Florida federal judge denies DOJ’s request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts

A federal judge in Florida denied a Justice Department request to unseal grand jury records tied to federal investigations into Jeffrey Epstein,

A public order released Wednesday by district judge Robin Rosenberg stated that her “hands are tied” in releasing  transcripts related to federal grand juries which convened in West Palm Beach from 2005 and 2007 in connection with the investigation into Epstein, given an existing precedent in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals which only permits the disclosure of such grand jury materials under narrow exceptions.

Judge Rosenberg faulted the Justice Department for failing to outline sufficient arguments to justify the unsealing of the records, which are normally protected under strict secrecy rules. The Florida ruling was separate from a request that the Justice Department has pending related to a grand jury in the Southern District of New York, where Epstein was ultimately indicted. Judge Rosenberg also denied a request to transfer the issue into the jurisdiction of the Southern District of New York.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial in New York. His accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 and is now serving a 20-year sentence.

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University of Idaho killer Bryan Kohberger sentenced to four life sentences without parole

District Court Judge Steven Hippler sentenced Bryan Kohberger, 30, to four consecutive life sentences for the 2022 fatal stabbings of four University of Idaho students. The victims’ families and others involved in the case provided emotional impact statements at court, including the two surviving roommates of the victims.

Hippler acknowledged Kohberger’s motive may never be known as he sentenced him to four counts of first-degree murder and burglary in the deaths of roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin. Kohberger must also pay a fine of $50,000 and a civil penalty of $5,000 payable to the family of each victim per count.

The four victims were stabbed to death at the girls’ off-campus house on Nov. 13, 2022. On July 2, weeks before the trial was set to start, Kohberger pleaded guilty to all counts and waived his right to appeal in exchange for prosecutors agreeing not to seek a death sentence. Kohberger told the judge he “respectfully” declined to speak at the sentencing hearing.

Judge Hippler vacated a gag order last week that prevented certain lawyers and members of law enforcement from speaking publicly, and will soon determine which documents may be unsealed – which could potentially disclose new evidentiary information in a case in which even the motive for the crime may never be known.

The judge called Kohberger a “coward” who “slithered through the sliding glass door at 1122 King Road” and “now stands unmasked…this unfathomable and senseless act of evil has caused immeasurable pain and loss. No parent should ever have to bury their child. This is the greatest tragedy that can be inflicted upon a person. We are now certain who committed these unspeakable acts of evil, but what we don’t know, and what we may never know, is why.”  Hipper said he wants to know the motive, but that “by continuing to focus on why, we continue to give Mr. Kohberger relevance, and the spotlight, attention and power he appears to crave.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt opened Wednesday’s press briefing by addressing the victims’ families: “We are so sorry for the grief and the pain you have experienced at the hands of such a vicious and evil killer. Our nation grieves with you, and we will never forget the precious souls who were lost in this horrific act of evil.” Leavitt also reiterated President Donald Trump’s message from earlier this week that he wants Kohberger to reveal a motive: “If it were up to the president, he would have forced this monster to publicly explain why he chose to steal these innocent souls.”

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NY Giants’ head coach Brian Daboll says Russell Wilson will be team’s starting QB

NY Giants head coach Brian Daboll made it clear on the first day of training camp that veteran Russell Wilson is QB1 for the 2025 season.

Daboll has said that Wilson was the team’s starting quarterback throughout the offseason program and there’s been no change as of the start of training camp. When specifically asked if Jameis Winston and first-round pick Jaxson Dart (out of Ole Miss) are competing for the No. 1 job, Daboll told reporters (via ESPN): “guys are going to compete and the roster will be set when the roster’s set. These guys will be out here competing but Russ is our starter.”  The Giants also still have Tommy DeVito on roster.

General Manager Joe Schoen said that Dart “has a long way to go” as he enters his first NFL training camp, but he could make enough progress to move up the ladder before the year is out: “We’ve got a really good offensive staff and when they feel he’s ready, the time’s right or the circumstance is right, then we’ll have those conversations.”

Wilson made his first start in Week 7 last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 10-time Pro Bowler won six of his first seven starts in Pittsburgh, but then lost his next five starts while averaging under 194 passing yards per game, including the wild-card loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

During his 10 years with the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson went 104-53-1; over the last three seasons, the veteran QB has gone 17-24 with the Denver Broncos and Steelers.

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Miami Dolphins’ offensive lineman Bayron Matos airlifted to hospital after injury during training camp

Per NFL.com, Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Bayron Matos suffered an undisclosed injury at the end of Wednesday’s training camp practice in Miami Gardens, Fla., and was airlifted to a medical center via helicopter.

The injury happened in the final minutes of Day 1 of the Dolphins’ training camp, with sources saying that Matos, 24, was involved in a collision with a teammate and suffered loss of feeling in his right side. Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post reported that it wasn’t entirely clear exactly how Matos was injured, but said that the offensive tackle was “immobilized and strapped to a board before being carted off the practice field by first responders.” Several of Matos’ teammates grouped around him while medical personnel tended to him.

A CT scan and MRI were later conducted, with Matos, a second-year offensive tackle, listed in stable condition, per the Dolphins. No specific timetable for return was provided.

Matos, born in Los Mina, Santo Domingo, was a two-sport athlete in basketball and baseball in his youth and only started playing football in 2022. Hewent undrafted in 2024 but signed with the Dolphins as a free agent through the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program — an initiative that gives athletes from countries outside the U.S. a chance to play in the NFL. He spent time on Miami’s practice squad over the past year before signing a reserve/future contract in January. He has not yet played in an NFL game.

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Lee Brice recruits all-star lineup ‘The Traler Park’ for new song ‘Said No Country Boy Ever’

Lee Brice has recruited fellow-country stars ‘The Traler Park’ – comprised of Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, Jerrod Niemann, Dallas Davidson, and Rob Hatch – for his latest release “Said No Country Boy Ever”; written by Brice, Brian Davis, Brock Berryhill and Cole Taylor. Alongside the track, Brice and The Traler Park have also released the official music video for the song.

Brice shares of the track: “I know y’all love all my boys that are on this song with me. I’m just thankful that after all the years of us making music, tearing up pavement, and making memories together, that y’all can all finally experience a little piece of the Traler Park!”

Brice recently announced his fall ‘What You Know About That Tour,’ which will feature fellow hitmakers including Ashley Cooke, Jackson Dean, Corey Kent, Lewis Brice and Grace Tyler.

See the video for “Said No Country Boy Ever” – HERE.

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Megan Moroney, Riley Green, Ella Langley cover Toby Keith hits on new Apple Music EP

Apple Music has released Apple Music Nashville Sessions: Toby Keith Covered, a collection of six cover songs honoring the late country music icon Toby Keith, who passed away in 2024 at age 62.

The project features reimagined versions of Keith’s hits by Megan Moroney, Riley Green, Parker McCollum, Ella Langley, Tucker Wetmore, and Ashley McBryde, and sees each artist perform one of Keith’s classic songs during recent live sessions recorded at Apple Music’s Nashville studio.

TK Kimbrell, Keith’s longtime manager and friend, shares: “Toby Keith loved music and especially singer-songwriters. He would be so proud of this group of monster talent that covered his songs. Thanks, Ashley, Ella, Megan, Parker, Riley and Tucker! Y’all are truly the hottest of the hot, and Toby’s music lives on!”

Riley Green shared of his involvement with the project: “I think because growing up in Alabama, we didn’t have a lot of cowboys. We didn’t have horses; we didn’t have big, long pastures like they got out in Texas and Oklahoma and all that. For me, that lifestyle of being out on the open range was so foreign to me, but also just seemed cool.”

Langley’s shared of her cover of “Wish I Didn’t Know Now”: “What comes with being an artist is, I think, the full package. I think Dolly Parton is another one. I think he’s up there with her in the way where he is a full performer all the time. Everywhere he goes, and onstage, he gives 100% of himself.”

Megan Moroney adds of her cover choice: “‘Who’s Your Daddy’ has become my band and I’s pre-show hype song and it felt like the perfect one to choose to cover. I’m excited to be a part of this series honoring Toby Keith and I hope you love my version as much as we do!”

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Season 4 cast of ‘The Traitors’ includes Donna Kelce, Dorinda Medley, Lisa Rinna and more

Peacock’s Emmy-winning reality series “The Traitors”, hosted by Alan Cumming, revealed the cast for its upcoming Season 4, now in production in Scotland. Dylan Efron, Gabby Windey, Dolores Catania and Ivar Mountbatten pulled off an unlikely victory in the show’s Season 3.

Donna Kelce, former ‘Real Housewives’ Lisa Rinna and Dorinda Medley, actors Ron Funches and Michael Rapaport, ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ star Monét X Change and ‘Love Island USA‘s’ Rob Rausch are among the 23 castmembers joining season four of the hit reality show.

Other Season 4 contestants include: Candiace Dillard Bassett, Caroline Stanbury, Colton Underwood, Eric Nam, Ian Terry, Johnny Weir, Kristen Kish, Rob Cesternino, Mark Ballas, Maura Higgins, Natalie Anderson, Porsha Williams, Ron Funches, Stephen Colletti, Tara Lipinski, Tiffany Mitchell and Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho.

The series — based on a Dutch format — is a competition where contestants are split into two categories: Faithfuls and Traitors. All 23 contestants will start as Faithfuls before host Alan Cumming decides which (typically) three players will become Traitors. The titular role then works to sneak past the rule-following players who are attempting to figure out who the Traitors are while choosing a Faithful player each night to “murder.”

An official synopsis reads: “Hidden amongst the Faithful are the Traitors, whose goal is to eliminate the Faithful and claim the ($250,000) prize for themselves. Under the cover of darkness, the Traitors murder the Faithful one by one in a treacherous spree, while the Faithful try to uncover the Traitors and banish them from the game.”

The Traitors has been renewed at Peacock through Season 5; see the cast reveal: HERE.

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See Jason Momoa in the trailer for Apple TV+ series ‘Chief of War’

Jason Momoa stars in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Chief of War, an epic historical drama that sees Momoa portray Ka’iana, a legendary warrior fighting to unite Hawaiian islands against colonizers.

Chief of War, co-created by Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, explores “the unification and colonization of Hawai’i from an indigenous perspective,” according to a press release.

Luciane Buchanan, Temuera Morrison, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Cliff Curtis, Kaina Makua, Moses Goods, Siua Ikale’o, Brandon Finn, James Udom, Mainei Kinimaka, Te Kohe Tuhaka and Benjamin Hoetjes also star in the series, which features an almost entirely Hawaiian and Polynesian cast and crew, “emphasizing authenticity and a commitment to indigenous storytelling. The trailer underscores this dedication, promising a visually stunning and culturally resonant drama that sheds light on a rarely explored period of history.”

Momoa also penned the script and serves as an executive producer on the show, which spans nine episodes. The first two episodes arrive on the streamer Aug. 1; see the trailer – HERE.

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Justice Department says Deputy AG to meet with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Deputy Attorney Todd Blanche will meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, sometime in the “coming days.”

Blanche said Tuesday that Bond has directed him to inquire with Maxwell, the longtime friend and business associate of Epstein, to see if she is willing to meet to go over details in the case.

The Trump administration and Bondi’s Justice Department have seen backlash from Trump’s political supporters and lawmakers demanding critical details and other information in the Epstein case, which has sparked conspiracy theories over his August 2019 death in prison ruled to be suicide.

Blanche said in the statement posted by Bondi on X: “This Department of Justice does not shy away from uncomfortable truths, nor from the responsibility to pursue justice wherever the facts may lead.  The joint statement by the DOJ and FBI of July 6 remains as accurate today as it was when it was written.  Namely, that in the recent thorough review of the files maintained by the FBI in the Epstein case, no evidence was uncovered that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.  President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence. If Ghislane Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say.   Therefore, at the direction of Attorney General Bondi, I have communicated with counsel for Ms. Maxwell to determine whether she would be willing to speak with prosecutors from the Department.  I anticipate meeting with Ms. Maxwell in the coming days.  Until now, no administration on behalf of the Department had inquired about her willingness to meet with the government.  That changes now.” 

In a follow-up post, Blanche claimed that “for the first time, the Department of Justice is reaching out to Ghislaine Maxwell to ask: what do you know? I intend to meet with her soon. No one is above the law — and no lead is off-limits.”

Ghislaine Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence on sex-trafficking charges; she was convicted and sentenced in June 2022 and was denied a review by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year. However, the Justice Department urged the high court to reject Maxwell’s appeal.

On Tuesday, Maxwell’s attorney said the Department of Justice did reach out and expressed gratitude over the announcement. Maxwell’s attorney David Oscar Markus wrote on social media: “I can confirm that we are in discussions with the government and that Ghislaine will always testify truthfully. We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case. We have no other comment at this time.”

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Cincinnati Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson not reporting to training camp amid contract negotiations

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that he will not report to training camp with the rest of the team’s veterans, amid ongoing contract negotiations.

Hendrickson said in May he will not suit up under his current deal, which will pay him a $15.8 million base salary in 2025. The Bengals came to the table with several offers, but nothing materialized. Bengals owner Mike Brown said Monday: “It has been a long negotiation. Trey Hendrickson is a fine player, he’s a good guy, we want him here. Dealing with him is sometimes not so easy and that’s alright he’s got the right to argue his case. We’ll try to make sense of it from our perspective and we’ll see. I’m not persuaded that it isn’t going to get done, as far as I’m concerned, the sooner the better.”

The news that Hendrickson was skipping training camp came as news to Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin, who said the team expected him to be present: “He’s an important part of our team. He’s under contract and we expect all our guys under contract to be here. He’s a guy who has been very valuable. He has earned a raise and extension. We’ll see if we can come together on something.”

Hendrickson, who joined the Bengals in 2021, registered a league-best 17.5 sacks last season, equaling his 2023 numbers as one of the NFL’s top edge rushers. He also accumulated 46 combined tackles, including 33 solo tackles, which were career-bests in both categories.

The franchise is also in the middle of a contract dispute with first-round pick Shemar Stewart, the NFL’s only unsigned first-rounder.  Stewart, also a DE, wants a fully-guaranteed deal without any behavioral stipulations and is asking that his contract language mirror the team’s last first-round picks.

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