Today in one sentence: Trump demanded that Attorney General Pam Bondi prosecute his political rivals a day after he forced out the U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia; Bondi swore in Trump’s former personal lawyer and current White House aide as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; the Justice Department closed a bribery probe into Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, who was recorded in Sept. 2024 accepting $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents; Trump, without evidence, promoted unproven ties between Tylenol, vaccines, and autism despite decades of research showing no proven link; Senate rejected two stopgap spending bills, leaving Congress with no plan to keep the government open past Oct. 1; the House and Senate both passed resolutions creating a “National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk”; and Trump’s press secretary said he “wouldn’t oppose” Congress making Kirk’s birthday a national holiday.

1/ Trump demanded that Attorney General Pam Bondi prosecute his political rivals a day after he forced out the U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia. “We can’t delay any longer […] JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” Trump wrote in a post addressed to “Pam.” He named Letitia James, James Comey, and Adam Schiff as targets, saying “all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done.” Trump later told reporters: “They have to act. They have to act fast.” Erik Siebert resigned Friday after Trump told reporters, “I want him out,” and later insisted online, “He didn’t quit, I fired him!” Siebert had declined to indict James for mortgage fraud and Comey for alleged false testimony, citing insufficient evidence. (New York Times / Politico / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / Washington Post / New York Times / Washington Post / ABC News / Politico / Bloomberg / NBC News / CBS News / Axios / CNN / Wall Street Journal)

2/ Attorney General Pam Bondi swore in Trump’s former personal lawyer and current White House aide as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Lindsey Halligan has no prosecutorial experience. She replaces Erik Siebert days after his forced departure. The Virginia office handles national security and terrorism cases and employs about 300 lawyers and staff. (Politico / Washington Post / Bloomberg)

3/ The Justice Department closed a bribery probe into Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, who was recorded in Sept. 2024 accepting $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents. On the tape, Homan appeared to agree to help the agents secure federal border contracts if Trump won reelection. After Trump took office, the Justice Department shutdown the case, saying they couldn’t prove a specific act in exchange for the money and noting he wasn’t in government at the time. FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said investigators found “no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing,” calling it a “baseless” investigation. The White House added that Homan “did absolutely nothing wrong.” (MSNBC / New York Times / CNN / Associated Press / Reuters / Washington Post / ABC News / The Guardian / CNN)

4/ Trump, without evidence, promoted unproven ties between Tylenol, vaccines, and autism despite decades of research showing no proven link. “Taking Tylenol is not good. I’ll say it,” Trump said, adding that the FDA would notify doctors that acetaminophen “can be associated” with autism and that “ideally, a woman will not take Tylenol.” Trump also rejected current vaccine schedules, saying babies are “loaded up with stuff” in one visit and should instead get shots “over a period of four times or five times.” Trump added that “This is based on what I feel.” A 2024 study of 2.5 million Swedish children found any acetaminophen link “went away” in sibling comparisons, and a recent review of 46 studies suggested a possible association but stressed it didn’t prove causation. Experts say autism comes from a complex mix of genetics and environment, not a single drug or vaccine. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called the Trump administration’s announcement “irresponsible.” The FDA, meanwhile, plans to approve leucovorin, a folate-based cancer drug, for treatment of “cerebral folate deficiency and autistic symptoms.” Officials cautioned that “Leucovorin is not a cure for autism,” but Trump nevertheless called it as “an exciting therapy” and said, “Hundreds of thousands of kids, in my opinion, will benefit.” (Associated Press / CNN / Wall Street Journal / CNBC / ABC News / New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / NPR / Bloomberg)

  • The CDC’s vaccine advisers voted to end blanket recommendations for Covid-19 shots and instead told Americans to consult a health provider before getting vaccinated. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said adults 65 and older and people with medical conditions should decide on the shot individually or with a doctor. (Washington Post / NBC News / New York Times / CNN / Politico / Wall Street Journal / NPR)

5/ The Senate rejected two stopgap spending bills, leaving Congress with no plan to keep the government open past Oct. 1. Trump warned there “could very well end up with a closed country for a period of time,” but agreed to meet this week with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries. The House-passed Republican bill to fund agencies through Nov. 21 failed in the Senate 44–48, while the Democrats’ bill with health care subsidies and Medicaid fixes failed 47–45. (Axios / Bloomberg / Politico / Associated Press / NBC News / Politico)

poll/ 75% of Americans say the country is on the wrong track, up from 62% in June. 51% of Republicans now say the country is headed the wrong way, compared to 29% three months ago. 60% believe Trump has gone too far with tariffs, presidential powers, and use of military or federal law enforcement. (AP-NORC)

poll/ 56% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s job performance, while 43% approve. 62% said Trump has gone beyond his authority as president, compared with 36% who said he’s acted properly. 53% said they want Democrats to control Congress “as a check on Trump.” (Washington Post)

⏭️ Notably Next: Congress has 8 days to pass a funding measure to prevent a government shutdown; and the 2026 midterms are in 407 days.

✏️ Notables.

  1. The Supreme Court let Trump remove Democratic FTC commissioner Rebecca Slaughter while it considers whether to overturn Humphrey’s Executor, the 1935 precedent that shields agency members from at-will firing. The 6-3 order granted Trump’s request to block lower-court rulings that had reinstated Slaughter, who was dismissed without cause in March. Justice Elena Kagan, joined by Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented, warning the majority has “handed full control of all those agencies to the President” despite Congress saying otherwise. (NBC News / Associated Press / NPR / Washington Post / Politico / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / CNN / ABC News / CNBC)

  2. Trump ordered a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, applying only to new applications and not renewals or current holders. Each year, 85,000 new H-1Bs are issued through the lottery. H-1B visas are the main pathway for U.S. employers to hire highly skilled foreign workers, especially in tech and science, when they can’t find enough qualified American candidates (Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / Politico / New York Times / NBC News)

  3. EPA staff in the Office of Water were ordered to stop publishing most research unless it had already reached the proof stage with journals. One employee said the freeze “represents millions of dollars of research, potentially, that’s now being stopped,” while another warned Americans “aren’t going to benefit from the release of this science.” Scientists said the halt could delay studies on PFAS, microplastics, lead testing, and groundwater pollution. (Washington Post)

  4. The Bureau of Labor Statistics delayed its annual consumer expenditures report without explanation, which determines how goods and services are weighted in the Consumer Price Index. The agency later cited a “data quality issue” and moved the release to Oct. 30. Trump fired the agency’s commissioner last month following data revisions that showed a slowing labor market. (Axios)

  5. The Trump administration canceled the USDA’s annual Household Food Security Report, ending the government’s only long-running measure of hunger in America. The USDA claimed the survey was “overly politicized,” even as food banks report rising demand and new limits on food stamps are expected to cut aid for millions. (Wall Street Journal / Associated Press / NPR)

  6. The Trump administration is pulling $2.4 billion from California’s high-speed rail and redirecting it to other passenger rail projects. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the funds will support a new $5 billion program focused on “safety – our number one priority.” (Bloomberg)

  7. The Trump administration canceled federal grants for bike lanes, trails, and pedestrian safety projects, calling them “hostile to motor vehicles” or threats to “vehicle capacity and speed.” DOT offered no comment on the cancellations.(Bloomberg)

  8. The Pentagon ordered reporters to sign a pledge not to use any information, even unclassified material, that isn’t preapproved, warning that violators will lose building access. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said “The ‘press’ does not run the Pentagon – the people do.” The National Press Club called the policy “a direct assault on independent journalism,” and press freedom advocates said it amounts to “a prior restraint on publication.” (New York Times / The Guardian / ABC News / Politico / NPR)

  9. A federal judge threw out Trump’s $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, calling the 85-page complaint “decidedly improper and impermissible.” Judge Steven Merryday wrote that “a complaint is not a public forum for vituperation and invective – not a protected platform to rage against an adversary,” giving Trump 28 days to refile a version under 40 pages. The Times said it welcomed the ruling, calling the lawsuit “a political document rather than a serious legal filing.” (Reuters / CNBC / CNN / Washington Post / USA Today / NBC News / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / Axios)

  10. The Wall Street Journal asked a judge to dismiss Trump’s $10 billion defamation suit, saying its Jeffrey Epstein letter story was “not false at all” and backed by documents Congress released. The motion argued the article couldn’t damage Trump’s reputation, noting that “There is nothing defamatory about a person sending a bawdy note to a friend.” Trump denied the letter’s authenticity, posting it was a “FAKE” and insisting, “That’s not my language.” (ABC News)

  11. ABC will put Jimmy Kimmel back on air Tuesday after suspending him over remarks about Charlie Kirk’s killing. The move followed F.C.C. chair Brendan Carr’s warning that “we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” and bipartisan criticism. Democratic commissioner Anna Gomez said the suspension was “a stain on the FCC” and praised Disney for finding “its courage in the face of clear government intimidation.” (Axios / Associated Press / Politico / New York Times)

  12. The House and Senate both passed resolutions creating a “National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk.” And, Trump’s press secretary said he “wouldn’t oppose” Congress making Kirk’s birthday a national holiday. (Axios / ABC News / Politico / Axios)

Three years ago today: Day 611: "Thinking about it."
Four years ago today: Day 246: "Playing with fire."
Eight years ago today: Day 246: Dotard.