Furious Trump's Firing of Fed's Lisa Cook May Be About to Backfire  —  To execute his authoritarian takeover, President Donald Trump requires the devoted service of willing accomplices.  He needs loyalists in strategic positions who will bend or break the law to carry out his designs …

DOGE Put Critical Social Security Data at Risk, Whistle-Blower Says  —  DOGE team members uploaded a database with the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans to a vulnerable cloud server, according to the agency's chief data officer.  —  Members of the Department …

Democrat Catelin Drey wins Iowa Senate special election, breaking Republican supermajority  —  Democrat Catelin Drey has pulled off a victory in a special election for the Iowa Senate, flipping a Republican-held seat and breaking the GOP's supermajority in the chamber for the first time in three years.

She Pushed to Overturn Trump's Loss in the 2020 Election.  Now She'll Help Oversee U.S. Election Security.  —  ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.  Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they're published.  —  Heather Honey, a high-profile denier …

FEMA employees put on leave after criticizing Trump administration in open letter  —  About 180 current and former FEMA staffers sent a letter on Monday to members of Congress and other officials protesting the agency's leadership and direction.  —  The Trump administration placed …

Trump Plays Reality Television Host at Cabinet Meeting That Lasts Hours  —  As hours ticked by, President Trump played reality television host — “This has never been done before!”  — as his cabinet members offered praise.  It was a glimpse of how he runs his presidency.

Vanity Fair staff erupt in fury over proposed Melania Trump cover with foul-mouthed meltdown  —  Raging Vanity Fair employees have vowed to quit their jobs and work at a supermarket if First Lady Melania Trump is granted a spot on its cover.  —  'I will walk out the motherf***ing door …

National Guard members activated for DC federal takeover seen picking-up trash  — National Guard members were seen picking up trash near the White House Tuesday morning.  — Officials say it's part of a broader beautification mission tied to the federal “D.C. Takeover.”

Trump signs proclamation commemorating Abbey Gate attack anniversary with Gold Star families  —  Trump was surrounded by Gold Star families during the White House ceremony honoring 13 fallen service members  —  President Donald Trump on Monday signed a proclamation commemorating the anniversary …

Trump Has Forced Out Nearly 10% Of The Federal Workforce  —  “We're seeing the arson of our government,” warned Max Stier of Partnership for Public Service, which has been tracking people's lost jobs since January.  —  WASHINGTON - More than 199,000 federal workers have left their jobs …

Democracy watchdog sues for files on Trump-Epstein relationship  —  The nonpartisan Democracy Defenders Fund has filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department over the agency's refusal to release documents from the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that mention President Trump and his Mar-a-Lago residence.

Trump's Unconstitutional Plan to Penalize States that Allow Cashless Bail  —  President Trump recently issued an executive order directing the Justice Department to penalize jurisdictions that allow cashless bail, by withholding federal funds from them:

Democrats' Deep Divide on Gaza, Israel Boils Over at Party Meeting  —  Democratic National Committee debates issue that threatens midterm election unity  —  MINNEAPOLIS—A debate Tuesday at the Democratic National Committee's summer meeting exposed a growing rift over U.S. policy toward Israel …

Israeli military says strikes on Gaza hospital targeted a Hamas camera, without providing evidence  —  The Israeli military said Tuesday that its double strike on a Gaza hospital that killed 20 people targeted what it believed was a Hamas surveillance camera.

Exxon Held Secret Talks With Rosneft About Going Back to Russia  —  Resuming business in Russia would mark a dramatic rapprochement after Exxon's messy breakup with Moscow when Putin attacked Ukraine in 2022  —  After huddling with President Trump in Alaska, President Vladimir Putin told reporters Russia …

Civil rights groups file lawsuit to halt new Texas map  —  The NAACP and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed a lawsuit on Tuesday alleging that a new congressional map passed in Texas violates the Voting Rights Act.  —  The lawsuit alleges that Texas racially gerrymandered …

Donald Trump's Big Gay Government … The Washington Monument as seen from the Ned, a private club where many Trump officials socialize.Caroline Gutman for The New York Times  —  It was the last Wednesday in July, and many of Washington's top players were hanging out at the Ned, a private club around the corner from the White House.

Gates Foundation Quietly Cuts Ties With Firm Linked to Democrats  —  Officials made no mention of politics in cutting ties with a network of nonprofit funds, but Bill Gates has made other moves to insulate the charity from political pressures.  —  America's largest charitable foundation …

Trump privately presses top Indiana Republicans to redistrict during White House meeting … “It feels like the tide is starting to turn as Indiana Republican legislators are starting to understand they can deliver a huge win that Trump and his team will not forget,” said one Hoosier Republican who was in the lager meeting.

Thinking Outside the Box; Getting Creative  —  Two ideas I heard from TPM Readers today:  —  The first is from TPM Reader BT, who recommends that big cities hold military occupation referendums.  Needless to say these would not constrain President Trump.  But they would make clear what the population of the city wants.

Trump's law enforcement surge is alienating DC residents, senior officers say  —  A pair of senior Washington, D.C., police commanders acknowledged Tuesday that the ongoing federal law enforcement surge in the nation's capital is alienating the population and damaging community relationships that will have to be mended in the future.

How Former Biden Officials Defend Their Gaza Policy  —  The former President's support for Israel abetted a humanitarian catastrophe.  But Jacob Lew, who served as U.S. Ambassador to the country, still thinks that the Trump White House could learn from its predecessor.

A Teen Was Suicidal.  ChatGPT Was the Friend He Confided In. … A photograph of Adam Raine taken not long before his death.  His baby blanket, which his mother found in his bed, hangs over a corner.  Mark Abramson for The New York Times  —  When Adam Raine died in April at age 16, some of his friends did not initially believe it.

Judge says Cuomo can't prolong court battle with accuser to ‘resurrect his public image’  —  A judge rejected former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's attempt to prolong a taxpayer-funded court battle with a woman who accused him of sexual assault, saying it wasn't in the public's interest …

Cracker Barrel scraps new logo after outrage from customers, Trump … Cracker Barrel Old Country Store will scrap its controversial rebranding plan, the company announced Tuesday.  —  “We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel.  We said we would listen, and we have.

California Republican leader calls for a ‘two state solution’ amid redistricting battle … SACRAMENTO, California — The top Republican in the California Assembly will propose splitting the state in two amid the state's feud over redistricting, calling his proposal a ""two state solution.

Trump officials discussing ownership stakes in defense firms, Lutnick says  —  The commerce secretary said there is a “monstrous discussion” among administration officials about making deals similar to what the president announced with Intel this week.  —  just now

Trump's hand bruise renews attention to his health — and his heart  —  The White House has pointed in part to the use of aspirin to treat a common condition  —  President Trump's bruised hand and his apparent use of makeup to cover the discolored patch of skin have renewed attention …

Meet the Trump appointee apparently maintaining ‘unheard of’ ties to Tesla  —  The Trump appointee heading a government technology unit at the General Services Administration is on an “unpaid leave of absence” from Tesla — where he's worked as an engineer — while working for the government.