Escape by Suicide:Despite a previous attempt, accused sex trafficker and molester of underage girls Jeffrey Epstein was not under suicide watch when he hanged himself in New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center. Epstein had been under observation and underwent daily psychological evaluations until he was taken off suicide watch on July 29^th.

  Epstein was found dead in his cell yesterday morning. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan had charged the 66-year-old Epstein withsex trafficking of girls as young as 14 and sex trafficking conspiracy.

  Attorney Gen. William Barr said he was “appalled” by Epstein’s death. “Mr. Epstein’s death raises serious questions that must be answered,” he said.

  Epstein’s accusers have also expressed anger and dismay that he will not face justice. His accusers had hoped that he would have to answer for decades of sexual depravity.

  “Heads must roll,” Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote Barr in a searing letter. “Every single person in the Justice Department — from your Main Justice headquarters staff all the way to the night-shift jailer — knew that this man was a suicide risk, and that his dark secrets couldn’t be allowed to die with him,” Sasse wrote.

The News Roundup:President Trump said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un offered a “small apology” for firing two missiles and wants to get back to talking after this month’s joint military exercise with South Korea ends. — At least 30 people have been killed and more than a million forced to evacuate as Typhoon Lekima hit Eastern China, according to state media. Most were killed when a landslide backed up a river. —A 26-year-old Florida white supremacist was arrested after posting on Facebook: “3 more days of probation left then I get my AR-15 back. Don’t go to Walmart next week.” — Speaking at a gun safety forum in Des Moines, Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang broke down in tears after a mother told how her child was killed by a stray bullet. 

Kill the Messenger:Just off a disastrous sympathy tour of Dayton and El Paso, President Trump is attacking the free press. Just one example of things the press pointed out; while Melania was holding a baby whose parents had been killed in El Paso, the President grinned and gave a thumbs up sign.

  Trump tweeted yesterday, “Think how wonderful it is to be able to fight back and show, to so many, how totally dishonest the Fake News Media really is. It may be the most corrupt and disgusting business (almost) there is! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

The Obit Page:Sherm Poppen, who jump-started the snowboarding industry when he screwed together a pair of his daughter’s skis to surf Michigan sand dunes, has died at 89. Poppen ended up developing the “Snurfer,” a board like a single water ski with a rope attached to the tip and non-slip plates for the feet. That was long before boots and bindings on snowboards and slope trash littering the hill.

Delete this Picture:After the recent series of mass killings, Universal Pictures canceled release of its movie “The Hunt,” a satirical thriller about “elites” hunting “normal people.” 

  Universal said in a statement of Hollywood blah, blah, blah that “We stand by our filmmakers and will continue to distribute films in partnership with bold and visionary creators, like those associated with this satirical social thriller, but we understand that now is not the right time to release this film.” 

The Social Pages:Tongue-wagging singer Miley Cyrus and her husband of less than a year, actor Liam Hemsworth, have separated. They’ve been an on-again and off-again pair for 10 years and married only in December. 

  A representative for the singer said Saturday the pair decided a break was best while they focus on “themselves and careers.” The rep said the pair will remain “dedicated parents to all of their animals they share,” and more Hollywood, blah, blah, blah.

-30-