Trump says ICE can't give up traffic stops: ‘Important and effective’ … “The men and women of ICE are doing a GREAT job, one that has to be done,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, praising the agency's efforts to enforce his robust deportation agenda and taking a swipe at the previous administration's border policies.

In Iran, Trump Has Found an Opponent He Cannot Easily Dominate  —  The president is accustomed to forcing other countries to bend to his will.  But he is struggling to come up with a strategy to extract Iranian concessions as the cease-fire he brokered collapses.

Blanche faces Senate scrutiny with Republican support key to his confirmation as attorney general  —  Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will confront questions Wednesday about his brief but turbulent tenure atop the Justice Department during a Senate confirmation hearing …

Nominee for top intel post faces lawmakers eager to see him replace the current leader  —  Jay Clayton's confirmation hearing comes amid growing concern among Democrats that the Trump administration will try to use the intelligence agencies to interfere with the midterm elections.

Opportunities Narrow for Women as Hegseth Blocks More Promotions  —  For the first time in more than a decade, no active-duty female Navy officers are likely to be promoted to admiral this year.  —  Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently blocked the promotions of seven senior Navy officers …

Man killed by truck as he fled immigration agents in St. Augustine  —  A 28-year-old man died Tuesday morning following an encounter with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations agents in St. Augustine, marking the third death involving ICE in a week.

Senate Democrats block $1.15 trillion defense authorization bill  —  Senate Democrats on Tuesday defeated a motion to proceed to the $1.15 trillion annual defense authorization bill, legislation that usually enjoys strong bipartisan support but this year has become snarled in a partisan fight over defense spending levels.

Johnson races to make progress on Reconciliation 3.0 as Republicans balk  —  Speaker Mike Johnson told House Republicans he wants the Budget Committee to mark up a budget resolution by the end of Thursday — the first step toward passing a party-line policy package that can skirt the filibuster in the Senate.

Jack Smith obtained text messages from 44 members of Congress  —  Former special counsel Jack Smith obtained text messages that 44 members of Congress sent to senior White House officials during the final weeks of President Donald Trump's first term, Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley revealed Tuesday.

FCC Officials Took Pricey Gifts From Paramount as the Company Needed Approval for Billion-Dollar Deals  —  Reporting Highlights  — Expensive Gifts: Despite regulating broadcast media, FCC commissioners have accepted pricey tickets to the Kennedy Center honors gala from CBS or its parent company, now Paramount.

Authorities investigate Taco Bell and lettuce as cyclosporiasis outbreak surges  —  CDC identifies link among four Midwestern states, the first public indication of a common source in multiple outbreaks that have sickened more than 4,000.  —  Summary  —  Federal and state health officials …

Trump Administration Subpoenas Law Firms, Escalating Pressure Campaign  —  The uneasy truce between the administration and the law firms it cut deals with last year has erupted into a pitched legal battle behind closed doors.  —  Since President Trump cut deals with nine …

'I'm staying out of Maine': Chuck Schumer sidelines himself with the Senate majority on the line … And Chuck Schumer, known for working every possible angle to give his party's campaigns an edge, is largely helpless to do anything about it.  —  The sidelines are an unusual place for the longtime Senate Democratic leader.

Data Centers to Add Billions in Power Costs in 13 States  —  A power auction conducted by a giant grid operator is expected to add $6.3 billion in additional charges to consumers and businesses because of electricity needs of data centers.  —  PJM, the nation's largest electrical grid operator …

Statement from Captain Sully Sullenberger  —  Lorrie and I often said we won the baby lottery with our two daughters.  And we have learned what people say is actually true: that grandchildren are a game changer.  Our granddaughter gives a whole new meaning to life.

Trump Derangement Syndrome is getting in the way of my love life  —  The heavily leftward-biased traditional media (but also those on the right) is at fault for much of this.  —  Charles Robinson was a university professor for 40 years, overlapping with 30 years in the VA Medical Centers, helping veterans with spinal cord injury.

How MAGA cynically created a moral panic about Zohran Mamdani and Italian Americans  —  MAGA trolls and their allies in right-wing media joined forces last week to gin up an exceptionally dumb, cynically engineered culture war “outrage.”  Apparently, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani “hates” …

Trump's CDC pick could have easier path than other nominees  —  The latest Senate debate over a Trump health appointment kicks off Wednesday with a less polarizing nominee than some of the president's previous picks — but that doesn't mean controversies around vaccines and public health are over.

Elon Musk likely broke the law by giving voters $1 million, Wisconsin board says  —  Billionaire Elon Musk likely broke Wisconsin law when he handed out $1 million checks to voters in the 2025 state Supreme Court election, a bipartisan panel has found.  —  The Wisconsin Elections Commission …

New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Director Rejects ‘Politically Correct’ Casting … Andy Serkis said his upcoming “Lord of the Rings” film will not embrace “politically correct” casting, saying he won't prioritize diversity for its own sake.  —  Speaking to the BBC, Serkis, who is directing …