Trump's inconvenient truth  —  With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco, Irie Sentner and Makayla Gray  —  Good Monday morning.  This is Jack Blanchard, fresh off a sun-baked weekend in beautiful West Virginia, where the kids hunted for salamanders in an icy mountain lake and your author discovered the joys of hot pepper jelly.

Justice Department demands Michigan county turn over 2024 ballots  —  Michigan Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel dismissed the latest election inquiry from the Trump administration as “absurd” and “baseless.”  —  The Justice Department has demanded Wayne County, Michigan …

What to know about tariff refund site that's set to go live Monday  —  U.S. businesses that paid tariffs that the Supreme Court ruled were illegal can start applying for refunds Monday. … How it works  —  CBP is due launching the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries …

8 children killed in Louisiana mass shooting  —  The alleged gunman, who is related to some of the children, was killed after a vehicle chase, according to police.  —  Eight children were killed in a mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Sunday morning, according to police.

Energy Secretary Says Gas Prices May Stay Above $3 Until 2027  —  Secretary of Energy Chris Wright's acknowledgment in a TV interview undercut President Trump's earlier claim that price increases would be “short-term.”  —  Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said on Sunday that gasoline prices …

Why a Democratic Senate, Once Unthinkable, Is a Real Possibility  —  Helped by a favorable national environment and strong candidate recruitment, Democrats are tied or ahead in four Republican-held seats, polls show.  —  At the start of the 2026 election cycle, the Senate looked far out of reach for the Democrats.

U.A.E. Asks U.S. About a Wartime Financial Lifeline  —  Emirati officials speak with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about accessing dollars if Middle East conflict drags on  —  WASHINGTON—The United Arab Emirates has opened talks with the U.S. about obtaining a financial backstop in case …

Iran War Live Updates: Iran Vows Retaliation for U.S. Attack on Cargo Ship  —  President Trump said that a U.S. Navy destroyer had fired on an Iran-flagged vessel that was trying to evade a blockade.  He also said an American delegation was heading to Pakistan for more peace talks …

Hegseth's Feud With Army Secretary Spills Into Public View  —  Spat comes as the military faces unprecedented commitments around the world  —  Soon after his first day at the Pentagon in early 2025, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll walked into his boss's office with a proposal.

With no end in sight to their deployment, National Guard troops roam Washington  —  The cherry blossoms draw more than a million visitors to Washington's Tidal Basin annually.  This year was no different, except some strolling the area between the Lincoln Memorial and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial …

‘Most important speech...that should never have been given’: Fmr Judge pans SCOTUS justice's remarks  —  At a recent event, the conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas delivered a grievance-soaked address that argued that progressivism is incompatible with the Declaration of Independence.

The insider trading suspicions looming over Trump's presidency  —  Throughout US President Donald Trump's second term in office, traders have been betting millions of dollars just before he makes major announcements.  —  The BBC has examined trade volume data on several financial markets …

The New York Times is wrong about the birth rate  —  The Times says a boom of older mothers is coming to reverse low fertility, but the math is against them.  —  Fewer American women are choosing to have children young.  So much is obvious.  The big question is whether …

Senate Republicans Agonize as Trump Tramples on Tax Cut Message  —  “We're not even singing in the same tongue right now,” says one GOP senator about their sales pitch being overshadowed by Trump's feud with the pope and war in Iran.  — Copy  —  Senate Republicans have one big …