the friday brief
3 things that matter
trump files $10 billion suit against irs over tax leak
president trump, his sons donald jr. and eric, and the trump organization filed a $10 billion civil suit thursday against the irs and treasury department, alleging the agencies failed to prevent unauthorized disclosure of their tax returns to the new york times and propublica during 2019-2020. the lawsuit centers on former irs contractor charles littlejohn, who pleaded guilty in 2023 to what prosecutors characterized as an "unparalleled" breach affecting trump and thousands of wealthy americans. littlejohn received a five-year sentence. the complaint, filed in miami federal court, claims the leak caused "reputational and financial harm." the filing came days after treasury secretary scott bessent canceled contracts with booz allen hamilton, littlejohn's employer during the breach.
shutdown averted as dhs funding separated from package
congressional democrats and the white house reached agreement thursday to separate department of homeland security appropriations from the broader spending bill, temporarily resolving an impasse threatening weekend shutdown. five agencies secured funding through september, while dhs received a two-week extension for negotiations on enforcement reforms. senate democrats conditioned support on operational restrictions for ice—including body cameras and visible identification—following two fatal minneapolis shootings. the house must approve the compromise before saturday's deadline.
cms proposes near-zero medicare advantage rate increase
cms released proposed 2027 payment rates for medicare advantage plans wednesday, setting a 0.09% increase translating to roughly $700 million industrywide—well below the 4-6% analysts projected. the proposal eliminates reimbursement for diagnoses from chart reviews unconnected to patient encounters, a practice auditors identified as generating billions in overpayments. the announcement follows kaiser permanente's $556 million settlement this month over allegations the insurer submitted 500,000 false diagnoses between 2009-2018. insurers warned the rate freeze may necessitate benefit cuts for 35 million enrollees, though analysts note medicare advantage margins remain robust.
1 thing tO KNOW
us dollar reaches four-year low
the dollar index fell to 95.86 tuesday—its weakest level since february 2022—extending a decline that accelerated following president trump's characterization of the currency's performance as "doing great" when questioned about its slide. tuesday's 1.2% drop marked the steepest single-day retreat since april 2025.
the dollar has shed 2.2% in january after declining 9% across 2025, its worst annual performance since 2017. treasury secretary bessent reaffirmed "strong dollar policy" wednesday, but the currency remained near four-year lows thursday. gold eclipsed $5,000 per troy ounce for the first time as investors rotated from dollar-denominated assets. the federal reserve held rates steady at 3.5% wednesday.
1 THING TO TRY
replace evening screens with analog alternatives
keep a physical book, crossword puzzle, or sudoku on your nightstand and commit to 15 minutes of screen-free activity before bed.
research from the university of sussex shows six minutes of reading reduces stress markers by 68%. a 2021 trial tracking 991 participants found 42% of bedtime readers reported improved sleep quality versus 28% of non-readers.
physical materials eliminate blue light exposure that suppresses melatonin while providing enough mental engagement to quiet anxious thoughts without triggering alertness. choose moderately engaging content that holds attention without generating suspense.
