Democrats Get Lowest Rating From Voters in 35 Years, WSJ Poll Finds  —  Republicans preferred on most issues that decide elections despite unease with Trump over the economy, tariffs and foreign policy  —  The Democratic Party's image has eroded to its lowest point in more than three decades …

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 …

From Epstein to Obama, Trump's Washington Is Consumed by Competing Conspiracies  —  OK, so President Trump's name is in the Jeffrey Epstein files.  But who put it there?  Could it possibly have been Barack Obama from his prison cell?  Or a tranquilized Hillary Clinton?

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

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

Democratic candidates are posting weightlifting videos in search of a midterm lift  —  Democrats running in next year's midterms are pumping out videos of themselves pumping iron.  —  In one video, Texas Senate candidate Colin Allred stands in his home gym after a workout and, still in a sweat …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Joe Rogan Turns on Trump Administration Over Epstein Crisis: 'Do They Think We're Babies?'  —  NOT BUYING IT  —  “Do they think we're babies?” the podcaster asked, referring to the administration's flip-flop on Epstein.  —  Joe Rogan lashed out at the Trump administration over its handling …

Immigration judges fired by Trump administration say they will fight back  —  Federal immigration judges fired by the Trump administration are filing appeals, pursuing legal action and speaking out in an unusually public campaign to fight back.  More than 50 immigration judges …

Columbia Walked a Tightrope on Its Way to a $200 Million Settlement With Trump  —  Talks in Washington.  An expert on negotiation.  A balancing act.  The university chose cooperation over litigation, a strategy both pilloried and praised.  —  Just after Memorial Day, Claire Shipman …

Harvard's Powerful Leader Faces Intense Scrutiny in Trump Fight  —  As Harvard and the government negotiate to end a conflict with billions of dollars on the line, some ask whether Penny Pritzker, the head of the school's governing board, should step down.  —  In the high-stakes negotiations between …

Billionaire Peter Thiel backing first privately developed US uranium enrichment facility in Paducah  —  A California-based company with ties to billionaire investor and Trump ally Peter Thiel announced plans Friday to build America's first U.S.-owned, privately developed facility to enrich uranium in far western Kentucky.