It's Been Reported

Appeals Court Allows Trump's Administration To Block Medicaid Funds To Planned Parenthood (AP) — A U.S. appeals court panel on Thursday allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to block Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood while legal challenges continue. A federal judge in July ruled Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide must continue to be reimbursed for Medicaid funding as the nation’s largest abortion provider fights Trump’s administration over efforts to defund the organization in his signature tax legislation. Medicaid is a government health care program that serves millions of low-income and disabled Americans. Nearly half of Planned Parenthood’s patients rely on Medicaid. A provision in Trump’s tax bill instructed the federal government to end Medicaid payments for one year to abortion providers that received more than $800,000 from Medicaid in 2023, even to those like Planned Parenthood that also offer medical services like contraception, pregnancy tests and STD testing. Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its member organizations in Massachusetts and Utah filed a lawsuit in July against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. See full story	Iran Has 'No Identifiable Route' To Enrich Uranium, Nuke Experts Assess (Just the News) — A group of independent nuclear proliferation experts assessed that Iran no longer has a pathway to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons, confirming a major setback for the Islamic Republic following the joint U.S.-Israeli action to eliminate its nuclear program earlier this year. The independent analysis of the evidence gathered by the International Atomic Energy Agency since the attack confirms what U.S. President Donald Trump said in the wake of the strikes. The assessment from the Institute for Science and International Security, based on evidence from the International Atomic Energy Agency, found that the military strikes had “destroyed” the Iranian regime’s gas centrifuge enrichment program, hampering its ability to produce weapons-grade uranium, the key component of a nuclear bomb. “With the massive destruction of its gas centrifuge program and installed centrifuge cascades, for the first time in over 15 years, Iran has no identifiable route to produce weapon-grade uranium (WGU) in its centrifuge plants,” the Institute reported. See full story
UK Ambassador To U.S. Fired Over Epstein Ties (Fox News) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has abruptly fired the U.K.’s ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, following the release of emails revealing he had closer ties to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein than were previously known. The string of emails, released by The Sun newspaper on Wednesday, showed Mandelson expressing sympathy and support for Epstein in 2008 as he battled his first conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Mandelson, a longtime Labor Party politician and strategist, told Epstein to "fight for early release" in legal appeals before Epstein was sentenced to 18 months in prison. "I think the world of you," Mandelson told him before he began his sentence. In a statement in the House of Commons on Thursday, Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty acknowledged that the decision to fire Mandelson came after the publication of emails Mandelson sent to Epstein. See full story	Brazil’s Bolsonaro Sentenced To 27 Years In Prison SÃO PAULO (WSJ) — Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison after finding him guilty of plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 election. A panel of justices in Brasília voted 4-1 to convict Bolsonaro, setting the 70-year-old’s jail term at 27 years and three months. The move defies President Trump’s efforts to derail a case that has electrified Latin America’s largest country and thrust Brazil into the center of the U.S. administration’s trade war. Trump leveled 50% tariffs on Brazilian exports because of what his administration calls a witch hunt against the former leader. Because of his age, Bolsonaro could spend the rest of his life in prison, though there is a movement to grant amnesty to him and those involved in the Jan. 8, 2023, storming of Brazil’s Congress. He could be released early because a near-fatal stabbing on the campaign trail in 2018 left him with health problems. See full story
Trump Administration Ramps Up Pressure On Labor Department With Data Probe (NBC News) — The Labor Department has announced an inquiry into the Bureau of Labor Statistics over recent changes to its data practices. In a letter published Wednesday, the office of the inspector general for the Labor Department cited the BLS' recent decision to reduce data collection activities for two key inflation reports, as well as the large downward revision in employment estimates it announced Tuesday. It said it is reviewing the "challenges" the agency has faced "in collecting and reporting closely watched economic data." The probe comes one month after President Donald Trump fired the head of the BLS as part of a broader pressure campaign that critics say has risked politicizing a part of the government that has long played a crucial role in the business world. The BLS, which is tasked with collecting data on economic indicators such as jobs and inflation, had generally been left alone by previous administrations. But Trump began zeroing in on the BLS as his frustrations with the Federal Reserve mounted, coinciding with economic numbers that started to warn about a broader U.S. slowdown. See full story	Trump Admin Revokes Biden-Era Rule Against Public Land Use (Wash Times) — The Trump administration moved Wednesday to rescind a Biden-era rule that aimed to conserve land owned by the federal government, saying it prohibits valuable uses for the lands such as mining or drilling. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the rule hampered efforts to reduce America’s reliance on other nations for energy and rare minerals and other natural resources. “The previous administration’s Public Lands Rule had the potential to block access to hundreds of thousands of acres of multiple-use land – preventing energy and mineral production, timber management, grazing and recreation across the West,” Mr. Burgum said. Federal land may be leased to private entities, including to companies for mining, energy development or other activities. The Biden administration rule imposed last year expanded uses for federal land leases to include tribes, states and conservation groups, for the sole purpose of protecting that land. The Trump Interior Department also said the Bureau of Land Management doesn’t have the statutory authority to prioritize conservation or no-use because it curtails energy development, recreation and other traditional land uses. See full story
Report: U.S. Racked Up $2 Trillion Deficit Over Past 11 Months (Center Square) — A new report from the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the federal budget deficit reached $2 trillion over the past 11 months, painting a dire picture of the U.S.’s fiscal health. Since fiscal year 2025 began last October, the government spent $6.7 trillion while collecting $4.7 trillion in revenues. That amounts to a 6% and 7% increase, respectively, compared to the same time period a year ago. Due to upcoming cost-saving changes to federal student loan programs, however, the federal deficit over the entirety of fiscal year 2025 – which ends Sept. 30 – will ultimately total $1.8 trillion. Adding $1.8 trillion to the national debt in just one year results from a 6% increase in overall federal spending, or outlays, since fiscal year 2024. Mandatory spending on entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid grew by $223 billion, an 8% total increase. Most of the increase was due to benefits increases and growing numbers of recipients. See full story	Supreme Court Gives Trump Breathing Room On Halting Foreign Assistance Spending (Wash Times) — The Supreme Court gave a brief reprieve Tuesday to President Trump in his battle to refuse to spend $4 billion in foreign assistance money. The justices, in a brief order, halted a lower court ruling that directed the president to take steps to begin to pay out the money. The “stay” of the lower court decision is intended to give the sides more chance to submit briefs in the case. The justice gave the groups challenging the president until Friday to file their argument. Mr. Trump is attempting to perform a “pocket rescission” of the money, delaying funds until after the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. He has argued that under the law, because he has proposed that Congress revoke the money, he doesn’t have to spend it right now, and it expires at the end of the month. This is the second time the Supreme Court has intervened in the case. In February, it largely sided with Judge Amir Ali, the Biden appointee handling the case. In that early ruling, the justices backed Judge Ali’s order that money be spent, though the high court urged him to be more lenient on the timeline. See full story
Cracker Barrel Caves Again, Scraps Plans For Restaurant Remodels (Daily Wire) — After scrapping their logo redesign due to public outcry, Cracker Barrel is now also backtracking on their planned restaurant renovations, too. The company made the announcement via social media. “You’ve shared your voices in recent weeks not just on our logo, but also on our restaurants,” a statement posted to X said. “We’re continuing to listen. Today, we’re suspending our remodels. If your restaurant hasn’t been remodeled, you don’t need to worry, it won’t be. With our recent announcement that our ‘Old Timer’ logo will remain, along with our bigger focus in the kitchen and on your plate, we hope that today’s step reinforces that we hear you.” This caving to public outcry came not long after the company decided to scrap their pricey, much maligned logo overhaul and reinstate their “Old Timer” mascot back to his place beside the barrel. This decision was made after company stock prices plummeted and social media buzzed with criticism. See full story	Trump Says National Guard Deploying To Memphis, Tennessee, Next Amid Anti-Crime Push (Fox News) — President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he would be deploying the National Guard to Memphis, Tenn., next as he continues his anti-crime initiative. The president made the announcement during an appearance on "Fox & Friends," adding that the deployment would not be limited to the National Guard and could include the Army if needed. "Memphis is deeply troubled," Trump said. "We're gonna fix that just like we did Washington." "For months, I have been in constant communication with the Trump Administration to develop a multi-phased, strategic plan to combat crime in Memphis, leveraging the full extent of both federal and state resources," Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "The next phase will include a comprehensive mission with the Tennessee National Guard, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Memphis Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies, and we are working closely with the Trump Administration to determine the most effective role for each of these agencies to best serve Memphians." See full story