Top Items:
Barak Ravid / Axios:
Trump tells Axios there's “practically nothing left” to target in Iran — President Trump told Axios in a brief phone interview Wednesday that the war with Iran will end “soon” because there is “practically nothing left to target.” — “Little this and that... Any time I want it to end …
Discussion:
Reuters, The Week, The Independent, Mediaite, Agence France-Presse, WDEF-TV and CBS News
RELATED:
New York Times:
How Trump and His Advisers Miscalculated Iran's Response to War — In the lead-up to the U.S.-Israeli attack, President Trump downplayed the risks to the energy markets as a short-term concern that should not overshadow the mission to decapitate the Iranian regime.
Jonathan Saul / Reuters:
US Navy tells shipping industry Hormuz escorts not possible for now — The U.S. Navy has refused near-daily requests from the shipping industry for military escorts through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war on Iran, saying the risk of attacks is too high for now, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Wall Street Journal:
Iran's Control of Hormuz Means It's Exporting More Oil Today Than Before the War — Tehran is letting ships carrying its crude go through the strait, while it scares off others — Iran is exporting more oil through the Strait of Hormuz than before the war, showing it is in control …
Discussion:
Associated Press, PJ Media, USNI News, CNBC, Bloomberg, Semafor, Al Jazeera and The Hill
Judd Legum / Popular Information:
Trump says Kushner helped convince him to go to war with Iran
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money, Mediaite, Politico and The Hill
Natasha Bertrand / CNN:
Iran begins laying mines in Strait of Hormuz, sources say
Iran begins laying mines in Strait of Hormuz, sources say
Discussion:
Fox News, Gizmodo, Axios, Townhall, The Independent, Straight Arrow News, Politico, Digby's Hullabaloo, The American Conservative, The Guardian, CBS News, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Bloomberg, NPR, Forbes, The Gateway Pundit, France 24, DNYUZ, Reuters, MercoPress, The Week, The US Sun, NewsMax.com, Washington Examiner, Breitbart, The Hill, New York Sun, RedState, Blaze Media, The Maritime Executive, Scripps News, New York Post, Semafor, 19FortyFive, Raw Story, The Verge, Mediaite, Metro.co.uk, New Republic, The Japan Times, The Daily Wire, Middle East Monitor and Fortune
John Cornyn / New York Post:
Sen. Cornyn: Why the SAVE Act matters more than the filibuster — If a man takes a swing at you and barely misses, that doesn't make him a pacifist — it just means he has bad aim. — Standing still and giving him a second free swing wouldn't be wise or honorable; it would be foolish.
Discussion:
NBC News, HotAir, The Hill, Fox News, RedState, The Post Millennial, Townhall and Washington Examiner
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Calen Razor / Politico:
Capitol agenda: GOP wants to move past the SAVE America Act — Congressional Republicans aren't allowing President Donald Trump's SAVE America Act ultimatum to uproot their legislative agenda ahead of the midterms. Lawmakers made clear Tuesday they're eager to wash their hands …
Jordain Carney / Politico:
John Thune says he's ready to take the filibuster heat … Thune, confident of his support from fellow Republican senators, brushed off the criticism in an interview Tuesday. — “It just kind of comes with the territory,” he said. “You just roll with it, you know. It's the times in which we live.”
Discussion:
Fox News, The Hill, Raw Story, Roll Call, RedState, The Daily Signal, New York Sun, Election Law Blog and Washington Examiner
Kyla Guilfoil / NBC News:
Trump nominee withdraws after senators press him on remarks about Jews, Israel and ‘white culture’ — Jeremy Carl cited a lack of support from GOP senators in withdrawing his nomination for assistant secretary of state. — President Donald Trump's pick for a senior role at the State Department …
Discussion:
The Hill, Politico, Fox News, The Guardian, NewsMax.com, Reuters, Advocate, NOTUS, IJR, Raw Story, Deseret News and Mediaite
Glenn Thrush / New York Times:
Bondi Is Said to Move to Military Housing Because of Threats — The attorney general relocated from a Washington apartment to a base in the area within the past month, according to people familiar with the situation. — Attorney General Pam Bondi has quietly relocated to one of several military bases …
Discussion:
The Independent, Mercury News, TMZ.com, New Republic, RedState, NewsMax.com, Raw Story, Mediaite and Althouse
RELATED:
Tim Balk / New York Times:
Joe Rogan Says Trump's Supporters Feel ‘Betrayed’ by Iran War
Discussion:
NBC News, The Bulwark, Raw Story, BizPac Review, The Wrap, Mediaite and Newsweek
New York Times:
U.S. at Fault in Strike on School in Iran, Preliminary Inquiry Says — Outdated targeting data may have resulted in a mistaken missile strike, according to the ongoing military investigation, which undercuts President Trump's assertion that Iran could be to blame.
Scott Nover / Washington Post:
Pentagon bars press photographers over ‘unflattering’ Hegseth photos — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's staff took issue with images taken in a rare briefing last week and decided to shut out photographers from two subsequent news conferences. — The Defense Department has barred press photographers …
Wall Street Journal:
IEA Proposes Largest Ever Oil Release From Strategic Reserves — Countries would decide Wednesday whether to release oil stocks in an attempt to tame crude prices — PARIS—The International Energy Agency has proposed the largest release of oil reserves in its history to bring down crude prices …
Discussion:
CNBC, NOTUS, HotAir, Washington Examiner, Bloomberg, Breitbart, UPI, NewsMax.com, DNYUZ, France 24, CoinDesk, The Maritime Executive, Al Jazeera and Reuters
RELATED:
Jennifer Jacobs / CBS News:
Dozens of U.S. service members in Kuwait suffered serious injuries, including burns, brain trauma and shrapnel wounds, sources say — Add CBS News on Google — An Iranian drone attack in Kuwait that killed six U.S. service members in the early hours of the war with Iran was more severe …
Discussion:
DNYUZ
New York Post:
The untold reason Kristi Noem's alleged lover Corey Lewandowski did ‘whatever the f-k I want’ at DHS — WASHINGTON — Embattled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's top aide and alleged lover Corey Lewandowski bragged that he could do “whatever” he wanted as a powerful federal official …
Discussion:
NBC News
Steve Benen / MS NOW:
Dems score upset win in New Hampshire special election, giving GOP fresh reason to worry — Heading into Tuesday's state legislative special election in New Hampshire, Republicans had reason to be cautiously optimistic. The race was in a district that Donald Trump won by 9 points in 2024 …
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Examiner and Democrats
RELATED:
David Nir / The Downballot:
Democrats win GOP seat in New Hampshire, notching 10th straight special election flip
Democrats win GOP seat in New Hampshire, notching 10th straight special election flip
Discussion:
The Guardian and The Hill
New York Times:
Trump Files Missing in Epstein Release Highlight Justice Dept.'s Missteps — In late July, an F.B.I. agent asked colleagues to get started on a sensitive task relating to Jeffrey Epstein, listing the names of 14 prominent men, with President Trump at the top.
RELATED:
Ankush Khardori / Politico:
Why DOJ Hasn't Charged Anyone Else From the Epstein Files
Why DOJ Hasn't Charged Anyone Else From the Epstein Files
Discussion:
CNN, CNBC, NewsMax.com and Raw Story
Lawrence Hurley / NBC News:
Poll: Confidence in the Supreme Court drops to a record low — The latest NBC News poll shows that the percentage of voters with a “great deal” or “quite a bit” of confidence in the court is at the lowest ebb since the question was first asked in 2000. — The percentage of voters …
Discussion:
Forbes, Newsweek, Above the Law and NewsMax.com
Mariana Alfaro / Washington Post:
Former Virginia first lady Dorothy McAuliffe launches congressional campaign — McAuliffe, whose husband is one of the Democratic Party's most prolific fundraisers, is running in a newly redrawn district that still needs voter and court approval. — Former Virginia first lady Dorothy McAuliffe …
Discussion:
The Hill
RELATED:
Olivia Diaz / Associated Press:
Virginia's former first lady to run for Congress in newly drawn district
Virginia's former first lady to run for Congress in newly drawn district
Discussion:
Washington Examiner
Greg Sargent / New Republic:
How Trump's War on Iran Is Hastening the Coming MAGA Crack-Up — Congratulations are in order for Donald Trump: His attack on Iran is the most unpopular American war in modern history. The New York Times compared support for Trump's war with initial support for nine other wars going back to World War II …
Discussion:
Strength In Numbers
Hailey Fuchs / Politico:
House Oversight chair moving quickly to schedule Epstein testimony with Bondi, Lutnick — Rep. James Comer says he's working to schedule testimonies from Attorney General Pam Bondi and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick within the next few weeks as part of the congressional investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit and Fox News
Miles Parks / NPR:
Americans are split on wanting the National Guard to monitor voting, a new poll finds — Close to half of Americans support the idea of the National Guard at polling places to monitor this November's midterm elections — something that would be illegal if ordered by the federal government …
Discussion:
Election Law Blog
RELATED:
Politico:
The White House isn't panicking about oil prices. That may change in a few weeks. … “Assuming the economy continues to turn around once the active part of the war is concluded, you'll have the whole summer from May through August to ride the turnaround,” the person said.
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, The Independent, Raw Story and MS NOW
Politico:
House GOP eyes reconciliation process to pass Middle East war aid — It's just one option being considered as Republicans seek to advance the White House's biggest priorities.
New York Times:
New Iranian Leader Was Wounded Early in the War, Iranian and Israeli Officials Say — Officials say Mojtaba Khamenei's legs were hurt, but the circumstances as well as the extent of his injuries were unclear. He has remained out of view since being announced as leader three days ago.
Discussion:
The Hill, The Free Press, Washington Times, The Guardian, The US Sun, Reuters and NewsMax.com
Associated Press:
As another shutdown impacts travelers, some see eliminating TSA agents as a solution — Long security lines snaked into baggage claim areas and parking garages at some U.S. airports this weekend, a possible indicator of more widespread travel problems as the latest government shutdown drags on.
Discussion:
Fox News, CBS News, The Independent, WISH-TV and BizPac Review
Camille Mumford / Emerson Polling:
California 2026 Poll: Swalwell Takes Lead in Governor Primary, 25% undecided; Election for LA Mayor Wide Open — A new Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics survey of the June primary for Governor finds Congressman Eric Swalwell leading the open primary with 17%, followed by Steve Hilton …
Discussion:
The Hill, The Daily Caller and Noble Predictive
Raphael Satter / Reuters:
Exclusive: Foreign hacker in 2023 compromised Epstein files held by FBI, source and documents show — A foreign hacker compromised files relating to the FBI's investigation of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a break-in at the bureau's New York Field Office three years ago …
Discussion:
Modern Diplomacy, more at Techmeme »
Washington Post:
House Republicans struggle to craft legislative agenda ahead of midterms — At a retreat in Florida, the House GOP plotted its next steps — but the path ahead is murky, and elections are looming. — DORAL, Fla. — House Republicans, who risk losing control of their narrowly divided chamber in November …
Discussion:
NOTUS, Politico, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, Scripps News and Fox News
Taylor Giorno / NOTUS:
Lobbyist Quietly Pleads Guilty After Embezzling $1 Million From Venture Capital PAC — Jonas Murphy, the now-former director of government affairs at the National Venture Capital Association, faces up to 10 years in prison. — Copy — A $9,180 shopping spree at a Manhattan clothing boutique.
Discussion:
Election Law Blog
Sam Sutton / Politico:
Energy, food prices surged in February — before Iran fighting started … Overall prices climbed at an annual rate of 2.4 percent last month, matching what was reported in January. So-called core inflation — which strips out volatile food and energy prices — was also flat at 2.5 percent.
Discussion:
Scripps News, The Hill, CBS News, Washington Examiner, WTTG-TV, Mercury News, DNYUZ, Washington Times, Breitbart, Fox Business, WTOP News and New York Times
Ariel Wittenberg / Politico:
A data center opened next door. Then came the high-pitched whine. … STERLING, Virginia — Lindsay Shaw was happy when she found out a data center was going up 100 meters from her front door. — Unlike most of her neighbors, she preferred a supercomputing hub to a shopping mall, which might bring a crush of car traffic.
Matthew Yglesias / Slow Boring:
Nobody plans for a quagmire — Behind every military disaster is an honest mistake. — ∙ Paid — They say that defeat is an orphan while victory has a thousand fathers. — So even though the invasion of Iraq was extremely popular in 2003, you rarely meet someone who'll own up to having supported it at the time.

