Republicans wanted Jack Smith to give them a smoking gun.  They got a gaffe instead.  —  It started with a pledge to expose a Biden-era conspiracy to take down President Donald Trump.  It ended with a botched attack over basketball tickets.  —  Armed with subpoena power in Congress …

NYC Pied-a-Terre Tax Rollout Blocked Again by State Judge  —  New York's pied-a-terre tax rollout was blocked for a second time by a Staten Island judge who said the city improperly published property information and wrongly required homeowners to apply for exemptions.

Homeland Security Money Financed Pro-Trump Television Ads  —  White House calls the spots public-service ads, but critics argue using taxpayer money for campaign-like messaging may violate federal law  —  WASHINGTON—The Trump administration used federal funds from the Department …

Supreme Court Allows Rapid Third-Country Deportations, for Now  —  The court also announced it would hear arguments in December on the legality of the Trump administration policy to swiftly deport immigrants to countries not their own.  —  The Trump administration can resume rapidly deporting immigrants …

A.I. Is ‘Better Informed’ Than Doctors, Kennedy Tells Industry-Backed MAHA Summit  —  The health secretary, Vice President JD Vance and other top officials addressed a conference sponsored by corporations, including A.I. companies and others with business before the government.

US ends military mission in Iraq, closing another chapter in decades of war  —  The U.S. military formally ended its mission in Iraq, the Pentagon said Wednesday, closing another chapter in more than two decades of American combat operations, withdrawals and returns to a country …

G.O.P. Nominee in Texas Privately Said Trump's Convention Hurt Him  —  Ken Paxton, one of the party's top Senate candidates and a Trump loyalist, said that “everybody's numbers dropped” after the event, according to audio obtained by The Times.  —  Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for Senate in Texas …

US Senate blocks resolution demanding accountability over Israeli violence in West Bank  —  Nine American citizens have been killed by Israeli settlers or security forces in occupied West Bank since 2022  —  The US Senate on Tuesday evening rejected along mostly party lines a Democratic resolution …

Midterms 2026: El-Sayed, Rogers Reject AIPAC Money as Group Ties Turn Toxic  —  The lobbying powerhouse seeks to retain its influence despite accusations of partisanship and Israel's declining support with voters  —  It was once an article of faith that alignment with the American Israel …

House members' expenses surge in program that doesn't require receipts  —  Taxpayers spent $6.7 million last year on the program, which reimburses lawmakers for food and lodging expenses in Washington.  —  SummaryLoading...  House lawmakers spent $6.7 million of taxpayer money on meals …

Maine university system strips ex-Sen. George Mitchell's name from building, scholarship over Jeffrey Epstein ties  —  The University of Maine System's Board of Trustees voted this week to remove the name of former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell from a building and a scholarship fund …

One More Reason Americans Hate AI: It Does Nothing for Them  —  One unifying dynamic in America today: Americans really, really hate AI.  What began as a form of NIMBYism — no one wants a data center in their neighborhood — has broadened into severe doubts about the technology as a whole.

Inaugurating The Era Of Super Intelligence  —  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.  America stands at the forefront of a new technological revolution in intelligence.

California poll: Voters back a billionaire tax, but the proposal falls short of majority support  —  A new NBCUniversal Local/Telemundo Station Group poll shows “yes” supporters leading 48% to 38% on the California ballot measure.  —  A plurality of likely California voters support a proposal …

Math needs a phonics-style reckoning  —  Teachers should teach students how to do stuff correctly.  —  ∙ Paid  —  At this point, everyone who cares about education policy at all has probably listened to Emily Hanford's “Sold a Story” podcast series, or pretends to have …

John Fetterman's Right-Wing Fundraising Deals  —  After losing his Democratic fundraisers, the Pennsylvania senator found a new firm with MAGA-world ties.  —  A republican fundraising consultant alerted her colleagues this month in a private message about a hot new business opportunity …

Kristi Noem files for divorce from Bryon Noem  —  Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has filed for divorce from her husband of over three decades, Bryon Noem, six months after a tabloid published photos that appeared to show him wearing women's clothing and fake breasts and reported …

Why Aaron Sorkin left Trump out of ‘The Social Reckoning’  —  LOS ANGELES — Aaron Sorkin says “The Social Reckoning” “shouldn't” be a political film.  —  But he acknowledges that it is one, probing Facebook's role in the rise of extremism and division ahead of the 2020 presidential election …

Some candidates are scrubbing their websites.  Here is why that matters.  —  Loading...  In today's edition ... Democrats rebut trans attacks with ads ... We ask you about the death penalty ... but first ...  Why campaign website scrubbing matters  —  Political candidates often scrub certain topics …

The Disgrace and Danger of Kash Patel, Part II  —  A quick check-in on the FBI director's latest raft of scandals (including, of course, the bestiality). … The swirl of scandal around Patel seemed like it would imminently end his career, but the Trump administration's depth and breadth …

OpenAI Ignored Employees Who Warned It Wasn't Doing Enough About Security  —  Employees and security researchers said that they had cautioned the company on safely testing its A.I. models and strengthening its corporate infrastructure, but that OpenAI did not listen.

Hispanic Voters on the Texas Border Have Soured on Trump  —  In 2024, these voters were an essential part of the winning Republican coalition.  Now, many feel abandoned and furious, complicating the party's chances in November.  —  Jessica Cantu Vuittonet, who runs a coffee shop in San Benito …

How Hakeem Jeffries Is Courting the Left  —  Democrats appear closer than ever to winning the House majority, and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' is already working to corral — and connect with — a growing chorus of progressive dissenters, The Washington Sun has learned.

Financial regulator investigates Adam Kinzinger over Kalshi trading  —  A top federal financial regulator is investigating former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger — an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump — for prediction market trades he made tied to his pardon by former President Joe Biden …

The Unheralded End of Mass Incarceration  —  America's prison population is plummeting thanks to lower crime rates.  The consequences are extraordinary.  —  In the past half century, thousands of books and articles have been written about mass incarceration.

Trump's Campaign Schedule Is a Really Bad Sign for Republicans  —  For much of the 2026 midterm-election cycle, Donald Trump has maintained that keeping the MAGA base energized would be the key for Republicans seeking to keep control of Congress.  And he's been especially insistent that making …

The View co-host's electioneering is a ‘blatant violation’: Joe Concha  —  Washington Examiner columnist Joe Concha said ABC is “begging to have their license pulled” after The View co-host Ana Navarro encouraged Floridians to vote against Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL).

The source of Brian Fitzpatrick's campaign ad attack fodder: A guest at his own wedding  —  Facing his toughest election challenge in years, GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick has blanketed southeast Pennsylvania with attacks on his Democratic opponent — many of them citing what appear to be independent local news reports.

Air Force Major Recommended for General Court-Martial After Protesting Trump  —  The recommendations are not binding, but it is rare for them to be ignored in the military justice system.  —  An Air Force major who was arrested after protesting President Trump has been recommended …

Trump Loses Bid to Pause Judge's Sanctions in IRS Case Fight  —  A US appeals court has refused to halt a Florida federal judge's decision to penalize President Donald Trump and his lawyers for “bad faith” conduct in his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service while he appeals.

The Forces of Trumpism Are in Disarray  —  This is what it looks like when a movement begins to come apart.  —  1. Things Fall Apart  —  The last 72 hours have seen a remarkable series of fractures within the Republican party.  Taken together they are signs that Donald Trump, his movement …