CIA working to arm Kurdish forces to spark uprising in Iran, sources say  —  The Middle East Donald Trump Federal agencies National security  —  The CIA is working to arm Kurdish forces with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising in Iran, multiple people familiar with the plan told CNN.

Pete Hegseth's Crazed, Angry Tirades on Iran Give Dems a Big Opening  —  Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth knows that playing a decisive tough guy on television is the way to keep Donald Trump happy, so he did just that while addressing reporters Monday about the U.S. bombing of Iran.

Trump Administration, in Reversal, Tries to Continue Fight Against Law Firms  —  The administration told a court on Monday that it was abandoning its defense of executive orders targeting the firms.  But on Tuesday, the Justice Department abruptly changed its position.

Americans Stranded in the Middle East Are Having a Hard Time Getting Help From the State Department  —  The Trump administration told Americans trying to evacuate the Middle East that they cannot “rely” on U.S. government assistance, despite urging Americans to “depart now” …

Scoop: Lutnick volunteers to testify on Epstein ties  —  Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, once a Manhattan neighbor of Jeffrey Epstein, voluntarily agreed to an interview with the House Oversight Committee over past ties to the convicted sex offender, Axios has learned.

Military Commander Tells Troops Bombing Iran Is 'Part Of God's Divine Plan'  —  One commander had a “big grin” on his face while saying Donald Trump “has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran,” a service member said.  —  For some U.S. military commanders …

Pete Buttigieg in the Wilderness  —  In May 2001, at Harvard's Institute of Politics, a 19-year-old freshman named Peter Buttigieg asked David Gergen, a Harvard professor and horse whisperer to five presidents, a question that he might have reserved for himself, a couple of decades later.

Israel bombs council choosing Iran's next supreme leader, official says  —  The Israeli Air Force on Tuesday struck the building housing Iran's Council of Experts in the holy city of Qom in an attempt to disrupt the process of appointing a new supreme leader, an Israeli defense official said.

Tillis threatens to hijack Senate business amid frustrations with Noem … The announcement from Tillis, who has called repeatedly for Noem to leave her post, would represent a rare escalation from any senator — in particular one from the president's party — in the face of frustrations with a member of the Cabinet.

Kash Patel gutted FBI counterintelligence team tasked with tracking Iranian threats days before US strikes, sources say  —  Just days before the United States launched a major military operation in Iran, FBI Director Kash Patel fired a dozen agents and staff members from a counterintelligence unit tasked …

Law School Tells Students, ‘You MUST Be Aligned Politically With President Trump,’ For Summer Job  —  In The Hunt for Red October, we learn that Soviet submarine carried a “political officer,” a Communist Party appointee whose job wasn't navigating or torpedoing things, but making sure everyone …

Trump threatens to cut off trade with Spain over air bases … Although the Supreme Court struck down Trump's use of an 1977 emergency law to impose tariffs at will, Trump administration officials claim it “reaffirmed” his ability to use the law to take other actions, like imposing an economic embargo against a country.

Justice Alito's Latest Opinion Is a Very, Very Bad Sign for Voting Rights  —  A decision upholding a New York GOP congressional district could be a prelude to killing the Voting Rights Act.  —  The Supreme Court on Monday evening overturned a New York state court ruling that found …

Open Letter to the Democratic Candidates for Governor:  —  California Democrats have no shortage of strong candidates to consider in the race for Governor - current and former Congressmembers, statewide elected officials, State Legislators, Mayors and leaders of Democratic causes.

Labor Secretary's Top Aides Forced Out  —  The two aides to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer had been on leave during an investigation of misconduct at the department.  —  Two top aides to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer were forced out Monday night amid an internal investigation …

Target's plan to win you back  —  The new Target CEO believes adding new, buzzy brands can win back shoppers after a brutal few years.  —  CEO Michael Fiddelke said Tuesday that Target will improve its products and redesign stores to draw shoppers and “get Target back to growth.”

Support for abolishing ICE reaches 50%  —  Support for abolishing ICE has hit a new high in this week's Economist / YouGov poll.  Half (50%) of Americans now somewhat or strongly support abolishing ICE.  Only 39% oppose abolishing the agency.  —  This marks the first time support has reached 50% in YouGov polling.

House Committee Wants Goldman Sachs General Counsel to Testify on Epstein  —  Oversight Committee chair sent a letter to Kathryn Ruemmler on Tuesday citing its continuing investigation  —  Goldman Sachs's departing general counsel Kathryn Ruemmler has been asked to testify …

Democratic state lawmakers in New York to back tax hike on rich … Democratic state lawmakers this decade have consistently included proposals to raise taxes on wealthy people in their budget plans.  Less clear, though, is whether the Legislature will make a concerted push to further boost income taxes.

Despite Promises, Veterans Affairs Department Cut Thousands of Roles for Doctors and Nurses  —  The Trump administration has eliminated health care positions left vacant after a wave of resignations and retirements at the V.A. last year.  —  The head of the Veterans Affairs Department …

Dow drops 800 as stocks sell off around the world and oil prices leap even higher on war worries  —  A sell-off for stocks is slamming into Wall Street Tuesday after wrapping around the world, as oil prices leap even higher with worries that the widening war with Iran may do more sustained damage to the economy than feared.

SCOTUS pauses California student gender-privacy protections, for now  —  The Supreme Court temporarily stopped a California law and related school policies that prohibit schools from automatically notifying parents when students change pronouns or gender expression.

CBP Tapped Into the Online Advertising Ecosystem To Track Peoples' Movements  —  Customs and Border Protection (CBP) bought data from the online advertising ecosystem to track peoples' precise movements over time, in a process that often involves siphoning data from ordinary apps like video games …