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 …

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 …

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.

Who's Erica Schwartz, the Md. alum Trump nominated to run the CDC?  —  President Donald Trump on Thursday nominated University of Maryland Law School alumni Erica Schwartz to serve as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  —  Schwartz has a medical degree from Brown University …

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.

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.

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 …

The Supreme Court hands a win to oil and gas companies fighting environmental lawsuits in Louisiana  —  The Supreme Court handed a win Friday to oil and gas companies fighting lawsuits over coastal land loss and environmental degradation in Louisiana.  The 8- procedural decision gives …

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”

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.”

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.

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 …

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 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.

Congress is back in session, and there is a frantic feel in the air.  Republicans appear to be assessing the fall of Hungarian prime minister Victor Orbán, Trump's increasingly erratic behavior along with his abysmal job approval numbers, rising prices, and an unpopular war in Iran …

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 …

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.

Democrats Make Final Push to Delay Confirmation Hearing of Trump's Fed Pick  —  Kevin M. Warsh is scheduled to testify on Tuesday despite an ongoing criminal investigation into the chair of the Federal Reserve that stands in the way of a smooth transition.  —  All 11 Democrats …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

We Forget About ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ at Our Peril  —  The abuses are piling up, and Democrats and activists are desperate to get the word out.  —  WHEN DONALD TRUMP, Kristi Noem, Ron DeSantis, and local Florida officials opened the Everglades detention center last summer …

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.