Tillis vows to keep blocking Fed nominee and says Trump should apologize for pope attacks  —  The North Carolina senator tries not to criticize the president directly, but has a lot of thoughts about those who are giving Donald Trump “bad advice.”  —  WASHINGTON — During an interview …

Justice Sonia Sotomayor issues unusual apology over ‘hurtful’ remarks about colleague Brett Kavanaugh  —  The liberal Supreme Court justice had criticized her conservative colleague while she was talking about an opinion he wrote last year in an immigration case.

In the House, Republican Plans Go Awry Amid Party Divides  —  Fresh off a two-week break, lawmakers returned to turmoil in the House, where legislation to reopen the Department of Homeland Security is stalled and the G.O.P. is struggling to keep its agenda on track.

Key Trump lawyer who tried to overturn 2020 election permanently disbarred  —  The California Supreme Court Wednesday permanently disbarred John Eastman — a key architect in President Donald Trump's failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election — delivering one of the most consequential …

Hegseth Borrows Violent Prayer from ‘Pulp Fiction’ to Bless Iran War at April Pentagon Worship Service  —  For the second month in a row, Pete Hegseth, who likes to call himself “secretary of war,” read a violent prayer — that echoes a scene in the Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction …

Amid quarrel with pope, Trump strips Miami charity of funding to house migrant kids  —  The Trump administration has abruptly canceled an $11 million contract with Catholic Charities to shelter and care for migrant children who enter the U.S. alone, ending a relationship between the Catholic Church …

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas blasts progressivism as threat to America  —  He said values in the Declaration of Independence have “fallen out of favor.”  —  Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Wednesday delivered a televised broadside against progressivism …

RFK Jr. once chopped off a dead raccoon's penis to ‘study later’ while on a family road trip  —  Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an avid animal genitalia researcher in his spare time, once pulled the family sedan to the side of the road after spying a dead raccoon and swiftly cut off its sex organs so he could “study them later.”

Ahead of 2028, Vance Collects Cash, Chits and Contacts … Vice President JD Vance's unusual second job as the finance chair of the Republican National Committee is exactly the kind of role an ambitious presidential aspirant might dream up.  —  He's been able to do some good for the party …

Trump believes diet soda kills cancer cells, Dr Oz reveals  —  Physicians issue reminder to public after TV doctor and CMS chief relays president's claim on Don Jr podcast  —  Donald Trump defended his consumption of diet soda by suggesting it might help prevent cancer …

I Was Falsely Accused of “Censorship” in The Free Press.  Then Their Editors Censored The Truth.  —  I prefer to keep drama off main in this newsletter, so I would rather not have to publish a post like this.  But one of the things I've been meaning to write about is the way that partisan media ecosystems protect their own.

Harvard Asks Donors to Endow $10 Million Professorships for ‘Viewpoint Diversity’ Initiative  —  Harvard is quietly asking donors for $10 million gifts to establish new endowed professorships in a sweeping bid to reshape its faculty under the banner of “viewpoint diversity,” according to two people familiar with the initiative.

Scoop: Trump discussed “Jesus” meme with Bill Pulte before posting it, sources say  —  Before President Trump posted an image of him as a Christ-like healer, he discussed the meme with his controversial housing finance chief Bill Pulte, Axios has learned.

Trump's ‘Triumphal Arch’ Draws Backlash, Even From an Expert Who Proposed It  —  The story of how President Trump quadrupled the size of the original proposal for the arch follows a now-familiar pattern.  —  During his first term, President Trump visited the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to attend …

ODNI sends criminal referrals to DOJ for ex-IG, whistleblower tied to Trump impeachment  —  The criminal referrals come after DNI Gabbard said newly-declassified records reveal a ‘coordinated effort’ to advance 2019 Trump impeachment  —  EXCLUSIVE: The Office of the Director …

Largely secret donors pour millions into election that could tip Congress  —  Most of the almost $100 million raised to influence the vote, heavily favoring Democrats, comes from nonprofits that don't have to disclose their donors.  —  Summary  —  Massive amounts of money are flowing …

Talarico Leads a Democratic Cash Surge: 7 Takeaways From 2026 Filings  —  Democrats in key Senate races out-raised their Republican rivals, but super PACs on the right are poised to play a powerful role in the midterms, new campaign finance filings showed.  —  Democratic candidates …

White House calls oil CEOs as energy prices squeeze voters … The impromptu conference with leading executives comes as the Trump administration escalates confrontation with Iran, whose closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to joint U.S.-Israel attacks has spiked global oil prices and created fuel shortages in some countries.

Labor Dept. Investigates Texts Among Secretary's Family and Staff  —  Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer asked staff members to bring wine to her hotel room, and to keep in touch with her husband and father.  —  The Labor Department's inspector general is reviewing material showing …

DOJ hosts anti-abortion advocates after it fired staff for work with abortion-rights orgs  —  The CEO of Americans United for Life said he was “just applauding the administration and DOJ” after it released a report critical of prosecutors during the Biden administration.

The Deepfake Nudes Crisis in Schools Is Much Worse Than You Thought  —  An analysis by WIRED and Indicator found nearly 90 schools and 600 students around the world impacted by AI-generated deepfake nude images—and the problem shows no signs of going away.  —  It usually starts with a photo downloaded from social media.

Trump tests loyalty of Christian supporters as erratic behavior escalates  —  The president maintains his hold on the Christian right, but his bluster, fight with the pope and portrayal of himself as a Jesus-like figure strain that bond.  —  Summary  —  The willingness of his supporters …

Israel hits a low point with Democrats in Congress  —  Israel's relationship with Democrats on Capitol Hill is rapidly deteriorating, with a growing number of lawmakers saying they can no longer support U.S. funding for even the country's defensive weaponry. … No longer.

Republicans worry White House ‘nonsense’ is hurting midterm prospects … Like others in this story, the person was granted anonymity to discuss political calculations.  —  The latest diversion came Wednesday morning when President Donald Trump, during what was supposed to be a friendly interview …