Jeffrey Epstein's Friends Sent Him Bawdy Letters for a 50th Birthday Album.  One Was From Donald Trump.  —  The leather-bound book was compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell.  The president says the letter ‘is a fake thing.’  —  It was Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday, and Ghislaine Maxwell was preparing a special gift to mark the occasion.

Scoop: Why Dems didn't try to thwart Trump's funding clawback  —  House Democrats passed up what appeared to be a golden opportunity to block a bill codifying $9 billion in DOGE cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid.  In leadership's telling, victory was never a real possibility.

CBS to Cancel ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Citing ‘Financial Decision’  —  TV's ongoing problems with late night have come for Stephen Colbert, with CBS announcing Thursday that it plans to end his “Late Show” after the next TV season, citing a “financial decision.”

How will PBS/NPR cuts impact your local stations?  —  Congressional Republicans stripped more than $1 billion in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) this week, a move that could force local radio and television stations to consolidate, cut services or shutter altogether, particularly in rural areas.

Spurred by Bolsonaro's son, Trump mulls sanctions on Brazilian judge  —  If implemented, the sanctions against supreme court justice Alexandre de Moraes would dramatically escalate a widening feud between the United States and Brazil.  —  Summary  —  RIO DE JANEIRO — A son …

ACA health insurance will cost the average person 75% more next year, research shows  —  Health insurance premiums are going way up next year for people who buy their insurance on Healthcare.gov or the state-based marketplaces, according to an analysis out Friday.

ICE will soon have nation's Medicaid data: What to know  — Agreement will allow ICE officials access to 79M patients' data  — Information includes addresses, racial information and more  — Opponents concerned over data privacy, civil rights issues

The State Department Upheaval Makes China Great Again  —  Never before has a country forfeited so much soft power with so little justification amid such intense competition with a rival.  —  She had not seen the axe coming for her specifically, one Foreign Service Officer told me.

White House Prepares Executive Order Targeting ‘Woke AI’  —  Order would be one of several expected to outline Trump's vision for winning AI race with China  —  White House officials are preparing an executive order targeting tech companies with what they see as “woke” artificial-intelligence models …

Justice Dept. Asks for 1-Day Sentence for Ex-Officer Convicted in Breonna Taylor Raid  —  The move was a stunning reversal of Biden-era efforts to address racial disparities in local law enforcement.  —  The Justice Department's civil rights chief has asked a federal judge to sentence …

The emerging coup  —  Lawless authoritarian regimes don't give up power willingly. … 👇  —  Six months into the second Trump administration, two things are becoming clear: First, the president remains a nearly entirely non-strategic actor, motivated only by an abiding desire …

White House shares diagnosis in rare acknowledgment of Trump's age  —  Trump has chronic venous insufficiency, White House physician says, a diagnosis common in people over 70.  —  The White House on Thursday said that President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a mild but chronic illness related …

For Sale: Trump is leveraging power of his office to reap profits for family businesses  —  If one theme has emerged in President Donald Trump's second term, it's this: He's leveraged the power of his office for personal gain unlike anyone before in history.

Most US adults think the GOP tax bill will help the wealthy and harm the poor, AP-NORC poll finds  —  Republican elected officials are promoting their recently passed tax and spending bill as a win for working Americans, but a new survey shows that Americans broadly see it as a win for the wealthy.