News Wrap: Dick Cheney Funeral, Oil Drilling Plans, UPS Crash, Epstein Files

Funeral Service for Dick Cheney

• 🕊️ A funeral service for former Vice President Dick Cheney was held at the Washington National Cathedral, drawing a bipartisan gathering of family and former leaders.
• 🤝 Eulogies from President George W. Bush and Liz Cheney highlighted Cheney's sense of duty and commitment to his country, emphasizing his devotion to protecting U.S. interests above partisanship.
• 🗳️ Notably, Cheney had voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, a decision he described as putting country above partisanship.

Ambitious Oil Drilling Proposal

• ⛽ The Trump administration announced plans to open nearly 1.3 billion acres of coastal waters to oil and gas drilling.
• 🌍 This proposal includes new drilling leases off the coasts of California and Florida, and in the previously untouched High Arctic region of Alaska.
• ❌ Critics, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, have already slammed the plan, with Newsom calling it "dead on arrival."

UPS Cargo Plane Crash Investigation

• ✈️ Federal investigators found evidence of cracks in the engine mount of the UPS cargo plane that crashed in Kentucky, killing 14 people.
• 📉 Photos released show the engine detaching during takeoff, with the plane only managing to get 30 feet off the ground.
• 🗓️ The NTSB noted the plane's last examination was in 2021, and detailed inspections of the critical parts were not yet due.

Release of Epstein Files and Related Matters

• ⚖️ The Justice Department has 30 days to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein, following President Trump signing a bill into law.
• 📄 These files include an estimated 100,000 pages from multiple DOJ investigations into Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, though redactions are permitted.
• 🎓 Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers will take a leave of absence from Harvard after emails revealed a friendly relationship with Epstein post-conviction.

International and Domestic News Briefs

• 💔 In Gaza, Israeli strikes killed at least 33 people, including children, in what officials described as some of the deadliest attacks since a cease-fire.
• 🌍 Human Rights Watch reported that Israel may have committed war crimes by forcibly expelling 32,000 Palestinians from West Bank refugee camps.
• 📉 Verizon announced it is cutting over 13,000 jobs as part of a company reorientation to shrink costs and restructure operations amidst rising competition.
• 📉 Wall Street stocks closed sharply lower, with the Dow Jones industrial average falling nearly 400 points.