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. …

Fort Worth Rep. Nicole Collier refuses to leave Texas House, protesting state trooper escorts  —  AUSTIN — A Fort Worth lawmaker said on Monday that she can't leave the Texas House chambers because she won't agree to round-the-clock monitoring by state troopers, which the GOP speaker is requiring of Democrats who fled the state.

White House eyes Budapest for peace talks with Zelenskyy and Putin … While the Secret Service often scouts multiple locations and the ultimate venue could change, Budapest is emerging as a first choice for the White House, said the two people, both granted anonymity to discuss private conversations.

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 …

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

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 …

Jeanine Pirro bragged about helping Trump and GOP while a Fox News host  —  The former Fox host complained of “CENSORSHIP” by Fox over her coverage of the 2020 election, according to newly unredacted documents in the Smartmatic defamation case.  —  Jeanine Pirro, then a weekend host on Fox News …

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:

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.

Trump tariffs and green energy rollbacks push household electricity bills up 10%  —  US energy secretary said energy prices could hurt GOP in midterms, but blamed Democrats for price increases  —  Household electricity bills have increased by 10% since Donald Trump re-entered the White House …

Yosemite Employee Fired After Flying Trans Pride Flag  —  Shannon “SJ” Joslin says they were fired for exercising freedom of speech.  —  A federal employee of Yosemite National Park was fired last week after flying a large transgender pride flag from a prominent natural feature.

Trump Wants to Paint Border Wall Black So It's Too Hot to Touch  —  President Donald Trump has ordered the entire southern border wall to be painted black to stop migrants from crossing because it'll be too hot to touch, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Trump escalates attacks against Smithsonian museums, says there's too much focus on ‘how bad slavery was’  —  President Donald Trump escalated his campaign to purge cultural institutions of materials that conflict with his political directives on Tuesday, alleging museums were too focused …

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 …

Detentions of D.C. delivery drivers leave immigrant communities on edge … Washington, D.C., resident Tyler DeSue woke up tired and craving breakfast Saturday morning, so he did what many people in that situation would do: He used Uber Eats to put in an order for burritos.

Elon Musk Pledged to Start a Political Party.  He Is Already Pumping the Brakes.  —  The billionaire has sought to maintain ties with JD Vance, a potential heir to Trump's MAGA political movement  —  The billionaire Elon Musk is quietly pumping the brakes on his plans to start a political party …

Election security advice from Putin  —  With help from Felicia Schwartz, Daniel Lippman and Nicole Markus  —  HELP US OUT: We want to know what you think about your favorite national security newsletter and how we deliver the news every day to your inbox!  Time is running out to complete our survey …

IRS broke rules in firing probationary employees, Treasury Department watchdog finds  —  The IRS broke its own rules when it fired thousands of employees earlier this year on the orders of the Trump administration, the Treasury Department's internal watchdog agency found last week.

Billionaires' Great 401(k) Fib  —  This is a web version of The Lever's daily email newsletter.  —  🔥 New in The Lever: One of Google's top executives praised the Trump administration for taking on the “climate extremist agenda.”  —  🎧 ICYMI on Lever Time …

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.

U.S. seeks equity stake in Intel, Commerce Secretary Lutnick says  —  The Trump administration wants a return on money the struggling semiconductor maker gets under the Biden-era CHIPS Act.  —  The U.S. government aims to take an equity stake in Intel, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Tuesday morning.

Is Trump's Hooters-Obsessed Ambassador Nominee Toning Down His Shtick?  —  NICK ADAMS, THE MASCULINITY HOBBYIST and naturalized immigrant from Australia whom President Donald Trump nominated to be U.S. ambassador to Malaysia, appears to be toning down his macho online persona as it grows likelier …

Adam Schiff forms legal defense fund … Trump specifically alleges that Schiff illicitly claimed his primary residence was Maryland for financial benefit, and his administration has tapped Ed Martin — now pardon attorney and director of DOJ's Weaponization Working Group — to oversee the matter.

‘I Want to Try and Get to Heaven’: Trump Gets Reflective on ‘Fox & Friends’ … President Trump at a White House Faith Office luncheon last month.Doug Mills/The New York Times  —  President Trump dialed into “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday morning and revealed his newest and truest motivation …

I've Seen What Happens When a Country Messes With Data.  America, Beware.  —  You can't run a country, or any organization, without reliable data, and firing the head of a statistics agency because you don't like the numbers it produces starts a path the United States does not want to go down.

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 …