“When the United States first struck Iran, the president said the war would last mere weeks,” the Washington Post reports. ”Five months later, ceasefires have come and gone, and strikes stopped and restarted. Gas prices have shot up as the Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for oil tankers, kept reopening and closing. The Trump […]

While I’m dealing with sporadic internet access, here’s an open thread for Political Wire members. In the meantime, don’t forget that Trending News is updated around the clock with the biggest political stories, while Reader Wire highlights interesting links and observations from fellow members. Join now to continue reading. Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features […]

“Republicans admit the GOP’s midterm forecast is bleak. But they’re clinging to two hopes: voters’ fear and loathing of Democrats,” Axios reports. Said one Republican close to Trump: “It’s going to be a hate election. Voters have to hate the Dems more than they hate us. And we have material to work with.” “There’s broad […]

Political Wire will be operating at a slower pace for a few days as I take a mid-summer break. Between time-zone differences and uneven internet access, posts may not appear as frequently as usual. I’ll still be checking in when possible, but the normal fire hose will be turned down a notch. Members can always […]

“President Donald Trump is so pleased with this World Cup that he wants the U.S. to host another one — but this time without Canada and Mexico sharing the spotlight,” Politico reports. Said Trump: “You should choose the United States of America again. This time we will leave Canada and Mexico out.”

“Vice President JD Vance embraced claims that there were ties between the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the ‘highest levels’ of Israeli intelligence, echoing conspiracy theories that have been a source of tension among conservatives,” the New York Times reports.

“The Trump administration has moved sharply away from charging companies over the wrongdoing of employees, recently closing a string of criminal investigations with lenient resolutions or no charges at all,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“President Donald Trump made the World Cup one of the most visible political stages of his second term. But the tournament’s U.S. audience remained strikingly bipartisan, according to the latest CNBC All-America Economic Survey,” CNBC reports. “Forty-nine percent of registered voters said they watched at least some of the World Cup, according to the survey. […]

“Ukrainian drone strikes on warehouses belonging to Russia’s largest online retailer killed at least eight people and injured dozens Saturday, expanding Kyiv’s bombing campaign and sparking a ferocious Russian response,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The Ukrainian attacks struck logistics hubs of the Wildberries company—a domestic e-commerce giant modeled on Amazon.com—between 300 and 450 miles […]

Zeke Hausfather: “I’m generally pretty measured in how I discuss climate data. There has been only one time in recent years when I was truly shocked: when global temperatures came in for September 2023 at a full 0.5C warmer than any prior September on record.” ”Once until today, that is. With the July runs now […]

Wall Street Journal: “Large though it may be, Germany’s economy is far from healthy. Growth has been flatlining since 2019. Battered by U.S. tariffs and Chinese competition, manufacturers have been shedding thousands of jobs. A desperate government is grasping for ideas to get the engine going again.” “One of them: to shore up consumption, which […]

Tom Nichols: “Henry Kissinger often said that nuclear arms are ‘weapons in search of a doctrine.’ After the Cold War, some strategists have tried to figure out what, exactly, these weapons could buy them beyond deterrence. The answer, as it turns out, is: nothing.” “Two wars taking place right now are cases in point. The […]

“Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) needs to take a break from endorsing candidates after he backed scandal-plagued Graham Platner (D) in Maine and is now supporting ‘pro-Hamas’ Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan,” Mediaite reports. Said Fetterman: “Humble yourself, Bernie. You just pushed an accused rapist up in Maine and now you’re pushing […]

David Graham: “Trump has been remarkably successful in his push to gerrymander ahead of the midterms. Several Republican states have redrawn their districts to add GOP-leaning seats, the Supreme Court’s April decision in Louisiana v. Callais allowed other states to move forward with their own maps, and a state court in Virginia shot down retaliatory […]

“A federal immigration agent told his former wife that he was the person who fatally shot a Colombian immigrant in Maine this week and defended his actions to her, the ex-wife said,” the New York Times reports. “The woman, Ashley Brouillette, identified the agent as David Brouillette, 37, in an interview on Thursday. She said […]

“Andy Burnham wanted to take over as Britain’s prime minister on a wave of hope, positive vibes and a promise to end the Labour Party infighting that marred Keir Starmer’s premiership. That optimism is fading before he’s even taken office,” Bloomberg reports. “Burnham will complete his ascent to power when he enters 10 Downing St. […]

“Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson (D) has built an overwhelming advantage in the short and unusual contest to replace Graham Platner and take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a must-win race for Democrats in their bid for control of the U.S. Senate,” CNN reports. “Delegates on Jackson’s slate won about 300 of the […]

Wall Street Journal: “Millions of similar texts have flooded American cellphones in recent months. They are written with artificial intelligence, pushed by a longtime Trump adviser’s firm—and paid for by the Israeli government.” “Some 60% of American adults now have an unfavorable view of Israel, according to a March poll by Pew Research, driven by […]

“Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate, whose social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny has made them among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities, were arrested Saturday in Miami as British authorities sought their extradition on rape and sex trafficking charges,” Politico reports. “The brothers were taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals […]

“The fatal shooting of an immigrant in Maine has renewed concerns about the Trump administration’s push to quickly hire officers for mass deportations, after a woman said her abusive ex-husband told her he was the officer who fired his gun,” the Washington Post reports.

“President Donald Trump called the deaths of two U.S. service members in Jordan ‘a very sad thing’ after U.S. Central Command announced they were killed while defending against Iranian missile and drone attacks,” NewsNation reports. “Trump said the troops died ‘in service of our country’ and reiterated that the war’s central objective is ‘never allowing […]

“The U.S. launched fresh strikes on Iran Saturday after two American service members were killed in Jordan by Iranian missiles and drone attacks,” Bloomberg reports. “U.S. Central Command said in a social media post the strikes were aimed at degrading Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and ‘swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who […]

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

“Hunter Biden named Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) among the top three ‘MAGA laptops’ he wants revealed — also speculating that the senator is ‘really kinky.'” The Wrap reports. When asked if he thought Cruz was into gay sex, Biden said: “No, you know what I get? I get a really, really kinky, weird shit thing.” […]

“Two weeks after shuttering his bid for Wisconsin governor, David Crowley reentered the state’s Democratic primary on Saturday, with the Milwaukee County executive boasting a last-minute backing from outgoing Gov. Tony Evers in a seeming move to best position the party for success in November,” AP reports. “Evers had initially declined to endorse in the […]

“Sara Rodriguez had a prime opportunity this past Saturday to show voters gathered for a gubernatorial candidate forum in Wisconsin’s rural Northwoods that she was the person who could unite Democrats, thwart a democratic socialist insurgency and deliver the party unified control of state government for the first time in a generation,” Politico reports. ”Except […]

“The Senate is set for another big House infusion next year,” Axios reports. “The two chambers often clash over differing cultures and procedures. An influx of senators used to the faster, more confrontational politics of the House could create new headaches for Senate leaders.” ”At least five, and potentially as many as 13, current House […]

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is bracing for a fight to stay in power as he heads toward his first election since a Hamas-led attack shocked the country and plunged it into nearly three years of war,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The country’s longest-serving leader, who has held the prime minister’s officer, on and […]

“Two U.S. servicemembers were killed and several were wounded in an Iranian attack on an air base in Jordan, further escalating a weeklong exchange of fire where both sides have been striking increasingly sensitive targets,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “U.S. Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East, confirmed the deaths and […]

“Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration was still discussing whether to arrest the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, if he comes to New York City as expected for the UN General Assembly in September,” the New York Times reports. Said Mamdani: “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in the Hague.” He added: “He’s a […]