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.

Trump's Budget Chief Gives The Middle Finger To Congress And The Constitution  —  Russ Vought said to expect more massive spending cuts because Trump is “not cowing to a legislative branch's understanding of its own authorities and powers.”  —  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's budget …

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.”

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 …

Prosecutor Fired by Trump Calls Fear the ‘Tool of a Tyrant’  —  Maurene Comey, who helped prosecute Jeffrey Epstein and Sean Combs, was dismissed without a detailed explanation.  She is the daughter of James B. Comey, a longtime adversary of President Trump.

Trump administration hands over Medicaid recipients' personal data, including addresses, to ICE  —  Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials will be given access to the personal data of the nation's 79 million Medicaid enrollees, including home addresses and ethnicities …

Former Voice of America Employee Indicted for Threatening Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene  —  For Immediate Release  —  U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia  —  WASHINGTON - An indictment unsealed today in the District of Columbia charges a Maryland resident with influencing …

Ex-Casino Boss Claims Trump and ‘Best Friend’ Jeffrey Epstein Were Once Caught Bringing Underage Girls to Casino Floor  —  A former executive at Trump's Atlantic City casino told CNN that the duo brought three girls to the gambling floor who were not yet 21.  The White House is calling his story “fabricated”

Trump diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency following leg swelling  —  President Donald Trump was examined for swelling in his legs and has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, the White House announced Thursday.  —  Trump, 79, underwent a “comprehensive examination …

Searching for pennies: With the cut in federal funding public broadcasters are looking to cope  —  Lauren Adams, general manager for KUCB public radio in Unalaska, Alaska, didn't have much time to reflect on Congress, 4,000 miles away, stripping federal funding for public media this week.

Fascism For First Time Founders  —  from the democracy-is-actually-important-for- innovation dept  —  Over the last year or so I've seen a disturbing tendency in tech/startup/VC worlds to buy into the neoreactionary view that for startups to be successful they need to get on board the Trump train.

This Democrat Won't Let Go of the Jeffrey Epstein Case, Either  —  Senator Ron Wyden has found that four banks waited until Mr. Epstein's arrest on federal charges to flag $1.5 billion in suspicious transactions.  Mr. Wyden wants the documents made public.  —  President Trump and his administration …

Former Intel Chief Banned From Dog's Graduation Ceremony  —  The pettiness of the administration's retribution campaign begins to bite.  —  Earlier this year, an adorable yellow Lab named Susan completed a CIA training program for “detection K9s.”  She was a natural at sniffing out concealed explosives …

Alligator Alcatraz isn't meant for minors.  A 15 year old ended up there anyway  —  In the rush to open a detention camp in the Florida Everglades for “some of the most vicious” migrants illegally in the country, state and federal officers detained a 15-year-old boy with no criminal record …

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 …

Unreleased Epstein files include logbooks for private island, records show  —  The Department of Justice released an index of the evidence earlier this year.  —  Jeffrey Epstein in court in West Palm Beach, Fla., July 30, 2008.  —  Uma Sanghvi/The Palm Beach Post via AP

Donald Trump set to open US retirement market to crypto investments  —  President preparing executive order to allow 401k plans to tap broad pool of alternative assets  —  Donald Trump is preparing to open the $9tn US retirement market to cryptocurrency investments, gold …

Judge rules Trump firing of Democratic FTC commissioner was illegal  —  President Trump's firing of Democratic FTC commissioner Rebecca Slaughter was illegal, a federal judge ruled Thursday. … - Conservatives have long been trying to tee up a case that would weaken a precedent that has protected independent agency commissioners.