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.

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 …

Trump Fumes Over Ballroom Pause as Aides Try to Shift Focus to Midterms  —  President fires off several social-media posts decrying a judge's decision to block construction  —  President Trump and his senior aides had planned to shift focus on Thursday to the kind of domestic policy plans …

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.

RFK Jr.'s New Normal  —  As Trump nominates a new, uncontroversial CDC director, a more restrained version of the health secretary is appearing.  —  The White House has reportedly urged Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to avoid talking about vaccines, but this morning he had no choice.

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.”

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

4/17/26☀️ AM: … House Republicans saved face — kind of — with a unanimous consent passage of a two-week extension of FISA authorities.  But that wasn't before the Johnson-authored compromise was rejected by a dozen Republicans. … A group of Republicans rebelled on the floor …

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”

Scoop: Democrats eye new strategy after Iran war powers fail  —  A group of House Democrats is discussing plans to force a vote on an Iran war powers every day until one finally passes or U.S. operations in the region end, Axios has learned. … - It's not clear if House Democratic leadership …

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.

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 …

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 …

Gabbard raised issues with spy law Trump is pushing to renew … In a statement, the White House said Trump's “entire exceptional national security team is in lockstep with the president in advancing his efforts to achieve a clean reauthorization of FISA 702.”

Justin Fairfax increasingly erratic weeks before murder-suicide, court records show  —  Fairfax was once a favorite to become Virginia governor before sexual assault allegations arose.  The couple's teenage son called 911, officials said.  —  Summary  —  Former Virginia lieutenant governor …

Will Trump Pardon Ghislaine Maxwell?  Her Lawyer Thinks So. … He counts Ghislaine Maxwell, the accomplice of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Markus' client, among them.  —  “I think she's a scapegoat,” he said in an extended interview last month.

The Feuding Little Christian Fiefdoms of the Trump Administration  —  In Church, Merch, and State, Sarah Posner writes about the intersection of religion and politics in the United States.  This column is part of TPM Cafe, TPM's home for opinion and news analysis.