Senate Republicans say it's time to give Trump a reality check … “I'm going to be there front and center,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters.  “It will be important if it actually is a constructive exchange of different opinions, and hopefully we can all get on the same page.

What the Reflecting Pool Actually Reflects  —  Different types of government failures grab our imagination: cover-ups, tragedies, personal moral failings, and corruption all lend themselves to narratives that humans naturally relate to.  —  But failures that can be visualized are hard to beat.

Firings now underway at Office of Director of National Intelligence, source says  —  National security Donald Trump Federal agencies Congressional news  —  The large-scale cuts that President Donald Trump's acting director of national intelligence had been considering imposing …

Taxing Billionaires Is the Easiest Way Democrats Could Gain Voter Trust  —  Ask voters in the country's most competitive congressional districts what's wrong with America, and you'll hear two answers.  First, everything costs too much.  Second, the government is corrupt.

STAT+: Eli Lilly gave extraordinary obesity drug access to a 79-year-old patient.  Who was it?  —  WASHINGTON — Millions of Americans with obesity are eagerly awaiting a powerful new drug from Eli Lilly called retatrutide, which has demonstrated bariatric-surgery levels of weight loss.

New photos show first look at Kennedy Center facade without Trump's name  —  The images were taken from inside the tarp-covered scaffolding that has blocked the public's view for more than a week.  —  Summary  —  New photos show that President Donald Trump's name is indeed off the Kennedy Center …

DOJ issued, then withdrew subpoenas to force Post, WSJ reporters to testify  —  Subpoenas for reporters to appear before a grand jury are exceedingly rare.  The journalists have not testified.  —  Summary  —  The Justice Department took the extraordinary step of seeking to force reporters …

I Cold-Called President Trump.  Here's What He Told Me About an Oil Tycoon and Major Donor.  —  I was hoping the president would give me some color about his relationship with billionaire Jeffery Hildebrand.  I walked away with a clearer picture of what matters in Washington right now.

A ransom note about Nancy Guthrie's disappearance says she died, CNN reports  —  A ransom note related to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, said the 84-year-old had died, CNN and other news organizations are reporting, citing law enforcement sources.

How Brexit broke British politics  —  Brexit fractured the European Union, and broke British politics.  The U.K. is about to get its seventh prime minister since June 23, 2016, a decade ago Tuesday, when the country voted 52%-48% to leave the EU after more than four decades of membership.

UFC fighter's Michelle Obama smear reveals much about MAGA bigotry  —  There's a reason she's been a target for so long.  —  This edition of PN is made possible by paid subscribers.  Become one ⬇️  —  Last week, following Trump's drearily garish UFC White House South Lawn event …

Trump Says Iran's Unfrozen Funds to Remain Under US Control  —  President Donald Trump said Iran will only be able to use funds released from frozen accounts to purchase food and medical supplies from the US, addressing a major hurdle in peace negotiations that both sides say are making progress.

Zelenskyy may get the last laugh over Trump  —  Ukraine's president increasingly looks as if he holds the future of the west in his hands  —  Which man is likelier to be leading his country in 2029, Donald Trump or Volodymyr Zelenskyy?  The savvy bet would be Zelenskyy, even if Trump tries to defy term limits.

Elon Musk promises to sue lawmaker who suggested DOGE cuts led to the deaths of 4.5 million kids  —  Democrat Ro Khanna cited a 2025 study that estimated more than 14 million people could die without USAID resources by 2030  —  Elon Musk, the trillionaire CEO and former temporary government employee …

“I'm out”: Tucker Carlson says he's done with the GOP  —  Conservative pundit Tucker Carlson says he's “out” of the Republican party moving forward, arguing the GOP no longer reflects his views. … - “And if I'm out, then I think a lot of other people are out.”

Pentagon seeks $80 billion from Congress for Iran war  —  The Pentagon has told senators it needs roughly $80 billion, mostly to cover the cost of the U.S. war against Iran, adding to what is already a sizable military spending boost being sought by President Donald Trump.

Downballot Democrats Are Smashing Recruitment Records  —  “My God, I wasn't gonna open that ballot up and not see a Democrat.”  —  When the Kansas legislature took up a bill in early 2026 that would strip transgender residents' driver's licenses and bar them from government bathrooms …

The Secret Reason Bosses Want Everyone Back in the Office, Every Day of the Week  —  When the pandemic came to an end, many people who had been working from home assumed they would be allowed to maintain that habit at least a few days a week.  But today in the U.S., a third of companies …

Meloni Considers Calling Italian Election as Soon as April  —  Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is weighing the possibility of holding Italy's next general election as soon as April, months ahead of the legal deadline before the end of 2027, according to people familiar with the matter.

Cafe Tells Congressman He's Not Welcome Because of His Stance on Israel  —  After Representative Dan Goldman visited a left-leaning coffee shop chain, the shop owner posted caustic remarks on Instagram that made it clear the congressman shouldn't come back.  —  A small coffee shop chain …

‘Broadview Six’ damage spreads with review of 20 years of one prosecutor's cases  —  Ten defendants in three cases have now seen their federal criminal charges permanently dropped as a result of the grand jury controversy in Andrew Boutros' office, and questions remain about who redacted alleged misconduct …

First the Kennedy Center, Now the Smithsonian … when president trump summoned Lonnie Bunch, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, for lunch at the White House on August 28 of last year, Bunch's advisers assumed that the end was near.  Trump had spent months threatening …

There's Major Unrest at Michael Flynn's Nonprofit  —  And we have painfully few clues as to why, beyond a cryptic post about a “drunk night between grown adults.”  —  ∙ Paid  —  SINCE TAKING OVER THE STORIED conservative group America's Future in 2021, retired general Michael Flynn has turned it into a real rogue's gallery.

Mitch McConnell will not vote this week  —  Sen. Mitch McConnell will not return to the Senate this week, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Republican said Monday.  “Senator McConnell is still working closely with staff on Senate business and Kentucky matters as he continues his recovery.

ACLU to monitor election certification as part of $50 million midterm effort  —  Half of the group's spending will go toward ensuring proper administration of elections in key states amid Trump's efforts to exert greater influence over the process.  —  The American Civil Liberties Union …