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 …

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 …

Dems boost their odds in Nevada  —  With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner  —  Good Wednesday morning.  This is Megan Messerly taking the pen.  The Senate may be skipping town soon, but not before Sen. Katie Britt gave us the reaction meme of the season.  Get in touch.

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.

Tennessee inmate Christa Pike's execution halted an hour beforehand  —  Death row inmate Christa Pike got a last-minute reprieve Wednesday when a federal appeals court stopped her execution about an hour before it was set to take place in Nashville. … - Pike's attorneys argue her history …

Flydubai pilot attempts terror hijacking of flight to Tel Aviv, foiled by Israeli passengers  —  Israeli official says “major disaster avoided” after pilot stabbed his co-pilot, attempted to hijack aircraft with over 100 Israeli passengers  • Plane makes emergency landing in Saudi Arabia

Trump announces vague ‘morally binding’ AI deal among tech CEOs for ‘tremendous self-policing’  —  US president also issued executive order officially rebranding ‘artificial intelligence’ as ‘superintelligence’  —  Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the heads of the largest US tech …

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 …

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 …

Can Trump Legally Demolish the Kennedy Center?  Experts Say Not Easily.  —  The president has entertained the idea of tearing down the performing arts venue.  Analysts say any plan would face multiple daunting challenges.  —  At first, the Trump administration raised the prospect of demolition quietly …

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 …

What the Russian oligarch who paid for Trump Jr's wedding party really wants  —  Putin ally aims for his sports association to regain control of Olympic boxing  —  Benedict Smith , Washington Correspondent.  Antonia Langford.  Hans van Leeuwen , International Economics Editor.

First Draft: 📺 Trump's White House Agrees His ‘Midterm Ads’ Are Illegal.  They're Doing It Anyway  —  Donald Trump is demanding the propagandistic TV ads, even as some of his aides fret they ‘obviously’ break federal law.  Missouri MAGA Senator Eric Schmitt, meanwhile, makes a fool of himself.

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.

Trump to Announce $54 Billion Investment in a State With Tight Senate Race  —  President Donald Trump is expected to announce on Wednesday plans for South Korea to invest roughly $54 billion in a project to export natural gas from Alaska, a proposal long backed by Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan …

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.

The least popular war since Vietnam  —  Welcome back to The Argument's poll series, where we survey Americans on the issues everyone's fighting about.  Our full crosstabs are available behind the paywall at the end of this post.  Our last surveys have asked about elite perception, AI, crime, gender issues, and much more.

USPS To Put Cameras in Trucks That Scan Roads for ‘Community Safety’  —  USPS says the cameras, put on USPS truck dashboards, will scan roads, signs, and more.  —  The United States Postal Service is running a pilot program to put cameras in its mail carrier trucks that continuously scan roads and signs …

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.

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 …

The House reimburses lawmakers for D.C. expenses.  See who spent the most.  —  Taxpayers spent 21 percent more last year on the program, which helps cover the costs of food and lodging in Washington, a Post analysis found.  —  SummaryLoading...  House lawmakers spent $6.7 million …

‘Christian Warrior’ Candidate's Dark Past Revealed  —  EXCELLENT DAY FOR AN EXORCISM  —  Fresh videos and posts unearthed by the Daily Beast have placed the Republican under growing scrutiny as the midterms loom.  —  A MAGA-backed ministry leader vying to be Colorado's next governor once laughed …

NYC appeals Staten Island judge's ruling against Mamdani's pied-à-terre tax  —  New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office filed an appeal on Tuesday following a Staten Island judge's ruling that barred notices from being sent to homeowners affected by the pied-à-terre tax.

The White House's AI Bot Is Going Through It  —  The Trump administration broadening its embrace of artificial intelligence.  The results have been mixed, to say the least  —  ADD US AS A GOOGLE PREFERRED SOURCE … Americans shouldn't worry, though, the president says …

Newsom bars ICE from using shock gloves, other ‘Orwellian’ tactics in California  —  California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Tuesday signed into law a state ban on law enforcement use of electric shock gloves in the Democrat's latest push back against the Trump administration's “Orwellian immigration tactics.”

Capitol agenda: One day more?  —  Senators are circling a rapid escape from Washington today.  Majority Leader John Thune told Jordain the chamber could wrap up by the end of Wednesday.  “No certainty around this yet but it seems to be that everybody is ... heading toward a glide path tomorrow night …

Zohran Mamdani's Campaign May Have Accomplished Something More Fundamental Than Moving Policy Debate to the Left  —  It's the people, stupid.  —  Pocket  —  Most commentary on Zohran Mamdani's campaign for mayor of New York City focuses on policy, technology, and charisma.

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 …

How Trump keeps undercutting his anti-communist message  —  Speaking in the Oval Office this week, President Trump once again claimed he wanted to give $5,000 to every adult in the U.S. — but only if Republicans win the House and Senate in November.  —  It's an idea he first proposed …