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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Supreme Court hands win to Chevron, Big Oil in environmental damage case  —  The decision puts into question a $745 million judgment against Chevron to help restore coastal wetlands in Louisiana that were damaged as long ago as World War II.  —  The Supreme Court on Friday sided with oil giant Chevron …

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

House rushes to overnight vote to renew key surveillance tool used by US spy agencies  —  The Senate approved a short-term renewal until April 30 of a controversial surveillance program used by U.S. spy agencies, following a chaotic, post-midnight scramble in the House to keep the authority from expiring.

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.”

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 …

Utah leaders to probe relationship between Supreme Court justice, redistricting lawyer  —  Justice Diana Hagen speaks at the Supreme Court of Utah in Salt Lake City on Sept. 25, 2024.  Utah's governor and legislative leaders are launching an investigation into Hagen and allegations …

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.

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.

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.

Exclusive: Justice Department removes lead prosecutor from probe of Trump critic John Brennan  —  The Justice Department has removed the career Miami federal prosecutor leading the investigation into John Brennan, after she resisted pressure to quickly bring charges against the former CIA director …

Diplomatic cables show Iran war is damaging US on multiple fronts across the world … In Azerbaijan, what had been a significantly improving relationship has hit a plateau at best, and appears to be faltering.  Bahrain's government is facing questions about whether the U.S. abandoned …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …