Hegseth, with White House help, tries to distance himself from boat strike fallout  —  As Congress vows accountability, the Trump administration emphasized it was a top military commander — not the defense secretary — who directed the engagement. … Officials in Congress and the Pentagon …

Why Republicans are sweating Tuesday's special election in Trump country  —  The surprisingly competitive race in Tennessee's ruby-red 7th Congressional District is a high-profile test of voters' attitudes about the president's agenda.  —  just now … Republicans are looking to hang …

Costco sues the Trump administration, seeking a refund of tariffs  —  The wholesaler is the latest company to file a lawsuit against a federal agency over the president's signature economic policy.  —  Costco Wholesale has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration …

Pardon the Corruption  —  Before you read on: Can We Still Govern? is part of a network of substacks that are encouraging you to donate to GiveDirectly this Giving Tuesday.  You can read more about their work here but the bottom line is that they efficiently generate a big positive impact for people in real need.

Mandela Barnes jumps into crowded race for Wisconsin governor … But Barnes' entrance is not expected to clear the primary field, like it did in his 2022 Senate primary, several Wisconsin Democrats said.  A half-dozen Democrats are already vying to replace Evers, including Milwaukee County …

DOGE Isn't Dead.  Here's What Its Operatives Are Doing Now  —  Contrary to popular reports, DOGE has “burrowed into the agencies like ticks,” government sources tell WIRED.  —  To one member of Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency, the last few months have been “crazy.”

The U.S. Is Funding Fewer Grants in Every Area of Science and Medicine  —  A quiet policy change means the government is making fewer bets on long-term science. … Includes new grants and competitive grant renewals.  In 2025 dollars.  —  To spend its budget, the N.I.H. made an unusual number …

Witkoff arrives in Moscow for crunch Putin talks  —  U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow Tuesday for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to attempt to persuade the latter to end the war in Ukraine.  —  Witkoff has been in the center of a media storm after Bloomberg published …

Olivia Nuzzi's Tell-Nothing Memoir  —  Can American Canto turn scandal into literature?  —  one of the many delights of America is that its geography is also a vocabulary.  If I say “Portland, Oregon,” or “the Hamptons,” or “Appalachia,” the reader knows instantly which stereotypes are being invoked …

Trump promised a San Francisco crime crackdown.  His administration did the opposite.  —  U.S. President Donald Trump vowed this year to flood San Francisco with federal agents - and even soldiers - to crack down on crime.  Instead, his administration has quietly taken law enforcement away …

US air travelers without REAL IDs will be charged a $45 fee  —  Air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID will be charged a $45 fee beginning in February, the Transportation Security Administration announced Monday.  —  The updated ID has been required since May, but passengers without …

Trump Administration Fires 8 Immigration Judges in New York  —  The firings, part of a nationwide effort, felt “like a Monday afternoon massacre,” said one judge who lost her job last month.  —  The Trump administration fired eight immigration judges in New York City on Monday, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

Judge weighs evidence as Mangione hearing enters high-stakes phase  —  This recording was made using enhanced software.  —  Summary  —  Mangione in court  —  Accused UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter Luigi Mangione will be in court again Tuesday as a judge weighs whether to allow certain evidence to be used in his trial.

The American Revolution I Didn't Know  —  We all heard in school about the Boston Tea Party, the Declaration of Independence, the grit that created our nation.  But The American Revolution, the latest and hopefully not last PBS production from Ken Burns, is provocative in unexpected ways.

She might be Trump's favorite Democrat … Whitmer's decision to work with the White House stands in stark contrast to potential 2028 rivals such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who have both repeatedly criticized the president as a tyrant and his administration as a threat to American democracy.

How Trump's on-again, off-again Nasa appointee emerged from a political black hole  —  Trump's renomination of billionaire astronaut Jared Isaacman is a tale of politics, ambition and vanity  —  It used to be that once your star had fallen in Donald Trump's orbit, it was destined never to rise again.

Noem reveals sweeping travel ban plan after meeting with Trump  —  Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said after meeting with President Trump on Monday that she's recommending a travel ban on multiple countries in connection with criminal activity in the U.S.