Iran declares Strait of Hormuz open to shipping; Trump says U.S. blockade still active … Iran on Friday declared the Strait of Hormuz completely open to commercial traffic during the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.  —  “In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage …

Scoop: U.S. considers $20 billion cash-for-uranium deal with Iran  —  The U.S. and Iran are negotiating over a three-page plan to end the war, with one element under discussion being that the U.S. would release $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in return for Iran giving up its stockpile of enriched uranium …

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons is leaving the Department of Homeland Security  —  DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced the move Thursday evening and wished Lyons well.  —  Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons is leaving the Department of Homeland Security, the new head of the DHS said Thursday.

Donald Trump is losing his mind  —  Imagine it was someone other than President Donald Trump.  Suppose a different leader were posting deranged rants in the small hours, insulting the spiritual leader of 1.3 billion Catholics, threatening entire civilizations with annihilation, and comparing himself to God.

House Votes to Extend Expiring Law on Warrantless Surveillance for 10 Days  —  The Senate would need to also approve the stopgap measure that passed the House early Friday.  Libertarian-leaning House Republicans had balked at a long-term extension.  —  The House of Representatives voted early Friday …

MAGA Is Increasingly Convinced the Trump Assassination Attempt Was Staged  —  Conspiracy theories about the Butler, Pennsylvania, shooting have ramped up in recent weeks as once steadfast Trump supporters turn on the president.  —  In recent weeks, as criticism of President Donald Trump …

What I Saw Inside the Kennedy Center  —  I spent 10 months working at the institution because I thought I could help protect it.  What I observed there is far worse than the public knows.  —  On the day I was laid off from the Kennedy Center, I felt a little like Dolley Madison saving …

French Widow Detained by ICE in Alabama Is Released After 16 Days  —  Marie-Thérèse Ross-Mahé, 85, who was arrested amid an inheritance dispute, has returned to France, its foreign affairs minister said.  She came to America last year after reconnecting with and marrying a former G.I.

Trump wants less spending.  RFK Jr.'s ‘not happy’ about it.  —  Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sounded less enthusiastic about cutting his department's budget during the first of several hearings Thursday than he did a year ago.  Then, Kennedy told lawmakers a proposed 25 percent cut …

The regime's attacks on Pope Leo backfire spectacularly  —  This special Saturday edition of PN is made possible by paid subscribers.  Become one👇  —  🧠 Subscribe to PN 🧠  —  President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have picked a fight with the pope, and things are getting really weird.

Progressive Analilia Mejia coasts to victory in New Jersey special House election … “We must stop them,” she said.  “These radicals will watch Rome burn with all of us within, and they are simply cowards — cowards unwilling to stand up to this madness.  But we stand up, we resist, we will not allow it to continue.”

U.S. Government Agrees to $1.25 Million Settlement in Michael Flynn Suit  —  Lawfare obtained the settlement document through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed in federal court earlier this year.  —  annabower.bsky.social  —  Meet The Authors  —  The United States government agreed …

ICE went on a hiring spree.  Sterling credentials were not required, AP investigation finds  —  Their backgrounds stand out.  And not in a good way.  —  Two bankruptcies and six law enforcement jobs in three years.  An allegation of lying in a police report to justify a felony charge …

The Scapegoat Scam  —  Hungarians stopped falling for an authoritarian's trick.  —  The Hungarian strongman Viktor Orbán, who lost his election in a landslide on Sunday after 16 years in power, presented himself as a defender of Western civilization.

Cookies, deodorant, socks.  Iran war puts military packages in limbo  —  Thousands of boxes sent to service members in Middle East are stuck in limbo.  The Postal Service has indefinitely suspended delivery amid Iran war.  —  Dan F. was alarmed when his daughter, a Marine aboard the USS Tripoli …

Three Questions for Kevin Warsh  —  Kevin Warsh looks great on paper.  President Trump's pick to serve as the next chair of the Federal Reserve is a former Fed governor with extensive experience in the financial industry.  He has many admirers both on Wall Street and in Washington.

Ellison's Hill Hide and Seek  —  Cory Booker has renewed his invitation for David Ellison to appear before Congress, the senator told Status—this time asking the Paramount boss to appear when he is in town “honoring” the Trump White House.  —  Next Thursday, at the United States Institute of Peace …

Texas Medical Board Sanctions Three Doctors for Delayed Care That Led to the Deaths of Two Pregnant Women  —  Porsha Ngumezi and Nevaeh Crain died during miscarriages in Texas.  The state's medical board ruled that the doctors' substandard care led to the deaths and ordered them to complete extra training.

Trump turns totally toxic for Europe's far right  —  “Proximity with the United States in the current context did not go down well with Hungarian voters,” said a senior official from France's National Rally party.  —  PARIS — Donald Trump has become so politically toxic in Europe …

Here's a model of consumer sentiment that doesn't suck  —  On the question of why Americans are so glum, the answer is still (mostly) the prices, stupid.  But you have to know where to look … A gallon of milk costs about a dollar more today than it did in 2019.

Two Magicians Warn the Supreme Court About Junk Science  —  Penn & Teller filed a Supreme Court brief questioning the use of “investigative hypnosis” in a death-penalty case in Texas.  —  Penn Jillette, the talkative member of the magic act Penn & Teller, knows that people will find the duo's new project a little surprising.

The Shocking Secrets of Madison Square Garden's Surveillance Machine  —  Famously vengeful Knicks owner Jim Dolan has long spied on people at his iconic arenas.  WIRED goes deep inside the operation that allegedly tracked a trans woman, lawyers, protesters, and more.  —  I. “EXECUTIVE ONE”

Auguries from Hungary  —  Orbán's election defeat is a blow to Trump and Maga  —  With characteristic poor timing, I took a break last week from the Washington fray (though in the Trump era, any week off is badly timed).  On one of our somewhat frenetic holiday stops …

Former FEMA leader set to return after being ousted  —  Cameron Hamilton had publicly disagreed with previous efforts to dismantle FEMA.  While those plans have shifted, the agency's future is still unclear.  —  Summary  —  President Donald Trump plans to nominate Cameron Hamilton …

Pentagon Pete Goon Offers Wild Explanation for ‘Pulp Fiction’ Prayer  —  FACT OR FICTION  —  The spokesman's excuse did not offer much clarity.  —  Pete Hegseth's top spin doctor tried to defend his boss's bizarre interpretation of a Pulp Fiction monologue during a Pentagon worship event on Wednesday.

Hegseth attacks ‘unpatriotic’ media and compares reporters to Jewish biblical group  —  The defense secretary has frequently attacked the media over Iran war coverage. … Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth escalated his attacks on the media Thursday, comparing reporters covering the Iran war to the Pharisees …