War on the Rocks: “While the United States and Israel waged a war they believed would be defined by military force, Iran had a theory of victory its adversaries never understood: a regime built for survival, manipulating global perception and economic levers, and converting military inferiority into geopolitical leverage. The result was a fragile ceasefire […]

“Ukraine said it has hit more than 110 Russian vessels in nine days in the Sea of Azov, making it one of the most concentrated series of attacks on shipping ever to take place,” the Financial Times reports.

President Trump is reportedly planning a speech Thursday in which he will once again insist that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. The timing is not subtle. Join now to continue reading. Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more. If you’re already a member, sign in to your account.

“New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s first-in-the-nation data center moratorium could provide a playbook for other Democrats confronting one of the midterms’ most heated issues,” Axios reports. “Voters across the country are protesting data centers and looking for politicians to take decisive action to address concerns over the industry’s rapid expansion.” ”Until now, no governor had […]

“Ruby Rippey-Gibney — the former San Francisco City Hall aide whose affair with Gov. Gavin Newsom nearly upended his political career — will tell her side of the story for the first time in an upcoming Vanity Fair piece,” the New York Post reports.

“Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general nominated by President Trump to oversee the Justice Department, faced pointed questions during a confirmation hearing on Wednesday from Senator John Cornyn, a Republican on the committee whose support would be crucial,” the New York Times reports. “Mr. Cornyn, a lame-duck senator from Texas who lost to a Trump-backed […]

“Todd Blanche likely fueled the most potent criticism against him Wednesday with a gaffe that may haunt him beyond his ongoing confirmation hearing to become the next attorney general,” Politico reports. “Asked by Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) if Blanche and President Donald Trump are friends, Blanche replied, ‘I’m his lawyer’ — before quickly correcting himself […]

“House GOP leaders on Wednesday released a budget blueprint that would allow them to bypass Democratic opposition and provide $73 billion in additional military funding amid the war in Iran and $12 billion for farmers, as well as authorize severe voting restrictions championed by President Trump,” the New York Times reports. Politico: House GOP leaders […]

The Atlantic: “Today marked the fourth consecutive day of strikes across Iran. The cease-fire has disintegrated—Trump formally notified Congress that the war has resumed—and negotiations have collapsed. If American forces do try to reassert power in the strait, they’ll face a difficult path. Iran is still clamping down on ship traffic, and recent violent clashes […]

House Minority Whip Katherine Clark said she would vote to cut off aid to Israel, a big split in the Democratic leadership, Punchbowl News reports. Clark’s decision to publicly rebuff House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will muddy the waters for House Democrats, who were looking at their leadership for guidance on this matter.

Wired: “A government report claims DOGE didn’t access sensitive systems. It also says the agency deleted records that would show if they had.”

“A central issue in acting attorney general Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing on Wednesday will be the extraordinary protection from Internal Revenue Service investigations he granted President Trump,” the New York Times reports. “That immunity was part of a deal orchestrated by the Justice Department to end the president’s lawsuit against the IRS…” “But the audit […]

“President Trump on Wednesday said Immigration and Customs Enforcement should continue utilizing traffic stops, calling the tactic one of the agency’s ‘most important and effective’ crime-fighting tools,” The Hill reports. Reuters: Trump says ICE won’t halt traffic stops after recent fatal shootings.

“Anthropic has warned that its own technology could bring the end of civilization. Check out its latest job listings to understand how,” Axios reports. “Anthropic has 32 very scary job openings for roles designed to prevent people from using AI to build everything from man-made explosives to nuclear weapons.”

Paul Krugman: “The U.S. position has been wildly erratic. First, Trump said he was going to impose a 20% toll on all shipping, basically turning the Strait of Hormuz into a U.S. toll booth, which would have been wildly illegal and irresponsible, aside from being impossible. Now he says, no, he’s going to demand that […]

“President Trump has added his name or likeness to federal buildings, airports, bridges and even some passports. Now, the U.S. Mint is set to begin striking a dollar coin featuring his face, a rare move to put a sitting president on American money,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled designs for the […]

“The latest Senate debate over a Trump health appointment kicks off Wednesday with a less polarizing nominee than some of the president’s previous picks — but that doesn’t mean controversies around vaccines and public health are over,” Axios reports. “Former deputy surgeon general Erica Schwartz will have to convince lawmakers she has a vision to […]

“Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has written a memoir that will be released two weeks after the midterm elections this fall,” the New York Times reports.

“I was just gifted a book that I’m about to crack open called Boss Lincoln. It’s about the lost years when Lincoln was building a political machine before he ran for the presidency.” — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), when asked by a reporter if she has any book recommendations.

“Congratulations to Speaker Mike Johnson and the House Republican leadership. They finally got the House floor open after a three-week Republican blockade,” Punchbowl News reports. ”But what’s coming next will make that look like child’s play.” ”Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Majority Whip Tom Emmer are entering a very perilous period. GOP leaders […]

“The Trump administration is leaving the door open to future executive action that would address China-related concerns over open-source AI models, an unnamed senior White House official signaled Tuesday, referencing ‘plenty of ongoing work’ beyond an executive order signed by Donald Trump last month,” Semafor reports.

“Cuba’s national power grid collapsed on Tuesday, the energy ministry said, ​marking the third major blackout in nine days on the ‌island of about 10 million people,” Reuters reports.

“Having choked off shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is now signaling it could play its most dangerous card yet: using Yemen’s Houthi allies to shut the Bab el-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea, opening a new front against Washington and putting two of the world’s most vital energy arteries at risk,” Reuters reports. “As […]

“Legislation making daylight saving time permanent will face turbulence in the Senate after sailing through the House,” Semafor reports. “Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR)has previously opposed the bill, citing potential harms to schoolchildren commuting in the dark and people working outdoors in the early morning without sunlight. He ‘has the same concerns he’s had for years […]

Nate Cohn: “With Graham Platner officially out of the Maine Senate race after a series of scandals reached a breaking point last week, it’s natural to look for lessons in his campaign’s collapse.” “But as disastrous as his candidacy was for Democrats, the more important lessons may come from his successes. His failings were mostly […]

“U.S. military strikes on Iran will intensify next week if Tehran does not cooperate in peace talks in the coming days, President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday,” CNBC reports. Said Trump: “We’re going to hit them very hard tonight. We’re going to hit them hard tomorrow night. We’re going to hit them really hard the […]

“County party chairs inundated with calls. An endless stream of Google sign-up forms and spreadsheets. And a disgraced former nominee looming over it all, haunting the party’s hopes of starting anew,” CNN reports. “The snap Democratic election to replace Graham Platner and face Republican Sen. Susan Collins this fall is off to a hectic and […]

“At Jay Clayton’s confirmation hearing to be director of national intelligence on Wednesday, senators are likely to grill the office as much as the man,” Politico reports. ”Democrats, Republicans and former intelligence officials have in recent weeks floated a range of options to cut, curb or even eliminate the Office of the Director of National […]

“President Donald Trump announced a ‘FULL Blockade’ on Iranian shipping on Wednesday as he declared the Strait of Hormuz open to international traffic while warning Tehran it was on the path to ‘TOTAL DESTRUCTION’ after another night of escalating military strikes,” Mediaite reports.

“The fate of the Senate majority could lie in the hands of 601 yet-to-be-chosen Maine Democrats. And Chuck Schumer, known for working every possible angle to give his party’s campaigns an edge, is largely helpless to do anything about it,” Politico reports. ”The sidelines are an unusual place for the longtime Senate Democratic leader. Known […]