President for Life … in the normal course of history, the president of the United States is a figure who inspires optimism in the American people.  The 47th president prefers to stir feelings of fear, vulnerability, hopelessness, and political inevitability—the sense that he, and only he, can rescue the nation from looming peril.

Texas Sues Tylenol Makers, Claiming They Hid Autism Risks  —  The lawsuit follows claims by President Trump that linked use by pregnant women of acetaminophen to autism, a connection that is unproven.  —  Ken Paxton, the Republican attorney general of Texas, sued the makers of Tylenol on Tuesday …

GOP-led Oversight Committee says Biden pardons signed by autopen are ‘void’ in final report  —  Former President Joe Biden experienced such “cognitive decline” while in office that it remains a serious question as to whether he was aware of the substance of the various pardons and commutations signed …

The Hunger Games Begin  —  40 million Americans are about to lose food stamps  —  There's a bodega around the corner from my apartment where I often make small purchases, especially fruit, vegetables and bread.  No, I'm not afraid to cross the street to buy bread.

‘Washington Post’ editorials omit a key disclosure: Bezos' financial ties  —  A year ago, in explaining why he had blocked the publication of an endorsement of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, Washington Post owner and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos conceded that …

US strikes more alleged drug vessels, killing 14 people, Hegseth says  —  The defense secretary said three strikes targeted four alleged drug boats.  —  Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is seen in the Oval Office of the White House as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte meets with President Donald Trump in Washington, October 22, 2025.

The Strategist's Fallacy in American politics  —  The average American voter does not think about politics the way elite strategists and pundits do  —  I was going to write today's post about social media, attention, and politics — specifically, why I think the increasing use …

Hegseth refuses to meet American troops with beards during South Korea trip: report  —  Secretary of War continues campaign against facial hair on Pacific tour  —  Your support helps us to tell the story  —  From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing.

Red states are preparing for an end to the Voting Rights Act … Were that portion of the VRA to be weakened or entirely invalidated by the court, it could open up the floodgates for redistricting, if not in time for 2026 than certainly for 2028.  —  In South Carolina, for example …

Trump appeals felony conviction citing Supreme Court immunity … Roughly a year later, he's still pushing to wipe away that historic conviction.  — A Manhattan jury convicted Trump in May of last year on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records tied to a hush-money payment …

A judge slammed Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem over ‘troubling’ remarks about Kilmar Abrego Garcia … Crenshaw said Noem violated the rule by declaring that Abrego is a “MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator.”  And the judge said Bondi ran afoul of the rule …

Trump CFPB Moves to Bar States From Wiping Medical Debt Off Credit Reports  —  The Trump administration is moving to undercut state-level efforts to wipe medical debt from Americans' credit reports, just as millions across the country are facing massive healthcare premium increases stemming …

Trump, 79, Gets Confused Explaining Water to the Navy  —  WATER DAMAGED  —  The president went on a baffling rant about the scientific properties of water on board the USS George Washington.  —  Donald Trump went on a deranged rant about the power of water to destroy magnets during …

Border Patrol's Bovino to face questioning after accusations of continued tear gas use in Chicago  —  Immigration agents deployed chemical agents in Chicago neighborhoods over the weekend as attorneys argue the actions violate a temporary restraining order against such tactics.

Hegseth Is Waging War Against the Laws of War  —  If you're still not sure whether the United States is at risk of sliding into authoritarianism, talk to some Americans who know all about the proper and improper uses of violence.  They are the men and women who are or were in the military's so-called Judge Advocate General's Corps.

Doctor Identifies Possible Reasons for Trump's Secret MRI  —  EXPERTS WEIGH IN  —  A neurological issue was the first possibility the doctor mentioned.  —  A prominent cardiologist believes President Donald Trump may have quietly had an MRI scan because he showed symptoms associated with a neurological issue.

Why Is Trump Autocracy Rising?  These Dems Have an Unnerving Answer. … As President Trump's consolidation of autocratic power gains steam, it's often been argued that the failures of liberal governance meaningfully helped to bring us to this moment.  In this reading, the Biden administration …

Elon Musk's Grokipedia Pushes Far-Right Talking Points  —  The new AI-powered Wikipedia competitor falsely claims that pornography worsened the AIDS epidemic and that social media may be fueling a rise in transgender people.  —  On Monday, Elon Musk's xAI startup launched Grokipedia …

Right-wing figures and Trump allies are calling for Trump to declare a “national emergency” to prevent supposed election fraud  —  Jerome Corsi has claimed he's been involved in drafting an executive order “to be implemented for the 2026 elections” … In March, Trump issued an executive order …

Trump plans to install Border Patrol officials to lead a more aggressive migrant crackdown  —  The White House has approved a list of ICE leaders to be replaced by Border Patrol officials in coming days amid disappointment with arrest numbers.  —  WASHINGTON — The Trump administration …

A Confederate statue toppled in Washington, D.C., in 2020 has been reinstalled  —  A statue of the Confederate general Albert Pike that was pulled down and set ablaze in Washington, D.C. in June 2020 during the Black Lives Matter movement has been renovated and reinstalled in Judiciary Square.

The road that led, 13 years later, to hearing: ‘Austin is dead’ … “The Americans drove through here,” the Syrian army guard said, pointing to a steep road behind him.  “I don't know where they headed, I'm not allowed up there.”  —  The barricaded road leads to a labyrinth …

Here's What Trump's Ballroom Donors Want  —  A comprehensive rundown of Prospect reporting on the companies that gave to Trump's monument to himself on the White House grounds  — Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email  —  The cost of Donald Trump's garish ballroom …

Donald Trump Confuses Dementia Screening for ‘Very Hard’ IQ Test as He Brags About Results  —  The president predicted that Democratic Reps. Jasmine Crockett and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could not perform as well as he did in a cognitive exam  — President Donald Trump seemed to refer …

The Republican Plan to Reform the Census Could Put Everyone's Privacy at Risk  —  A little-known algorithmic process called “differential privacy” helps keep census data anonymous.  Conservatives want it gone.  —  President Donald Trump and the Republican Party have spent the better part …

Il Duce Ha Sempre Ragione  —  We are bleary-eyed scribes this morning in the aftermath of last night's Game 3 between the Dodgers and the Blue Jays.  Okay, who are we trying to kid—we made it to inning 13.  And we're not apologizing for stopping there, since there were five more innings to go.

Inside the Trump family's global crypto cash machine  —  The U.S. president's family raked in more than $800 million from sales of crypto assets in the first half of 2025 alone, a Reuters examination found, on top of potentially billions more in unrealized “on paper” gains.

ICE Barbie Deports Trump-Fanatic Cuban Immigrant to Africa  —  PROMISES MADE...  MAGA devotee Roberto Mosquera thought Trump would unify the country.  Now he's 8,000 miles away.  —  Roberto Mosquera was once a self-proclaimed “super Trump supporter.”  Now, he's trapped in a maximum-security prison …

Duffy Warns of Worsening US Flight Delays as Paychecks Run Out  —  Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that flight delays could get worse as the US government shutdown enters its 28th day and air traffic controllers miss their first full paycheck.  —  “If we don't have enough controllers …

Trump Says He Is Prepared to Send ‘More Than the National Guard’ Into U.S. Cities  —  In a speech to American troops assembled in Japan on Tuesday, President Trump said he would escalate his orders to active duty branches of the military if he decides it is appropriate.