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.

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.

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 …

Trump files emergency appeal to keep building White House ballroom  —  “Time is of the essence!”  Justice Department lawyers wrote, saying a ruling to pause construction puts the president at risk.  —  The Trump administration has appealed a federal judge's order to halt the construction …

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 …

Wisconsin judicial race spotlights state GOP's struggles  —  Wisconsin Republicans are bracing for a lopsided state Supreme Court race next week, as liberals are all but expected to expand their majority.  It underscores how the state GOP has struggled to compete in critical elections over nearly the last decade.

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.”

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 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.

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” …