A Mass Shooting, Trump’s Court Loss, and More Epstein Updates —  “The Sunday Political Brunch”

A Mass Shooting, Trump’s Court Loss, and More Epstein Updates —  “The Sunday Political Brunch”

Tragedy befalls another community, with many asking what, if anything, will be done? At the same time, there was a big Supreme Court battle with the White House, and an avalanche of developments in the Jeffrey Epstein sex crimes investigation. Let’s “brunch” on that, and more, this week.

 

“Another Rhode Island Mass Shooting” – Our audience, indeed the entire nation, stood in shock and horror again this week, after another mass shooting in Rhode Island. This time it was at a high school hockey game, two months after the mass shooting at Brown University. I always hate to try to frame a tragedy in political terms, but there have been so many of these shootings across the nation in recent years that the issue can’t be ignored in this year’s midterm elections. Some blamed the problem on mental illness. Josh Gorra posted on Facebook, “A man who calls himself a woman, who shoots their own family, a demented individual end of story.” Others blamed school officials for lax security. Marissa Caprio Pesce also took to Facebook, saying, “Metal detectors should be installed in all schools and indoor sporting facilities to protect students and adults. Along with armed policemen. That would be a good start!” The national debate is simmering on this, and I expect a lot more as campaign 2026 gets underway. Will any major action be coming?

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“Trump’s Tariffs Get Torched” – In a devastating loss for the White House, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled President Donald Trump’s imposition of sharp tariffs on foreign imports is unconstitutional. Congress has the sole authority to impose tariffs, but a 1977 law allows a president to impose them in a national emergency. The court says there was no emergency. The vote was 6 to 3, but the breakdown is fascinating. Two of Trump’s court appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, voted against the president. Chief Justice John Roberts, another Republican appointee, and the courts three liberals, also voted against Trump. It was quite a rebuke. President Trump said he was “absolutely ashamed” of the Supreme Court and “deeply disappointed.” Trump says he’ll sign an executive order imposing a 15 percent global tariff. But opponents will likely challenge that in court as well.

 

“Epstein Ties Snare Former Prince Andrew” – Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew, has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrest is linked to Andrew’s relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While Andrew had been suspected of sexual misconduct with some of Epstein’s underage employees, this arrest is instead related to financial matters. When he was a royal, Andrew also served as the UK’s Special Envoy for International Trade. There are concerns that he may have leaked confidential British economic data to Epstein, who was a widely known international financial advisor. In common parlance, investigators are seeking evidence that Andrew engaged in “insider trading.” His brother, King Charles, issued a statement saying, “Let me state clearly: the law must take its course. As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.’’ He added: “My family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.’’

 

“Hillary Fires at Trump” – The ongoing war of words between the Clinton White House and the Trump White House has reached a feverish pitch over the Epstein files. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused the Trump administration of a cover-up, saying, “They are slow walking it, they are redacting the names of men who are in it, they are stonewalling legitimate requests from members of Congress.” Clinton was speaking at a conference in Germany. President Trump fired back, saying to reporters, “I’ve been totally exonerated.” He added, “No, no, they’re (Clintons) getting pulled in, that’s their problem, we’ll have to see what happens. I watched (Clinton) in Munich, and she seriously has Trump derangement syndrome.” The Clintons are scheduled for closed-door depositions before Congress this week, but they want it opened up to the press and public.

 

“Another Epstein-Related Resignation” – Despite all the furor over the Jeffrey Epstein-Ghislaine Maxwell sex crime files, they have yet to take down any U.S. politicians. The same cannot be said of other sectors. This past week, Hyatt Hotel CEO Tom Pritzker resigned over his friendship with Epstein and Maxwell. Weeks ago, former Harvard President Larry Summers was stripped of all ties to the university. And as GoLocalProv first reported, Casey Wasserman is selling his talent agency after various artists quit over his friendship with Epstein. Wasserman has prominent business ties to Rhode Island. For now, he is still chair of the LA 2028 Olympics, despite calls for him to step down. So, we’ve seen people in the business, academic, entertainment, and international sectors fall due to Epstein's relationships. But when will any U.S. political leaders be dispatched?

 

“Mideast Tensions Flare” – The U.S. and Iran are holding indirect talks in Geneva in an effort to avoid military conflict. On Tuesday, Iran closed the Straits of Hormuz, a channel through which 20 percent of the world’s oil passes. This came after an escalated U.S. Navy presence in the region with aircraft carriers and destroyers deployed. President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, “I think they want to make a deal. I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal,” he said. An intermediary is leading the talks with both sides. Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X, “I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal.” He added, “What is not on the table: submission before threats.” The standoff could become a big political issue in this year’s midterm election. Trump told Iran he will give it a 10-to-15-day deadline.

 

“Rev. Jesse Jackson Dies” – Civil rights leader and two-time presidential candidate Rev. Jesse Jackson has died at the age of 84. I had the good fortune to interview Jackson several times over my career, especially when I worked in Washington, DC. One of the things we talked about often was his view on the sentencing disparity for cocaine users. His position was poor; Black crack cocaine users received harsher sentences for being caught with cheaper, less potent crack cocaine. On the other hand, well-off, White users spent their money on more expensive, potent powdered cocaine. Jackson once said, “Police efforts to control crack focused mainly on urban Black communities, in part because it was easier; drug deals in those communities usually happened in public on the street, not in private residences as in white communities.” His efforts led to the passage of the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 and the First Step Act of 2018. I’m sure from Heaven he will still inspire people to, in his famous words, “Keep hope alive!” RIP.

 

“Obama's Pay Tribute” – While Jackson’s runs for president in 1984 and 1988 were competitive, he fell short of the nomination. Still, he won a significant number of delegates, even taking the 1988 Michigan primary with the support of many White voters. In many ways, he paved the way for what Barack Obama achieved in 2008 and 2012, when he won two terms in the White House. Former President Obama said, “Michelle got her first glimpse of political organizing at the Jacksons’ kitchen table when she was a teenager.”  Obama added, “And in his two historic runs for president, he laid the foundation for my own campaign to the highest office of the land. Michelle and I will always be grateful for Jesse’s lifetime of service, and the friendship our families share. We stood on his shoulders.” Barack Obama received a significantly higher percentage of the White vote than Democratic nominees Al Gore and John Kerry did in 2000 and 2004. A lot of credit for that goes to Jesse Jackson for building bridges.

 

“Trump Praises Jackson” – To the surprise of many, President Trump weighed in on Rev. Jackson’s death, after staying silent on the deaths of political leaders such as Dick Cheney and others. Trump says his relationship with Jackson dates back to the 1980s. Trump called Jackson “a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and ‘street smarts.’” Trump noted that he gave Jackson’s Operation PUSH Coalition free office space in one of Trump’s New York City buildings. Trump said on Truth Social, “Despite the fact that I am falsely and consistently called a Racist by the Scoundrels and Lunatics on the Radical Left, Democrats ALL, it was always my pleasure to help Jesse along the way.” He added, “Jesse was a force of nature like few others before him. He loved his family greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences. Jesse will be missed!”

 

“Trump Airport Naming Update” – As I reported in this column last week, efforts are underway to rename the Palm Beach International Airport, the Donald J. Trump International Airport. Well, the effort is on the fast track. The Florida House passed the measure on a vote of 81 to 30, and the bill now moves to the Florida State Senate. The Trump Organization recently filed a copyright for the name change, and critics call that unfair. State Sen. Shevrin Jones (D) Miami Gardens, said, “This is about generating revenue from a public entity or a private company, a company with Donald Trump’s interest at the helm, and not the people of the state of Florida.”  But Trump spokesperson Kimberly Benza says profit is not a motive here, saying, “To be clear, the President and his family will not receive any royalty, licensing fee, or financial consideration whatsoever from the proposed airport renaming.” Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) Florida supports the bill.