Top Items:
Washington Post:
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 …
RELATED:
Andrew Solender / Axios:
Jeffries says not to expect Dems to pursue Hegseth impeachment — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) signaled Monday that Democrats are unlikely to pursue impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over alleged follow-up strikes against boats in the Caribbean.
Discussion:
The Hill, Politico, MS NOW, Joe.My.God., twitchy.com, Zeteo, Breitbart, Mediaite and CBS News
Wall Street Journal:
White House Says Second Strike on Alleged Drug Boat Was Legal — Press secretary says admiral who ordered strike, which is reported to have killed survivors of initial attack, was acting under Hegseth's authority — WASHINGTON—The White House attempted to defuse a growing controversy …
Discussion:
PJ Media, Popular Information, The Hill, Al Jazeera, Mediaite, BBC, Meidas+, Steady, Reuters, The Intercept, The Post Millennial, Raw Story, Boston.com, Axios, New Republic, Plain Dealer, HuffPost, Reason, Bangor Daily News, NextDraft, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Examiner and ABC News
New York Times:
Hegseth Ordered a Lethal Attack but Not the Killing of Survivors, Officials Say — Amid talk of war crimes, the details and precise sequence of a Sept. 2 attack on a boat in the Caribbean are facing intensifying scrutiny. — The Trump administration on Monday defended the legality …
Discussion:
Townhall, HuffPost, HotAir, Wall Street Journal, Talking Points Memo, Politico, The Hill, Wonkette, New York Post, New Jersey Online, Associated Press, The Post Millennial, Just Security, RedState, The Philadelphia Inquirer, emptywheel, The Dispatch, Mediaite, LewRockwell, France 24, NBC News, CBS News, ABC News, New York Sun, The Daily Signal, The Dean's Report, Bloomberg, Semafor, New York Magazine, The American Conservative, The Mahablog and BBC, more at Mediagazer »
Seb Starcevic / Politico:
Franklin the Turtle publisher slams Hegseth for ‘violent’ boat strike post … “Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity,” the publisher Kids Can Press wrote in a statement on X.
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Independent, Joe.My.God., Fox News, CBS News, twitchy.com, Raw Story, Newsweek, NewsMax.com, New Jersey Online and TMZ.com
Leo Sands / Washington Post:
‘Franklin the Turtle’ publisher slams Hegseth post joking about boat strike
Discussion:
The Senate Democratic Caucus, Mediaite and Axios
Brett Samuels / The Hill:
Republicans show new signs of independence from Trump
Republicans show new signs of independence from Trump
Discussion:
Raw Story, USA Today, Reuters, Al Jazeera, Associated Press, The Independent, Straight Arrow News, Newsweek and Axios
Raquel Coronell Uribe / NBC News:
Publisher condemns ‘violent’ use of Franklin the Turtle after Pete Hegseth's boat strike post
Publisher condemns ‘violent’ use of Franklin the Turtle after Pete Hegseth's boat strike post
Discussion:
The Hill, New Republic and Washington Examiner
Greg Sargent / New Republic:
Trump Boat Bombings Suddenly on Shakier Ground as Damning Info Emerges
Trump Boat Bombings Suddenly on Shakier Ground as Damning Info Emerges
Discussion:
Time, Axios, Associated Press, Defense One, Washington Examiner, The Independent, Fox News, The Hill, Washington Times, Raw Story, NOTUS and Mediaite
Filip Timotija / NewsNation:
Pressure grows on Hegseth amid boat strike fallout
Pressure grows on Hegseth amid boat strike fallout
Discussion:
Axios, Washington Examiner, New York Times, The Hill, Joe.My.God., New Republic, The Guardian, RedState, Mediaite, Raw Story, National Review, Washington Times, The Independent, Scripps News and Newsweek
New York Times:
Former President of Honduras Is Freed From Prison After Trump Pardon — Juan Orlando Hernández was accused of flooding the United States with cocaine and had been sentenced to 45 years in prison. — President Trump formally pardoned former President Juan Orlando Hernández …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Esquire, Reuters, KDFX-TV, PolitiFact, The Hill and Media Matters for America
RELATED:
New York Times:
Trump Administration Live Updates: Honduran Ex-President Is Freed From Prison After Pardon — Where Things Stand — Honduras: The lawyer for Juan Orlando Hernández, a former president of Honduras who had been convicted in the United States of drug trafficking charges …
Discussion:
New Republic
Sascha Roslyakov / Politico:
Witkoff arrives in Moscow for crunch Putin talks
Discussion:
New York Times, Scripps News, Reuters, Le Monde, NBC News, Washington Times, France 24, Associated Press, Fox News, Al Jazeera, The Moscow Times, Bloomberg, NewsMax.com, CBS News, Semafor, Fortune, The Guardian and CNBC
Barak Ravid / Axios:
Witkoff and Kushner arrive to meet Putin to discuss Ukraine peace plan
Witkoff and Kushner arrive to meet Putin to discuss Ukraine peace plan
Discussion:
New York Post, CBS News, France 24, New York Times, Daily Mail, ABC News and Al Jazeera
Zachary Basu / Axios:
Trump wields pardons as purest form of power
Trump wields pardons as purest form of power
Discussion:
New York Times, Salon, Politico, American Prospect, The Moderate Voice, Deseret News, New Republic and Raw Story
Marc Caputo / Axios:
Scoop: The letter behind Trump's pardon of Honduras' ex-president for drug trafficking
Scoop: The letter behind Trump's pardon of Honduras' ex-president for drug trafficking
Discussion:
CBS News, Al Jazeera, The Gateway Pundit, BBC, Grabien, Washington Examiner, Mediaite and HuffPost
Don Moynihan / Can We Still Govern?:
Pardon the Corruption — Before you read on: Can We Still Govern? is part of a network …
Pardon the Corruption — Before you read on: Can We Still Govern? is part of a network …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The.Ink and Raw Story
Dan Merica / Washington Post:
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 …
Discussion:
New York Post, WSMV-TV, USA Today, Associated Press, Raw Story, KVIA-TV, NewsMax.com, IJR, CBS News, Roll Call, The Daily Wire, ABC News, Washington Times, Newsweek, Wall Street Journal and New York Times
RELATED:
Oriana González / NOTUS:
Even Ahead of the Tennessee Special Election, Democrats Feel Bullish About Competing in Red Areas
Discussion:
Time, Politico, Washington Examiner, Raw Story, Jewish Insider and Newsweek
Washington Post:
The redistricting warning in Tennessee's special election
The redistricting warning in Tennessee's special election
Discussion:
Newsweek and The Independent
The Downballot:
Morning Digest: Why Republicans are sweating a special election they shouldn't have to worry about
New York Times:
Can Democrats Flip a Deep-Red Seat? Special Elections Often See Big Swings.
Can Democrats Flip a Deep-Red Seat? Special Elections Often See Big Swings.
Discussion:
Public Notice, NPR, The Hill, DNYUZ, The Liberal Patriot and PoliticusUSA
Owen Auston-Babcock / NBC News:
Republicans work to defend a deep-red House district in expensive Tennessee special election
Republicans work to defend a deep-red House district in expensive Tennessee special election
Discussion:
Punchbowl News, LGBTQ Nation, The Guardian, Raw Story, HuffPost, NewsMax.com, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Wire, New Republic, Salon, Axios, The Hill and Washington Examiner
Politico:
Senate barrels toward failure on health care
Senate barrels toward failure on health care
Discussion:
The Hill, NOTUS, New York Daily News, NewsMax.com and Roll Call
NBC News:
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 …
RELATED:
Wired:
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.”
Michelle Goldberg / New York Times:
Olivia Nuzzi Isn't Telling All — One thing I almost respect about “American Canto,” Olivia Nuzzi's chaotic and elliptical new book about the simultaneous implosions of her life and of America, is that she doesn't pander. The former Washington correspondent for New York magazine …
Discussion:
New Yorker, New York Post, Althouse and Mediaite
RELATED:
Helen Lewis / The Atlantic:
Olivia Nuzzi's Tell-Nothing Memoir
Olivia Nuzzi's Tell-Nothing Memoir
Discussion:
New York Times, The Nation, New York Post and Page Six
Ana Ley / New York Times:
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.
Discussion:
New York Post, ABC News, The Post Millennial and The Gateway Pundit
Elena Schneider / Politico:
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 …
Discussion:
New York Times, The Hill, Fox News, Townhall and Wisconsin Watch
RELATED:
Adam Edelman / NBC News:
Democrat Mandela Barnes launches bid for Wisconsin governor
Democrat Mandela Barnes launches bid for Wisconsin governor
Discussion:
FOX6 News Milwaukee, Associated Press and The Boston Globe
Irena Hwang / New York Times:
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 …
Ben Blanchet / HuffPost:
Trump Launches Into Massive, Unhinged Late Night Posting Spree — The president made over 160 posts and reshares in just a matter of hours including one “WILD” claim from far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. — President Donald Trump on Monday launched into a late night meltdown …
Discussion:
Joe.My.God. and Raw Story
Kelly Rissman / The Independent:
Trump's wild midnight Truth Social posting binge features over 150 messages ranging from treason to beautiful Melania — Despite his hour-long posting spree that ended around midnight, the president was back at it just before 6 a.m. Tuesday morning … President Donald Trump went …
Discussion:
New Jersey Online, Raw Story and Mediaite
RELATED:
Jason Wilson / The Guardian:
Pete Hegseth told US soldiers in Iraq to ignore legal advice on rules of engagement — Defense secretary shares anecdote in The War on Warriors and rails against ‘rules and regulations’ governing war — Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, told soldiers under his command in Iraq …
Discussion:
The Parnas Perspective
Rebecca Falconer / Axios:
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.
Discussion:
New York Times, CBS News, Fox News, Scripps News, The Guardian, RedState, KDFX-TV, NBC News, Skift, The Independent, The Hill, New York Post, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, The Daily Wire, IJR and NewsMax.com
Brad Heath / Reuters:
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 …
Spencer Ackerman / FOREVER WARS:
Pete Hegseth And Adm. Mitch Bradley Belong In Prison — MORE THAN a decade ago, Adm. Eric Olson, then the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), warned that his elite forces were “fraying around the edges.” It had already been nearly a decade of relentless deployment across …
Discussion:
New Yorker and The Guardian
Mark Gongloff / Bloomberg:
Erasing a Home's Risks on Zillow Doesn't Make Them Go Away — We live in a golden age of magical thinking, and I'm not just talking about the trillions of dollars being burned on artificial intelligence. When it comes to our rapidly heating planet and its effects on our future …
Discussion:
The Guardian, TechCrunch, twitchy.com and The Verge

