Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said about 1,000 FBI agents were instructed to "flag" any records related to Jeffrey Epstein that mention President Trump.
Why it matters: In multipleletterssent to top Justice and FBI officials, Durbin sought to press for more answers from the Department of Justice that is engulfed by the Epstein investigation fallout.
The Justice Department asked a federal judge in Manhattan on Friday to unseal grand jury transcripts related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein after President Trump demanded they be released.
The big picture: The Justice Department's recent announcement that there was no Epstein "client list" has become a political headache for Trump whose associates have been hyping conspiracy theories about Epstein for years.
The roughly 250 men deported from the U.S. and detained in El Salvador were returned to their native Venezuela on Friday in exchange for the release of American prisoners.
Driving the news: Ten Americans and an undisclosed number of Venezuelan political prisoners are being freed in exchange for the roughly 250 Venezuelan men who were accused of being members of Tren de Aragua and detained at CECOT, a high-security prison in El Salvador.
Top lawmakers were quick to rally around Stephen Colbert following the cancellation of "The Late Show."
Why it matters: Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) accused CBS of placating President Trump as its parent company Paramount is closing in on a merger deal.
President Trump and Rupert Murdoch's on-again, off-again relationship hit a new wall Thursday after the Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal reported that a racy birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein bore Trump's name — despite Trump urging Murdoch to kill the story.
The big picture: The WSJ story appeared at a time when Trump is facing mounting pressure to release additional documents in the Epstein case as the president and Murdoch fight over the conservative media narrative.
The Trump administration announced Friday it will release a portion of the frozen funds for after-school programs after facing bipartisan pressure to release the funds.
The big picture: The funding delay exacerbated uncertainty over after-school, summer and other educational programs, and left schools in limbo.
President Trump took a step Friday toward his goal of giving the crypto industry clear rules of the road when he signed into law legislation establishing a regulatory framework for stablecoin issuers.
Why it matters: The GENIUS Act is the first piece of legislation regulating the cryptocurrency industry to be enacted in the U.S.
The first woman to lead the U.S. Naval Academy is being reassigned by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Department of Defense said Friday.
The big picture: Vice Adm. Yvette Davids joins a growing list of women and people of color serving in top military roles to be ousted by the Trump administration, many of whom as part of a purge of so-called "wokeness" in the military.
Why it matters: A pair of explosive developments gave MAGA influencers the cover they needed to suspend nearly two weeks of unprecedented infighting over the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is moving forward with plans to force a vote on requiring the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, despite attempts by President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to dampen his efforts.
Why it matters: The push by Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) has proven popular in Congress, with most Democrats and some on the GOP's right flank supporting it.
A top Secret Service official was the target of a "swatting" incident at his home on the Fourth of July, according to an agency official.
Why it matters: While the incident didn't lead to any harm, it's another example of just how difficult it's become for law enforcement to rein in the wave of hoax calls.
GOP Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt is running a new ad more than 200 miles away from his Houston-area district.
Why it matters: Hunt sees an opening in the Texas Senate race. Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn is faltering in Republican primary polling, and mega-MAGA challenger Ken Paxton is under the microscope for his divorce.
Why it matters: The sweeping law locks in Trump-era tax cuts and rolls out a fresh set of deductions, including tax breaks for tips, overtime pay, car loan interest and seniors.
The International Energy Agency is launching the next phase of its work to expand access to cleaner cooking in sub-Saharan Africa, where progress has been slower than in other regions.
Why it matters: Widespread use of polluting fuels like wood, charcoal and dung — and open fires or inadequate stoves — is a massive health and economic problem.
Kentucky Senate candidate Nate Morris is rolling out a new ad that ups the ante on mass deportations right as a fresh debate over amnesty roils MAGAworld.
Why it matters: Morris is casting himself as the most pro-Trump candidate in the GOP primary against Reps. Andy Barr and former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron — both of whom have ties to retiring former Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
And he's leaning into one of MAGA's most foundational issues to do it.
Congress on Friday voted to cut nearly $1.1 billion in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, marking a devastating blow for PBS and NPR.
Why it matters: The cuts will have a significant impact on local station groups that rely on federal funding to survive. Many are expected to shutter without it.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently shook up his communications team, and now the outspoken Democrat is turning many of Donald Trump's brash political tactics against the president himself.
Newsom and his team have used online trolling, meme wars, mocking TikTok videos, insults such as "cuck," and even a lawsuit against a media company — in this case, one accusing Fox News of misleading reporting — to create an edgy resistance.
Why it matters: In the lead-up to a potential 2028 presidential campaign, Newsom is essentially acknowledging that many of Trump's tactics are effective — and he's betting they can help Democrats reach more voters in the attention economy.
President's Trump's audacious plan to convert Alcatraz back to a maximum- security prison could come with a hefty price tag: $2 billion, administration sources tell Axios.
Why it matters: Trump's plan has been derided by Democrats, but the president is so intent on building a new prison on Alcatraz Island that administration officials have figured preliminary estimates of the costs and made repeated visits to site, the sources say.
Elon Musk may be gone from the White House, but there's someone far more effective now firming up DOGE's legacy: Russell Vought.
Why it matters: The director of the Office of Management and Budget is helping make DOGE's dreams come through — by clawing back $9 billion in federal funding for the Public Broadcasting Service, National Public Radio and foreign aid.
Late-night comedy shows face a slew of challenges as streaming and hyper-partisan politics put more pressure on traditional networks and comedy, respectively.
Why it matters: Late-night shows used to be the crown jewel of big broadcast. Now, they present more risks.
House Democrats passed up what appeared to be a golden opportunity to block a bill codifying $9 billion in DOGE cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid. In leadership's telling, victory was never a real possibility.
Why it matters: That analysis may not be enough to ward off fierce backlash from the Democrats' grassroots base, which has been demanding lawmakers use every tool at their disposal to fight the Trump administration.
President Trump on Thursday directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to ask a court for the release of all relevant grand jury testimony in the case of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The big picture: Trump has faced mounting pressure, including from MAGA circles, to take further action since his administration said a review found no evidence that convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Epstein kept a "client list" or that he was murdered.
The House voted early Friday to approve President Trump's requested clawback of $9 billion in federal funding for PBS, NPR and foreign aid programs.
Why it matters: Democrats fear the victory for the White House — following on DOGE's massive cuts — opens the door for more rescissions packages negating bipartisan spending deals.
President Trump threatened to sue the Wall Street Journal over a Thursday story describinga "bawdy" happy-birthday letter bearing Trump's name that the outlet says was given to Jeffrey Epstein.
The latest: Trump said in a Thursday night Truth Social post that he personally warned the WSJ and owner Rupert Murdoch "that the supposed letter" was "a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued. Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so."
