Today in one sentence: The Supreme Court allowed Trump to move forward with dismantling the Education Department and laying off nearly half its staff; a group of 24 states and Washington, D.C., sued the Trump administration for withholding $6.8 billion in education funding; House Democrats are attempting to force a House vote to make Attorney General Pam Bondi release all records related to Jeffrey Epstein; Attorney General Pam Bondi fired the Justice Department’s top ethics lawyer without explanation on the same day she dismissed at least 20 other DOJ staffers tied to former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Trump; Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended FEMA’s response to the Texas floods, calling it “the best response we’ve seen”; and Trump said the U.S. would send new weapons to Ukraine, including Patriot missiles, through a NATO plan funded by European countries.

1/ The Supreme Court allowed Trump to move forward with dismantling the Education Department and laying off nearly half its staff. In an unsigned order, the justices lifted a lower court ruling that had paused the plan and required the reinstatement of about 1,400 employees. The department had over 4,000 employees before Trump returned to office, but his cuts would leave it with about half that number – part of a broader effort to shut down the agency without congressional approval. Justice Sonia Sotomayor called the decision “indefensible” and said the court was enabling Trump’s “intent to break the law” by giving him “the power to repeal statutes by firing all those necessary to carry them out.” Education Secretary Linda McMahon, meanwhile, called the court’s decision to allow Trump to gut her department a “significant win,” saying it removed “handcuffs” from efforts to return education to the states. The layoffs have already weakened civil rights enforcement, delayed school funding, and disrupted support for student loans and special education. A federal judge warned the cuts would “cripple” the department and cause “irreparable harm,” especially to vulnerable students. (Bloomberg / Associated Press / Washington Post / New York Times / ABC News / NBC News / CNBC / CNN / Wall Street Journal)

2/ A group of 24 states and Washington, D.C., sued the Trump administration for withholding $6.8 billion in education funding due July 1. The lawsuit says the freeze violates the Constitution, the Impoundment Control Act, and other laws by blocking money Congress approved for after-school care, teacher training, and programs for migrant children and English learners. The Education Department, however, told states the funds were under review to ensure they matched “the President’s priorities.” California Attorney General Rob Bonta called the freeze “blatantly illegal,” while New York Attorney General Letitia James said, “Congress allocated these funds and the law requires they be delivered.” A White House spokesman claimed the money had been “grossly misused to subsidize a radical left-wing agenda.” (New York Times / Washington Post / CBS News)

3/ House Democrats are attempting to force a House vote to make Attorney General Pam Bondi release all records related to Jeffrey Epstein. Rep. Ro Khanna proposed an amendment to a cryptocurrency bill requiring Bondi to post the full Epstein file online within 30 days. Rep. Marc Veasey introduced a resolution demanding the Trump administration “put up or shut up,” amid claims that officials once promised major disclosures that never materialized. The Justice Department memo released last week said Epstein left no “client list” and died by suicide in 2019. That conclusion didn’t sit well with MAGA, who expected the files to implicate prominent Democrats as part of a broader cover-up – even as Trump himself had a documented past with Epstein. MAGA allies accused Bondi of misleading the public after she told Fox News the files were “on her desk,” then later walked that back. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, a former podcaster who promoted Epstein conspiracies, threatened to resign after a “pretty heated” meeting with Bondi at the White House. “This destroyed his career,” one person said. Far-right activist Laura Loomer has called for Bondi’s removal, saying she “lied on national TV” and has created a “PR crisis.” Trump, nevertheless, insisted Bongino was “in good shape” and that Bondi was doing “FANTASTIC.” He called the Epstein story “a waste of time,” because Epstein was “somebody that nobody cares about.” (Axios / Salon / The Hill / USA Today / NBC News / CNN / Axios / CNN / Politico / Washington Post / Politico / USA Today / Axios / NBC News)

  • Metadata Shows the FBI’s ‘Raw’ Jeffrey Epstein Prison Video Was Likely Modified. “There is no evidence the footage was deceptively manipulated, but ambiguities around how the video was processed may further fuel conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death.” (Wired)

4/ Attorney General Pam Bondi fired the Justice Department’s top ethics lawyer without explanation on the same day she dismissed at least 20 other DOJ staffers tied to former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Trump. Joseph Tirrell, a career official who advised Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and others on conflicts and disclosures, had also approved $140,000 in pro bono legal services for Smith. Bondi cited Article II of the Constitution in the termination letter, which misspelled Tirrell’s name as “JOSPEH.” (ABC News / Bloomberg / UPI)

5/ Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended FEMA’s response to the Texas floods, calling it “the best response we’ve seen,” even as internal records showed the agency missed thousands of calls after she failed to renew key contracts. FEMA answered 36% of calls on July 6 and 16% on July 7 after Noem let call center contracts expire for five days under a policy requiring her personal sign-off on spending over $100,000. Nevertheless, she denied any delay, saying “there was no break in contracts” and dismissed the reporting as “fake news.” Noem also claimed critics were “playing politics” as the death toll rose past 120. Trump, who previously said FEMA should “go away,” now says he wants the agency “remade” to limit federal disaster aid and shift more burden to states. (Politico / The Guardian / NBC News / New York Times)

6/ Trump said the U.S. would send new weapons to Ukraine, including Patriot missiles, through a NATO plan funded by European countries. He called it a “really big deal,” stressing, “We’re not buying it, but we will manufacture it, and they’re going to be paying for it.” At the same time, Trump gave Russia a 50-day deadline to agree to a peace deal or face 100% “secondary tariffs” targeting both Russian goods and countries like China and India that buy Russian oil. “Ultimately talk doesn’t talk. It’s got to be action. It’s got to be results,” Trump said of his talks with Putin. (Reuters / CNN / Washington Post / Axios / Bloomberg / Politico / USA Today / New York Times / Associated Press / CNBC / Wall Street Journal)

The midterm elections are in 477 days.

Three years ago today: Day 541: "We're gathering evidence."
Four years ago today: Day 176: "Conversations with folks."
Five years ago today: Day 1272: "Find something new."
Eight years ago today: Day 176: Counterintelligence.