Schmitt happens all over effort to perjury trap Jack Smith  —  Ahead of PN's 5th anniversary next week, we're offering paid subscriptions at the special yearly rate of $40 (or about 16¢ per edition).  This newsletter is only possible thanks to the support of paid subscribers.

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 …

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 …

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 …

In Texas, Something Seismic Is Happening—and It's All Trump's Fault  —  James Talarico may or may not win the Senate race in Texas.  But here's something we can say right now: Given how close Talarico is coming in this red state after running such an overtly pro-immigrant campaign …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

How Meta Uses A.I. Data Centers to Avoid Billions in Federal Taxes … Mark Zuckerberg says Meta's A.I. push is a tremendous success.  “Our investments in A.I. are accelerating every major part of our core business,” he has told investors.  “Every sign that we're seeing in our own work …

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

Americans Want Populist Policies That Defy Traditional Political Labels  —  A new Wall Street Journal survey finds broad support for caps on prescription drug prices and strong border security  —  Americans in both parties back government-imposed price caps and other market interventions …

Right-Wing Groups Are Making Money Off John Fetterman  —  A Republican fundraising consultant alerted her colleagues this month in a private message about a hot new business opportunity from an unlikely source: Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a Democrat.

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 …

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.

Jon Ossoff is fundraising for Georgia Democrats.  It's a bet for his party's future — and his own.  —  Sen. Jon Ossoff hosted a few hundred donors and supporters for a recent Washington fundraiser — but it wasn't just for him.  —  Instead, the Sept. 16 gathering was geared toward raising money …

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.

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.