May 7, 2026 - Epstein Suicide Note Unsealed

In 2007, I appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher for the first time. The night was memorable for two reasons: Bill and I clashed over religion (please don't Google it - you will only add to the count); and I met Ted Turner in the green room. My association with CNN, the cable channel he founded, was still years in the future.

That night, Turner was escorting Catherine Crier, who was also a guest on the program. When I walked in, Crier was in makeup, and I didn't immediately recognize the man sitting alone on a sofa. The tell was his tie, which featured bison. I won't overstate the chance encounter - it was brief and he was friendly.

Cable titan John Malone was Turner's lifelong friend and joins me on radio today. In Malone's memoir, Born to be Wired, he speaks extensively about Turner - describing him as totally transparent, never one to hold back a thought or emotion, with the passion of a revivalist preacher. Malone says that from Turner he learned of the power of wealth to do good in society and the absolute necessity to save the planet, especially through preserving open spaces.

Malone is a libertarian, while Turner grew increasingly progressive over the course of his life, especially after his relationship with Jane Fonda. Here's a lesson for us all - that didn't interrupt a friendship built around the cable industry, fly-fishing, hunting, and simply walking one of their expansive properties. They had ample room to do the latter – Turner was the third largest individual landowner in America while Malone was No. 2.

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A newly unsealed note allegedly found by Jeffrey Epstein’s former cellmate after Epstein’s first suspected suicide attempt has reignited scrutiny around his 2019 jail death, while court records and jail reports reveal new details about Epstein’s behavior, prison conditions, and the investigation.

Associated Press

President Donald Trump abruptly paused “Project Freedom,” a U.S. military effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, after backlash from Gulf allies — especially Saudi Arabia — threatened critical American access to regional airspace, exposing growing diplomatic tensions amid escalating conflict with Iran.

NBC News

Media billionaire John Malone reflects on his decades-long friendship and business relationship with Ted Turner, recounting Turner’s rise building CNN and Turner Broadcasting, the lessons he learned from him, and the betrayal Turner felt after merging with Time Warner.

The Hollywood Reporter

A new study found that more than one-third of Americans have lost friendships, family relationships, or romantic connections over politics since 2016, with Democrats more likely to initiate the breakups and participants showing increasingly hostile, distorted views of opposing political groups afterward.

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FBI Director Kash Patel is facing criticism from current and former bureau officials for distributing personalized bourbon bottles engraved with his name and FBI branding, with some agents arguing the practice undermines the bureau’s culture of professionalism and raises concerns about leadership and internal morale.

The Atlantic

Billionaire hedge fund executive Ken Griffin says he is scaling back New York City job growth and expanding in Miami after criticizing Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s “tax the rich” rhetoric, fueling concerns that wealthy investors and financial firms may begin shifting jobs and capital out of New York.

New York Post

The Justice Department is asking the Supreme Court to let the federal government replace President Donald Trump as the defendant in writer E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit, a highly unusual post-verdict move that could erase the $83.3 million judgment against Trump if approved.

Politico

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faced intense criticism from House Democrats during closed-door testimony about his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein, with lawmakers accusing him of changing his story and being evasive about the nature and timeline of their relationship.

CBS News

A growing number of biotech companies are offering embryo screening services that claim to predict traits like disease risk, intelligence, height, and longevity, sparking ethical concerns from medical experts who warn the science remains unproven and could push society toward a more genetically engineered future.

NPR

New research suggests that small acts of kindness can create a ripple effect, with people who receive kindness becoming more likely to help others themselves — though younger adults are significantly less likely than older Americans to “pay it forward” to strangers.

Axios