US Air Force to deny retirement pay to transgender service members being separated from the service  —  The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it would deny all transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years the option to retire early and would instead separate them without retirement benefits.

White House Did Have Secret Talks on Epstein Crisis  —  FLIP-FLOP-FLIP  —  Trump had forced JD Vance to deny that a meeting was taking place.  —  Turns out the Trump administration really did huddle behind closed doors to talk about the Jeffrey Epstein files, despite JD Vance's public denial.

Crypto group claims responsibility for hurling sex toys at WNBA games … Cryptocurrency meme coin creators say they are responsible for the sex toys being thrown at multiple WNBA games, and they are planning more “pranks.”  —  From Atlanta to Los Angeles, no arena has been safe …

Behind the Dem U-turn on redistricting  —  IN TODAY'S EDITION:  — Dems used to be anti-gerrymandering.  Not anymore.  — Díaz-Balart confident ahead of funding fight  — GOP fears Dem hardball on ACA credits  —  Democrats are making a full U-turn on redistricting.

Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking  —  By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to improve the process of Federal grantmaking while ending offensive waste of tax dollars, it is hereby ordered:  —  Section 1.  Purpose.

Donald Trump hosts historic peace summit between Armenia and Azerbaijan  —  After almost four decades of bitter conflict, Baku and Yerevan might finally settle for peace in the region.  —  Donald Trump is hosting the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the White House on Friday …

Judge orders temporary halt to construction at Florida's ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center  —  A federal judge on Thursday ordered a temporary halt to construction at an immigration detention center — built in the middle of the Florida Everglades and dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” …

Donald Trump Orders Crackdown on Politically-Motivated ‘Debanking’  —  In a new executive order, the US president has called on federal regulators to investigate and punish banks for alleged discrimination against conservatives and certain types of business.

How the Right Shaped the Debate Over the Sydney Sweeney Ads  —  Right-wing commentators suggested there was widespread criticism of Ms. Sweeney over her new ad campaign.  There wasn't, at least at first.  —  To hear Vice President JD Vance tell it, the Democratic Party has a serious Sydney Sweeney problem.

Scientists decry Trump energy chief's plan to ‘update’ climate reports: ‘Exactly what Stalin did’  —  Ex-fossil fuel executive Chris Wright said administration is reviewing national assessments made by past governments  —  The US energy secretary, Chris Wright, is facing growing criticism …

MAGA world swallows a difficult truth: Arresting Trump's opponents is easier said than done … It's a familiar refrain for Trump's second term: The far right lusts to see prominent Democrats or Trump adversaries hauled off in handcuffs, only to be let down when their revenge fantasies run into reality.

Israel announces plan to retake Gaza City in another escalation of the war  —  Aerial footage shot on Thursday showed the extent of the destruction in the Gaza Strip after some 22 months of Israel's war on the territory (AP video shot by: Malak Harb)  —  Israel said early Friday that it plans …

Lawsuit: ICE Agents Deported Citizen Children in Secret, Including 4-Year-Old on Chemo  —  WASHINGTON — A new federal lawsuit filed in the Middle District of Louisiana accuses U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of unlawfully deporting three U.S. citizen children, including a four-year-old …

Gina Carano, Disney Settle Legal Dispute Over ‘Mandalorian’ Firing: ‘We Look Forward to Identifying Opportunities to Work Together in the Future’  —  Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company have reached a mutual agreement in their legal dispute with Gina Carano following her firing from “The Mandalorian.”

VA Just Terminated Most Federal Union Contracts, National Nurses United Included … In a significant shift affecting approximately 360,000 healthcare workers, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has severed ties with most federal unions, including the National Nurses Organizing Committee …

Trump doubles reward to $50 million for arrest of Venezuela's president to face US drug charges  —  The Trump administration is doubling to $50 million a reward for the arrest of Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of being one of the world's largest narco-traffickers …

Alan Dershowitz once again denied pierogi as Martha's Vineyard residents chant ‘time to go’  —  'I am very surprised that you're here because of the things that you've been saying about us and the business online,' the pierogi vendor told Alan Dershowitz on Wednesday.

Satellite images show Israel building up forces for a possible ground invasion of Gaza, sources say  —  The buildup comes during a tense time for the U.S. and Israel after Trump and Netanyahu's last private phone conversation devolved into shouting over humanitarian aid.

More heads roll at FBI … Many of those purged have been targeted due to their roles in the FBI's investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.  The vast probe involved agents, analysts and technical experts across the country.  —  After Trump returned to office in January …

Trump Turns the Screws on the Fortune 500 … Shares of Intel, the semiconductor manufacturer, tanked today after Donald Trump called on the company's CEO to resign because of his past business dealings in China.  —  It's too early to make any assessments about the president's claims about CEO Lip-Bu Tan …

Trump orders federal law enforcement to patrol DC  —  Federal law enforcement officers will patrol the streets of Washington, D.C., for the next seven days, the White House announced on Thursday.  —  The enhanced federal presence will begin at midnight.  It will be led by the U.S. Park Police …

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Democratizes Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors  —  EXPANDING INVESTMENT CHOICES FOR 401(K) PLANS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to allow 401(k) investors to access alternative assets for better returns and diversification.

Trump's Confederacy rises again  —  🗣️ Paid subscribers keep Public Notice free.  If you appreciate our fiercely independent coverage of American politics, please sign up and support us.  👇  —  🎯 Subscribe to PN 🎯  —  Last Friday, Donald Trump responded …

A Legal Standoff in the Lone Star State  —  Can Gov. Abbott compel their return or remove them from office?  And what the heck is a “quo warranto” action, anyway?  —  annabower.bsky.social  —  Meet The Authors … A bitter political and legal battle is unfolding in Texas.

How Trump and Putin Reached a New Make-or-Break Moment on Ukraine  —  The threat of more U.S. sanctions jump-started stalled peace talks but might not produce a deal to halt the fighting  —  WASHINGTON—President Trump has long believed the crux of foreign policy is two leaders in a room making historic deals.

On Vaccines, Kennedy Has Broken Sharply With the Mainstream  —  While many officials and scientists embrace other parts of the secretary's agenda, his stance on vaccines is alienating allies who fear a public health crisis.  —  Even before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took office in February …

Trump teased a solution for farmers.  It's likely not coming soon. … Even as angst grows among the nation's farmers, no new policy is imminent, according to White House aides, farm lobbyists and people familiar with the discussions.  Border czar Tom Homan also told reporters this week that no “formal policy” had been agreed to.

Mass arrests, purges, show trials, our very own homegrown Gulag: Is this the U.S.A. or the Soviet Union?  —  Silly me.  All this time I thought the director of the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was a bald man who wore little round glasses and was named Lavrentiy Beria.

How Your Phone Gets the Weather  —  We depend on weather predictions not just to properly dress for work or plan trips.  Businesses nationwide use forecasts to prepare for storms, fly planes, build houses and deliver mail.  The more weather observations meteorologists can rely on, the more precise their forecasts will be.