Lawler Will Seek Re-election to House, Forgoing Run for N.Y. Governor  —  Representative Mike Lawler's decision clears a path for his Republican House colleague, Elise Stefanik, to challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul.  —  Representative Mike Lawler, Republican of New York, plans to seek re-election …

Trump sets 15% tariff on Japanese imports as part of investment agreement  —  15% would be less than the tariff rate Trump previously threatened to impose on Japan, a key U.S. ally.  —  President Donald Trump said Tuesday on Truth Social that his administration had reached a deal with Japan …

I Watched It Happen in Hungary.  Now It's Happening Here.  —  As the most recent U.S. ambassador to Viktor Orban's Hungary, I'm often asked if the Trump administration's tactics and policies feel familiar.  The short answer is yes.  But the more important — and unsettling — question is this …

Trump's Epstein Fiasco Takes Darker Turn as Dem Senator Drops New Bomb  —  A few days ago, as the Jeffrey Epstein scandal gripped Washington, Senator Ron Wyden offered a striking revelation in an interview with The New York Times.  The Oregon Democrat said that his investigators had discovered …

U.S. deportees, freed from Salvadoran prison, describe ‘horror movie’  —  Three Venezuelans, released last week from the Terrorism Confinement Center, said they were repeatedly beaten and denied access to lawyers.  —  just now  —  Julio González Jr. had agreed to be deported to Venezuela.

E.P.A. Is Said to Draft a Plan to End Its Ability to Fight Climate Change  —  According to two people familiar with the draft, it would eliminate the bedrock scientific finding that greenhouse-gas emissions threaten human life by dangerously warming the planet.

Exclusive: Newly discovered photos and video shed fresh light on Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein  —  Newly uncovered archived video footage and photos reveal fresh details about Donald Trump's past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.  —  Photos from 1993 confirm for the first time that Epstein …

How Many Obama Arrest Threats Does It Take to Change a Storyline?  —  Among the various silly and dangerous things House Republicans are doing these days—about which more below—perhaps the silliest is trying to rename the opera theater inside the Kennedy Center after Melania Trump.

The Administration Wants Military Women to Know Their Place  —  Pete Hegseth seems to be on a mission to erase women from the top ranks of the U.S. armed forces.  —  President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth seem to be on a mission to erase women from the top ranks of the U.S. armed forces.

Jeffrey Epstein's Former Attorney Who Secured Plea Deal Dead at 80  —  Roy Black, the prominent defense attorney who helped secure Jeffrey Epstein's 2008 plea deal, has died, according to his law partner.  —  Black died on Monday at his home in Coral Gables at the age of 80 after an illness, his law partner Howard Srebnick said.

JD Vance Knows Who Belongs  —  More than most recent vice presidents, JD Vance seems to be locked out of the room where it happens.  —  Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, is by most accounts the president's point person on mass deportation and immigration enforcement.

Republicans Are Panicking Over the Virginia Governor's Race … When the Republican Governor's Association convened this week for its annual summer fundraiser in Aspen, Colorado, there was an elephant in the room at the St. Regis: How little can it get away with contributing to its all-but-hopeless candidate for Virginia governor?

Behind the Curtain: Losing by winning  —  President Trump, in terms of raw accomplishments, crushed his first six months in historic ways.  Massive tax cuts.  Record-low border crossings.  Surging tariff revenue.  Stunning air strikes in Iran.  Modest inflation.

White House eyeing education cuts for next funding clawback package … In a brief interview Tuesday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise also would not disclose specifics about the forthcoming package, but confirmed talks between GOP leaders and the administration on the matter are well underway.

Silicon Valley AI Startups Are Embracing China's Controversial ‘996’ Work Schedule  —  In an industry once known for cushy perks, some founders are now asking staff to commit to a 72-hour weekly schedule.  You're either in or you're out.  —  Would you like to work nearly double the standard 40-hour week?

Mass Deportation: Analyzing the Trump Administration's Attacks on Immigrants, Democracy, and America  —  Abuses Detention Executive Action Immigration and Crime Immigration Reform Legislation Right to Counsel  — An attempt to overhaul the federal government  — An exercise in bending reality to match propaganda

State Dept. Opens Investigation Into Harvard's Use of International Visas  —  The Trump administration has continued to pressure the university despite continuing talks to settle a monthslong dispute over the federal government's role in higher education.  —  The Trump administration …

When you're a star, the Supreme Court lets you do it  —  “When you're a star, they let you do it.  You can do anything.”  - Donald J. Trump  —  Renewed scrutiny of Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein reminds us of just how Trump's strategy with women — assaulting them without permission …

Exclusive: “Release the damn” Epstein files, Tillis says  —  Sen. Thom Tillis R-N.C.) said Wednesday that the Trump administration should “release the damn” Jeffrey Epstein files as the best way to put the whole issue in the rearview. … - “It makes no sense to me,” Tillis told Axios' Stef Kight …

Columbia disciplines 70 students for protest as school pleads with Trump for funding … We rely on your support to make local news available to all  —  Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2025.  Donate today  —  Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Tortured Logic  —  We need to stop abusing migrants, now … Dear Matt,  —  Could sending illegal immigrants to war-ravaged, inhospitable countries be anything other than torture?  —  Brian M.  —  I see what's going on here.  You're trying to bait me into moralizing again, aren't you?

Gaza doctors ‘becoming too weak to treat patients’ as hunger crisis deepens  —  Medical staff say they are struggling to function well enough to care for injured and malnourished civilians in overwhelmed hospitals  —  Doctors and medical staff in Gaza say their increasing hunger and the lack …

Nuclear Weapons Agency Breached in Microsoft SharePoint Hack  —  The US agency responsible for maintaining and designing the nation's cache of nuclear weapons was among those breached by a hack of Microsoft Corp.'s SharePoint document management software, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

Zelenskyy approves bill weakening anti-corruption bodies despite big protests  —  Move by Ukrainian president widely opposed and may prove a setback to hopes of country one day joining the EU  —  Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved a contentious bill weakening Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies …

Democratic memo: The party's redistricting problem goes much deeper … The memo indicates that 39 of 50 states give state legislatures control over congressional lines, and Republicans have been significantly more successful in controlling statehouses since investing millions into their “REDMAP” strategy in 2010.

Calls to strip Zohran Mamdani's citizenship spark alarm about Trump weaponizing denaturalization  —  Past administrations, including Obama's, have sought to denaturalize U.S. citizens, such as terrorists and Nazis.  But advocates worry he could target political opponents.

Global climate action is at stake in the UN top court's biggest ever decision  —  The UN's highest court is handing down a historic opinion on climate change Wednesday, a decision that could set a legal benchmark for action around the globe to the climate crisis.

No charges for Jacksonville officers who punched Black man during arrest  —  William Anthony McNeil Jr. questioned why he was pulled over and refused to get out of the car.  An officer smashed his window and punched him in the face, video shows.  —  Prosecutors will not bring criminal charges …