This is how Trump ends democracy  —  The past week has revealed Trump's policy road map to veto one-party rule.  Will Americans let him follow it? … I mean this literally.  The specific threats that Federal Communications Commission head Brendan Carr made against networks …

Cruz calls out FCC for taking down Jimmy Kimmel  —  Sen. Ted Cruz on his podcast Friday admonished Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr for demanding ABC suspend Jimmy Kimmel's late night show over comments regarding Charlie Kirk — calling Carr's actions “dangerous as hell” …

Senate confirms former Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz as U.N. ambassador  —  Waltz's confirmation also comes just days before world leaders are set to gather for the annual U.N. General Assembly in New York amid multiple major conflicts.  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate …

Draft Bill Would Authorize Trump to Wage Drug Trafficking War  —  The potential legislation would grant President Trump sweeping power to use military force if he saw a link to “narco-terrorists.”  —  Draft legislation is circulating at the White House and on Capitol Hill …

Russian fighter jets breach Estonian airspace near Tallinn  —  Russian MiG-31s flew into Estonian airspace before Italian jets were scrambled to intercept them.  —  Three Russian fighter jets flew into Estonian airspace on Friday in what would appear to be the third attempt by the Kremlin this month to test NATO's eastern border.

Pessimism about the direction of the country is growing among Republicans  —  Forty-nine percent of Republicans say things in the United States are heading the right direction down from 75% in June. … Since June, the share of adults who say the country is on the wrong track increased 13 percentage points from 62% to 75%.

RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine panel realizes it has no idea what it's doing, skips vote … The second day of a two-day meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices—a panel currently made up of federal vaccine advisors hand-selected by anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. …

Judge Dismisses Trump's Lawsuit Against The New York Times  —  The judge said that the complaint failed to contain a “short and plain statement of the claim.”  Mr. Trump has 28 days to refile.  —  A federal judge in Florida on Friday threw out President Trump's defamation suit …

At Broadview ICE facility, federal agents hurl tear gas and pepper spray at protesters blocking vans  —  Federal agents hurled tear gas and pepper spray into a crowd of about 100 protesters who attempted to block vans from entering and exiting a U.S. Immigration and Customs holding facility in Broadview Friday morning.

Trump to Add $100,000 Fee to H-1B Visas  —  The move, expected as soon as Friday, would upend a program for foreign workers that the president says tech companies overuse  —  WASHINGTON—President Trump plans to add a $100,000 fee to H-1B visa applications in the administration's latest crackdown …

Children's Hospital Chaplain Jailed by Trump Admin Finally Released  —  Ayman Soliman, a beloved former children's hospital chaplain in the Cincinnati area, was released on Friday … Just before 1:15 p.m. on Friday, Adam Allen — one of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital chaplains who was fired …

House Oversight chair says committee has Epstein files from Treasury  —  Rep. James Comer, chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said Friday his panel had begun receiving materials from the Treasury Department as part of its investigation into the agency's handling of the case against Jeffrey Epstein.

Most Americans critical of Trump on crime, economy and other issues, poll finds  —  The Post-Ipsos survey paints a downbeat picture of Trump's presidency, as Americans disapprove of his performance by double-digit margins on a broad range of issues.  —  Just now

The S.E.C. Drops Efforts to Recoup Funds From Trump Clemency Recipients  —  Devon Archer, Trevor Milton and Carlos Watson were convicted in fraud schemes totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.  Now, they will not be required to pay back victims.  —  The Securities and Exchange Commission …

AOC builds toward a big choice for 2028  —  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and her team are positioning her to run for president or the U.S. Senate in 2028, according to people familiar with her operation. … A fellow New Yorker, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, 74, is up for re-election in 2028.

Weighted vest women are the 2026 swing voters … Matthews' wanted answers to two simple questions: How many women were wearing weighted vests?  And what were their politics?  So she commissioned a poll of 1,000 women across the U.S., the results of which she shared exclusively with POLITICO.