Australia opposition leader Dutton loses seat in shock vote defeat  —  Australia's opposition leader Peter Dutton said on Saturday he had lost his own parliamentary seat as he conceded his conservative Liberals had been defeated in national elections by the incumbent Labor Party.

Inside Waltz's ouster: Before Signalgate, talks with Israel angered Trump  —  The fired national security adviser engaged in intense coordination with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about military options against Iran ahead of an Oval Office meeting between the Israeli leader and Trump, two people said.

White House posts AI image of Trump as pope  —  The White House on Saturday posted an AI-generated image of U.S. President Donald Trump depicted as the leader of the Catholic Church, a couple of days after he jokingly said “I'd like to be pope.”  —  The picture, which was first posted …

Harvard's President Alan Garber Talks About His Legal Fight With Trump  —  Alan Garber became a hero to liberals after Harvard resisted the federal government.  At the same time, he is trying to remake campus culture in ways the Trump administration might appreciate.

‘The truckers are scrambling’: Trump's tariffs hit drivers, L.A. port workers hard  —  Amid a wave of unprecedented tariffs, anxiety is running high for truck drivers like Helen, who makes her living delivering cargo containers from the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors to warehouses and other customers around Southern California.

More than 15,000 USDA employees take Trump's offer to resign  —  Their departures will affect how the department administers food safety and nutrition programs, conducts research and offers services to farmers.  —  At least 15,000 Agriculture Department employees have taken …

Company Boasts Spending Up To $20 Million On Trump Crypto Coin To Buy Influence  —  The arrangement puts money in Trump's pocket in return for the opportunity to change policy — exactly the sort of pay-to-play scheme critics warned about.  —  WASHINGTON — An international trucking logistics firm …

Voice of America staff can resume reporting next week, DOJ says  —  An email from the Justice Department said VOA staff can begin a “phased return” to the office and programming.  The broadcaster has been shut down since March.

C.I.A. to Cut More Than 1,000 Positions Over Several Years  —  The agency plans, for now, to use attrition, including retirements and voluntary resignations, to reduce the size of the C.I.A. instead of more mass firings.  —  The C.I.A. plans to cut more than 1,000 staff positions through attrition …

Airliners abort landings as Army helicopter makes ‘scenic’ loop around Pentagon  —  The incident occurred a week after the Army unit involved in the deadly Jan. 29 crash said it was resuming flights.  —  Two airliners abandoned landing attempts at Washington's Reagan National Airport …

Budgets as Propaganda  —  If you are wonky enough to be reading this blog, you have probably heard the expression, “a budget is a moral document”.  Budgets are not just pages of numbers, they are also statements of values.  It is one of those insights, once learned, that seems indisputable and never to be forgotten.

Warren Buffett says U.S. shouldn't use “trade as a weapon,” as Trump has done with tariffs  —  Investor Warren Buffett told thousands of Berkshire Hathaway shareholders Saturday that the United States shouldn't use “trade as a weapon” and anger the rest of the world like President Trump …

I Teach Computer Science, and That Is All  —  On Oct. 8, 2023, I was on the steps of Harvard's Widener Library, taking part in a vigil for the victims of Hamas's terrorist attack.  I'm an Israeli American tenured professor, and I felt it was my duty to stand up for Jewish and Israeli students.

‘Do I Look Like I Care?’:  AOC Shreds Trump's Border Czar In Blunt Free Speech Reminder  —  The congresswoman slammed Tom Homan after he claimed she could be in “trouble” over her “know your rights” advice.  —  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) tore apart White House border czar Tom Homan …

How Trump Accidentally Sabotaged His Own Case Against Abrego Garcia  —  He has now said it right out in the open—not once but twice.  In two major interviews, President Donald Trump openly declared that he has the power to bring the wrongfully deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the United States.

Car Prices Expected to Rise as Tariffs on Parts Kick In  —  Tariffs on imported parts will have a broad impact because all vehicles use components made abroad.  —  The United States imposed 25 percent tariffs on imported auto parts on Saturday that could sharply raise prices for new and used vehicles …

Former Weather Service Leaders Warn Staffing Cuts Could Lead to ‘Loss of Life’  —  The former agency directors say current employees will face an “impossible task” to maintain service just as hurricane season begins.  —  Five former National Weather Service directors have taken the unusual step …

Photo appears to show Mike Waltz using Signal-like app that can archive messages  —  More than a month after he drew criticism for using Signal to discuss an impending military attack, Waltz was seen using what appears to be a different messaging app to message others in the Trump administration.

World may be ‘post-herd immunity’ to measles, top US scientist says  —  As infections pummel communities in the US, Mexico and Canada, fear of ‘the most contagious human disease’ grows  —  A leading immunologist warned of a “post-herd-immunity world”, as measles outbreaks affect communities …