CNN Inside Politics: The Plot Thickens 

First: The number two at the DOJ, who just happens to be President Trump's former defense attorney, is behind closed doors with Jeffrey Epstein's convicted accomplice for the second day in a row. The president now refuses to rule out a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell. 

Plus: Democrats are trying to use the Epstein scandal as political ammunition, accusing Republicans of a coverup while running ads targeted at vulnerable GOP districts. 

And: The FCC greenlights SkyDance's acquisition of Paramount just days after it canceled a top Trump critic's popular late night show and weeks after paying a $16 million legal settlement that Democrats say reeks of corruption. 

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