Deterrence and leverage: Iran tries to call the shots with strikes on Israel  —  Severe escalation complicates advanced peace talks as Tehran signals willingness to risk return to full-scale war, 100 days into the conflict  —  Monday's escalation suggests Tehran, confident in its ability …

Ken Paxton's Impeachment Defense Lawyer Endorses James Talarico  —  A Texas lawyer who helped lead Republican Ken Paxton's defense during a 2023 impeachment trial said Paxton “has lost sight of his core mission.”  — Copy  —  A Texas lawyer who helped lead Republican Ken Paxton's defense during …

Trump says Netanyahu will have ‘no choice’ but to accept a deal with Iran  —  US president tells FT that he ‘calls the shots’ after urging the Israeli leader not to retaliate against Tehran

Deep in Rural Virginia, a MAGA Pro-Gun Push Takes an Unnerving Turn  —  When Governor Abigail Spanberger signed a new assault weapons ban in Virginia last month, it got almost zero national news coverage.  Yet it amounted to an important milestone: It marked the first time in U.S. history …

All the Ways Europe Is Ditching American Technology  —  A WIRED timeline shows how dozens of governments, companies, and other organizations across Europe are moving, or planning to shift, away from US Big Tech.  —  Europe is done with American Big Tech.  Well, sort of.

Nithya Raman surges past Spencer Pratt in L.A. mayor's race, closing in on runoff with Karen Bass  —  Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman surged past reality television personality Spencer Pratt in the city's mayoral primary election Sunday, capping off a five-day turnaround after she fell behind to Pratt on election night.

Spy-powers deal is latest Hill casualty of Trump's impetuous decisionmaking … But Democrats are withdrawing their support in protest of the Pulte appointment, with nearly every Democratic senator joining a handful of Republicans in tanking a procedural vote early Friday morning …

Pam Bondi was the worst AG in history.  Until now.  —  This edition of PN is made possible by paid subscribers.  Become one ⬇️  —  ☀️ Subscribe to PN ☀️  —  Pam Bondi has a strong claim to being the most corrupt and subservient attorney general in US history.

Andrew Tate's Empire of Abuse  —  How the defining figure of the manosphere built a fortune—and became a political force—by systematically exploiting women.  —  “I've done this with over 100 girls,” Tate said, about compelling women into sex work.  “I almost sound evil.  But I'm not.”

231. The Death of Purcell's “Principle”  —  There is no coherent defense of the “Purcell principle” that can be rationalized with the Supreme Court's behavior over the past six weeks in the Alabama and Louisiana redistricting cases.  —  Welcome back to “One First,” a newsletter that aims …

How America Gave Up on Its Own History  —  Unable to agree on how to interpret the American story, the country's schools, universities, and political institutions have stopped trying to tell it at all.  —  Seek  —  on a july afternoon in 2019, I found myself in a large, sun-dappled room within one of America's great estates.

Blanche: “Not a Crime to Party with Mr. Epstein”  —  To defeat Todd Blanche, talk about Jeffrey Epstein.  —  This weekend saw a series of worrisome escalations between Israel and Iran, with the battered, beleaguered ceasefire in the region threatening to give way entirely.

The Justice Department Hasn't Taken Its Usual Steps to Protect the 2026 Election  —  The DOJ appears to be quietly scrapping its typical “command center” that would monitor Election Day emergencies.  — Copy  —  President Donald Trump says “if you don't have honest voting, you can't really have a nation.”

President Denies He Pledged Not to Start New Wars  —  What We're Covering Today  — Iran: President Trump denied in an interview aired on Sunday that he had ever promised not to involve the United States in new wars, which was a central pledge of his 2024 election campaign.

Why centrists can't win the Democratic presidential primary  —  The liberal wing of the party is now the majority wing  —  On Wednesday, I went to WelcomeFest, the annual gathering of centrist Democratic operatives and D.C. types.1 The purpose of the conference is to advocate for moderation …

LDS groups and Utah Republicans rage as military no longer counts church as Christian under Hegseth religion list shake-up  —  Mormon leaders, military veterans and elected officials reacted with anger to a new Department of Defense policy that does not consider The Church of Jesus Christ …

Majority of US's new AI datacenters to be built on drought-hit land  —  Guardian analysis finds facilities to be built in some of the driest areas as outcry grows over water needed to power AI  —  By Oliver Milman with data visuals by Andrew Witherspoon  —  A record-shattering drought has racked much of the US.

Switzerland weighs Franco-Italian alternative to US air defences  —  SAMP-T emerges as strong option for Bern as Raytheon's Patriot system deliveries delayed for at least 5 years  —  Switzerland should prioritise interoperability with Europe on air defence as it weighs alternatives …