Trump sues Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch for $10bn over Epstein story
US Justice Department files a motion in Manhattan federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts in the Epstein cases. United States President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal publication and its owners, including media magnate Rupert Murdoch, seeking at least $10bn in damages over the publication of a bombshell report on the president’s friendship with the infamous high-society sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump filed the lawsuit in federal court in the Southern District of Florida on Friday, as he attempts to prevent a growing scandal around the Epstein case from spreading further and threatening to cause him serious political damage. Trump also instructed the US Justice Department to file a motion in Manhattan federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts in the Epstein case and that of his former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who in 2021 was convicted of five federal charges related to her role in Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls. In the defamation lawsuit, Trump accuses Dow Jones, News Corp, Murdoch and two Wall Street Journal reporters of acting with malicious intent that caused him overwhelming financial and reputational harm. Dow Jones, the parent company of the newspaper, is a division of News Corp. Before filing the case, Trump wrote on Friday morning on his social media platform Truth Social: “I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his ‘pile of garbage’ newspaper, the WSJ. That will be an interesting experience!!!” Representatives of Dow Jones, News Corp and Murdoch have yet to comment on the case. Advertisement Trump once considered Epstein a friend, and the controversy surrounding the now deceased high-profile figure, who took his own life in prison, has prompted conspiracy theories, especially among the far-right supporters of the US president. Trump supporters were enraged last week when US Attorney General Pam Bondi reversed course on the president’s election campaign pledge to release court documents that some believed contained damning revelations about Epstein and his alleged elite clientele. Trump denies penning lewd Epstein birthday message On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported that a letter bearing Trump’s signature was sent to Epstein for one of his birthday celebrations. The newspaper said the letter contained a lewd handwritten reference to a woman, with the message: “Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret,” and featured the signature “Donald”. Following publication, Trump denied sending the letter to Epstein and lashed out at the newspaper. Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019. Many among Trump’s base of supporters believe the government is covering up Epstein’s ties to the rich and powerful, and some do not believe he died by his own hand. A Justice Department memo released on July 7 concluded that Epstein killed himself and said there was “no incriminating client list” or evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent people. However, Bondi, the US attorney general, had pledged months ago to release major revelations about Epstein, including “a lot of names” and “a lot of flight logs”, before reversing course. On Friday, Bondi’s Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said public interest in the Epstein case had prompted the Justice Department to file a request with the court to unseal transcripts of the case. Trump, who was photographed with Epstein multiple times in social settings in the 1990s and early 2000s, told reporters in 2019 that he ended his relationship with Epstein before his legal troubles became apparent. Adblock test (Why?)
Eknath Shinde makes BIG remark on Uddhav Thackeray, says, ‘Maharashtra has never seen…’
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday hit out at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, accusing him of betraying his ally Devendra Fadnavis in 2019. Read on to know more on this.
Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor suffers injury during rally in Bihar, here’s what happened
Jan Suraaj party founder Prashant Kishor was seen writhing in pain at the venue of a rally in Bihar. Kishor was accompanied, among others, by Bhojpuri singer Ritesh Pandey, who had joined the party earlier in the day. Read on to know more details.
‘Dubo-dubo ke…’: Raj Thackeray hits back at BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s ‘patak patak ke maarenge’ remarks
In a counter-attack, Raj Thackeray said, ‘A BJP MP said, ‘Marathi logon ko hum yahan pe patak patak ke maarenge’… You come to Mumbai. Mumbai ke samundar mein dubo dubo ke maarenge.’
Justice Department moves to unseal Epstein, Maxwell grand jury transcripts amid calls for transparency
At Attorney General Pam Bondi’s direction, the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday formally moved to unseal long-secret grand jury transcripts from the Jeffrey Epstein case, citing what it called intense public interest in the notorious sex trafficking investigation. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche submitted the motion in Manhattan federal court, urging a judge to release the transcripts from Epstein’s 2019 grand jury proceedings and those from the prosecution of Epstein’s convicted associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, as part of a new transparency push by the department. Earlier this month, the DOJ and FBI issued a memorandum describing an “exhaustive review” of their Epstein investigative files. That internal review sought to determine if any evidence could justify charging additional individuals, but it concluded that “no such evidence was uncovered” against any uncharged third parties. Since the memo’s July 6 release, officials say, public interest in its conclusions has remained high. DOJ REJECTS GHISLAINE MAXWELL’S APPEAL IN SCOTUS RESPONSE While the department maintains it stands by the memo’s findings, the filing emphasizes that “transparency to the American public is of the utmost importance to this Administration.” Given the intense public interest, the DOJ told the court it is moving to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts to shed light on its investigative work in the Epstein matter. The DOJ said it will work with prosecutors to redact all victim names and personal identifying information from the transcripts before any release. “Transparency in this process will not be at the expense of our obligation under the law to protect victims,” the motion assured. Epstein, 66, was indicted by a New York grand jury July 2, 2019, on sex trafficking charges. Just over a month later, on Aug. 10, 2019, he died by suicide in his jail cell while awaiting trial, and the case was dismissed. LEGAL PATHWAY CLEARLY EXISTS FOR TRUMP’S REQUEST TO MAKE EPSTEIN GRAND JURY TESTIMONY PUBLIC Epstein’s longtime confidant, Ghislaine Maxwell, was indicted by a grand jury in 2020 on multiple counts related to trafficking and coercing minors. She was convicted in December 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Maxwell’s convictions were upheld on appeal in 2024, and she is petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to review her case. Grand jury proceedings are ordinarily secret by law, or as the motion says, “a tradition of law that proceedings before a grand jury shall generally remain secret.” But the filing notes this tradition “is not absolute.” Federal courts have recognized “certain ‘special circumstances’” where releasing grand jury records is appropriate even outside the usual exceptions, like when a case holds significant public or historical importance. The DOJ argues Epstein’s case is exactly such a special circumstance given its unparalleled notoriety. “Public officials, lawmakers, pundits, and ordinary citizens remain deeply interested and concerned about the Epstein matter,” the motion notes. The motion points out that a Florida judge last year ordered the release of some Epstein grand jury records after concluding the financier was “the most infamous pedophile in American history” and that the facts of Epstein’s case “tell a tale of national disgrace.” By the DOJ’s account, the sealed grand jury transcripts are “critical pieces of an important moment in our nation’s history,” and “[t]he time for the public to guess what they contain should end.” The motion stresses that Epstein’s death means any privacy interests on his side are now “substantially diminished.” And even though Maxwell is still fighting her conviction, prosecutors said the extraordinary public scrutiny around the Epstein saga justifies pressing ahead with unsealing now. For these reasons, the DOJ is urging the court to conclude that the Epstein and Maxwell cases qualify as matters of public interest and to grant the unsealing of the grand jury transcripts while lifting any protective orders. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The unsealing would shine unprecedented light on one of America’s most notorious criminal cases, a move the department says is legally justified and necessary in the name of public accountability. The DOJ did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News’ Mike Ruiz contributed to this report.
Trump says 10 hostages will be returning from Gaza ‘very shortly’ during White House dinner with allies
During a celebratory dinner at the White House with a number of Donald Trump’s GOP allies, including several Republican lawmakers from Congress, the president signaled that 10 more hostages in Gaza would be “coming very shortly.” The dinner was largely focused on touting the achievements Republicans have had over the last six months, but while praising his administration’s work on foreign policy, Trump commented about the hostages. “Gaza – we got most of the hostages back,” Trump said when his comments turned to the Middle East. “We’re going to have another ten coming very shortly. And we hope to have that finished pretty quickly,” the president added. TIM WALZ QUESTIONS WHY DEMOCRATS COME OFF LIKE THEY’RE AGAINST PEOPLE BEING SUCCESSFUL So far, the U.S. has brought home five total American hostages captured by Hamas, three of whom were alive, two of whom were dead. Two Americans reportedly still remain in captivity, in addition to dozens of other non-Americans. The rest of Trump’s address Friday night mostly included praise for Congressional Republicans over their work passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with the president stating he doesn’t “think anybody’s ever come close to” passing such sweeping legislation with such a small majority. In particular, Trump thanked by name Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, Republican Policy Committee Chair Shelly Moore-Capito, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham. “Nobody’s done so much, so fast. And probably you could say, with so few votes,” Trump praised. “You stayed in session for a marathon ten consecutive weeks, and that’s the longest of any Senate in 15 years. And you held over 400 votes, more than any Senate in 35 years. And they were successful votes. And just a few weeks ago, we had the biggest victory of them all. When you passed the one big beautiful bill.” The president also lauded Republicans for all the work they have done on immigration, border security, foreign diplomacy, speedy cabinet nominations, deregulation and spending cut efforts, calling out Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff specifically for their work on U.S. foreign diplomacy. AMERICANS WEIGH IN ON TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’: POLLS Top of mind Friday night was the GOP recission package as well, which Trump praised the passage of. Trump did not indicate when he would sign the GOP bill, but did note that “we have numerous other recissions coming up, adding more, many more $10 billion dollars to it.” Meanwhile, Trump also predicted that, in 2026, the GOP majority “is going to be stronger in both the House and the Senate.” Typically, conventional wisdom predicts that the party that won the presidency will not typically perform as well two years later during the midterm elections. “I don’t understand why they say that when you win the presidency, you always almost automatically lose the midterms, because nobody’s had a more successful period of time than we have,” Trump told the crowd of attendees at the White House Friday evening. “Based on that, we should do great.” Trump added Friday that “We achieved more in six months than almost any administration could accomplish in eight years.” “And we’re going to have a lot of good six months left. We’re going to have a six and another six and another six. So we’ll keep going,” he continued. “Over the next year and a half, we’ll have an incredible record to share with the American people,” he continued. “As long as we continue to keep our promises to the voters, Americans will continue to stand by our side.”
EPA announces 23% workforce reduction and closure of research office as part of federal streamlining
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Friday it plans to reduce its workforce by 23% and close its research and development office. The loss of more than 3,000 employees comes after layoffs and incentives to leave the agency amid the Trump administration’s broad effort to streamline the federal government. “Under President Trump’s leadership, EPA has taken a close look at our operations to ensure the agency is better equipped than ever to deliver on our core mission of protecting human health and the environment while Powering the Great American Comeback,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement. USDA FIRES FOREIGN WORKERS FORM ADVERSARIAL COUNTRIES, INCLUDING CHINA, IN NATIONAL SECURITY PROTECTION MOVE “This reduction in force will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars.” The EPA said the cuts will save the government $748.8 million. As part of the restructuring, the EPA said it plans to open a new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions to replace the Office of Research and Development, saying the new office would allow it to focus on research “more than ever before.” This comes a week after the Supreme Court issued a ruling clearing the way for the administration to conduct mass layoffs. Justin Chen, president of American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, which represents thousands of EPA employees, called the research and development office the “heart and brain of the EPA.” STATE DEPARTMENT TO BEGIN MASS LAYOFFS OF ABOUT 1,800 EMPLOYEES IN COMING DAYS “Without it, we don’t have the means to assess impacts upon human health and the environment,” Chen said. “Its destruction will devastate public health in our country.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the EPA for comment. This announcement also comes two weeks after 139 employees signed a “declaration of dissent” claiming the Trump administration was hurting the agency’s mission. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The administration claimed the employees were “unlawfully undermining” the president’s agenda. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
WATCH: Socialist NYC mayoral candidate Mamdani on abolishing prisons: ‘What purpose do they serve?’
New York City’s leading mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed socialist, is raising eyebrows once again for appearing to suggest prisons are not important in a recently resurfaced video. Mamdani, a New York state assemblyman and the Democratic nominee for mayor, made the comments in a 2020 interview while running for state office. Asked whether he thought prisons were obsolete, Mamdani responded, “I think that frankly – I mean – what purpose do they serve? I think that we have to ask ourselves that.” MAMDANI SPARKS FIRESTORM WITH RESURFACED COMMENT ON ABOLISHING PRIVATE PROPERTY: ‘HE’S A COMMUNIST’ The Democratic mayoral candidate added, “I think a lot of people who defend the carceral state, they defend the idea of it and the way it makes them feel. They’re not defending the reality of it and the practices that are part and parcel of it. “Because if you actually break it down and ask people how many people come out of the prison system better than they went into the prison system, how much harm is actually being prevented versus created, I think when you ask these kinds of questions, people don’t always have clear answers.” Mamdani added that, when discussing the prison system, “What they always want to pivot to is, ‘What are you going to do about murderers? What are you going to do about rapists?’ DEMOCRATS HIT ROCK BOTTOM AS PARTY PLUMMETS TO ALL-TIME LOW: POLL “Sometimes you have to ask them, ‘What are you doing about them right now?’” he added. “We need a system of justice that will repair the harm that has been caused and address it in a serious way because right now we don’t have it, and it makes everyone more unsafe.” Mamdani also claimed “the power of the executive is almost limitless here in New York State” and criticized then-New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo for refusing to “let people out and letting people go home.” Mamdani, who has promised to overhaul New York City and launch massive new government programs, has been endorsed by progressive politicians like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. NEW YORK LEADERS REPORTEDLY HESITANT TO ENDORSE ZOHRAN MAMDANI FOR MAYOR As the Democratic nominee in heavily blue New York City, Mamdani is the likely frontrunner to unseat the current mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent. Mamdani is also facing off against Cuomo, who is running as an independent, and activist Curtis Sliwa, who is the Republican Party nominee. Mamdani is seen by many as a controversial candidate, partially due to his socialist policy proposals and heavy criticism of the state of Israel. He has declined to say whether Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state and initially refused to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada.” However, he recently began distancing himself from the phrase. Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign but did not receive a response.
Pentagon announces Marine general tapped to lead Naval Academy in historic first
In a landmark nomination that reshapes nearly two centuries of tradition, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael J. Borgschulte has been tapped to serve as the next superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. If confirmed by the Senate, he will become the first Marine to hold the top post in the Academy’s 180-year history. The move was announced Friday by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as part of a broader slate of military leadership nominations. Borgschulte currently serves as the deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs at Marine Corps Headquarters in Quantico, Virginia. He is a 1991 graduate of the Naval Academy. The nomination comes amid an unexpected leadership shuffle. Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, who assumed command of the academy last year, has been nominated for reappointment and reassignment to the Pentagon. She is slated to become the deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans, strategy, and warfighting development (N3/N5/N7), pending Senate approval and a congressional waiver. HEGSETH ANNOUNCES NAVY OIL TANKER NAMED AFTER GAY RIGHTS LEADER RENAMED AFTER MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER “I’m honored to be nominated,” Davids said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing to serve alongside America’s strongest warfighters.” Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan praised both officers. He called Borgschulte a “decorated combat leader” with “strategic insight” and commended Davids for her “strategic vision” and “operational depth.” Phelan also noted the significance of the nomination, calling it a powerful signal of “naval integration” as a Marine prepares to lead the Navy’s flagship officer training institution. Founded in 1845, the U.S. Naval Academy has long been led exclusively by Navy officers. The nomination of a Marine marks a sharp departure and a signal of evolving priorities in joint leadership and force development. Phelan described the Academy as one of the most “consequential institutions in American public life” and said Borgschulte’s leadership will help shape officers “for an increasingly contested world.” TRUMP NOMINATES SEASONED MILITARY LEADERS TO HEAD VITAL GLOBAL COMMANDS Borgschulte was commissioned in 1991 after graduating from the Naval Academy and has held multiple command and combat roles throughout his career. In his current position, he oversees the personnel policies, readiness and force structure of the Marines. Davids, a 1989 graduate of the Naval Academy, made history as the first woman and the first Hispanic to serve as superintendent. Her tenure at the academy appears to be ending prematurely. Superintendents are traditionally expected to serve three-year terms and then retire. A Department of Defense (DOD) news release did not provide an explanation for the sudden change, and her next assignment requires a waiver from Congress. Her next role would typically require a post-retirement transition, which she has not yet completed. Davids’ husband, Rear Adm. Keith Davids, retired last year as commander of Naval Special Warfare. The couple met at the Academy while they were both plebes. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Navy regarding the timeline of the leadership transition. The nomination is now in the hands of the Senate with no official date yet for confirmation or change of command. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Borgschulte’s nomination is part of a broader DOD leadership shake-up that includes nominations for new service vice chiefs and combatant command heads across the military. The Navy referred Fox News Digital to the DOD release on the matter when asked for further comment.
Microsoft ends use of China-based computer engineers for certain Defense Dept projects amid espionage fears
Microsoft said it will cease using China-based computer engineering teams for work on Pentagon cloud systems and other classified systems after an investigation this week led to national security concerns at the highest levels over a program that Microsoft has used since 2016. A ProPublica report released Tuesday accused Microsoft of allowing China-based engineers to assist with Pentagon cloud systems with inadequate guardrails in an effort to scale up its government contracting business. The report got the attention of GOP lawmakers and the Trump administration, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisting Friday that foreign engineers from “any country … should NEVER be allowed to maintain or access DOD systems.” He added that the Defense Department would be “looking into this ASAP.” After Hegseth’s indication that the Pentagon would be looking into the matter, Fox News Digital reached out to Microsoft, which responded that it would be ceasing its use of China-based computer engineers providing assistance to sensitive Defense Department cloud “and related” services. TEMU SUED BY KENTUCKY FOR ALLEGEDLY GIVING CHINA ‘UNFETTERED’ ACCESS TO USER DATA “In response to concerns raised earlier this week about U.S.-supervised foreign engineers, Microsoft has made changes to our support for U.S. government customers to assure that no China-based engineering teams are providing technical assistance for DOD government cloud and related services,” Frank Shaw, chief communications officer at Microsoft, said. “We remain committed to providing the most secure services possible to the U.S. government, including working with our national security partners to evaluate and adjust our security protocols as needed.” The ProPublica report released earlier this week, which spurred Microsoft’s action, cited current and former employees and government contractors who worked on a cloud computing program deployed by Microsoft in 2016. The program, meant to meet federal contracting regulations, used a system of “digital escort” chaperones for global cybersecurity officials, such as those based in China, meant to create a security buffer so that they can work on agency computing systems. DOD guidelines require that people handling sensitive data be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. CHINA’S SPYING IN CUBA SPARKS ALARM ON CAPITOL HILL AFTER FRESH SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW SURVEILLANCE BUILDUP According to sources who spoke to ProPublica, including some who had intimate familiarity with the hiring process for the $18-per-hour “digital escort” positions, the tech employees being hired to do the supervising lacked the adequate tech expertise to prevent a rogue Chinese employee from hacking the system or turning over classified information to the CCP. The sources elaborated that the escorts, often former military personnel, were hired for their security clearances more than their technical abilities and often lacked the skills to evaluate code being used by the engineers they were supervising. HEGSETH ABRUPTLY PULLS PENTAGON OFFICIALS FROM ‘GLOBALIST’ ASPEN CONFERENCE Microsoft used its escort system to handle sensitive government information that falls below “classified,” the ProPublica report indicated. That includes “data that involves the protection of life and financial ruin.” At the Defense Department, the data is categorized as “Impact Level” four and five, which ProPublica reported includes materials directly supporting military operations. People in China are governed by sweeping laws compelling government cooperation with data collection efforts. Before Microsoft’s announcement Friday that it would be ceasing its use of China-based engineers for sensitive Defense Department programs, the company defended its “digital escort” program, noting all personnel and contractors with privileged access must pass federally approved background checks. The company also pointed to a response from the Defense Information Systems Agency, which said that “digital escorts” are used “in select unclassified environments.” “For some technical requests, Microsoft engages our team of global subject-matter experts to provide support through authorized U.S. personnel, consistent with U.S. government requirements and processes,” a company spokesperson told Fox News Digital Tuesday. “In these instances, global support personnel have no direct access to customer data or customer systems.” The spokesperson added at the time that Microsoft adheres to the federal security requirements outlined by the Defense Department and the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program established in 2011 to address the risks associated with moving from entirely government-controlled servers to cloud-based computing. “We establish layers of mitigation at the platform level with security and monitoring controls to detect and prevent threats. This includes approval workflows for system changes and automated code reviews to quickly detect and prevent the introduction of vulnerabilities,” the spokesperson said. “This production system support model is approved and regularly audited by the U.S. government.” When reached for comment for this story, the Pentagon referred Fox News Digital to Hegseth’s earlier Friday comments about “looking into” the Microsoft program and declaring foreign engineers “should NEVER” have access to DOD systems.