Rand Paul's Son William Hurled Antisemitic Insults at Rep. Mike Lawler  —  The younger Paul interrupted Lawler at a Capitol Hill bar to say “Jews” would be to blame if Rep. Thomas Massie loses his primary.  — Copy  —  William Paul, the son of Sen. Rand Paul, drunkenly hurled antisemitic insults …

Mississippi Governor Vows Thompson's ‘Reign of Terror Is Over,’ But Cancels Redistricting Plans  — Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email  —  Mississippi will not redraw any of its electoral districts this month.  Gov. Tate Reeves canceled a special legislative session …

Why Is John Roberts in a Rush All of a Sudden?  —  Sign up for Executive Dysfunction, a newsletter that highlights one under-the-radar story each week about how Trump is changing the law—or how the law is pushing back.  You'll also receive updates on the latest from Slate's Jurisprudence team.

Democrats bypass Mike Johnson on Ukraine aid with GOP help … - Just in the 119th Congress, lawmakers have succeeded in garnering the necessary 218 signatures to force votes on a half dozen bills covering everything from proxy voting in the House to releasing the Epstein files to extending Affordable Care Act tax credits.

DOJ considers settling Trump's IRS lawsuit which could send taxpayer money directly to the president's pockets: report … Recommended articles

White House Explores 250 Pardons to Mark America's 250th Birthday  —  Trump could make the announcements on June 14, which is both Flag Day and his birthday, or on Fourth of July  —  White House officials are weighing a plan for President Trump to issue 250 pardons as a way to mark …

Trump's plan to use his library as a hotel sparks lawsuit  —  Litigants also allege Florida officials violated the Constitution's bar on attempts to influence the president through gifts, by handing over a valuable parcel of land.  —  Summary  —  A group of Miami residents sued President Donald Trump …

With a Friend in Trump, the Tobacco Industry Secures a Lucrative Win  —  In a dispute over vapes, the president sided with tobacco companies that filled his groups' coffers over his own F.D.A. commissioner, who resigned in protest.  —  Over lunch at his golf club in Jupiter, Fla. …

N.Y.U. Students Object to Speaker Who Calls Their Generation ‘Coddled’  —  Jonathan Haidt, a professor, says that colleges shield students from challenging ideas.  But student leaders said he does not represent their values.  —  Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist and author …

China gains major edge on U.S. amid Iran war, intelligence report finds  —  A confidential assessment, circulating as President Donald Trump begins his highly anticipated trip to Beijing, shows shifts in several key areas of competition.  —  Summary  —  A confidential U.S. intelligence analysis details …

Vance announces suspension of $1.3 billion Medicaid payments to California  —  The Trump administration is also warning all 50 states it could freeze funding for their Medicaid fraud unite unless they investigate and prosecute fraud by providers.  —  Vice President JD Vance announced Wednesday …

McMaster plans to call special session to redraw South Carolina House map … The looming special session comes after five Republican state senators voted with Democrats to block a measure that would have allowed them to redraw South Carolina's districts this cycle without a call from McMaster.

3 GOP senators break with leadership, vote to advance resolution to end Iran war  —  Three Republican senators broke with their leadership Wednesday and voted to advance a Democratic-sponsored resolution under the 1973 War Powers Act to halt the conflict with Iran unless Congress formally authorizes further military action.

Watching Porn on California's Death Row  —  Under Gavin Newsom, state prisoners are turning taxpayer-funded tablets into personal sex machines.  —  Under Governor Gavin Newsom, California has sought to transform its massive prison system into a Nordic-style rehabilitation program.

New York man found guilty in Chinese ‘secret police station’ case  —  A New York man was found guilty on Wednesday of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government after a trial over federal prosecutors' allegations that he operated a “secret police station” on behalf of Beijing in Manhattan's Chinatown neighborhood.

Proposed WIC cuts could be detrimental to children's growth and well-being  —  President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are pursuing steep cuts to the federal WIC program — a bipartisan favorite once considered to be untouchable — which provides access to nutritious food for mothers …

Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers  —  Lake Tahoe doesn't know where its power will come from after next ski season—and it's a major problem for the 49,000 residents who call the region home.

Chris Van Hollen Is Awaiting Kash Patel's Alcohol Abuse Test Results  —  The FBI director said he'd take the test if the Democratic senator did, too.  On Wednesday, Van Hollen posted his results.  — Copy  —  Sen. Chris Van Hollen issued a public callout to FBI Director Kash Patel on Wednesday …

Elon Musk Said He'd Stop Political Spending.  He's the Third-Largest Donor in the Midterms  —  And now he's accompanying Trump as a guest of honor in China.  —  Elon Musk spent at least $290 million in the 2024 presidential election to help President Donald Trump and other Republicans take office.

Spencer Pratt Staying at Bel Air Hotel, Not Airstream Trailer  —  SPENCER PRATT DITCHES TRAILER FOR SWANKY HOTEL BEL-AIR … 8:31 AM PT — We asked Spencer if he has ever lived in the trailer, and he said no, adding, “I have never told anyone I lived there.”

Elon Musk says Christopher Nolan just ‘wants the awards’ for casting Black actor as Helen of Troy  —  Elon Musk is once again criticizing the casting of Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy in the upcoming blockbuster “The Odyssey,” suggesting that casting a Black actress as “the face that launched …

Immigrants Detained in Chicago Military-Style Raid Seek Millions in Damages  —  New accounts from 17 men, women and children taken in a midnight raid paint a violent, terrifying portrait of the federal agents' alleged actions.  These descriptions form the basis of claims filed this week against DHS and other federal agencies.

Kemp calls special session to redraw 2028 maps, overhaul voting process  —  The June special session comes on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court decision gutting racial gerrymandering protections in the Voting Rights Act.

Why U.S. Test Scores Are in a ‘Generation-Long Decline’  —  The drops in U.S. scores go beyond the pandemic and cut across income, geographic and racial divides, new data shows.  —  Something troubling is happening in U.S. education.  —  Almost everywhere in America …

Pulitzer-winning newsrooms are quietly publishing mountains of gambling slop  —  A large network of prominent regional newspapers has posted thousands of low-quality articles promoting gambling and prediction markets — and is pretending it's journalism.  —  A Popular Information investigation found …

EMILY's List-backed Denise Powell wins Dem primary for Rep. Don Bacon's seat  —  Activist Denise Powell won the Democratic primary for one of Democrats' best pickup opportunities this fall after a prolonged vote count in an Omaha-based congressional district.  The Associated Press called the race Wednesday evening.

House releases amended housing bill text, schedules vote for next week  —  Senior House lawmakers late Wednesday reached a bipartisan deal on housing affordability legislation and scheduled a floor vote for next week.  The final House text would maintain restrictions on Wall Street's purchase …

California 2026 Poll: Becerra Continues to Surge, Steyer and Hilton Compete for Second Spot  —  Home Polls California 2026 Poll: Becerra Continues to Surge, Steyer and Hilton Compete for Second Spot  —  Bass leads primary for LA Mayor with 30% support; Pratt and Raman trail

Federal judge blocks US sanctions against UN expert on Palestinian territories  —  A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked U.S. sanctions against Francesca Albanese, a U.N. expert on the Palestinian territories, finding that the Trump administration likely violated her free-speech rights …

FBI insiders: Kash Patel is ‘padding the stats’ to boost his record of arrests  —  FBI Director Kash Patel sidestepped months of unflattering insider accounts of his leadership in a hearing on Tuesday.  Instead, he boasted of the bureau almost doubling its number of arrests under his tenure …

The Trump Counterterrorism Strategy Makes America More Vulnerable  —  The policy is unfocused, run by amateurs, and concerned more with the president's many grievances than with the security of the United States.  —  Last week, the Trump administration released the official 2026 United States Counterterrorism Strategy.

US Army abruptly cancels deployment of 4,000 soldiers to Poland  —  The U.S. Army has canceled the deployment of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division — more than 4,000 soldiers and associated equipment — to Poland.  —  An Army official confirmed the decision Wednesday …

At Least We Know the Washington Post Isn't Buying Views  —  An eon ago, in the year 2012, an editor at my first job at U.S. News and World Report had the idea that we should have a YouTube channel.  It wasn't a pivot to video, exactly, but it would be a bet on an emerging platform …