Democrats' approval rating craters to 35-year low: WSJ poll  —  Democrats' approval rating with registered voters has plunged to a 35-year low, while Republicans maintain an edge on most of the top issues Americans care about, a new poll found.  —  A whopping 63% of registered voters view …

Gabbard and White House ‘lying’ about intel on Russian interference in 2016, ex-CIA official says  —  “We definitely had the intel,” Susan Miller, who helped oversee the 2017 intelligence assessment of Russia's efforts in the 2016 election, told NBC News.  —  The former senior CIA officer …

Venezuelan Little League team denied travel visas to U.S. for World Series  —  The Cacique Mara team from Maracaibo won the Latin American championship last month and had been set to travel to South Carolina for its next round of games.  —  A Little League team from Venezuela was denied entry …

Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell secures DOJ “limited” immunity: News reports  —  Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell was granted “limited” immunity by the Justice Department to answer questions about the child sex trafficking ring that led to her 20-year prison sentence, multiple outlets reported of anonymous sources.

No Proof Hamas Routinely Stole U.N. Aid, Israeli Military Officials Say  —  Israel has long restricted or completely blocked aid to Gaza on the argument that Hamas steals it to use as a weapon of control over the population.  —  For nearly two years, Israel has accused Hamas of stealing aid provided …

How redistricting in Texas and other states could change the game for US House elections  —  Redistricting usually happens after the once-a-decade population count by the U.S. Census Bureau or in response to a court ruling.  Now, Texas Republicans want to break that tradition — and other states could follow suit.

Academic with history of incendiary remarks to lead US Institute of Peace … “We look forward to seeing him advance President Trump's America First agenda in this new role,” the statement said.  —  USIP has been in turmoil in recent months as the administration and its Department …

Thailand and Cambodia agree to hold immediate ceasefire talks, Trump says  —  U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand had agreed to meet immediately to quickly work out a ceasefire, as he sought to broker peace after three days of fighting along their border.

DOGE builds AI tool to cut 50 percent of federal regulations  —  An internal proposal suggests how the Trump administration is planning to slash federal regulations, but obstacles loom.  —  The U.S. DOGE Service is using a new artificial intelligence tool to slash federal regulations …

A Clash Over a Promotion Puts Hegseth at Odds With His Generals … Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fostered an environment of uncertainty and mistrust that threatens to undermine the readiness and effectiveness of the military, officials said.Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

RFK Jr. to Oust Advisory Panel on Cancer Screenings, HIV Prevention Drugs  —  The task force determines which preventive services insurers must cover at no cost to patients  —  Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is planning to remove all the members of an advisory panel …

Southwest Airlines jet dives as a fighter jet crosses its path near Los Angeles  —  Alarms sounded in the cockpit of a Southwest Airlines jet shortly after taking off from Hollywood Burbank airport near Los Angeles on Friday, prompting evasive maneuvers, the airline said in a statement.

Wyden secures data privacy deal to shield Oregonians from out-of-state abortion, immigration surveillance  —  The agreement is with Flock safety, which provides cameras to read vehicle license plates for law enforcement use and store data afterwards. … PORTLAND, Ore. …

Two in five arrested for last summer's UK riots had been reported for domestic abuse  —  Police data indicates overlaps between public violent disorder and domestic violence and abuse  —  Two out of every five people arrested after participating in last summer's riots had been previously reported …

What Is America, and for Whom?  —  Before we get into a broader reflection on how to situate the Trumpist moment in U.S. history: Democracy Americana is back!  —  I hope you will accept my sincere apologies for the long silence.  At some point, I will probably write a separate post …

Trump flees Washington controversies for golf-heavy trip to Scotland  —  Fleeing Washington's oppressive humidity and nonstop questions over heated controversies, President Donald Trump is once again taking weekend refuge at his golf clubs — this time more than 3,000 miles away in Scotland.

July 25, 2025  —  “We're going to end up shooting some of them.”  —  At 9:00 on the morning of May 2, 2025, a Florida Highway Patrol officer pulled over a van with 18-year-old U.S. citizen Kenny Laynez-Ambrosio and two undocumented men in it.  Laynez-Ambrosio's mother was driving the men to their landscaping job.

A Kennedy Toils in Mississippi, Tracing His Grandfather's Path  —  Joe Kennedy III, the grandson of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, says there is work to do in red states.  He also has a few things to say about his uncle, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  —  Joe Kennedy III, the former Democratic congressman …