Trump says he wants prosecutor who has investigated but not charged Letitia James removed from post  —  A federal prosecutor in Virginia whose monthslong mortgage fraud investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James has not resulted in criminal charges resigned Friday under pressure from the Trump administration.

Judge Dismisses Trump's Lawsuit Against The New York Times  —  The judge said that the complaint failed to contain a “short and plain statement of the claim.”  Mr. Trump has 28 days to refile.  —  A federal judge in Florida on Friday threw out President Trump's defamation suit …

Trump to Add New $100,000 Fee for H-1B Visas in Latest Crackdown  —  President Donald Trump is expected to sign a proclamation as soon as Friday that would move to extensively overhaul the H-1B visa program, requiring a $100,000 fee for applications in a bid to curb overuse, according to a White House official familiar with the matter.

Cruz calls out FCC for taking down Jimmy Kimmel  —  Sen. Ted Cruz on his podcast Friday admonished Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr for demanding ABC suspend Jimmy Kimmel's late night show over comments regarding Charlie Kirk — calling Carr's actions “dangerous as hell” …

House passes a bill to avoid a partial government shutdown, but prospects in the Senate look dim  —  The House on Friday passed a short-term spending bill to extend government funding for seven weeks and avoid a partial government shutdown on Oct. 1, but prospects looked dimmer in the Senate …

This is how Trump ends democracy  —  Jimmy Kimmel's suspension — the direct result of an FCC threat to pull the licenses of networks that aired him — has shown us how authoritarianism can come to America.  —  I mean this literally.  The specific threats that Federal Communications …

Russian warplanes breach NATO airspace in ‘dangerous provocation’ over Estonia  —  Three Russian fighter jets flew into Estonian airspace on Friday in what would appear to be the third attempt by the Kremlin this month to test NATO's eastern border.  —  The MiG-31 aircraft …

Pentagon demands journalists pledge to not obtain unauthorized material  —  A document spells out the latest in a series of escalating restrictions placed on the press corps covering the Pentagon during Trump's second term.  —  The Trump administration unveiled a new crackdown Friday …

Kennedy's Vaccine Panel Votes to Limit Access to Covid Shots  —  The panel recommended that people consult a health professional before receiving a Covid vaccine.  Left unclear was whether Americans can still walk into pharmacies for shots.  —  The federal vaccine committee appointed …

At Broadview ICE facility, federal agents hurl tear gas and pepper spray at protesters blocking vans  —  Federal agents hurled tear gas and pepper spray into a crowd of about 100 protesters who attempted to block vans from entering and exiting a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview Friday morning.

Pessimism about the direction of the country is growing among Republicans  —  Forty-nine percent of Republicans say things in the United States are heading the right direction down from 75% in June. … Since June, the share of adults who say the country is on the wrong track increased 13 percentage points from 62% to 75%.

Bureau of Labor Statistics postpones key data report  —  The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday postponed the release of a key annual report central to future inflation data. … - There is heightened concern about the future of U.S. statistics, including the politicization and accuracy …

Draft Bill Would Authorize Trump to Wage Drug Trafficking War  —  The potential legislation would grant President Trump sweeping power to use military force if he saw a link to “narco-terrorists.”  —  Draft legislation is circulating at the White House and on Capitol Hill …

Who's paying for the White House ballroom and what's in it for them  —  Washington — Contribute money to the new White House ballroom President Trump is constructing and, in exchange, donors may be able to choose a Trumpian option: their names etched inside the White House forever.

Congressional Black Caucus says resolution honoring Charlie Kirk ‘not about healing’  —  Members of the Congressional Black Caucus condemned a bipartisan resolution to memorialize conservative organizer Charlie Kirk on Friday, saying the measure validated Kirk's beliefs, and legitimized …

Children's Hospital Chaplain Jailed by Trump Admin Finally Released  —  Ayman Soliman, a beloved former children's hospital chaplain in the Cincinnati area, was released on Friday … Just before 1:15 p.m. on Friday, Adam Allen — one of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital chaplains who was fired …

Chicago Starbucks Worker Did Not Write ‘Loser’ On Order Honoring Charlie Kirk, Company Says  —  NORWOOD PARK — A viral social media video this week claimed that employees at a Norwood Park Starbucks wrote “Loser” on a drink ordered in honor of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The S.E.C. Drops Efforts to Recoup Funds From Trump Clemency Recipients  —  Devon Archer, Trevor Milton and Carlos Watson were convicted in fraud schemes totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.  Now, they will not be required to pay back victims.  —  The Securities and Exchange Commission …

Weighted vest women are the 2026 swing voters … Matthews' wanted answers to two simple questions: How many women were wearing weighted vests?  And what were their politics?  So she commissioned a poll of 1,000 women across the U.S., the results of which she shared exclusively with POLITICO.

EXCLUSIVE: Attempted Kavanaugh Assassin Identifies As Transgender Woman, Legal Filings Show  —  WASHINGTON—The man who attempted to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh identifies as a transgender woman and was deeply mentally ill and suicidal, according to court documents first obtained by The Daily Wire.

Most Americans critical of Trump on crime, economy and other issues, poll finds  —  The Post-Ipsos survey paints a downbeat picture of Trump's presidency, as Americans disapprove of his performance by double-digit margins on a broad range of issues.  —  Just now