JEFFREY EPSTEIN and President Donald Trump. This image is a computer-created illustration; not a photograph. While they are believed to have been associates, there no evidence connecting the president to any sex crimes (Shutterstock).

Jeffery Epstein pleaded guilty in 2018 to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl. Now, his name and his vices are back in the news, with a possible impact at the highest reaches of society.

The Associated Press is reporting that the e-mails made public this week by the House Oversight Committee show that Epstein’s “network” of friends included business leaders, journalists, authors and politicians as well as others.

The e-mails released cover the period from his release from a Florida prison in 2009 until his arrest for sex trafficking in 2019.

Included in his vast circle were leftist writer Noam Chomsky and conservative leader Steve Bannon. The e-mails do not implicate members of his network in any crimes, but demonstrate how wide his connections extended.

Some have sought to connect president Donald Trump with events involving sex with underage girls, but no evidence yet revealed has confirmed that, and Trump has said he had no knowledge of such crimes.

Trump has reportedly directed the Justice Department to investigate any possible connection between Epstein’s crimes and Democrats.

Trump lifting some tariffs

Tariffs previously imposed on some foreign food products will be lifted, according to The New York Times.

PRESIDENT Donald Trump is lifting some tariffs (Shutterstock).

The White House said that the tariffs – which raised the price of some products not only to consumers but also restaurants and suppliers of food to eateries, schools and other institutions – were no longer needed, “given the substantial progress made in trade negotiations.”

President Donald Trump campaigned on rising costs in 2024, and some observers believe that food and energy inflation has contributed to Democratic victories in off-year elections earlier this month.

“If lowering tariffs lowers prices, what does raising tariffs do to prices?” said Erica York, a vice president at the Tax Foundation.

Russian aerial assault kills 6

An aerial assault by Russia against the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv is reported to have killed at least six people and injured dozens more.

RUSSIA VS. UKRAINE (Shutterstock).

United Press International is reporting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed in a social media post that children and a pregnant woman were among those hurt in the attack which included about 430 drones and 18 missiles.

The weapons struck many parts of the city, including dozens of apartment buildings, the post claimed.

The Ukrainian Energy Ministry stated that the attacks were – at least in part – aimed at the capital’s electricity grid. Conservation of electrical energy usage was counseled. Total recovery of the system was expected to take three weeks.

Weather: Rain and clouds and rain

Forecasts for our West Orange County cities call for some rain on and off through Tuesday. Saturday should have an afternoon high of 66 with an overnight low of 55 with an 85 percent chance of rain. Sunday is expected to be mostly cloudy with temps of 65 (56). The rain is expected to return Monday with a high of 62 and a low of 54. Tuesday may bring morning showers with temperatures of 63 (52).

Great Thoughts

“Rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth; without rain there would be no life.”
– John Updike

“Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.”
– Langston Hughes

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
–Vivian Greene