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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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. . . .

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

Iranian National Charged for Smuggling Illegal Aliens into United States  —  For Immediate Release  —  An indictment was unsealed today in the Western District of Texas charging Jafar Tafakori, 57, an Iranian national, for his role in coordinating the smuggling of illegal aliens into the United States.

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 …

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.

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.