The Supreme Court's Conservatives Just Issued the Worst Ruling in a Century  —  This evisceration of the Voting Rights Act requires us to take SCOTUS reform more seriously.  —  Wednesday's 6-3 party-line decision in Louisiana v. Callais will go down in history as one of the most pernicious …

Bessent Says Powell Staying On Is ‘Violation’ of All Fed Norms  —  Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized Jerome Powell for his decision to stay on the Federal Reserve Board after he steps down as the US central bank's chair, saying it amounts to a break with Fed tradition.

James Comey indicted over seashell photo that officials say threatened Trump  —  The former FBI director posted a beach photo last year showing shells in the shape of “8647,” which Trump allies portrayed as a threat against the president.  It's the second time the Trump administration has indicted Comey.

Exclusive: Trump rejects Iran's offer, says blockade stays until nuclear deal  —  President Trump told Axios he's going to keep Iran under a naval blockade until the regime agrees to a deal that addresses U.S. concerns about its nuclear program. … - After the strikes …

Exclusive: New records show paper trail of DOGE voter data pact with election deniers  —  Newly obtained documents show a clear paper trail of Trump administration officials planning to share sensitive voter data with an outside political group trying to overturn elections, as part of a secret agreement.

The YOLO Presidency  —  This article was featured in the One Story to Read Today newsletter.  Sign up for it here.  —  Had President Trump, we wondered, possibly been reading or at least thumbing through—just maybe—the works of ... Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel?

Fidelity Won't Let Fund Holders Donate to Southern Poverty Law Center  —  Fidelity cited the Justice Department's recent lawsuit against the civil rights organization in emails to holders of its charitable-giving funds explaining its decision.  —  The country's largest sponsor of donor-advised funds …

Trump Threatens to Pull Troops From Germany as He Lashes Out at Merz  —  The comments came after the German chancellor said that Iran has “humiliated” the United States.  —  President Trump declared on Wednesday evening that he is “studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany …

Video shows moment Secret Service officer fired at correspondents' dinner suspect … Surveillance footage reviewed by The Washington Post shows that Cole Tomas Allen appeared to raise his shotgun in the direction of a Secret Service officer who then fired at him at least four times …

Trump administration rejects women picked for soybean board, appoints men instead  —  The Trump administration rejected all four women farmers chosen by their peers to represent them in an industry group called the United Soybean Board earlier this year, a rare intervention by the U.S. Department …

Trump's Latest Ballroom Push Is His Nero Moment  —  The president's decision to commandeer the DOJ to argue that his ballroom is a security necessity is the ultimate sign that this country is in decline.  —  Pocket  —  Donald Trump's White House ballroom is the thing that proves America is in its decline.

Ted Cruz Bashes Trump Administration for Going After Jimmy Kimmel  —  The Texas senator jumped to the defense of the late-night host as the FCC threatens ABC and Disney's broadcast licenses … The MAGA Republican, who famously clashed with the president during the 2016 primaries before supporting him …

CBS' Ratings Calamity … Indeed, according to Nielsen data obtained by Status, Dokoupil's most recent week, beginning April 20, marked the lowest-rated stretch in total viewers since he took over the broadcast.  The program averaged just 3.7 million viewers—slipping below the once-unthinkable 4 million threshold.

Johnson quells House GOP revolt to pass controversial surveillance bill  —  For more than two hours on the chamber's floor, the speaker and fellow Republican leaders cajoled holdouts on that bill and others on DHS funding and farm policy.

The King's Admirer in Chief  —  Cannons fired.  Fifes and drums played “Yankee Doodle.”  A quartet of F-35s flew overhead, and dozens of military service members held American and British flags.  It was about as much pomp as the United States can muster.  This 250th anniversary of America, for the Brits, can be ... a bit awkward.

Hungary's Opposition Used Social Media to Topple the Authoritarian-in-Chief  —  Politically neutral platforms are a better way than censorship to fight propaganda and disinformation  —  Three days after securing a landslide victory in Hungary's parliamentary election, incoming prime minister …

Sergey Brin-Backed California Measures Have Signatures to Reach Ballot, Backers Say  —  Two ballot initiatives funded in part by the Google co-founder that take aim at portions of a proposed wealth tax are on track to qualify  —  Two California ballot initiatives funded in part …

Trump Administration Announces Moves to Sharply Curtail Gun Regulations  —  The changes are in keeping with the administration's pledge to cut back on gun restrictions.  —  The Trump administration on Wednesday announced a sweeping rollback of gun regulations, prompting criticism …

ICE Deports Colombian Torture Victim—to Africa  —  ICE FINALLY STUCK IT to one of their detainees.  Except this person is no criminal, no murderer, no monster.  She is a torture victim from Colombia, one who—as we wrote last year—was repeatedly beaten and raped by the police buddies of her ex-boyfriend.

Congressional Republicans Struggle to Do the Basics as Chambers Clash  —  House Republicans toiled to pass major measures as lawmakers scramble to fund homeland security, extend spy powers and deliver a farm bill.  —  Representative Tom Cole, the Oklahoma Republican who leads …

The Congressional Progressive Caucus has a plan for high prices  —  As Democrats seek to define a cost-of-living agenda ahead of the midterms, House members in the party's left flank let loose an opening salvo Wednesday.  The Congressional Progressive Caucus laid out 10 prospective bills aimed …