Trump Directs Military to Target Foreign Drug Cartels … President Trump ordered the State Department to label drug cartels as terrorist organizations after taking office in January.Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times  —  President Trump has secretly signed a directive to the Pentagon …

DOJ opens investigation into New York AG's office that brought fraud case against Trump  —  Federal prosecutors for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York are in the early stages of a probe into Letitia James' office, sources tell NBC News.

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.

US and Russia Plan Truce to Cement Putin's Gains in Ukraine  —  Washington and Moscow are aiming to reach a deal to halt the war in Ukraine that would lock in Russia's occupation of territory seized during its military invasion, according to people familiar with the matter.

Veterans' Care at Risk Under Trump as Hundreds of Doctors and Nurses Reject Working at VA Hospitals  —  ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.  Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they're published.  —  Veterans hospitals are struggling …

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 …

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 …

American Nazis: The Aryan Freedom Network is riding high in Trump era  —  With Donald Trump's return to power, a neo-Nazi group buoyed by his rhetoric is expanding its reach and changing the face of white extremism in America.  Its leaders: a Texas couple, both born to Ku Klux Klan leaders.

‘He is completely upset’: Why Trump scrapped an India trade deal … Instead, Indian goods now face a 50 percent tariff after Trump hit the country with a 25 percent levy on its goods and then followed up with an additional 25 percent to dissuade it from buying Russian oil that was set to kick …

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.

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 …

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.”

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 is underwater on trade in 40 states  —  According to analysis of issue approval data in Strength In Numbers/Verasight polls  —  This week, Donald Trump put in place a fresh set of tariffs on imports from nearly 70 countries.  The new taxes range from 10 to 41%, and add to the tariffs …

DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (1:25-cv-02597)  —  District Court, District of Columbia  —  Add Note Get Alerts View on PACER  —  Citation: DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, 1:25-cv-02597, (D.D.C.)  —  Cause: 05:552 Freedom of Information Act

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 …

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.

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.

📺 Trump's TV-based crime wave hype  —  The Financial Times recently dubbed it “the great crime paradox:” Violent crime rates are falling, both in the US and the UK, “but a growing share of people think levels are rising.”  —  John Burn-Murdoch's piece asserts that “mounting public disorder” …

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.

E.P.A. to Stop Updating Popular Database After Lead Scientist Criticized Trump  —  The database, which helps companies calculate their greenhouse gas emissions, will continue under a consortium that includes Stanford University.  —  The Environmental Protection Agency said it would stop updating research …

Trump Tells Purple Heart Recipients: 'It Wasn't That Easy for Me Either'  —  THOSE BONE SPURS  —  The president, who avoided the Vietnam War draft, has been given multiple Purple Hearts by his supporters.  —  Donald Trump couldn't resist praising himself at a Purple Heart Day ceremony …

Trump's attempts to distance himself from the Epstein files are failing  —  The president has tried to distract from the Epstein story - but his ill-conceived Mar-a-Lago tale has undermined him  —  One of Trump's preternatural abilities is his apparent animal instinct to lie on the spot whenever he senses he might be cornered.

Canada courts Mexico as Trump escalates tariff fight  —  Canadian ministers push energy ties with Mexico ahead of thorny USMCA review … “It's no secret that Canada is an energy powerhouse and that we have the ability to supply energy to willing countries,” Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told POLITICO from Mexico City.

Canada's Girl Guides Suspend U.S. Trips Amid Trump's Immigration Crackdown  —  The organization, Canada's equivalent of the Girl Scouts, said it was pausing the trips out of safety concerns for its members.  —  The Girl Guides of Canada, the country's equivalent of the Girl Scouts …

No contempt for Trump officials over Venezuela deportations, appeals court rules  —  A U.S. appeals court overturned on Friday a lower court's ruling finding probable cause to hold Trump administration officials in contempt of court over their handling of the deportations of hundreds …

Biden-nominated judge slaps nationwide injunction on Trump birthright citizenship order  —  Judge Deborah Boardman rules executive order contradicts Fourteenth Amendment and Supreme Court precedent  —  A Biden-appointed federal judge issued a nationwide injunction on President Donald Trump's …

Nancy Mace Loses It After Being Fact-Checked to Her Face  —  TOTAL FREAKOUT  —  “You're a raging Democrat... a raging leftist with that kind of questioning!” she blasted.  —  A testy Nancy Mace had a meltdown at a town hall event, calling a reporter a “raging Democrat” …

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.

Kash Patel Is Cleaning House at the FBI, and It's Glorious  —  FBI Director Kash Patel is making the bold moves that the bureau desperately needed, cleaning house and rooting out the lingering partisan bad actors who have long compromised the agency's integrity.

US gold futures hit record high after Trump tariff blindsides global market  —  Unexpected levy from Trump administration could redraw trade in the metal, analysts and investors warn  —  US gold futures hit a record high on Friday after Donald Trump's administration blindsided …