The Next Coup Attempt  —  And How to Stop It  —  We are seven months away from the most consequential midterm election in the history of the United States.  Meanwhile, we are fighting a war.  These are the structural conditions for a coup attempt in which a president tries to nullify elections and take permanent power as a dictator.

Trump's new budget proposal is historic — in one of the worst ways possible  —  On Friday, the Trump administration submitted its annual budget request to Congress.  The document called for dramatically reducing what the United States government does for Americans.

Trump administration detains relatives of killed Iranian general Soleimani … “Until recently, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter were green card holders living lavishly in the United States,” Rubio wrote on X.  “Afshar is the niece of deceased Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani.

Republicans are losing clout in statehouses in another possible sign of midterm trouble … “I think he puts Republicans on the defensive with his actions,” said Dick Wadhams, a longtime consultant and a former state GOP chair in Colorado.  “They can't stand it anymore.”

US military jets hit in Iran war are the first shot down by enemy fire in more than 20 years … The last time a U.S. warplane was shot down by enemy fire in combat was an A-10 Thunderbolt II during the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, said retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell, a former F-16 fighter pilot.

Judge blocks Trump's college admissions data push in 17 states … Massachusetts District Court Judge Dennis Saylor, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote in a late Friday order the survey was created in a “rushed and chaotic manner” and problems with it are being “compounded” …

Donald Trump isn't sounding like himself, and that's terrifying.  Hi, Paul Krugman here with a brief update on Saturday afternoon.  —  Not my usual thing.  No economics, no analytics, just I felt I needed to say something.  On Wednesday, Trump gave a speech, which was... pretty depressing.

Trump weighs broader cabinet shake-up as Iran war pressure grows  —  U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a broader cabinet shake-up in the wake of Attorney General Pam Bondi's removal this week, as he grows increasingly frustrated with the political fallout from the war with Iran …

Jonathan Majors Fell Through A Window On Daily Wire Action Flick, Leading Crew To Walk Off Set; Producers Say They “Don't Negotiate With Communists” … As we previously reported, IATSE called a strike against the production on March 26 over a series of labor issues.

Finish the Job: How Trump Can Still Win in Iran  —  The war the United States and Israel are fighting is for much higher stakes than what could well be simply a temporary reopening of Persian Gulf maritime traffic.  The entire geopolitical shape of the Middle East is now at issue …

Trump's Relentless, ‘Utterly Incoherent’ Battles  —  From Tehran to the Supreme Court, a look at Trump's relentless battles.  —  President Trump claims America is “winning bigger than ever before,” but his battles abroad and in American courtrooms drag on.

Israel preparing for attacks on Iranian energy sites, awaits US green light, official says  —  Israel is preparing to attack Iranian energy facilities but is awaiting a green light from the United States, a senior Israeli defense official said on Saturday, adding that any such attacks would likely come within the next week.

Epstein Presented Himself to Indian Tycoon as a Trump White House Insider  —  The convicted sex offender gave Anil Ambani information on appointments and foreign policy.  Some seemed prescient, though there was no evidence he was close to the administration.

Welcome to Miami: America's Most ICE-Besieged City  —  The new mayor explains why mass deportation is more “insidious” in South Florida.  —  ∙ Paid  —  POP QUIZ: WHICH CITY is leading the nation in ICE arrests so far this year?  It's not the Twin Cities, which clocked in at over 5,000 arrests from mid-December to mid-March.

A subdued Wisconsin Supreme Court race tilts Democrats' way … A packed November election, and the general sense that Tuesday's contest may well be a foregone conclusion, is part of the reason why.  —  Statewide elections in Wisconsin have often been decided on razor-thin majorities in recent years.

US Deploys Bulk of Stealthy Long-Range Missile for Iran War  —  The next steps in the US military campaign against Iran will commit nearly its entire inventory of stealthy JASSM-ER cruise missiles, drawing them from stockpiles devoted to other regions.  —  The order to pull the $1.5 million weapon …

Trump-Vance White House Escalates Holy Week Assault Against Catholic Church  —  A judge forced ICE to open the doors.  On Holy Thursday, four priests washed the feet of fourteen detained migrants.  The next morning, the Pentagon excluded Catholics from Good Friday services.

Did President Trump have a hand in writing the latest White House East Wing court filing?  —  Add CBS News on Google  —  Government lawyers for President Trump asked an appeals court late Friday for an emergency ruling to allow construction of the White House East Wing to resume after a lower court judge halted it earlier this week.