Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Kristen Wright. The Republican-led House will leave for its

August recess early in a showdown over late disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

NPR's Claudia Grisales reports, key bills haven't been able to reach the House floor amid the fight

to release Epstein records. Republicans effectively shut down the House floor amid the fight to release Epstein records.

Republicans effectively shut down the House panel that sends bills to the floor

after Democrats forced votes to release the Epstein files.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters the records may contain the names of innocent people.

We have a moral responsibility to expose the evil of Epstein, and everybody was involved in that.

Absolutely.

And we're resolved to do it.

But we also have an equal moral responsibility to protect the innocent.

Johnson has been bagtracking since he told a conservative podcast last week.

It was time to release the files. Now, lawmakers will go home

Wednesday for a nearly six-week recess to try to ice a controversy that's fueling deep divides

for Republicans. Claude Riesales, NPR News, the Capitol. The White House says the U.S. and

Indonesia have agreed to a framework for a trade deal.

It comes just days ahead of the August 1st deadline. NPR-Sipa Shivaram has more.

In a post on truth social, President Trump said the agreement includes, quote, eliminating 99% of their

tariff barriers and a 19% tariff on products coming from Indonesia to the

U.S. Trump posted that Indonesia will also supply the U.S. with critical minerals and sign on to

deals to purchase things like Boeing planes from the U.S. The framework also includes agreements

in regards to labor practices in Indonesia.

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