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The $454 million penalty imposed against President Donald Trump in his New York civil fraud case has been thrown out by an appeals court.

Trump and some of his entities were hit with that hefty penalty, plus interest, in February 2024, after New York trial Judge Arthur Engoron concluded that Trump had inflated the value of his assets for years to get better loan and insurance terms. Engoron also imposed about $10 million in separate penalties against Trump's eldest sons, Eric and Don Jr., and former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg.

However, in an Aug. 21 ruling that included multiple opinions from different members of a five-judge panel, the Manhattan-based appeals court determined the penalties for Trump and the others were improper. Some members of the panel said that the penalty violated the U.S. Constitution's prohibition on excessive fines. Others said Trump should be afforded a new trial due to errors in the trial judge's determinations.

The ruling marks another major personal legal victory for Trump, who has also seen multiple criminal cases against him crumble following his November presidential election victory. Trump's appeal against his conviction in his New York criminal case dealing with payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels is ongoing.

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Donald Trump has called on a Federal Reserve governor to immediately resign, renewing his extraordinary attack on the central bank’s independence as officials mull next steps on interest rates.

A close Trump ally accused Lisa Cook, an appointee of Joe Biden, of “potentially committing mortgage fraud” and urged the US Department of Justice to investigate.

The claims have not been confirmed, and this evening Cook said she had “no intention of being bullied” into stepping down.

The US president has repeatedly broken with precedent in recent months to demand the Fed cut rates and urge its chair, Jerome Powell, to quit after disregarding such calls.

On Wednesday, Trump leaped on the allegations about Cook. The governor “must resign, now!!!”, he wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform.

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President Donald Trump has bought more than $100 million in company, state and municipal bonds since taking office in January, according to government disclosures about the billionaire's holdings.

The forms were filed Aug. 12 with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics and posted online Aug. 19. The documents show 600 purchases the Republican real estate mogul made since Jan. 21, the day after he was inaugurated for his second term in the White House.

The holdings span industries that could benefit from changes in administration policy, such as financial services or technology.

The corporate bonds included financial companies such as Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo. Others included tech companies such as Meta, Qualcomm and T-Mobile USA, along with The Home Depot and UnitedHealth Group.

The forms detail what types of bonds Trump bought, most of which paid 4% to 5% interest. But the value of each investment was listed only in broad ranges, such as $100,000 to $250,000.

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President Trump expanded his criticism of the Smithsonian Institution to include other museums in a long social media post on Tuesday.

"The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of "WOKE," he wrote.

The post emphasized his ongoing displeasure with the Smithsonian, describing it as "OUT OF CONTROL" and suggesting that museums around the country may face similar scrutiny.

"President Trump will explore all options and avenues to get the Woke out of the Smithsonian and hold them accountable," the White House said in a statement to NPR. "He will start with the Smithsonian and then go from there."

In an Aug. 12 letter to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, White House representatives said they plan to conduct an audit of eight Smithsonian museums "to ensure alignment with the President's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions."

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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former intelligence officials, sharing the list in a move that prompted swift criticism that the Trump administration was politicizing clearances.

Among those on the list are several Biden administration officials, including Maher Bitar, who joined the National Security Council (NSC) after previously working for then-House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) amid the first Trump impeachment. Bitar has since returned to Schiff’s office, but he has captured the attention of right-wing activist Laura Loomer, who has complained on the social platform X about his retention of a clearance.

Emily Horne, an NSC spokesperson under Biden, also had her clearance revoked, as did Brett Holmgren, who most recently served as assistant secretary of State for intelligence and research and is married to former Biden White House counsel Dana Remus.

Gabbard, without evidence, accused those listed of politicizing or leaking intelligence or “committing intentional egregious violations of tradecraft standards.”

She said the move came at the direction of President Trump.

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Texas state Rep. Nicole Collier filed a writ of habeas corpus on Tuesday in the district court of Travis County, Texas, claiming the state legislature’s Republican majority has unlawfully detained her in the state Capitol after she refused to consent to 24-hour police surveillance.

Collier, a Democrat representing Fort Worth, is one of over 50 Texas Democratic legislators who fled the state on Aug. 3 to block Republicans from enacting a new congressional map at President Donald Trump’s urging to create five new GOP seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.