Why Trump deserves credit for his Ukraine push — and why it may all fall apart  —  It was the best day Ukraine has had in a very long time.  But it's still hard to see how the war unleashed by Russia's brutal invasion ends any time soon.  —  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited …

Justice Department investigating D.C. police over alleged fake crime data  —  President Donald Trump confirmed the existence of the probe on social media, saying the city is “under serious investigation.”  —  The Justice Department is investigating whether Washington, D.C. …

In Pursuing Trump Rival, Weaponization Czar Sidesteps Justice Dept. Norms  —  Edward R. Martin Jr.'s conduct is part of a pattern in which top administration officials try to use the vast powers of the government to cast the specter of criminality on President Trump's enemies.

Texas Democratic legislator to stay in State Capitol after refusing law enforcement escort to leave  —  State Rep. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth said she will remain locked in the Austin statehouse chamber until the House reconvenes Wednesday morning.  —  First, Texas House Democrats refused …

DC National Guard members actively training to carry pistols in capitol mission  —  If you want to support The Handbasket's 100% independent journalism, become a paid subscriber or leave a tip.  —  Sig Sauger P320 pistol  —  The DC National Guard is making sure all members have the requisite training …

Fascist Secret Police Cars  —  The next president should spend his first weekend feeding ICE into the wood chipper.  —  ∙ Paid  —  1. Car Talk  —  ICE has some new cars.  They are cartoonishly fascist.  Behold the Department of Homeland Security's hype video announcement:

The Race to Rescue PBS and NPR Stations … Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, the president and chief executive of the Knight Foundation.Moriah Ratner for The New York Times  —  In June, on the eve of a House vote to strip $500 million in federal funding from public radio and TV stations …

Trump budget officials claim sweeping spending power from Congress, records show  —  Russell Vought, the White House budget director and architect of Project 2025, would have vast authority to approve or block billions in federal spending, the records show.  —  The Trump administration …

Dan Bongino Suffers Fresh Embarrassment After Epstein Files Tantrum  —  NEW TITLE, WORSE TITLE  —  The FBI's deputy director had sparred with Pam Bondi over the administration's backtrack on the Epstein files.  —  Dan Bongino will soon be sharing duties as co-deputy director of the FBI with Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.

FDA Advises Public Not to Eat, Sell, or Serve Certain Imported Frozen Shrimp from an Indonesian Firm  —  Frozen shrimp imported from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati is in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act.  FDA's investigation is ongoing. … Current Update  —  August 19, 2025

Why Did Shari Redstone Do It? … Photography: Shari Redstone: Bloomberg.  Paramount tower: Stella Kalinina for The New York Times.  Brendan Carr, “Late Show” sign, Stephen Colbert, David Ellison, Scott Pelley and Sumner Redstone: Getty Images.  Federal Trade Commission: Associated Press.

Cuomo's seeking a Trump bump  —  Andrew Cuomo's counting on President Donald Trump and top Republicans to tell the party faithful to vote for Cuomo for mayor if they want to stop Zohran Mamdani, and not to vote for GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa.  —  “We can minimize (the Sliwa) vote …

Trump administration revokes security clearances of 37 current and former government officials  —  The Trump administration has ordered the revocation of the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials, including some who worked on the intelligence community's assessment …

Don't listen to centrist Democrats about crime  —  Public Notice is reader funded.  Support us by becoming a paid subscriber 👇  —  ✍️ Subscribe to PN ✍️  —  If President Trump installed a guillotine where the White House Rose Garden used to be and started kidnapping …

Harvard hiring investigation could upend employment practices for institutions well beyond academia  —  The Trump administration has fixated on everything from college admissions to student discipline as part of its pressure campaign to remake Harvard University.

The Playbook Used to ‘Prove’ Vaccines Cause Autism  —  The health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., says he wants to understand what causes autism.  It's a perfectly laudable goal and one that scientists have been pursuing for decades.  But after announcing a large new federal study on the topic …

The Situation: Then the Law Is an Ass  —  A municipal law the D.C. Council should consider amending  —  benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org  —  Meet The Authors  —  Published by The Lawfare Institute in Cooperation With  —  The Situation on Saturday described my run-in with federal law …