant to address opioid trafficking.
Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey offered an amendment to the bill that would have kept it from going into effect until the Epstein files are released. But Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas successfully stymied that effort by offering a separate amendment that nullified Booker's while also adding language to address criminals who entered the country illegally.
While some Republicans have indicated they're open to a debate on forcing more disclosure, Cornyn said he trusted Attorney General Pam Bondi to handle the matter.
Republicans on the committee all voted for Cornyn's amendment, while Democrats voted against, saying, 'No on concealing the Epstein files.'
Trump envoy Witkoff says US cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks, bringing home negotiating team
President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday the U.S. is cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks and bringing home its negotiating team from Qatar for consultations after the latest response from Hamas 'shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.'
'While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith,' Witkoff said. 'We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.'
He said it was 'a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way' and that the U.S. is 'resolute' in seeking an end to the conflict in Gaza.
▶ Read more about Gaza ceasefire
The Senate Judiciary Committee advances Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as federal prosecutor for DC, again
The party-line committee vote, which advances Pirro's nomination to the Senate floor, was a do-over after the Judiciary panel approved her nomination last week when Democrats had walked out of the room to protest
Emil Bove's nomination to become a federal appeals court judge. The Judiciary committee scheduled the second vote to ensure there was a sufficient quorum of senators after consulting with the Senate parliamentarian.
Pirro has served as acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia since May. President Donald Trump nominated her to replace his previous nominee, Ed Martin Jr., amid concerns among some Republican senators about his outspoken support for rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 and were later pardoned by Trump. Democrats have criticized Pirro, as well, for defending the rioters.
Before she replaced Martin, Pirro cohosted the Fox News show 'The Five' on weekday evenings. She was elected as a judge in New York's Westchester County Court in 1990 before serving three terms as the county's elected district attorney.
Trump takes to social media to support Musk's embattled car company.
The Thursday morning post on Truth Social — 'I want Elon, and all businesses within our Country, to THRIVE' — is a startling development given the bitter public feud between the two.
The post came about an hour before Tesla's stock opened sharply lower after the company reported another quarter of lackluster financial results. The stock was down 9% in midday trading.
Musk blasted Trump's budget bill for adding to U.S. debt and said he will form a new political party. Trump has threatened to cut contracts and subsidies for Musk's businesses, including Tesla.
Trump meets with Rose Garden construction workers in Oval Office
A Trump aide posted a photo on social media of the president sitting at the Resolute Desk with about a dozen men in orange shirts facing him.
The photo was accompanied with a message that Trump had invited the workers in to sign hats for them.
Trump has ordered the grass in the Rose Garden to be paved over.
Mike Waltz UN nomination advances out of committee with bipartisan support
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced Mike Waltz's nomination Thursday to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
The bipartisan vote came after the initial vote was pulled Wednesday over concerns by Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. The top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, voted with all Republicans except Paul to push the nomination to the Senate floor.
Shaheen's support came as a surprise as many thought that Paul's opposition would tank Waltz's nomination, dealing another blow to the White House over a position they have failed to fill for the past six months. The New Hampshire lawmaker defended her decision, saying in a statement that while she disagrees with Waltz on some issues, the alternatives to his nomination could fare worse for U.S. foreign policy.
'He represents a moderating force within the administration. He has a distinguished record of military service, and he has an extensive background in national security policy,' Shaheen said.
Senate Republicans quash Democratic bid to force release of Epstein files
It was the latest attempt by Democrats on Capitol Hill to force Republicans to vote for greater disclosure of the Epstein files, yet notably, the first time many Republicans in the Senate had to take a stand on the issue. For now, they voted against forcing the release of the case files.
The vote unfolded Thursday morning with tense exchanges as the Senate Judiciary Committee prepared to advance a bill meant to address opioid trafficking.
Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey offered an amendment to the bill that would have kept it from going into effect until the Epstein files are released. But Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas successfully stymied that effort by offering a separate amendment that nullified Booker's. While some Republicans have indicated they're open to a debate on forcing more disclosure, Cornyn said he trusted Attorney General Pam Bondi to handle the matter.
Republicans on the committee all voted for Cornyn's amendment, while Democrats voted against, saying, 'No on concealing the Epstein files.'
A replica Oval Office on display near the White House just got a Trump makeover
The replica Oval Office now looks exactly like President Trump's. But it's not the blingy version he's currently using.
Visitors starting Thursday will experience the mock Oval Office as it was in the Republican president's first term, until it's redecorated again next year to incorporate the golden touches and other flourishes Trump brought to the workspace after he returned to power in January.
'Just like the White House itself, our Oval Office is a living space, so it changes and evolves as the actual Oval Office changes,' Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, said Wednesday as he led The Associated Press on a tour of the space as it was being revamped.
The mock-up is inside 'The People's House: A White House Experience,' an educational center the association opened last year one block west of the Executive Mansion.
▶ Read more about the replica Oval Office
House subcommittee voted Wednesday to subpoena Justice Department for Epstein files
A House subcommittee voted to subpoena the Department of Justice for files in the Epstein case after Democrats successfully goaded GOP lawmakers to defy Trump and Republican leadership to support the action.
The vote showed the intensifying push for disclosures in the Epstein investigation even as House Speaker Mike Johnson — caught between demands from Trump and clamoring from his own members for the House to act — was sending lawmakers home a day early for its August recess.
Meanwhile, Democrats on a subcommittee of the powerful House Oversight Committee made a motion for the subpoena Wednesday afternoon. Three Republicans on the panel voted with Democrats for the subpoena, sending it through on an 8-2 vote tally.
Democrats cheered the action as proof that their push for disclosures in the Epstein investigation was growing stronger. The committee agreed to redact information on victims, yet Democrats successfully blocked a push by Republicans to only subpoena information that was deemed to be 'credible' — language that Trump has also used when discussing what he would support releasing.
▶Read more about the subpoena
Bondi facing Democratic calls to testify following report she told Trump he was in Epstein files
Bondi is facing Democratic calls to testify before Congress after the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that she told Trump his name was among many high-profile figures mentioned in the files, which the Justice Department this month said it would not be releasing despite a clamor from online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and members of Trump's base.
Trump's personal ties to Epstein are well-established and his name is already known to have been included in records related to the wealthy financier.
Sen. Adam Schiff responded to the report by calling on Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the report but issued a joint statement from Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche saying that investigators had reviewed the records and 'nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution.'
The mere inclusion of a person's name in Epstein's files does not imply wrongdoing and he was known to have been associated with multiple prominent figures, including Trump.
▶ Read more about the calls for Bondi to testify
Senate Democratic Leader calls for closed-door briefing on the Epstein files
Democrats aren't letting up on their calls for disclosure from the Trump administration on the sex trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer started the morning off with a speech calling for a closed-door briefing for senators from the Trump administration on the Epstein files. While the administration is unlikely to comply with the New York Democrat's demand, Democrats are pouncing on the issue and have found some success this week by daring Republicans to join them in votes to demand disclosure of the files.
'A good number of people voted for Trump because he promised to be their voice against the so-called deep state. But now they've seen he's very much part of that deep state. He's right in the middle of it,' Schumer said.
Lara Trump says she's sitting out the North Carolina Senate race
The president's daughter-in-law formally made her decision public Thursday in a post on X, as news of RNC Chair Michael Whatley's expected entrance into the race emerged.
Lara Trump said she was 'deeply grateful' for encouragement to seek the open seat in her home state and appeared not to close the door to a possible future run, saying she looked 'forward to the future, wherever that leads.'
Lara Trump served alongside Whatley as RNC co-chair during last year's elections and had been seen as having the right of first refusal to seek the seat, which Democrats see as a top pickup opportunity in next year's midterms.
Biden's former chief of staff appears on Capitol Hill for House Republican age inquiry
Ron Klain, who served as former President Joe Biden's first chief of staff, entered the House Oversight Committee's hearing room just before 10 a.m. for testimony as part of House Republicans' probe into Biden's age and alleged cognitive decline.
Klain took no questions as he entered the room.
UnitedHealth stocks dip
The stock price dropped 2%, or $6.13, to $286.50 on Thursday morning. Company shares have mostly shed value since December, when UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot in midtown Manhattan on his way to the company's annual investor meeting.
What to know about UnitedHealth Group
The company's business covers more than 8 million people as the nation's largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans. The business has been under pressure in recent quarters due to rising care use and rate cuts.
UnitedHealth also runs one of the nation's largest health insurance and pharmacy benefits management businesses. It also operates a growing Optum business that provides care and technology support.
UnitedHealth says it is under a federal investigation and cooperating
Shares of UnitedHealth Group dove early Thursday after the health care giant said it was under a Department of Justice investigation.
The company said it has started complying with both criminal and civil requests from federal investigators and it was working cooperatively with them.
'(UnitedHealth) has a long record of responsible conduct and effective compliance,' the company said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal said federal officials had launched a civil fraud investigation into how the company records diagnoses that lead to extra payments for its Medicare Advantage, or MA, plans. Those are privately run versions of the government's Medicare coverage program mostly for people ages 65 and over.
▶ Read more about the UnitedHealth federal investigation
RNC Chair Michael Whatley plans to run for an open Senate seat in North Carolina
That's according to two people familiar with his thinking, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't permitted to speak on the record.
President Trump, according to one of the people, asked him to make the run after Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, mulled the seat.
Politico first reported news of Whatley's plans.
Democrats see North Carolina as their top pickup opportunity next year after Sen. Thom Tillis announced his surprise retirement after clashing with Trump.
While Lara Trump had been seen as having the right of first refusal, Whatley is considered by national Republicans to be a strong contender for the seat, thanks, in part, to the large fundraising network he's cultivated as RNC chair and his perceived loyalty to the president. He's a well-known name in the state, having served as GOP chair there, and has no voting record that could be used against him by Democrats.
— Jill Colvin
Trump's trip to Scotland highlights his complex relationship with his mother's homeland
President Trump's trip to Scotland this week will be a homecoming of sorts, but he's likely to get a mixed reception.
Trump has had a long and at times rocky relationship with the country where his mother grew up in a humble house on a windswept isle.
He'll be met by both political leaders and protesters during the visit, which begins Friday and takes in his two Scottish golf resorts. It comes two months before King Charles III is due to welcome him on a formal state visit to the U.K.
'I'm not proud that he (has) Scottish heritage,' said Patricia Sloan, who says she stopped visiting the Turnberry resort on Scotland's west coast after Trump bought it in 2014. 'All countries have good and bad that come out of them, and if he's going to kind of wave the flag of having Scottish heritage, that's the bad part, I think.'
▶ Read more about Trump's relationship with Scotland
Trump's schedule, according to the White House
3 p.m. ET — Trump will sign executive orders
4 p.m. — Trump will visit the Federal Reserve
Man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump returns to court and hopes to represent himself
The man charged with attempting to assassinate Trump last year at his Florida golf course will return to court Thursday to once again explain why he wants to fire his court-appointed lawyers and represent himself.
Ryan Routh previously made the request earlier this month during a hearing in Fort Pierce before U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon. She didn't rule during the hearing but said she would issue a written order later. But now Routh, 59, is set to be back in front of Cannon, a day after his court-appointed federal public defenders asked to be taken off the case.
Routh is scheduled to stand trial in September, a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.