“The decision by President Trump to grant Saudi Arabia access to American nuclear technology aligns with his administration’s push to accelerate domestically backed nuclear power projects around the world,” the New York Times reports. “But it may also contribute to a major trend in Mr. Trump’s second term: allowing the government to help enrich the […]

“Republican pollsters and political groups are raising the alarm that their party faces a listless and demotivated base ahead of November’s midterm elections,” the Washington Post reports. ”A raft of discouraging data from polling, door knocking and focus groups is unsettling Republicans as their party heads into a midterm election season that would be challenging […]

Politico: “Ben Wikler wanted to lead the Democratic Party after his party’s disastrous 2024. But Wikler, the former Wisconsin Democratic chair, may ultimately help Democrats even more with his new book: This Is the Plan: How to End America’s Meltdown and Save Democracy.” ”Equal parts memoir, political history and how-to guide, Wikler does what Democrats […]

“The Democratic Party is so short on cash that leaders at its headquarters have undertaken a new gambit to mask the severity of the problems: asking vendors not to send bills until after the midterm elections,” the New York Times reports. “The bookkeeping maneuver, which was described by three people briefed on it, is the […]

“President Trump often celebrates his unpredictability, declaring that it keeps allies and adversaries alike off balance,” the New York Times reports. “By his telling, his willingness to bomb Iranian nuclear sites 13 months ago, and send Delta Force commandos in to snatch President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela from his bed in early January, reflected his […]

“Andy Burnham has promised to disagree with Donald Trump if necessary, including in public, in his first big broadcast interview since becoming prime minister,” The Guardian reports. “Burnham’s comments came as Wes Streeting, the new defence secretary, said he did not believe the Trump administration was looking for allies who ‘suck up,’ but rather those […]

Washington Post: “Those around Biden describe a post-presidency constrained by illness with his days increasingly organized around treatment, family and efforts to shape his legacy.” ”Unlike some recent predecessors, Biden has maintained a limited public schedule, has yet to build a sprawling philanthropic or policy operation and has struggled to raise money for a presidential […]

“Vice President JD Vance and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine both raised concerns about escalating the war in Iran as President Donald Trump weighed the possibility during a White House meeting on Friday,” CNN reports. “Caine specifically raised concerns about the U.S. munitions stockpile and other potential negative implications.”

“The White House’s tariff revamp this past week represents yet another bend in President Trump’s continuing tariff saga. Beneath the headlines, the move likely means more of what businesses and shoppers have already learned to live with: sudden policy shifts, scrambled supply chains and higher prices on imported goods,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Eighteen […]

David Frum: “America’s traditional democratic allies feel betrayed and baffled by the unpredictability of Trump’s pay-for-play diplomacy. But those willing to pay can suffer betrayals and bafflements of their own.” “If not even the Saudis, who showered Trump and his family with cash and gifts, can trust Trump’s diplomacy, who else on earth can feel […]

“American intelligence agencies believe that Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is far more interested than his father and predecessor in pursuing a nuclear weapon,” the New York Times reports. “Ayatollah Khamenei’s father, who was killed at the start of the war in an Israeli attack aided by U.S. intelligence, had sworn off developing […]

“President Trump has set aside, at least for now, plans to sharply escalate the American military assault against Iran, with particular concern that intensifying the war could dangerously drain the Pentagon’s already diminished stockpile of Patriot antimissile interceptors and other air defense munitions in the Middle East,” the New York Times reports. ”The threat to […]

“The Kheibar Shekan missile is the workhorse of Tehran’s arsenal—a cheap, mobile, accurate weapon with a range of at least 900 miles. And recently, Iran has been using it in complex attacks, proving itself to be an adaptable adversary for the U.S,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Since the fighting picked back up this month, […]

“We’ve all been down this road before,” the New York Times reports. “President Trump issues a blitz of punitive tariffs on allies and rivals, straining trade, rattling bond markets, raising prices and injecting more uncertainty into the global economy.” “The difference now is that the United States is at war with Iran, key trade and […]

Charlie Warzel: “If President Trump has one true skill, it is conjuring up alternate realities and getting his supporters to accept them. The examples are everywhere: dismissing stories he doesn’t like as ‘fake news’ from corrupt media, casting the January 6 rioters as victims, election denial… Trump builds a world, and by virtue of his […]

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday he will share evidence with the United States showing Russia is assisting Iran in targeting U.S. bases in the Middle East via satellite surveillance,” CBS News reports. Said Zelensky: “Since the beginning of July, we have recorded active Russian satellite surveillance of the Gulf states and U.S. military […]

“A U.S. appeals court rejected the Justice Department’s request to let federal officials fully move ahead with Donald Trump’s overhaul of mail voting ahead of the November midterm elections, leaving in place a Boston judge’s order that declared the president’s policies unlawful,” Bloomberg reports. “A three-judge appellate panel said it would not pause a lower […]

“Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is facing growing calls to be more transparent about his health nearly six weeks after he was hospitalized,” the Washington Post reports. “McConnell, 84, has been absent from the Senate since he said he suffered a fall June 14. His office shared a photo of McConnell holding The Washington Post on […]

“When Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts went to her fellow Democrats last year during their weekly lunch to suggest working with Republicans on a major new housing bill, she was met with trepidation and doubt,” the New York Times reports. “Instead, against seemingly impossible odds, the bill succeeded and won bipartisan support, overcoming the polarization […]

“Brazil has denied visas to two senior U.S. State Department officials whom the Trump administration planned to send to scrutinize the fairness and integrity of the country’s electoral system before the October 4 presidential vote,” Bloomberg reports. “The Brazilian Foreign Ministry confirmed to Bloomberg News that it had denied the visas. The government saw the […]

Kamala Harris still hasn’t decided whether she’ll seek the Democratic presidential nomination again in 2028. But the Democratic National Committee may have just handed her the strongest argument for launching another campaign. Join now to continue reading. Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more. If you’re already a member, sign in […]

“Even before Graham Platner withdrew from Maine’s Senate race in disgrace this month, he and his Democratic allies were severely outmatched in the race for cash,” the New York Times reports. “Now his replacement, Troy Jackson, inherits a difficult situation: He has just over four months to erect a defense against a towering Republican super […]

“President Trump directed the U.S. military not to conduct new strikes in Iran on Friday, breaking a nearly two-week streak of daily attacks, two sources with knowledge of the decision said,” Axios reports. “The president’s directive came after he approved daily strikes over the previous 13 days. It is unclear if Trump’s order on Friday […]

Deadline: “Inside the Waldorf Astoria on Friday evening, President Donald Trump took to the stage at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and tried out some Don Rickles-like schtick, interspersed it with some of his greatest rally hits and fixated on some of his obsessions, including his plans for a White House ballroom.” “What stood out […]

“The Maine Democratic Party formally selected Troy Jackson as its new Senate nominee on Saturday, ending three tumultuous weeks that nearly derailed the party’s quest to unseat veteran Republican Sen. Susan Collins,” the Washington Post reports. “With just 101 days remaining until the November election, Democrats must now unify a party riven by the spectacular […]

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On our way home from Mongolia, we spent a couple of nights in Seoul. The highlight was a visit to the Korean Demilitarized Zone—a place where history feels unfinished. The DMZ separates North and South Korea along one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world. More than seven decades after the fighting stopped, […]

Political Wire members can test their political knowledge with the Weekly News Quiz or see if they can put major historical political events in the right order with Hindsight. They’re a fun way to challenge yourself — and maybe learn something new along the way!

Wall Street Journal: “Trump poked fun at his Health Secretary, who was in the audience and is known for a habit of picking up roadkill.” Said Trump: “I hope that everyone finally got to enjoy their very delicious beef tenderloin. I want you all to know that Bobby Kennedy… personally ran over the cow in […]

“The wars in Iran and Ukraine show how the drone tech revolution makes it easier — and cheaper — to interrupt energy supplies by striking refineries and oil tankers,” Axios reports. “It’s an important reason why oil traded at $100 per barrel this week and gasoline and diesel fuel are so expensive these days.” ”Looking […]