Author: alaskaadmin

Bill and Hillary Clinton were among nearly a dozen high-profile figures subpoenaed Tuesday (August 5) by House Republicans as part of an intensifying congressional investigation into the Justice Department’s handling of the late Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking case.

The House Oversight Committee issued subpoenas to former president Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, ex-FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller and six former attorneys general. The committee is demanding testimony and documents related to the federal government’s prosecution of Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said the move came just days after Department of Justice officials questioned Maxwell, who’s currently serving a 20-year sentence at a federal prison in Texas for conspiring to sexually abuse minors.

“The facts and circumstances surrounding both Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell’s cases have received immense public interest and scrutiny,” Comer wrote in the subpoena letters. “While the Department undertakes efforts to uncover and publicly disclose additional information related to Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell’s cases, it is imperative that Congress conduct oversight of the federal government’s enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell.”

If Clinton complies, he would become only the fifth former U.S. president to testify before Congress. But legal experts are skeptical. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told the New York Post he would be “very surprised” if Clinton appeared at the scheduled October 14 hearing, adding that Clinton and the former attorneys general could invoke executive privilege to avoid testifying.

The renewed scrutiny follows a controversial two-page memo released by the DOJ and FBI on July 6, which concluded there was no “client list” tied to Epstein’s criminal enterprise. The memo stated a “systematic review” of evidence found “no credible evidence” that Epstein blackmailed powerful individuals or that any uncharged third parties could be investigated.

Still, the memo acknowledged that Epstein’s crimes affected “over one thousand victims.”

Epstein, 66, died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell on August 10, 2019, according to multiple independent and federal investigations. His death, combined with his ties to celebrities, politicians and business leaders, has fueled years of public suspicion and conspiracy theories.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, appointed by Donald Trump, previously said in February that a client list was “sitting” on her desk and that the FBI’s New York office held “thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein.”

On July 17, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval.” He added, “This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!”

Public dissatisfaction with the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein case remains high. A Quinnipiac University poll in July found that more than 60% of voters disapproved of the administration’s management of the so-called “Epstein files,” while only 17 percent approved.

​AllHipHop

WWE Raw didn’t just pull up to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Monday night (August 4)—they brought the block with them. What looked like a wrestling event on the surface quickly morphed into a cultural mash-up that only Netflix could engineer: Hip-Hop royalty and sports entertainment under one energized, crazy roof.

Method Man strolled in like he owned the arena. This was no act of arrogance on his side. No, it was simply the quiet, powerful presence he wields. Havoc of Mobb Deep brought that Queensbridge cool and was very low key. Joe Budden simply observed as he seemed to familiarize himself with this strange, new world. Dave East leaned into the spectacle. Renowned bassist and musical director Adam Blackstone and other cultural connectors gathered near the floor seats for what felt like an unannounced rap night at Raw. I was ringside representing AllHipHop. When I was informed that I was ringside, I didn’t fully grasp what this meant. I’ve been ringside for boxing matches, but this was very different.

Traditionally, Hip-Hop and wrestling haven’t always shared the same stage. Netflix is changing that in a lot of ways. The company, which began streaming WWE Raw in 2025 under a billion-dollar deal, seems determined to bring the worlds together. The streaming giant is actively inviting influencers, artists and cultural figures to attend WWE events. But they aren’t just observing…they are experiencing. For many of them, this was their first time this close to the squared circle, and the reactions are priceless.

READ ALSO: WWE Raw Rocks Brooklyn With Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Flying Knees & Grudge Matches

One rapper’s face lit up like a child watching fireworks when a wrestler got slapped across the chest right in front of him. One person said, “I thought this was fake! But that spit was real” as a wrestler was seemingly struck in the face.  Someone else gasped watching sweat literally fly off a wrestler’s body from the impact. The close-up perspective destroys that age-old myth. You see the welts, red marks and exhaustion. Sure, it’s entertainment, but this isn’t pretend. It was incredibly fun and completely different than the in-lounge experience.

Fashion, as always, added its own flair. More than one onlooker was caught off guard by some of the outfits, prompting a few crowd-worthy pause moments that drew hearty laughs. Still, it was refreshing to see artists kick back, laugh and just be themselves. There were no entourages, no true mic moments— just wrestling and good vibes.

Then there was the bodega. Everybody loves the bodega.

READ ALSO: Roman Reigns, Netflix & MSG Chaos: WWE Raw Turns Manhattan Upside Down

Netflix’s advocates understand the soul of New York City. Only a company with deep, deep pockets and good cultural consultants could do the now-infamous “Netflix Bodega.” Think of a VIP suite transformed into a corner store, but curated. We’re talking air freshener, paper towels, Drano, chips, drinks, deodorant—you name it. They even had bags ready for guests to “shop.” Things were orderly this time. The first round, at Madison Square Garden, was mayhem. Barclays was more refined but still hilarious and entirely NYC.

I didn’t witness Method Man, Havoc or Joe Budden participating (chuckle). Last time around, plenty of rappers joined in the free-for-all. Watching well-known names casually snag a box of cereal or a bottle of Dawn…you really can’t recreate that moment.

CLICK HERE FOR A HIGHLIGHT REEL OF THE NIGHT

Shout out to the the influencers, media figures and die-hard wrestling heads like Shaheem Reid, who was getting autographs on an authentic WWE Belt. Jawn Murray, the acclaimed producer, and singer Skye Washington helped me get up to speed on all the new names and mores of this version of this WWE.  There’s something refreshing about watching grown men geek out over the Undertaker’s aura or a perfectly-timed frog splash.

What Netflix is building here is both synergy and strategy. Hip-Hop has loved wrestling for a long time. Many of us grew up on Andre The Giant, The Rock, Ric Flair, Stone Cold Steve Austin, King Kong Bundy, Junkyard Dog, Tony Atlas, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, “Macho Man” Randy Savage and so many more.

As WWE leaps into streaming, rap and so-called urban culture will help them make this digital maneuver a cultural pivot as well. Wrestling isn’t just for kids or middle America anymore. It never was. It’s for everybody. And last night, it was certainly for Brooklyn.

The ring has never felt so familiar.

​AllHipHop

T.D. Jakes is coming for Tyrone Blackburn and he’s not playing—the megachurch mogul says Blackburn’s sloppy AI-generated court docs wasted his legal team’s time and now he wants nearly $76,000 back.

Jakes dropped a defamation suit on Duane Youngblood after the ex-pastor accused him of decades-old sexual abuse.

But when Blackburn, Youngblood’s lawyer, filed court documents, they were filled with fake cases, false info and errors — all thanks to some AI tool that clearly flunked law school.

The judge already held a hearing to figure out if Blackburn should get hit with sanctions.

Now Jakes’ legal team says they spent 140+ hours cleaning up the mess and want to get paid for it. In a new filing, they told the court they’re asking for $75,932.50 to cover the extra work.

The filing breaks it down — time spent reading through garbage filings, responding to nonsense claims and tracking down citations that don’t even exist.

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Jakes’ team says their rates are solid, even with discounts and they only billed for hours tied to this AI disaster.

Jakes’ attorneys said the whole thing was a waste of time and money and they’re tired of dealing with “hallucinated” filings.

They want Blackburn or his client to cover the costs within 30 days if the judge signs off.

This whole thing is part of a bigger legal back-and-forth between Jakes and Youngblood, who’s accused him and his brother of abuse dating back to when Jakes was a pastor in West Virginia.

Jakes has denied everything and says it’s all a setup — even accusing Youngblood of trying to extort him for $6 million.

Youngblood’s lawyer tried to get the defamation case tossed, claiming it didn’t have enough detail. The court didn’t buy it.

Now the focus is on whether Blackburn’s AI-generated trainwreck ends up costing him — or his client — a fat check.

​AllHipHop

Lizzo is at the center of a legal battle after her former wardrobe assistant urged a judge to allow a jury to hear claims of sexual harassment, racial discrimination and unsafe working conditions during the singer’s 2023 European tour.

In a court filing submitted this week in Los Angeles, Asha Daniels accused Lizzo’s touring company, Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc., and two managers of fostering a hostile work environment where penis-shaped candy was passed around, sexual jokes were constant and images of male genitalia were displayed in shared spaces.

Daniels, who is Black, said she also endured racial harassment from her supervisor Amanda Nomura, who allegedly mocked Black women, denied Black performers basic supplies and used racially charged gestures and language.

Daniels said she reported the behavior, but no action was taken.

The filing states Daniels was injured on the job and requested simple accommodations, including the ability to sit while working, access to a doctor, and a lower bunk.

She claims management ignored her pleas. After raising concerns about her treatment and asking for medical help, Daniels said she was abruptly dismissed in March 2023.

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Daniels said the reasons for her termination have shifted multiple times. One manager claimed she quit. Another said “it just wasn’t working out.” She believes the inconsistencies point to retaliation for speaking up.

In the filing, Daniels described grueling workdays that stretched from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. with little to no breaks. She said she was warned she could be fired if she asked for time to rest. The lawsuit also includes claims under labor laws related to overwork and lack of breaks.

Daniels is not asking for a specific financial award at this stage. Instead, she is asking the judge to reject Lizzo’s motion for summary judgment and let a jury decide whether her rights were violated.

She also requested permission to correct a clerical error in her complaint regarding the legal basis for her retaliation claim.

Lizzo and her team have denied any wrongdoing. A judge is expected to rule on whether the case moves forward later this year.

​AllHipHop