President Donald Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, after the agency’s latest jobs report showed the economy’s slowest months of job growth since the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
“We need accurate Jobs Numbers. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY. She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified,” Trump wrote on social media on Friday afternoon.
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The jobs report comes as Trump’s signature economic policy, tariffs on global trading partners, are on the verge of going into effect.
The president is also still grappling with backlash on both sides of the aisle over his administration’s handling of information on Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced sex offender and financier who died in 2019 under circumstances many have called into question.
See previous updates here, and read the latest below:
New Rules Mean Teenagers Can Now Join ICE, Gen Z Targeted
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has changed its recruitment policy to allow teenagers to join the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
With the department flush with cash to support Trump’s mass deportation agenda, DHS said it is waiving age limits for new applicants so “even more patriots will qualify to join ICE,” per a news release.
Appearing on Fox News, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said people as young as 18 years old can apply.
“We’ll get you trained and ready to be equipped to go out on the streets and help protect families,” Noem said.
Currently, those applying for an ICE job must be over 21 years old and under 40, depending on the position.
ICE is looking to hire more removal officers, attorneys and other personnel.
Meanwhile, 404 Media reported Gen Z and “early-career professionals” are being targeted as part of a public relations blitz to fill 14,000 roles at the agency.
Trump Plans To Meet With Putin And Zelenskyy: Report
Trump told European leaders on a call Wednesday that he plans to hold a joint meeting with presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin of Russia, whose countries have been at war for over three years, people familiar with the plans told The New York Times.
The meeting would take place after a one-on-one between Trump and Putin next week, the sources said, adding that no other European leaders would join either of the meetings.
Trump acknowledged speaking with European leaders today in a TruthSocial post, adding that "everyone agrees this War must come to a close."
‘Going To Cost Lives’: Former Surgeon General Shocked By RFK's Latest Move
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s shock decision to cancel nearly half a billion dollars’ worth of research projects because they’re based on mRNA technology horrified vaccine experts Tuesday, among them President Donald Trump’s own former surgeon general.
Jerome Adams, who served as the nation’s 20th surgeon general during Trump’s first term, warned on social media that the decision will have very real negative consequences.
Read more here.
Ghislaine Maxwell DOJ Transcript Could Be Released This Week: Report
ABC News reports that a transcript of Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell’s conversations last month with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche could be made public as soon as this week.
In its report, the outlet cited multiple unnamed sources who said Maxwell told Blanche that she never saw Trump do anything concerning in her presence. But Maxwell has also been angling for a pardon from the president, who has not shut down the idea.
An audio recording of Maxwell’s conversation with Blanche exists, but it is not clear whether it might be released publicly.
Trump Touts 'Beautification' Of White House, Makes Financial Gesture
Trump has championed the White House makeover taking place on his watch, calling it a “beautification.”
The “great improvements” the president alluded to Wednesday are likely to include the recent stone paving of the iconic Rose Garden.
There are also plans to bulldoze the East Wing to build a Mar-a-Lago inspired ballroom, while Trump has already overseen the installation of the “best” flagpoles “in the world.”
“Great improvements and beautification is taking place at the White House, at levels not seen since its original creation,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Trump also claimed his “first 'Paycheck' went to the White House Historical Association,” though it is unclear how much of the president's $400,000 annual salary is involved and precisely what the money might be paying for.
Democratic Governor Joins RFK's MAHA Overhaul Of Federal Food Benefits
Gov. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) this week became the first Democrat to join the Trump administration’s quest to banish soda from federal food assistance.
Colorado is one of a dozen states planning to bar beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from using their benefits to buy sugary soft drinks.
Read more here.
Texas Democrats Evacuate After Bomb Threat At Chicago Hotel
A group of Texas Democrats who fled the state to prevent Republicans from gerrymandering ahead of next year’s midterm elections were forced to evacuate their hotel in Chicago on Wednesday due to a bomb threat they blamed on rhetoric from Texas Republicans and President Donald Trump.
“This morning there was a bomb threat at our hotel. We were evacuated and everyone is safe,” Texas state Rep. John Bucey III wrote in a post online. “This is what happens when Republican state leaders publicly call for us to be ‘hunted down.’ Texas Democrats won’t be intimidated.”
Read more here.
Virginia Giuffre's Family Reacts To JD Vance's Epstein Strategy Meeting
The family of late Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre issued a statement in response to reports of the meeting Vice President JD Vance is hosting with other Trump administration officials this evening to coordinate the White House response to the controversy.
"Missing from this group is, of course, any survivor of the vicious crimes of convicted perjurer and sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein. Their voices must be heard, above all,” the statement reads.
Giuffre's family also, once again, criticized Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell's transfer to a minimum-security prison in Texas, noting "she does not deserve the luxuries currently afforded her."
Trump Says 25% Tariffs On India Will Start In 21 Days
Trump says new 25% tariffs on India for buying Russian oil will start in 21 days, bumping up total taxes to 50%.
Trump's other wave of tariffs are expected to go into effect Thursday, likely driving up the costs of household goods including computers, toys, and clothing. The tariffs will affect imports from more than 60 countries, and are expected to hit the wallets of U.S. consumers as prices rise.
Trump’s Big Announcement Involves Apple: Report
The only public event on Trump’s schedule today is a 4:30 p.m. announcement from the Oval Office. He plans to reveal that Apple is promising to make an additional $100 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing, according to Bloomberg. Apple CEO Tim Cook will also be present, per CNBC reporter Megan Cassella.
Trump has been pressuring Apple to move production of its iconic iPhones out of China and into the U.S. His tariffs on goods made in China and India threaten to raise the price of the devices.
The company pledged to make a $500 billion manufacturing investment in the U.S. over the course of Trump’s second term back in February, a plan that included a new factory in Texas. Apple announced an additional $500 million investment in a U.S.-based company that processes rare earth materials necessary for tech production last month.
Texas Lt. Governor Says Republicans 'Deserve' More Seats: 'We're A Red State'
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick justified the GOP's congressional gerrymandering of the state because “we deserve more representation" as "we're a red state.”
Patrick's remarks speak to the Republican Party's determination to ride roughshod over the democratic process in the Lone Star State as it plans to snag five more seats in Congress through an off-schedule redrawing of the electoral map.
In an interview on Tuesday’s “Hannity” on Fox News, Patrick hit out at Texas Democratic lawmakers who have fled to Illinois to undermine the Republican redistricting efforts.
“Their problem is they’ve lost the minds of their voters, who are moving towards the Republican Party all over the country. We are a red state, we deserve more representation," he said.
Trump claimed Tuesday that Republicans are “entitled to five more seats.”
Trump Envoy Steve Witkoff Meets Putin Ahead Of Trump's Ceasefire Deadline, Kremlin Says
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday travelled to Russia as the deadline Trump set for Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine is set to expire Friday.
Witkoff sat down with Putin as part of the trip, the Kremlin said, without disclosing further details about the meeting.
Trump has warned Putin that Russia will face new sanctions if he doesn't end the war. The U.S. president has also threatened to punish countries who purchase Russian oil, including India.
Carney Suggests He's In No Hurry To Chat With Trump: 'We'll Speak When It Makes Sense'
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday warned the U.S. that the high tariffs Trump set on Canadian imports last week may threaten Canadian investment in the country, as he discussed the prospect of a phone call with the U.S. president.
The two men haven't spoken since Trump's slapped a 35% tariff on Canadian goods excluded from the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
"We’ll speak when it makes sense," Carney said.
Read more:
Top Trump Administration Officials To Dine At Vance's Residence To Craft Epstein Strategy: Report
Vice President JD Vance will host some of the Trump administration officials involved in the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein controversy for dinner at his official residence on Wednesday evening, according to CNN.
Attendees are expected to include White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the network said.
The purpose of the meeting will be to craft a unified strategy as the scandal continues to plague the president, while the administration is now reportedly considering releasing an audio recording of Blanche's interview with Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
Read more:
‘Sudden Purge’: Trump Admin Fires Bulk Of Puerto Rico Oversight Board
In another abrupt firing this month, the Trump administration terminated most members of a board dedicated to overseeing Puerto Rico’s finances.
The finance board was established in 2016 to address Puerto Rico’s debt, and it has faced criticism for operating in secrecy and lacking accountability.
Most of the fired members were Democratic appointees.
“Four of the fired members were appointed by Democratic presidents, while the fifth, Betty A. Rosa, was nominated by Mr. Trump during his first term and later renominated by President Biden,” CBS News reports. “One of the remaining board members was nominated by President Barack Obama and reappointed by Mr. Trump, while the other was nominated by Mr. Trump and later renominated by Biden.”
The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) has criticized the board’s shortcomings, but stressed that Trump’s “sudden purge” wasn’t about “justice or reform,” but helping business interests.
“It simply creates an opening to stack the Board with even more extreme, pro-bondholder appointees who will continue to put the needs of hedge funds over the Puerto Rican people,” she said in a statement.
Trump Threatens Federal Takeover Of DC After Attack On Former DOGE Worker
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two 15-year-olds have been arrested in Washington in connection with the attempted carjacking and beating of one of the most prominent members of the Department of Government Efficiency, renewing calls from President Donald Trump for the federal government to seize control of the nation’s capital.
The victim, Edward Coristine, nicknamed “Big Balls,” was among the most visible figures of Trump’s DOGE, which was tasked with slashing federal bureaucracy.
Read more:
Long-Term Unemployment Rises In Worrying Sign For U.S. Labor Market
Signals of labor market weakness go beyond the headline numbers that prompted Trump to fire the government’s head statistician last week.
The jobs report released Friday showed a slowdown in hiring, a slight uptick in the national unemployment rate, and a few other clues that the economy is softening — including an increase in long-term unemployment.
Read more:
Sen. Cornyn Asks FBI To Help Track Down, Arrest Texas Democrats
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) ramped up his party’s fight with Texas Democrats on Tuesday by asking the FBI to help Gov. Greg Abbott (R) track down and arrest lawmakers who left the state to block a controversial redistricting vote.
In a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, Cornyn asked if the bureau could help find or arrest the Democrats serving in the state’s House who denied Republicans a quorum on Monday by leaving Texas and called them “potential lawbreakers.”
Read more: