Conservatives block Trump agenda bill from advancing in major setback for GOP leaders  —  The House Budget Committee voted down the massive party-line package, with a critical band of Republicans pushing for deeper spending cuts.  —  WASHINGTON — The GOP-led House Budget Committee voted …

DOGE Is Now Targeting GAO, and the Congressional Agency Is Fighting Back  —  “We are not subject to DOGE or executive orders,” GAO staff were told in an internal email sent Friday.  — Copy  —  Elon Musk's DOGE team is now starting to target government agencies outside of the executive branch …

Former FBI Director James Comey is being interviewed by the US Secret Service  —  Former FBI Director James Comey was escorted by US Secret Service agents to their Washington Field Office on Friday afternoon for an interview, according to law enforcement sources.

U.S. Loses Last Triple-A Credit Rating  —  Moody's downgrades the U.S. government, citing large fiscal deficits and rising interest costs  —  The U.S. lost its last triple-A credit rating.  —  Moody's Ratings downgraded the U.S. government on Friday, citing large fiscal deficits and rising interest costs.

Trump administration working on plan to move 1 million Palestinians to Libya  —  Details are murky and no final agreement has been reached, but the plan is under serious enough consideration that the administration has discussed it with Libyan leadership.  —  The Trump administration …

How DOGE's grand plan to remake Social Security is backfiring  —  The agency is abandoning an initiative aimed at preventing fraud, the latest example of a failed effort by Elon Musk's disruptive cost-cutting team.  —  The U.S. DOGE Service arrived at the Social Security Administration …

Exclusive: Prosecutor's audio shows Biden's memory lapses  —  Amid long, uncomfortable pauses, Joe Biden struggled to recall when his son died, when he left office as vice president, what year Donald Trump was elected or why he had classified documents he shouldn't have had …

Trump Appointee Pressed Analyst to Redo Intelligence on Venezuelan Gang  —  The move followed a disclosure that intelligence agencies disagree with a key factual claim Trump made to invoke a wartime deportation law.  —  A top adviser to the director of national intelligence ordered …

151. The Supreme Court's (Alien Enemies Act) Patience is Wearing Thin  —  A very quick breakdown of Friday afternoon's quietly significant ruling slapping down the lower courts in the Northern District of Texas Alien Enemies Act litigation—and what it means going forward.

Trump attorneys draw judge's ire by saying ‘state secrets’ keep them from sharing details on Abrego Garcia's return  —  U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis said the government's refusal to provide certain information in the case has been “an exercise in utter frustration.”

G.O.P. Tax Bill May Hurt the Lowest Earners and Help the Richest  —  Even though most Americans may see lower taxes, Republicans' spending cuts could outweigh those benefits and leave some worse off.  —  As Representative Jason Smith commenced a marathon session this week to consider …

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow mass layoffs of federal workers  —  It's the second time the administration has sought emergency intervention from the high court in its bid to downsize the federal bureaucracy.  —  The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Friday …

FBI moving 1,500 personnel from D.C., closing storied headquarters building: Patel  —  WASHINGTON − FBI Director Kash Patel announced in a Fox News broadcast Friday that he's redeploying 1,500 FBI agents, analysts and other personnel from Washington to posts throughout the country …

Sean Combs Allies Are Actively Working for a Trump Pardon  —  Longtime Combs associates have spent months cozying up to Trump officials to lay groundwork for clemency pleas … It may be on to something.  —  Combs, who was charged last September, is currently on trial in the Southern District …

JD Vance clear favorite to win the GOP nomination in 2028: poll  —  Vice President JD Vance is the overwhelming choice to win the 2028 Republican presidential primary, according to a new poll, even with former contenders and allies of President Trump jockeying for position.

Army to place large metal plates on DC streets to protect them from tanks during June parade  —  Twenty-five, 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks are set to roll through the capital amid concerns about potential damage to city throughfares.  —  WASHINGTON — The Army will place large metal plates …

Happy Friday afternoon!  Today's newsletter, edited by Sam Baker, is 559 words, a 2-min. read.  Thanks to Carolyn DiPaolo for copy editing.  —  1 big thing: “Big, beautiful bill” blocked  —  The House Budget Committee rejected President Trump's “big, beautiful bill” today …

Trump admin permits sale of device that allows standard firearms to fire like machine guns  —  Gun control groups condemned the move as “a dangerous backroom deal spearheaded by Trump's general counsel” that “effectively legalized machine guns.”  —  The Trump Administration has decided …