Pacers confirm Tyrese Haliburton will not play next season due to torn Achilles: 'We would not jeopardize that'

Pacers confirm Tyrese Haliburton will not play next season due to torn Achilles: 'We would not jeopardize that'

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton hit some miraculous, last-second shots to carry his team all the way to the NBA Finals. But any hopes of the Pacers winning a championship were dashed the instant Haliburton went down with a torn Achilles in Game 7. Following that injury, the Pacers want Haliburton to take his time rehabbing. Team president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard confirmed Monday that Haliburton will miss the entire 2025-26 NBA season while dealing with the injury. Pritchard said the Pacers did not want to "jeopardize" further injury with Haliburton. #Pacerspresident of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard confirmed Tyrese Haliburton is out for the 2025-26 season."I have no doubt that he will be back better than ever... He will not play next year though. We would not jeopardize that now."pic.twitter.com/OiSy327pgw — WISH-TV News (@WISHNews8)July 7, 2025 The news shouldn't come as a surprise. Achilles injuries can take up to a full year to fully recover. While it's possible Haliburton could recover faster, the team will give him plenty of time to get right. Other athletes have come back from Achilles injuries in less time. Kirk Cousins was able to return after 11 months to start for the Atlanta Falcons last season. He struggled upon returning, however, throwing an NFL-leading 16 interceptions in just 14 games. The Pacers won't risk that outcome. Assuming the team sticks to its guns and keeps Haliburton out, he wouldn't return to action until the start of the 2026-27 NBA season. If he returned to the court then, it would mark a year and a half since he appeared in a regular-season game. The Pacers have plenty of incentive to make sure Haliburton's recovery goes well. The team signed Haliburton to afive-year, max extensionin 2023. That extension kicked in during the 2024-25 NBA season, meaning he's signed through the 2028-29 NBA season. Given the length of Haliburton's deal and his age (25), the Pacers have every incentive to make sure he's back at 100 percent the next time he steps on the court. The decision may hurt the Pacers next year, but the team is taking the cautious approach with its biggest star.

byMario Satorik

in

July 07, 2025

Pacers confirm Tyrese Haliburton will not play next season due to torn Achilles: 'We would not jeopardize that'

Pacers confirm Tyrese Haliburton will not play next season due to torn Achilles: 'We would not jeopardize that' Indiana Pacers star ...

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Superstars and snubs: Deserving All-Star starters over past full season's stats

Superstars and snubs: Deserving All-Star starters over past full season's stats

Therosters for the 2025 MLB All-Star Gamehave been announced for the July 15 showcase in Atlanta. And for the most part, the fans (voting for the starters) and MLB (filling out the reserves) got things right. But every year there are some deserving players who don't get invited to the party, despite putting up numbers that prove they belong. Should a player's reputation or a half-season's worth of stats be the primary measuring stick for All-Star recognition? Or would it be better to use an entire season's worth of stats to determine which players really deserve to be honored? That's why we have our own All-Star tradition: the unveiling of our Full-Season All-Stars. With some major assistance fromBaseballHQ.com, here are the statistical leaders from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. (Players listed at their primary position in 2025 with a minimum of 20 games to qualify. Our selections for AL and NL starters are inbold.) Cal Raleigh is far and away the best offensive catcher in the game. He blows away everyone over the past full season (July '24-June '25)pic.twitter.com/HpDB8vSNQ5 — Steve Gardner (@SteveAGardner)July 7, 2025 There's no question who the best catcher in the game is right now.Cal Raleighleads the majors in home runs this season, but he's not just swinging for the fences. He's getting on base, occasionally stealing them and scoring runs too. His numbers over the past calendar year, especially among his positional peers, are eye-popping: 53 home runs, 121 RBI, 103 runs and 11 stolen bases. No one's even in the same ballpark. It's much closer in the National League, where All-Star starter Will Smith and non-starWilliam Contrerasare neck-and-neck. (Mask-and-mask?) Smith has a 16-point edge in batting average, but Contreras tops him in the other four major fantasy categories. No doubt about the AL's top first baseman, but the stats (July '24-June '25) prefer someone other than Freddie Freeman as the most deserving starter in the NL.pic.twitter.com/mBwszdMvie — Steve Gardner (@SteveAGardner)July 7, 2025 Vladimir Guerrero Jr.may not be putting up MVP-type numbers this season, but he's been incredibly consistent. His scorching second half in 2024 helped put him far above the AL competition in every offensive category except stolen bases. And he's the only one at the position with more than 100 runs scored over the past calendar year. Once again, the battle is much closer in the NL.Pete Alonsogets the nod over Matt Olson by the slightest of margins. Alonso leads in homers (35 to 32) and runs (91 to 87), while Olson tops all first basemen with 109 RBI (to Alonso's 107). ASG starter Freddie Freeman has a higher batting average, but can't touch either one's power numbers. Do we think of Ketel Marte as a power hitter? The full-season stats (July '24-June '25) make a clear case who the top sluggers are at 2B in each league.pic.twitter.com/8hEpKILJw3 — Steve Gardner (@SteveAGardner)July 7, 2025 It's been pretty clear for a while thatKetel Marteis the best second baseman in the majors. Over the past full season, he leads the position in home runs (36), ranks second in RBI (83) and batting average (.300) and fourth in runs scored (84). Brendan Donovan may be his closest NL competition. In the AL,Brandon Lowestands out. Finally healthy (149 games), Lowe leads all AL second basemen in homers (33), RBI (84) and runs (90) over the past year. Lindor or Elly at short for the NL? Such a close call when you look at a full season's worth of stats from July '24 to June '25.pic.twitter.com/kTcQ53Zp71 — Steve Gardner (@SteveAGardner)July 7, 2025 AL All-Star starter Jacob Wilson tops all shortstops with a .339 average, butBobby Witt Jr.is second at .317 – in addition to his league-leading 31 homers, 100 RBI and 106 runs. Witt's 30 stolen bases complete the package and put him far ahead of everyone else. Honorable mention: Jeremy Peña, who cracks the position's top 10 in all five categories. Not much separates Francisco Lindor andElly De La Cruzin the NL. Lindor has a better average (.281 to .273) and more homers (36 to 29), but De La Cruz is ahead in RBI (96 to 94) and he pulls away with big margins in steals (49 to 27) and runs (117 to 105). No doubt in either the AL or NL on who's the best at the hot corner offensively. Check out these full-season stats from July '24 to June '25.pic.twitter.com/wLEKTSqrT2 — Steve Gardner (@SteveAGardner)July 7, 2025 Even at age 32,Jose Ramirezcontinues to put up stellar numbers. He very nearly makes it a clean sweep in the AL with a .293 average, 29 homers, 92 runs and a whopping 47 steals. The only category Ramirez doesn't come out on top is RBI, where he trails Isaac Paredes 83-80. Alex Bregman also makes a strong showing in everything but steals. In the NL, Manny Machado is a deserving All-Star starter, ranking second overall at the position in average (.288), homers (32) and RBI (107). But look at whatEugenio Suarezhas done over the past year. He far outpaces everyone at the hot corner with 50 home runs, 138 RBI and 110 runs. A horrible first half of 2024 obscures what a tremendous offensive force he's been. So many ways to highlight Aaron Judge's brilliance. But who else deserves to start the All-Star Game in the AL ourfield? It's not as easy as it is to pick out the NL's top three.(Combined stats from July '24 through June '25.)pic.twitter.com/yJZsZ02Rsh — Steve Gardner (@SteveAGardner)July 7, 2025 Reigning AL MVPAaron Judgeis in a world of his own. Not only does he lead all American Leaguers with 57 home runs 129 RBI and 130 runs scored over the past calendar year, he tops the major leagues with a .343 average over that span as well. But who joins him in the AL outfield?Riley Greeneis a deserving starter, ranking highly in average (.287), homers (28) and RBI (96). AndLawrence Butlermay have started slowly in 2025, but his full-season numbers (.274, 31 HR, 83 RBI, 100 runs, 27 steals) certainly hold up. In the NL,Corbin CarrollleadsJuan Soto41-40 in homers and 131-120 in RBI. Carroll's 31 steals cement him in the top spot, butSoto certainly deserves a placeon the All-Star roster.Jackson Chouriois also deserving, ranking in the overall top 12 in all five statistical categories. Sorry, James Wood and Pete Crow-Armstrong. You have to wait your turn. Also, we can't forget designated hitterShohei Ohtani, whose 57 home runs over the past full season are tied with Judge for the most in the majors. Ohtani also leads everyone with 149 runs and 54 stolen bases. And despite batting leadoff, he's third in RBI with 122. When it comes to pitching, is volume more important than efficiency? Picking the top 3 starters in each league forces one to wrestle with that question.pic.twitter.com/Vm8jP6Lhvj — Steve Gardner (@SteveAGardner)July 7, 2025 It's easy to recognize dominance when it's displayed so clearly byTarik Skubal. He's far and away the best pitcher in the game, and the full-season stats bear that out. Skubal is the only one to reach 19 wins and he leads the majors with 254 strikeouts. Throw in a 2.29 ERA and league-leading 0.87 WHIP and the result is a strong candidate for a second consecutive Cy Young award. Elsewhere in the AL,Framber Valdezhas 18 wins, a 2.30 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 209 whiffs. While Jacob deGrom might win on ratios (2.04 ERA, 0.91 WHIP), he cedes the third spot toCarlos Rodonwho has 226 K's and 16 wins, despite a slightly higher 3.16 ERA. Zack Wheelerdeserves top billing in the NL. He leads the league with 248 whiffs, plus his ratios are equally impressive (2.32 ERA, 0.91 WHIP). Not even broken ribs can keepChris Salefrom making the cut. He remained healthy until late June, giving him enough time to rack up 221 strikeouts to pair with a stellar 2.23 ERA. Wheeler also has 15 wins to Sale's 13. Meanwhile, it's hard to hold Paul Skenes' paltry 11 wins against hm. He has 210 whiffs and ranks second in the NL to Hunter Greene in both ERA (2.02) and WHIP (0.90). Among the closers,Emmanuel Clase's ridiculous finish to 2024 gives him the edge over Josh Hader. Clase trails in saves 45-40, but his 1.91 ERA is nearly a full point lower. In the NL,Ryan Helsleyhas the best combination of production (8 wins, 35 saves) and effectiveness (2.35 ERA). Who has the best overall statistics over the past calendar year? With a big assist from@TheBigHurtHQ, here are the 5x5#fantasybaseballleaders from July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025.More here as we use the numbers to pick the most deserving All-Star starters:https://t.co/YU5Hezx4Dtpic.twitter.com/png4RkTFde — Steve Gardner (@SteveAGardner)July 7, 2025 Contributing: Matt Cederholm, BaseballHQ.com This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:True All-Stars make grade by putting up full season's worth of stats

byMario Satorik

in

July 07, 2025

Superstars and snubs: Deserving All-Star starters over past full season's stats

Superstars and snubs: Deserving All-Star starters over past full season's stats Therosters for the 2025 MLB All-Star Gamehave been annou...

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Deals made by Trump since pausing his 'Liberation Day' tariffs remain sparse

Deals made by Trump since pausing his 'Liberation Day' tariffs remain sparse

NEW YORK (AP) — Just over three months ago, PresidentDonald Trumpunveiled his most sweeping volley of tariffs yet— holding up large charts from the White House Rose Garden to outline newtariffsthat the U.S. would soon slap on goods from nearly every country in the world. But in line with much of Trump's on-again, off-again trade policy playbook, the bulk of those "Liberation Day" levies were postponedjust hours after they took effectin April. The 90-day suspension arrived in an apparent effort to quellglobal market panicand facilitate country-by-country negotiations. At that time, the administration set a lofty goal of reaching90 trade deals in 90 days. Since then, however, the U.S. has only announced pacts with the United Kingdom and Vietnam — as well as a"framework″ agreement with Chinain a separate trade dispute. And the overall outlook for implementation has been murky. News of these deals often trickled through social media posts from the president and, even when countries on both sides of a negotiation table made more official announcements, many key details — including timing — were sparse. The 90-day window was technicallyset to expire on July 9, but that deadline is now also getting an extension. On Monday, the U.S. begansendingout letters to certain countries warning that highertariffscould kick in Aug. 1 — not this week -- including to Japan and South Korea, which Trump saidwill both face 25% leviesnext month. Even with negotiations ongoing, most countries have still faced a minimum 10% levy on goods entering the U.S. over the past three months, on top of punishing new taxes targetingforeign steel and aluminumas well asauto imports.The current pause pushed back additional steeper rates, which Trump calls"reciprocal" tariffs, for dozens of nations. Here's what we know about the trade deals announced throughout the pause. Vietnam On July 2, Trumpannounced a trade deal with Vietnamthat he said would allow U.S. goods to enter the country duty-free. Vietnamese exports to the U.S., by contrast, would face a 20% levy. That's less than half the 46% "reciprocal" rate Trump proposed for Vietnamese goods back in April. But in addition to the new 20% tariff rate, Trump said the U.S. would impose a 40% tax on "transshipping'' — targeting goods from another country that stop in Vietnam on their way to the United States. Washington complains that Chinese goods have been dodging higher U.S. tariffs by transiting through Vietnam. It wasn't immediately clear when these new rates would go into effect or whether they would come on top of any other previously-imposed levies. Like most other countries, Vietnam has faced Trump's 10% baseline tariff for the last three months. United Kingdom On May 8, Trumpagreed to cut tariffson British autos, steel and aluminum, among other trade pledges — while the U.K. promised to reduce levies on U.S. products like olive oil, wine and sports equipment. The deal was announced in grandiose terms by both countries, butsome key details remained unknownfor weeks. When the deal was announced, for example, the British government notably said that the U.S. agreed to exempt the U.K. from its then-universal 25% duties on foreign steel and aluminum — which would have effectively allowed both metals from the country to come into the U.S. duty-free. But the timing for when those cuts would actually take effect stayed up in the air for almost a month. It wasn't until early June, when Trumphiked his steel and aluminum tariffsto a punishing 50% worldwide, that the U.S.acknowledged it was time to implementthe agreement. And even then, U.S. tariffs on British steel and aluminum did not go to zero. The U.K. was the only country spared from Trump's new 50% levies, but still faces 25% import taxes on the metals — and Trump said that rate could also go up on or after Wednesday. The U.K. did not receive a higher "reciprocal" rate on April 2, but continues to face the 10% baseline tax. China At its peak, Trump's new tariffs on Chinese goods totaled 145% — and China's countertariffs on American products reached 125%. But on May 12, the countries agreed to their own 90-day truce to roll back those levies to 30% and 10%, respectively. And last month, details began trickling in abouta tentative trade agreement. On June 11, following talks in London, Trump announced a "framework" for a deal. And late last month, the U.S. and China both acknowledged thatsome sort of agreement had been reached.U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that China had agreed to make it easier for American firms to acquireChinese magnets and rare earth mineralscritical for manufacturing and microchip production. Meanwhile, without explicitly mentioning U.S. access to rare earths, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said that it would "review and approve eligible export applications for controlled items" and that the U.S. would "lift a series of restrictive measures it had imposed on China." More specifics about those measures — and when they would actually go into effect — were not immediately clear. But on Friday, the Ministry of Commerce acknowledged that the U.S. was resuming exports of airplane parts, ethane and other items to China. And when Trump first announced the framework on June 11, the U.S. had said it agreed to stop seeking to revoke the visas of Chinese students on U.S. college campuses. _________ Associated Press Staff Writers Josh Boak, Paul Wiseman and Fu Ting in Washington, D.C., Aniruddha Ghosal in Hanoi, and Huizhong Wu in Bangkok contributed to this report.

byMario Satorik

in

July 07, 2025

Deals made by Trump since pausing his 'Liberation Day' tariffs remain sparse

Deals made by Trump since pausing his 'Liberation Day' tariffs remain sparse NEW YORK (AP) — Just over three months ago, PresidentDo...

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Biden advisers pushed early Trump debate to show 'strength,' memo shows

Biden advisers pushed early Trump debate to show 'strength,' memo shows

WASHINGTON −Joe Biden's disastrous June 2024debate performance, when the nation witnessed a hoarse and feeble president losing his train of thought and struggling to finish sentences,ended his reelection campaign. Now, a newly surfaced campaign memo shows how aides persuaded Biden to debateDonald Trumpfrom what they said was "a position of strength" and before early voting began in many battleground states. "By holding the first debate in the spring, YOU will be able to reach the widest audience possible, before we are deep in the summer months with the conventions, Olympics and family vacations taking precedence," said the memo, which was revealed by journalists Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager and Isaac Arnsdorf ina new book, "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America." Throughout the memo – published July 7 by Politico – the advisers take pains to reiterate Biden's stature by addressing him as "YOU" in bold capital letters. The debate took place months before the fall debate timeline suggested by the Commission on Presidential Debates. "In addition, the earlier YOU are able to debate the better, so that the American people can see YOU standing next to Trump and showing the strength of YOUR leadership, compared to Trump's weakness and chaos," says the memo. It didn't turn out that way. After the June 27 calamity, when Biden, then 81, trailed off and froze at various points before a live television audience, hefaced mounting pressurefrominfluentialdonorsand some lawmakers to drop out of the race. Less than a month later, Biden announced he was stepping aside and endorsedVice President Kamala Harris, 59, as the Democratic nominee. Harris, who ran the shortest presidential campaign in history, was trounced by Trump in November, capping a remarkable comeback by the former president. The contents of the memo stand in sharp contrast to a narrative pushed by the Trump administration, which has accused those close to Biden, including former first lady Jill Biden, of acover-upby making sure the former president had minimal public exposure and of keeping his supposed cognitive decline under wraps. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Kentucky, sent letters to Biden's physician and former White House aides in May demanding they appear for a transcribed interview as part of an investigation into Biden's health and use of the autopen to sign presidential documents. In June, Trump's Justice Department began aninvestigation into pardonsissued in the final days of Biden's presidency and "whether others were taking advantage of him through use of Autopen or other means." Biden announced last month that he had been diagnosed withan aggressive Stage 4 prostate cancer. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY.You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Biden aides said fateful 2024 Trump debate would show 'strength'

byMario Satorik

in

July 07, 2025

Biden advisers pushed early Trump debate to show 'strength,' memo shows

Biden advisers pushed early Trump debate to show 'strength,' memo shows WASHINGTON −Joe Biden's disastrous June 2024debate perfo...

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Heat, Clippers, Jazz trade grades: L.A. gets more size ... and Miami remains Miami

Heat, Clippers, Jazz trade grades: L.A. gets more size ... and Miami remains Miami

It's summer and time to chill for most, but three NBA teams had some business to tend to. Yes, we have a trade, folks. The Miami Heat, Utah Jazz, and Los Angeles Clippers are shuffling around pieces, so let's get into which pieces and why they were shuffled. Heat give up:Kevin Love, Kyle AndersonHeat get:Norman Powell Sigh. All right, Pat Riley. You don't want to rebuild, we get it. Heat culture! Winning! No tanking! It's all very, very adorable, but this Powell acquisition — which is a very strong return — runs the risk of Miami further indulging itself in what feels like an inevitable burnout. The move itself, in a vacuum, is almost unrealistically good, but the needle hasn't been moved enough in the direction of building championship equity. Powell (21.8 points, 41.8 3FG%) is a shooting guard who, well, very much plays the role of a traditional shooting guard. He isn't much of a playmaker (2.1 assists), is physically small (6-foot-3) and his play overlaps quite a bit with Tyler Herro. This isn't meant as criticism of Powell, who is frankly worth everyone's time, but more so confusion at how Miami sees the fit. What's the plan here, outside of maintaining "Heat Culture," which is basically the same culture as everyone else? At some point, it'd be nice to hear from the Heat how they envision themselves both this season and in the future. This deal has to be graded in two segments. Sorry, there is no other way. Return on value:A+"What are we doing?" direction:C- Clippers give up:Norman Powell, 2027 second-round pickClippers get:John Collins With James Harden still on the team, finding legitimate lob threats is always of interest, even if Ivica Zubac and Derrick Jones Jr. are on the roster. Collins is a bit more than just a lob-catcher, though. He averaged 19 points and 8.2 rebounds and posted damn-near 53/40/85 shooting splits this past season. Collins has divided waters for years now. Some argue his impact is limited, others that his defense is the problem, and then there are some who don't see him as much of a problem at all. I'm in the latter camp, because one has to judge Collins for what he is, not for what he isn't. For over half a decade, and before he even signed his second contract, it's been known what type of player he is. Collins is a scoring 4 who doesn't have the positional fluidity to play center for defensive purposes. But what he does give you is quality rebounding and a legitimate inside-outside option to play off your main playmaker. If you accept the parameters of what he is, there's a frighteningly good player in there, even if that player comes with the recipe of having specific archetypes on the roster to optimize him. Fortunately, the Clippers have that recipe. Collins could see his game grow, significantly, next to Harden. I'd like to give this a big, juicy grade, but the loss of Powell isn't insignificant. We have to bake that in. Grade:B (Now, if Bradley Beal ends up getting bought out of Phoenix and slides right into Powell's old spot, then we can certainly revisit this grade.) Jazz give up:John CollinsJazz get:Kyle Anderson, Kevin Love, 2027 Clippers second-round pick Hello, darkness, my old friend ... I'm just going to say it. If you give up John Collins, and you take back a return that has the same value as unwashed trousers, then it's always about the money. And look, it makes sense. The Jazz also want to clear the roster a bit to make room for Ace Bailey to take a million shots. This does achieve that, in addition to shaving off roughly $13 million for this season. Even so, it's amazing we've gotten to this point where a player like Collins, who does produce at a high level, is efficient and does offer big-man elements such as screen-setting and rebounding, is simply left out in the dust when it comes to trade value. You'd think — probably hope — a player of his caliber could return a better haul, but apparently that's become a ridiculous notion based off reasons that seem half-baked. As such, it means Utah spent two years trying to build up Collins' value, only to take back —gestures disappointingly— this. Ugh. It's not Utah's fault the market seems to have overcorrected on productive in-prime but not quite All-Star-level players, but unfortunately we have to judge the Jazz off the return, which isn't pretty. Grade:C- (Though, if the ripple effects of this deal lead to superstardom for Bailey, a new assessment will gladly be booked by yours truly.)

byMario Satorik

in

July 07, 2025

Heat, Clippers, Jazz trade grades: L.A. gets more size ... and Miami remains Miami

Heat, Clippers, Jazz trade grades: L.A. gets more size ... and Miami remains Miami It's summer and time to chill for most, but three NBA...

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Sounders GK Stefan Frei 'home resting' after injury scare

Sounders GK Stefan Frei 'home resting' after injury scare

Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei was "back home resting" on Monday after leaving Sunday's match in Seattle in an ambulance with an injury to his head and neck. Frei, 39, collided with Columbus Crew midfielder Amar Sejdic's knee while trying to collect a free kick during second-half stoppage time in the 1-1 draw. Medical personnel rushed onto the field and placed Frei onto a stretcher before loading him into an ambulance at Lumen Field. "I'm incredibly grateful to all the staff that looked after me and happy to be back home resting now," Frei posted on X early Monday morning. "What resonates is all the messages, calls and love I've received from so many of you. Thank you -- truly. It means more than I can put into words." Instead of resuming play after Frei's injury, Crew coach Wilfried Nancy and Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer successfully encouraged officials to end the match. "Wilfried, I appreciate what he did because the ref wasn't going to stop the game," Schmetzer said. "Everybody knew that the game should have been stopped. Good on him. So thank you, Wilfried." "I hope that everything's going to be okay with (Frei)," Nancy said. "Our job is not easy. When you see a situation like that, again, football is not the most important. We stay positive, and hopefully everything's going to be good for him." Frei has been minding the Sounders' net since the 2014 season. Including his time with Toronto from 2011-13, he has recorded 112 clean sheets in 371 career MLS matches. --Field Level Media

byMario Satorik

in

July 07, 2025

Sounders GK Stefan Frei 'home resting' after injury scare

Sounders GK Stefan Frei 'home resting' after injury scare Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei was "back home resting" on Monda...

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Pam Bondi’s botched handling of the Epstein files

Pam Bondi's botched handling of the Epstein files

The Trump administration's promises to release extensive and significant new information related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein appear to be petering out – depriving conspiracy-minded MAGA supporters of the smoking guns they have long sought as they've publicly tried to tie influential figures to Epstein's crimes. And to the extent those MAGA supporters are disappointed, the Trump administration has itself to blame. That especially applies to Attorney General Pam Bondi. TheJustice Department posted a memoMonday that says there is no evidence Epstein was murdered or that he kept anything amounting to a much-anticipated "client list." The department does not plan to release any new documents on the matter, an official told CNN. Axios was first to report details of the DOJ and FBI's decision. None of this is new or surprising to anyone who has followed the Epstein case closely. New York City's medical examiner had ruled the death a suicide. The attorney general in Trump's first term, Bill Barr, had come to the same conclusion, despite his initial suspicions of something more sinister. A Justice Department Inspector General report also pushed back on the idea the death was anything but a suicide, while criticizing staff failures that allowed such a thing to happen. And the Miami Herald's Julie K. Brown, one of the best-sourced reporters on the Epstein case, reported earlier this year: "Those who have worked with the FBI on the case for decades say there is no evidence Epstein kept a ledger or a list of clients who were involved with his sex trafficking operation." Still, the memo undercuts theories that continued to circulate, including that there was proof that influential figures were involved in Epstein's exploitation of underage girls. At their most pitched, these theories held that Epstein was able to blackmail those influential figures who appeared on a purported "client list." They also undercut Bondi's personal rhetoric. The new memo's key findings are very different from how Bondi billed them. Far-right activist Laura Loomer, who has demonstrated influence with the Trump administration and has frequently criticized Bondi over her handling of the Epstein investigation, called for Trump to fire his attorney general. "If she doesn't get fired over this Epstein memo, people are going to be so black pilled," Loomer wrote on X, using a term that some on the far-right use to signify a belief that the system is beyond repair. Let's run through what statements from Bondi the memo contradicts: The idea that Epstein kept a "client list" that potentially implicated influential figures has become an article of faith in some circles. Key Republican lawmakers have treated its existence as an established fact and pushed for its release. And a big reason for that was Bondi herself. During a February 21 interview on Fox News, host John Roberts asked whether DOJ would release a "list of Jeffrey Epstein's clients." "Will that really happen?" Roberts asked. Bondi responded: "It's sitting on my desk right now to review. That's been a directive by President Trump. I'm reviewing that." In other words, Bondi didn't commit to releasing such a list, but she affirmatively indicated it existed and that it was in her possession. And the question was specifically about the purported list – not other files related to Epstein. At Monday's White House briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed under skeptical questioning from Fox News itself that Bondi hadn't actually been referring to a client list. "She was saying the entirety of all of the paperwork – all of the paper in relation to Jeffrey Epstein's crimes," Leavitt said. "That's what the attorney general was referring to, and I'll let her speak for that." Bondi had another chance to downplay the existence of such a list during a later March 1 interview on Fox, but declined to do so. Host Mark Levin suggested that Democratic-leaning officials in New York City might be withholding information because they "don't like the names on the list" and that they were "trying to protect a lot of names and individuals." Bondi leaned into the theory, saying she had "not reviewed the information yet," but added: "I think it's very interesting that they withheld that from us." The Justice Department now says not only is there no evidence of blackmail, but there is no evidence of such a list. "This systematic review revealed no incriminating 'client list,'" the DOJ memo says. "There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions." Elon Musk, who formerly served in the Trump administration and has previously alleged on social media that the "real reason" officials have not made more Epstein files public is because Trump's name is in them, has appeared totake shots at Bondion social media. "What's the time? Oh look, it's no-one-has-been-arrested-o'clock again,"Musk posted on Xaround 4 a.m. eastern time on Monday. In another puzzling claim, Bondi said there were "tens of thousands of videos" of Epstein "with children or child porn." Bondi first made the assertion ona secretly recorded video. Then she repeated the claim publicly, possibly in an effort to get ahead of that video's release. "There are tens of thousands of videos of Epstein with children or child porn, and there are hundreds of victims," Bondisaid publicly on May 7. But just a month later, FBI Director Kash Patelappeared to walk back Bondi's claim. He indicated to podcast host Joe Rogan there was no video of people committing crimes on Epstein's island. "Is there video from the island?" Rogan asked. "Not of what you want," Patel said. "So this narrative might not be accurate, that there's video of these guys doing this?" Rogan asked. "Exactly," Patel confirmed. Patel added at another point: "If there was a video of some guy or gal committing felonies on an island and I'm in charge, don't you think you'd see it?" Bondi's allegation puzzled lawyers and law enforcement officials involved in Epstein's criminal cases who were unfamiliar with any such trove of videos, an AP investigationreportedlast week. And now the new DOJ memo further undercuts Bondi's claim. The memo cites "over ten thousand downloaded videos and images of illegal child sex abuse material and other pornography." But that's both videos and images. And it only makes references to images of Epstein – not videos, let alone "tens of thousands" of them. While the DOJ memo in the above instances suggests Bondi oversold the evidence, it suggests she publicly undersold findings in another area: the number of victims. Bondi has on multiple occasions indicated there were around 250 victims. "This will make you sick," she told Fox in late February. "Two hundred victims, 200. So we have well over – over 250 actually." In the Levin interview on March 1, she cited "the 254 young girls, women who are victims of sex crimes and sex trafficking." Two days later, she doubled down on that number in a Fox interview with Sean Hannity. But the DOJ memo cites many more victims. It says its review "confirmed that Epstein harmed over one thousand victims. Each suffered unique trauma." This story has been updated to reflect additional developments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byMario Satorik

in

July 07, 2025

Pam Bondi’s botched handling of the Epstein files

Pam Bondi's botched handling of the Epstein files The Trump administration's promises to release extensive and significant new infor...

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