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 …

Migrants who saw man killed by ICE in Houston say he did not ram officers  —  Three men who were in the vehicle alongside Lorenzo Salgado Araujo are contesting the Department of Homeland Security's account of the fatal shooting.  —  Summary  —  HOUSTON — The three men who were arrested during …

Dem ad blitz goes after Collins' abortion rights record  —  A group linked to a top Senate Democratic super PAC is launching a $2.5 million ad campaign that aims to undermine Sen. Susan Collins' reputation as one of Congress' last Republicans devoted to protecting abortion rights.

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.

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 …

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 …

Why fuel prices stay high as oil prices steady  —  Crack spreads — energy industry measures of the gap between crude prices and refined products like diesel — have soared in recent days as the global fuel picture is increasingly determined by global politics and war.

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?

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.

Mayor Mamdani, why did you erase Little Italy?  —  Mayor Zohran Mamdani ... Little Italy will never disappear.  Neither will the historic Irish, Greek, or Jewish neighborhoods that helped build New York.  Italian Americans are not a footnote in New York's story.  Neither are Irish Americans.

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 …

A new speech shows how Israel lost the Democratic party  —  Rahm Emanuel and the death of the pro-Israel Democrat. … This week, Rahm Emanuel — a chief of staff in the Obama White House and widely rumored 2028 candidate — went to Tel Aviv to deliver a stern message to the Israeli public …

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.

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.

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 …

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.