More U.S. troops have died amid Iran war than Pentagon has disclosed publicly  —  Officials who spoke with The Post expressed frustration that the additional loss of life in the Middle East is not reflected in the Defense Department's casualty database.  —  Summary

Trump bans CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House  —  President Trump said Friday he is banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House “effective immediately,” escalating his long-running battles with news organizations. … - The White House has not responded to Axios' request for comments.

F.B.I. Temporarily Halted Cooperation With Canada Over References to 9/11  —  The abrupt move by Kash Patel, the bureau's director, came as President Trump was ramping up his attacks on the country.  —  Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director, temporarily halted some cooperation with the agency's counterpart …

Why Democrats are starting to feel bullish about a midterm wave  —  Democrats say the Iran war, high prices and President Donald Trump's sinking popularity give them a real chance of congressional majorities.  —  Summary  —  Democrats' wary optimism about the midterms gave way to growing confidence this week.

Exclusive: US military had close call after using AI for false intelligence report, sources say  —  The intelligence report, circulated across the US military this spring in the midst of the war with Iran, immediately set off alarm bells: A Chinese ship in the Middle East was transporting components of a nuclear weapons program.

F.A.A. Has an Unusual Safety Request for the Top of Trump's Arch: Fire  —  The aviation agency deemed the mammoth arch safe for air travel if it includes a constant flame and other safety measures to help make it visible to planes.  —  President Trump's planned 250-foot triumphal arch …

GOP Latino gains fade as gender divides deepen  —  Latino voters swung sharply toward Republicans in 2024.  Now, much of that gain is fading as gender and generational divides widen. … - But an Axios analysis of recent polls shows Latino voters aren't simply swinging right, then left.

A Brief History of Sam Alito's Delusional Obsession With Voter Fraud  —  His conduct in several recent cases suggests that Alito is deep in the right-wing conspiracy theory weeds.  —  Against Justice Samuel Alito's most fervent wishes, a federal district court order that prohibits …

No modern president more hostile than Trump to free press, says New York Times publisher  —  New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger panned President Donald Trump's hostility toward the press in an editorial marking the publication's 175th anniversary on Friday, setting up yet another clash between …

Hill investigates after F-35 parts diverted to Hong Kong  —  Sensitive F-35 fighter jet technology was unexpectedly diverted to Hong Kong this summer, sparking an inquiry on Capitol Hill and raising the possibility that China could have access to key components of the highly classified weapon system.

A Central African Hotel Has Become a Nightmare Prison for U.S. Deportees  —  Witnesses say men were hooded and beaten in Equatorial Guinea.  The autocratic government there is a partner in President Trump's deportation program.  —  Two men deported to Equatorial Guinea by the Trump administration …

Kansas 2026: Hamilton and Marshall in Tight Senate Race; Masterson Leads for Governor  —  Home Polls Kansas 2026: Hamilton and Marshall in Tight Senate Race; Masterson Leads for Governor  —  A new Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media poll finds 45% of Kansas voters support Democrat Adam Hamilton …

String of daring Russian plots is testing Washington's restraint  —  A strike on a train that imperiled former European leaders and CIA officers is among a spate of attacks that risked a dangerous escalation with the West, experts say.  —  Summary  —  An airstrike on a train line …

Top DOJ official warned that prosecutors would be fired for not pursuing alleged voter fraud, according to sources  —  A top Justice Department official warned managers in a recent conference call that federal prosecutors could be fired if they decline to investigate and pursue cases …

To Protect Direct Democracy, Two States Mull a New Approach: Name It As a Right  —  Ballot measures in Missouri and Montana would strengthen citizen-led initiatives.  Democracy advocates in each state are going on the offense after facing years of attack.  —  After years of on voters' power …

‘Leftist delusions’ face reckoning as one of America's biggest colleges makes major shake-up  —  Texas' flagship public university is ending new enrollment in three majors focused on gender, sexuality and race in a move that is being hailed by many conservatives as a major victory.

The race raters are lowballing the Democrats  —  Based on my analysis of their historical ratings, Cook, Inside Elections and Sabato's Crystal Ball are probably underestimating Democrats' House win probability by about 30 percentage points  —  Soooo, wazzup with the race raters?

Saudis Give European Oil Buyers No Supplies for Next Month  —  Saudi Aramco told at least two oil refining customers in Europe that they will be allocated no crude next month under long-term agreements after the kingdom's key pipeline to the Red Sea was attacked, people informed of the decision said.

Trump Calls A.I. Fears a Hoax.  Inside the White House, the Debate Is More Complex.  —  The president seems driven chiefly by the sense that A.I. is the way to economic growth, and nothing can be allowed to stand in its way.  —  President Trump made clear in the past week that he views fears …

Seeking Black Votes in Texas Senate Bid, Talarico Wins Crucial Endorsement  —  The Congressional Black Caucus's political wing backed James Talarico, who defeated a Black opponent in the primary.  He faces Ken Paxton, the Republican state attorney general, in November.

Fear Strikes Out  —  But the hatred remains  —  On Wednesday Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, gave a speech affirming the EU's willingness to move toward making Canada an “associate member.”  Nobody quite knows what that would mean, and it might be mostly symbolic.

F.A.A. to Roll Out New A.I. Tool for Washington Airports  —  The tool, called SMART, will crunch scheduling and weather data to predict and avoid delays.  It will be deployed in the Washington region's three major airports next week.  —  The Trump administration plans to roll …

DOJ says recent Supreme Court ruling shields Maurene Comey firing  —  The Supreme Court's recent decision widening the president's power to fire certain agency leaders also extends to more junior employees — namely, former federal prosecutor Maurene Comey, the Justice Department argued in court Friday.

RFK Jr.-Linked Group Offered Access to US Officials for Payment  —  A nonprofit group with ties to US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. solicited payment from companies in exchange for access to top agency officials at an upcoming event, according to documents viewed by Bloomberg News.

Trump Drops Legal Bid to Block $16 Billion NY-NJ Gateway Tunnel  —  The Trump administration ended its latest effort to block federal funding for the $16 billion Gateway tunnel project connecting New York and New Jersey, dropping an appeal of a court ruling against the US.