Latest news with #federalinvestigation
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
US judge rejects Trump administration's bid to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts
A US federal judge on Wednesday denied a justice department request to unseal grand jury transcripts related to a criminal investigation of the late sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein in south Florida from the mid-2000s. The move is the first ruling in a series of attempts to release more information on the case by Donald Trump's administration, which has been mired in a scandal in recent weeks, after the justice department announced it would not be releasing any additional files related to the Epstein case – despite earlier promises from the president and the the US attorney general, Pam Bondi. The justice department's memo sparked renewed focus on and scrutiny of Trump's past ties to Epstein and drew backlash from some Trump supporters and conservative commentators. On Friday, the justice department filed a motion asking the court to unseal the grand jury transcripts related to the federal investigations into Epstein in 2005 and 2007, according to court documents. But on Wednesday, US district judge Robin Rosenberg ruled that the department's request in Florida did not fall into any of the exceptions to rules requiring grand jury material be kept secret. Rosenberg wrote that the court's 'hands are tied' and said the government had not requested the grand jury's findings for use in a judicial proceeding, pointing out that district courts in the US are largely prohibited from unsealing grand jury testimony except in very narrow circumstances. 'Eleventh circuit law does not permit this court to grant the government's request,' Rosenberg wrote. 'The court's hands are tied – a point that the Government concedes.' The justice department still has pending requests to unseal transcripts in Manhattan federal court related to a later indictment brought against Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 shortly after his arrest while awaiting trial, and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump news at a glance: Musk mocks ‘Epstein hoax' claims after president blasts its ‘stupid' believers
Elon Musk has mocked Donald Trump's claim that files related to the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein are 'a hoax'. 'Wow, amazing that Epstein 'killed himself' and Ghislaine is in federal prison for a hoax,' Musk wrote on his social media platform X in response to the US president's attempt to deflect questions about Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, by casting doubt on the authenticity of the documents his justice department has refused to release. 'He should just release the files and point out which part is the hoax,' Musk added. Trump lashed out against his own supporters on Wednesday, calling them gullible 'weaklings' for questioning the transparency of a secretive government inquiry into Epstein, the late sex offender. The US president also lambasted any Republicans who believe there is more to be revealed about the case as 'stupid' and 'foolish' people. Here's more on this and other key US politics stories of the day: Trump turns on Maga 'weaklings' over Epstein case The president accused his voters of falling for what he called a 'radical left' hoax by the opposition to discredit him over the Jeffrey Epstein case. In a lengthy post on his Truth Social site, Trump said: 'Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support any more!' Read the full story Trump privately signals he may soon fire Fed chair The president Trump has privately indicated he is on the verge of firing Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, rattling Wall Street and renewing questions over the US central bank's independence. He insisted publicly on Wednesday that it was 'highly unlikely' he would dismiss the Fed chair, after reports he had suggested he would and shown a draft letter dismissing Powell to political allies. Read the full story US deports migrants to Eswatini despite troubling rights record The US has flown five immigrants from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen and Cuba to the small African country of Eswatini, an absolute monarchy with a troubling human rights record. The move signals that the US is again ramping up so-called 'third country' deportations after the US supreme court cleared the practice last month. Read the full story Trump's Brazil tariffs ultimatum backfires on Bolsonaro The US president's announcement that Brazil would be hit with 50% tariffs until former president Jair Bolsonaro's coup trial was dropped has backfired, instead giving a boost to current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Trump apparently expected his intervention to improve the outlook for Bolsonaro, 70, who is already banned from running in next year's election. But a week on, the ploy seems to be reinvigorating Bolsonaro's leftwing rivals, giving Lula a bounce in the polls and prompting a wave of public anger – largely focused on the Bolsonaro clan, who have spent years portraying themselves as flag-loving nationalists. Read the full story Columbia adopts antisemitism definition amid federal grants freeze Columbia University has agreed to adopt a controversial definition of antisemitism as it pursues an agreement with the Trump administration aimed at restoring $400m in federal government grants frozen over its alleged failure to protect Jewish students. Read the full story Republicans start vote-a-rama on bill for $9bn public broadcasting and aid cuts Senate Republicans have moved to pass legislation slashing up to $9bn in funds Congress had earlier approved for foreign aid programs and public broadcasting, as part of Trump's campaign of dramatic government spending cuts. The GOP is racing to meet a Friday deadline mandated by law for the bill to pass Congress, otherwise the Trump administration will be forced to spend the money. Read the full story What else happened today: A group of 20 mostly Democratic-led US states filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to block the Trump administration from terminating a multibillion-dollar grant program that funds infrastructure upgrades to protect against natural disasters. Democrats must organize urgently for the 2026 midterm elections and avoid an 'it can't happen here' mentality to stop Trump from staging a full-scale autocratic takeover, a Hungarian opposition parliamentarian has said. Catching up? Here's what happened on 15 July 2025.
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump news at a glance: Musk mocks ‘Epstein hoax' claims after president blasts its ‘stupid' believers
Elon Musk has mocked Donald Trump's claim that files related to the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein are 'a hoax'. 'Wow, amazing that Epstein 'killed himself' and Ghislaine is in federal prison for a hoax,' Musk wrote on his social media platform X in response to the US president's attempt to deflect questions about Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, by casting doubt on the authenticity of the documents his justice department has refused to release. 'He should just release the files and point out which part is the hoax,' Musk added. Trump lashed out against his own supporters on Wednesday, calling them gullible 'weaklings' for questioning the transparency of a secretive government inquiry into Epstein, the late sex offender. The US president also lambasted any Republicans who believe there is more to be revealed about the case as 'stupid' and 'foolish' people. Here's more on this and other key US politics stories of the day: The president accused his voters of falling for what he called a 'radical left' hoax by the opposition to discredit him over the Jeffrey Epstein case. In a lengthy post on his Truth Social site, Trump said: 'Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support any more!' Read the full story The president Trump has privately indicated he is on the verge of firing Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, rattling Wall Street and renewing questions over the US central bank's independence. He insisted publicly on Wednesday that it was 'highly unlikely' he would dismiss the Fed chair, after reports he had suggested he would and shown a draft letter dismissing Powell to political allies. Read the full story The US has flown five immigrants from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen and Cuba to the small African country of Eswatini, an absolute monarchy with a troubling human rights record. The move signals that the US is again ramping up so-called 'third country' deportations after the US supreme court cleared the practice last month. Read the full story The US president's announcement that Brazil would be hit with 50% tariffs until former president Jair Bolsonaro's coup trial was dropped has backfired, instead giving a boost to current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Trump apparently expected his intervention to improve the outlook for Bolsonaro, 70, who is already banned from running in next year's election. But a week on, the ploy seems to be reinvigorating Bolsonaro's leftwing rivals, giving Lula a bounce in the polls and prompting a wave of public anger – largely focused on the Bolsonaro clan, who have spent years portraying themselves as flag-loving nationalists. Read the full story Columbia University has agreed to adopt a controversial definition of antisemitism as it pursues an agreement with the Trump administration aimed at restoring $400m in federal government grants frozen over its alleged failure to protect Jewish students. Read the full story Senate Republicans have moved to pass legislation slashing up to $9bn in funds Congress had earlier approved for foreign aid programs and public broadcasting, as part of Trump's campaign of dramatic government spending cuts. The GOP is racing to meet a Friday deadline mandated by law for the bill to pass Congress, otherwise the Trump administration will be forced to spend the money. Read the full story A group of 20 mostly Democratic-led US states filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to block the Trump administration from terminating a multibillion-dollar grant program that funds infrastructure upgrades to protect against natural disasters. Democrats must organize urgently for the 2026 midterm elections and avoid an 'it can't happen here' mentality to stop Trump from staging a full-scale autocratic takeover, a Hungarian opposition parliamentarian has said. Catching up? Here's what happened on 15 July 2025.
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump news at a glance: Musk mocks ‘Epstein hoax' claims after president blasts its ‘stupid' believers
Elon Musk has mocked Donald Trump's claim that files related to the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein are 'a hoax'. 'Wow, amazing that Epstein 'killed himself' and Ghislaine is in federal prison for a hoax,' Musk wrote on his social media platform X in response to the US president's attempt to deflect questions about Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, by casting doubt on the authenticity of the documents his justice department has refused to release. 'He should just release the files and point out which part is the hoax,' Musk added. Trump lashed out against his own supporters on Wednesday, calling them gullible 'weaklings' for questioning the transparency of a secretive government inquiry into Epstein, the late sex offender. The US president also lambasted any Republicans who believe there is more to be revealed about the case as 'stupid' and 'foolish' people. Here's more on this and other key US politics stories of the day: The president accused his voters of falling for what he called a 'radical left' hoax by the opposition to discredit him over the Jeffrey Epstein case. In a lengthy post on his Truth Social site, Trump said: 'Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support any more!' Read the full story The president Trump has privately indicated he is on the verge of firing Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, rattling Wall Street and renewing questions over the US central bank's independence. He insisted publicly on Wednesday that it was 'highly unlikely' he would dismiss the Fed chair, after reports he had suggested he would and shown a draft letter dismissing Powell to political allies. Read the full story The US has flown five immigrants from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen and Cuba to the small African country of Eswatini, an absolute monarchy with a troubling human rights record. The move signals that the US is again ramping up so-called 'third country' deportations after the US supreme court cleared the practice last month. Read the full story The US president's announcement that Brazil would be hit with 50% tariffs until former president Jair Bolsonaro's coup trial was dropped has backfired, instead giving a boost to current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Trump apparently expected his intervention to improve the outlook for Bolsonaro, 70, who is already banned from running in next year's election. But a week on, the ploy seems to be reinvigorating Bolsonaro's leftwing rivals, giving Lula a bounce in the polls and prompting a wave of public anger – largely focused on the Bolsonaro clan, who have spent years portraying themselves as flag-loving nationalists. Read the full story Columbia University has agreed to adopt a controversial definition of antisemitism as it pursues an agreement with the Trump administration aimed at restoring $400m in federal government grants frozen over its alleged failure to protect Jewish students. Read the full story Senate Republicans have moved to pass legislation slashing up to $9bn in funds Congress had earlier approved for foreign aid programs and public broadcasting, as part of Trump's campaign of dramatic government spending cuts. The GOP is racing to meet a Friday deadline mandated by law for the bill to pass Congress, otherwise the Trump administration will be forced to spend the money. Read the full story A group of 20 mostly Democratic-led US states filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to block the Trump administration from terminating a multibillion-dollar grant program that funds infrastructure upgrades to protect against natural disasters. Democrats must organize urgently for the 2026 midterm elections and avoid an 'it can't happen here' mentality to stop Trump from staging a full-scale autocratic takeover, a Hungarian opposition parliamentarian has said. Catching up? Here's what happened on 15 July 2025.
The Independent
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
University of Michigan faces federal investigation after two Chinese students arrested for smuggling biological materials
The University of Michigan has been placed under federal investigation by the Education Department following the separate arrests of two Chinese scientists linked to the institution on charges of smuggling biological materials into the United States. The department announced its probe into the university's foreign funding on Tuesday, citing the "highly disturbing criminal charges" that emerged within days of each other in June. It expressed significant concerns regarding Michigan's susceptibility to national security threats originating from China. Paul Moore, chief investigative counsel for the department, stated: "Despite the University of Michigan's history of downplaying its vulnerabilities to malign foreign influence, recent reports reveal that UM's research laboratories remain vulnerable to sabotage." The scrutiny aligns with a broader push under President Donald Trump to enhance transparency surrounding foreign gifts and contracts to US universities, particularly those with ties to China. Similar investigations have been initiated at Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of California, Berkeley. This also echoes calls from Republicans in Congress for universities to sever research ties with China, alleging exploitation for technology theft. Michigan itself ended a partnership with a Shanghai university in January amid pressure from House Republicans who deemed it a security risk. The new investigation demands comprehensive financial records from Michigan, alongside details of its research collaborations with institutions outside the US. The Education Department has accused the university of providing "incomplete, inaccurate and untimely" public disclosures concerning funding from foreign sources. In response, Colleen Mastony, a spokesperson for the University of Michigan, affirmed the institution's commitment to cooperate with federal investigators, stating it takes its responsibility to comply with the law "extremely seriously." Ms Mastony added: "We strongly condemn any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university's critical public mission." The federal charges in June involved a Chinese scientist and his girlfriend, who worked at a University of Michigan lab, after the FBI reportedly thwarted their attempt to bring a toxic fungus into the US. Days later, another Chinese scientist was arrested upon arrival in the US, accused of shipping biological material to a University of Michigan laboratory. The university announced a review of its research security protocols in June. However, in a letter to the university, the Education Department criticised certain school officials for downplaying the risks of research collaborations with Chinese institutions. It specifically singled out Ann Chih Lin, director of the university's Center for Chinese Studies, who has publicly dismissed the threat of technology theft from China as overstated. Department officials wrote that Ms Lin's "apparent indifference to the national security concerns of the largest single source of funding for UM's annual research expenditures — the American taxpayer — is particularly unsettling." Federal law mandates universities to report all foreign gifts and contracts totalling \$250,000 or more. This law saw limited enforcement until Donald Trump's first term, when the Education Department launched numerous inquiries into universities suspected of underreporting foreign funds. While the Biden administration closed most of these cases, the enforcement effort has recently been renewed. Many US universities acknowledge the need to bolster research security but caution against treating Chinese scholars with undue hostility, noting that only a small number have been implicated in espionage. Last year, a report by House Republicans claimed that hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding had inadvertently supported Chinese advancements in artificial intelligence, semiconductor technology, and nuclear weapons. China remains the second-largest country of origin for foreign students in the US, after India, with over 270,000 Chinese students making up roughly a quarter of all international students in the 2023-24 academic year.
