House Republicans pass hard-right defense bill, handing wins to Trump  —  The House narrowly passed its marquee $1.15 trillion defense policy bill largely along party lines Wednesday amid a bitter partisan divide over President Donald Trump's conduct of the war against Iran and his push for a massive Pentagon spending boost.

Suspicion and Doubt at the National Civics Contest  —  The morning after the competition, Aangad Singh's family was trying to figure out what went wrong.  They were walking through the National Museum of Natural History, going over answers, doing the math.  —  “It doesn't make sense,” said his mother, Ramandeep.

‘A politically impossible situation’: New poll shows Trump voters losing patience with Iran war  —  Half of President Donald Trump's MAGA base thought Iran's war was worth its economic costs in May. Now, just a little more than a third do.  —  That precipitous, 13-point drop in just two months …

Software Vendor Tagged for Illegal NJ Voter Registrations Says ‘Not So Fast, Jersey Mikie’  —  Holy smokes, this is a giggle.  —  Ed had the story first thing yesterday, complete with a totally appropriate title: … New Jersey Governor ‘Jersey’ Mikie Sherrill had walked to a podium …

'It's a stone around your neck': Arizona Republicans once again nominate 2020 election deniers  —  To make it out of a Republican primary in Arizona, there's one key litmus test: believing the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.  —  Election deniers who played prominent roles …

Tesla's Cratering Cybertruck Sales Evoke Ford Edsel Comparisons  —  Both automakers expected consumers to buy hundreds of thousands of their futuristic models per year.  Tesla's pickup is missing the mark by a wider margin.  —  Ford Motor Co. introduced a car almost 70 years ago widely viewed …

Fox News Poll: Voters want major change amid economic and political discontent  —  Latest survey shows Trump approval stuck near record low  —  Several findings in the latest Fox News Poll show voters are unhappy and want major change, which bodes well for Democrats in November …

Trump administration weighing military options in Mali, officials say  —  If approved, it would add an eighth nation to the list of countries where President Donald Trump has ordered strikes since the start of his second term.  —  Summary  —  The Trump administration is weighing military action …

Donald Trump Jr.'s Investment Firm Posts Staggering Returns of 200 Percent  —  I've been reporting on Donald Trump Jr.'s financial firm, 1789 Capital, for much of 2026, including meeting with Trump Jr. and his partner, Omeed Malik in Miami.  —  Maureen Farrell  —  1789's returns are jaw dropping by any measure.

Maine Democrat Troy Jackson has raised $1M for his Senate bid so far  —  Maine Democrat Troy Jackson has raised $1 million in the less than two weeks since he entered the race for Senate shortly after Graham Platner dropped out, his campaign told POLITICO on Wednesday morning.

The US has collected about $13bn of Venezuela's oil money.  Where is it?  —  Washington has given diverging accounts of where the earthquake-shattered country's funds are going

Local U.S. TV News Will Soon Be Entirely Right Wing Propaganda  —  Thanks to the destruction of media consolidation limits, Republicans will soon enjoy propaganda and market domination over what's left of local U.S. news.  —  Just a quick programming note: my 90-year-old father passed away over the weekend …

Trump's Nuclear Deal With Saudi Arabia Looks More Like a Favor  —  The Trump administration on Wednesday signed a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia that, per The New York Times, “could lead to the country enriching its own fuel for nuclear reactors” and is estimated to “provide billions of dollars for the U.S. nuclear industry.”

French modelling scout linked to Epstein found dead  —  Daniel Siad, a modelling scout with ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has been found dead at his home outside Paris, prosecutors said on Wednesday.  —  Siad's body was discovered on Monday evening.

Health Committee advances Collins' insulin price cap over GOP objections  —  The Republican-led Senate Health Committee voted Wednesday to advance legislation over the objection of its chair to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for diabetes patients on private insurance.

White House expands data center electricity cost pledge to utilities, states  —  The White House is expanding a voluntary pledge aimed at mitigating the electricity cost impacts of data centers to utilities and state governors.  —  A White House official confirmed to The Hill Wednesday …

Hegseth turns to University of North Carolina, Virginia Tech after cutting Ivy League ties  —  The Defense Department has selected the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Virginia Tech to host a revamped fellowship program for senior military officers — the first universities approved …

In Surprise Move, Mamdani Names Lina Khan to Development Post  —  New York City mayor also appoints a McKinsey alum to a role closely watched by corporate executives  —  New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani elevated Lina Khan, the antimonopoly former Federal Trade Commission head …

Scoop: “Regime Change” sells 500,000 — on track for nonfiction bestseller of '26  —  “Regime Change,” the juicy exposé on President Trump's second term by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, has passed the publishing milestone of 500,000 units sold (hardcover, audio, e-book) in just one month.

Democrats have a massive outside cash problem  —  Democrats are apprehensive that Republicans' massive outside spending advantage could erase the prospects of a blue wave heading into the midterms.  —  The three main GOP party committees and their two caucus-aligned super PACs reported $657 million cash …

Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role  —  Iranian drone attacks on CIA facilities in the Gulf have prompted U.S. intelligence analysts to investigate whether Russia assisted by providing targeting information or advanced drone technology, said four people familiar with U.S. intelligence.

Lisa Murkowski is undecided on Blanche's confirmation.  Her state is getting a windfall from DOJ. … A July 7 settlement over the federal government's unfinished work on the port of Alaska resulted in a $180 million payout to Anchorage — an announcement Blanche, who is currently …

Exclusive: The false claims, chaos and coverups behind the Trump administration's killing of two American citizens  —  “Someone's going to get killed.”  —  The warning, from an agent of the federal Homeland Security Investigations division, sent a chill through the other officials in the room.

Shocking 105 million Americans are not working - more than during COVID or the Great Recession  —  It's hot NILF summer for American workers.  —  The number of adults who are “not in the labor force” (NILF) surged to an all-time high in June to 105.8 million, according to figures from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Staff warned of major security risks from giving UAE new tech access.  The White House went ahead anyway.  —  The Trump administration ignored warnings from career staff at the Commerce Department when it granted the United Arab Emirates sweeping access to advanced American semiconductors …

Newsom appoints podcaster Scott Galloway to UC Board of Regents  —  Gavin Newsom on Wednesday appointed Scott Galloway, an entrepreneur and influential podcaster, to a seat on the University of California's Board of Regents.  —  If confirmed by the state Senate, Galloway …