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Bondi should release ‘credible’ Epstein files, Trump says

President Donald Trump fielded questions about late financier Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking case on Tuesday, saying at one point that he supported Attorney General Pam Bondi releasing ‘credible’ files from it.

‘She’s handled it very well, and it’s going to be up to her, whatever she thinks is credible she should release,’ Trump told reporters.

Trump claimed former FBI Director James Comey, former President Barack Obama and former President Joe Biden ‘made up’ some of the files, but no evidence has surfaced that supports that accusation.

The president’s remarks came after the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI’s decision to close their review of Eptsein’s case without disclosing any new information about it to the public sparked fury among the MAGA base.

When she first took office in February, Bondi told Fox News she had a ‘truckload’ of information about the case and did nothing to quell conspiracies about a supposed nonpublic list of sexual predators associated with Epstein.

However, the DOJ and FBI shared a memo last week saying the agencies found no list and uncovered no new people whom they could bring charges against. The revelation was met with intense backlash from a faction of Trump supporters, which Trump and DOJ leadership have since been struggling to quell.

Later on Tuesday, Trump told reporters no credible information was left to release to the public.

‘He’s dead for a long time. He was never a big factor in terms of life. I don’t understand what the interest or what the fascination is. I really don’t, and the credible information’s been given,’ Trump said of Epstein’s case files.

Trump added, ‘It’s pretty boring stuff. It’s sordid, but it’s boring.’

Bondi also faced numerous questions from reporters on Tuesday during an event about fentanyl. The attorney general repeatedly said she did not want to address off-topic questions but at one point did say she stood by the DOJ and FBI memo.

‘Today our memo speaks for itself, and we will get back to you about anything else,’ Bondi said.

She also declined to talk about ‘personnel matters’ when asked about FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino’s status. Bongino was ‘enraged’ by the memo rollout and considered resigning, sources told Fox News Digital last week.

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Jill Biden ‘work husband’ pleads Fifth Amendment, dodges House GOP cover-up probe questions

A top aide to former first lady Jill Biden refused to answer GOP investigators’ questions on Wednesday as the House Oversight Committee probes whether senior ex-White House aides covered up signs of former President Joe Biden’s mental decline.

Anthony Bernal, former assistant to the president and senior advisor to the first lady, was compelled for a July 16 closed-door deposition after missing a previously agreed-upon interview date late last month.

His scheduled sit-down came and went quickly, however. Bernal apparently pleaded the Fifth Amendment to the questions asked by House staffers, a source familiar told Fox News Digital.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., quickly confirmed Bernal invoked his right against self-incrimination in comments to reporters alongside committee member Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who was also present.

Both criticized Bernal and his lawyer for arguing the Fifth Amendment was not an admission of guilt, and Comer told reporters ‘all options are on the table’ when asked whether the former president himself should be brought in.

‘We’re gonna continue our investigation. I think that the American people are concerned,’ Comer said.

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., is investigating allegations that Biden’s former top White House aides covered up signs of his mental and physical decline while in office, and whether any executive actions were commissioned via autopen without the president’s full knowledge. Biden allies have pushed back against those claims.

In an interview with The New York Times on Thursday, Biden affirmed he ‘made every decision’ on his own.

‘Original Sin,’ a book by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson, positions Bernal as a fiercely protective aide who was dubbed the leader of the ‘loyalty police’ by other former Biden staffers.

His LinkedIn page lists him as currently working as Jill Biden’s chief of staff in the Transition Office of Former President Joe Biden.

Bernal was originally slated to appear last month for a voluntary transcribed interview, but he and his lawyers backtracked after the Trump administration announced it was waiving executive privilege rights for him and several other former White House staffers.

‘Now that the White House has waived executive privilege, it’s abundantly clear that Anthony Bernal – Jill Biden’s so-called ‘work husband’ – never intended to be transparent about Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and the ensuing cover-up,’ Comer said in late June.

He’s now the second former Biden administration staffer to invoke the Fifth Amendment after ex-White House physician Kevin O’Connor did so last week.

O’Connor’s deposition lasted less than 30 minutes, with the doctor refusing to answer any questions after his name.

But O’Connor’s lawyers argued at the time that it was not an admission of guilt. Rather, they were concerned the scope of the committee’s questioning could force him to violate patient-doctor confidentiality, risking his standing as a physician.

A House Oversight Committee aide pushed back: ‘Doctor-patient objection would have meant he would have stayed and answered questions that didn’t implicate such privilege. Instead, he took the Fifth to all and any potential questions.’

Two other former Biden White House staffers appeared for voluntary transcribed interviews already.

Another, former deputy Chief of Staff Annie Tomasini, was also subpoenaed to appear this Friday.

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Senate to debate Trump’s $9B clawback bill after dramatic late-night votes

Late-night dramatics and surprise defections capped off the push to advance President Donald Trump’s multibillion-dollar clawback package through procedural hurdles.

But Trump’s $9 billion rescissions package is not over the finish line yet, as lawmakers are set to begin an hourslong stretch of debate over the bill Wednesday morning. Both sides of the aisle will be allotted five hours of debate, but Republicans are likely to use little of their time compared to Democrats, who will try to drag out the process as long as possible.

At stake are clawbacks that would yank back congressionally approved funding for foreign aid programs and public broadcasting, which Senate Democrats, and some Republicans, have admonished.

The president’s rescissions package proposed cutting just shy of $8 billion from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and over $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the government-backed funding arm for NPR and PBS.

Republicans have broadly lauded the targets, arguing that they are scraping back funding for ‘woke’ programs that do little more than to gird the government’s spending addiction.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., charged that the cuts in question were ‘just a piece of a larger Republican puzzle.’ 

He said the goal was using more rescissions packages, the president’s impoundment authority and smaller, pocket rescissions ‘that will pave the way for deeper and more serious spending cuts on things like healthcare, food assistance, energy, and so many other areas – and other democratic safeguards will no longer be around.’

‘They are eliminating Democrats from the process – there’s no discussion, no argument, and there’s no safeguards to help the average American,’ he said. ‘It’s just the billionaires running rampant, and we’re getting what they want.’

Before the vote, Senate Republican leaders agreed to carve out $400 million in cuts in global HIV and AIDS prevention funding that leaders hoped would win over holdouts. But it didn’t work for all.

A trio of Senate Republicans defected – Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. – forcing Vice President JD Vance to cast his sixth and seventh tie-breaking votes of the year to keep the package alive.

He will likely be needed again later Wednesday to pass the bill, once lawmakers complete another vote-a-rama, where both sides of the aisle can offer unlimited amendments to the bill. 

Murkowski argued on the Senate floor that the rescissions package was effectively usurping Congress’ duty to legislate.

‘We’re lawmakers, we should be legislating,’ she said. ‘What we’re getting now is a direction from the White House and being told, ‘This is the priority we want you to execute on it. We’ll be back with you with another round.’ I don’t accept that.’

Collins contended that lawmakers actually knew little about how or where the clawbacks would come from, and accused the Office of Management and Budget of not painting a clearer picture on the issue.

‘I recognize the need to reduce excessive spending and I have supported rescissions in our appropriations bills many times, including the 70 rescissions that were included in the year-long funding bill that we are currently operating under,’ she said in a statement. ‘But to carry out our constitutional responsibility, we should know exactly what programs are affected and the consequences of rescissions.’

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Trump’s controversial plan to fire federal workers finds favor with Supreme Court

The Supreme Court’s decision to temporarily allow mass layoffs at the Education Department marked the latest in a string of rulings from the high court green-lighting the president’s plans to scale down the size of the federal workforce.

Permitting the termination of about 1,400 Education Department employees is one of several instances of the Supreme Court showing significant deference to Trump’s power over the executive branch. In other cases, the high court has preliminarily approved of Trump’s executive order calling for sweeping federal job cuts and shown an openness to the president diminishing the independence of some agencies.

Often these decisions, issued on an emergency basis at the request of the Trump administration, have come with little explanation. The high court did not, for example, spell out why it allowed Trump to carry out mass layoffs at the Education Department. But the move advances the president’s long-term efforts to dismantle the department, for now.

South Texas College law professor Joshua Blackman said the plaintiffs’ argument that Congress needs to approve such a drastic change to an agency did not appear persuasive to the high court.

‘I think they’re basically saying, ‘We don’t think this is trying to restructure the agency,’’ Blackman told Fox News Digital. ‘Justices Jackson and Sotomayor sort of made that point in the dissent, but I don’t think it’s resonating with the majority.’

Blackman noted that even though these shadow docket decisions are temporary while the lawsuits proceed in the lower courts, they have lasting power. Litigation can take two or three years, and employees who lose their jobs are likely not waiting around for that long to return to the government, he said. 

He also said those employees are not ‘in theory, at least,’ suffering irreparable harm because ‘reinstatements with back pay is an option.’ Irreparable harm is a criterion judges consider before issuing emergency orders.

Another Trump-friendly ruling

Last week, the Supreme Court temporarily reversed Judge Susan Illston’s order blocking the administration from acting on Trump’s executive order to reduce the workforce.

‘The President has the authority to seek changes to executive branch agencies, but he must do so in lawful ways and, in the case of large-scale reorganizations, with the cooperation of the legislative branch,’ Illston, a Clinton-appointed judge based in California, wrote.

Trump signed an executive order after he took office announcing a sweeping ‘reduction in force’ initiative. To carry out Trump’s order, the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management sent a directive to the heads of government agencies in February to craft plans to eliminate jobs.

‘Agencies should focus on the maximum elimination of functions that are not statutorily mandated while driving the highest-quality, most efficient delivery of their statutorily required functions,’ the memo said.

A group of labor organizations and nonprofits sued, arguing a mass reorganization of government required congressional approval.

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 against them by pausing Illston’s injunction. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan sided with the conservative majority, which found that the executive order and memo are lawful. The majority noted that the decision is not a reflection of the justices’ opinions on agency-specific firings and that those should be examined as a separate matter.

Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University law professor, told ‘Fox & Friends’ the high court was sending a ‘clear’ message about judicial overreach.

‘This is another shot across the bow to lower courts that they’ve got to knock this off,’ Turley said. ‘They’ve got to stop with these injunctions. This is six months of delay. It could’ve been much longer, and the court is signaling, ‘We’re going to be on you very quickly if you continue to do these types of orders.”

Pending layoffs

The decision empowered Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lay off more than 1,300 State Department workers.

Since Trump took office, tens of thousands of federal employees have accepted buyout offers from the administration or been let go. But many other layoffs are still wrapped up in lawsuits.

Some firing decisions remain pending because of district court judges’ orders. In some cases, the Trump administration has argued that the Supreme Court’s recent move to do away with universal injunctions is reason enough for those judges to reverse course.

In one lawsuit, Democratic-led states sued over Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.’s move to terminate about 10,000 employees. Judge Melissa DuBose, a Biden appointee based in Rhode Island, sided with the states and blocked the terminations. The judge must now decide if her injunction is at odds with the Supreme Court’s new ruling on universal injunctions.

Humphrey’s Executor

The government downsizing coincides with the president’s controversial decision to fire several watchdogs and members of independent agencies without cause.

In May, the Supreme Court sided with Trump on two of the firings, fueling speculation that the high court is aiming to overturn a 90-year precedent set in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States.

That decision found that President Franklin D. Roosevelt could not fire a member of the Federal Trade Commission without a reason, such as neglect of job duties or malfeasance, because it conflicted with a law Congress passed that established the commission.

In Trump’s case, the Supreme Court temporarily approved two firings involving the heads of the National Labor Relations Board and Merit Systems Protection Board. The high court’s order was unsigned but indicated that the three liberal justices dissented.

‘Because the Constitution vests the executive power in the President… he may remove without cause executive officers who exercise that power on his behalf, subject to narrow exceptions recognized by our precedents,’ the order read.

The Supreme Court’s decision was a boon to Trump’s implementation of the unitary executive theory, a legal concept that emphasizes presidential control. However, the order included a cautionary note that the Supreme Court’s finding was cursory and that no final decisions had been made about independent boards.

Kagan tore into the majority for letting Trump move forward with the firings.

‘Not since the 1950s (or even before) has a President, without a legitimate reason, tried to remove an officer from a classic independent agency – a multi member, bipartisan commission exercising regulatory power whose governing statute contains a for-cause provision,’ Kagan wrote.

Other similar lawsuits, including one brought by two fired Democratic-appointed FTC commissioners, are still pending, and the Supreme Court has not yet weighed in on them.

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Loyal Jill Biden aide arrives for sworn deposition in Comer’s cover-up probe

A former top White House advisor to ex-first lady Jill Biden was subpoenaed to appear before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday.

Anthony Bernal, former assistant to the president and senior advisor to the first lady, was compelled for a July 16 closed-door deposition after missing a previously agreed-upon interview date late last month.

He arrived on Capitol Hill for his sworn deposition just before 10 a.m. on Wednesday, saying nothing to reporters on his way inside.

‘We look forward to asking some very important questions I think everyone in America is interested in – who was authorizing the use of the autopen, and whether or not Joe Biden was mentally fit to make decisions,’ House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told reporters on his way inside minutes after Bernal’s arrival.

Comer said he was confident Bernal would comply with the committee. ‘I fully expect Anthony Bernal to answer question,’ he said.

Comer, R-Ky., is investigating allegations that Biden’s former top White House aides covered up signs of his mental and physical decline while in office, and whether any executive actions were commissioned via autopen without the president’s full knowledge. Biden allies have pushed back against those claims.

‘Original Sin,’ a book by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson, positions Bernal as a fiercely protective aide who was dubbed the leader of the ‘loyalty police’ by other former Biden staffers.

His LinkedIn page lists him as currently working as Jill Biden’s chief of staff in the Transition Office of Former President Joe Biden.

Bernal was originally slated to appear last month for a voluntary transcribed interview, but he and his lawyers backtracked after the Trump administration announced it was waiving executive privilege rights for him and several other former White House staffers.

He is the fourth ex-Biden aide to sit down with House GOP investigators.

Longtime Biden advisor Ashley Williams appeared for a nearly six-hour transcribed interview on Friday, following a brief sit-down by former Biden physician Kevin O’Connor.

O’Connor, like Bernal, appeared under subpoena. His closed-door deposition lasted less than 30 minutes, with the doctor invoking the Fifth Amendment on all questions outside his name.

O’Connor’s lawyers said he did so out of concern for doctor-patient confidentiality. Comer, however, accused him of covering for the octogenarian former president. 

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Conservative legal group presses agency to act on Trump’s voter citizenship mandate despite court injunctions

Pro-Trump legal advocacy nonprofit America First Legal (AFL) is calling on the federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to begin requiring proof of citizenship for all federal voter registration applicants after the president’s effort to do so by executive order was blocked by the courts. 

AFL filed a petition on Wednesday with the EAC, calling on the agency to amend the national voter registration form to require applicants to provide any one of the following documents proving U.S. citizenship: a U.S. passport, birth certificate, consular report of birth abroad, certificate of naturalization, certificate of citizenship, state-issued REAL-ID compliant license, or other reliable government-issued identification. 

The move follows a March executive order issued by President Donald Trump, titled ‘Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,’ which sought to compel the EAC to begin requiring a proof of citizenship requirement on the national voter registration form, in addition to other provisions pertaining to the prohibition of non-citizen voting. 

Trump’s move has been slammed by critics who have argued that it is already illegal for non-U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections. However, a hopeful voter does not need to provide any proof of citizenship and can just self-attest.

The portion of Trump’s March executive order calling on the EAC to amend the national voter registration form and require all states to comply and use it was ultimately blocked by multiple federal judges following lawsuits that challenged Trump’s authority.

In AFL’s petition to the EAC, the group argues that even though the legal challenges and their resulting temporary injunctions from federal judges are still being adjudicated, the injunctions ‘are based entirely on separation of powers principles,’ which leaves the EAC with room ‘to take commonsense election integrity measures on its own volition.’

‘The executive order used spending powers to have the EAC ensure state election officers were enforcing the law by requiring proof of citizenship,’ Vice President of America first Legal, Daniel Epstein, further clarified to Fox News Digital. ‘What we are doing is forcing a change in the forms EAC distributes and we have the ability to enforce in court.’

Fox News Digital reached out to the EAC for comment but did not receive a response.

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EXCLUSIVE: Trump admin strengthens religious accommodations in federal workforce

In his first week as head of President Donald Trump’s U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Scott Kupor issued new guidance to executive agency directors cracking down on religious discrimination in the federal workforce.

The memo, obtained by Fox News Digital, encourages the use of telework, flexible schedules and leave options to meet ‘reasonable’ religious needs while maintaining efficient agency operations.

The new guidance instructs the heads and acting heads of executive agencies and departments that they must make certain religious accommodations for workers, such as abstaining from work during specific times or participating in religious observances or practices.

Kupor cited Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 2022 Supreme Court decision Groff v. DeJoy, which he said clarified that employers are required to demonstrate substantial increased costs to deny a reasonable religious accommodation request.

He wrote that agencies are encouraged to ‘adopt a generous approach to approving religious accommodations, prioritizing employee needs while maintaining operational efficiency.’

‘Further, Federal agencies must adhere to the requirements of Title VII and the Groff clarification of the ‘undue hardship’ standard when addressing religious accommodation requests,’ Kupor wrote.

He said that religious accommodations could include telework, religious compensatory time off, flexible work schedules and various other forms of paid and unpaid time off.

Kupor cited an executive order signed by Trump in May that made it a top priority to ensure that all executive agencies ‘honor and enforce the Constitution’s guarantee of religious liberty’ and end ‘any form of religious discrimination by the Federal Government.’

Trump wrote in the executive order that ‘it shall be the policy of the executive branch to vigorously enforce the historic and robust protections for religious liberty enshrined in Federal law.’

Kupor said that in addition to the president’s guidance, ‘it is in the interest of the Federal government to recruit and retain highly-qualified employees of faith.’

‘Religious liberty is foundational,’ Kupor said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

‘No federal employee should be forced to choose between their faith and their federal service,’ he said. ‘This guidance ensures agencies meet their legal obligations and treat these requests with the seriousness they deserve.’

In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, OPM clarified that ‘even as agencies enforce in-person work requirements,’ this memo reaffirms that ‘reasonable religious accommodations are protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and must be provided consistent with law.’

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NL wins MLB All-Star Game in epic home run derby swing-off

ATLANTA — After finishing nine innings all tied up, Major League Baseball All-Star Game was decided by a swing-off for the first time, with the National League emerging victorious after blowing a six-run lead over the final three innings.

In the impromptu home run derby at Truist Park in Atlanta, the teams picked three players to each take three swings. Brent Rooker hit two homers to lead things off for the American League. Kyle Stowers responded with one in his round, then Randy Arozarena also only managed one home run.

Trailing 3-1, Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber came through in the clutch, homering on all three of his swings to put the NL ahead. Then, Jonathan Aranda failed to go long on any of his swings – giving the NL a 4-3 win in the swing-off, with two-time Home Run Derby champion Pete Alonso waiting on deck.

Schwarber was named the game’s MVP for his heroic performance in the swing-off.

‘It was really fun. I credit the guys, too, on our side who were really into it,’ Schwarber said. ‘They were cheering along. The fans were into it. Watching the last guy there and we were all kind of just really into it.’

The new tiebreaker format was installed in 2022, but this was the first time since that the Midsummer Classic had finished even after nine innings. Under this format, the game wound up no winning or losing pitcher – but the NL was officially credited with a 7-6 victory.

‘It will be interesting to see where that goes,’ AL manager Aaron Boone said after the game. ‘There’s probably a world where you could see that in the future, where maybe it’s in some regular season mix. I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised if people start talking about it like that.’

The NL’s win is just the second time the Senior Circuit has emerged victorious since 2013 and the AL now holds a 48-45-2 advantage in the all-time series.

The AL had trailed 6-0 in the seventh and rallied back scoring two in the ninth to tie the game. NL manager Dave Roberts opted to start the final frame with Padres closer Robert Suarez, who gave up a one-out RBI double to Bobby Witt Jr. That prompted Roberts to bring in the Mets’ Edwin Diaz. The right-hander retired the first batter he faced but Steven Kwan’s infield single brought Witt home to make it 6-6.

Boston’s Aroldis Chapman came on for the bottom of the ninth and retired the NL in order to send the contest to the tiebreaker.

The game’s scoring began before AL starter Tarik Skubal had even recorded an out, when Ketel Marte laced a two-run double into the right-field corner to score Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr. But the reigning Cy Young winner limited the damage there, retiring the next three batters with a man on second.

The sides traded zeroes until Alonso hit an opposite-field three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to make it 5-0 – the first time the Mets slugger has gone long in the game itself. A few batters later, Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll crushed a solo shot to right-center, extending the NL’s lead to 6-0.

Seven NL pitchers had combined to toss six scoreless innings, but the AL answered right back in the top of the seventh, halving the deficit on Brent Rooker’s three-run homer off Giants reliever Randy Rodriguez. Witt added an RBI groundout in the frame, cutting the lead to 6-4.

Brewers phenom Jacob Misiorowski was named an All-Star after just five career starts, which caused a stir around baseball – but Roberts had enough faith in the youngster to bring him into the eighth with a two-run lead. The 23-year-old flamethrower worked around a hit, but got three outs to notch a hold.

The game featured a pair of poignant moments for Los Angeles Dodgers players, the first when Clayton Kershaw – selected for the team as a “Legend Pick” – was removed by Roberts after retiring a pair of batters in the second inning. The future Hall of Famer left to applause, but it was just a preview of what was coming.

First baseman Freddie Freeman, who spent the first 12 years of his career with the Braves, was replaced with one out in the top of the third, allowing the two-time World Series champion a chance to tip his cap to the Atlanta fans while receiving a thunderous standing ovation.

‘I’m OK with crying. That’s just how I am,’ Freeman said. ‘But I didn’t do it today.’

The 2026 All-Star Game will be held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the Phillies’ first time hosting since 1996.

All-Star Game MVP: Kyle Schwarber

The Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber was named MVP of the 2025 All-Star Game after homering on all three swings in the tiebreaking swing-off. An unbelievably clutch performance in the impromptu home run run derby for Schwarber, who is a free agent at the end of the 2025 season.

NL wins tiebreaker swing-off 4-3!

American League: 3

Brent Rooker: 2 HR
Randy Arozarena – 1 HR
Jonathan Aranda – 0 HR

National League: 4

Kyle Stowers – 1 HR
Kyle Schwarber – 3 HR
Pete Alonso – N/A

All-Star Game tiebreaker format

Unlike typical regular-season and postseason MLB games, the All-Star Game does not feature extra innings. Instead, the leagues came up with an even more interesting way to determine a winner if the game is knotted up after nine innings: another Home Run Derby.

AL ties it up with ninth-inning rally

With the NL clinging to a two-run lead in the ninth, things got dicey. NL manager Dave Roberts opted to start the inning with Padres closer Robert Suarez, who gave up a one-out RBI double to Bobby Witt Jr. That prompted Roberts to bring in the Mets’ Edwin Diaz, who retired the first batter he faced. But Steven Kwan’s infield single brought Witt home to score, tying the game.

Jacob Misiorowski pitches scoreless eighth

The Milwaukee Brewers’ 23-year-old phenom was named an All-Star after just five career starts, which ruffled some feathers around baseball. NL manager Dave Roberts brought him on in a setup role with a 6-4 lead in the eighth inning, tossing a scoreless inning around a single and a couple of loud outs.

That counts as a hold for Misiorowski!

Brent Rooker home run starts AL rally

Athletics slugger Brent Rooker hit a three-run homer off the Giants’ Randy Rodriguez in the top of the seventh, cutting the AL’s 6-0 deficit in half. Maikel Franco followed Rookier’s blast with a walk and then stole second, advancing to third on a throwing error by catcher Hunter Goodman. Bobby Witt Jr.’s groundout brought Garcia in to score, making it a 6-4 game.

Hank Aaron tribute in Atlanta

Atlanta had to wait four years for its All-Star tribute to Hank Aaron, the baseball icon and Hall of Famer who died in January 2021.

Corbin Carroll home run extends NL lead

Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll hit a solo homer to right-center off Tigers right-hander Casey Mize, giving the NL a 6-0 lead just a few batters after Pete Alonso’s three-run homer.

Carroll, the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year, had 21 home runs, 10 triples and 11 stolen bases in the first half.

Pete Alonso home run makes it 5-0

The New York Mets slugger clubbed a three-run homer to right field, an opposite-field blast off lefty Kris Bubic that extended the NL’s lead to 5-0.

Alonso entered the All-Star break with a .908 OPS, 21 homers and 77 RBIs. He’s just five home runs behind Darryl Strawberry on the Mets’ all-time list.

Through four innings: NL 2, AL 0

Ketel Marte’s two-run double in the first inning remains the difference so far at Truist Park, with five NL pitchers –Paul Skenes, Clayton Kershaw, Jason Adam, Logan Webb and David Peterson – combining to toss four scoreless frames.

Freddie Freeman leaves to standing ovation

ATLANTA – The incessant pressure for Freddie Freeman to emote has mercifully come to an end. 

From an on-camera interview moments before the All-Star Game in which Fox Sports asked all the leading questions, to an extra-long lingering over his name during pregame introductions that were otherwise conducted at one and a half times the usual speed, to a mid-inning defensive replacement, Freeman won’t have to think about crying anymore. 

National League leads 2-0 after two innings

Yankees lefty Carlos Rodon worked around Pete Crow-Armstrong’s two-out double in the bottom of the second, getting Shohei Ohtani to ground out to first to end the threat.

The NL is 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, with Ketel Marte’s two-run double in the first the runs so far.

Clayton Kershaw in to pitch second inning

Chosen for the All-Star roster as commissioner Rob Manfred’s ‘Legend Pick,’ the future Hall of Fame southpaw relieved Paul Skenes in the second inning. A three-time Cy Young winner, Kershaw recently became the 20th pitcher with 3,000 career strikeouts.

Kershaw – who was mic’d up – got Cal Raleigh to line out to left and struck out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. looking, before giving way to Padres reliever Jason Adam, walking off the field to a nice ovation from the crowd in Atlanta.

Ketel Marte opens the scoring, NL leads 2-0

Shohei Ohtani singled to center and Ronald Acuña Jr. managed an infield single before Tarik Skubal recorded an out, bringing Ketel Marte to the plate in a big spot. The Diamondbacks slugger laced a double into the right field corner to plate two runs, with Acuña coming all the way around from first to score.

But Skubal limited the damage, getting Freddie Freeman to ground out before striking out Manny Machado and Will Smith.

Paul Skenes gets MLB All-Star Game underway

The Pittsburgh Pirates ace followed up by whiffing Riley Greene for the second out, then got Aaron Judge to ground out to second base to end the top of the first inning.

Zac Brown Band performs All-Star national anthem

MLB All-Star Game starting lineups

American League

Starting pitcher: Tarik Skubal, Tigers

2B Gleyber Torres, Tigers
LF Riley Greene, Tigers
RF Aaron Judge, Yankees
C Cal Raleigh, Mariners
1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
DH Ryan O’Hearn, Orioles
3B Junior Caminero, Rays
CF Javier Baez, Tigers
SS Jacob Wilson, Athletics

National League

Starting pitcher: Paul Skenes, Pirates

DH Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers
LF Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves
2B Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks
1B Freddie Freeman, Dodgers
3B Manny Machado, Padres
C Will Smith, Dodgers
RF Kyle Tucker, Cubs
SS Francisco Lindor, Mets
CF Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs

Where is the MLB All-Star Game 2025?

The 2025 Midsummer Classic is at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.

MLB All-Star Game history

Series history: AL leads 48-44-2
American League’s last win: 2024 (5-3 win)
National League’s last win: 2023 (3-2 win)

The American League leads the National League 48-44-2 in the all-time series record of the MLB All-Star Game.

The American League has dominated the Midsummer Classic over the last decade, as the American League has won 11 of the last 12 All-Star Games. That dominance only strengthens for the American League when you go back further in the record books, as the American League has won 19 of the last 24 All-Star Games since 2000.

The National League’s longest win streak in the All-Star Game spanned from 1972 to 1982, when it won 11 consecutive games. The National League’s 11-game win streak is the longest win streak by a single league in the history of the All-Star Game.

Jacob Misiorowski: Brewers’ young All-Star earns headlines

ATLANTA — Misiorowski, who stands 6-foot-7, says it’s been a whirlwind since making his MLB debut on June 12, when he tossed five no-hit innings against the St. Louis Cardinals.

‘The last five weeks have been insane,’ Misiorowski said with a smile. ‘I was hoping for the All-Star break to be one of those times where you could sit back and kind of reflect on everything. But we’re here now and we’re doing this.’

National League manager Dave Roberts defended the inclusion of Misiorowski, who is 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA and 33 strikeouts in his five starts, touching 103 mph.

‘My North Star is the All-Star Game should be the game’s best players. It’s about the fans and what they want to see,’ Roberts said. ‘So for this young kid to be named an All-Star, I couldn’t be more excited for him. …

‘It’s an easy answer because if it brings excitement, attention to our game, then I’m all about it.’

Jacob Wilson: Athletics rookie has All-Star pitchers fuming

ATLANTA — Yankees All-Star pitcher Carlos Rodon saw Jacob Wilson in the American League clubhouse Monday, stopped him, and moaned about the difficulty of pitching to him.

“I said, ‘Dude, I’m looking at scouting reports on you and it says to throw fastballs up and in because you’re not supposed to have any hard contact.’ I throw a four-seamer up and in, and you hit a double off me. Come on.’

Shohei Ohtani, Mamiko Tanaka arrive on red carpet

Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne stun on All-Star red carpet

2026 MLB All-Star Game location

Next year’s All-Star Game will be held at CItizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. The club lasted hosted the Midsummer Classic in 1996 at Veterans Stadium.

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‘Institutionalized collusion’: MLB’s next labor war is coming in hot

ATLANTA — Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, believes that MLB owners already are preparing for a lockout after the 2026 season if they don’t get a salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement – but insists that a cap would be detrimental to the entire sport.

“Institutionalized collusion, that’s what a salary cap is …’ Clark told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. “A cap is not about a partnership. A cap isn’t about growing the game. A cap is about franchise values and profits. …

“A salary cap historically has limited contract guarantees associated with it, literally pits one player against another and is often what we share with players as the definitive non-competitive system. It doesn’t reward excellence. It undermines it from an organizational standpoint. That’s why this is not about competitive balance. It’s not about fair versus not fair. …

“The history is more lockouts, more work stoppages as a result of that system being in place.’

Baseball has had nine work stoppages, with the last lockout lasting 99 days in 2021-2022. The two sides reached an agreement on a five-year deal on March 10, 2022 which expires on Dec. 1, 2026.

Clark is concerned that another lockout is nearly inevitable simply based on the threats he already is hearing from MLB and the ownership ranks. The union is withholding all of their licensing checks for a potential work stoppage fund.

“It begs the question as to whether or not we’re going to have a good faith negotiation,’’ Clark said. “That remains to be seen when somebody tells you they’re going to lock you out a year and a half out, rather than sit down at the table and see if we can figure our way through that.’

MLB has pushed for a salary cap for years, saying it’s necessary for competitive balance, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets having nearly five times the $69 million payroll of the Miami Marlins. There has been no repeat World Series winner since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000, but the last small-market team to win the World Series was the Kansas City Royals in 2015.

Manfred has informed players in his meetings with teams that a salary cap could be advantageous economically, saying that 10% of the players earn 72% of the wages, and that a cap would greatly enhance competive balance.

“When I talk to the players, I don’t try to convince them that a salary cap system would be a good thing,” Manfred said, hours before the All-Star Game. “I identify a problem in the media business and explain to them that owners need to change to address that problem. I then identify a second problem that we need to work together and that is that there are fans in a lot of our markets who feel like we have a competitive balance problem’

Clark strongly disagrees that a salary cap will increase competitive balance in the game, saying plenty of teams have money, based on the financial information they receive, but choose not to be competitive.

“We believe there are ways to incentivize and provide support to those who are in a different market than in LA or New York,’ Clark said. “There’s an opportunity to do that, and do so to the benefit of the group that doesn’t require a restriction on player salaries to do so.’

MLB proposed a salary floor in the last CBA, forcing small market teams to spend at least $100 million, but Clark says that with a floor, there is always a catch.

“Let me clear on this, we’ve never been opposed to a floor,’ Clark said. “We’re opposed with what comes with it, or at least historically has.’

Will MLB stars play in 2028 LA Olympics?

Manfred and Clark spoke for about 45 minutes apiece, covering a wide-ranging array of topics highlighted by the possibility of MLB considering permitting its major-league players to play in the 2028 Olympics if certain conditions are met. MLB would want Olympic games to be played during an extended All-Star break.

“They put out a schedule, they tell you it’s not going to move,’ Manfred said, “we’ll see whether there’s any movement on that. It is possible to take it, to play the All-Star Game in its normal spot, have a single break that would be longer obviously, but still play 162 games without bleeding into the middle of November.

“That is possible, OK? It would require significant accommodations, but it’s possible.’

Los Angeles Olympic organizers met in Atlanta separately with MLB officials and the union, and see a glimmer of hope that MLB players could be in the Olympics, although major obstacles remain.

“In the event that MLB players are going to play, what does that mean and what does that look like?” Clark said. “And perhaps just as importantly, what does it mean for those players who aren’t participating? What type of scheduling adjustments need to be made? What type travel considerations and support need to considered? What does that means in regards to insurance? …

“There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done. We do know players are interested in playing, whether it’s for Team USA or any number of other teams around the world. There’s just a lot of conversation that needs to be had sooner rather than later to see how viable this is, but we’re hopeful that we can figure our way through it for the benefit of the game.”

Says Manfred: ‘I think it is a opportunity to market the game on a really global stage. Obviously, the clubs are going to have to endorse this. I mean, this it’s a big deal.”

Rays stadium status for postseason

MLB said the Tampa Bay Rays will play all of their potential postseason games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, and that Tropicana Field will be ready for their return in 2026.

MLB All-Star Game roster concerns

MLB is concerned with the number of players dropping out of the All-Star game, with 16 alternate players chosen, and not counting at least 10 others who rejected offers to participate. Clark says they have proposed different ideas, and believes that the rigorous travel schedule – with every team now playing each other – has caused a number of players to prefer staying home.

“The requirements for players, the travel and the logistics of their family and support, the day-to-day of a 162-game season,’ Clark said, “is more complex and more challenging than it’s ever been. …We’ve gotten feedback from some of the guys already in regards to things we may want to be thinking about when we talk to the league, whether that’s a longer period of time, or whether that’s different requirements, or different scheduling, or different timing.’’

Said Manfred: “I think what we have to do is continue to work with our very best players to make sure that they’re here and showcasing themselves in front of a fan base. That’s really, really important to us over the long haul.’’

Pitching injuries pile up

Clark remains concerned with the rash of pitching injuries, particularly Tommy John surgeries, which has completely decimated several pitching staffs this season.

“To say that it keeps me up at night is an understatement,’ Clark said. “The game has changed. How pitchers are being used has changed dramatically. And what it is that teams are interested in pitchers doing has changed dramatically. … I think there are a number of factors that are leading to what we are seeing in our game. …

“Pitching injuries and their effects on those players, both in the near term and the long term, let alone their teams, let alone the fans that come to the ballpark, is a personal issue for me.’’

When will ABS system be implemented?

There remains a strong opposition from players towards the automatic-ball strike challenge system that is being used in the All-Star Game, with MLB hoping it implement it for the 2026 season.

No betting on baseball – obviously

Players are continually reminded that gambling in baseball is prohibited, Clark said, no matter if it’s a small parlay or winter-league games – and still worries about the gambling element affecting players.

“We want to make sure that players are protected, their families are protected,’ Clark said. “We found some players in some tough spots as a result of the new climate that we are in. We found family members in tough spots as a result of the climate that we are in. The game is hard enough, let alone having to deal with those types of outside influences.’

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Home Run Derby champion left stranded on deck in All-Star tiebreaker

ATLANTA — It would have been easy for New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso to tell All-Star officials, “thanks, but no thanks,’ like so many of his peers.

He could say he was simply fatigued, needed to focus on the second half, or come up with an excuse just like the 16 others who backed out of playing in the game.

Who would blame him? Alonso has already been to four previous All-Star Games, and it’s not like he would be warmly welcomed in Atlanta. The Mets are the enemy down South, as he was coldly reminded during pre-game introductions when he was vigorously booed, and jeered when he replaced Freddie Freeman, the former hometown hero.

Sorry, Alonso isn’t built that way.

This time, he wanted to conserve his energy, keeping fresh for the Mets’ pennant race, but never once considered backing out of the game.

“It’s an honor for me,’ Alonso said. “Certain guys, if they’re banged up, it’s situational. But I’m healthy and I’m appreciative. It’s a great event.

“For me, it’s a no-brainer to come.’

If the fans want him, and his peers voted for him, he believed it was a privilege to come, opting instead to decline an invitation to the Home Run Derby, which he has competed in five times, winning twice.

So, the way Alonso figured it, as long as he was in town, he might as well put on a show.

He nearly brought home a souvenir too, and was the leading candidate to earn the All-Star MVP award after hitting a three-run, sixth-inning homer, only for game to be decided in a historic swing-off. The hero of the tiebreaker, Kyle Schwarber, was named MVP of what was officially a 7-6 National League win in front of a sellout crowd of 41,702 at Truist Park.

Alonso agreed be part of the tiebreaking home run derby, and was the third batter scheduled for the NL in the swing-off. But he was left stranded on deck when Tampa Bay Rays infielder Jonathan Aranda failed to homer, clinching the NL a 4-3 victory.

“Honestly, I felt like a closer going into a game,’ Alonso said, “and then it’s like, ‘Wait, the guy on the field got a double play. You’re not going in. The team wins.’’

So, what was better, winning the home-run derby or winning a swing-off in an All-Star Game?

“For me, I think that beats any Derby win,’ Alonso says. “Like, that’s really special for me. So, I’m stoked. … I mean, to win the All-Star game’s a big deal. It’s obviously a big competitive and pride thing.’

Besides, hitting a homer in an All-Star Game can be forever cherished.

Hitting a few in the Home Run Derby would be forgotten by the trade deadline.

“The Derby and stuff like that environment is just practice at the end of the day,’ Alonso says. “For me to do it in a competitive environment, where they’re trying to get me out and not groove meatballs in there, it’s really special to do that.’

And it still is an honor for Alonso to represent the National League.

“It’s a great way to honor family and friends,’ Alonso said, “because it’s not just, ‘I’m an All-Star.’ They do a great job showing appreciation for family, friends, because every guy out there has a great support system, a village behind them.’

And the Midsummer Classic dropouts certainly didn’t diminish the game in Alonso’s eyes.

“Some guys choose to take breaks,’’ Alonso said, “but you’ve got the best talent on both sides here, whether American League or National League. Full of talent. The best talent, the best players in the big leagues. It’s a really special group on both sides.’

Alonso’s sentiments were echoed by Dodgers 11-time All Star Clayton Kershaw in his pre-game speech to the NL team, letting them know being an All-Star should be an honor, and never, ever be taken for granted.

“The All-Star Game, it can be hard at times for the players,’ Kershaw said. “It’s a lot of travel. It’s a lot of stress, chaos, family, all the stuff. But it’s meaningful. It’s impactful for the game. It’s important for the game.

“We have the best All-Star Game of any sport. We do have the best product. So, to be here, to realize your responsibility in the sport is important. We have Shohei [Ohtani] here. We have Aaron Judge here. We have all these guys that represent the game really, really well, so we get to showcase that and be part of that is important.

“I was super honored to be a part of it.’

Alonso had a blast picking up where he left off in the first half with 21 homers, 77 RBIs and a .908 OPS, leading the Mets to a 55-42 record, one-half game behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.

“I’m really pleased with my performance so far,” Alonso said. “There’s a really special feeling around the team.  I want to finish out the season strong and help this team do incredible things. I want this to be a very historic year for the franchise.”

Certainly, it’s about to be historic for Alonso, too. He has 247 career homers, just five home runs shy of Darryl Strawberry’s franchise record for homers. Just in time to hit free agency again when he’s expected to opt out of the final year of his two-year, $54 million contract.

“I’m just worried about the team winning,’’ Alonso says. “The rest, will take care of itself.’

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