The Internal Revenue Service has called off layoffs and plans to offer jobs back to some employees who took the so-called fork in the road, as the agency scrambles to staff up for tax season.
Why it matters: It's the latest sign that the White House, and DOGE, overdid their firing spree.
Why it matters: Her comments come as conspiracy theories about Epstein's suicide in prison while facing federal sex trafficking charges have circulated for years. But Maxwell doesn't believe it was a "hit" from wealthy or powerful figures to silence him.
A federal judge released Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man who was wrongly deported by the Trump administration, from Tennessee jail on Friday, his attorney confirmed to Axios.
The big picture: Abrego Garcia still awaits trial on charges of smuggling undocumented immigrants into the U.S., and he could still be detained or deported as soon as he arrives in Maryland.
Ghislaine Maxwell rejected the notion that Trump was seen "in any inappropriate setting" during her interview with the Department of Justice, newly released transcripts show.
The big picture: Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, has emerged as the central figure of the Jeffrey Epstein case, especially after President Trump's response to the scandal drew intense scrutiny from Democrats and members of his own base.
Why it matters: President Trump's slew of executive orders and policies attacking LGBTQ+ people—from cutting HIV research funding to blocking gender-affirming passports— are driving LGBTQ+ people to the courts for protection.
The House Oversight Committee has received the first batch of documents it subpoenaed from the Justice Department pertaining to its probe of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Why it matters: The initial tranche, which a committee spokesman said contains "thousands of pages of documents," could unveil new — and potentially politically damaging details of Epstein's dealings.
A federal judgein a ruling Thursday nightprohibited state and federal officials from bringing new detainees to Alligator Alcatraz, the hastily built immigration detention site in the Everglades.
The ruling also demanded the state begin dismantling elements of the facility — including temporary fencing, lighting fixtures and generators, among other equipment — within 60 days.
President Trump on Friday said Chicago and New York City will be his next targets to decrease crime rates following Washington, D.C.
Why it matters: He threatened using the "regular military," which would mark an even graver escalation from federal takeovers of police and deploying the National Guard.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is slated to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S. and wants to be there "very badly," President Trump said on Friday.
Why it matters: Trump and Putin are resetting a relationship that had been splintering over the past few years, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The Trump administration's tariffs will lower deficits by a combined $4 trillion over the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office said Friday, a substantial increase from its last projection in June.
Why it matters: Tariffs are quickly becoming a part of the country's economic reality, making them harder to get rid of by the day.
President Trump on Friday told reporters that chipmaker Intel has agreed to sell around a 10% equity stake to the U.S. government. [Update: Intel confirmed the deal after market close]
Why it matters: This is part of Trump's new era of pay-me capitalism.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Friday authorized National Guard members to carry firearms while helping law enforcement fighting crimes and homelessness in D.C., the Pentagon said.
The big picture: About 2,000 National Guard troops from D.C. and some red states have been deployed to the city following President Trump's executive order that aimed to crack down on crimes despite data that shows otherwise.
President Trump threatened to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook on Friday, after housing regulator Bill Pulte doubled down on his attacks on the top central bank official.
Why it matters: The Trump administration is attempting to build a criminal case against Cook, a move that — if successful — would give the White House another vacancy at the central bank.
President Trump's acrimonious relationship with his former national security adviser devolved further Friday after the FBI raidedJohn Bolton's Maryland home.
Why it matters: Bolton and Trump fell out over foreign policy with the hawk Bolton calling the president "unfit" for the office in his memoir last year.
The Trump administration on Thursday released criticism of exhibits and artwork that it opposes at Smithsonian museums.
Why it matters: In a tirade against "woke," the Trump administration objected exhibits and commemorations related to race, ethnicity, immigration, gender and sexuality.
JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell opened the door to cutting interest rates in a much-anticipated speech Friday. He didn't fully walk through, though.
The big picture: Powell described a complex mix of forces reshaping the economy, concluding that "the baseline outlook and the shifting balance of risks may warrant adjusting our policy stance," suggesting that a rate cut could arrive as soon as the Fed's mid-September meeting.
Birthing person/inseminated person ... Latinx ... subverting norms ... housing insecurity ... a "justice-involved individual," formerly known as an inmate.
A blunt memo from Third Way, a center-left think tank run by lifelong Democrats, implores opponents of President Trump to ditch jargon that's off-putting and even "deeply alienating" to many of the mainstream voters the party needs to win back.
Vice President J.D. Vance, Elon Musk and other MAGA voices horrified Europe's leaders by embracing Germany's AfD and other far-right parties early in the Trump administration.
Six months later, those parties are smashing their establishment rivals in poll after poll.
Why it matters: The populist wave that formed in the wake of the 2015 migrant crisis has not crested. It's surging — and spreading — across Europe, cheered on by a U.S. government eager to see MAGA go global.
The era of pay-me capitalism has arrived, and companies are quickly learning lessons about what happens if they don't comply.
Why it matters: Just seven months into his second presidency, Trump has broken with more than a century of conservative orthodoxy and taken a maximalist view of presidential intervention in the economy.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two redistricting bills into law on Thursday after the state's Democratic-controlled Legislature passed them earlier in the day.
Why it matters: The legislation is in direct response to Texas' Republican-controlled House passing a new congressional map at the urging of President Trump, and the consequences of both could prove pivotal in the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential election.
The Trump administration said Thursday it's scrutinizing the records of all U.S. visa holders for potential violations that could result in deportations — from overstays to "terrorist activity."
