Trump officials planned to mark 2.7 million living people as dead, whistleblower says  —  A former Social Security executive said the plan, which was not carried out, would have used a death database to pressure immigrants to leave the country.  —  Summary

Senate Passes Party-Line Reconciliation Bill, Sidesteps Attempts to Kill ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Fund  —  The bill provides $70 billion for immigration and border agencies.  The House plans to take it up next week.  — Copy  —  The Senate voted mostly along party lines …

Trump Urges ‘Less Shackled’ Pulte to Fire Intelligence-Community Employees  —  President said in interview Office of the Director of National Intelligence should be ‘much smaller’ and maybe even terminated  —  WASHINGTON—President Trump said he wants Bill Pulte, his incoming acting director …

Paramount's Weiss Woes … Over the last week, as Bari Weiss plunged CBS News into an unprecedented crisis by implementing her ill-advised overhaul of “60 Minutes,” other Paramount leaders have been left to deal with the fallout.  Indeed, Status has learned that the Weiss-induced turmoil …

Trump could also tear down the Statue of Liberty, DOJ argues in defense of White House ballroom … “On these theories, I think that's right,” replied Yaakov Roth, a Justice Department attorney.  —  Millett, an Obama appointee, peppered Roth with questions about the extent …

Trump Is Eyeing Control of Smithsonian's Budget  —  The administration is creating a conflict with how Congress intended its money be spent.  — Copy  —  A directive from the Office of Management and Budget could force the Smithsonian Institution to change its spending plans …

Trump Keeps Immunity from I.R.S. Audits, Even as $1.8 Billion Fund Falls Away  —  Even as they rebelled against a $1.8 billion fund for President Trump's allies, Republicans looked the other way as his administration granted him potentially lucrative tax protections.

Judge Says Trump Officials Must Restart Asylum and Immigration Processing  —  The judge invalidated policies the Trump administration enacted last year that halted asylum grants, as well as the processing of immigration benefits for people from 39 countries.

Move Fast, Surveil Things  —  Meta has deployed facial recognition code to millions of their always-on surveillance glasses, according to new reporting by Wired.  EFF's Threat Lab was able to confirm that the facial recognition code is present through static analysis of the application.

How Bari Weiss's Free Press laundered MAGA talking points about refugees  —  Bari Weiss continues to take a hatchet to CBS News.  This week she fired longtime journalist and 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley after he angrily confronted her handpicked new editor for the program.

The White House's Latest Provocation Is ‘Grotesque and Terrifying and Juvenile’  —  “They walk among us.”  The glowing green letters emerge ominously against a dark backdrop.  Above them hover the words “aliens” and “declassified,” suggesting the release — long awaited in some corners of the internet …

Talarico Orders a Texas BBQ Feast After Paxton's ‘Vegan’ Jab  —  James Talarico picked at the brisket with his bare hands and polished off a rack of pork ribs.  Sausage links and “Texas Twinkies” — stuffed jalapeño peppers wrapped in bacon — crowded the butcher paper on his overflowing tray of smoked meats.

Platner ex-girlfriend accuses New York Times of ‘set up’  —  An ex-girlfriend of Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner is expressing her frustration with The New York Times over the way it portrayed her and others' experience dating the Democrat.  —  Lyndsey Fifield, whom the Times quoted …

Park Service orders removal of ‘woke’ quotes at Boston's Bunker Hill monument  —  A visitor complaint prompted a review of quotes that are anti-war, pro-immigrant or highlight American hypocrisy on slavery ahead of the monument's 251st anniversary celebration.  —  Summary

White House Explodes Over Viral Video of Sleepy Trump, 79  —  EYES WIDE SHUT  —  Trump's aides flew into attack mode amid renewed scrutiny of the president's health.  —  A viral video of Donald Trump sitting with his eyes closed sent the White House's social media operation into full meltdown mode.

U.S. payrolls rose by 172,000 in May, much more than expected; unemployment at 4.3% … Job growth unexpectedly surged in May as the U.S. labor market continued a solid year of expansion, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.  —  Nonfarm payrolls jumped a seasonally adjusted 172,000 …

America, the Inessential Nation  —  On Feb. 28, 2025 Donald Trump berated Volodymyr Zelenskyy, president of Ukraine, for what he claimed was failure to show sufficient respect.  “You're not in a good position,” Trump declared.  “You don't have the cards right now.”

Casting Her 10,000th Vote in a Row, Collins Sets a Senate Record … Senator Susan Collins of Maine has not missed a vote since taking office in 1997, a feat that colleagues on both sides of the aisle recognized as impressive.Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times  —  Shortly after Susan Collins entered …

Lewis George leads in D.C. mayoral race, Post-Schar School poll finds  —  Janeese Lewis George leads Kenyan R. McDuffie by double-digits in the Democratic primary, according to a Washington Post-Schar School poll.  —  Summary  —  Janeese Lewis George leads Kenyan R. McDuffie by double-digits …

Is Trump's “Anti-Weaponization” Slush Fund Dead?  Or Is It Undead?  —  And why the answer is less important than you might think.  —  annabower.bsky.social  —  EricColumbus  —  ericcolumbus.bsky.social  —  Meet The Authors  —  The Trump administration has abandoned its plan to create an …

The Betrayal of Black Voters Threatens Our Democracy  —  Outside the blindingly white antebellum columns of the Alabama State Capitol on a recent Saturday, Martese Chism stood in the Southern heat with thousands of others, rallying for voting rights.  It was a show of defiance amid a sweeping attack on Black political power.

Defense Department to drop atheists, pagans, 175 others from list of military faiths  —  (RNS) — The Department of Defense is substantially reducing the number of religions it officially recognizes, reportedly excluding atheists, pagans, humanists and New Age faiths, an independent military-focused news website reports.

NJ Republican Targeted for Stock Trading During Mystery Leave  —  The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is launching its first general election attack ad against Rep. Tom Kean (R-N.J.) on Friday, targeting him for trading stocks while missing votes in Washington.

Inside the Implementation of Schedule Policy/Career  —  President Trump signed an executive order making over 8,000 federal employees removable at will.  —  nicholasbednar.bsky.social  —  Meet The Authors  —  Immediately following his second inauguration, President Trump signed …

It's No Wonder Grads Are Booing Their Commencement Speakers  —  Commencement address season hasn't been going well — for the commencement speakers.  —  I'm sure you've seen the videos on social media.  The big shots who have been brought in to inspire a next generation of graduates have used …

Trump's next GOP loyalty test: Ending the changing of the clocks … His personal touch, coupled with engagement from the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, helped land the provision in the House transportation bill, according to a senior White House official granted anonymity to share private legislative strategy.