By LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press

The Justice Department says in support of its request to unseal grand jury transcripts of proceedings that led to the sex trafficking indictments of New York financier and sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell that they include the testimony of just two law enforcement witnesses.

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In a filing late Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, officials describe the grand jury witnesses in a memorandum in response to a call from judges presiding over both cases to provide more details about their request earlier this month. Judges would have to approve any request to unseal records.

Grand jury transcripts are rarely released by courts, unless they need to be disclosed in connection with a judicial proceeding. The papers filed Tuesday cite a 1997 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that said judges have wide discretion and public interest alone can justify releasing grand jury information.

The Epstein grand jury heard only from an FBI agent when it met in June and July of 2019, while the Maxwell grand jury heard from the same FBI agent and a New York Police Department detective when it met in June and July of 2020 and in March of 2021, according to the submission.

The memorandum was signed by Jay Clayton, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and included the names of Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

The request to unseal the transcripts came after the Justice Department enraged parts of President Donald Trump’s base of supporters when it announced in early July it wouldn’t be making public any more Epstein files. The decision not to make additional materials public shocked some Trump supporters because members of his administration had hyped the expected release and stoked conspiracies around the well-connected financier.

FILE – This photo provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry shows Jeffrey Epstein, March 28, 2017. (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP, File)

Epstein took his own life in a federal jail in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on sex trafficking charges, officials say, but his case has generated endless attention and conspiracy theories because of his and Maxwell’s links to famous people, such as royals, presidents and billionaires, including Trump.

Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her December 2021 conviction on sex trafficking charges that accused her of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. Last week, she sat for 1 1/2 days of interviews with Justice Department officials in Florida, answering questions “about 100 different people,” her attorney said. Maxwell was being interviewed because of Trump’s directive to gather and release any credible evidence about others who may have committed crimes, the deputy attorney general said.

FILE – Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of late British publisher Robert Maxwell, reads a statement expressing her family’s gratitude to Spanish authorities after recovery of his body, Nov. 7, 1991, in Tenerife, Spain. (AP Photo/Dominique Mollard, File)

Trump has denied prior knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and claimed he had cut off their relationship long ago. But he faces ongoing questions about the Epstein case, overshadowing his administration’s achievements. When reporters last week pressed the Republican president about possibly pardoning Maxwell, he deflected, emphasizing his administration’s successes.

After the request to unseal grand jury records, two former prosecutors in Manhattan told The Associated Press the transcripts would be relatively short and contain only the testimony of law enforcement witnesses talking about evidence that tracks information in the indictments.

In its filing Tuesday, the Justice Department further dampened expectations the grand jury transcripts would contain new revelations when it said “certain aspects and subject matters” contained in them became public during Maxwell’s trial.

The memorandum said many of the victims whose accounts relating to Epstein and Maxwell came up in grand jury testimony testified at trial consistent with what was described by the FBI agent and the NYPD detective and some information was made public through civil litigation.

The government said no Epstein or Maxwell family members have come forward to express an interest in the request to unseal the grand jury transcripts, although Maxwell has indicated she will file a position with the court.

The memorandum says the request to unseal the transcripts is “consistent with increasing calls for additional disclosures in this matter.”

“There is undoubtedly a clearly expressed interest from the public in Jeffrey Epstein’s and Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes,” it says. “Beyond that, there is abundant public interest in the investigative work conducted by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation into those crimes.”

Under a 2008 non-prosecution agreement, Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to state charges of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution. That allowed him to avert a possible life sentence, instead serving 13 months in a work release program. He was required to make payments to victims and register as a sex offender.

Epstein was later charged by federal prosecutors in Manhattan for nearly identical allegations in 2019.

PITTSBURGH — Cocktails are a wonderful thing because they offer such a wide array of flavors. Everyone has their favorite, with choices often predicated by the season.

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Cooler months tend to lean on beverages crafted with warm spirits like bourbon or scotch, while in summer we crave bright and refreshing drinks to chase away the heat. Often that means building them around citrus.

My oldest son, Dan, loves a sweet and cold tiki drink like a mai tai when it’s hot outside while his wife, Carolann, wants to be transported to Italy with a sunset-colored Aperol spritz.

My daughters associate summer with margaritas or cocktails topped with egg white foam “because they’re fresh and light. and I can drink a million of them,” says Catherine.

Post-Gazette wine expert Dave DeSimone has named his favorite — an icy cold gin and tonic crafted with a London dry gin.

I root for the gimlet, a sweet and tart mix of gin, lime juice and simple syrup that is believed by some to have gotten its start as a preventative medicine.

To prevent scurvy on British warships in the 1880s, sailors drank a daily ration of citrus juice. But the fruit often went bad during long voyages, so Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Gimlette suggested adding gin to make it more palatable, or so the story goes.

Eventually, the drink made its way to bars, where it was embraced by the drinking public. In 1922, the gimlet cocktail made with Rose’s lime juice turned up in Harry MacElhone’s “ABC’s of Mixing Cocktails,” and the rest is cocktail history.

Whether it was named after the admiral or the drilling tool that had a similar “penetrating” effect on sailors is anyone’s guess. What’s not debatable is that Fig & Ash in the North Side’s Deutschtown neighborhood makes one of the best gimlets in the city.

It’s popularity in summer, says bar manager Rachel Sinagra, “is just one of those things, maybe because it’s citrusy and light.”

With just three ingredients, it’s also incredibly simple. To make a gimlet that shines, however, you have to be very picky about the ingredients.

To keep the drink refreshing, Sinagra says gin with a lemony undertone is essential. At Fig, they use Philadelphia-made Bluecoat, an American gin with a botanical, citrus-forward flavor.

“You can also use Hendrick’s,” which is known for its notes of cucumber.

But you probably want to steer clear of juniper-heavy gins, such as Bombay or Tanqueray, which will overwhelm the other ingredients.

Also essential is freshly squeezed lime juice instead of a lime cordial like Rose’s lime juice, which is concentrated and heavily sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. The taste will be brighter and more complex.

To avoid diluting the drink, Sinagra builds it “dry,” meaning she adds the ice after the alcohol, juice and simple syrup have been measured into the shaker. Then, she vigorously shakes it just enough to mix and chill it. She knows when to stop by the sound indicating the ice has cracked up into little chips.

The final step is pouring the finished cocktail into the proper glassware — a coupe or a maybe a Nick & Nora.

A glass with a wide bowl is important, she says, because “you want it to be open at the top and easy to enjoy.” The stem on each of the glasses also keeps the drinker’s hand from warming the sides.

“You want it to be chilled,” she says.

To make the simple syrup that balances the cocktail with a touch of sweetness, Sinagra always does a “spoon test” to determine the right consistency. The syrup should be a little thin, but also have some viscosity.

One great thing about a gimlet, Sinagra adds, is that the cocktail can be tweaked to personal preference. Replacing the gin with vodka is just one example.

“It’s really easy to make at home.”

Classic Gimlet

Citrusy and light, a gin gimlet is undeniably perfect in its simplicity. At Fig & Ash, it’s made with Bluecoat American Dry Gin, a dry gin with a lemony undertone that is suited to citrus-forward cocktails.

The simple syrup is also house-made from one part water to one part sugar.; one lime yields about 1 ounce of juice.

The best glass for a gimlet has a shallow, broad bowl such as a coupe, but you also can use a tulip-shaped Nick & Nora.

INGREDIENTS

2 ounces gin
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup

DIRECTIONS

Combine gin, lime juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice.
Shake until well-chilled.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lime wheel.

Makes 1 cocktail.

— Rachel Sinagra, Fig & Ash

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Today is Wednesday, July 30, the 211th day of 2025. There are 154 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On July 30, 1976, Bruce Jenner, now known as Caitlyn Jenner, set a world record of 8,618 points and won the gold medal in the Olympic decathlon at the Montreal Summer Games.

Also on this date:

In 1619, the first representative assembly in Colonial America convened in Jamestown in the Virginia Colony.

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In 1864, during the Civil War, Union forces tried to take Petersburg, Virginia, by exploding a gunpowder-laden mine shaft beneath Confederate defense lines; the attack failed.

In 1916, German saboteurs blew up a munitions plant on Black Tom, an island near Jersey City, New Jersey, killing about a dozen people.

In 1930, Uruguay won the first FIFA World Cup, defeating Argentina 4-2.

In 1945, the Portland class heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis, having just delivered components of the atomic bomb to Tinian in the Mariana Islands during World War II, was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine; only 316 out of nearly 1,200 service members survived.

In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a measure making “In God We Trust” the national motto, replacing “E Pluribus Unum.”

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Social Security Amendments of 1965, which led to the creation of Medicare and Medicaid.

In 2008, ex-Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic (RA’-doh-van KA’-ra-jich) was extradited to The Hague to face genocide charges after nearly 13 years on the run. (He was sentenced by a U.N. court in 2019 to life imprisonment after being convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.)

In 2012, three electric grids in India collapsed in a cascade, cutting power to 620 million people in the world’s biggest blackout.

In 2013, U.S. Army Pfc. Chelsea Manning was acquitted of aiding the enemy — the most serious charge she faced — but was convicted of espionage, theft and other charges at Fort Meade, Maryland, more than three years after she’d spilled secrets to WikiLeaks. (The former intelligence analyst was later sentenced to up to 35 years in prison, but the sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama in his final days in office.)

In 2016, 16 people died when a hot air balloon caught fire and exploded after hitting high-tension power lines before crashing into a pasture near Lockhart, Texas, about 70 miles northeast of San Antonio.

Today’s Birthdays:

Former Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is 91.
Blues musician Buddy Guy is 89.
Singer Paul Anka is 84.
Actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is 78.
Actor Jean Reno is 77.
Actor Ken Olin is 71.
Actor Delta Burke is 69.
Law professor Anita Hill is 69.
Singer-songwriter Kate Bush is 67.
Film director Richard Linklater is 65.
Actor Laurence Fishburne is 64.
TV personality Alton Brown is 63.
Actor Lisa Kudrow is 62.
Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Mullin is 62.
Actor Vivica A. Fox is 61.
Actor Terry Crews is 57.
Actor Simon Baker is 56.
Film director Christopher Nolan is 55.
Actor Tom Green is 54.
Actor Christine Taylor is 54.
Actor Hilary Swank is 51.
Olympic gold medal beach volleyball player Misty May-Treanor is 48.
Actor Jaime Pressly is 48.
Alt-country singer-musician Seth Avett (AY’-veht) is 45.
Former soccer player Hope Solo is 44.
Actor Yvonne Strahovski is 43.
Actor Martin Starr is 43.
Actor Gina Rodriguez is 41.
Actor Nico Tortorella is 36.
Actor Joey King is 26.

Perhaps one of most intriguing things to happen during Tuesday’s 8-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night was a mid-game hug between friends.

With just days to go until the trade deadline on Thursday evening, hug watch is in full effect and so when closer Jhoan Duran embraced bullpen catcher Frank Nigro like usual and it was caught on the team’s television broadcast, the hug made waves across the internet.

No, Duran hasn’t been traded yet — and he might not be. But for a few minutes mid-game, Twins fans were left wondering.

Duran did not pitch on Tuesday, but plenty of his bullpenmates did, as the Twins ran rookie Pierson Ohl out for his major league debut and then followed with a quartet of relievers.

Ohl, who was added to the roster on Tuesday in place of Chris Paddack, whom the Twins traded to the Detroit Tigers a day earlier, started in his place. After a first inning in which he recorded his first, second and third career strikeouts, Ohl got some help from the defense behind him.

Harrison Bader, playing center in place of Byron Buxton whom the Twins placed on the injured list with ribcage inflammation before the game, leapt up and snagged Wilyer Abreu’s deep fly ball, robbing him of his 21st home run of the season. Ohl wasn’t quite as lucky in the third inning, his final frame, when the Red Sox tagged him for four runs, including two on a Trevor Story home run, well beyond the reach of Bader, who again leapt for it.

The Red Sox added a run each off Michael Tonkin, Kody Funderburk and two off Louie Varland, while Twins offense had few answers for Boston starter Lucas Giolito. Giolito lasted six innings in his start, the only run he gave up coming on a Brooks Lee RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Lee, who had the walk-off hit in the Twins’ win over the Red Sox a night earlier, hit two home runs in the loss driving in all five of the Twins’ runs on a day when he was not even in the starting lineup. In doing so, he became just the sixth Twin to homer from both sides of the plate in a game. The infielder entered in the third inning for shortstop Carlos Correa, who departed after two innings with an illness.