Trump's Dangerous Escalation in a Losing War  —  There are certain moments in sports when, right after the game ends, you instantly know it has a place in history.  Last night was one of those moments.  The Knicks came back from 29 points down to defeat the Spurs in the final seconds and take a 3-1 series lead.

Capitol agenda: Democrats' H.R. 1 problem  —  Hakeem Jeffries wants “affordability” to be House Democrats' primary legislative pitch heading into the midterms.  But not all his members agree it should be “H.R. 1” if they win back the majority.  Other top Democrats interviewed this week …

‘Knives are out’ inside the White House  —  With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner  —  Good Thursday morning, it's Dasha, taking the lead to take you inside the mood at the White House amid a string of setbacks for the president.  Get in touch.  —  In today's Playbook ...

Trump Isn't Giving Up on His Slush Fund  —  When Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared before Congress last Tuesday, senior administration officials hoped that his testimony would be enough to quell the uproar over a $1.776 billion payout scheme for Trump loyalists, including January 6 rioters.

Trump says ‘I love the inflation’ as annual rate jumps to a 3-year high  —  The president suggested the recent numbers mean there will be a bigger decline in inflation once the war in Iran is over. … President Donald Trump embraced an unlikely foe Wednesday: inflation.

Women Who Fled Iran Are to Be Deported to Central African Republic, Lawyers Say  —  The women are among nearly two dozen people slated to be sent to a country where the U.S. government has advised “Do not travel for any reason.”  —  The Trump administration is preparing to deport nearly …

At Least Six States Have RSVP'd ‘No’ to Trump's State Fair  —  Some states say the Freedom 250 birthday bash is too expensive, too rushed and too politicized.  — Copy  —  President Donald Trump's big birthday bash for America is hitting more speedbumps, as at least six states plan to sit out the Great American State Fair.

Oil executives warn White House that gas prices will get worse  —  Grim predictions add to the problems of a president already facing a sharp rise in inflation.  —  Summary  —  Oil and gas executives have warned the White House that gasoline prices could surge in coming months …

Scoop: Pulte sought Gabbard's early removal as intel czar … - Gabbard was surprised. … - “I need to hear it from the president or the White House,” Gabbard told Pulte, two officials briefed on the discussion told Axios. … - After the conversation with Pulte, Gabbard got ahold of Trump …

The Curious Disappearance of Daniel Dale … In late February, Daniel Dale appeared on CNN to dismantle the more than 20 false or misleading claims that he identified during Donald Trump's State of the Union address.  “There was just a lot of lying tonight,” Dale, the network's fact-checker …

Why Is Trump Tanking in MAGA Country?  These Dems Found a Good Answer.  —  We learned this week that the Democratic-aligned group American Bridge plans to spend $50 million to help the party's congressional candidates in this fall's elections.  It's a whopping sum and a big gamble.

Vance's chief of staff to leave Trump administration  —  Jacob Reses, who has been with Vance since his successful 2022 Senate campaign in Ohio, is expected to remain close to the vice president's team.  —  Jacob Reses, the chief of staff to Vice President JD Vance, will leave the administration …

We tore open the Trump phone — it was nearly the same as a Taiwanese device using Chinese parts  —  A scanner, a microscope and an old-fashioned teardown of Trump Mobile's T1 phone showed that it was almost identical to the HTC U24 Pro.

Trump sees 22 medical specialists, appearing to set new bar for presidents  —  Trump saw about a dozen specialists for prior checkups, per past statements.  The White House has declined to identify which physicians assessed him.  —  Summary  —  For George H.W. Bush's first medical checkup …

Social Security is Facing a Political Crisis  —  America can afford to keep paying full benefits.  But will we?  —  On Tuesday the Social Security Trustees released their latest report on the system's finances.  The numbers didn't change much: Unless something is done …

$60M and 7 federal agencies required to stage Trump's UFC fight at White House  —  President Donald Trump's planned UFC fight on the White House's South Lawn has required a monumental effort from more than seven federal agencies, hundreds of staff working onsite daily and at least $60 million …

The murder of expertise  —  This edition of PN is made possible by paid subscribers.  Become one ⬇️  —  🧬 Subscribe to PN 🧬  —  The Trump administration has spent the last 18 months gutting funding for scientific research, forcing out nonpartisan experts …

The business model of white victimhood  —  Rage on the right and a narrative of disadvantage changing sides is rewarded by social media  —  There is the reality and then there is the grift.  So let's start with the reality.  There are problems with some of the people the British asylum system allows in …

White House Wants More Doctors But Its Immigration Policies Block Them  —  The Trump administration says it wants more physicians, but its immigration policies have reduced the flow of doctors to the United States.  Trump officials have stated that more doctors would tame health care costs and improve health outcomes for Americans.

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh takes on a starring role in Maine's Senate race  —  Sen. Susan Collins' 2018 vote to confirm Kavanaugh is a fresh source of anger for Democrats, who point to his key vote to overturn Roe v. Wade — even though she indicated he wouldn't.

Knicks fans burning sage outside MSG ahead of Game 4 to purge the bad luck left behind from Trump's attendance  —  ‘It felt so dark yesterday, I was like, this is not the Garden that I know,’ the fan said  —  The NBA Finals have New Yorkers desperate for a Knicks victory trying everything in their powers to help the team.

Trump Avoids Public Events, Will Hold Two Political Tele-Rallies From Oval Office  —  Key Points  —  President Trump's public schedule for Thursday contains no public events and no opportunities for reporters to question him, with every item on his calendar listed as closed press.