The White House announced today that senior U.S. envoys will head to Islamabad tomorrow for a fresh round of direct talks with Iran. That's as the Treasury Department sanctions a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also announced sanctions on crypto wallets tied to Iran’s attempts to move money outside the country.

The Department of Justice has ended its criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The top federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, said Friday she has directed her office to close the investigation.

An appeals court has blocked President Trump’s executive order suspending asylum access at the border. The ruling comes as the Trump administration attempts to counter illegitimate asylum claims, particularly at the southern border. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is expanding execution methods for federal prisoners to include firing squads.