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THE BONDI TRANSCRIPT
The House Oversight Committee released the transcript of former Attorney General Pam Bondi’s closed-door interview on Thursday evening. The document is 111 pages. The roughly four-hour interview produced no accountability and considerable finger-pointing. Bondi blamed acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for the redaction decisions. She named Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel as having a role in locating, reviewing, and possibly redacting FBI records. She declined to discuss any conversations with the White House, with Department of Justice (DOJ) counsel Harmeet Dhillon telling Democratic questioners: “We don’t even need to formally assert the privilege in this context given the voluntary nature of these proceedings. So we’re just going to refuse to provide answers about conversations with the President or his advisers.”
Bondi acknowledged “there were redaction errors” in the release of the Epstein files. She said she “did not lead every aspect” of the release and delegated oversight of the process to Blanche. She said she was not sure of the extent to which President Trump was aware of Epstein’s crimes. She said she did not believe Ghislaine Maxwell should be pardoned. She said the DOJ was unaware when it published a July 2025 memo saying Epstein did not kill himself that it was sitting on approximately 3.2 million additional pages of documents. The transcript also confirmed that after Bondi’s sworn recorded deposition with Blanche, Maxwell was transferred from a federal prison in Florida to a minimum-security camp in Texas. The timing of that transfer has received almost no coverage.
The transcript surfaced a previously documented but unresolved matter. In February, a Reuters photographer captured Bondi at a House Judiciary Committee hearing holding a document titled “Jayapal Pramila Search History,” a printed record of search queries Representative Pramila Jayapal had made while reviewing unredacted Epstein files at a DOJ reading room. Jayapal confirmed the list matched her searches exactly. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace confirmed the DOJ was “tracking all of the documents that members of Congress open.” Speaker Mike Johnson, Trump’s closest congressional ally, said the practice was “not appropriate.” DOJ’s stated justification: the logging was necessary to protect victim information. No public confirmation that the practice was stopped emerged from Thursday’s transcript.
Trump is expected to formally nominate Blanche as permanent Attorney General. The man Bondi blamed for the redaction decisions, who supervised Maxwell’s prison transfer after a deposition with him, is set to be confirmed as the permanent head of the DOJ.
🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: The former Attorney General blamed the acting Attorney General. The acting Attorney General is about to be nominated as permanent. The FBI Director was named as potentially involved in redactions. The White House’s role is shielded by a privilege claim that was never formally asserted. France has opened a separate investigation into Epstein-linked figures on its soil, including a former government minister. The US, which has the files, is the country doing the least with them.
Sources: The Hill (US — full transcript characterization, Dhillon privilege refusal, Maxwell prison transfer); NewsNation (US — Garcia statement, Bondi blamed Blanche, Patel named, search history not stopped); Newsweek (US — Bondi walking careful line, Blanche characterization, “most highly ethical”); NPR (US — “redaction errors” confirmed, delegation to Blanche, Trump awareness quote); CNN (US — Johnson “not appropriate,” Jayapal search history confirmed, Mace confirmation of tracking); Euronews (Europe — French probe, Jack Lang Arab World Institute raid February 2026); Time/Reuters/AFP (wire/US — Bondi photographed with Jayapal search history, photographic confirmation)
TWO RESOLUTIONS, TWO OUTCOMES
On Wednesday, the House passed H.Con.Res.86, directing Trump to end hostilities with Iran. The vote was 215-208. Four Republicans crossed the aisle. On Thursday, the House voted on H.Con.Res.84, directing Trump to remove US forces from Lebanon. The vote was 324-92. The resolution failed. Democratic leadership voted against it.
The Lebanon resolution was introduced by Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. Her argument: the Trump administration is providing intelligence sharing, coordination, and other operational support to Israel’s war in Lebanon, activities that fall within the War Powers Resolution’s definition of hostilities, without congressional authorization. During floor debate, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast accused supporters of the measure of serving as “proxies for Hezbollah.” Democratic Whip Katherine Clark said the resolution’s drafting could accidentally require the withdrawal of all US troops in Lebanon, including troops that have been there for years at Lebanon’s request to support the Lebanese Armed Forces and protect the US embassy. Clark said Democrats would support H.Con.Res.108, a revised version Tlaib introduced Wednesday with input from Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks.
Ninety-one Democrats voted for the failed resolution. One hundred and seventeen Democrats voted against it, alongside every Republican. House Democrats voted unanimously Wednesday against continuing the Iran war without congressional authorization, then Democratic leaders helped defeat a similar measure aimed at Israel’s parallel war in Lebanon the day after.
Neither resolution has the force of law. Both are concurrent resolutions under the 1973 War Powers Resolution. The White House has said H.Con.Res.86 will not reach the president’s desk. The Senate has not scheduled a vote on either. H.Con.Res.108, Tlaib’s revised Lebanon resolution with Democratic leadership’s support, is now pending.
🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: Congress voted to end the Iran war and failed to end US support for the Lebanon war in the same week. The Iran vote was bipartisan. The Lebanon vote split Democrats down the middle. The party that voted unanimously against one unauthorized war voted against a resolution to end another. The distinction is Israel. The voting record says so.
Sources: Detroit News/AP (wire — 324-92 vote confirmed, Tlaib floor argument, Mast “proxies for Hezbollah” quote, Democratic leadership opposition); The Intercept (US, independent/left-leaning — unanimous Iran vote vs divided Lebanon vote framing, 91 Democrats for/117 against); Katherine Clark press release (US — Democratic leadership statement, H.Con.Res.108 support, troop protection rationale); Rep. Huffman press release (US — drafting concern detail, embassy personnel protection argument); Congress.gov (US government primary — H.Con.Res.84 confirmed Lebanon War Powers, H.Con.Res.86 confirmed Iran War Powers)
AGOSTINA VEGA
Agostina Vega was 14 years old. She left her home in Córdoba, Argentina on the night of May 23 to walk to her grandfather’s store a few meters away. She did not come back. Her body was found a week later in a vacant lot in the Ampliación Ferreyra neighborhood of Córdoba. The preliminary autopsy found she died by mechanical asphyxiation. She was dismembered after death. Possible signs of sexual abuse are pending further testing.
The sole detained suspect is Claudio Gabriel Barrelier, the former partner of Agostina’s mother. He was the last person seen with her alive. His account changed four times during the investigation: he first denied seeing her, then invented a story about a red car the cameras did not record, then claimed the girl visible on surveillance footage was his own daughter, and finally acknowledged it was Agostina. He has prior convictions for unlawful detention in a context of gender-based violence. He was detained for 20 days in May 2025 and released on bail.
The case has dominated Argentine news for two weeks. It arrives on the anniversary of Ni Una Menos
, the Argentine movement against femicide that began in 2015 after the murder of 14-year-old Chiara Páez. Thursday’s Ni Una Menos march drew tens of thousands across Argentina. Agostina’s father, Gabriel Vega, spoke at a press conference: “Así como asesinaron a mi hija, habrá un montón de Agostinas.” As they killed my daughter, there will be many more Agostinas. He said he believes Barrelier did not act alone and vowed not to rest until all those involved are imprisoned.
Argentina records a femicide every 31 hours. President Javier Milei’s government has dismantled the Ministry of Women, Gender, and Diversity and has publicly stated that femicide does not exist as a distinct category of crime. The march on Thursday demanding justice for Agostina took place under a government that denies the crime her killing represents.
🇺🇸 What American readers need to know: The parallel to the Cyrus Carmack-Belton verdict this week is not coincidental. A 14-year-old killed while running away, a jury that acquitted his killer. A 14-year-old killed walking to her grandfather’s store, a suspect whose story changed four times. In both countries, the systems designed to protect children and deliver justice are being tested. In both countries, people took to the streets.
Sources: TeleSUR English (Venezuela, state-affiliated, explicitly anti-US — flag; Ni Una Menos march context, anniversary framing, protest quotes); Infobae (Argentina — autopsy results confirmed, asphyxiation, dismemberment, possible sexual abuse); La Nacion (Argentina — timeline confirmed, body found May 31, Barrelier identified, father’s press conference, “no actuó solo” quote); Perfil/Noticias (Argentina — Barrelier’s changing account confirmed, prior convictions, 2025 detention and release)
ALSO DEVELOPING — for the curious:
Lebanon ceasefire: Hezbollah’s rejection stands. Israeli Defense Minister Katz said Friday morning that strikes will continue and displaced residents will not be allowed to return. H.Con.Res.108, the revised Lebanon War Powers Resolution with Democratic leadership support, is pending a House vote. Sources: Times of Israel liveblog June 5; Congress.gov
European governments and Palantir: Euronews reported Friday morning that multiple European governments are reconsidering or ending contracts with Palantir, the US data analytics firm deeply embedded in European government and military infrastructure. The reported reason: concerns about data sovereignty and the firm’s ties to the current US administration. Source: Euronews June 5
NUMBERS AT PUBLICATION
🇮🇷 Iran: 3,468 killed, 26,500+ injured (Iran Health Ministry via Al Jazeera tracker, May 20)
🇱🇧 Lebanon: 3,324 killed (Al Jazeera live blog, May 28 — strikes continuing)
🇮🇱 Israel: 26 killed, 7,791 injured (Al Jazeera tracker, May 20)
🇵🇸 Gaza: 72,941 killed since October 7, 2023 (Gaza Health Ministry — cumulative, updated June 1 via Al Jazeera Palestine weekly wrap; 932 killed since October 2025 ceasefire)
🇸🇾 Syria: 4 killed (Al Jazeera tracker, May 20)
🌍 Gulf states / Iraq: 146 killed in Iran-attributed attacks (Al Jazeera tracker, May 20) 🇺🇸 US military: 13 killed, 381 injured (Al Jazeera tracker, May 20)
🛢️ Brent crude: $94.84/barrel (OilPrice.com, as of publication)
⛽ US national gas average: $4.22/gallon (AAA)
Sourcing note: Iran, Israel, Syria, Gulf/Iraq, and US figures sourced to Al Jazeera live tracker, last updated May 20, 2026. Lebanon updated to May 28 via Al Jazeera live blog. Gaza figure updated to June 1 via Al Jazeera Palestine weekly wrap/Gaza Health Ministry — cumulative since October 7, 2023. Methodology differs between sources; figures should not be treated as directly comparable.
“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1789
