Top Items:
William Kristol / The Bulwark:
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.
Discussion:
The Independent, Politico, CNBC, The Parnas Perspective and PoliticusUSA
RELATED:
Phillips P. OBrien / Phillips's Newsletter:
War Crimes Seem To Be Official US Policy Now — After sending out two pieces yesterday, the last thing I was expecting to do today was clog up your inboxes further. However, something happened on the evening of June 9 that needs to be understood and, hopefully, deplored by all Americans.
Discussion:
Axios
Associated Press:
Trump threatens to take ‘total control’ of Iran's oil industry as ceasefire teeters — U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Thursday to launch major strikes on Iran and seize control of its oil and gas industries as continuing attacks between the warring countries pushed the Middle East closer to the resumption of a full-scale war.
Discussion:
The Hill, CNBC, Wall Street Journal, Washington Examiner, NOTUS, Reuters, Axios, New York Post, The Irish News, UPI, Al Jazeera, The Times of Israel, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Israpundit, Townhall, Breitbart, Bloomberg, CBS News, Straight Arrow, Washington Times, thenational.scot, Military.com, The Independent, Insurance Journal, NewsMax.com, The Kyiv Independent, New York Times, Semafor, Associated Press and ABC7
New York Times:
Analysis of Satellite Image and Videos Suggest Precision U.S. Strikes on Iranian Water Facility
Discussion:
New Republic
Eric Schmitt / New York Times:
Trump and Hegseth Broadcast U.S. Military Strikes Before They Happen
Trump and Hegseth Broadcast U.S. Military Strikes Before They Happen
Discussion:
The Hill, CBS News, News Talk 105.9, NewsMax.com, Townhall, GV Wire, Al Jazeera, Associated Press, Reuters, The Independent, The Bulwark, New Republic and Reactionary Times
Brady Knox / Washington Examiner:
Trump promises another round of strikes against Iran and operation on Kharg Island
Trump promises another round of strikes against Iran and operation on Kharg Island
Discussion:
Financial Times, Chatham House, MS NOW, Reuters, HotAir, Bloomberg, Politico, CBS News, The Hill, RedState, Los Angeles Times, Modern Diplomacy, Stars & Stripes, The Irish News, One America News Network, The American Conservative, New Republic, NewsMax.com, KTLA, Mediaite, Straight Arrow, Forbes, GB News, Raw Story, Middle East Monitor, The Post Millennial and Associated Press
New York Times:
House Rejects Bill to Extend Spy Power With Lapse Looming — A measure to temporarily continue a key surveillance law fell well short of the support needed to pass, further raising the chances that it will lapse on Saturday. — The House on Thursday rejected a three-week extension …
Discussion:
Fox News, Politico, Washington Examiner, Bloomberg, The Guardian and The Hill, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Politico:
‘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 ...
Discussion:
The Independent, Raw Story and Mediaite
Kate Santaliz / Axios:
House rejects last-ditch FISA extension ahead of Friday deadline
House rejects last-ditch FISA extension ahead of Friday deadline
Discussion:
New York Post, The Hill, CBS News, Townhall, NewsMax.com, Straight Arrow, Roll Call, The Intercept and MS NOW
Politico:
House Republicans huddle with Hegseth after Trump's reconciliation demands — A group of senior House Republicans gathered at the Pentagon Thursday morning to discuss the military funding portion of another party-line reconciliation bill with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth …
RELATED:
Mike DeBonis / Politico:
Trump demands $350B Pentagon infusion, elections overhaul in next party-line GOP bill
Trump demands $350B Pentagon infusion, elections overhaul in next party-line GOP bill
Discussion:
The Daily Signal, The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, NewsMax.com and Mediaite
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Senate GOP support erodes for Trump's Iran war stance
Senate GOP support erodes for Trump's Iran war stance
Discussion:
NewsMax.com and Metro.co.uk
Sarah Fitzpatrick / The Atlantic:
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.
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Examiner, Raw Story and Associated Press
RELATED:
Raquel Coronell Uribe / NBC News:
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.
Discussion:
New York Post, The Hill, MS NOW, CBS News, So What, New Republic, Associated Press, Axios, Palm Beach Post, Newsweek, Politico, Adam Kinzinger, New York Times, Raw Story, Bloomberg, Staff Stories, CNBC, LGBTQ Nation, Mediaite, Washington Examiner and UPI
RELATED:
Mike Zapler / Axios:
Trump gifts Dems ready-made midterm ads
Discussion:
The Hill, Mediaite, Raw Story and The Independent
NOTUS:
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.
Discussion:
Mock Paper Scissors, New Republic and Raw Story
RELATED:
Michael Scherer / The Atlantic:
Inside America's Ugly Birthday Battle
Discussion:
Raw Story, Los Angeles Times and Freedom 250
Piper Hudspeth Blackburn / CNN:
Several states are bowing out of Trump's ‘Great American State Fair’
Several states are bowing out of Trump's ‘Great American State Fair’
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and The Independent
New York Times:
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 …
Discussion:
Just Security
Rick Hasen / Election Law Blog:
Trump's Voter Fraud Claims Are Running Out of Gas; The administration is “throwing everything against the wall that they can find, and nothing is sticking” — June 11, 2026, 8:36 am chicanery, election subversion risk, fraudulent fraud squad — By RICK HASEN
RELATED:
Devlin Barrett / New York Times:
Trump Administration Pushes Limits of Election Investigations
Discussion:
MS NOW
Lisa Kashinsky / Politico:
How Senate Democrats are planning to push back on potential election interference
How Senate Democrats are planning to push back on potential election interference
Discussion:
Raw Story
Washington Post:
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 …
Discussion:
NewsMax.com
Associated Press:
The Latest: Iran and US exchange fire for second day as hostilities escalate in Mideast region — Iran retaliated against U.S. air and cruise missile strikes as hostilities escalated Thursday with attacks against Kuwait and Bahrain in renewed fighting after U.S. President Donald Trump warned …
RELATED:
Shan Li / Wall Street Journal:
India Says U.S. Strike on Tanker in Iran Blockade Killed Three Nationals
Discussion:
Washington Times, Reuters, The Information, WBUR, Grabien and Al Jazeera
Kevin Breuninger / CNBC:
Iran threatens Elon Musk's companies in Middle East: Iranian state media
Iran threatens Elon Musk's companies in Middle East: Iranian state media
Discussion:
Forbes and Washington Times
Paul Krugman:
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 …
Discussion:
Mock Paper Scissors, NewsMax.com, Washington Examiner, CBS News, Breitbart and WJBK-TV
Henry J. Gomez / NBC News:
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 …
Discussion:
Fox News, Washington Examiner, Jewish Insider, Variety, Raw Story and Grabien
Marc Caputo / Axios:
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 …
Discussion:
NPR, Raw Story, Mediaite, CBS News and The Gateway Pundit
Natalie Korach / Status:
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 …
Discussion:
Raw Story, Mediaite and Crooks and Liars, more at Mediagazer »
Washington Post:
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 …
Discussion:
Mock Paper Scissors, New Republic, Wonkette, The Independent and Raw Story
NBC News:
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.
Discussion:
The Verge, more at Techmeme »
Sabato's Crystal Ball:
The Senate: The Race for the Majority is Not a Toss-up, But the Races That Will Decide It Are — KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE — We are making three Senate rating changes this week, all in favor of Democrats. North Carolina moves to Leans Democratic, and Alaska and Ohio are now Toss-ups.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner
Greg Sargent / New Republic:
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.
Jesse Bedayn / Associated Press:
$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 …
Discussion:
The Hill, FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, The Independent, WTTG-TV and Townhall
Quinta Jurecic / The Atlantic:
The ‘Presumption of Regularity’ Is Evaporating — Judges have long defaulted to a posture of trust toward the federal government, but under Trump that is changing, and a new set of legal possibilities is emerging. — Never before in American history has a president abused his authority so blatantly to prosecute his enemies.
Discussion:
The San Francisco Standard and Chicago Tribune


