Trump ousts remaining members of the Election Assistance Commission ahead of midterms  —  The dismissals hamstring a key bipartisan agency just months before the midterms.  —  The White House ousted all three sitting members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission on Thursday …

Mexican Man Fatally Shot by ICE Wasn't the Intended Target  —  Officials say agents believed a passenger resembled one suspect, but the encounter quickly escalated into a fatal shooting.  —  Federal immigration agents who killed a man during a traffic stop in Houston on Tuesday had been searching …

Scoop: Platner privately told staff he'll formally exit Senate race Monday  —  Graham Platner privately told staff that he is planning to officially file paperwork to end his Senate campaign on Monday — the drop-dead deadline for him to exit the race.

Trump's arch clears another hurdle, setting up a big debate: Do height limits apply?  —  In its quest to build a 250-foot arch near the National Mall, the Trump administration is arguing that a longstanding law restricting building heights in D.C. does not apply — to the project or to any federal structures at all.

A sentient collection of red flags  —  This edition of PN is made possible by paid subscribers.  Become one ⬇️  —  🧠 Subscribe to PN 🧠 … Graham Platner's misbegotten Senate campaign collapsed in spectacular fashion this week, a swift dismantling …

New Air Force One Lacks Defensive Countermeasures of Previous Model, Officials Say  —  Experts said the lack of such capabilities poses a potential risk when the president travels overseas.  The White House defended the aircraft's safety.  —  The new Air Force One, which President Trump flew …

OpenAI and Google sell AI models to blacklisted China groups  —  US groups have been supplying AI services to Singapore-based subsidiaries of Alibaba, Baidu and Tencent  —  OpenAI and Google are selling their advanced AI models to Chinese tech giants blacklisted by the Pentagon …

Mamdani Official Set Meeting With Iranian Ambassador to UN  —  If you were Zohran Mamdani's new Commissioner in the Office of International Affairs, charged with reaching out to government officials from countries that ideologically align with the mayor, who would you reach out to?

Israel shared intelligence with US of Iranian plot to assassinate Trump, sources say  —  Israel shared intelligence with the United States that Iran had recently devised a new plan to assassinate President Donald Trump, two sources familiar with matter told CNN, adding another layer of tension …

McConnell was loaded into ambulance on a stretcher, according to eyewitness and new video  —  Emergency responders took Sen. Mitch McConnell to an ambulance on a stretcher after being called to his home last month for a report of an unconscious person, according to new video of the incident and an eyewitness account.

First Draft: 🆘 Trump's Violent Crackdowns on U.S. Cities Are Still Happening.  Don't Look Away  —  Horror in Minneapolis caused a reset of attacks on immigrants and liberals but the administration remains fascistic and lethal.  In Maine, meanwhile, Graham Platner confirmed he'll withdraw Monday.

In ruling against Florida's Stop WOKE Act, this Trump judge took DeSantis to school  —  The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals' 2-1 decision Tuesday upholding a lower court decision against Florida's so-called Stop WOKE Act is a necessary rebuke of state lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis …

U.S. to continue ‘technical talks’ with Iran after Trump said ceasefire was ‘over’ … The U.S. will enage in “technical talks” with Iran and remains committed to finding a solution to the conflict, despite the two countries trading airstrikes in recent days, MS Now reported Thursday, citing a U.S. official.

Hegseth pushes for action after sailors appear to flout his beard policy  —  Pete Hegseth Federal agencies US military The Middle East  —  As the US-Iran war risked reigniting in recent weeks, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded a Navy ship for what was supposed to be a routine visit with sailors.

Michigan Is the Next Big Test for the Democratic Party  —  The Memorial Day parade in Eastpointe, a Detroit suburb, is a dependably wholesome, all-American affair, with Odd Fellows, Elks, library friends, and firefighters marching past flag-bedecked telephone poles and bunting-laden ranch houses.

Peru Tests the Limits of Trump's Anti-China Stance  —  President-elect Keiko Fujimori seems unwilling to ditch her father's legacy of ties to Beijing. … Alberto Fujimori was the first Peruvian president to fly to Beijing in the 1990s.  He was looking for money and international backing, and ended up turning Peru toward China.

How American Socialism Changed, and Stormed the Democratic Party … Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, left, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York at a rally last month in Brooklyn.  —  The word “socialist” has a unique ability in American politics to provoke high emotion.

Top Senate Democratic PAC Stockpiles Record Sum, as Money Chase Heats Up  —  Senate Majority PAC says it entered July with $126 million, a new midyear high, after raising $147 million with an affiliated nonprofit from April through June.  But can it keep pace with the G.O.P.?

On the same day, a Florida airport and a Tennessee bridge are renamed after Trump  —  The new signage comes just weeks after the president's name was removed from the Kennedy Center in Washington.  —  The next time President Donald Trump flies to Mar-a-Lago, he'll be landing at an airport named after himself.

Trump Brushed Off His Scandals.  Here's Why Platner Couldn't. … If a Democrat reclaims the presidency in 2028, the party and its new leader will be faced with a tantalizing question: Now is it finally their turn to behave like Donald Trump?  —  Probably there is no 2028 aspirant …

How Trump's Tariffs Really ‘Work’  —  He hails Toyota's investment, but what about the higher costs and manufacturing job losses?  —  President Trump is grasping for good economic news to rescue his underwater job approval rating.  So it's not surprising that he's hailing Toyota's announcement Tuesday …