Top Items:
Warren P. Strobel / Washington Post:
Putin sees U.S. as weakened by Iran war, intelligence reports say — The classified assessment of the Kremlin's thinking preceded CIA Director John Ratcliffe's secret trip to Moscow this week. — Summary — CIA Director John Ratcliffe's mysterious trip to Moscow this week was preceded …
Discussion:
New York Times, Joe.My.God., NBC News, The Sun, RTÉ, Reuters, Bloomberg, Washington Examiner, Grabien, Asia Times, The Atlantic and Politico
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Michael Birnbaum / Washington Post:
Trump promised a short Iran war. Six months later, he has few good options. — Iran's regime has endured, Trump's standing at home has fallen, Hormuz remains largely closed and U.S. weapons stocks are depleted. — Summary — The day after President Donald Trump launched the war in Iran on Feb. 28 …
Barak Ravid / Axios:
“That sucker is open”: U.S. gains the upper hand in the battle for Hormuz — The Strait of Hormuz has been Iran's most powerful card since the start of the war in late February. But over the past two months, U.S. officials say the American military has steadily eroded Iran's leverage over the crucial waterway.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, UPI, The Japan Times, The Hill, Political.org, Fox News, News Talk 105.9 and CNBC
Filip Timotija / Associated Press:
USS Theodore Roosevelt being deployed to Middle East — Defense & National Security — The Big Story — The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt is expected to sail to the Middle East in the coming weeks to relieve another aircraft carrier as the U.S. military in the region continues …
Discussion:
The Guardian and NewsMax.com
The White House:
Honoring the American History of the Great Lakes and Renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America — EXECUTIVE ORDER 14420 — By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: — Section 1. Purpose and Policy.
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Deepa Shivaram / NPR:
Trump directs federal government to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America
Discussion:
Fox News, WTTG-TV, The Hill, The Atlantic, Vox, The Guardian, Bloomberg, HuffPost, NewsMax.com, Joe.My.God., The Independent, 77 WABC, Washington Examiner, RedState, One America News Network, PBS NewsHour and Straight Arrow
Andrew Solender / Axios:
Scoop: Dems plan bill to counter Trump's “Lake America” order
Scoop: Dems plan bill to counter Trump's “Lake America” order
Discussion:
RedState and The Independent
Stepheny Price / Fox News:
Trump floats renaming the Atlantic and Pacific oceans after rebranding historic lake
Trump floats renaming the Atlantic and Pacific oceans after rebranding historic lake
Discussion:
The Independent, NOTUS, The Hill, HuffPost, Joe.My.God. and Alternet.org
Sophie Hurwitz / Mother Jones:
Trump Orders Americans to Call Lake Ontario Lake America
Trump Orders Americans to Call Lake Ontario Lake America
Discussion:
The Hill, JSOnline, Politico, The Independent, Bloomberg, Fox News, Washington Post, New York Times, Associated Press, One America News Network, RedState, The Sun, Washington Examiner, TheGrio, NBC News, MS NOW, Townhall, The Gateway Pundit, LGBTQ Nation, Louder With Crowder, Axios, WTTG-TV, Joe.My.God., Scripps News, Reuters, New York Post, Political.org, Mediaite, National Politics, The Post Millennial and Al Jazeera
Nicholas Riccardi / Associated Press:
Judge again blocks Trump mail ballot executive order in ruling that's likely to be swiftly appealed — A federal judge on Thursday halted — at least for now — attempts to implement President Donald Trump's executive order limiting mail voting. — The move stalled the directive for a second …
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Zach Montague / New York Times:
Judge Once Again Bars Postal Service From Restricting Mail-In Vote
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Politico, Straight Arrow, Democracy Docket and New York Post
Landon Mion / Fox News:
Federal judge again blocks Trump's mail ballot order just before midterms
Federal judge again blocks Trump's mail ballot order just before midterms
Discussion:
American Greatness, Democracy Docket and NOTUS
Lawrence Hurley / NBC News:
Judge blocks Trump's Postal Service regulation on mail-in ballots
Judge blocks Trump's Postal Service regulation on mail-in ballots
Discussion:
Political.org, ABC News, State of California and Forbes
New York Times:
Trump Plans to Mark 9/11 at the Pentagon, Not Ground Zero — President Trump originally intended to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 with remarks at ground zero, but the memorial's organizers do not allow speeches. Mr. Trump changed his plans.
Discussion:
NewsMax.com, Mediaite and Washington Examiner
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Jonathan Tamari / Bloomberg:
Brian Schatz Looks to Steer Senate Democrats as Rising No. 2 Leader — The Hawaii senator is set to take on a bigger role for Democrats under Chuck Schumer. … Fresh Look — You probably haven't seen much of Brian Schatz on cable news or the Sunday shows, but he's in line to soon change the face of Senate Democrats.
Manuela Silva / NOTUS:
Uneven Pain at the Pump — Today's notice: Gas hikes are felt more by one side of the political spectrum. A Democratic candidate snags another Republican staffer. A developer has a good shot at getting a slice of Yosemite. And: Governors' races could make or break a Democratic majority.
Sheera Frenkel / New York Times:
Trump Administration's Blacklisting of Anthropic Was Illegal, Judge Rules — The government retaliated against the A.I. start-up “for constitutionally protected expressive activities,” a federal judge in California wrote. — The Trump administration acted illegally when it labeled …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Washington Examiner and The Verge
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Jack Queen / Reuters:
US judge blocks Pentagon's Anthropic blacklisting
US judge blocks Pentagon's Anthropic blacklisting
Discussion:
Wired, Forbes, Reuters, The Guardian, The Information, Axios, Quartz, Political.org, CBS News, The Hill, Politico, Semafor, American Prospect and Fox News, more at Techmeme »
Karoun Demirjian / New York Times:
White House Construction May Have Contributed to Close Call With Trump's Helicopter — A controller let a jet take off after missing warnings that Marine One was about to fly through the area, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. — Construction at the White House …
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New York Times:
Judge Says Trump's Name Should Stay Off Kennedy Center for Now — After the court forced the removal of the president's name from the building's title, the center devised a plan to add an inscription honoring President Trump. — An effort to inscribe President Trump's name …
Discussion:
The Hill, Deadline, Political.org, MS NOW, Mediaite, LGBTQ Nation, Forbes and Roll Call
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McKay Coppins / The Atlantic:
Spencer Cox's Crusade … On august 9, 2023, Utah's governor, Spencer Cox, found himself sitting across from Joe Biden in an armored presidential limousine as it idled in downtown Salt Lake City. Working up the nerve to pitch a far-fetched idea, he cleared his throat.
Discussion:
NewsMax.com, NOTUS, Washington Examiner and Mediaite
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Minho Kim / New York Times:
Fired Journalists at Independent Military Publication Sue Pentagon — Three journalists dismissed from Stars and Stripes accused the government of violating their First Amendment rights, asking the courts to stop their termination. — Three journalists at the federally funded but independent Stars …
Discussion:
Washington Post, CBS News, Politico, Axios, NewsMax.com and NOTUS, more at Mediagazer »
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Julianne McShane / MS NOW:
Stars and Stripes journalists sue Defense Department over attempted firings
Stars and Stripes journalists sue Defense Department over attempted firings
Wall Street Journal:
Corporate America Cut Big Checks to Trump. Now CEOs Fear Subpoenas Are Coming. — Tech firms are courting Democrats and hiring advisers to prepare for potential investigations if Republicans lose control of the House — Some U.S. companies with close ties to President Trump are taking steps …
Vjosa Isai / New York Times:
Canada Hires 48 Scholars Away From Top U.S. Universities — A crackdown on American academia by the Trump administration has handed Canadian universities a rare opportunity to lure some top researchers north. — Twenty-one universities in Canada announced on Thursday the hiring of dozens …
Peter Baker / New York Times:
In Trump's Washington, Ballooning National Debt Stirs Little Action — The relative indifference to the news that the U.S. government now owes $40 trillion demonstrates how drastically the politics of deficit spending has changed. — It used to be that a new report of budgetary red ink …
Discussion:
Reason
Michelle R Smith / The Guardian:
Senator calls for criminal investigation of RFK Jr after Guardian report — Newly obtained records indicate health secretary lied about Samoa trip during Senate confirmation hearings last year — A senior Democratic senator is calling for a criminal investigation into the US health secretary …
Discussion:
Letters from an American, Associated Press, Mediaite, Daily Kos, Salon, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Political.org, The Independent, Forbes, TMZ.com and New Republic
Alex Isenstadt / Axios:
GOP convention will battle NFL openers for attention — Republicans will have some stiff competition for eyeballs when they hold their first-ever midterm convention next month in Dallas — the NFL, American television's undisputed champion of ratings.
Brad Jennings / Axios:
Where Trump's tariffs hit hardest — States bear wildly different estimated tariff burdens from President Trump's trade actions since the start of 2025, from California's $62.8 billion share to Wyoming's $107 million. — Why it matters: Local industries dictate how and how hard communities have been hit …
Discussion:
Abdul for U.S. Senate
Adam Edelman / NBC News:
Wyoming's Republican governor raises concerns over ‘aggressive’ DOJ election monitors — Gov. Mark Gordon said the behavior of Justice Department officials who observed the state's primary elections last week was “irregular.” — Wyoming Republican Gov. Mark Gordon expressed concern Wednesday …
Paul Kane / NOTUS:
House Majority Could Hinge on Governors' Races Trending Toward Democrats — A pair of polls released early this week reaffirmed the conventional wisdom in two key races: Democratic governors in Arizona and Pennsylvania appear headed for victory. — And the margins in those polls suggested …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Alternet.org and Daily Kos
Andrew Solender / Axios:
Scoop: Dems and GOP squeeze TV stations in ad rate war — National Democrats and Republicans are pressuring local TV stations to respond in opposite ways to a new federal court ruling on political ad rates, Axios has learned. … - The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals this week overturned …
Discussion:
The Hill, more at Mediagazer »
John Sexton / HotAir:
Canadian Broadcaster: Do Not Refer to 9/11 As a Terrorist Attack — The Canadian Broadcast Corporation is Canada national broadcaster, similar to the BBC in the U.K. It broadcasts both radio and television programs across Canada. Yesterday, Warren Kinsella, a columnist for the Toronto Sun …
Discussion:
Breitbart, New York Post, The Daily Wire, Political.org, RedState, Fox News, Daily Mail, Mediaite, Toronto Sun, Townhall and twitchy.com
Jessica Piper / Politico:
Trump's MAGA Inc. to host first public event in battleground Michigan — President Donald Trump's $400-million super PAC is taking its first steps into the general election: hosting a public event in battleground Michigan, headlined by Vice President JD Vance.
Discussion:
The Daily Wire
Eric McDaniel / NPR:
How Democrats in Congress are preparing for Trump midterm election interference — Congressional Democrats are preparing for a new kind of midterm challenge: the risk that President Trump will attempt to undermine November's elections by claiming fraud or interfering in the voting process.
Discussion:
Political.org
