Israel says it has struck Iran after taking missile fire  —  Israel launched airstrikes early Monday targeting central and western Iran in response to missile fire from Tehran, attacks that threatened to drag the wider Middle East back into a regional war.  Iranian state television reported …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

Trump administration launches largest-ever effort to denaturalize U.S. citizens accused of fraud or other crimes  —  Add CBS News on Google  —  The Trump administration on Monday plans to announce it is seeking to revoke the citizenship of 17 U.S. citizens accused of immigration fraud …

Kennedy Center removes Trump's name from website after judge's ruling  —  The center removed President Donald Trump's name from its website, although the front of the performing arts venue still read: “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”  —  Summary

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.”

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

FTX Co-Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Applies for Trump Pardon  —  FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried formally applied for a presidential pardon, more than two years after he was convicted over the multi-billion dollar collapse of his once-thriving cryptocurrency empire.

Blanche: “Not a Crime to Party with Mr. 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.  On Sunday, Israel carried out strikes against Hezbollah forces in Beirut …

All that glitters … Aaron Schock could not stop talking about the gold.  He returned from a trip to Caracas in early 2025 telling a confidant that Venezuela's vice president had promised him a gold mine — an honest-to-god gold mine — if he could get U.S. sanctions lifted on the country.

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 …

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.”

The Iran War is Forcing Energy-Importing Countries to Turn Inward  —  The Iran war is pushing countries to prioritize domestic energy in order to protect themselves from volatile oil and natural gas markets.  —  The president of Solaric, a rooftop-solar installer based near Manila …

Penn Station Belongs to New Yorkers … We represent Penn Station.  —  We represent the riders who pass through it every day, the workers who keep it running, the businesses that depend on it, and the communities in Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen, Midtown, and the surrounding Manhattan neighborhoods …

Harassing Supreme Court Justice Barrett at Home  —  A ‘swatting’ incident underscores the growing threats to judges.  —  Democrats have spent years demonizing conservative Supreme Court Justices, and it's getting worse.  Justice Amy Coney Barrett is the latest target of harassment that tried …

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.