House Democrats left reeling after shock defections  —  House Democrats were left stunned and pointing fingers Tuesday after a pair of centrist lawmakers unexpectedly helped Republican leadership pass a key procedural vote. … - The two centrists, Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) …

Hegseth Targets 7 More Officers as His Frustrated Army Secretary Quits  —  The defense secretary's cuts, which have hit about 10 percent of the military's top officers, are dividing the Pentagon, officials said.  —  Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired or blocked the promotions …

Massachusetts Democrats renominate Senator Ed Markey in race seen as test on generational change  —  U.S. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts won renomination on Tuesday, according to U.S. media, as Democratic voters favored the 80-year-old progressive over 47-year-old Seth Moulton …

Chevron expands position in Venezuela  —  Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) today announced agreements with Venezuela that establish updated terms for its joint ventures, supporting future investment, project development and production growth in the country.  —  The agreements set out provisions …

Protests erupt over plan to slash polling locations in key Texas swing county  —  The third-most populous county in Texas will have nearly a third fewer polling places this November after Republican county commissioners dramatically reduced the number of polling locations in Tarrant County.

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.

Trump begs SCOTUS to let him unleash midterm chaos  —  PN is supported by paid subscribers.  Become one ⬇️  —  ✅ Subscribe to PN ✅  —  The important thing to know here is that this is all John Roberts's fault.  —  We're on the precipice of complete chaos as Trump tries to seize control of the midterms.

More than 68% of voters support recall of Independence Councilman John Perkins  —  Voters in Independence have successfully recalled a councilman after his vote to approve a multibillion-dollar data center.  —  District 1 Councilman John Perkins was recalled during a special election on Tuesday …

House censures Rep. Chuck Edwards for conduct toward former female staffers  —  The House voted Tuesday to censure Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., following a House Ethics Committee investigation that concluded he engaged in persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female staffers in his office.

Deported Milo Yiannopoulos says he is ‘ashamed’ of support for Trump  —  British far-right pundit breaks silence on ICE arrest and deportation and says he was ‘really, really terrified’  —  Milo Yiannopoulos, the British far-right commentator who was arrested last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement …

Poll shows nearly 90% of Americans believe government corruption is widespread  —  The belief increased by 10 percentage points compared with last year, a Gallup poll found.  —  Summary  —  A record number of Americans believe there is widespread corruption in the U.S. government …

A record 38% of Republicans say Canada is unfriendly or an enemy of the U.S.  —  President Donald Trump recently imposed a 50% tariff on many Canadian goods, a move most Americans are strongly or somewhat opposed to, the latest Economist/YouGov Poll finds.  58% of Americans are opposed …

Trump's boat strikes are illegal.  Does it matter?  —  On Oct. 12 of last year, Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo boarded a small boat docked just beyond a Venezuelan beach.  The two Trinidadian men had recently fished together and picked up work as farm hands in Venezuela, but it was time for them to get back to Trinidad.

The Air Marshals Keeping Watch On Eric Swalwell  —  On August 8, former Representative Eric Swalwell boarded a United Airlines flight from Frankfurt, Germany, to Washington, D.C. He didn't know it, but federal agents were watching him throughout the nine-hour trip.

Trump aides, fearing a midterm rout, push to keep Iran war ‘quiet’ for now  —  Top aides to President Donald Trump are pushing to keep the Iran war from escalating before November's midterm elections to staunch Republican electoral losses, four people familiar with the discussions said …

Former President Joe Biden Will Attend Sept. 11 Ceremony in New York  —  Mr. Biden will join three other living presidents at the event.  President Trump has decided to skip the ceremony and is expected to appear at the Pentagon on the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

Iran attempted cyberattacks on range of U.S. infrastructure, sources say  —  The attempts have so far been unsuccessful, but an Iranian hacking group warned that “unexpected and critical events” would soon target American infrastructure.  —  WASHINGTON — Iranian hackers have targeted …

Trump to promote acting Navy secretary amid Pentagon turmoil  —  Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao is getting a promotion.  —  Cao, who has served in an acting role since Navy Secretary John Phelan abruptly left the post in April, will be nominated to be his permanent replacement …

Justice Department seizes more than $560,000 in cryptocurrency donations for Hamas  —  The FBI has seized more than $560,000 in cryptocurrency donations intended for Hamas, the Justice Department said Tuesday in announcing a disruption of financing for the militant group.

Apple joins Google in renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America”  —  Apple has changed the label on Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” according to an Axios review of Apple Maps on Tuesday afternoon.  —  Why it matters: Apple is the second major digital map provider to make the switch.

American Citizen who Worked as an Agent for the PRC Sentenced to Two Years in Prison  —  For Immediate Release  —  Thomas Pauken II Sentenced to Federal Prison to be Followed by 36 Months of Supervised Release with No Overseas Travel  —  Thomas Weir Pauken II, 51, an American citizen …

Using legal loopholes and executive power, Trump is remaking Washington  —  The president's ballroom and other projects are racing the courts and the clock, as the GOP-led Congress largely sits silent.  —  Summary  —  President Donald Trump has said he was puzzled when aides told …

Democrats are selling their souls by accepting Abdul El-Sayed  —  Mainstream Democrats are failing the Abdul El-Sayed test — badly.  —  For starters, the establishment seems to be buying the creepy Michigan Senate candidate's pseudo-apology for his obscene justification back in March …