Judge rejects Trump administration effort to unseal Epstein grand jury records in Florida

A judge has rejected a Trump administration request to unseal transcripts from grand jury investigations of Jeffrey Epstein years ago in Florida. A similar request for the work of a different grand jury is pending in New York. U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg in West Palm Beach said Wednesday the request to release grand jury documents from 2005 and 2007 did not meet any of the extraordinary exceptions under federal law that could make them public. Supporters of President Donald Trump believe there was a conspiracy to protect Epstein’s clients, conceal videos of crimes being committed and other evidence.

House subcommittee votes to subpoena Justice Department for Epstein files

WASHINGTON (AP) — A House subcommittee has voted to subpoena the Department of Justice for files in the sex trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Democrats successfully goaded GOP lawmakers to defy Trump and Republican leadership to support the action. Democrats on a subcommittee of the powerful House Committee on Oversight made a motion for the subpoena Wednesday afternoon, just hours before the House was scheduled to end its July work session and depart Washington for a monthlong break. Three Republicans on the panel voted with Democrats for the subpoena, sending it through on an 8-2 vote tally.

Gabbard's claims of an anti-Trump conspiracy are not supported by declassified documents

WASHINGTON (AP) — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard this month declassified material that she claimed proved a “treasonous conspiracy” by the Obama administration in 2016 to politicize U.S. intelligence in service of casting doubt on the legitimacy of Donald Trump’s election victory. But a review by The Associated Press of reports produced by federal prosecutors and congressional committees casts doubt on that claim and others made by the nation’s top intelligence official.

Thai and Cambodian soldiers fire at each other in disputed border area

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai and Cambodian soldiers have fired at each other in a contested border area after the nations downgraded their diplomatic relations in a rapidly escalating dispute. It was not immediately clear if the clash was ongoing. A livestream video from Thailand’s side showed people running from their homes and hiding in a concrete bunker Thursday morning as explosions sounded periodically. The clash happened in an area where the ancient Prasat Ta Muen Thom temple stands along the border. Both Thailand and Cambodia accused each other of firing first.

Columbia University agrees to pay more than $220M in deal with Trump to restore federal funding

NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia University has reached a deal with the Trump administration to pay more than $220 million to the federal government. The agreement was made to restore federal research money that was canceled in the name of combating antisemitism on campus. The Ivy League school announced the agreement Wednesday. It will pay a $200 million settlement over three years to the federal government. The White House says it will also pay $21 million to resolve alleged civil rights violations against Jewish employees that occurred following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. The school had been threatened with the potential loss of billions of dollars in government support,

Appeals court finds Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship unconstitutional, upholds block

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court has ruled that President Donald Trump’s order seeking to end birthright citizenship is unconstitutional, affirming a lower-court decision that blocked its enforcement nationwide. The ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals comes after the push was also blocked by a federal judge in New Hampshire, and puts the issue one step closer to quickly coming back before the Supreme Court. The 9th Circuit decision keeps a block on the Trump administration enforcing the order that would deny citizenship to children born to people who are in the United States illegally or temporarily.

Bryan Kohberger gets life in prison but leaves loved ones of Idaho students he killed wondering why

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A judge has ordered Bryan Kohberger to serve life in prison without parole for killing four University of Idaho students. Friends and relatives delivered powerful statements of love, anguish and condemnation at the sentencing hearing Wednesday. Kohberger killed the students in their rental home in 2022. Madison Mogen’s stepdad Scott Laramie told the court Wednesday that he and his wife had extraordinary lives because they had Mogen. Roommate Dylan Mortensen sobbed as she described the loss of her friends. She called Kohberger hollow and remorseless. Kohberger was also given a 10-year sentence for burglary and assessed $270,000 in fines and civil penalties. He has waived his right to appeal.

Judge bars ICE from immediately taking Abrego Garcia into custody if he’s released from jail

A federal judge in Maryland has prohibited the Trump administration from taking Kilmar Abrego Garcia into immediate immigration custody if he’s released from jail in Tennessee while awaiting trial on human smuggling charges. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered the U.S. government to provide notice of three business days if Immigration and Customs Enforcement intends to deport him. The judge also ordered the government to restore the federal supervision that Abrego Garcia was under before he was wrongfully deported to his native El Salvador in March. That supervision had allowed Abrego Garcia to live and work in Maryland.

From tech podcasts to policy: Trump's new AI plan leans heavily on Silicon Valley industry ideas

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has unveiled an “AI Action Plan” shaped by Silicon Valley tech leaders who supported his campaign. The plan, disclosed Wednesday, focuses on boosting artificial intelligence technology exports, streamlining permits for energy-intensive data centers and exporting American AI around the world. Trump gave his tech advisers six months to come up with new AI policies after revoking President Joe Biden’s AI guardrails on his first day in office. Opponents of the Republican president's AI agenda argue it prioritizes the needs of Big Tech over people. More than 100 groups have come together to sign a resolution calling for a “People's AI Action Plan” that would preserve safeguards for the American public.

More than 100 aid groups warn of starvation in Gaza as Israeli strikes kill 29, officials say

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — More than 100 charity and human rights groups are warning that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are being pushed toward starvation. The groups issued the warning Wednesday in an open letter that cited Israel’s blockade and military offensive. Meanwhile, local health officials said Israeli strikes killed another 29 people. In other developments, the Trump administration’s Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, was set to meet with a senior Israeli official about ceasefire talks. It's a sign that lower-level negotiations that have dragged on for weeks could be approaching a breakthrough. The head of the World Health Organization says many of Gaza's 2 million people are starving.