Melania Trump Says She Was Not Associated With Jeffrey Epstein  —  Responding to what she said were smears, the first lady said she never had knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse and was not a victim of his.  She called for a congressional hearing for his victims.

White House Warns Staff Not To Place Bets on Prediction Markets Amid Iran War  —  Well-timed bets about the war in Iran have raised eyebrows and calls from Democrats for more regulation  —  Just hours after President Trump announced a sudden pause of strikes against Iran last month …

These Republican-on-Republican disputes are keeping Congress frozen … In the one instance where the president appears truly invested, in passage of a sweeping GOP elections bill, his fixation has only made the intraparty divisions worse.  —  Lawmakers will return to Washington next week …

Judge Rejects Hegseth's Second Attempt to Restrict Reporters at Pentagon  —  A federal judge gutted a set of rules that were adopted after the court declared an earlier press policy unconstitutional, in a case brought by The New York Times.  —  A federal judge on Thursday rejected an attempt …

U.S. oil slips below $100 as Trump demands reopening of Strait of Hormuz … Oil prices were off their highs on Friday amid persistent tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, with the vital shipping lane still largely closed despite a ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran.

Ready to rumble?  Hunter Biden challenges Trump's sons to cage match  —  Americans could see a first-of-its-kind fight as they prepare to celebrate the country's 250th independence: a cage match between the sons of a sitting U.S. president, and the son of a former president.

Trump officials deny threatening Vatican over Pope Leo's criticisms  —  Pope Leo XIV has become increasingly concerned over Washington's military policies  —  The Trump administration is trying to calm a furore over claims it threatened Pope Leo XIV's ambassador to Washington in an effort …

US defense official overseeing AI reaped millions selling xAI stock after Pentagon entered agreement with company  —  Expert said federal law bars officials from taking actions in their jobs that benefit their own financial interests  —  A high-profile US defense department official …

Trump vented at Rutte over NATO inaction on Iran during turbulent meeting  —  The U.S. president berated allies and indicated he was considering reprisals for lack of support in the Middle East in a closed-door meeting with the military alliance chief.  —  BRUSSELS — U.S. President Donald Trump unloaded …

Keir Starmer: 'I'm fed up' with Trump and Putin affecting UK energy costs … British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he is “fed up” seeing energy bills in the U.K. swing up and down because of actions taken by U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

EFF is Leaving X  —  After almost twenty years on the platform, EFF is logging off of X. This isn't a decision we made lightly, but it might be overdue.  The math hasn't worked out for a while now.  —  The Numbers Aren't Working Out  —  We posted to Twitter (now known as X) five to ten times a day in 2018.

Netanyahu's Ambitions Threaten to Derail Iran Peace Talks  —  Israeli leader wants to keep going as Trump seeks off-ramp to war … The Bibi Problem  —  Benjamin Netanyahu, by many accounts, helped push Donald Trump and the US into war.  —  Now he may be a major obstacle to the president's effort to get out of it.

The 2028 Democratic primary turns visible  —  With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco, Irie Sentner and Makayla Gray  —  Happy Friday.  It's Adam Wren fresh off the midterm — or 2028?— campaign trail in Michigan and Ohio.  One of my takeaways?  Voters feel unheard.  Get in touch.

Victim in ICE Shooting Suffered at Least Six Wounds, His Lawyer Says  —  Agents shot Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez in Patterson, Calif., this week.  His lawyer said Thursday that they had fired at Mr. Hernandez before he tried to flee.  —  An immigrant working in Northern California …

Government Ordered to Turn Over Files on ICE Agent Who Killed Renee Good  —  Federal prosecutors in Minnesota are being forced to turn over critical information on the shooting of Renee Good by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Jonathan Ross in relation to a separate case involving Ross.

New Jerseyans begin to wonder if even Jeff Van Drew could be vulnerable in midterms … “Even Van Drew's race is going to be competitive,” said Chris Venis, a New Jersey Republican who just launched a super PAC, the National Policy Action Committee, that he says may work to boost Van Drew's reelection.

Labor secretary faces discrimination complaints tied to her husband's alleged misconduct  —  At least three people have lodged formal workplace discrimination complaints against Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, alleging she created a toxic workplace and sought to retaliate against women …

To Fill Air Traffic Controller Shortage, F.A.A. Turns to Gamers  —  Avid players of video games have emerged as a target demographic for recruiters at range of federal agencies, including the military and the Department of Homeland Security.  —  As the Trump administration seeks to fill …

Now would be a great time to send US ambassadors to the Middle East  —  At a time when many question American leadership, there's an underrated value in simply showing up  —  The writer is a distinguished diplomatic fellow at the Middle East Institute and served as US deputy assistant secretary of state under the Biden administration

Iran's Schools and Hospitals in Ruins From U.S.-Israeli Strikes  —  As a fragile cease-fire takes hold, Iran is sorting through the wreckage from U.S.-Israeli strikes, which have exacted a heavy toll on its civilian infrastructure.  The New York Times has verified damage to 22 schools …

Democrats worry Schumer's pick in Maine could imperil hopes of Senate control  —  Maine's Democratic governor, Janet Mills, has gone negative against Graham Platner.  The attacks have not worked, and Minority Leader Charles Schumer so far has declined to bail her out.

The DNC expected big money after big Democratic wins.  It never came.  —  The Democratic National Committee has scaled back some of its plans as donors remain reluctant to give, despite candidates' recent victories.  —  Officials at the Democratic National Committee were hopeful heading into last fall's elections.

Louisiana GOP races to eliminate an elected office won by an exonerated man  —  A man imprisoned for nearly 30 years before being exonerated won a landmark election in New Orleans promising to fix a judicial system that failed him.  Now, Louisiana's Gov. Jeff Landry and the GOP-controlled Legislature …

Trump Is Turning America Into a Psychotic State  —  It has been clear for a long time that President Trump is a person with a disorganized mind and a disordered personality.  What the past few months and especially the past few weeks have brought into focus is how the president's pathologies …

Transgender darts pro says she ‘just got retired’ by governing body's policy change  —  A transgender darts player said she's “not done fighting” after the sport's governing body enacted rules barring transgender women from women's tournaments.  Noa-Lynn van Leuven of the Netherlands spoke …

Vance Faces a High-Profile Test of His Negotiating Skills With Iran Talks  —  Vice President JD Vance is leading negotiations this weekend toward an end to a war that he had opposed starting.  —  Weeks after Vice President JD Vance privately warned President Trump of the costs …