Justice Department Told Trump in May That His Name Is Among Many in the Epstein Files  —  Bondi also told president at the meeting that Justice decided to not release more Jeffrey Epstein documents because of the presence of child pornography and the need to protect victims

‘POTUS is clearly furious’: White House is frustrated by all-consuming Epstein coverage … “POTUS is clearly furious,” said a person close to the White House, who, like others in this story, was granted anonymity to discuss the mood inside the West Wing.  “It's the first time I've seen them sort of paralyzed.”

Trump's Epstein Fiasco Takes Darker Turn as Dem Senator Drops New Bomb  —  A few days ago, as the Jeffrey Epstein scandal gripped Washington, Senator Ron Wyden offered a striking revelation in an interview with The New York Times.  The Oregon Democrat said that his investigators had discovered …

Hegseth Signal messages came from email classified ‘SECRET,’ watchdog told  —  The revelation contradicts the Trump administration's longstanding claims that no classified information was shared by the defense secretary's account during the “Signalgate” scandal.

Trump team hurls accusations at Obama over 2016 election interference … - Back in 2020, the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee — including now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio — concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Trump win but did not hack election infrastructure to manipulate cast ballots.

Judge Denies Request to Unseal Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts in Florida  —  The president and his subordinates, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, have come under enormous pressure to release further details about the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Investigation of Harvard University Participation in the Exchange Visitor Program  —  The U.S. Department of State is opening an investigation into Harvard University's continued eligibility as a sponsor for the Exchange Visitor Program.  —  All sponsors participating in this program …

I Watched It Happen in Hungary.  Now It's Happening Here.  —  As the most recent U.S. ambassador to Viktor Orban's Hungary, I'm often asked if the Trump administration's tactics and policies feel familiar.  The short answer is yes.  But the more important — and unsettling — question is this …

Scoop: Cooper plans to enter North Carolina Senate race next week  —  Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is preparing to launch his Senate campaign next week, multiple sources told Axios. … - Cooper, a popular former governor, will instantly become the Democratic favorite to challenge …

Supreme Court Lets Trump Fire Consumer Product Safety Regulators  —  The court's order was the latest in a series of emergency rulings on the scope of the president's power over independent agencies.  —  The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed President Trump to fire the three Democratic members …

Winooski Superintendent Detained, Questioned by Border Officials  —  Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria, a U.S. citizen, was questioned for hours at a Houston airport as he returned from a visit to Nicaragua with his husband.  —  Winooski schools superintendent Wilmer Chavarria was detained …

11 tips for becoming a columnist  —  Here's my advice for handling the awesome responsibility of this job.  —  So you wanna be a columnist, eh?  —  Young aspiring journalists and wizened elders often ask how I scored this sweet gig.  Truth is, I don't entirely know.

JD Vance Claims One of Our Worst Traditions as His Own  —  More than most recent vice presidents, JD Vance seems to be locked out of the room where it happens.  —  Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, is by most accounts the president's point person on mass deportation and immigration enforcement.

Skydance Tells FCC It Will Create CBS News Ombudsman, Eliminate DEI at Paramount  —  The company said it would commit to a “comprehensive review” post-transaction. … Skydance has told the Federal Communications Commission that once its acquisition of Paramount Global is complete …

Macrons file US lawsuit over claims France's first lady was born male  —  Case against rightwing influencer Candace Owens is a rare defamation suit from a serving world leader  —  Kaye Wiggins in New York, Leila Abboud in Paris and Lauren Fedor in Washington

About That Japan Deal  —  So the Trump administration has triumphantly announced a trade deal with Japan, and I guess I should post something about it, even though my regular morning post — on a completely different topic — is already up.  —  There are three main things you should take away from this deal:

U.S. deportees, freed from Salvadoran prison, describe ‘horror movie’  —  Three Venezuelans, released last week from the Terrorism Confinement Center, said they were repeatedly beaten and denied access to lawyers.  —  just now  —  Julio González Jr. had agreed to be deported to Venezuela.

Judge orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia released from criminal custody … The decisions from U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw Jr. in Tennessee and U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland — issued in tandem on Wednesday — are a climactic moment in Abrego's four-month saga …

Pete Hegseth hit by deeply embarrassing allegations as leaked letter calling for his removal rips through the Pentagon  —  An effort is under way among some Pentagon officials to denounce Pete Hegseth as unfit to serve as Defense Secretary, DailyMail.com can reveal.

U.S. Quietly Drafts Plan to End Program That Saved Millions From AIDS  —  PEPFAR, the campaign to end H.I.V. globally, would morph into an effort to detect disease outbreaks and sell American products, according to documents obtained by The Times.  —  The federal program to combat H.I.V …

Why are Ukrainians mad at Zelenskyy?  —  POLITICO answers all your questions on the president's anti-corruption legislation that has spooked Ukrainians and upset Kyiv's staunchest allies.  —  EXPLAINER  —  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday approved a law …

Scoop: Rand Paul stalls Mike Waltz nomination for UN ambassador  —  Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is standing in the way of Mike Waltz's nomination as ambassador to the United Nations, dealing a serious setback to Trump's former national security adviser, sources familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Photos: Here Are the Piles of Used Bedding and Children's Play Sets Left Near DOGE's Old Offices  —  Elon Musk's DOGE minions have largely moved out of the General Services Administration.  A dystopian scene of bedding and discarded kids' toys remains.  —  Elon Musk's associates …

‘You Could Throw Out the Results of All These Papers’  —  David Geier has previously used the CDC's vaccine-safety database to publish research with glaring flaws.  Now he seems to have his hands on the data once again.  —  Mark and David Geier were a father-and-son team of researchers …