Trump Administration

The New York Times reports: As Elon Musk became one of Donald J. Trump’s closest allies last year, leading raucous rallies and donating about $275 million to help him win the presidency, he was also using drugs far more intensely than previously known, according to people familiar with his activities. Mr. Musk’s drug consumption went well beyond occasional use. He …

NBC News reports: The FBI’s top two leaders said in interviews on Fox News that the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide, and they promised to release a surveillance video from the federal jail in New York City where Epstein was found dead. Officials in the first Trump administration ruled that Epstein’s death in 2019 …

CNN reports: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted a stunning allegation on Wednesday: A undocumented migrant sent a letter threatening to kill President Donald Trump, promising to “self deport” after the assassination. The story was picked up by multiple news outlets. The president’s allies used it to highlight what they see as the dangers of undocumented migrants and the work of …

The New York Times reports: President Trump on Thursday nominated Paul Ingrassia, a former far-right podcast host now serving as the White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, to a new key role: head of the Office of Special Counsel, an independent corruption-fighting agency that safeguards federal whistle-blowers and enforces some ethics laws. Before working for Mr. Trump, …

The Hill reports: The White House and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are looking into a reported attempt at impersonating White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, according to a Wall Street Journal report. People familiar with the message told the outlet that an unknown individual sent text messages and made phone calls to multiple notable Republicans and business …

The Huffington Post reports: Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday informed the American Bar Association that she is cutting off its access to nonpublic information about President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees because she thinks the nonpartisan organization is an “activist group.” “Unfortunately, the ABA no longer functions as a fair arbiter of nominees’ qualifications, and its ratings invariably and demonstrably …

The Daily Beast reports: White House communications director Steven Cheung has built a reputation for his profanity-laced, scorched-earth style—but author Michael Wolff, one of Cheung’s favorite punching bags, thinks his combative persona is just theater. “There’s a sort of tragic feel about (Cheung) because he’s so heavy,” Wolff continued, arguing that he has to be “hidden away” and can’t become …

CBS News reports: The Trump administration is shaking up Immigration and Customs Enforcement leadership amid continued frustrations within the White House about the level of immigration arrests and deportations conducted by the agency, three sources familiar with the effort told CBS News Thursday. Kenneth Genalo will no longer lead the ICE branch tasked with carrying out arrests and deportations, Enforcement …

CNBC reports: A federal appeals court on Thursday granted the Trump administration’s request to temporarily pause a lower-court ruling that struck down most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The Trump administration had earlier told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that it would seek “emergency relief” from the Supreme Court as soon as Friday if the tariff …

Axios reports: The Supreme Court should intervene after a federal trade court’s Wednesday ruling that blew up much of President Trump’s tariff regime, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday. Wednesday’s surprise decision threw the rules of global commerce into chaos, adding urgency into the appeals process. The administration filed a notice of appeal just minutes after the ruling. …

The New York Times reports: The Trump administration has delivered its latest blow to vaccines, canceling a nearly $600-million contract to the drugmaker Moderna that was intended to develop a shot for humans against bird flu. The decision also forfeited the U.S. government’s right to purchase doses ahead of a pandemic, and canceled an agreement set up by the Biden …

“What this really shows is that the global deep state is real, this legal deep state. This is their last line of defense, where you have these unelected judges who are trying to force their own will when it comes to tax policy, trade policy, and all matters of the economy. “In fact, all you have to do is look …

CNBC reports: Macy’s cut its full-year profit guidance on Wednesday even as it beat Wall Street’s quarterly earnings expectations, as the retailer’s CEO said it will hike prices of certain items to offset tariffs. In an interview with CNBC, CEO Tony Spring said about 15 cents to 40 cents per share of the guidance cut is due to tariffs. He …

NOTUS reports: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says his “Make America Healthy Again” Commission report harnesses “gold-standard” science, citing more than 500 studies and other sources to back up its claims. Those citations, though, are rife with errors, from broken links to misstated conclusions. Seven of the cited sources don’t appear to exist at all. Epidemiologist Katherine Keyes is …

Wired reports: The United States government has collected DNA samples from upwards of 133,000 migrant children and teenagers—including at least one 4-year-old—and uploaded their genetic data into a national criminal database used by local, state, and federal law enforcement, according to documents reviewed by WIRED. The records, quietly released by the US Customs and Border Protection earlier this year, offer …

Just in via press release: The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) filed a lawsuit today to compel the White House to immediately resume providing American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters during broadcasts of their press briefings to make them accessible to deaf and hard of hearing people. Two deaf individuals—Derrick Ford and Matthew Bonn—join NAD in this lawsuit. This is …

The Huffington Post reports: The White House deepened its attacks on the judiciary on Wednesday as it hit back at a federal court decision striking down President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs. “[Trade] deficits have created a national emergency that has decimated American communities,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai told HuffPost in a statement. “It is not for unelected judges to …

Fox News reports: FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino stated Wednesday evening that the bureau is examining issues related to the origin of COVID-19, though he did not confirm the existence of a formal investigation into a cover-up. Bongino made the remarks in a post on X amid growing media attention on a newly identified COVID-19 strain. He did not identify …

First, a reminder from yesterday’s ruling: A judge on Wednesday blocked the U.S. Transportation Department from withholding federal funding from New York as the Trump administration seeks to stop Manhattan’s congestion pricing program. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman, who a day earlier had issued a temporary restraining order, issued a preliminary injunction preventing the federal government from withholding approval of …

The New York Times reports: Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday evening that the Trump administration would work to “aggressively revoke” visas of Chinese students, including those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or who are studying in “critical fields.” He added that the State Department was revising visa criteria to “enhance scrutiny” of all future applications …