Top Items:
Barak Ravid / Axios:
U.S. fighter jet shot down in Iran, search underway for crew — Iran has shot down a U.S. fighter jet, per Iranian media and a source familiar with the incident, and a search and rescue effort is underway to locate two crew. … - The U.S. military and the White House didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
Discussion:
CBS News, BBC, Foreign Policy, Forbes, Raw Story, New York Post, New Republic, TMZ.com, Straight Arrow News, The National Pulse, HotAir, Military and Veteran …, The US Sun, Zeteo, The Floridian, Mediaite, RedState, Blaze Media, The Daily Caller, Grabien, NewsMax.com, New York Magazine, Middle East Monitor, Al Jazeera, NPR and WTOP News
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Agence France-Presse:
Iran War Live Updates: Drone Hits Kuwaiti Oil Refinery in New Attack on Gulf Energy Sites — The fate of the plane's crew was unclear, as American officials scrambled to mount a search and rescue operation before Iran could get to any survivors, officials said. Iranian state media also said a jet had been downed.
Washington Post:
Two U.S. warplanes shot down; search ongoing in Iran for 1 missing crew member — An F-15 fighter jet and an A-10 attack plane were lost to hostile fire. Two Black Hawk helicopters also were hit, injuring the crews, before safely returning to their base, officials said.
Discussion:
NBC News, The War Zone, New York Times, New York Sun, Associated Press, HuffPost, Al Jazeera, WAGA-TV, Metro.co.uk, Raw Story, The Intercept, WTOP News, Mediaite and KSTP-TV
The Guardian:
US F-15E jet confirmed shot down over Iran as Tehran releases wreckage images — Downing of fighter plane - the first shot down over Iran since start of war - prompts frantic US rescue effort — A US F-15E fighter has been shot down over Iran, prompting a frantic US search and rescue effort …
Discussion:
Air & Space Forces Magazine, Washington Examiner, Breitbart, Daily Mail and CBS News
NBC News:
U.S. fighter jet downed over Iran, one pilot rescued, official says
Discussion:
Mediaite, American Greatness, One America News Network, WAGA-TV and Bangor Daily News
Tasnim News Agency:
US Effort to Recover Downed Fighter Pilot Fails
US Effort to Recover Downed Fighter Pilot Fails
Discussion:
The Hill, Ace of Spades HQ and The American Conservative
Eleanor Watson / CBS News:
American fighter jet downed over Iran, 1 crew member rescued, U.S. officials say
American fighter jet downed over Iran, 1 crew member rescued, U.S. officials say
Discussion:
New York Times, MercoPress, Ace of Spades HQ, Wall Street Journal, France 24, NewsMax.com, The Preamble, FDD's Long War Journal, Mediaite, El País, Gizmodo, Mercury News, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, One America News Network, Breaking Defense, The Independent, Fox News, ABC News, Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg, New York Post, Associated Press, CNBC, The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, MPR News, WTOP News, KSTP-TV and Mississippi Free Press
Ken Dilanian / MS NOW:
Pam Bondi's portrait already taken down at Justice Department — It did not take long for the pictures to come off the wall. — Within hours of the news that President Donald Trump had fired Pam Bondi as attorney general, images began circulating of her framed portrait …
Discussion:
New York Post, HuffPost, Above the Law, TMZ.com, The Gateway Pundit, Newsweek, Raw Story and Mediaite
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M.D. Kittle / The Federalist:
Trump Needs A ‘Vicious Operator’ To Bring Justice Back To The Justice Department — Government investigator Mike Howell says Pam Bondi, out as attorney general, wasn't the right fit to take on the weaponizers. — Pam Bondi was President Donald Trump's second choice for attorney general, and she never quite fit.
Discussion:
The Hill, The Independent, Axios, LGBTQ Nation, Advocate, CBS News, MS NOW, Fox News, Raw Story, New York Post, New York Magazine, One America News Network and Bloomberg
Eric Tucker / Associated Press:
Bondi struggled to prosecute Trump foes. But will a new attorney general make a difference? — Pam Bondi is out of her job after failing to deliver criminal cases against President Donald Trump's political enemies. But there's no guarantee her successor will have any better success at placating the president.
Discussion:
Reason, Wall Street Journal, The Nation, Mother Jones, CNN, National Review, Bloomberg, HuffPost, New York Times and New York Magazine, more at Mediagazer »
Rebecca Falconer / Axios:
What to know about Todd Blanche, Trump's new acting attorney general
What to know about Todd Blanche, Trump's new acting attorney general
Discussion:
Fox News, Blaze Media, WNYW-TV, MS NOW, KERN Radio, Washington Post, HuffPost, NewsMax.com, NBC News, ABC News, Washington Examiner and The Gateway Pundit
Tony Romm / New York Times:
White House Seeks $1.5 Trillion for Defense in New Budget Request — The massive, proposed increase would be offset in part by steep cuts to domestic programs, some of which the administration describes as wasteful. — With the United States at war with Iran and embroiled in conflicts around the world …
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Politico:
The White House has a war-funding sales pitch the GOP might not buy … “I'm very wary of voting for excessive spending in defense,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said in an interview Friday morning. — The president's budget asks Republicans to pass a large chunk of his defense proposal …
Joan Biskupic / CNN:
Exclusive: Justice Samuel Alito was taken to a hospital last month in previously undisclosed incident — Supreme Court justices Supreme Court Donald Trump — Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was taken to a hospital after becoming ill last month at a Federalist Society dinner in Philadelphia …
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Julian Mark / Washington Post:
Justice Alito ‘felt ill’ at March event, was examined by doctor, court says
Reid J. Epstein / New York Times:
Liberal Group Warns That Trump Could Have Two More Supreme Court Picks
Liberal Group Warns That Trump Could Have Two More Supreme Court Picks
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money, Raw Story and MS NOW
Steven Nelson / New York Post:
Hegseth's ‘paranoia’ of being replaced explains purge of top general — as ally emerges for Army secretary's role — WASHINGTON — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's “paranoia” about Army Secretary Dan Driscoll taking his job fueled the firing of the Army's top general, current …
Discussion:
The Atlantic, The Hill, MS NOW, Raw Story, Fox News and Wall Street Journal
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Steven Nelson / New York Post:
The bizarre reason Hegseth's right-hand man is spreading damaging rumors about the Secretary of War
Discussion:
Wonkette, NewsMax.com, Raw Story and Mediaite
Colin Demarest / Axios:
Hegseth's wartime firing of top generals stuns officials: “It's insane”
Hegseth's wartime firing of top generals stuns officials: “It's insane”
Discussion:
ABC News, The Hill, CBS News, New York Sun, RedState, France 24, The Nation, Mediaite, Military Times, Washington Examiner, Reuters, NBC News, The American Conservative, Straight Arrow News, Military and Veteran …, The Atlantic, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Raw Story, WUSA, Los Angeles Times, The Japan Times, Task & Purpose, Newsweek and Eschaton
Joseph J. Schatz / Politico:
Trump and the Myth of American Oil Independence … When President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he's winding down the U.S. war on Iran and washing his hands of the embattled Strait of Hormuz, he invoked what he likes to call America's “energy dominance”: The United States has become …
Discussion:
Atlantic Council and CNN
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Ryan Mancini / The Hill:
Rogan, Theo Von slam Trump's move to attack Iran
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, The Daily Caller, The Independent, The Bulwark and Mediaite
Ali Vaez / New York Times:
Trump Has Lost Control of Events in Iran
Trump Has Lost Control of Events in Iran
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Hill, NewsMax.com and Al Jazeera
Lawfare:
Three Hundred Habeas Cases in Which the Government Has Defied Court Orders — A database of non-compliance with court orders around the country. — katherinepomps — katherinepomps.bsky.social — benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org — Meet The Authors
Discussion:
Docket updates … and Columbian
Jim Saksa / Democracy Docket:
Trump's anti-voting order may backfire, damaging DOJ's voter roll campaign — President Donald Trump's executive order on mail voting is highly likely to be declared unconstitutional and blocked by courts. But it might also screw up the Department of Justice's (DOJ) 30 ongoing lawsuits for state voter rolls.
Discussion:
The Guardian, WisPolitics, Raw Story, Salon, NPR and NewsMax.com
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Melissa Quinn / CBS News:
23 states sue Trump over new executive order targeting mail voting
23 states sue Trump over new executive order targeting mail voting
Discussion:
Votebeat, WisPolitics, New Republic and Spotlight PA
Motoko Rich / New York Times:
Hegseth Says U.S. Troops Are Fighting for Jesus. The Pope Disagrees. — In sharp contrast to the Trump administration's calls for Christian prayers for the war effort, Pope Leo XIV says military domination is “entirely foreign to the way of Jesus Christ.”
Discussion:
Israpundit
Ryan J. Reilly / NBC News:
Pam Bondi failed to prosecute Trump's foes. Todd Blanche probably will, too. — Several former federal prosecutors said in discussions with NBC News that incoming acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will not likely be able to satiate Trump. — It wasn't for lack of effort. Subscribe to read this story ad-free
Discussion:
The Contrarian
Liliana Segura / The Intercept:
Grandmother Faces Trial in Alabama for Wearing Penis Costume to No Kings Protest — In the body camera footage, a police officer parks his black SUV on the grass, a rosary swinging from the rearview mirror. He exits his car, moves briskly past a pair of protesters, and points an accusatory finger …
Alice Miranda Ollstein / Politico:
Trump admin moves Title X family planning program away from contraception, towards conception … The guidance instead promotes “natural family planning methods,” such as period tracking apps and other forms of fertility awareness that have higher failure rates than hormonal birth control.
Discussion:
NewsMax.com, Washington Examiner, Abortion, Every Day and The Daily Signal
Politico:
Judge bats down DOJ bid to revive subpoenas to Fed … “No matter whom the subpoenas were addressed to, then, it was clear whom they sought dirt on: Powell,” Boasberg wrote. — U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who is overseeing the investigation, has already promised to appeal to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera, New York Post, Washington Examiner, Axios, Bloomberg, UPI, MS NOW, CBS News, The Hill, NewsMax.com and The Gateway Pundit
Richard Fausset / New York Times:
No One at Waffle House Remembers FEMA Official Who Says He Teleported In — Gregg Phillips, who is in charge of responding to fires and floods, says the hand of God suddenly and mysteriously moved him to a 24-hour breakfast spot in Rome, Ga. — Shastoni Burge has worked for a decade …
Discussion:
kottke.org
Rowena Mason / The Guardian:
Relationship with Trump may be beyond repair, Keir Starmer told — PM gets widespread backing after president's mocking impersonation takes US-UK relationship to new low — Keir Starmer has been warned his relationship with Donald Trump may be beyond repair after the US president derided …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Nate Raymond / Reuters:
Trump seeks $152 million to reopen Alcatraz as active prison — The White House on Friday sought $152 million to return the former Alcatraz prison island to active duty, following up on President Donald Trump's call last year to transform the popular San Francisco Bay tourist destination.
Shane Goldmacher / New York Times:
Six Senate Races to Watch as Democrats Grow More Bullish — It's still a tall task for the party to win back control. Here's the latest. — Many of the most contested Senate races are heating up ahead of a gantlet of key primary contests in the coming months.
G. Elliott Morris / Strength In Numbers:
The six big events that have dragged down Donald Trump's approval rating — Note: This article is free to read, but it was not free to produce. To help grow this newsletter business (doing so incurs costs like paying for polling data and modeling infrastructure, experimenting on biz dev …
Discussion:
HuffPost, Raw Story and Digby's Hullabaloo

