131. Five Questions About the Khalil Case  —  The government's arrest and detention of a pro-Palestinian Columbia student (and green card holder) raises difficult questions about both technical immigration statutes and the First Amendment.  —  Welcome back to “One First,” an (increasingly frequent) …

Johnson's spending holdouts  —  Presented by IN TODAY'S EDITION:  — Johnson, White House hammer holdouts  — Thune taps a debt-limit whisperer  — More tax complications on GOP agenda  —  EAT LIKE A LAWMAKER — POLITICO Magazine is out this morning with a rundown of where Republicans …

Trump Promised Americans Booming Wealth.  Now He's Changing His Tune.  —  President Trump's sweeping promises are running headlong into the reality of governing.  —  As a presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump promised an economic “boom like no other.”  —  But eight weeks into his presidency …

Justice Dept. Official Says She Was Fired After Opposing Restoring Mel Gibson's Gun Rights  —  Elizabeth G. Oyer, the former pardon attorney, said that she was not told why she was dismissed, but that as events unfolded she feared they might lead to her firing.

Musk Melts Down as Tesla Stock Price Plunges  —  The electric vehicle company has become a toxic brand as its CEO wreaks havoc in Washington … But mixed in were a number of posts about Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer that still counts him as CEO despite his seemingly full …

Former President Rodrigo Duterte arrested in the Philippines on an ICC warrant over drug killings  —  Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested Tuesday on a warrant from the International Criminal Court accusing him of crimes against humanity over deadly anti-drugs crackdowns …

USDA cancels $1B in local food purchasing for schools, food banks  —  States have been notified that they will not receive 2025 funding for schools to buy food from nearby farms.  —  The Agriculture Department has axed two programs that gave schools and food banks money to buy food …

Katie Porter Will Run for California Governor  —  The former congresswoman is the most prominent candidate so far to start a campaign in the 2026 contest.  But the race could be upended if former Vice President Kamala Harris decides to run.  —  Katie Porter, the former Democratic congresswoman …

Musk eyes Social Security and benefit programs for cuts while claiming widespread fraud  —  Elon Musk pushed debunked theories about Social Security on Monday while describing federal benefit programs as rife with fraud, suggesting they will be a primary target in his crusade to reduce government spending.

Elon Musk calls Sen. Mark Kelly a ‘traitor’ over his social media posts in support of Ukraine  —  Kelly, a former Navy combat pilot, responded to the tech billionaire's remark by saying “he's not a serious guy” and should “go back to building rockets.”  —  Elon Musk and Sen. Mark Kelly sparred …

Kennedy Links Measles Outbreak to Poor Diet and Health, Citing Fringe Theories  —  In a recent interview, the health secretary also suggested that the measles vaccine had harmed children in West Texas, center of an outbreak.  —  In a sweeping interview, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. …

National Poll: At 50 Days, Trump's Honeymoon Fades as Economy Becomes Key Vulnerability  —  Home Polls National Poll: At 50 Days, Trump's Honeymoon Fades as Economy Becomes Key Vulnerability  —  Voters Sour on Both Political Parties, With Democrats Facing Greater Backlash

Ukraine Targets Moscow With Large-Scale Drone Attack  —  The mayor of the Russian capital called the attack the war's largest against the city.  It appeared to be a reminder of Ukraine's power to strike as its president proposes an air truce.  —  Russian officials said Ukraine attacked Moscow …

Pleas on X, Biden dirt, and attacks on the FBI: As Trump flexes his pardon powers, defendants angle for their get-out-of-jail free card  —  White-collars defendants are responding in droves as the president opens the door to more clemency.  —  President Donald Trump's moves to expand the use …

Judge orders urgent release of DOGE records, citing ‘unprecedented’ power and ‘unusual secrecy’  —  It's the first significant ruling in a growing legal push to pierce DOGE's secretive veil, a decision that undercuts Musk's repeated insistence about the operation's transparency.

Pentagon abruptly ends all funding for social science research  —  More than 90 studies on threats such as climate change, extremism, and disinformation are halted  —  The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is ending all of its funding for social science research, stopping 91 ongoing studies related …

How Eric Adams Has Backed a Secretive NYPD Unit Ridden With Abuses  —  After NYPD officials warned about a unit's aggressive policing, the mayor boosted the team led by his allies.  “The unit effectively reported directly to City Hall,” a former police official said.

At SXSW, Bluesky CEO Jay Graber pokes fun at Mark Zuckerberg with Latin phrase T-shirt  —  When Bluesky CEO Jay Graber walked on stage at SXSW 2025 for her keynote discussion, she wore a large black T-shirt with her hair pulled back into a bun.  At first glance, it might appear …

Elon Musk's self-destruction  —  The cost for Donald Trump of keeping the world's richest man by his side is growing  —  When Elon Musk said he loved Donald Trump “as much as a straight man can love another”, the emetic effect was widespread.  Trump is one of the few people left in Washington DC who likes having Musk around.

Gottheimer, Who Pushed TikTok Ban, Invests in Microsoft as It Bids to Buy the App  —  Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) helped to push a bill into law last year that forces TikTok's owner, the Chinese company ByteDance, to sell the app or be banned in the United States.

Health Update  —  With a heavy heart, I have to tell you that after a long battle with cancer my husband Kevin Drum passed away on Friday, March 7, 2025.  —  No public memorial services are planned.  —  In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity or political cause of your choice.

Trump Goes on Truth Social Spree as Stock Market Freefalls  —  While investors watched in horror as the stock market plunged on Monday as a result of President Donald Trump's sprawling trade wars, he was busy reposting praise for his administration on Truth Social.The president posted …