President Trump Lost This War  —  The preliminary deal ending President Trump's four-month war with Iran is welcome but brings with it hard truths.  Mr. Trump made a terrible mistake starting this war.  He prosecuted it recklessly and in open defiance of the law.

‘Absolute Worst Of America’: Critics Torch Trump UFC Event After ‘Disgusting’ Comment  —  Josh Hokit won his fight, then claimed Michelle Obama is a man.  —  Critics are calling out UFC fighter Josh Hokit for vile comments he made about former first lady Michelle Obama after winning his bout …

How an Addictive Gas Station Drug Found Allies in Trump's Cabinet … Bottles of Feel Free, a kratom product produced by Botanic Tonics, displayed at a smoke shop in Oklahoma City last month.  Nick Oxford for The New York Times  —  For years, federal health officials have warned …

Frustrated by Courts, Trump Weighed Suspending a Constitutional Right  —  Secret memos show that the White House debated last year, to a greater degree than previously known, whether to limit habeas corpus rights for undocumented immigrants.  —  Stephen Miller, left, and Will Scharf, right …

A Muslim Texan sought to find his place in the party at the state GOP convention.  He left in tears.  —  Muslim delegates and attendees hoping to participate in the state Republican convention were shunned and rejected by members as they espoused themes of party unity ahead of the November election.

Justice Department Decision to Allow Paramount Deal Surprised Staff Investigators  —  Career antitrust officials investigating Warner acquisition were leaning toward recommending a challenge to the merger, people familiar with the matter say  —  WASHINGTON—The Justice Department's senior leadership closed …

Newsom Says Trump's Justice Department Is Investigating Him and His Wife  —  Aides to Gov. Gavin Newsom of California say several people associated with the couple have been contacted by federal agents in the past week.  He criticized the move as politically motivated.

B-52 Stratofortress crashes after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base … A B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff Monday from Edwards Air Force base in California's Mojave Desert, according to the military base.  —  The crash was reported at about 11:20 a.m. Emergency crews responded …

Russia was behind arson attacks targeting PM, BBC reveals  —  BBC News Investigations and BBC Panorama  —  Even after he set fire to Sir Keir Starmer's house, Roman Lavrynovych - convicted on Monday of conspiring to commit arson - seemed to know as much about the prime minister as a bullet knows about its target.

Vance calls his ‘chidless cat ladies’ comment ‘one of the dumbest things I ever said’  —  Vice President JD Vance, who previously stood by the insult of Kamala Harris and other Democrats, writes in his new book that the remarks were “a clear moment where I failed.”

Senate to confirm Jay Clayton as soon as Thursday  —  The Senate could vote as soon as Thursday on Jay Clayton's nomination to serve as director of national intelligence — a lightning speed pace that will necessitate buy-in from all 100 senators.  Confirming Clayton could help shore …

ICE officer struck by vehicle during apprehension attempt, officials say  —  Police in Stafford Township, N.J., said Monday that a suspect fleeing the scene of an arrest struck an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer with their car.  —  The Stafford Township Police Department wrote …

Inside the Partisan Battle Over America's 250th Birthday Celebrations  —  President Trump sidestepped a congressional commission and formed his own group to plan the festivities.  The result is a deeply partisan celebration, disgruntled celebrities and plenty of confusion.

Florida Supreme Court refuses to suspend or disbar election denier Kenneth Chesebro  —  The Florida Supreme Court has refused to suspend or disbar Kenneth Chesebro, a former Trump campaign lawyer who pleaded guilty in Georgia to a felony charge tied to the ‘fake electors’ scheme that sought …

US Senate candidate with same name as incumbent Dan Sullivan ineligible for ballot, official rules  —  A top Alaska election official on Monday ruled that a U.S. Senate candidate with the same name and party affiliation as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan is ineligible to appear on the state's primary ballot in August.

Alito dissents from rejection of anti-abortion student's appeal in free speech case  —  Justice Samuel Alito was the lone dissenter from the Supreme Court's refusal Monday to hear what he deemed an important free speech issue in the case of an anti-abortion student who founded a pro-life club at her Indiana high school.

Why Trump's talk of a ‘G2’ hits a nerve with allies … That approach is undercutting efforts by traditional allies, led by Europe, to present a united front against China and its flood of cheap exports that are swamping Western markets.  French President Emmanuel Macron has made the issue …

Emmy-Nominated Comedian Exposed as MAGA at Trump's UFC Fight  —  STAND-UP GUY  —  The comedian appeared on the “Fox & Friends” sofa last month.  —  America's top-selling stand-up comic has been busted rubbing shoulders with MAGA royalty at Donald Trump's 80th birthday bash UFC fight.

Meet the New Bosses, Worse Than the Old Bosses  —  The second Gilded Age is much uglier than the first  —  Many people have compared our current era to the Gilded Age.  But that analogy is deeply unfair to the Gilded Age.  Like the robber barons of yore, today's oligarchs are immensely wealthy …

The US government's Anthropic models ban was never about an AI jailbreak  —  The U.S. government's enforcement letter to Anthropic, which effectively forced the company to pull its latest AI models offline just before the weekend, should be a wake-up call for any U.S. tech company — AI lab or otherwise.

Will Commercial Ships Have to Pay to Pass Through the Strait of Hormuz?  Maybe.  —  Charging a toll is illegal under international law, but some fees are allowed for services.  It is not clear what services Iran would provide, but there were no fees charged before the war.