Trump Brought Venezuelan Gold to the U.S., but Refiners Won't Touch It  —  After the oil, President Trump went for Venezuela's gold.  The White House brokered deals potentially worth billions.  I went to Venezuela's mines to see for myself how it was playing out.  —  Anatoly Kurmanaev

The Moves That Backfired on Trump and Drove Interest Rates and Inflation Higher  —  The president's advisers said fiscal restraint and deregulation would bring down prices and borrowing costs.  Then came tariffs, war and an investment boom.  —  In the early days of President Trump's second term …

‘I want public executions’: Texas GOP candidate's extreme posts extend beyond racism  —  Race & ethnicity Oil & gas DOGE Social media  —  Bo French, the Republican nominee for one of Texas' most powerful statewide offices, is facing bipartisan criticism over a racist post about the crowd at a University of Texas football game.

In Iowa, Republicans feel the heat and try to motivate ‘frustrated’ base  —  The political environment for the party has led to widespread alarm.  “It feels like it could be a wipeout,” one strategist said.  —  SummaryLoading...  WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Sen. Chuck Grassley, 93 …

Trump Offered to Sell Arms to China, U.S. Ambassador Says  —  President Trump made the offer to Xi Jinping, China's leader, said David Perdue, the ambassador to China.  The White House later said the U.S. had no plans for such a sale.  —  阅读.体中文.閱讀.體中文.

Republicans fuming at Hegseth as war costs build  —  Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is running into a wall of congressional GOP resistance as he tries to secure $1.5 trillion for the Pentagon next year.  —  Lawmakers' growing reluctance to fulfill Hegseth's eye-popping budget request reflects …

Trump to Unveil Planned $15 Billion Iowa Steel Project  —  The announcement comes as Trump is looking for wins ahead of a tough midterm election for Republicans  —  WASHINGTON—President Trump will announce a Minnesota company's plan to build a $15 billion steel mill in Iowa …

Trump's Joes exit the front row  —  With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner  —  Good Monday morning.  We're awaiting Trump's scheduled announcement at 2 p.m. and wondering whether the briefing room is next in line for a White House makeover.  Get in touch.  —  In today's Playbook ...

Possible Next House Intel Chair Aims to Probe ‘Nakedly Corrupt Dealings’  —  In a letter to a defense-industry group, Rep. Jim Himes signaled to the private sector a desire to investigate alleged coercion by the Trump administration  —  WASHINGTON—The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee …

253. Introducing “The Court We Need”  —  Welcome back to “One First,” a newsletter that aims to make the U.S. Supreme Court more accessible to lawyers and non-lawyers alike.  I'm grateful to all of you for your continued support, and I hope that you'll consider sharing some of what we're doing with your networks.

Did Anthropic's A.I. Really Make a Scientific Discovery on Its Own?  —  An expert at the University of Copenhagen said his team had been sharing its research with the company's A.I. model, Claude, and that its new finding matched their work.  —  When Anthropic, the artificial intelligence giant …

DOGE vs. Civic Tech  —  DOGE wielded extraordinary power during the first months of the Trump administration.  It was more important than any Cabinet official.  The fact it has been completely memory-holed by this administration says much about its purpose and impact, and the politics of non-accountability under Trump.

Andrew Bailey, a Deputy Director at the F.B.I., Leaves His Job  —  Mr. Bailey, who was part of a three-person leadership team atop the bureau, lasted barely a year.  —  Andrew Bailey, who has served as deputy director of the F.B.I. as part of an unusual leadership arrangement …

Exclusive: Mike Johnson to travel to 22 states in final midterm sprint … - The Cook Political Report moved 15 House races toward Democrats on Friday and said Republicans would need to win a majority of the remaining toss-up races to keep control of the chamber.

Spain is becoming NATO's next dictatorship.  Trump must act now  —  A dangerous autocracy is emerging on Europe's southwestern flank, hidden behind a thin veneer of constitutional legitimacy.  Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his ruling socialist party (PSOE) have systematically hollowed …

Feed the lizard  —  The New York Times dropped a story on Wednesday about former House member Mary Peltola, one of Democrats' top recruits in a critical Senate race, about her behavior toward staff.  —  The people who work for congressional Democrats are, by definition, Democrats …

Why Europe's centre will hold  —  The 1930s are not a good guide to the politics of the 21st century  —  Last Chance: The New Chancellor and the Struggle for Democracy by Robin Alexander was a bestselling book in Germany last year.  It captured a widespread fear that, if Chancellor Friedrich Merz fails …

Affordability Is a Winning Message for Democrats.  But There's an Even Better One.  —  After years of fumbling around for an effective campaign message, Democrats seem to have finally found one in affordability.  The idea couldn't be simpler: Life's essential goods have become intolerably expensive …

Five arrested over alleged bomb plot at UK air base used by U.S.; Iran denies link … Counterterrorism police are understood to be investigating a potential link between Iran and an alleged bomb threat against a U.K. base hosting the U.S. Air Force — which Iran has denied.

Voter ID ballot measure fixes a problem that doesn't exist  —  SACRAMENTO — What's so wrong about requiring every Californian to show a government ID before they're allowed to vote?  That's what Proposition 39 backers ask.  And it's a fair question.  —  Here are some valid answers:

Paul emerges as a roadblock to homeland security efforts  —  When it comes to homeland security, Republicans, Democrats, lobbyists and even the Trump administration agree on one thing: Kentucky Republican Rand Paul is impossible to get around.  —  The cantankerous chair of the Senate Homeland Security …

Trump rolls back car fuel efficiency standards  —  The Trump administration has rolled back car fuel efficiency standards requiring automakers to ensure their products were using less fuel.  —  While the Biden-era standards would have been expected to get the nation's car fleet …

White House Drove Users to Official App Fraught With Trackers  —  The White House app shot to the top of the Apple App Store's news category last week after its new 24/7 broadcast channel, Trump TV, was swiftly positioned as a legitimate source for news while networks halted their pool coverage.