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 …

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.

DeSantis plots end run of Florida law to create more GOP House seats  —  Florida bans lawmakers from intentionally creating congressional seats to give their party an advantage.  But Gov. Ron DeSantis quietly has launched a three-tiered power play to evade the ban — and create more GOP-friendly seats — in November.

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.

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 …

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. . . .

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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

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 …

Governor Mills Announces Decision on LD 307  —  Governor Janet Mills today notified the Maine Legislature that she has vetoed L.D. 307, An Act to Establish the Maine Data Center Coordination Council and Place a Temporary Limitation on Certain Data Centers.  —  In her letter …

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 …

Exclusive: Pentagon email floats suspending Spain from NATO, other steps over Iran rift, source says  —  An internal Pentagon email outlines options for the United States to punish NATO allies it believes failed to support U.S. operations in the war with Iran, including suspending Spain …

Trump Says He Dislikes Prediction Markets.  His Family Invests in Them.  —  The White House has warned staff not to wager on government decisions, but his family's involvement with these firms undermines the president's message.  —  When a U.S. soldier was indicted on Thursday on charges …

The SPLC Targeted Me.  Now Its Reckoning Has Come.  —  The group that called me an ‘extremist’ has been accused of funding hate groups.  And it's provoked racial conflict for decades.  —  Upgrade to Listen  —  A federal grand jury in Montgomery, Alabama, on Tuesday issued an 11-count indictment …

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 …

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.

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.

US imposes sanctions on a China-based oil refinery and 40 shippers over Iranian oil  —  The Trump administration is placing economic sanctions on a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil.

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 …

Trump's decline is an emergency: Why doesn't Congress treat it like one?  —  Democrats need to stop playing games.  —  I have a lot of respect for Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).  I fully understand why he's sponsoring a bill to create a “Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers …

Palantir Is Helping Trump's IRS Conduct “Massive-Scale” Data Mining  —  military contractor Palantir is helping the IRS analyze dozens of different data sets on Americans to investigate a broad range of financial crimes, according to records shared with The Intercept.