GOP Tax Bill Seen Masking More Than $1 Trillion Hit to US Debt  —  The cost of Republican lawmakers' draft plan for sweeping tax cuts weighed in at $3.8 trillion over the next 10 years in one official estimate.  The reality is likely much higher, thanks to the use of budget and political tools designed …

At Supreme Court, a Once-Fringe Birthright Citizenship Theory Takes the Spotlight  —  Before the Trump presidency, there was broad consensus that the 14th Amendment established birthright citizenship for children born in the United States.  —  Shortly after the Supreme Court announced …

Trump's sanctions on ICC prosecutor have halted tribunal's work  —  The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has lost access to his email, and his bank accounts have been frozen.  The Hague-based court's American staffers have been told that if they travel to the U.S. they risk arrest.

Top Iranian official says Tehran would forgo highly enriched uranium in nuclear deal with Trump  —  The comments from a member of the supreme leader's inner circle appear to be the clearest public statements yet on Iran's willingness to reach an agreement with the U.S.

Democrats rattled again by fresh claims that Biden aides hid his frailty  —  A new book and Biden's public appearances are potential distractions as the party seeks to focus on Trump.  —  A growing number of Democrats are publicly second-guessing their party's handling of the last election …

Gabbard fires intel officials who oversaw memo contradicting White House claims on Venezuelan gang  —  Democratic lawmakers criticized the firings, suggesting they were punishment for providing information that didn't support the administration's agenda.  —  Director of National Intelligence …

Russian National Charged with Smuggling Biological Material Into Boston  —  For Immediate Release  —  U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts  —  BOSTON - A Russian national has been arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to smuggle clawed frog embryos and embryonic samples into the United States.

U.S. AG Pam Bondi Sold More than $1 Million in Trump Media Stock the Day Trump Announced Sweeping Tariffs  —  Attorney General Pam Bondi sold between $1 million and $5 million worth of shares of Trump Media the same day that President Donald Trump unveiled bruising new tariffs that caused …

The Trump Administration Leaned on African Countries.  The Goal: Get Business for Elon Musk.  —  The State Department has intervened on behalf of Musk's satellite internet company in five developing nations.  In Gambia, U.S. diplomats have lobbied and browbeat at least seven government ministers …

Trump-Kushner Hotel Project in Serbia Hits a Snag: Alleged Forgery  —  Serbian authorities say an official admitted to forging a document allowing a protected site in Belgrade to be demolished and replaced with a Trump hotel.  —  The Trump family's $500 million luxury hotel project in Serbia …

Trump Administration Cancels Scores of Grants to Study Online Misinformation … Lisa K. Fazio, an associate professor at Vanderbilt University, whose federal grant to study how repetition of lies reinforced them was canceled.Houston Cofield for The New York Times

The Road to Trump's Embrace of White South Africans  —  The Trump administration's hostile approach to South Africa was shaped by a convergence of factors.  —  White South Africans at a rally outside the United States Embassy in Pretoria in February.Joao Silva/The New York Times

US reportedly plans to slash bank rules imposed to prevent 2008-style crash  —  Watchdogs could cut capital rules as Trump's deregulation drive opens door to rollback of post-crisis protections  —  US watchdogs are reportedly planning to slash capital rules for banks designed …

The MAGA-World Rift Over Trump's Qatari Jet  —  As Air Force One glided into Doha today, it was easy to imagine President Donald Trump having a case of jet envy.  —  Hamad International Airport, in Qatar's capital, is sometimes home to the $400 million “palace in the sky,” a luxury liner that Trump is eyeing.

Inside Harvard's Discrimination Machine  —  The university has adopted race-conscious hiring policies, potentially in violation of civil rights law.  —  / Eye on the News / Education, Politics and Law  —  The Trump administration has escalated its battle with Harvard University …

El Chapo's family members cross US border in apparent deal with Trump administration  —  Ex-wife of imprisoned kingpin El Chapo among 17 family members entering through San Diego border crossing  —  Join Fox News for access to this content  —  Mexican officials said Wednesday …

Democracy's downward spiral leaves Starmer no leeway on immigration  —  Broken promises played midwife to Brexit and are capable of powering Reform — or a Conservative facsimile — into office  —  Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

She covered human rights for VOA in Azerbaijan.  Now she's in jail.  —  Ulviyya Ali reported for Voice of America for years.  Trump's moves to dismantle the U.S.-funded outlet may have put her at greater risk, activists say.  —  Ulviyya Ali took out her phone and rushed to write a letter asserting her innocence.

The white rural reckoning  —  This article is co-authored by Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman.  Their book “White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy” will be released in paperback later this month.  Schaller is professor of political science at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

Fox anchor Bret Baier said media should “100%” scrutinize Trump's family the same as Biden's.  He hasn't come close.  —  Despite advocating for equal scrutiny of presidents' family corruption, Baier's Special Report has hardly reported on alleged influence peddling by Donald Trump's sons …

Trump (Partially) Wins an Alien Enemies Act Case  —  For the last few weeks, there has been ongoing litigation over President Trump's effort to use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 as a tool for mass deportation.  The AEA allows detention and deportation of foreign citizens of relevant states …

UnitedHealth Group Is Under Criminal Investigation for Possible Medicare Fraud  —  Company's stock has declined over its financial performance and the sudden replacement of its CEO  —  The Justice Department is investigating UnitedHealth Group for possible criminal Medicare fraud, people familiar with the matter said.

Colorado prosecutor offers unlicensed and undocumented teen probation after deadly crash  —  The Arapahoe District Attorney's Office is defending its decision to give probation and community service to a teenager who was driving illegally and, in the country illegally, when he killed a woman.

US Announces More Than $243 Billion in Deals With Qatar … The White House said President Donald Trump had secured deals totaling more than $243.5 billion with Qatar, laying the groundwork for a bigger $1.2 trillion economic pledge with the tiny Gulf country.

Live Updates: Trump to Visit U.A.E. in Last Stop of Middle East Tour  —  In Qatar, President Trump spoke to American troops in a rally-like atmosphere at the largest U.S. military facility in the region.  Next, he will fly to the United Arab Emirates, another key ally.  —  Here's the latest.

Day One and Thereafter  —  I was born in the house my father built.  No, no—just kidding.  That was Nixon.  (You recall that our 37th president begins his memoirs that way: “I was born in the house my father built.”  It is a great opening line—vaguely haunting or hypnotic, even.)

JD Vance Plans Return to Vatican for Pope Leo's Inaugural Mass  —  Vice President JD Vance will attend the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV following the pontiff's historic election as the first American leader of the Roman Catholic Church.  —  Vance, the highest-ranking Catholic in the US government …

Thanedar opts against forcing impeachment vote amid backlash  —  Michigan Rep. Shri Thanedar chose not to follow through on a threat to force a House vote on impeaching President Donald Trump Wednesday amid mounting pressure from fellow Democrats.  Thanedar did not call up his resolution …

On May 8, political scientists Steven Levitsky, Lucan Way, and Daniel Ziblatt published an op-ed in the New York Times reminding readers that most modern authoritarian leaders are elected.  They maintain their power by using the power of the government—arrests, tax audits, defamation suits …