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Day 1652: "A dagger."
1/ The Trump administration moved to repeal the scientific finding that allows the federal government to regulate greenhouse gases, calling it a $1 trillion drag on the economy. The EPA’s 2009 “endangerment finding” states that greenhouse gases threaten public health and forms the legal basis for most federal climate rules. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said repealing it would be “the largest deregulatory action in the history of America” and would “drive a dagger into the heart of the climate change religion.” The proposal cited a Department of Energy report led by climate skeptics who claimed U.S. emissions don’t “significantly” affect global climate trends or public health. (New York Times / NPR / Washington Post / Politico / Wall Street Journal / USA Today / Associated Press / Axios / CNBC / The Hill)
2/ Ghislaine Maxwell offered to testify before Congress but only if granted immunity, advance access to questions, and a delay until the Supreme Court rules on her appeal. Her attorneys said she would otherwise invoke her Fifth Amendment rights. The House Oversight Committee rejected those conditions and said it “will not consider granting congressional immunity.” Maxwell also suggested she would testify publicly if Trump granted her clemency, writing she would be “willing – and eager – to testify openly and honestly.” Trump, meanwhile, said Jeffrey Epstein “stole” young women from his Mar-a-Lago spa, including Virginia Giuffre, who was 16 at the time. “He stole her,” Trump said, adding, “she had no complaints about us whatsoever.” Giuffre later accused Epstein of trafficking her and died by suicide in April. Trump nevertheless insisted he banned Epstein for hiring away staff — not for misconduct — calling the two issues “sort of a little bit of the same thing.” (CNN / Politico / Associated Press / CNN / Washington Post / Axios / NBC News / NPR / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / USA Today / The Hill)
3/ In April 2025, the Trump administration cut $158 million in federal grants for gun violence prevention, eliminating 69 DOJ-funded intervention programs across cities like New York, Chicago, and Memphis. The programs trained outreach workers to de-escalate conflict and prevent shootings. On Monday, a gunman killed four people and injured one at a Manhattan office tower. Police said Shane Tamura, 27, carried an assault-style rifle and left a suicide note blaming the NFL for brain damage he believed he suffered playing high school football. The shooting occurred inside the same building that houses the league’s headquarters. (Reuters / New York Times / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal)
4/ A third whistleblower gave Congress an audio recording that appears to contradict testimony from Emil Bove, a former Trump lawyer nominated for a lifetime seat on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The recording suggests Bove misled lawmakers about his role in the dismissal of corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams. Senate Democrats, citing “serious concerns” and “substantial information relevant to the truthfulness of the nominee,” asked the Justice Department’s inspector general to investigate and urged Republicans to delay the vote, which could happen this week. The Justice Department, meanwhile, called the allegations a “bad faith attempt to sink a nominee.” (Washington Post / Associated Press / Politico)
5/ The U.K. said it will recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza and a long-term peace plan. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the move after recalling his cabinet and citing “starving babies, children too weak to stand” as justification. Israel called the move a “reward for Hamas,” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accusing Starmer of “punishing its victims,” and warning that “a jihadist state on Israel’s border TODAY will threaten Britain TOMORROW.” Trump, meanwhile, said the U.S. “has no view” but criticized the move as “rewarding Hamas,” and adding: “I’m not in that camp.” Trump also said he and Starmer “never did discuss it,” despite meeting one day prior. (NPR / Politico / Associated Press / Washington Post / New York Times / Reuters / NBC News / Politico / ABC News)
poll/ 32% of Americans support Israel’s war in Gaza – down from 42% in September and the lowest level since polling began in late 2023. Disapproval rose to 60%, with support dropping to 8% among Democrats and 25% among independents. Republican support, meanwhile, increased to 71%. 52% of Americans view Benjamin Netanyahu unfavorably – his worst rating since 1997. (Gallup)
poll/ 40% of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing as president – the lowest of his second term. Among Republicans, 83% approved of his performance, while just 3% of Democrats and about one-third of independents approved. (Reuters)
The midterm elections are in 462 days.
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