Trump Buys Himself Time, and Opens Up Some New Options  —  While President Trump appears to be offering one more off ramp to the Iranians, he also is bolstering his own military options.  —  President Trump's sudden announcement that he could take up to two weeks to decide whether to plunge …

‘Two Weeks’ Is Trump's Favorite Unit of Time  —  “Two weeks” is one of President Trump's favorite units of time.  It can mean something, or nothing at all.  —  “Within the next two weeks.”  —  That is when President Trump now says he will be ready to make his decision about bombing Iran or not.

The top priority of progressive politics may be slipping out of reach forever  —  Four years ago, America was on the cusp of the largest expansion of its welfare state since the 1960s.  —  Under Joe Biden in 2021, House Democrats passed legislation that would have established a monthly child allowance …

Cuts to Fed Staff Pay, CFPB Funds Blocked from Trump Tax Bill  —  The Senate rules-keeper has decided that Republicans can't use President Donald Trump's multi-trillion dollar tax bill to strip all funding from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and to cut salaries for many Federal Reserve employees.

Appeals court lets Trump keep control National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles during protests  —  An appeals court on Thursday allowed President Donald Trump to keep control of National Guard troops he deployed to Los Angeles following protests over immigration raids.

Trump says U.S. has ‘too many non-working holidays’ on Juneteenth  —  Meanwhile, former President Joe Biden celebrated the federal holiday he signed into law at a celebration at a historic Black church in Galveston, Texas.  —  President Donald Trump did not formally mark Juneteenth on Thursday …

Clyburn Endorses Cuomo, Helping Him Broaden His Appeal to Black Voters  —  Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina is endorsing former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in the New York City mayor's race as the June 24 primary nears.  —  Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina …

French Lawmaker Says He Was Denied Entry Into the United States  —  Pouria Amirshahi, a leftist member of Parliament, hopes that the decision will be reversed so that he can travel to meet lawmakers to understand life under President Trump.  —  A French member of Parliament …

Where is the outrage over Skrmetti?  —  The response to Wednesday's U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding Tennessee's law barring transgender minors from obtaining gender-affirming medical care has been muted at best.  —  In its U.S. v. Skrmetti ruling, the Supreme Court's Republican appointees shaved off …

Washington cherry growers struggle to find pickers  —  The threat of federal immigration agents raiding orchards in central Washington is causing a labor shortage that has compelled some Washington producers to leave cherries unpicked or delay their harvests until the fruit overripens and is worth less money.

Police Investigate Threats to Mamdani in Mayoral Race's Final Days  —  Voice mail messages promising violence against Zohran Mamdani, a progressive Democrat, came as attacks on politicians, judges and other government officials have skyrocketed.  —  The New York Police Department …

Mark Cuban: Harris Camp Asked For VP Vetting Papers  —  The former Dallas Mavericks owner declined, saying he wouldn't make a particularly good Number Two.  —  Transcript  —  Last summer, during the height of the presidential campaign—not the Biden v. Trump one, the Harris v. Trump one …

Gavin Newsom's Troll Wars as a Check against “Usurpation or Wanton Tyranny”  —  The Ninth Circuit — a panel of two Trump judges, Mark Bennett and Eric Miller, and one Biden one, Jennifer Sung — has unanimously overturned Judge Charles Breyer's order enjoining Trump from using the National Guard …

Elon Musk's SpaceX Starship explodes on test stand  —  The failure sent a giant fireball into the sky over the company's South Texas launch site.  —  SpaceX Starship explodes on test stand  —  SpaceX's Starship spacecraft exploded ahead of an engine test late Wednesday …

Axios-Ipsos poll: Americans want to force presidents to share health records  —  Eight in 10 Americans want legally required and publicly released cognitive tests and disease screenings for U.S. presidents — and age limits on the presidency, according to the latest Axios-Ipsos American Health Index.

LA Dodgers says it denied ICE access to stadium grounds  —  The Los Angeles Dodgers said Thursday it denied Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents entry to their stadium grounds.  —  “This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots.

Ramble On: Cruelty, Thy Name is Skrmetti (video)  —  In the abominable “U.S. v. Skrmetti” decision, the Roberts Court allows states to ban gender-affirming care for trans minors.  This will cause “untold harm” to trans children—just like MAGA wants. … And here is the transcript, edited for clarity:

ICE agents say posting names endangers them, Nashville mayor says real problem is masking  —  The Mayor's office releasing the names of ICE agents has brought scrutiny from GOP lawmakers, DHS, and ICE over the concern that it endangers federal immigration officers.

Undaunted  —  Donald Trump is not content to merely adopt the language of fascism, such as boisterous claims, like immigrants “poisoning the blood of our country.”  He has also adopted a classic fascist tactic: the use of violence to suppress, scare, and punish political opponents.

‘We are heartbroken’: Hoffmans release public statement after shooting  —  Yvette Hoffman has been released from the hospital as John remains in critical but stable condition. … CHAMPLIN, Minn. — State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette have released a statement to the public five days …