NATIONAL

The Latest on the Epstein Files: A Wall Street Journal report revealed that Attorney General Bondi informed President Trump in May that his name appeared multiple times in Epstein-related records, although the White House initially dismissed the report as “fake news” before acknowledging it did not deny Trump’s appearance. Despite mounting public pressure, a U.S. appeals court has refused to unseal further documents. Speaker Johnson called for an early recess to avoid votes on the issue. REUTERS, NPR

White House Unveils Sweeping AI Plan: The plan outlines 90 policy actions that dozens of federal agencies should take to cut regulations, help construct data centers and boost the workforce to build out AI infrastructure. It also calls on holding back funding for states that hinder AI development and directs the Department of Commerce to eliminate climate change from its “risk management” AI framework, among other suggestions. EENEWS

INTERNATIONAL

Trump Pulls US Out of UNESCO: The move is a blow to the Paris-based global organisation, founded after the second world war to promote peace through international cooperation in education, science and culture. The decision is part of the president’s second-term drive to pull the US out of a series of global bodies, including leaving the World Health Organization (WHO), halting funding to the Palestinian relief agency Unrwa and withdrawing from the UN human rights council. GUARDIAN

IMMIGRATION

Falsifying a Tax Return Can Cost Your Citizenship Under Trump: Under President Donald Trump’s administration, something as mundane as under-reporting income on a tax return could mean you are no longer a US citizen. Last month, in an extension of Trump’s immigration crackdown, the Justice Department made denaturalization one of five enforcement priorities for the agency’s Civil Division. The unit will now look at individuals in any of 10 priority areas, along with the catch-all of “any other cases” the agency determines “sufficiently important to pursue.” BLOOMBERG LAW

Migrants at ICE Jail in Miami Made to Kneel to Eat ‘Like Dogs’, Report Alleges: Migrants at a Miami immigration jail were shackled with their hands tied behind their backs and made to kneel to eat food from styrofoam plates “like dogs”, according to a report published on Monday into conditions at three overcrowded south Florida facilities. GUARDIAN

CORRUPTION ALERT

Lobbyist Who Helped Ultra-Rich Dodge Taxes Now Heads Trump Tax Office: A corporate lobbyist who for decades has helped major companies and rich Americans dodge taxes is now serving as the U.S. Treasury Department's top tax policy official, a position in which he will write rules implementing the newly passed Republican budget law. He was appointed in a party-line vote. COMMON DREAMS

Skydance Pledges to Trump’s FCC It’ll Eliminate DEI, Install ‘Ombudsman’ to Root out ‘Bias’ at CBS News:  The Federal Communications Commission approved Skydance's take over of Paramount Global.  Skydance committed to root out "bias" in CBS as well as eliminating Paramount’s diversity, equity and inclusion practices at the entertainment giant. The cancellation of Stephen Colbert's Late Night Show for "financial reasons" was greeted by skepticism by media as well as Colbert himself . CNN

Columbia’s Capitulation to Trump Begins a Dark New Era for US Higher Education: Columbia University made a deal with the Trump administration, in which the university made a host of academic, admissions and governance concessions to the Trump regime and agreed to pay a $200m fine in order to restore its federal research funding. The deal marks the formal end of Columbia’s academic independence and the dawn of a new era of regulation by deal making, repression and bribery in the field of higher education. GUARDIAN

Trump Sneaked Huge Gift for Peter Thiel–Backed Company Into Budget: A provision buried deep within Donald Trump’s behemoth budget bill essentially earmarks funds for Anduril, the defense technology company heavily backed by apocalyptic prophet Peter Thiel. A provision allocating some of the $6 billion set aside for border tech stipulates that any border surveillance towers must be “tested and accepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to deliver autonomous capabilities.” Anduril’s Sentry Tower line, which use “autonomous” capabilities to scan the horizon for objects of interest, were the only towers that currently fit the bill’s requirements. TNR

SCIENCE, HEALTH & SAFETY

FEMA search and rescue chief resigns after frustration with Texas flood response: Ken Pagurek’s departure comes less than three weeks after a delayed FEMA response to catastrophic flooding in central Texas caused by bureaucratic hurdles put in place by the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the disaster response agency. Pagurek told colleagues at FEMA that the delay was the tipping point that led to his voluntary departure after months of frustration with the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the agency. CNN

Pregnant Mother in Tennessee Denied Care for Being Unmarried: It was never about the welfare of the unborn. NASHVILLE BANNER

GOOD NEWS FOR PROGRESSIVES

Trump Administration to Release Over $5 Billion School Funding that it Withheld: President Donald Trump's administration will release more than $5 billion in previously approved funding for K-12 school programs that it froze over three weeks ago under a review, which had led to bipartisan condemnation. REUTERS

TAKE ACTION

Local and state elections are a great way to combat the forces of fascism and authoritarianism at the federal level. This November, TSB is working on elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. These state offices protect the American people from the worst impacts of federal policy that is geared towards the wealthy. Join us as we make an all out push to get Democrats out to vote. Write to us of your interest at tsbmarcomm@gmail.com.