Friday, July 25th, 2025 - DOJ meets with Ghislaine Maxwell; New WSJ Epstein report; Macron’s vs Owens; Burn, Baby, Burn (Birth control edition)

Today’s Headlines: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met privately with Ghislaine Maxwell in Tallahassee, reportedly spending the entire day discussing undisclosed matters, with another meeting planned. Meanwhile, a House subcommittee voted to subpoena the DOJ for Jeffrey Epstein’s files, despite House Speaker Mike Johnson’s attempt to block a vote. A new Wall Street Journal report revealed the contents of Epstein’s professionally bound 50th birthday album, which included notes from Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Vera Wang, and others. President Trump visited the Federal Reserve with Chair Jerome Powell, criticizing him over renovation costs as part of his broader effort to justify firing Powell. The FCC approved Skydance’s $8B merger with Paramount, and the company will pay Trump $20M in licensing fees. Columbia University also struck a $221M settlement with the Trump administration over antisemitism allegations, regaining access to previously frozen federal funds while agreeing to monitored policy changes. In France, President Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron filed a defamation suit against Candace Owens for her repeated claim that Brigitte is transgender; Owens responded by saying she welcomes the fight. Macron also announced that France will formally recognize Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly in September. Finally, the State Department plans to burn nearly $10M worth of unused contraceptives intended for developing nations—just months after it destroyed 500 tons of emergency food—despite offers from humanitarian groups to redistribute the supplies.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

• ABC News: DOJ's meeting with longtime Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell happened after Maxwell initiated contact: Sources

• CNN: House Oversight subcommittee votes to subpoena DOJ for Epstein files

• WSJ: Jeffrey Epstein’s Birthday Book Included Letters From Bill Clinton, Leon Black

• CNBC: Trump spars with Powell over renovation costs during Fed visit, but backs off firing threats 

• NBC News: Trump administration greenlights Paramount's $8 billion merger with entertainment group Skydance

• CNN: Columbia agrees to pay over $220 million in deal with Trump administration to restore federal funding

• TIME: Candace Owens Responds to Macron Lawsuit

• The Guardian: Israeli leaders condemn Macron announcement – as it happened | Israel-Gaza war

• Axios: State Department to burn almost $10 million of contraceptives for poor countries

• The Administration: The Trump Administration Is About to Incinerate 500 Tons of Emergency Food

Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson

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