Clinton deposition; Paramount-Warner Bros.; Trump : NPR
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Today’s best stories
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified for more than six hours in a closed-door deposition yesterday. before the House Oversight Committee. The Republican-led committee subpoenaed Hillary and former President Bill Clinton for their investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Hillary Clinton denied knowing Epstein and repeated this denial to the committee. The Clintons initially resisted the subpoena, but agreed to be questioned after the committee threatened contempt of Congress. Bill Clinton, who has appeared repeatedly in the Epstein files, is expected to answer questions today.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks outside the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center after testifying before House lawmakers as part of a congressional investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein Thursday in Chappaqua, New York.
Yuki Iwamura/AP
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Yuki Iwamura/AP
- 🎧 Hillary Clinton said her husband would likely discuss ending his relationship with Epstein years before Epstein’s criminal acts came to light, says NPR’s Saige Miller First. Committee Chairman James Comer said today’s hearing with Bill Clinton is expected to last longer than Hillary Clinton’s because they have many questions to ask the former president. Comer said Hillary Clinton’s hearing was productive and she answered almost every question, even if the answer was “you’ll have to ask my husband.” Hillary Clinton told reporters after the hearing that it should have been open to the public and called the questioning repetitive.
The board of directors of Warner Bros. Discovery announced yesterday that Paramount’s sweetened offer for the entire company is “higher” than Netflix’s $83 billion offer. Netflix’s proposed deal included purchasing the company’s streaming services, studios and intellectual property. Netflix withdrew from the race instead of trying to overtake Paramount’s $111 billion deal.
- 🎧 Paramount’s decision to buy Warner Bros. Discovery would make the company a “Hollywood giant” after the merger.says NPR’s David Folkenflik. The deal still needs to be reviewed by antitrust regulators. If finalized, multiple entities, including CBS, CBS News, CNN, Comedy Central and TBS, would be under one roof. The merger could position the company as a major player in Hollywood, capable of competing with platforms like Netflix, Apple and Amazon Prime. Paramount CEO David Ellison and his family are close to President Trump, who has made it clear he cares about what happens to CNN. Owners of various media outlets, including the Ellisons, have taken steps to appease Trump and his allies in the current political moment.
Trump does not rule out the possibility of military strikes against Iran. The president has not outlined his specific goals behind a possible attack, nor has he sought authorization from Congress. He also failed to explain his reasoning to the American people. The United States and Iran are expected to continue talks on Tehran’s nuclear program next week.
- 🎧 The Trump administration appears to be focused on two sets of likely goalssays NPR’s Franco Ordoñez. These could, for example, be limited strikes, possibly against the ballistic missile program, nuclear targets or the Iranian leadership. The second option could be a broader campaign aimed at destabilizing the country or possibly overthrowing the regime. The United States and Iran held their third round of negotiations yesterday. Iran continues to refuse to negotiate on ballistic missiles – a sticking point for U.S. officials.
A U.S. district court judge cleared the way yesterday for Trump’s $300 million White House ballroom project. to continue. The judge denied efforts by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to halt construction but left the door open to a revised case. The preservation group alleges that the president circumvented proper procedures by demolishing the East Wing and soliciting private donations to finance the massive changes. Trump applauded the judge’s ruling on social media, writing that it is “great news for America.”
Life advice
Oona Zenda/KFF Health News
To benefit from certain treatments or medical examinations, particularly expensive ones, your insurer may require prior authorization. When this happens, your doctor submits a pre-authorization request to your insurance company, explaining why you need the treatment. The insurer then decides whether it recognizes that the care is medically necessary and whether it will cover it. iIn a statement to NPR, insurer trade group AHIP, formerly known as America’s Health Insurance Plans, said prior authorizations provide a safeguard that helps ensure patients receive safe, evidence-based care and that coverage remains affordable. Here’s what you need to know to get prior authorization requests approved as quickly as possible:
- 🧑⚕️ Contact your insurance company or pharmaceutical benefits manager to find out the duration of your prior authorization.
- 🧑⚕️ While waiting for your prior authorization, inform your doctor of your medication supply and any deterioration in your state of health. You can also ask them to request an expedited review.
- 🧑⚕️ Ask your doctor about alternative treatments. Health insurance plans have different formularies, so switching medications may be easier than fighting for coverage approval.
Weekend Picks
Baneen Ahmed Nayyef makes his film debut in Hasan Hadi The President’s Cakeas nine-year-old Lamia, tasked with baking a birthday cake for an Iraqi dictator.
Sony Pictures classics
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Sony Pictures classics
Find out what NPR watch, read and listen this weekend:
🍿 Movies: Hasan Hadi’s first feature film, The President’s Cakefollows 9-year-old Lamia, who is tasked with baking a birthday cake for Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. The film shows how life under Hussein destroyed children’s innocence.
📺 Television: The reality TV show The traitors has become weekly appointment television for the Pop Culture Happy Hour hosts. This season is said to bring rich drama with alliances, secrets, betrayals and murders.
📚 Books: Critic Maureen Corrigan says Allegra Goodman’s new novel, It’s not about uswill introduce readers to aspects of themselves and their families in its pages.
🎵 Music: From Lana Del Rey’s “White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter” to U2’s “American Obituary,” here are NPR Music’s picks for the best new songs of the week.
❓Quizzes: This week’s newsletters really prepared me to pass this test. A “competent” rating of eight out of 10 this week. Will you do as well? Try it.
3 things to know before you leave
President Trump holds a fake New York Daily News front page with the headline “Trump to City: Let’s Build,” declaring that “Trump Delivers More Than 12,000 Homes,” “The Most Since 1973.”
New York City Mayor’s Office/X
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New York City Mayor’s Office/X
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani presented Trump with a fake newspaper titled “Trump to City: Let’s Build” yesterday during a meeting to discuss housing in New York. (via Gothamist)
- US mortgage rates fell below 6% for the first time since September 2022.
- When Olivia Joffrey was in 6th grade, her teacher organized a Father’s Day softball game for the students and their fathers. As Joffrey’s father suffered from an early and rare case of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, he was unable to attend. His mother asked his twenty-something colleague, Bob, to replace him. When her unsung hero followed through on this generous act, it helped her feel accepted.
This newsletter was published by Suzanne Nuyen.
