Behind the Curtain: The cost of blind loyalty  —  President Trump trained elected Republicans to obey him, even when they disagreed.  — Elected Republicans trained Trump to expect obedience, even as his demands grew impossible to satisfy. … You see it everywhere:

How Iran Devastated an American Naval Base—and Caused a U.S. Recalculation  —  Satellite imagery reveals for the first time the extent of what Iran destroyed at Naval Support Activity Bahrain  —  When the Iranian missiles and drones came for the nerve center of America's naval operations …

The Supreme Court Is Unshackling the Presidency  —  We have just witnessed another example of the Supreme Court's unshackling of the U.S. presidency.  On Thursday morning the court issued a decision allowing the Trump administration to cancel Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of individuals from Haiti and Syria.

Hormuz evacuation effort on hold after new ship attack … “I have decided to temporarily pause its implementation in order to reconfirm that the necessary safety guarantees continue to be in place for the ships on our evacuation list and all those in the region,” Dominguez said.

A Far-Left Freedom Caucus Would Be a Nightmare for Jeffries  —  Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-New York) has a message for the far-left Democrats who won in Tuesday's primaries and are all but guaranteed to join Congress in January: tone it down.  —  But Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) …

Americans Deserve Answers From Hegseth  —  The president and the secretary of defense have a right to remove officers, but also an obligation to explain their actions.  —  In September 1862, General George B. McClellan, the general in chief of the Union Army, had just repelled …

FEMA official who claimed he teleported to Waffle House ousted from agency, sources say  —  Federal agencies Fighting disinformation  —  A top FEMA official who had drawn scrutiny for bizarre past remarks — including claiming he teleported to a Waffle House — has been pushed out of the agency, four sources tell CNN.

Judge orders DOJ to release more Epstein files  —  A federal judge on Thursday ordered the U.S. Department of Justice to release additional unredacted Jeffrey Epstein records or explain by July 2 why it can't. … - The department has already released 3.5 million pages under the law …

Mamdani's Rent Freeze Is Approved by New York City Board  —  Mayor Zohran Mamdani's pledge to freeze rents for rent-stabilized apartments became a centerpiece of his campaign.  Six months into his first year, a city panel delivered.  —  A New York City panel voted on Thursday to freeze rents …

WATCH: Stephen Miller says 'America's doors are closed fully to asylum seekers' after Supreme Court rulings  —  The Supreme Court voted 6-3 on Thursday to allow the Trump administration to end legal protections for migrants fleeing violence and natural disaster in Haiti and Syria …

Vance Says Nixon Watergate Scandal Wouldn't End a Presidency Now  —  Vice President JD Vance called it “crazy” that the Watergate scandal toppled Richard Nixon's presidency, saying it would have barely registered in today's political environment.  —  While promoting his new book …

House Dem centrists plot Mamdani Caucus counterattack  —  Moderate House Democrats are warning they're prepared for “war” if incoming progressives and democratic socialists try to hijack the House floor to secure ideological concessions. … - Despite being generally more closely aligned …

The Lincoln Memorial should be green with envy: This reflecting pool stayed clear … Still blue waters, abundant waterfowl, promenading tourists and barely a whiff of mildew — that is the vision President Donald Trump has struggled to turn into reality this month at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Ex-Trump adviser John Bolton expected to plead guilty to retaining national security information  —  Bolton served as White House national security adviser during Trump's first term.  —  Former national security adviser John Bolton is expected to plead guilty in federal court on Friday …

The Supreme Court's New Expansion of the Second Amendment Is Genuinely Deranged … The Supreme Court's 6-3 decision in Wolford v. Lopez on Thursday confirms our worst fears about the supermajority's Second Amendment jurisprudence: It is a freewheeling policy project utterly unmoored from history …

Wes Moore's vision for America  —  With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner  —  Good Friday morning.  It's Adam Wren, a little bummed after that USMNT loss last night.  On to Santa Clara.  Get in touch.  —  In today's Playbook ...  — Wes Moore previews his July Fourth plans.

Ex-Apollo CEO Leon Black says Jeffrey Epstein duped him out of more than $60 million … Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.  — CNBC Councils  — Join the CNBC Panel  — News Tips  —  Got a confidential news tip?

Scoop: JC Vance raises $4.2 million in Silicon Valley  —  Vice President JD Vance headlined an RNC fundraiser on Thursday night in Palo Alto, California, at the residence of influential investor and All-In Podcast host Chamath Palihapitiya, raking in $4.2 million for the Republican Party, a source familiar with the dinner tells Axios.

Alarm over ‘extreme’ sentences for anti-ICE protesters convicted of terrorism  —  First amendment groups call 50-to-100-year prison terms chilling as legal experts say sentences unusually long  —  The decades-long prison sentences for a group of Texas activists convicted of terrorism …

Trump's lawless witch hunt of Tim Walz crashes and burns  —  This edition of PN is made possible by paid subscribers.  Become one ⬇️  —  🌲🌲🌲 Subscribe to PN 🌲🌲🌲  —  One thing that is becoming increasingly clear …

Democrats Brace For Their Gnarliest Presidential Primary in Decades  —  The 2028 Democratic presidential primary is already a mess, months before the race actually starts.  —  Consider that “everyone and their mother” could run, per 2024 alum Quentin Fulks, leading to a field of more than 20 candidates.

Muddling Through on the MOU … ABOUT THE AUTHOR  —  James P. Pinkerton  —  James P. Pinkerton is a longtime contributing editor at The American Conservative, columnist, and author.  He served as longtime regular columnist for Newsday.  He has also written for The Wall Street Journal …