Inside the Justice Department Where the President Calls the Shots  —  With an accidental social-media post, Trump showed how much had changed since his first term  —  WASHINGTON—In his second term, President Trump has taken control of the Justice Department in ways he could have only dreamed of during his first.

Trump calls for jailing Democratic leaders as troops prepare for Chicago deployment  — Trump threatens to jail Johnson, Pritzker  — Former FBI chief due in court to face criminal charges  — National Guard troops gather outside Chicago despite local opposition

A quarter of FBI agents are assigned to immigration enforcement, per FBI data  —  The large number of reassignments reflect a vast reshaping of the agency and could put other priorities at risk  —  Nearly a quarter of FBI agents across the country are currently assigned to immigration enforcement …

Swalwell: Republicans planning ‘jail break’ revolt over Epstein files  —  Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) predicted Wednesday that dozens of Republicans may ultimately support legislation requiring the Department of Justice to release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

PORTLAND: Fake News Ignores Antifa Violence, Residents' Pleas for Help  —  For years, an Antifa-led hellfire has turned Portland into a wasteland of firebombs, beatings, and brazen attacks on federal officers and property — yet the Fake News remains in shameful denial about the Radical Left's reign of terror.

Trump to get a ‘routine yearly’ medical check-up — his second in 6 months  —  The White House said Trump would be at Walter Reed Medical Center and undergo a checkup after a planned meeting with service members in the facility.  —  President Donald Trump will sit for a “routine yearly check up” …

Florida Man Arrested on Federal Criminal Complaint Alleging He Maliciously Started What Became the Palisades Fire  —  For Immediate Release  —  U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California  —  LOS ANGELES - A former Pacific Palisades resident now living in Florida has been arrested …

Trump administration officials seriously discussing invoking Insurrection Act, sources say  —  A decision is not expected to be imminent, one source said, but debate within the administration has shifted recently to more deeply exploring how and when the act might be invoked.

Pope Leo will ‘stand with’ Catholic leaders in protecting immigrants' rights, advocates say … Corbett said the pope urged Catholic bishops in the U.S. to be “more united and more forceful” on the issue of protecting migrants' rights in the U.S.  —  “I was kind of surprised …

Pam Bondi Is a Piece of Work  —  U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi went before the Senate yesterday where she was supposed to provide testimony about critical Justice Department matters of which she has direct knowledge.  —  Instead, Bondi evaded answering the senators' questions.

Starving children screaming for food as US aid cuts unleash devastation and death across Myanmar  —  U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly said “no one has died” because of his government's decision to gut its foreign aid program.  But in Myanmar, families tell The Associated Press …

Pro-Hamas Mobs Shut Down Streets on the Anniversary of Israel's Darkest Day  —  Pro-Hamas protesters commemorated the anniversary of the October 7 attacks on Israel by doing what they do best: Getting arrested for behaving like petulant thugs in Boston, Massachusetts.

Scoop: Ubisoft cancelled a post-Civil War Assassin's Creed last year  —  Company leadership deemed the project too controversial for the moment, sources tell Game File  —  In July of last year, word began to trickle through Ubisoft that an ambitious new installment of the company's top franchise, Assassin's Creed, had been cancelled.

Vance heads to Indiana after Republicans warn White House of stalled redistricting push … Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican, conveyed his concerns about the redistricting effort's chances in the state Senate to the White House last week, two people familiar with those discussions told POLITICO.

Trump Labor Department Says His Immigration Raids Are Causing a Food Crisis  —  In a filing in the Federal Register, the Labor Department argues there are “immediate dangers to the American food supply” due to a lack of migrant agricultural workers.  —  Dayen Labor Department food crisis

Apple Banned an App That Simply Archived Videos of ICE Abuses  —  Apple removed an app for preserving TikToks, Instagram reels, news reports, and videos documenting abuses by ICE, 404 Media has learned.  The app, called Eyes Up, differs from other banned apps such as ICEBlock which were designed …

Post Traumatic Disorder … Last Thursday, at least a half-dozen staffers on The Washington Post's opinion desk were quietly sent an email from the section's new editor, Adam O'Neal.  The note, which surprised some of its recipients, informed them that their positions had been “impacted as part of our organizational change.”

Republicans Caution White House on Inflicting Shutdown Pain  —  Some GOP lawmakers have warned the president's aides against mass layoffs and sharp cuts to government assistance  —  WASHINGTON—Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other senior GOP lawmakers have quietly advised the White House …

Inside Stephen Miller's Secret Plan to Normalize Trump's Dictator Rule  —  Stephen Miller has a theory about this political moment.  As President Trump expands his lawbreaking and dictatorial rule, the powerful MAGA disinformation apparatus—at Miller's direction—is supercharging public attention …

The Viral MAGA Accounts Run by a Man Who Has Never Been to America  —  The right loves the accounts, which often rail against supposed voter fraud.  They're run by a Macedonian who illegally donated to a U.S. House candidate  —  The right-wing information sphere on social media is shaped by large …

Trump Admin Gets UN To Slash ‘Ineffective’ Peacekeeping Force's US-Funded Budget  —  The agreement struck between UN ambassador Mike Waltz and the international organization is part of the Trump admin's broader effort to reform the UN  —  U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz reached …

‘Get out of my f—king shot’: Katie Porter tears into staffer in newly released video … “You also were in my shot before that.  Stay out of my shot,” Porter said.  —  The staffer, whom POLITICO is not identifying out of privacy concerns and who was not the source of the video, declined to comment.

Hegseth's sprawling hunt for Charlie Kirk critics spans nearly 300 investigations  —  The inquiry, resulting in a smattering of disciplinary action so far, follows an extraordinary Pentagon directive aimed at silencing criticism of the slain activist and Trump supporter.

Homeland Security Cyber Personnel Reassigned to Jobs in Trump's Deportation Push  —  The US Department of Homeland Security has shifted hundreds of national security specialists, including cyber personnel, into jobs that support President Donald Trump's deportations and said it would dismiss anyone …

Important Documents:  —  For continuing information on the furlough, IRS employees are encouraged to monitor this page, news outlets, IRS social media (Facebook, X and LinkedIn), OPM.gov and the 24/7 Emergency Hotline — 866-743-5748.  For TTY access (Federal Relay Service), call 800-877-8339.

Scoop: Mamdani ally weighs challenging Hakeem Jeffries  —  New York City Council member Chi Ossé, a close ally of Zohran Mamdani, is privately discussing a run against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), three people familiar with the discussions tell Axios.

DHS Says Videotaping ICE Agents Is Illegal.  Federal Courts Disagree. … The Trump administration last month made explicit what it has been implying for months, namely that it considers videotaping ICE raids to be illegal and intends to go after those who do it.

Legacy Journalists from NYT, CNN Are Mentors in a Fellowship Founded for Pro-Israel “Information War”  —  We have a commitment to ensuring that our journalism is not locked behind a paywall.  But the only way we can sustain this is through the voluntary support of our community of readers.