Month: July 2025

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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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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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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Heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76.

Osbourne’s family announced the rock legend’s passing in a statement to The Sun on Tuesday: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.”  Osbourne’s death was also confirmed by the BBC.

Osbourne’s death comes just weeks after the ailing singer reunited with his original Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for a triumphant final show titled “Back to the Beginning” in July, witness by 45,000 fans at Birmingham’s Villa Park soccer stadium and by another 5.8 million around the world online. The festival included appearances from fellow metal legends including Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Alice in Chains and more.

Osbourne had been sick for some time, and opened up about his battles with Parkinson’s disease (which he was diagnosed with in January 2020) and repeat spinal surgeries in a November 2023 interview with Rolling Stone. Osbourne’s wife, Sharon Osbourne, revealed in February 2025 that his battle with Parkinson’s disease had left him unable to walk but “did not affect his voice.”

Born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham, England, on Dec. 3, 1948, he was first nicknamed “Ozzy” in primary school. Ozzy dropped out of school when he was 15, and worked several trade jobs before he and his friend, Geezer Butler, formed their first band, Rare Breed, with Ozzy on vocals. Osbourne later became a founding member of Black Sabbath in 1967, famous for heavy metal hits including “Paranoid,” “War Pigs” and “Iron Man.” However due to Osbourne’s struggle with alcohol and drug abuse, he was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979.

Osbourne went on to a hugely successful solo career, thanks to his future wife, the former Sharon Arden – daughter of Black Sabbath’s manager, Don Arden – who decided to manage Ozzy as a solo act. Ozzy would go on to make 12 solo albums with hits including “Crazy Train,” “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and “No More Tears”. Throughout his career, Osbourne sold over 100 million albums worldwide as a solo artist and a member of Black Sabbath combined.

Osbourne is survived by his wife, Sharon, and six children — Jessica, Louis and Elliot from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, and Aimee, Kelly and Jack from his second marriage.

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On Monday, the federal government made public the documents related to the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., fulfilling a directive issued earlier this year by President Trump. The Trump administrations release of the FBI’s surveillance of King Jr. was met with opposition from his family and the civil rights group that he led until his assassination.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced that 230,000 files related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr would be made public, writing on X: “Today, after nearly 60 years of questions surrounding the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are releasing 230,000 MLK assassination files, available now at http://archives.gov/mlk. The documents include details about the FBI’s investigation into the assassination of MLK, discussion of potential leads, internal FBI memos detailing the progress of the case, information about James Earl Ray’s former cellmate who stated he discussed with Ray an alleged assassination plot, and more.”

According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), more than 230,000 pages of records were released—many of which had been stored away, undigitized, in government archives for decades. “These documents have been gathering dust in various federal buildings for years, until today,” the ODNI stated.  The release involves records that had been under a court-imposed seal since 1977, when the FBI first gathered the records and turned them over to the National Archives and Records Administration.

ODNI emphasized that this is the first time all these documents have been released online as a single collection, with minimal redactions. While some of the materials had previously been obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, Monday’s release marks the most comprehensive and centralized publication to date.

The newly available records include detailed FBI reports discussing potential leads, internal agency communications outlining the progress of the investigation, and files referencing a former prison cellmate of James Earl Ray, the man who confessed to killing King. That individual reportedly spoke with Ray about a possible plan to assassinate the civil rights leader. Also included are CIA documents tied to the international search for Ray after he fled the U.S., before ultimately being captured and pleading guilty to the murder.

King’s family was given access to preview the documents two weeks prior to the release; however, some family members expressed concerns in advance. “This was an incredibly personal loss for our family—something we’ve carried with us for 56 years,” they stated.  “We hoped to be given the chance to examine the records together before the public release.” Alveda King, Dr. King’s niece, supported the release, calling it “a historic move toward uncovering the truth the American people are entitled to.”

King’s surviving children, Bernice King and Martin Luther King III, acknowledged the historical significance of the records in a joint statement issued through the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change. They urged the public to approach the materials with care. “While we recognize the interest these files generate, we ask that people read them with compassion, sensitivity, and respect for our family’s ongoing mourning .. We support transparency and accountability in our nation’s history, but we strongly oppose any attempts to misuse this information to discredit our father or the broader Civil Rights Movement. Anyone who leans on the FBI’s surveillance as evidence risks reinforcing efforts to undermine what he stood for.”

James Earl Ray admitted to killing King in Memphis one year after the shooting and received a 99-year prison sentence. He later withdrew his confession and spent the rest of his life seeking a retrial, though his efforts were ultimately unsuccessful until his death in 1998. Subsequently, some members of King’s family have expressed doubt about Ray’s role in the killing. Their statement on Monday highlighted a 1999 civil case in Tennessee, in which a jury concluded that Loyd Jowers—along with several other conspirators, including government entities—was responsible for King’s death.

Official investigations have not reached a consistent conclusion, and the Justice Department inquiries in 1977 and again in 2000 both reaffirmed that Ray carried out the assassination and found no evidence of a broader conspiracy. Meanwhile, a 1970s congressional investigation by the House Select Committee on Assassinations determined that King was likely killed as part of a conspiracy involving Ray, but found no proof that the federal government was involved.

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