Tuesday briefing: How to help Texas flood victims; Trump's tariffs; Benjamin Netanyahu; Elon Musk; Jeffrey Epstein; and more
President Donald Trump threatened to impose new tariffs on 14 countries.
Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.
Tesla investors called on its board to restrain CEO Elon Musk.
The Justice Department contradicted conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein.
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Boston Globe
11 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Lawyers for Epstein's former girlfriend say she's open to interview with Congress, if given immunity
The conditions were laid out in a letter sent by Maxwell's attorneys to Rep. James Comer, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee who last week issued a subpoena for her deposition at the Florida prison where she is serving a 20-year-prison sentence on a conviction of conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse underage girls. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The request to interview her is part of a frenzied, renewed interest in the Epstein saga following the Justice Department's July statement that it would not be releasing any additional records from the investigation, an abrupt announcement that stunned online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and elements of President Donald Trump's base who had been hoping to find proof of a government coverup. Advertisement Since then, the Trump administration has sought to present itself as promoting transparency, with the department urging courts to unseal grand jury transcripts from the sex-trafficking investigation and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewing Maxwell over the course of two days at a Florida courthouse last week. Advertisement In a letter Tuesday, Maxwell's attorneys said that though their initial instinct was for Maxwell to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, they are open to having her cooperate provided that lawmakers satisfy their request for immunity and other conditions. But the Oversight Committee seemed to reject that offer outright. 'The Oversight Committee will respond to Ms. Maxwell's attorney soon, but it will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony,' a spokesperson said. Separately, Maxwell's attorneys have urged the Supreme Court to review her conviction, saying she dd not receive a fair trial. They also say that one way she would testify 'openly and honestly, in public,' is in the event of a pardon by Trump, who has told reporters that such a move is within his rights but that he has not been not asked to make it. 'She welcomes the opportunity to share the truth and to dispel the many misconceptions and misstatements that have plagued this case from the beginning,' he said.
USA Today
11 minutes ago
- USA Today
Trump hints at when new Air Force One from Qatar could take off
Speaking to reporters, the president suggested he could start flying in the luxury jumbo jet by early next year. President Donald Trump suggested he could be flying on a refurbished Air Force One, gifted to the United States by the Middle Eastern country of Qatar, as soon as February of 2026. Speaking to reporters on July 29, the president said he's still unsure exactly how much the luxury jumbo jet, which he announced in May, will fully cost. "That's up to the military," he said. "I really haven't been involved. It's their plane." Trump's assertion follows reporting in The New York Times on July 27 that a recent $934 million transfer of Pentagon funds likely includes money to pay for and renovate the new plane. Democrats and experts have estimated the entire price tag of the project, including renovations, could potentially exceed $1 billion. The unprecedented gift of a Boeing 747, itself valued at $400 million, to the White House has been stirring controversy for months. The scrutiny from critics such as Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, has centered on a view of the arrangement as an overreach of presidential authority, with unclear implications for American foreign policy. Read more: MAGA backlash: Trump's plan to accept Qatari plane draws fire from friends A memorandum of understanding signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Qatari officials and viewed by USA TODAY says the plane is an "unconditional donation." Qatari officials offered it without contingencies related to "any past, present or future official act or decision," according to the memo. When he initially announced the gift, Trump said he would be "stupid" not to accept what he called a "free, very expensive airplane." The president plans to use the jet while he's in office before donating it to his presidential foundation and library. Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY
13 minutes ago
Trump administration wants Harvard to pay far more than Columbia as part of settlement
WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration is pressing for a deal with Harvard University that would require the Ivy League school to pay far more than the $200 million fine agreed to by Columbia University to resolve multiple federal investigations, according to two people familiar with the matter. Harvard would be expected to pay hundreds of millions of dollars as part of any settlement to end investigations into antisemitism at its campus, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Harvard leaders have been negotiating with the White House even as they battle in court to regain access to billions in federal research funding terminated by the Trump administration. The White House's desire to get Harvard to pay far more than Columbia was first reported by The New York Times, which said the school has signaled a willingness to pay as much as $500 million. Harvard did not immediately comment. The Trump administration plans to use its deal with Columbia as a template for other universities, with financial penalties that are now seen as a staple for future agreements. Last week, Columbia leaders agreed to pay $200 million as part of a settlement to resolve investigations into alleged violations of federal antidiscrimination laws and restore more than $400 million in research grants. Columbia had been in talks for months after the Trump administration accused the university of allowing the harassment of Jewish students and employees amid a wave of campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war. Harvard faces similar accusations but, unlike Columbia, the Cambridge, Massachusetts, school challenged the administration's funding cuts and subsequent sanctions in court. Last week, President Donald Trump said Harvard 'wants to settle' but he said Columbia 'handled it better.' The Trump administration's emphasis on financial penalties adds a new dimension for colleges facing federal scrutiny. In the past, civil rights investigations by the Education Department almost always ended with voluntary agreements and rarely included fines. Even when the government has levied fines, they've been a small fraction of the scale Trump is seeking. Last year, the Education Department fined Liberty University $14 million after finding the Christian school failed to disclose crimes on its campus. It was the most the government had ever fined a university under the Clery Act, following a $4.5 million fine dealt to Michigan State University in 2019 for its handling of sexual assault complaints against disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar. The University of Pennsylvania agreed this month to modify school records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, but that school's deal with the Trump administration included no fine. The Trump administration has opened investigations at dozens of universities over allegations of antisemitism or racial discrimination in the form of diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Several face funding freezes akin to those at Harvard, including more than $1 billion at Cornell University and $790 million at Northwestern University. Last week, Education Secretary Linda McMahon called the Columbia deal a 'roadmap' for other colleges, saying it would 'ripple across the higher education sector and change the course of campus culture for years to come.' ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
