Good evening. I’m British Chris, and this is Raw America.
A billionaire GOP megadonor in New York has suddenly closed his checkbook, despite his money being the lifeblood of Republican politics in the Empire State for decades. CBS killed a 60 Minutes investigation into how big banks were helping Jeffrey Epstein move his money. Two people are dead in a record-shattering outbreak of explosive diarrhea caused by a foodborne parasite, and the Trump administration held off on reporting those deaths for weeks. And Republicans are now privately telling Raw America White House reporter Brian Karem that Mitch McConnell’s chances of ever casting another vote in the Senate are, in their words, minimal.
First, we’d like to thank our paying subscribers for making all of this possible. Because of your financial support, Raw America is able to bring you high-quality independent journalism free from the influence of billionaires and corporate money. We’re interviewing U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) tomorrow at 1:15 PM ET about his new report exposing how big Wall Street banks enabled Jeffrey Epstein for years. On Thursday, we’re interviewing Wisconsin-based ER doctor Chris Ford about the Trump administration’s cuts to Medicare Part D. Next Friday, we’re interviewing Hunter Biden. And our very own Brian Karem is working on a report about Jeanine Pirro, full of exclusive quotes from current and former federal prosecutors, that we’ll run this week. We couldn’t do any of this without you, so thanks again.
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Billionaire GOP Megadonor Cuts Off Money Spigot
Ronald Lauder, the cosmetics heir worth billions, has functioned for decades as a one-man ATM for New York Republicans, funding term limits, a gerrymandering lawsuit, and close to $13 million in races that helped flip the U.S. House of Representatives four years ago.
This year, he hasn’t given Republicans in his home state a single dollar. His super PAC is empty. He’s quietly fired a whole team of longtime consultants.
Associates say Lauder’s adult children pushed him to cut back spending across the board as Estée Lauder’s stock price cratered 77 percent in the last five years, wiping out more than a billion dollars of his net worth. A person close to the family disputes that it’s about money, insisting it’s really about the 82 year-old simplifying his life.
Either way, the timing is brutal for New York Republicans. Gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman badly needed Lauder’s help to narrow his significant fundraising gap with Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul. That help isn’t coming, and New York’s own Republican Party chairman is admitting nobody can replace what Lauder brought financially. It’s bad news for Republicans in the deep-blue state, with one of the most reliable sources of Republican money now drying up right when the party needs it most.
Bari Weiss Killed 60 Minutes Investigation Into How Big Banks Enabled Epstein
Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon — who Raw America is interviewing live tomorrow at 1:15 PM Eastern Time — is now revealing he conducted a 60 Minutes interview back in March about how major banks helped Jeffrey Epstein, only for that segment to never air. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi left CBS two months later, and the story died with her departure. CBS claims it wasn’t finished in time.
This isn’t the first time Alfonsi has accused the network of muzzling her reporting. When she left 60 Minutes, she publicly blasted CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss for holding back a report on the Trump administration deporting Venezuelan immigrants deported to El Salvador’s brutal CECOT mega-pprison, saying the delay was purely political.
Wyden’s interview was part of a Senate report accusing major banks of turning a blind eye to Epstein’s suspicious financial activity. The report alleges Deutsche Bank failed to promptly flag more than $250 million in questionable transactions, and that Bank of America was several years late reporting roughly $170 million tied to billionaire Leon Black, including payments investigators say had no apparent legitimate purpose. Black’s attorney says those conclusions are false.
The report also documents the Treasury Department rejecting three separate requests from Wyden’s office for Epstein-related financial records since Trump returned to the White House, and accuses Deutsche Bank, Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase of failing to fully cooperate with investigators. Wyden specifically blamed Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee for blocking legislation that would have forced the Treasury Department to release those documents.
A sitting senator’s interview about Wall Street helping Epstein conceal his money vanished the same month the reporter covering it walked out, claiming editorial interference from her billionaire bosses. This is exactly why we launched Raw America, because we all know billionaires only buy media outlets in order to kill reporting aimed at holding them accountable. Subscribe and help us keep this work going.
Trump Administration Was ‘Aware’ of Explosive Diarrhea Deaths But Delayed Reporting Them
Two people died in Michigan as part of the record-breaking outbreak of cyclosporiasis, which is a parasite that causes explosive diarrhea and has been tied to Taylor Farms’ shredded iceberg lettuce. The lettuce, grown in Mexico, was distributed to 27 states and sold at various restaurants and grocery chains.
Now, Ars Technica is reporting that the Trump administration’s FDA hadn’t updated its outbreak page in nearly two weeks as of today. The CDC posted a banner acknowledging the deaths but hadn’t updated its official case data. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agency confirmed the deaths and said updated numbers were coming sometime this week. Sometime.
Experts say the primary culprit budget cuts at federal health agencies, leading to understaffing at offices tasked with documenting health crises like the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak. RFK Jr. told reporters two weeks ago that the outbreak was under control, and recently launched his own cooking show in which he prepared a meal featuring a salad.
Outside researchers estimate there are currently between 17,000 and nearly 23,000 cyclosporiasis cases across nearly all 50 states. Michigan alone logged more than 11,000 cases and 193 hospitalizations. Missouri’s case count nearly doubled in the course of a single week, even though it isn’t officially tied to Taylor Farms’ lettuce.
Two people are dead, tens of thousands are sick, and yet the agencies responsible can’t even be bothered to update their own websites. In any other administration, this would be considered an impeachable offense.
Republicans Tell Raw America Mitch McConnell’s Chances of Ever Coming Back Are ‘Minimal’
Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky hasn’t been seen since he was hospitalized on June 14. A staffer in South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott’s office told Raw America White House reporter Brian Karem that the odds of McConnell casting another vote before his term ends are “minimal.” One high-ranking Republican confided to Karem on background that most of the party hasn’t known anything since Laura Loomer claimed in early July that McConnell was allegedly braindead.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has publicly called on McConnell to prove he’s capable of serving or resign. The 84 year-old has now missed 38 Senate votes. That includes judicial confirmations, a landmark housing bill and war powers resolutions on Iran that either passed or failed by very slim margins of just one or two votes, where his vote could have made the difference. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri told Raw America that losing multiple members at once means Republicans can barely control the floor despite having the majority.
Support the Journalism That Only Answers to You
Today’s news further proved that news outlets owned by billionaires can’t be counted on to give you the full story. 60 Minutes killed the segment in which Senator Ron Wyden revealed exactly how big banks helped Epstein move millions of dollars. So tomorrow, at 1:15 PM Eastern Time, Wyden will join Raw America to talk about not just the report itself, but to name the specific Wall Street executives he’ll be issuing subpoenas to should Democrats retake the Senate and he becomes chairman of the Finance Committee. You can watch that interview live on our homepage at RawAmerica.com.
Raw America will never take a penny from a billionaire, and we’ll never take orders from a corporate owner. We only answer to you. But that kind of independence means that we rely solely on our readers to do this work. If you appreciate having journalists chase these stories without being censored by a MAGA oligarch or a corporate parent, make that appreciation official by becoming a paying subscriber today. We can’t do this without your help.
I’m British Chris, with Raw America. Thanks for watching. We’ll see you tomorrow.
Here are some stories you may have missed:
Jeanine Pirro Appears to Save Her Job After Oval Office Meeting. Just a day after President Donald Trump accused U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro of “folding like an umbrella” after her office dismissed charges against people arrested for allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Pirro met with Trump in what the New York Times reported was a confrontational meeting at the White House. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum was also present, along with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Pirro reportedly accused Burgum of misleading Trump by blaming “vandals” rather than taking accountability for his own mistakes. Pirro and Trump also have a long history, which reportedly helped smooth over their disagreement.
Trump DOJ Slated to Lose 20th Consecutive Court Case Over State Voter Rolls. Attorneys with Trump’s Department of Justice admitted Tuesday in federal court that its lawsuit to obtain Washington state’s voter database makes essentially the same case that has led to 19 straight losses in other states, but pressed forward with its efforts anyway. U.S. District Judge Philip Brimmer, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush, rejected the DOJ’s lawsuit in Colorado on Tuesday. Brimmer is the 12th Republican-appointed judge to strike down the administration’s attempt to obtain state voter databases. Eight judges appointed by Trump himself have issued similar rulings.
Michigan Democrats Vote Tonight in Key U.S. Senate Primary. Michigan will decide Tuesday night whether to send progressive Dr. Abdul El-Sayed or centrist Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) on to the November general election against Republican Mike Rogers. El-Sayed is an epidemiologist who is the former director of the Wayne County Department of Public Health, and who is making Medicare for All a highlight of his campaign platform. Stevens is arguing that she’s the better choice for a general election given that Michigan is a purple state that voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2024. Michigan’s polls close at 8 PM Eastern Time.
Todd Blanche Assures Evangelicals He’s Working Hard to Limit Abortion Access. During a recent call with Christian leaders, Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche — who is currently the acting attorney general — said he’s working to curtail abortion rights “in every state” in accordance with the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Blanche said that in addition to seeking full abortion bans in red states, he’s working to prevent doctors in Democratic-led states from prescribing mail-order abortion drugs like Mifepristone in states where abortion has been criminalized.
Democrat Seeking to Replace McConnell Says Kentuckians ‘Deserve to Know’ His Condition. Charles Booker — the Democratic nominee in Kentucky’s 2026 U.S. Senate race — is now increasing pressure on Mitch McConnell’s office to give more details about the senator’s health. Booker said Kentuckians “deserve to know” what’s really going on with the octogenarian senator given that he’s now been hospitalized for more than 50 days. Democratic Governor Andy Beshear maintains that all options are on the table to replace McConnell, whether that means calling a special election or nominating a replacement.
