Immediate Signs of Strain as Iran Talks Kick Off in Switzerland  —  Even as JD Vance touched down for peace talks with Iran, Trump was lobbing threats at their negotiators.  — Copy  —  Tense talks between the United States and Iran had scarcely begun Sunday before the signs of strain started to show.

Trump Ally Wins Initial Count in Colombian Presidential Vote  —  Conservative lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella narrowly won the preliminary vote count in Colombia's presidential election, likely sweeping aside Gustavo Petro's leftist movement and realigning Bogota with the US.

People ticketed for vandalizing Washington Reflecting Pool to be fully prosecuted, US Attorney Pirro says  —  People caught vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Washington's National Mall will be fully prosecuted, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said on Sunday.

Conservatives spent heavily in key Democratic primaries, filings show  —  PACs Primary elections Congressional news  —  An influential conservative nonprofit covertly funded a series of super PACs with names suggesting liberal provenance as the groups injected hundreds of thousands of dollars …

Gallego tapped campaign cash for family travel, Super Bowl tickets, records show … Federal lawmakers can legally use campaign committee funds for travel, food, events and even child care, as long as those funds are not for “personal use,” meaning they may not cover activities …

Why Trump's Iran War Was ‘Doomed From the Very Start’  —  The U.S. president desperately wants out of the bloodbath he started.  It took months to get here, but the fate of the war was sealed in the first 72 hours.  —  ∙ Paid  —  I have spent the past few days looking over old notes …

The French aristocrat and the all-American idiot: Henry v Lalas is the World Cup's most compelling battle  —  Fox's broadcast at the tournament has become a story of two contrasting styles.  And there is one clear winner  —  Prefer the Guardian on Google  —  We all know someone like Alexi Lalas.

New in SpyWeek: Pulte Eyes Mass Cuts in Counterterrorism, National Intelligence  —  Also this week: I.C. predicted US-Israel split over Iran, Tulsi took orders from Hindi guru, Ratcliffe's screen test, Patel's “slush fund” for FBI loyalists, a Nord Stream psywar triumph and more

U.S. strike on an alleged drug boat kills 2, leaves 6 survivors in the eastern Pacific Ocean  —  Boat strikes by the U.S. military have killed more than 210 people since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September.

Starmer Reflects on ‘Political Challenges’ as Pressure to Resign Mounts  —  An ally of Keir Starmer's told the BBC on Sunday that Mr. Starmer was “taking the time to think through what the political realities are today compared to last week.”  —  A top ally to Prime Minister Keir Starmer …

Where Billionaires Summer, a Gardener Died in the Snow  —  A landscaper's difficult life and lonely death reveal the human cost behind the Hamptons' manicured landscape.  —  Landscaper Gilberto Camey walks out of the woods on his way to a day job, retracing the route his brother took before he was found dead after a winter storm.

A Malicious Chapter in the History of American Justice  —  An unusual tweet caught my eye last week.  —  It was from Josh Gerstein, Politico's senior legal affairs reporter, and it said this: “NEW: Trump admin takes rare step to quell controversy over prosecutorial misconduct in dropped criminal case …

The ‘Mad Scientist’ Behind Graham Platner's Scandal-Plagued Rise  —  Dan Moraff rushed vetting of the Maine Senate candidate.  He says he's trying to blow up the way Democrats run campaigns.  —  Rushing to launch Graham Platner's Senate bid, Dan Moraff, a progressive up-and-comer …

Why Giorgia Meloni turned on Donald Trump  —  Italian premier's fallout with US president comes as she gears up for re-election battle  —  Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has long been Donald Trump's most devoted European ally, avoiding any strong public criticism of the US president despite increasingly outrageous provocations.