Putin Floats a Summit With Trump and Xi to Decide Ukraine's Fate  —  The Russian leader is trying to capitalize on warming ties with the president to unlock a favorable resolution to the war with Kyiv  —  Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed that he, President Trump …

Exclusive: Secret pay-for-play text rocks Trump White House … - “Once the money comes to the company here, I will arrange the donation to Kennedy Centre [sic], and you'll be joining the VIP events and get close with the administration, even with POTUS,” the May 3, 2025, text says.

This Cybersecurity Agency Is Supposed to Protect U.S. Elections.  Officials Fear It's Been Compromised by Trump.  —  A few months into President Donald Trump's second term, political appointees at the Department of Homeland Security made an unusual request of its agency focused on cybersecurity …

Federal agents smash huge voter fraud ring in California — days after state issued ultimatum  —  Federal agents collared suspects in a slew of voter fraud cases Monday morning, chasing targets across California drawn from a list of more than 20,000 suspected noncitizens in the state …

Republicans already know who they want to blame if they suffer big midterm losses  —  Republicans are already starting to blame each other as the midterm election spirals further out of their control.  —  Everyone is bracing for President Donald Trump's ire if the party loses big in November.

How CBS News' Middle East war spread to the Upper Midwest  —  The News  —  Control of the US Senate for the next two years could come down to how much the news media chooses to focus in the final weeks of the midterms on a tweet sent years ago by the younger half-sister of Michigan's Democratic Senate candidate.

James Carville Says He'd Rather GOP Win House by 5 Seats Than Dems Win by 5: They'd Be ‘Hostage to DSA’  —  Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville said he would rather see Republicans keep control of the House by five seats than watch Democrats win the chamber by the same margin …

Christiane Amanpour announces she will leave CNN next June  —  CNN legend Christiane Amanpour, the network's chief international anchor, said Monday that she will sign off from CNN next June.  —  “After many months of thought and a few sleepless nights, I have decided to separate from CNN, my partner of 43 fantastic years!”

Take 23% off to celebrate The Downballot's 23rd anniversary!  —  Our special sale is available for a limited time  —  Twenty-three years is a long time in any human lifetime.  On the internet, it's practically an eternity.  —  On this day in 2003, as a first-year law student …

Judge refuses DOJ's demand to step aside from golf course hearing  —  A federal judge refused the Justice Department's (DOJ) demand to step aside from a key hearing on Monday over the future of East Potomac Park, which President Trump wants to renovate into a championship-style golf course.

Meta shuts down “No Kings” account during major anti-Trump protest  —  On Saturday, thousands of “No Kings” events were held around the country.  It was a critical day for the anti-Trump protest group, which has attracted millions of participants since 2025.

Trump Aides Are Getting Ready to Penalize Defaulting Student Loan Borrowers  —  Trump administration officials are preparing to impose financial penalties on millions of Americans in default on their federal student loans next year, according to five sources familiar with the matter.

Donald Trump is Politically Bankrupt.  Be Very Afraid  —  What will he do when he has nothing left to lose?  —  According to CNN, all-out war with Iran may be about to resume: … Trump says that he won't order a strike before the midterms.  But Robert Pape, author of the Substack Escalation Trap …

Exclusive / Manchin to campaign with Collins in Maine  —  Former Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., is traveling to Maine this week to campaign with Republican Sen. Susan Collins, according to details shared first with Semafor.  —  The moderate West Virginian said his visit is motivated by the attacks …

Trump's Golf Empire Is A Billion-Dollar Tax Shelter  —  This voice experience is generated by AI.  Learn more.  —  For decades, the president has claimed charitable deductions on golf courses he never gave away.  Now, facing one of the most significant tax bills of his life …

I Have Never Seen the Online Right So Happy  —  The online right has that old spring to its step.  The infighting brought on by Donald Trump's chaotic second-term agenda has settled down and the anonymous accounts have been posting at a furious clip.  What is the source of this newfound unity?

Supreme Court to decide legality of federal ban on distilling liquor at home  —  Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday said it will consider the constitutionality of a nearly 160-year-old federal ban on distilling liquor at home.  —  Arguments in the case, known as Department of Justice v. McNutt …

The weird rise and spectacular fall of Katie Zacharia  —  Public Notice is proudly celebrating 5 years of independent journalism.  Our coverage is possible thanks for paid subscribers.  Become one ⬇️  —  ✅ Subscribe to PN ✅  —  On October 9, Newsmax commentator …

As Election Day nears, Russia steps up efforts to boost Republicans  —  What do the last six U.S. election cycles have in common?  They've featured Russian operations intended to help GOP candidates.  —  It was about a month ago when MS NOW reported on a Russian disinformation campaign targeting …

Welcome to JD Vance 6.0  —  Everything is going great.  And if it isn't great, he has no idea how we got here.  —  1. Frontier Models  —  Back during the 2024 campaign I wrote about the 4.0 operating system upgrade which had been loaded onto the JD Vance platform.

Australian lawmaker Helen Haines in critical condition after vehicle attack  —  Australian lawmaker Helen Haines was in a critical condition on Monday after being deliberately struck by a car outside her office in Wangaratta, northeast of Melbourne, police and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

Hegseth ‘wrong’ to diminish NATO role in Afghanistan: UK prime minister's office  —  The British and Polish governments have condemned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for downplaying the involvement of NATO allies in the war in Afghanistan.  —  During a speech at the University of Tennessee on Saturday …

Polls Show Democrats Ahead.  Are They ‘Right’ This Time?  —  Polls are inherently imprecise, but they don't have a record of systematically overestimating Democrats in recent nonpresidential elections.  —  Are the midterm polls overestimating the Democrats?  —  It's hard not to wonder.

Albertans vote on path to independence as Carney fights to keep Canada united  —  Voters in Canada's oil-rich Alberta province will decide Monday whether to begin a process that could lead to independence, testing national unity as U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and threats to make Canada …

The Danger of Getting Too Close to a Source  —  Richard Darman was my source in the Reagan and Bush Administrations—and my best friend.  —  “Woodward, Darman,” he said.  It was how every phone call from him began over two decades.  Richard G. Darman was what I call a “hide in plain sight” …

Ken Paxton's Anti-Abortion Influence Already Extended Beyond Texas.  He Could Take It Further in the Senate.  —  Early in his tenure as Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton issued a statement commemorating what he believed was a national tragedy.  —  “It's impossible to fill the void …