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.

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” …

Inspector General Says Kristi Noem's DHS Has ‘Systematically Obstructed’ Its Work  —  Letter outlines 11 instances of agency allegedly blocking information, including in criminal inquiry  —  The inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security said the agency's leaders had …

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.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Son Emerges as Leading Choice to Be His Successor  —  If Mojtaba Khamenei is chosen by Iran's senior clerics, it may signal a victory for hard-liners, an analyst said.  —  The senior clerics responsible for selecting Iran's next supreme leader met on Tuesday to deliberate …

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.

Pentagon releases names of first U.S. service members killed in Iran war  —  Add CBS News on Google  —  The Pentagon has released the names of four American service members killed during the ongoing war with Iran.  They were among six who died when an Iranian strike hit a tactical operations center in Kuwait.

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 …

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.

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 …

Kuwaiti Fighter Jet Mistakenly Shot Down American F-15s, Initial Reports Say  —  A Kuwaiti F/A-18 fighter jet was the cause of the accidental shootdown of three American F-15s on Sunday, according to three people familiar with initial reports of the incident.

There Are 47,635 Epstein Files Offline for Review, DOJ Says  —  Among the unreleased documents are a woman's unverified allegations against President Trump  —  The Justice Department has withheld thousands of documents from the Epstein files, including FBI documents that detailed …

Texas GOP Senate primary heads to runoff, with Cornyn, Paxton on ballot  —  The competitive Republican primary for Senate in Texas is headed to a runoff, according to a Decision Desk HQ projection.  —  The race will head to a May 26 showdown between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn …

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.

Trump offers U.S. insurance, military escorts to energy tankers in Mideast  —  President Trump said the U.S. will “immediately” offer “political risk insurance and guarantees” for energy tankers and other ships in the Gulf region, and that the Navy will escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if needed.

Justice Department rescinds Biden-era ‘no-knock’ warrant policy  —  Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has rescinded the Biden Justice Department's policy that tightly restricted when law enforcement agents executing a search could take the exceptional step of bursting into a home without knocking first.

Fox News Poll: Views are divided on US action against Iran  —  A majority of voters think Iran poses a genuine threat to the United States  —  Voters are divided on U.S. military action against Iran, even as a majority sees the country as a security risk.  —  A new Fox News national survey finds 61% …

‘Cheap’ and ‘Appalling’: Trump's Ballroom Plans Receive a Flood of Negative Comments  —  The National Capital Planning Commission received about 32,000 messages during its public comment period.  Suffice it to say: Many people are not happy with the president's ballroom plans.  —  “Gaudy and cheap.”

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 …

Arkansas Democrats just flipped a Republican seat  —  Democrat Alex Holladay won a Republican-held seat in the Arkansas state House on Tuesday night, marking the ninth time Democrats have flipped a district from red to blue in a special election since the start of Donald Trump's second term.

How Anonymous Bettors Cashed In on the Iran Strike, Just Hours Before It Happened  —  Polymarket users placed hundreds of bets of at least $1,000 predicting an imminent American strike, raising concerns about insider trading.  —  One day before the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran …

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.”

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 …

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.

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.

Pentagon official flags return of ‘Cold War mentality,’ as Trump admin reshapes NATO alliance  —  Elbridge Colby defends strategy shift as senators question whether it leaves Europe to handle Russia  —  Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby told lawmakers that the administration's …

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 …