Good morning, everyone!
Today, we will look at the Trump administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, developments in the Middle East, and the week of news ahead.
Let’s get to it.
The Week Ahead
-President Donald Trump will host NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House today.
-Foreign ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will gather in Tianjin, China, for two days of talks.
-Finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 20 (G-20) will meet in South Africa.
-Alabama and Arizona will hold special primary elections today. Separately, Georgia will hold a primary runoff election and Washington, D.C., will hold a special municipal election.
-The Trump administration’s federal hiring freeze is set to expire.
-The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for Mike Waltz as ambassador to the United Nations.
-The Aspen Security Forum will kick off in Colorado.
-The European Union Foreign Affairs Council will convene in Brussels, Belgium.
-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will host German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London.
-A snap election will be held in Australia’s Tasmania state on Friday.
-Japan will hold upper house elections on Sunday.
Major Developments
-Backlash ensued over the weekend after President Donald Trump posted a lengthy rebuke to his critics over his administration’s handling of apparent documents related to the now-deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein, his sex crimes, and alleged associates.
Trump praised Attorney General Pam Bondi—who oversees the case—and said his detractors were trying to damage his administration. Last week, the Department of Justice said that the government had no “incriminating client list” of Epstein, setting off a wave of criticism from key supporters of Trump.
The list, often referred to as the “Epstein list,” has been suspected to contain information involving associates of Epstein and his sex crimes. Trump and his political allies have long pledged to release any documents related to the case.
Conservative social media influencers have scorned the Department’s handling of the matter, as news reports circulated on Friday that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino was considering resigning after a clash with Bondi. Bongino—a former talk show host—has long pushed conspiracy theories related to Epstein’s dealings with wealthy benefactors.
-Democratic Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky—a prospective 2028 presidential candidate—is expected to make stops in South Carolina this week. The Palmetto State is expected to hold the Democratic Party’s first-in-the-nation primary.
In an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press yesterday, Beshear did not rule out a run for president.
Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom—another prospective presidential contender—toured the state.
-Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would resume nuclear talks with the United States if Washington ruled out future attacks against his country.
Trump authorized three strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities last month amid escalating attacks between Israel and Iran.
-Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari died in London on Sunday at the age of 82. Buhari led a coup in 1983 before being toppled two years later. He would later return to office in 2015 after winning a democratic election.
His eight-year tenure was marred by economic mismanagement and increased violence carried out by jihadist groups.
-North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged “unconditional support” to Russia in its war against Ukraine. The announcement came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited the Hermit Kingdom over the weekend.
According to Ukrainian intelligence assessments, Pyongyang has deployed at least 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia, with plans to deploy around 30,000 more.
-An Israeli missile struck a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip over the weekend, killing at least eight people. The Israeli military said the projectile had malfunctioned and that the incident would be investigated. Ceasefire negotiations to pause the nearly two-year-long conflict have reportedly stalled.
The death toll in the coastal enclave surpassed 58,000 over the weekend, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
Other Links:
Uganda reopens border with M23-held eastern DRC - Africa News
Central African Republic's major rebel groups to disarm, dissolve - Africa News
Nigeria can't take Venezuelan deportees from US, says Yusuf Tuggar - BBC
Colombian authorities arrest alleged leader of Italian mafia in Latin America - ABC
Trump says he will speak to Lula at some point as Brazil downplays tariff impact - Reuters
Brazil warns it will raise levies on U.S. products if Trump follows through on threat of 50% tariff - CBS
Argentina inflation seen accelerating in June after May slowdown - Reuters
Rubio and Wang stress cooperation after talks in Malaysia as US-China tensions simmer - AP
Russia and China discuss Ukraine war and US ties - Nikkei
Trump announces tariffs of 30% on Mexico and the European Union - CNN
EU's von der Leyen warns of countermeasures if U.S. 30% tariffs go ahead - Reuters
Macron calls on EU to ‘defend European interests resolutely’ from Trump tariffs - The Guardian
More than 70 arrested at UK protests in support of banned group Palestine Action - AP
Leaders of Azerbaijan and Syria discuss energy cooperation as they rebuild ties - AP
Turkish president hails the start of disarmament by militant Kurdish separatists - AP
Jon Ossoff, Democrats' most vulnerable senator, sharpens Trump criticism in a state Trump won - NBC
Raskin points to Musk remarks in demanding release of Epstein files - The Hill
Trump says he’s considering ‘taking away’ Rosie O’Donnell’s US citizenship - AP
Heavy Rain Pounds Central Texas, Forcing a Halt to Search Efforts - The New York Times
Multiple victims reported after Kentucky church shooting - Axios
That’s all for today. See you tomorrow.
Notes:
https://scowcroft.substack.com/p/tsg-weekly-calendar-july-14-20
https://link.foreignpolicy.com/view/644279f7aced183da612fe76o7484.1s9/d8400be2
Things are Heating up this week, Jacob, stay Cool 😎 and will reStack ASAP 💯👍