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July 8, 2025
Paramount's Outrageous '60 Minutes' Settlement May Be Even Worse Than It Appears
(Huff Post) The dealings to settle President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against “60 Minutes” may have been even more complicated and unseemly than was initially known. Trump on Thursday claimed that the settlement ― which consisted of a $16 million payout largely to his presidential library ― was actually worth significantly more because it also included advertising that CBS would eventually run.
Go to discussionDonald Trump Was Asked About A Key Promise (90 deals in 90 days). What Followed Was Pure Gibberish.
(Huff Post) Donald Trump was asked by a reporter on Monday to explain what had happened to his administration’s promise to seal “90 deals in 90 days” with trading partners. Instead of outlining the dozens of deals with foreign countries that he previously boasted would be completed by Wednesday — the 90-day mark since his so-called Liberation Day in April — the president just waffled, talked about a couple of frameworks and possible deals in place and then appeared to suggest his plan now mainly involved sending letters to foreign governments and telling them the tariffs that their products will now be subject to when they are imported into America.
Go to discussionTrump/Musk 5-Year Death Toll for Eliminating USAID Now Projected at 14-million
(The Hill) A study published Monday found that the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) could result in more than 14 million additional deaths globally by 2030, including 4.5 million deaths of children younger than 5 years.The findings were released hours before Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the agency would officially shut down following President Trump’s executive order earlier this year aiming to dismantle the agency.
Go to discussionLawyers Say New Evidence Challenges Trump on El Salvador Prisons
(Bloomberg) Lawyers for Venezuelans sent to a prison in El Salvador claim new evidence “contradicts” the US government’s claims that Salvadoran officials, not the Trump administration, have legal authority over the men. Attorneys on Monday filed a copy of statements that El Salvador submitted to a United Nations human rights office in April, stating that “the jurisdiction and legal responsibility” for detainees “lie exclusively” with the United States under agreements between the two countries.
Go to discussionOperation Excalibur in Los Angeles Was Show of Force
(Ken Klippenstein) Today’s homeland security operation at the 35-acre MacArthur Park in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles was a mere “show of presence,” internal Army documents I’ve obtained say. ICE and Customs agents, many dressed in military garb, assaulted the Park, which the documents describe as a hotbed of “historic lawlessness” and “the founding location of MS-13,” the Salvadoran gang. The news media is describing the operation as an ominous crackdown, but National Guard sources tell me that it was a botched laughingstock.
Go to discussionBiden's former doctor asks to delay testimony to House panel, citing patient privilege concerns
(AP) Former President Joe Biden’s physician has asked to delay his testimony before the House oversight committee this week, citing the need for an agreement that will respect doctor-patient confidentiality rules as part of the investigation into Biden’s health in office. Dr. Kevin O’Connor, who served as Biden’s physician at the White House, requested a delay until the end of July or early August “to reach an accommodation that will protect the very substantial privilege and confidentiality interests of Dr. O’Connor and former President Biden,” according to a letter from his lawyer sent to Rep. James Comer of Kentucky on Saturday.
Go to discussionJudge blocks Trump from cutting off Planned Parenthood funding under
(CBS News) A judge on Monday temporarily barred the Trump administration from revoking Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, partially freezing a provision of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act just days after President Trump signed it into law. The temporary restraining order by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani lasts 14 days and directs the Department of Health and Human Services to "take all steps necessary to ensure that Medicaid funding continues to be disbursed" to Planned Parenthood.
Go to discussionJudge scoffs at Trump admin claims about new travel ban during arguments over refugee admissions program
(Law & Crime) A federal judge in Seattle says it's "more clear than ever" that clarity and action is needed to identify the number of refugees who have been allegedly affected by President Donald Trump's efforts to suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for 90-day intervals after immigration lawyers claimed Monday in court that the number could be in the "hundreds or even thousands" — far more than the 160 who've been recognized.
Go to discussionGetting Harder To Unleash "Energy Dominance" As Feds Who Permit Development Head For The Exits
(EE News) President Donald Trump’s gutting of federal agencies could undermine his pro-fossil-fuel agenda as permit writers and energy experts head for the exit in droves, current and former government employees say. Agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers and the Interior Department now have fewer people to review permit applications and roll back regulations seen as burdensome to the energy industry.
Go to discussionI.R.S. Says Churches Can Endorse Candidates From the Pulpit
(NY Times) The I.R.S. said on Monday that churches and other houses of worship can endorse political candidates to their congregations, carving out an exemption in a decades-old ban on political activity by tax-exempt nonprofits. The agency made that statement in a court filing intended to settle a lawsuit filed by two Texas churches and an association of Christian broadcasters.
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