Top Items:
US Department of Justice:
The Justice Department Takes Actions to Strengthen the Federal Death Penalty — For Immediate Release — President Trump's Day-One Executive Order Directed the Department to Prioritize Seeking and Implementing Death Sentences to Protect Public Safety — Today, the Department of Justice acted …
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Reuters:
Justice Department readopts firing squads in federal executions — The department said it is also resuming the use of lethal injection in executions.
Trevor Aaronson / The Intercept:
Kash Patel Got Arrested for Public Urination After a Night of Drinking — FBI Director Kash Patel was twice arrested in incidents involving alcohol, once for public intoxication and once for public urination after leaving a bar, he admitted in a 2005 letter about disclosures on his Florida Bar application.
Discussion:
TMZ.com, The Independent, The Parnas Perspective, Raw Story and New Republic
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Inside Trump and David Ellison's Private Party in Washington — The president spoke for nearly an hour at a Paramount-hosted event that raised questions about journalistic and regulatory conflicts of interest. — David Ellison, the billionaire media mogul, feted President Trump and top members …
Discussion:
Variety, Associated Press, Breitbart, Mediaite, Raw Story, Jewish Insider and New Republic, more at Mediagazer »
Politico:
White House insiders see Rubio on the rise as a potential 2028 pick … “JD Vance is a fantastic vice president, and Marco Rubio is a great Secretary of State,” said Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz. “[Rubio] could have gone one of two routes after the 2016 campaign.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Townhall and The Atlantic
Milan Singh / The Argument:
The anti-market delusion at the heart of the housing crisis — Breaking news: Housing is a market — It's very easy to get a reservation at Olive Garden, which has over 900 locations in the United States. It's almost impossible to get a reservation at Rao's in New York City, which is one of only three locations.
Ryan Mancini / The Hill:
Rove warns of proposed Florida Republican gerrymander ‘risk’ — Republican strategist Karl Rove on Friday warned that a proposed Florida Republican gerrymander could be a “risk” for the GOP's control over the state's House delegation. — “Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade asked Rove …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Florida Politics and Semafor
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Mary Clare Jalonick / Associated Press:
Congress keeps holding all-nighters, creating dysfunction after dark — Just as the Senate prepared to launch into a late-night vote series, Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana went to the floor to vent. Frustrated and seemingly exhausted Wednesday, Kennedy said he wanted more time to debate …
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Al Weaver / NOTUS:
Senate Republicans Bench Trump's Voting Bill — Republican lawmakers do not have the appetite to bring the SAVE America Act back to the floor. “That horse has left the barn,” one of them told NOTUS. — Copy — Senate Republicans have sidelined the SAVE America Act …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Raw Story, Townhall, Crooks and Liars, Democracy Docket and The Daily Signal
New Republic:
Trump Hit by Brutal Fox Poll as Aides Scramble: “He's in a Bad Mood” — A new Fox News poll contains crushing findings for Donald Trump. His approval on the economy is at 34 percent with 66 percent disapproving. On inflation, those numbers are even worse, at 28-72.
Discussion:
PoliticusUSA and Daily Kos
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New Republic:
Transcript: Trump Wrecked in Brutal New Fox Poll: “He's in a Bad Mood”
Discussion:
Newsweek, Raw Story, NBC News, West Hawaii Today and The Daily Caller
Natalie Hausmann / Democracy Docket:
Many Americans believe Trump's lies about voter fraud, poll shows
Many Americans believe Trump's lies about voter fraud, poll shows
Discussion:
New Republic
William Kristol / The Bulwark:
Trump Isn't Thinking Strait — Another day, another Pentagon press conference in which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fruitlessly demands Europe get more involved with reopening the Strait of Hormuz: “This should not be America's fight alone,” Hegseth seethed. “We barely use the Strait of Hormuz. . . .
Discussion:
The Daily Signal, CNN and MS NOW
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Paul McLeary / Politico:
Hegseth declares victory while preparing for more war with Iran
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Hill, Daily Kos, New York Post, Asia Times, Truthout, The Independent, New Republic, NewsMax.com, The Post Millennial, France 24, Mediaite, IJR, Associated Press, Blaze Media, Forbes, CBS News and Townhall
Joe Sommerlad / The Independent:
Atlantic writer sued by Kash Patel says she's been ‘inundated’ with new sources corroborating her reporting — Sarah Fitzpatrick reiterates that she stands by ‘every single word’ of her story and says the people she spoke to were ‘frightened’ by the FBI director's alleged conduct creating a national security vulnerability
Discussion:
The Nation, Techdirt, The Atlantic and New Republic
Kathryn Wilkens / Mediaite:
Trump Aide Called GOP Candidates ‘Fat Jewish Zionist F*cks’ in Leaked Group Chat: Report — Paul Ingrassia, an aide to President Donald Trump, is under fresh scrutiny after a Friday report from the Daily Mail alleged he sent a string of inflammatory messages targeting fellow Republicans …
Greg Ryan / Bloomberg:
Maine Governor Mills Vetoes Statewide Data Center Moratorium — Maine Governor Janet Mills vetoed what would have been the first statewide freeze on large data center development, saying it would hurt a part of Maine in need of an economic boost. — Mills, a Democrat running for US Senate …
Discussion:
Reuters and Associated Press, more at Techmeme »
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Greg Sargent / New Republic:
The Incredible Shrinking MAGA — If you follow politics on social media, you've probably encountered a claim about Donald Trump that goes like this: “LOL Trump's support is rock-solid LOL, his base will never leave him LOL.” And it's true: The white-hot core of MAGA does remain with him.
Discussion:
Fox News
New York Times:
The ‘Lasting Damage’ of Pirro's Abandoned Fed Investigation — The Trump administration's attacks on the Federal Reserve have rattled confidence in the central bank's ability to operate independently before a leadership transition. — The Justice Department's criminal investigation …
Aaron Rupar / Public Notice:
Matt Gertz on the Fox News presidency — This week's Nir & Rupar features a very special guest — Matt Gertz, senior fellow at Media Matters and one of the foremost experts on right-wing media. — Gertz and I discussed the ways in which Fox News is even worse now than it was during Trump's first term …
Discussion:
Media Matters for America
Washington Post:
Elon Musk's near-daily online posts about race are turning off some fans — The billionaire posted 850 times on the topic in recent months, almost triple the rate for the previous two years. — Summary — Elon Musk, the world's richest person, is on the cusp of a record-setting initial public offering …
Discussion:
The Independent
Kadia Goba / NOTUS:
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Just Resigned. She's Still Seeking Reelection. — The embattled Florida Democrat filed for reelection four days before resigning. — Copy — Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, the embattled, now-former congresswoman who resigned from Congress this week ahead …
Scott Calvert / Wall Street Journal:
A Mayor With No Pants Has Become the Talk of This North Carolina Town — A fight over footage of a 2024 incident is drawing unwanted attention to Mooresville—and locals are angry, bewildered and a little amused — MOORESVILLE, N.C.—Dave Homick loves this fast-growing town's nickname, Race City USA, a nod to its deep Nascar ties.
Discussion:
Raw Story
Reese Gorman / NOTUS:
A Private Investigator Working for Eric Swalwell's Lawyers Is Calling His Former Staff — A woman working for Beau Dietl & Associates told a person who received a call she was looking into the allegations against Swalwell. — Copy — A private investigator who is working for former …
Discussion:
CNN, New York Post and The Gateway Pundit
Peter Charalambous / ABC News:
Judge orders Trump, DOJ to justify why president's $10B IRS lawsuit should proceed — Trump sued the IRS over the public disclosure of his tax information in 2019. — President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a Health Care Affordability event in the Oval Office at the White House, in Washington, April 23, 2026.
Lindsey Holden / Politico:
Voter ID measure qualifies for the California ballot … “Voters will be able to restore election integrity in our state, citizenship verification, auditing voter rolls and, yes, requiring ID to vote,” DeMaio said in a social media video celebrating the qualification.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Democracy Docket, Washington Examiner, Mercury News, Los Angeles Times, New York Post and CalMatters
Associated Press:
Appeals court overturns $8.2 million defamation win for Alabama politician Roy Moore — Moore lost a Senate race after his campaign was rocked by misconduct allegations that he denied. The lawsuit centered on a TV ad that recounted the accusations against him.
Matt Lewis / The Hill:
Trump lived by the conspiracy theory — now he pays the price — A truism of life — right up there with “don't read the comments” — is that what goes around comes around. Put another way, if you live by the sword, you will eventually die by the sword. — For more than a decade …
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Michelle Goldberg / New York Times:
The Conspiracy Theory Behind Tucker Carlson's Apology
The Conspiracy Theory Behind Tucker Carlson's Apology
Discussion:
Raw Story, Digby's Hullabaloo, Los Angeles Times, America, America, Washington Monthly and NPR
Adam Wren / Politico:
It's prom weekend in Washington — With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco, Irie Sentner and Makayla Gray — Happy Friday. It's Adam Wren. My lineup of pre-WHCD parties tonight includes Crooked Media, YouTube's event and the British ambassador's residence. If you're around, let's sidebar.
Pluribus News:
DOJ joins lawsuit challenging Colorado AI law … Austin Jenkins — The Trump administration on Friday joined a lawsuit seeking to overturn Colorado's first-in-the-nation law aimed at ensuring high-risk artificial intelligence systems do not discriminate.
Discussion:
Reuters and Fox News, more at Techmeme »
Olivia Rinaldi / CBS News:
White House mulls using Defense Production Act in Spirit Airlines takeover — Add CBS News on Google — The Trump administration is exploring using the Defense Production Act as part of a strategy to save the beleaguered Spirit Airlines, according to U.S. officials familiar with the discussions.
Discussion:
UPI, NewsMax.com, Bloomberg, Raw Story, Mediaite and Associated Press
Politico:
France drops climate from G7 environment talks to appease Trump administration — Government official says Paris wanted to prioritize “a message of unity.” — PARIS — France removed climate change from the agenda of this week's G7 talks to prevent a rift with the United States, according to a French government official.

