The Latest: 08/03/2025 12:58pm ET

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is your twenty four to seven use update the
latest Use this hour in just four minutes.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
On the heels of a weak jobs report, White House
Economic Advisor Kevin Hassett is defending President Trump's move to
fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Speaking
with NBC's Meet the Press, Hasset echoed statements made by
the President questioning the accuracy of the numbers. The report
said the US economy added just seventy three thousand jobs
last month, well below what was expected.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
President wants his own people there so that when we
see the numbers, they're more transparent and more reliable. And
if there are big changes in big revisions, we expect
more big revisions for the job Stata in September, for example,
then we want to know why.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
We want people to explain it to us on social media.
Trump implied the Labor Statistics chief had manipulated the data
for political purposes. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers is blasting
the decision. Summers tells ABC this Week, the President's decision
raises major concerns.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
This is the stuff of democracies giving way to authoritarianism.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
The President's Special envoy to the Middle East. Steve Whitcoff
is telling the families of Israeli hostages still held in
Gaza that the US plans to bring them home. Whitcoff
was in Tel Aviv Saturday. He told the families and
end to the war in Gaza was near and that
the US has a plan to bring home all the
remaining captives held by Hamas. A major wildfire is still

(01:29):
raging in central Utah after nearly three weeks. Official say
the Monroe Canyon fire started July thirteenth that's grown now
to more than fifty seven thousand acres. Local evacuation orders
were lifted Friday, though the state of the emergency declared
by the Governor Spencer Cox, remains in effect. Police in
La are investigating this morning a shooting that took place

(01:49):
at a large house party near the campus of the
University of Southern California. At least one person was injured
in the overnight shooting. More than one hundred people were
at the party when gunfire erupted. Two people have been
detained by police, though it's not clear if they were
formally charged. I'm Scott Carr in Washington. The US House
has postponed testimony from convicted sex traffickers Jelaine Maxwell, the

(02:13):
longtime associate of convicted sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein. The Republican
chair of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer, agreed to
the delay Friday until after the Supreme Court considers Maxwell's
petition to overturn her conviction. Maxwell's serving a twenty year
sentence for helping recruit underage girls for Epstein to abuse.
She was quietly moved Friday from a federal prison in

(02:36):
Florida to a minimum security facility in Texas. We get
more on that from Lisa Taylor.

Speaker 4 (02:41):
Maxwell is serving twenty years for her role in recruiting
and trafficking miners for sex. Tom Yamas with details. It
comes just.

Speaker 3 (02:48):
A week after the Deputy Attorney General met with Maxwell
and her lawyer, and as she is appealing to the
Supreme Court to overturn her conviction. Families of Jeffrey Epstein's
victims outraged, calling it preferential true.

Speaker 4 (03:00):
The reason for the move has not been revealed. The
White House says no leniency has been discussed. I'mly Se Tailor.

Speaker 2 (03:06):
In another move, the Trump administration's revoking a rule that
allowed abortion care be provided to veterans.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
On Friday, the Department of Veterans Affairs reversed the Biden
era rule that allows certain veterans and VA beneficiaries to
access abortion counseling and abortions. The department said the move
is aimed at making sure the VA quote provides only
needed medical services to our nation's heroes and their families.
Abortion care will still be provided in situations where the

(03:36):
woman's life is at risk. I'm Jim Forbes.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
A hunger strike by immigrant detainees has been going on
for over a week inside Florida's so called Alligator Alcatraz.
They're protesting the poor living conditions inside the facility than
the Florida Everglades. Our group of Democrats held in emergency
town hall last week demanding better living conditions for them.
Among the complaints being denied leap with bright lights on

(04:01):
twenty four to seven inside the cells. I'm Scott Carr.