Crypto group claims responsibility for hurling sex toys at WNBA games … Cryptocurrency meme coin creators say they are responsible for the sex toys being thrown at multiple WNBA games, and they are planning more “pranks.”  —  From Atlanta to Los Angeles, no arena has been safe …

US Air Force to deny retirement pay to transgender service members being separated from the service  —  The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it would deny all transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years the option to retire early and would instead separate them without retirement benefits.

Trump Turns the Screws on the Fortune 500 … Shares of Intel, the semiconductor manufacturer, tanked today after Donald Trump called on the company's CEO to resign because of his past business dealings in China.  —  It's too early to make any assessments about the president's claims about CEO Lip-Bu Tan …

Trump doubles reward to $50 million for arrest of Venezuela's president to face US drug charges  —  The Trump administration is doubling to $50 million a reward for the arrest of Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of being one of the world's largest narco-traffickers …

Exclusive: India pauses plans to buy U.S. arms after Trump's tariffs  —  New Delhi has put on hold its plans to procure new U.S. weapons and aircraft, according to three Indian officials familiar with the matter, in India's first concrete sign of discontent after tariffs imposed on its exports …

Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking  —  By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to improve the process of Federal grantmaking while ending offensive waste of tax dollars, it is hereby ordered:  —  Section 1.  Purpose.

Xi Tells Putin He's Glad to See Attempt at Improving US Ties  —  Chinese President Xi Jinping is glad to see the US and Russia talking, he told Vladimir Putin in a phone conversation on Friday.  —  Xi set out China's position on Ukraine to the Russian leader, describing it as a set …

A Legal Standoff in the Lone Star State  —  Can Gov. Abbott compel their return or remove them from office?  And what the heck is a “quo warranto” action, anyway?  —  annabower.bsky.social  —  Meet The Authors … A bitter political and legal battle is unfolding in Texas.

Behind the Dem U-turn on redistricting  —  IN TODAY'S EDITION:  — Dems used to be anti-gerrymandering.  Not anymore.  — Díaz-Balart confident ahead of funding fight  — GOP fears Dem hardball on ACA credits  —  Democrats are making a full U-turn on redistricting.

Donald Trump hosts historic peace summit between Armenia and Azerbaijan  —  After almost four decades of bitter conflict, Baku and Yerevan might finally settle for peace in the region.  —  Donald Trump is hosting the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the White House on Friday …

How the Right Shaped the Debate Over the Sydney Sweeney Ads  —  Right-wing commentators suggested there was widespread criticism of Ms. Sweeney over her new ad campaign.  There wasn't, at least at first.  —  To hear Vice President JD Vance tell it, the Democratic Party has a serious Sydney Sweeney problem.

Donald Trump Orders Crackdown on Politically Motivated ‘Debanking’  —  In a new executive order, the US president has called on federal regulators to investigate and punish banks for alleged discrimination against conservatives and certain types of business.

Satellite images show Israel building up forces for a possible ground invasion of Gaza, sources say  —  The buildup comes during a tense time for the U.S. and Israel after Trump and Netanyahu's last private phone conversation devolved into shouting over humanitarian aid.

Google says it's working on a fix for Gemini's self-loathing ‘I am a failure’ comments  — Google Gemini users said it's sharing some disturbing messages.  — One screenshot showed the chatbot saying, “I'm am a failure.”  — Google DeepMind's Logan Kilpatrick blamed an “annoying infinite looping bug.”

Scientists decry Trump energy chief's plan to ‘update’ climate reports: ‘Exactly what Stalin did’  —  Ex-fossil fuel executive Chris Wright said administration is reviewing national assessments made by past governments  —  The US energy secretary, Chris Wright, is facing growing criticism …

White House Did Have Secret Talks on Epstein Crisis  —  FLIP-FLOP-FLIP  —  Trump had forced JD Vance to deny that a meeting was taking place.  —  Turns out the Trump administration really did huddle behind closed doors to talk about the Jeffrey Epstein files, despite JD Vance's public denial.

Trump's Confederacy rises again  —  🗣️ Paid subscribers keep Public Notice free.  If you appreciate our fiercely independent coverage of American politics, please sign up and support us.  👇  —  🎯 Subscribe to PN 🎯  —  Last Friday, Donald Trump responded …

Veterans' Care at Risk Under Trump as Hundreds of Doctors and Nurses Reject Working at VA Hospitals  —  Amid concerns about the stability of the agency, records show nearly 40% of the doctors offered jobs at the VA from January through March of this year turned them down …

MAGA world swallows a difficult truth: Arresting Trump's opponents is easier said than done … It's a familiar refrain for Trump's second term: The far right lusts to see prominent Democrats or Trump adversaries hauled off in handcuffs, only to be let down when their revenge fantasies run into reality.

Gina Carano, Disney Settle Legal Dispute Over ‘Mandalorian’ Firing: ‘We Look Forward to Identifying Opportunities to Work Together in the Future’  —  Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company have reached a mutual agreement in their legal dispute with Gina Carano following her firing from “The Mandalorian.”

Judge orders temporary halt to construction at Florida's ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center  —  A federal judge on Thursday ordered a temporary halt to construction at an immigration detention center — built in the middle of the Florida Everglades and dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” …

Alan Dershowitz once again denied pierogi as Martha's Vineyard residents chant ‘time to go’  —  'I am very surprised that you're here because of the things that you've been saying about us and the business online,' the pierogi vendor told Alan Dershowitz on Wednesday.

Trump orders federal law enforcement to patrol DC  —  Federal law enforcement officers will patrol the streets of Washington, D.C., for the next seven days, the White House announced on Thursday.  —  The enhanced federal presence will begin at midnight.  It will be led by the U.S. Park Police …

The White House has a preferred alternative to PBS.  It may already be in countless classrooms.  —  The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced last week that it would shut down after Congress voted to claw back over $500 million of federal funding from the organization.

Carville: Democrats have to add states, expand Supreme Court to ‘save democracy’  —  Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville on Thursday suggested Democrats should add two states to the country and expand the Supreme Court in order to “save democracy.”  —  “They are just going to have …

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Democratizes Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors  —  EXPANDING INVESTMENT CHOICES FOR 401(K) PLANS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to allow 401(k) investors to access alternative assets for better returns and diversification.

More heads roll at FBI … Many of those purged have been targeted due to their roles in the FBI's investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.  The vast probe involved agents, analysts and technical experts across the country.  —  After Trump returned to office in January …

On Vaccines, Kennedy Has Broken Sharply With the Mainstream  —  While many officials and scientists embrace other parts of the secretary's agenda, his stance on vaccines is alienating allies who fear a public health crisis.  —  Even before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took office in February …

Mass arrests, purges, show trials, our very own homegrown Gulag: Is this the U.S.A. or the Soviet Union?  —  Silly me.  All this time I thought the director of the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was a bald man who wore little round glasses and was named Lavrentiy Beria.