Elect a Clown, Expect the Circus

"FBI Director Kash Patel yesterday told lawmakers that agents who had worked on an investigation of Trump were dismissed last month because they were found to have violated the bureau’s ethics rules. Patel declined to specify what the purported violations were, citing pending litigation over the matter. Devlin Barrett reports for the New York Times.  

Trump told reporters yesterday that the Justice Department’s investigation into Jerome Powell over testimony about a costly Federal Reserve renovation should continue, despite a ruling by a federal judge that the administration’s subpoenas were a “mere pretext” to pressure the Fed to lower interest rates. U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said last week she would appeal the court decision quashing her subpoena requests. Victoria Guida reports for POLITICO."

The Trump administration will pay $1 billion to TotalEnergies, a French company, to walk away from two U.S. offshore wind leases, the Interior Department announced yesterday. TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné said the refunded lease fees will finance the construction of a liquefied natural gas plant in Texas and the development of its oil and gas activities. Jennifer McDermott and Matthew Daly report for AP News.

The Education Department yesterday announced two new investigations into Harvard University, focusing on antisemitism on campus and its admission practices. Harvard said the actions are retaliatory as Harvard refuses to surrender its independence and constitutional rights. Michael C. Bender and Alan Blinder report for the New York Times. 

A POLITICO analysis found that Trump has approved far fewer disaster aid requests from Democratic-led states (23%) than Republican-led ones (89%) since Jan. 2025. Trump rejected most of the requests even after FEMA had documented that the damage met its financial threshold to warrant receiving federal aid. Thomas Frank reports. "

The Pentagon is not planning to release a Global Posture Review, which traditionally outlines military priorities and where the Defense Department plans to station assets, according to four U.S. and NATO defense officials and three European diplomats. Defense officials are instead opting to hold informal meetings with lawmakers and U.S. allies. Paul McLeary, Leo Shane III, and Chris Lunday report for POLITICO.  

Trump yesterday tapped several high-profile technology executives to serve as members on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Brendan Bordelon reports for POLITICO. 

The Justice Department has agreed to pay Michael T. Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser, $1.25 million to settle claims that he was wrongfully prosecuted for making false statements to federal agents investigating ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, a source said yesterday. Flynn, who had previously been pardoned by Trump, called the settlement a step toward correcting “a profound wrong,” while the department framed it as redressing a “historic injustice.” Alan Feuer reports for the New York Times. "

Trump’s signature will appear on newly printed U.S. paper currency as part of the administration’s efforts to “honor the 250th anniversary of the United States of America,” the Treasury Department announced yesterday. The move makes Trump the first sitting president to have his signature on U.S. paper currency. Aide Reiter reports for POLITICO.  

Trump yesterday signed an executive order asking federal contractors and their subcontractors to eliminate DEI practices, according to the White House. Kanishka Singh reports for Reuters. 

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard yesterday shared an unclassified summary of ODNI’s year-one efforts to strengthen cybersecurity and modernize tech at U.S. intelligence agencies. Tim Starks reports for Cyberscoop.  

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said yesterday that every Justice Department or FBI employee who worked on the criminal investigation into Trump has been fired, resigned, or took early retirement. At the DOJ, Blanche said, that number amounts to over 200 people. Hannah Rabinowitz reports for CNN.  

The Justice Department on Wednesday informed Stanford University, the Ohio State University, and the University of California, San Diego, that it has opened investigations into their admissions policies. The DOJ has demanded that the schools turn over extensive lists of data by April 24 or risk interruption to essential federal funding, two sources said. The government is seeking information about medical school applicants over the past seven years and has also demanded copies of any internal messages at the universities about DEI. Michael C. Bender and Alan Blinder report for the New York Times."

Trump administration officials have ordered FBI agents to gather documents about a decade-old investigation into Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and his ties to a suspected Chinese spy that resulted in no criminal charges, according to several sources. Edward Wong and Devlin Barrett report for the New York Times.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is blocking the promotion of four Army officers to be one-star generals, senior military officials said on Friday. Two of the officers targeted by Hegseth are Black and two are women on a promotion list that consists of about three dozen officers, most of whom are white men, the officials said. Sources said that Hegseth unilaterally struck the names from the list earlier this month, though it is not clear if he has the legal authority to do so. Greg Jaffe, Eric Schmitt, Helene Cooper, and Adm Entous report for the New York Times."