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. …

More Texas Democrats plan to spend the night in the statehouse in protest amid redistricting fight  —  After fleeing the state over redistricting legislation, Democratic lawmakers had to agree to have security escorts in order to leave the chamber.  Now, a number are refusing.

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.

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:

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

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …