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.

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 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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

The Conspiracy Theory Behind Tucker Carlson's Apology  —  Tucker Carlson, you might have heard, is sorry.  Early this week he posted a long conversation with his brother, Buckley, a former Trump speechwriter, in which they tried to make sense of the wreckage of the second Donald Trump presidency.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

Iran talks to resume this weekend without Vance  —  White House will send Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan as Tehran decides not to send its top negotiator.  —  Summary  —  A U.S. delegation will resume talks with Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan, this weekend …

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 …