RACE WAR:  Firing another missile at elite education, The Trump administration published new rules that would revoke tax-exempt status from any private university or school offering targeted support to Black or other minority students. 

  President Trump and his administration say that any specific help for Black people and minorities to help them catch up after a history of racial and economic discrimination is racist against white and Asian Americans.

  The proposed regulations published by the Treasury Department would deny tax-exempt status to schools and universities that have any programs or policy including admissions and scholarships that the IRS might find to be racially discriminatory.

  This would drag the IRS into the political arena of Trump’s campaign against diversity-equity initiatives and anything designed to tip the scales against racial imbalance.

  The rule would go into effect May 31^st next year for as many as 18,000 schools, although it is expected to be challenged in court.

12 ANGRY PEOPLE: The jury in the Lindsay Clancy child murder trial sent out a note that appears to have said one juror is refusing to follow the judge’s instructions on finding a defendant guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt.” It wasn’t said whether that juror is holding out for a verdict of guilty or not guilty.

  After 30 hours of deliberations, what is clear is that the case is a gordian knot for the jury debating whether Clancy is criminally responsible for killing her children or was mentally ill. Defense lawyer Kevin Reddington asked for that one juror to be dismissed, appearing to think that he/she is holding out for guilty.

  Judge William Sullivan in Plymouth, Massachusetts re-read the jury his instructions on reasonable doubt and sent them back to deliberations.

ECON 101: The US trade imbalance shot up in July while mortgage rates hit their highest since July 2025.

  The trade deficit is being fed in part by the rush to build data centers with imported parts to support the explosion of artificial intelligence. The trade deficit hit $88.6 billion, a 24 percent increase from June.

  President Trump is fighting the trade imbalance with tariffs.

   Higher mortgage rates are the result of the federal government’s increasing deficit and the dropping confidence in lending money to the US. Interest rates on bonds are up so mortgages also go up. 

  Meanwhile, the price of diesel fuel hit a new high, an average of $5.85 a gallon.

BILLIONAIRE PRIVILEGE: Billionaire investor Leon Black yesterday stiffed a subpoena calling him to testify about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and sued the House Oversight Committee to stop them from inquiring into what he believes to be privileged information having nothing to do with the late sex trafficker.

  Black claims that the committee is exceeding its authority seeking private information unrelated to Epstein or any legitimate legislative purpose. “The Committee is on a fishing expedition that oversteps its authority and completely ignores its responsibility,” Black’s attorney, Susan Estrich, said in a statement. “This is no longer about finding the truth about Epstein. It is about trying to destroy Mr. Black.”

  Over a period of years, including after Epstein had been identified as a sex criminal, lawmakers have alleged that Black paid Epstein $180 in business fees. A review by Black’s company, Apollo, said the payments were for “bona fide tax, estate planning and other related services.”

INFINITE SCROLL: 

— Vice President JD Vance said at a lengthy press conference yesterday that he doesn’t know whether the Iran war will be over by the mid-term elections in November. He said, “You would have to ask the Iranians.”

— Missouri’s Supreme Court yesterday threw out the state’s new Republican gerrymandered congressional map, earning the ire of Donald Trump. He posted, “This is a Dark Day for ‘Justice’ in Missouri!

— President Trump issued an online rant about “treasonous” news organizations that have reported the Pentagon is short on weapons after bombarding Iran. He wrote; “The people and Media Outlets that keep harping on the fact that we have no ammunition (And they are 100% wrong!), are actually treasonous. They do it because they would rather see the United States LOSE a War that we’re easily WINNING, than see me WIN!”

— A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been indicted on charges of lying about how he shot and wounded a man during the ICE crackdown in Minneapolis during which agents killed two people in separate incidents. Christian Castro, 52, is believed to be the first immigration officer prosecuted for their actions during the Minneapolis operation that prompted widespread protests.

— The Trump administration is preparing to break ground on the President’s 250-foot Washington victory arch within two weeks without getting any approval. It’s classic Trump … do it before anyone can stop you.

— Longtime Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo, a friendly presence for Donald Trump and his administration, abruptly left the network with no explanation. It looks like she was fired. “Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with FOX News Media,” the network said in a statement that offered nothing further. 

  Oliver Darcy writing for the news outlet Status says that Bartiromo gave the White House internal memos banning on-air discussion of President Trump’s claims about election fraud and conspiracies.

THE SPIN RACK: Rescuers in Nepal found two surviving workers trapped in a hydropower tunnel following last week’s massive flood. More than 40 were believed to have been trapped in that one tunnel. — Pressed hard by cheaper Chinese cars, Volkswagen is laying off 50,000 workers.

DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS: We reported yesterday that author and feminist Gloria Steinem never married. She did get married at age 66.

BELOW THE FOLD: The Uber ridesharing service announced that it is laying off about 10 percent of its workforce, roughly 3,400 people. One software engineer posted, “Today, Uber promoted me to customer.”  

-30-