Trump threats, U.S. troop build-up raise specter of battle for Hormuz  —  Israelis said securing the strait for energy shipments could become the war's main goal now that regime change and ending Iran's ability to obtain a nuclear weapon seem out of reach.  —  TEL AVIV — A surge …

Trump Says ICE Agents Shouldn't Wear Masks While On Airport Duty  —  President Donald Trump said he did not want Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detailed to airports to wear masks as they assist with security screenings — even as he continued to support officers using face coverings during deportation operations.

“A California sheriff seized 650,000 ballots.  Election experts say it's a big deal”  —  SF Chronicle:  —  Election security expert Gowri Ramachandran said the seizure by Bianco, a Republican candidate for governor investigating a group's disputed claim of a 45,000-vote miscount …

Trump places statue of Christopher Columbus near the White House  —  A statue of Christopher Columbus has been placed on the grounds of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House, the latest effort by President Donald Trump's administration to recognize the controversial explorer.

Morning Digest: Trump issues his most bizarre endorsement yet  —  Leading Off  —  Donald Trump executed a bizarre reverse-reversal on Friday when he re-endorsed Rep. Jeff Hurd just four weeks after urging primary voters to deny the Colorado Republican a second term.

Trump Has Detained the Parents of More Than 11,000 U.S. Citizen Kids  —  The baby needed somewhere to go.  So in the frantic hours before officers took her parents away to immigration detention, her mom turned to their pastor and his wife.  As squad cars waited outside the family's Lakeland …

Voice of America staffers sue, alleging Kari Lake put on propaganda  —  In the latest battle over the future of Voice of America, a fresh group of veteran Voice of America journalists are suing Trump administration official Kari Lake, alleging that she is promoting pro-Trump propaganda on air.

Federal government employees are not ok  —  A new survey shows collapsing morale amidst ineffective leadership  —  Imagine you inherited a large, complex business.  You don't have time to run it yourself, but you recognize its importance.  So you hire a management team.

Republicans fear this Democrat in Georgia Senate race: 'This guy's no slouch'  —  Behind closed doors, Republicans have tamped down their hopes of unseating Jon Ossoff, a 39-year-old powerhouse fundraiser, as he seeks another term.  —  Rep. Buddy Carter warned a crowd of Republicans in Roberta …

The SAVE America Act could backfire bigly on MAGA  —  Public Notice is supported by paid subscribers.  Become one ⬇️  —  💬 Subscribe to PN 💬  —  This weekend, the Republicans thrashed about in the Senate like rotting, mildly electrocuted trout as they attempted …

Inside the Turmoil at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s C.D.C.  —  Forty-three current and former C.D.C. employees on the changes they say are replacing science with ideology — and making Americans more vulnerable.  —  Almost as soon as he recaptured the White House, President-elect Trump announced …

Air Canada Express plane hits ground vehicle at New York's La Guardia airport, FlightRadar24 says  —  An Air Canada (AC.TO) Express plane flying from Montreal collided with a ground vehicle upon landing at New York's La Guardia Airport, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

Is This Uncharismatic Leader Exactly What The Democrats Need?  —  DNC Chair Ken Martin has a plan to return Democrats to power, but he needs to keep the party from tearing itself apart first  —  “There are politicians who have the ‘it factor,’ and are highly charismatic,” Ken Martin …

War's Attacks on Energy Could Turn Economic Shock Into Long-Term Damage  —  A new phase targeting oil and gas infrastructure in the Persian Gulf threatens to hurt businesses and customers around the world for months or even years.  —  The game has changed.

Pete Hegseth is promoting a nihilist cult of death  —  The Trump administration is embracing violence for the sake of violence  —  It appears that members of Trump's cabinet get chosen not despite their endorsements of violence, but because of them.  Pete Hegseth was primarily known as a dapper TV host willing to defend war crimes.