Daily Briefing: Epstein case fallout continues

Good morning!🙋🏼‍♀️ I’m Nicole Fallert. Trying to get a tan? Don’t ditch the sunscreen.

Quick look at Monday’s news:

• Trump allies slammed the admin’s handling of the Epstein case.

• Faith leaders plan demonstrations Monday to protest federal budget cuts they say will devastate America’s poor.

• No pancakes this morning. Who won “Love Island USA”?!

Trump base isn’t satisfied by Epstein memo findings

Fallout continues after the Justice Department and FBI’s announcement they have found no evidence that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein kept a “client list.”

More context: Many of President Donald Trump’s allies – and supporters across the country – have called for the government to share additional information on the case of the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender.

• Then a new report by the FBI and Department of Justice was released last week saying officials found no such “client list” or proof that Epstein, who died while awaiting trial, didn’t commit suicide.

• The findings quickly prompted pushback among some of Trump’s supporters, who alleged the president’s administration wasn’t living up to its promises of transparency with the American people. The outrage comes after years of claims from Trump’s inner circle that the government has been hiding information on Epstein’s possible associates and the circumstances of his death.

• Political futures at stake: FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino was weighing his future with the bureau after clashing with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the Epstein case files. But Trump said on Sunday Bongino was in “good shape.”

Two women dead after Kentucky church shooting

A state trooper had pulled over a vehicle on the road Sunday after receiving a license plate reader alert in the area, Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said at a news conference. The suspect shot the trooper, fled the scene and later carjacked a vehicle. Officers were able to track the vehicle to the Richmond Road Baptist Church, where the suspect opened fire at people on the church property. Four people were shot, including two women, who were pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect, who wasn’t immediately identified, was shot and killed by Lexington police. The Fayette County Coroner described the church as a tight-knit community.

More news to know now

• Multiple people are dead and many injured after a fire at a Massachusetts senior living facility.

• The U.S. will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine.

• Scared detainees are choosing fast-track deportation.

• Volcanoes in multiple states have been rumbling — what’s going on?

• Is that product really made in the USA? FTC cracks down on deceptive claims.

What’s the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

New flooding hits battered Texas

Heavy rain and a new wave of flooding in central Texas on Sunday prompted swift water rescues and hampered the grim search for victims of the deluge that swept through the region more than a week ago, killing at least 132 people and leaving devastation in its wake. Most search and recovery operations along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County were suspended. Rescue personnel, equipment and vehicles “should be removed from the river area immediately,” county officials said in social media posts earlier Sunday. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Sunday defended FEMA’s response to the floods.

Faith leaders plan protest in the South over budget cuts

Earlier this month, Congress passed President Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill,’’ a spending plan that includes tax cuts but also deep reductions to Medicaid ‒ the federal/state health insurance program for low-income people ‒ and the food stamp benefits program. Now, faith leaders plan to launch demonstrations Monday in 11 states, focusing on the South because many people who will be impacted live in the region. Between 12 million and 20 million people could lose Medicaid due to the bill’s cuts, and many of America’s highest poverty rates are consolidated in the South. One organizer said lawmakers in the South who supported the bill “voted against their own people.”

Today’s talkers

• NASA just captured the closest-ever picture of the sun.

• We saw the Backstreet Boys revel in nostalgia at their Sphere residency.

• Atlanta’s Battery is the envy of the sports world.

• Princess Kate stunned in blue at Wimbledon −and sat with some famous faces.

• The women’s soccer world is glued to the Euros this week.

That awkward moment when Chelsea won

Chelsea star Cole Palmer was like much of the world wondering why President Trump was standing in the middle of their trophy celebration Sunday after its 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain for the FIFA Club World Cup. “Are you going to leave?” James asked Trump before hoisting the golden-globed trophy. Trump smiled and clapped amongst the Chelsea players before FIFA president Gianni Infantino eventually pulled him away. The cringeworthy moment is the lasting image of this competitive, yet controversial, Club World Cup hosted in the U.S. this summer. 

Photo of the day: America’s favorite lovers

Even if you’re not tuning in every night, “Love Island USA” has been unavoidable these past six weeks — and Season 7 of the bikini-clad, make-out heavy, meme-worthy and controversial reality dating competition show finally came to a close Sunday, with America’s favorite lovers announced by host Ariana Madix. Find out who won — before your coworkers spoil it for you.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Epstein, Trump, Medicaid, Texas flood, Kentucky shooting, FIFA, Chelsea, Wimbledon, ‘Love Island’: Daily Briefing