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 …

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

Senate Democrats block House-passed bill restricting member stock trading  —  A House-passed bill to restrict members of Congress from buying and selling stocks failed on the Senate floor Wednesday in a party-line vote, with Democrats insisting it would not do enough to curb lawmakers' trading.

Watchdog finds no criminality in Fed renovation that drew Trump's scrutiny  —  The Federal Reserve's inspector general did fault the central bank's board for mismanaging costs.  The DOJ previously launched its own probe that was blocked by a federal judge.  —  WASHINGTON — The Federal …

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 …

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 …

After Two Decades, U.S. Forces Leave Iraq to an Uncertain Future  —  Some Iraqis are celebrating the end of an American military presence that unleashed waves of bloodshed.  Others fear what happens next for their country, trapped between Washington and Tehran.  —  Listen  · 13:14 min

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 …

DHS failed to provide records supporting Trump's allegations of noncitizen voting, watchdog says  —  Key federal agencies failed to provide any records to back up President Donald Trump's allegations that tens of thousands of noncitizens are registered to vote in various blue states …

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 …

Gavin Newsom Is Ready for His Next Act.  Will Democrats Ever Give Him a Shot at the White House?  —  As the governor looks beyond California, he opens up about his political ambitions, his vision for the country, and why he's chosen Bill Clinton as his 2028 spirit animal.

‘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 …

Exclusive: Cornell rape allegations fuel House Democratic women's Title IX push  —  A criminal investigation into allegations that a Cornell University student was gang raped by seven fraternity members in 2024 is fueling a new push by House Democratic women to strengthen federal protections against sexual violence on college campuses.

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.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reports more than $250 million in income last year … Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reported at least $250 million in income and other proceeds last year, much of it from the financial businesses he left behind when he joined the Trump administration …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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 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.