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The Metropolitan Correctional Center, where Jeffrey Epstein was held after his arrest. Photo by Atilgan Ozdil/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A federal judge on Monday dropped charges against two prison guards who said they falsified records on the night Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide, AP reports.

The big picture: The two guards —Tova Noel and Michael Thomas — fulfilled an agreement to cooperate with the Justice Department in exchange for avoiding jail time, prosecutors noted in a court document.

Catch up quick: District Judge Analisa Torres ordered the charges dismissed after federal prosecutors moved on Friday to drop the charges.

  • "Under the agreements, prosecution was deferred for a period of six months during the term of Noel's and Thomas's good behavior, completion of community service, and satisfactory compliance with the terms of the agreement," prosecutors wrote.

Flashback: Noel and Thomas were accused of sleeping on the job and browsing the internet instead of making their required rounds.

  • Epstein's cell was 15 feet from the guards when he was found dead by suicide in August of 2019.

Go deeper

Jan 12, 2022 - Sports

The story of trans Penn swimmer Lia Thomas

Penn's Lia Thomas during a meet with Yale and Dartmouth on Saturday. Photo: Hunter Martin/Getty Images

Lia Thomas, a 22-year-old transgender woman who swims for the University of Pennsylvania, is dominating in the pool this season.

Why it matters: Thomas' record-breaking campaign comes amid a debate over transgender inclusion in sport — one that has become increasingly politicized as anti-trans legislation sweeps across the U.S.

Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

One hostage released as FBI continues crisis negotiations at Texas synagogue

SWAT team members deploy near the Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, on Jan. 15. Photo: ANDY JACOBSOHN/AFP via Getty Images

The FBI's Dallas Field Office and Texas Department of Public Safety are assisting an "active operational and investigative" hostage situation in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on Saturday, according to a statement from the local police department in Colleyville, 15 miles northeast of Fort Worth.

The latest: "Shortly after 5 p.m. [CST], a male hostage was released uninjured" from Congregation Beth Israel where SWAT operations are active, the police department said in an updated statement. "FBI Crisis Negotiators continue contact with the subject."

The new normal: Google searches reveal America's COVID shopping habits

Data: The New Normal; Google Trends; Chart: Jared Whalen/Axios

As the pandemic enters its third year, some of America's COVID-era shopping habits — including strong demand for tequila and sweatpants — are here to stay.

Driving the news: Axios worked with Google Trends and the Schema Design firm to create The New Normal, which analyzes the products Americans have Googled since 2020. Items with a lasting increase in search interest help fill in the details of what our "new normal" looks like.

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