NATIONAL

The Files That Won’t Stop Mattering: A beleaguered President Trump blustered and deflected as his MAGA supporters continued to voice their suspicions about why he was not fulfilling his campaign promise of releasing the client list of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who died under mysterious circumstances in Trump’s first term. QAnon conspiracy theories of pedophilia in the highest rungs of power in Washington partly propelled Trump’s return to elected office despite his several convictions, and believers howled for the list to be released despite repeated efforts by Trump and the administration to change the subject. Multiple attempts by Democratic lawmakers to release the files have been stymied by House Republicans. AXIOS

Backdated Approval for Funding Cuts: The Republican-majority House and Senate approved cuts made by President Trump’s DOGE to funding for NPR, PBS, and various foreign aid efforts. These funds, totalling about $7 billion, had been previously approved by earlier Congresses.  USA TODAY

U.S. Companies are Bearing the Brunt of Trump’s China Tariffs, says Moody’s: Tariffs generated record revenue for the US government in the month of June 2025, but American businesses are bearing most of the cost burden from the elevated tariffs imposed at the height of the U.S.-China trade war, said Moody’s Investors Service. The ratings agency said in a Monday report that U.S. importers absorbed more than 90% of additional costs resulting from the 20% U.S. tariff on Chinese goods. CNBC

Supreme Court Allows Trump to Proceed with Department of Education Layoffs: The Supreme Court handed a victory to President Donald Trump on Monday, allowing the administration’s massive layoffs at the Department of Education to remain in effect. In March, the department laid off around 1,400 staffers as part of Trump’s broader efforts to ultimately dismantle the agency, which he cannot do without congressional action. The cuts have crippled key federal education functions, from student support and data production to equity enforcement. Pending legal rulings may temporarily restore staff, but unless reversed legislatively or via court action, the department’s ability to fulfill its mission is deeply compromised. CNBC

INTERNATIONAL

China Gets More Airtime Around the World as Voice of America Signs Off: Chinese state media has expanded its reach from Indonesia to Nigeria after Trump’s March order to dismantle U.S. government-funded outlets. WSJ (paywall)

The Trump Administration Incinerated 500 Tons of Emergency Food: Five months into its unprecedented dismantling of foreign-aid programs, the Trump administration has given the order to incinerate food instead of sending it to people abroad who need it. Nearly 500 metric tons of emergency food - enough to feed about 1.5 million children for a week - were incinerated in the UAE. While incineration of expired food is the norm, there is clear evidence that the current actions were necessitated by Trump’s freeze on foreign aid and that US aid workers lobbied for weeks to save food stocks from destruction after Trump cuts. ATLANTIC, REUTERS

CORRUPTION ALERT

Diverted Disaster Resources Were Used to Build DeSantis’ ‘Alligator Alcatraz’: Other than Republican donors, in at least one instance, resources allocated for the state’s “disaster preparedness” apparatus were diverted to the site as DeSantis’ office used emergency powers to quickly establish the camp, causing a shortfall that needs to be addressed during the ongoing hurricane season. TPM

‘Grok For Government’: Elon Musk's XAI Says It’s Secured A Pentagon Contract: In a post on X, Musk's social media site, xAI announced its Defense Department contract and touted its new suite of government-focused products. The DOD on Monday also said it awarded contracts worth up to $200 million to xAI, Google, Anthropic and OpenAI to accelerate the agency's "adoption of advanced AI capabilities to address critical national security challenges. FORBES

SCIENCE, HEALTH & SAFETY

Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Cuts Food Stamps for Millions: Newly enacted changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, may cause 22.3 million families to lose some or all of their benefits, according to research from the Urban Institute. These cuts pay for the tax cuts in the “Big Beautiful Bill” that primarily benefit the wealthy. CNBC

NIH to Dismiss Dozens of Grant Reviewers to Align with Trump Priorities: In an unprecedented move, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) will soon disinvite dozens of scientists who were about to take positions on advisory councils that make final decisions on grant applications for the agency, Nature has learnt. NIH staff members have been instructed to nominate replacements who are aligned with the priorities of the administration of US President Donald Trump — and have been warned that political appointees might still override their suggestions and hand-pick alternative reviewers. NATURE

JUST THE HEADLINES

• Congresswoman Maxine Dexter (D) tracks down U.S. citizen children detained at Ferndale facility.

• Attorney General Pam Bondi announces dismissal of charges against a plastic surgeon accused of faking COVID-19 vaccine cards. He had also been indicted for giving kids saline injections instead of the vaccine.

• 2 men wearing 'ICE' vests rob motorist at gunpoint in Delaware.
  

GOOD NEWS FOR PROGRESSIVES

California to Provide LGBTQ Suicide Prevention Hotline after Trump Administration Axes It:  Countless people are alive today because they called 9-8-8 and spoke to a counselor from the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. But starting Thursday, "option 3", which connects you to a counselor specially trained to help gay or transgender young people, will no longer exist. But Governor Gavin Newsom and state health officials say they're doing what they can to make sure that an expert is on the other end. California is partnering with The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on preventing suicide among LGBTQ youth. KTVU

24 states sue Trump over ‘frozen’ school funding: California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration over what he calls the “unconstitutional, unlawful, and arbitrary decision to freeze funding for six longstanding programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education.” Twenty-three other states have joined the legal action. BORDER REPORT

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.