Four Fears about ICE, Trump's New Masked Monster  —  We're about to pour $200 billion into immigration enforcement—but understanding specifically why this is a bad idea is important. … There are many reasons Trump's new giant domestic agenda, the so-called one big beautiful bill …

The sad, sad state of the New York Times  —  The sad fact is that there is nothing terribly out of character about the New York Times's decision to publish a deceptive hit piece about New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, based on hacked data supplied by a noted eugenicist to whom they granted anonymity.

Ted Cruz Kept Sightseeing as Desperate Rescue Crews Searched for Missing Kids in Texas Floods  —  GREEK TRAGEDY  —  The Texas senator was visiting the Parthenon in Athens while a massive rescue mission was under way to find flood victims, our must-read newsletter, The Swamp, reveals.  —  EXCLUSIVE

Heavily armed immigration agents descend on MacArthur Park in L.A.  —  Dozens of immigration agents, some on horseback, others carrying rifles in armored vehicles, swept through MacArthur Park on Monday in an extraordinary show of force at the heart of Los Angeles' immigrant community.

Musk and Yang have connected on the billionaire's third party threat … He did not respond to follow-up questions about when they spoke and what else they discussed.  Yang amped up his denunciation of America's two-party system after his failed run for New York City mayor in 2021 as a Democrat.

U.S. measles cases reach 33-year record high as outbreaks spread  —  Johns Hopkins University data reflects the public health reversal in defeating the vaccine-preventable disease since measles was officially eliminated from the U.S. in 2000.  —  Summary564

Epstein ‘client list’ doesn't exist, Justice Department says, walking back theory Bondi had promoted  —  Jeffrey Epstein did not maintain a “client list,” the Justice Department acknowledged Monday as it said no more files related to the wealthy financier's sex trafficking investigation …

Man with rifle and tactical gear killed after exchange of fire with Border Patrol in Texas  —  A man with a rifle and tactical gear opened fire on law enforcement officers Monday morning at a Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas, before being shot and killed during an exchange of fire …

Democrats told to “get shot” for the anti-Trump resistance  —  At town halls in their districts and in one-on-one meetings with constituents and activists, Democratic members of Congress are facing a growing thrum of demands to break the rules, fight dirty — and not be afraid to get hurt.

An Elderly Lawmaker's Staff Keeps Walking Back Things She Tells Reporters.  Should They Keep Quoting Her?  —  A media conundrum for the age of gerontocracy.  —  A few weeks ago, my POLITICO colleague Nicholas Wu and NBC's Sahil Kapur ran into D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton in the Capitol.

El Salvador Contradicts Trump, Says It Has No Authority Over Migrants Held in Megaprison  —  El Salvador told the United Nations that it has no legal authority over hundreds of Venezuelan men that President Donald Trump sent to a Salvadoran megaprison earlier this year.

Debate erupts over role job cuts played in weather forecasts ahead of deadly Texas floods  —  Former federal officials and outside experts have warned for months that President Donald Trump's deep staffing cuts to the National Weather Service could endanger lives.

Judge calls DOJ's motion to dismiss Kilmar Abrego Garcia's lawsuit “meritless”  —  A federal judge denied the Justice Department's motions to dismiss Kilmar Abrego Garcia's lawsuit over his mistaken deportation to El Salvador, calling one of the government's motions “meritless.”

Pediatrician fired for vile post suggesting Texas flood victims were Trump supporters who got ‘what they voted for’  —  A pediatrician has been fired over a vile post suggesting that the more than 80 killed in the horrific Texas floods — including dozens of kids — were President Trump supporters who got “what they voted for.”

Veterans Affairs reverses course on large-scale layoffs  —  The agency says it is on pace to reduce its total staff by nearly 30,000 employees by the end of this fiscal year through retirements, attrition and deferred resignations after previously saying it would need to cull 83,000.

CNN Data Chief 'Never Thought I'd See' This Stunning Shift In Sentiment  —  “But that's exactly where we are,” said Harry Enten.  —  Democrats' pride in being American has “fallen through the floor,” CNN's chief data analyst Harry Enten has noted.  —  Enten pointed to new survey data …

The Ruthless Ambition of Stephen Miller The Ruthless Ambition of Stephen Miller  —  Stephen Miller was livid.  It was a couple of months after Donald Trump's inauguration, and Mr. Miller, a senior White House adviser, believed that the federal government was not doing nearly enough to stem …

Who Is Scott Ruskan?  Coast Guard Hero Saves 165 People From Texas Floods  —  Scott Ruskan, a 26-year-old rescue swimmer with the U.S. Coast Guard, is being applauded as an “American hero” after his first mission saw him save 165 people affected by the flash floods in Texas.

Trump admin waffles in court on whether pro-Palestinian foreigners have full First Amendment rights … “That's an answer and I'll hold you to that,” Young responded.  —  However, about 10 minutes later, as Santora concluded her opening statement, she said she may have misspoken and needed to qualify her answer.

Trump Media launches TV streaming platform with Newsmax channel globally  —  Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT.O) launched its TV streaming platform, Truth+, globally on Monday, featuring the cable channel Newsmax to support the company's expansion.  —  The move also allows conservative …

Court Strikes Down ‘Unconstitutional’ Kansas Ballot Application Law  —  In a major win for voters, a federal court ruled that a Kansas law banning prefilled mail-in ballot applications is unconstitutional and violates the First Amendment.  —  The law, known as the “Personalized Application Prohibition …

Trump Fired Them.  Now They're Plotting to Stop Him.  —  Former USAID and State Department officials worried about the future of democracy in America say they're actively organizing to resist Trump, inside and outside of government.  — Copy  —  Some of the democracy-building experts …

Scoop: Sean Patrick Maloney mulls political comeback against Mike Lawler  —  Former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is considering challenging Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in NY-17, according to people familiar with the matter. … - For Maloney, a former chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee …