Janet Novack
janetnovack.bsky.social
Janet Novack
@janetnovack.bsky.social
Assistant Managing Editor & Washington Bureau Chief @Forbes. Tax, budget, retirement & education policy. Tax shelters. Scams. Fintech. Investing. email: jnovack@forbes.com
Reposted by Janet Novack
February 11, 2026 at 10:54 PM
Reposted by Janet Novack
CNN confirms what MSNBC reported live a few hours ago: DOJ is surveilling Dem lawmakers when they go to the DOJ to search unredacted Epstein files.
CNN: "Another photograph - these are notes AG Bondi brought to the hearing today. This shows a list of Rep. Jayapal's search history. Lawmakers are allowed to go to a DOJ facility to search unredacted files. We learned from this photo that the searches are apparently being tracked & read by the DOJ"
February 11, 2026 at 9:36 PM
Reposted by Janet Novack
Yikes here are the numbers for the past 12 months. Everything is pretty much dead except healthcare/social assistance. Note that healthcare growth is largely not about the business cycle -- it's about the aging of the population and more elderly people needing care.
February 11, 2026 at 1:47 PM
Reposted by Janet Novack
"...the paper is dropping between 350 and 375 journalists. With the newsroom’s pre-layoff strength at 790 people, that means between 44 percent and 47.5 percent of the newsroom has been axed.

...last week may have been the biggest one-day wipeout of journalists in a generation."
February 10, 2026 at 5:18 PM
Reposted by Janet Novack
Conflict of interest alert: Trump pardoned Binance's billionaire founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao (aka CZ) in October 2025 after CZ pled guilty in 2023 to a money laundering charge. Now, per @forbes.com @zacheverson.com , Binance is the biggest holder by far of the Trump family's stablecoin.
New: Binance holds 87% of the Trump family's stablecoin—$4.7 billion—a higher concentration than any other major stablecoin has at any single exchange.

Its U.S. affiliate holds $1,119.

me, for @forbes.com
Trump's Stablecoin USD1: Binance Holds 87% After Founder's Pardon
World Liberty Financial's founding document describes the company as "pioneering a new era of Decentralized Finance." Its flagship stablecoin is anything but.
www.forbes.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:22 PM
Epstein's appeal to some of the rich was about more than exploiting women. He helped this Apollo Global billionaire avoid taxes. www.forbes.com/sites/johnhy...
How Picasso, Van Gogh And Cézanne Helped Finance Epstein Client Leon Black’s Billionaire Lifestyle
The Epstein files detail private equity tycoon Leon Black’s massive, multi-billion-dollar art collection—and how he leveraged it to grow his wealth.
www.forbes.com
February 8, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Reposted by Janet Novack
How Tax Credits Can Lower Your Tax Bill—or Boost Your Refund
How Tax Credits Can Lower Your Tax Bill—or Boost Your Refund
Federal tax credits come in a number of flavors, including refundable, nonrefundable and partially refundable. Here’s what you should know heading into tax season.
www.forbes.com
February 6, 2026 at 11:54 AM
Reposted by Janet Novack
There were 108,000 job cuts in January in the U.S., the most to begin a year since the Great Recession in 2009, according to a new report.
U.S. Jobs Disappear At Fastest January Pace Since Great Recession
There were 108,000 job cuts in January in the U.S., the most to begin a year since the Great Recession in 2009, according to a new report.
www.forbes.com
February 5, 2026 at 3:40 PM
A reminder, that despite certain ownership issues, the Washington Post is still doing important reporting. (Gift link) wapo.st/4rtfCw8
Homeland Security is targeting Americans with this secretive legal weapon
Under Trump, the Department of Homeland Security has weaponized administrative subpoenas to attack free speech, according to privacy and civil rights groups.
wapo.st
February 3, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Reposted by Janet Novack
The DOJ’s new Epstein files release shows that billionaire Gordon Getty both had a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and allegedly brushed off his crimes: “well, we ALL have similar kinds of problems.”

Read more in my latest for @forbes.com:
www.forbes.com/sites/monica...
Epstein Files Reveal Ties To Billionaire Oil Heir Gordon Getty
The latest Epstein files from the DOJ show that Gordon Getty’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein was much closer than previously known.
www.forbes.com
January 31, 2026 at 12:57 AM
Reposted by Janet Novack
"Trump Picks Veteran Staffer to Head Bureau of Labor Statistics: Brett Matsumoto, the next chief, has worked as an economist at the BLS since 2015."

Excellent choice! www.wsj.com/economy/trum...
Exclusive | Trump Picks Veteran Staffer to Head Bureau of Labor Statistics
Brett Matsumoto, the next chief, has worked as an economist at the BLS since 2015.
www.wsj.com
January 30, 2026 at 9:26 PM
If you're saving for your kids (or grandkids), here's why a Trump account might not be your best bet. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
Is A Trump Account The Right Savings Plan For Your Children?
With strict rules and limited tax benefits, Trump accounts aren’t right for every family—particularly if they’ re not eligible for government or private seed contributions.
www.forbes.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:49 PM
Reposted by Janet Novack
20 hours, 2.4 million plays (just on YouTube)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWKS...
I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

Stay free
Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Audio)
YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen
youtu.be
January 29, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Reposted by Janet Novack
new from @forbes.com reporter @mhunterhart.bsky.social, who's tracked the money flowing from Bill Gates to his ex-wife Melinda's charitable foundations--she's got four of them. Melinda announced she'd be receiving the funds when she stepped away from the Gates Foundation #philanthropy #billionaires
January 28, 2026 at 10:47 PM
Reposted by Janet Novack
Scoop from my colleague Anna Tong - OpenAI is building a social network. That, ironically, will not have bots.

www.forbes.com/sites/annato...
OpenAI Wants To Use Biometrics To Kill Bots And Create Humans Only Social Network
OpenAI is quietly building a social network and considering using biometric verification like World’s eyeball scanning orb or Apple’s Face ID to ensure its users are people, not bots.
www.forbes.com
January 28, 2026 at 9:18 PM
Reposted by Janet Novack
"Bill Gates Donated Another $2 Billion To Ex-Wife Melinda’s Foundations, New Records Show"

@mhunterhart.bsky.social for @forbes.com
Bill Gates Donated Another $2 Billion To Ex-Wife Melinda’s Foundations, Records Show
Melinda French Gates has received at least $10.8 billion from Bill to bolster her philanthropy supporting women and families.
www.forbes.com
January 28, 2026 at 7:31 PM
Reposted by Janet Novack
The price of gold hit a new all-time high Wednesday morning as the precious metal surged more than 20% this year.
Gold Price Surpasses Record $5,300 Amid Weakening Dollar, Fed Independence Concerns
The price of gold hit a new all-time high Wednesday morning as the precious metal surged more than 20% this year.
www.forbes.com
January 28, 2026 at 3:35 PM
Reposted by Janet Novack
🚨 NEW 🚨 The Men Making Millions Selling Pepper Spray To ICE

Safariland, owned by billionaire Warren Kanders, remains the number one supplier of pepper spray and tear gas to ICE and CBP, via a large federal distributor run by a MAGA-aligned former Marine.

www.forbes.com/sites/thomas...
The Men Making Millions Selling Pepper Spray To ICE
Safariland, owned by billionaire Warren Kanders, remains the number one supplier of pepper spray and tear gas to ICE and CBP, via a large federal distributor run by a MAGA-aligned former Marine.
www.forbes.com
January 27, 2026 at 10:08 PM
Don't be surprised if this tax filing season is a mess. Thank Musk, DOGE and GOP Congress. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
Watchdog Warns IRS May Struggle During The 2026 Tax Filing Season
Staffing losses, backlogs of unprocessed tax returns, and tech delays leave the agency entering filing season under strained conditions, according to TIGTA.
www.forbes.com
January 27, 2026 at 9:14 PM
Reposted by Janet Novack
NEW: In August, the nursing home industry gave Trump's Super PAC $5M and had a private lunch with him at his golf course.

They asked him to repeal a rule that would have increased nursing home staffing.

Here's what happened next --> w/ @kenvogel.bsky.social:

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/u...
After Donations, Trump Administration Revoked Rule Requiring More Nursing Home Staff
www.nytimes.com
January 27, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Reposted by Janet Novack
America is bleeding scientific talent

U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office
A Science analysis reveals how many were fired, retired, or quit across 14 agencies
www.science.org
January 27, 2026 at 7:56 AM