A Crisis of MAGA Faith  —  How's this for a vibe check: A Quinnipiac University poll yesterday found that a whopping 63 percent of voters disapprove of how the Trump administration is handling the Epstein-files controversy, with a scant 17 percent approving.  Happy Thursday.  —  What Would William of Ockham Say?

Senate votes to cut $9 billion from public broadcasting and foreign aid … “What we are talking about is one-tenth of one percent of all federal spending ... but it's a step in the right direction and it's the first time we have done anything like this in 35 years,” Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said early Thursday morning.

Senate Approves Trump's Bid to Cancel Foreign Aid and Public Broadcast Funds  —  The bill to claw back $9 billion in congressionally approved spending passed over the objections of Republicans who said it abdicated the legislative branch's power of the purse.

7/17/25 ☀️ AM: … “If Texas goes, we are going.” … Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), the chair of the delegation, hosted the meeting with Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar.  —  California Democrats were overwhelmingly on board with drawing a new map, but members want input in how the lines are drawn.

The Four Data Sleights‑of‑Hand Behind Trump's Assault on Powell  —  What looks like a monetary policy debate is really a cover to take control of the central bank.  —  It's a dangerous time for the Federal Reserve.  Last week, President Trump's administration began building …