Top Items:
Politico:
Republicans aren't exactly flocking to Trump's midterm convention — President Donald Trump has a vision for next week's GOP convention in Dallas: a televised spectacle putting Republican candidates in front of midterm voters and top party donors just two months before the Election Day — with Trump himself headlining the show.
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William Kristol / The Bulwark:
Mike Johnson, Wet Noodle — Donald Trump has spent two years openly favoring red states over blue ones while disbursing federal disaster relief funds, but it's still surreal to see him talk openly about it. In a Truth Social post last night, Trump had this to say:
Steve Benen / MS NOW:
Trump approves disaster relief funds for 7 red states, after denying aid to blue states
Discussion:
MeidasTouch and Trump's Truth
Politico:
GOP lawmakers seek answers from Trump trade chief on Canada tariffs
GOP lawmakers seek answers from Trump trade chief on Canada tariffs
Discussion:
CNBC, The Hill, Deseret News, Michigan Public, Heartland Signal and Washington Examiner
Calen Razor / Politico:
GOP does Dallas? Not so much
GOP does Dallas? Not so much
Discussion:
The Independent and Houston Public Media
New York Times:
As Trump Throws a Midterm Party, Some Vulnerable Republicans Send Regrets
As Trump Throws a Midterm Party, Some Vulnerable Republicans Send Regrets
Discussion:
Mediaite and Alternet.org
Politico:
Trump invites battleground Republicans to Rose Garden dinner
Trump invites battleground Republicans to Rose Garden dinner
Discussion:
MS NOW, NOTUS, [your]NEWS, Joe.My.God. and NewsMax.com
Aaron Blake / CNN:
Trump's first midterm ads are heavy on ‘me’
Trump's first midterm ads are heavy on ‘me’
Discussion:
NOTUS, Daily Kos and [your]NEWS
Gregory Svirnovskiy / Politico:
Tillis renews calls for Hegseth's ouster — Sen. Thom Tillis renewed his call for President Donald Trump to fire Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, following the resignation earlier this week of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. “I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men …
Discussion:
The Hill, Financial Times, Al Jazeera, Washington Examiner, The Independent, Mediaite, The Free Press, Semafor, CBS News and IJR News
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CNN:
Hegseth's culture war fixation disrupting Army progress, sources say
Hegseth's culture war fixation disrupting Army progress, sources say
Discussion:
MS NOW, Washington Examiner, Federal News Network, Semafor, The Hill, New Republic, Mediaite, LGBTQ Nation, Forbes, Alternet.org, Politico, Roll Call and ABC News
Zachary Basu / Axios:
Pentagon turmoil deepens as Hegseth consolidates control
Pentagon turmoil deepens as Hegseth consolidates control
Discussion:
Forbes, NBC News and New York Times
Jen Fifield / ProPublica:
New Mail Voting Rules Moved Forward Despite USPS Officials' Concerns About Mass Disenfranchisement — Top U.S. Postal Service officials tasked with issuing new regulations on mail voting expressed concerns in internal meetings about how the rules they were drafting could delay or block ballots …
Discussion:
twitchy.com, Fox News, Techdirt, NPR, The Status Kuo, France 24, Civil Discourse …, Democracy Docket, FOX 26 Houston, The Moderate Voice, Washington Examiner, Forbes, NBC News, Rolling Stone, Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, New York Magazine, Daily Kos, Votebeat, Associated Press, Talking Points Memo, CNN, MS NOW and Axios
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Eileen Sullivan / New York Times:
Postal Service Is Building Ballot Screening System Despite Ongoing Court Fight — Election officials warn that the creation of a new online portal for states to upload voter information is already fueling confusion and could ultimately disenfranchise voters.
Discussion:
American Prospect, The Hill, Los Angeles Times and NOTUS
Zack Beauchamp / Vox:
How freaked out should you be about Trump's plot to disrupt mail voting?
Discussion:
Letters from an American and New York Times
Liz Dye / Public Notice:
Trump begs SCOTUS to let him unleash midterm chaos
Trump begs SCOTUS to let him unleash midterm chaos
Discussion:
CNN, Balls and Strikes, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Mediaite, Democracy Docket and Vox
Perry Bacon / New Republic:
Good Riddance, Seth Moulton: You Got What You Deserved — The biggest reason that Kamala Harris lost the 2024 election is probably the post-Covid-19 inflation and anti-incumbent sentiment that resulted in parties in power across the world being defeated. It didn't help that she refused …
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NBC News:
Progressive Senate candidates rack up primary wins even as they get outspent: From the Politics Desk
Joan Walsh / The Nation:
Old and On the Way: How Ed Markey Dispatched Seth Moulton in Massachusetts
Old and On the Way: How Ed Markey Dispatched Seth Moulton in Massachusetts
Discussion:
The Boston Globe, Wonkette, HotAir, Bloomberg, The Intercept, Them, New York Magazine, Daily Kos, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Hill, CBS News, New York Times, Washington Examiner and The Forward
Reid J. Epstein / New York Times:
Six Takeaways From the Massachusetts Primaries
Six Takeaways From the Massachusetts Primaries
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Daily Caller, Associated Press, IJR News, Mock Paper Scissors, Decision Desk HQ, The Hill, Blaze Media, NPR, WTOP News, HuffPost, Fox News, The Boston Globe, The Atlantic, New York Post, Scripps News, Wall Street Journal, The Forward, MS NOW, Bloomberg, NBC News, Reuters, CBS News, UPI and ABC News
Steven Zeitchik / The Hollywood Reporter:
Elon Musk Unmasked in Alex Gibney Documentary: “Insane a Person This Chaotic Has So Much Power” — He is the richest man on earth. An explosive new film from the Oscar-winning director suggests he may also be the most dangerous. — Late one August afternoon in a Manhattan editing suite …
Discussion:
Consequence and Variety
Andrew Roth / The Guardian:
Israel 'seeking Trump's support for plan to expel Palestinians from Gaza' — Defence minister says he believes US backing could tip regional balance in favour of forced resettlement — Israel's defence minister has said his country is seeking Donald Trump's support to approve plans …
Discussion:
Al Jazeera, Lawyers, Guns & Money and France 24
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Torrie Herrington / NOTUS:
Trump Says White House Helipad Is Complete
Trump Says White House Helipad Is Complete
Discussion:
Reuters, Joe.My.God., The Gateway Pundit, New Republic, National Review and CBS News
Jordain Carney / Politico:
Thune: Data centers should be ‘self-sufficient’ — Senate Majority Leader John Thune is stepping into the growing debate over data centers, saying in a local news interview this week that the facilities should be “self-sufficient.” “They ought to be able to take care of their own utilities …
RELATED:
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Thune says he worries about losing Senate majority: 'I'm a realist'
Discussion:
Alternet.org
Andrew Solender / Axios:
Rogue House Democrats face growing push for “consequences” — Two centrist House Democrats who voted to help Republicans get a procedural motion across the finish line are now facing down possible punishment from party leaders who say they were blindsided by the move.
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Benedict Vigers / Gallup:
Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread — Substantial majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents agree — WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans' perceptions of government corruption in the U.S. are at their highest level in 20 years, with 89% of U.S. adults saying it is widespread.
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Post, The Hill, UPI, WTOP News, The Post Millennial, Truthout and The Independent
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Josephine Walker / Axios:
89% of Americans say government corruption is widespread
89% of Americans say government corruption is widespread
Discussion:
Semafor and Joe.My.God.
Elleiana Green / Politico:
Markwayne Mullin safe after Coast Guard jet makes emergency landing due to engine failure — Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin was aboard a Coast Guard jet alongside other DHS officials when the plane made an emergency landing at an airport outside of Washington on Wednesday afternoon due to an engine failure midflight.
Discussion:
CBS News, NOTUS, The Daily Wire, NewsMax.com, [your]NEWS, ABC7, Stars & Stripes and NewsNation
RELATED:
New York Times:
Trump Administration Launches Blitz to Find Elusive Voter Fraud Ahead of Midterms — Voter fraud is exceedingly rare, but President Trump has fixated on rooting it out this year, claiming without evidence that tens of thousands of noncitizens are registered to vote.
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Federalist, Votebeat and YouGov
Leah Litman / The Atlantic:
The Court's Ballroom Decision Is a Sign of Deeper Problems — The conservative justices have separation of powers exactly backwards. — In deciding to allow President Trump to proceed with constructing a new ballroom, which Congress has not authorized, at the White House, which Trump does not own …
Discussion:
emptywheel, Alternet.org and Lawfare
Washington Post:
Pentagon cuts access to classified information amid Iran war concerns — Documents associated with the Secretary of Defense Orders Book were removed from an internal Pentagon web portal after The Washington Post's reporting, three people familiar with the matter said. — Summary
Discussion:
Alternet.org and The Wrap
NBC News:
House Democrats block constitutional amendment to lock Supreme Court size at 9 justices — The Republican-led resolution, which requires two-thirds support in the House and Senate, comes in response to increasing openness among Democrats to expand the court.
Discussion:
New York Post, The Hill, CBS News, NewsMax.com, Joe.My.God., [your]NEWS and Newsweek
Scott Horsley / NPR:
The IRS slashed its staff. One result? More taxes going uncollected — The IRS slashed its auditing staff last year in what was billed as a cost-cutting move, but if the effort was designed to improve the government's bottom line, it has backfired. — A new report from the Treasury …
Discussion:
Above the Law, CBS News and MS NOW
San Francisco Chronicle:
ICE hasn't paid for detainee medical care since October. Advocates call it the ‘death policy’ — Over the 10 months Rodrigo spent in an ICE detention center east of Bakersfield, he asked repeatedly to see an oncologist about the tumor that was growing to the size of a lemon in his neck …
Discussion:
NPR and Popular Information
Greg Sargent / New Republic:
What JD Vance's Eruption of Rage Over Usha and El-Sayed Really Reveals — JD Vance is pretending to be very, very angry at Abdul El-Sayed for drawing his wife, Usha Vance, into our political debates. “Abdul, keep my wife's name the hell out of your mouth,” Vance seethed while campaigning …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, The Forward, twitchy.com, The Guardian, New York Magazine, Forbes and Mediaite
Avery Lotz / Axios:
Trump's Canada antagonism vexes Americans … - With the midterm elections creeping closer, polling suggests Americans aren't sold on the fight. … - Even among Republicans, more opposed (43%) than supported (33%) the order. — A vast majority of Democrats (84%) and independents and other parties (65%) opposed the name change.
Discussion:
CNBC, Fox News, CNN, NewsMax.com, FOX 32 Chicago, Mediaite, Reuters and The Independent
Erin Hudson / Bloomberg:
NYC Public Schools Ban AI for Students, Restrict Screen Time — The largest school district in the US is banning artificial intelligence tools and restricting screen time for elementary and middle school students in the upcoming school year. — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani …
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Judge blocks Trump's birthright citizenship order aimed at ‘birth tourism’ — A federal judge has blocked one of President Donald Trump's latest attempts to limit birthright citizenship. — U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday barring enforcement …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Reuters, The Independent, The Hill, Newsweek and Joe.My.God.
Jonathan Martin / Politico:
Can Susan Collins Survive the Craziest Race in the Country? … Yet nowhere has been as idyllic as Perry's Lobster Shack. — Set on a harbor, where — in local parlance — Midcoast meets Downeast, the view from Perry's over the water is of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park.
Discussion:
The Hill, Maine Democratic Party, RedState, Washington Examiner and The 19th


