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.

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.

Secretary Rubio Revokes Green Cards of Foreign Nationals with Ties to Iranian Terror Regime  —  Last night, the niece and grand niece of deceased Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General Qasem Soleimani were arrested by federal agents following Secretary of State Marco Rubio's termination …

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.

Gen. George says Army deserves ‘leaders of character’ in farewell letter  —  Gen. Randy George, the U.S. Army's chief of staff ousted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, on Friday sent a farewell letter saying the Army deserves “leaders of character.”  —  George thanked Army officials …

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 asks appeals court to pause order halting White House ballroom construction  —  The Trump administration is arguing that a judge's order to halt construction of a $400 million ballroom creates a security risk for President Donald Trump as it asks a federal appeals court to pause the ruling.

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.

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.

Polymarket apologizes for allowing wagers on fate of U.S. pilots downed in Iran  —  “This is DISGUSTING,” Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts wrote of the now deleted market.  —  Prediction market platform Polymarket issued an apology for allowing users to place bets on the fate …

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 …

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” …

Trump Wants to Make Deportation Deals.  Autocrats Are Ready to Listen. … As President Trump searches the world for countries willing to accept thousands of migrants deported from the United States, he is finding that some of the most receptive leaders are strongmen, autocrats and human rights abusers.

Trump crossed an oily line of state sovereignty in California — your state is next  —  Last month, the Trump administration quietly pushed the country further into authoritarianism.  There were no masked federal agents, no mass protests and no confrontational press conferences.

White House is expected to shake up more leadership roles at Justice Department, sources say  —  Add CBS News on Google  —  President Donald Trump is likely to make leadership changes involving two more top roles at the Justice Department, sources told CBS News on Saturday.

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.