“It was an address that many Republicans and even some of President Trump’s own advisers didn’t want him to make,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “But 18 months into his second term, the president has little interest in hearing the word no.” “The prime-time address Thursday, in which Trump tried to raise doubts about the […]

“In his zealous efforts to popularize drone warfare, Ukraine’s young defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, also gained widespread popularity himself,” the New York Times reports. “And that, political analysts and opposition politicians said, may have helped bring about his downfall this week, as President Volodymyr Zelensky sided against him in a titanic clash with the country’s […]

“The Trump administration has tentatively agreed to allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium without enacting international safeguards intended to prevent nuclear weapons development,” CNN reports. “The draft nuclear accord that outlines U.S. support for Riyadh’s civilian nuclear program is awaiting President Donald Trump’s signature despite U.S.-Saudi negotiations concluding in October 2025.”

“The battle for the House majority will be won or lost in congressional districts like New York-17, NY-3, and NY-4, three crucial swing seats in suburban New York City,” Fox News reports. “And as Republicans work to hold onto their razor-thin House majority in this autumn’s midterm elections, they view the ongoing battle between the […]

Punchbowl News: “The House Democratic Caucus is undergoing a dramatic shift with fascinating implications for any future Democratic majority.” “The Israel debate that dominated the week served as a notable preview of how House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ leadership team will approach the hot-button issue if they win back the House this fall.” “For decades, […]

“Law firms that struck deals with Donald Trump are heading for a second high-stakes conflict with the U.S. president after the government demanded their leaders sit for depositions and hand over internal communications about the deals,” the Financial Times reports. “In a move that one administration insider said was designed to show a ‘middle finger’ […]

Wall Street Journal: “White House officials are among those grappling with how deeply political betting has worked itself into the fabric of Washington, a town that runs on information traded in the marble halls of Congress, on the sidelines of campaign events and at after-work happy hours on K Street.” “The exploding popularity of prediction […]

“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week ordered annual testosterone-deficiency screening for active-duty and reserve service members age 30 and older, which he says will help to maintain military readiness,” Reuters reports. “But many medical ​professionals warn it might do nothing of the sort and instead could increase service members’ risk of infertility or other consequences […]

“Reps. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and Ralph Norman (R-SC) are both still considering bids for the U.S. Senate despite President Trump endorsing Darline Graham Nordone for a full six-year term,” Axios reports. “Why it matters: A run by either could mean a messy Aug. 11 special primary to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on […]

“Americans prefer Democrats to Republicans in the congressional midterm elections by only a slim margin, but Democratic supporters are far more motivated to vote, according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll. “Because of partisan redistricting that favors Republicans this year, analysts estimate that Democrats need to win by three to four percentage points overall to gain […]

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Wall Street Journal: “More than half-a-century after Watergate, conservative youth are discovering the aesthetic, and adopting the attitude, of the late Richard Nixon. “ “It’s a vibe. Videos that feature archival footage of the famously square 37th president over rap music from artists such as Drake and Biggie Smalls are going viral on Instagram and YouTube. […]

“As President Trump wrapped up a prime-time address in which he rattled off ominous and at times outlandish assertions about U.S. election vulnerabilities, he repeated his demand that Congress pass strict voting restrictions that have been stalled in the Senate,” the New York Times reports. “That plea, which Mr. Trump implied was the reason behind […]

“A federal judge declared Friday that the Trump administration can’t cancel grants based on new rules or goals established after the fact — in a blow to its efforts to terminate billions of dollars already promised,” Politico reports.

“Oil prices jumped to their highest level in a month on Friday as renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran have caused shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz to slow to nearly a halt,” the New York Times reports. “The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark, climbed about 4 percent, to about […]

“Israel and its allies are on a mission to rescue its battered reputation in the United States,” Politico reports. ”The Middle Eastern country and organizations that support it are publicly and privately fighting against an unusual barrage of bipartisan U.S. criticism. That wave of anti-Israel anger reached new heights this week as more than 100 […]

“Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has no shot at winning the Democratic presidential nomination if she decides to run in 2028, according to veteran political strategist James Carville,” the New York Post reports. “The 81-year-old pundit argued the ‘Squad’ congresswoman’s politics are too far-left for Democratic presidential primary voters, who have historically backed more moderate candidates.” […]

“The Justice Department determined this week a federal law banning TikTok from government devices no longer applies to the social video app,” CBS News reports.

“Billionaire investor Leon Black, who for years paid Jeffrey Epstein for tax and financial advice, is facing scrutiny over his relationship with the late convicted sex offender after walking out of a closed-door interview with House investigators last month,” PBS reports. “Black refused to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) he signed with women less […]

“Donald Trump’s social media company has discussed charging Wall Street traders and investment firms as much as U.S.$100,000 a month for faster access to the U.S. president’s posts on his Truth Social platform, according to people familiar with the matter,” Reuters reports. “Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns Truth Social, has in recent weeks […]

“Mike Lindell is running for governor in Minnesota, but he isn’t even registered to vote there,” Mediaite reports. “Lindell scored President Donald Trump’s endorsement on Wednesday and has maintained a small lead in the polls.”

“AIPAC, the powerful pro-Israel lobbying group, appeared on Friday to have cut off contributions on its political web portal to House Democrats who voted this week to end U.S. aid to Israel, punishing them financially for a stance it strongly opposed,” the New York Times reports. “That group included 15 House Democrats whom AIPAC had […]

“Newly-declassified documents touted by President Donald Trump during his address on election security Thursday cast doubt on some of his claims about ‘shocking vulnerabilities’ in the country’s election infrastructure,” ABC News reports. “While Trump claimed during his address that the nation’s election systems are vulnerable to ‘hacking, exploitation, and foreign interference,’ the intelligence reports released […]

“Nebraska Senate candidate Cindy Burbank secured the Democratic nomination in May. On Friday, she submitted a request to the office of Nebraska’s secretary of state to be taken off the ballot — but a legal challenge could ensue,” NOTUS reports. “Burbank’s campaign website says she ran to ensure that Sen. Pete Ricketts, the incumbent Republican, […]

“President Trump threatened to impose new tariffs on Canada Friday after the northern neighbor’s raging wildfires caused hazardous air quality from Minnesota to North Carolina,” the New York Post reports. Said Trump: “We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein.”

“The Trump administration notified Israel it is sending dozens more refueling planes to the country ahead of a potential expansion of military operations against Iran, three U.S. and Israeli officials said,” Axios reports. “Why it matters: After he was presented with several new military plans in a Situation Room meeting Tuesday, President Trump is considering […]

New York Times: “In their early months, both wars were fueled by a novel military strategy that rose to prominence after the 1991 Persian Gulf war. It posited that by simultaneously attacking with precision weapons on multiple fronts, the U.S. military could paralyze its enemy and achieve a swift, low-casualty victory.” “As the Iraq and […]

Wall Street Journal: “The Pentagon has spent the past few months amassing a small army of bankers, consultants and hired specialists. Their stated task: vet contractors’ operations, invest in production lines and more quickly expand the U.S. military arsenal.” “At the military’s Office of Strategic Capital, officials plan to lend more than $200 billion over […]

“When President Trump tried to undermine and overturn the election results in 2020, he ran into stiff pushback — not just in the courts, but from many officials in his own government,” the New York Times reports. “He made sure there would be little room for such dissent when he returned to the White House. […]

“House GOP leaders released text Friday for a bill to fund the vast majority of the federal government from the start of the next fiscal year on Oct. 1 until after the midterm elections — bypassing the bipartisan appropriations process and daring Democrats to pick a shutdown fight months before voters head to the polls,” […]