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Shea Stevens
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. A federal judge in Florida has denied the Trump administration's request to release grand jury records on late sex offender Jeffre Epstein. Another judge in New York is weighing a similar request. Meanwhile, US House Speaker Mike Johnson is defending his decision to send members home early to void a vote on releasing the Epstein files before the August recess.
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Mike Johnson
There's no point in having a vote today because the administration is already doing everything within their power to release them.
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Shea Stevens
Johnson says there is no nefarious reason for not releasing the files right away and accuses Democrats of trying to use the issue as a weapon. Columbia University has agreed to pay the government $200 million over three years to settle a civil rights investigation. As part of the deal, Columbia says the Trump administration will reinstate billions of dollars in current and future research grants. In a statement, the Ivy League school says the agreement affirms its unyielding commitment to academic freedom and freedom of expression. A California doctor has pleaded guilty to distributing ketamine to actor Matthew Perry shortly before his death. Steve Futterman reports from Los Angeles.
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Steve Futterman
Dr. Salvador Plasencia pleaded guilty to four counts of distributing ketamine and now faces up to 40 years in prison. But under federal sentencing guidelines, he's unlikely to face anything close to that in court. Plasencia acknowledged that he repeatedly sold and, in some cases administered the drug to Perry in the final weeks of the actor's life. In one case, 16 days before Perry died, Plasencia admitted that Perry's blood pressure spiked and that the actor briefly froze up. In a statement issued by his attorneys, Plasencia acknowledges that he failed to protect Perry, who the statement says was especially vulnerable due to addiction. Five people were originally charged four have now pleaded guilty. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman at the federal courthouse in Los Angeles.
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Shea Stevens
Israeli restrictions on food deliveries to Gaza have led to a surge in deaths from malnutrition, according to gaza health officials. NPR's Anas Baba reports that at least 46 civilians have been starved to death there this month.
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Anas Baba
In this Gaza City hospital, dozens of mothers cradle their infants. Most of the babies here are too weak to cry. The hospitals in the patient's Friends Hospital. It's the only hospital that can treat severe malnutrition in north Gaza, but it's been forced to suspend its malnutrition program. They have run out of all supplies. Aid organization says Raili continues to block most aid coming into Gaza. Najah Abu Shhada, baby boy is among the children here. He's a year old and weighs just under seven pounds. She says she relies on charity meals, but when that's not available, she says, we go to sleep hungry. Anas Baba and Piro News, Gaza City.
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Shea Stevens
This is npr. The European Union is criticizing the Ukrainian parliament for removing the independence of his anti corruption bureau. The vote comes as Ukraine seeks to become a member of the eu. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy says his nation's anti corruption units will continue operating, but without what he believes has been Russian influence. French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte are suing right wing influencer Candace Owens for defamation. As NPR's Rebecca Rossman reports from Paris, the case centers on a podcast that spreads bizarre conspiracy theories.
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Rebecca Rossman
In a 22 count defamation suit filed in Delaware, the Macrons accuse Owens of spreading what they call, quote, grotesque lies in her podcast series Becoming Brigitte. That includes false claims that Brigitte Macron is transgender, that the couple are blood relatives, and that Emmanuel Macron was part of a CIA mind control experiment. A lawyer for the Macrons say they repeat repeatedly asked Owens to retract the statements, requests they say she ignored. The couple now seeks a jury trial and damages, and they say they're prepared to appear in court themselves. The McCallns face an uphill battle. U.S. law will require them to prove that Owens knowingly spread falsehoods. Rebecca Rossman, NPR News, Paris.
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Shea Stevens
The Muscogee Nation Supreme Court has ruled in favor of two descendants of former slaves held by the tribe. The court found that the Muscogee Nations Citizenship Board denied them membership and viol of an 1866 treaty granting citizenship to former slaves once held by the tribe. This is NPR News.
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