Hegseth confirms plan to cut 20% of US top military brass and rails at ‘beardos, weirdos and wimps’  —  Pentagon head hails military with ‘no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals’ in anti-DEI rant  —  The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth …

Tennessee Death Row Inmate Christa Pike Still Alive After Attempts to Execute Her, Lawyers Say  —  Christa Pike was convicted of murdering a classmate in 1995.  It was not clear what went wrong in the execution or what her current medical condition was.  —  A Tennessee woman convicted …

FlyDubai Flight to Tel Aviv Issues Distress Signal Before Landing in Saudi Arabia  —  Passengers intervened and “prevented a disaster” after one pilot stabbed another during a flight from Dubai, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.  The motive for the attack was not clear.  —  Here's the latest.

Bipartisan Senate duo drops new data center bills  —  A bipartisan Senate duo is rolling out two new data center bills one day after Democrats rejected a House-passed measure designed to shield ratepayers from costs associated with the facilities.  The measures from Sens. John Curtis (R-Utah) …

Eric Schmitt was warned about the Jack Smith texts.  He used them anyway.  —  As they prepared for the testimony of former special counsel Jack Smith, Republican staff on the Senate Judiciary Committee gave Sen. Eric Schmitt a warning: The texts they had obtained from the Justice Department …

Ron Johnson blocks vote to stop Trump's funding cancellations  —  Sen. Ron Johnson blocked the Senate from passing a bill Wednesday to restore $810 million in federal funding President Donald Trump nixed Friday without Congress' consent and stop him from using the controversial budget tactic again.

Pete Hegseth appoints Elon Musk to US taskforce on future of warfare  —  A year after his explosive tenure at Doge, the SpaceX CEO is back in the Trump administration's good graces  —  Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that Elon Musk will co-lead a government project to study the future of warfare …

Raskin leads calls for federal investigation into Trump PSA's  —  The top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee is demanding federal inquiries into the amount of taxpayer money used to furnish a television ad blitz propping up President Donald Trump ahead of the midterms.

Centrist Dem's Supreme Court plan boosts momentum for revamp  —  Democratic efforts to revamp the Supreme Court gained momentum Thursday as an influential center-left think tank released a plan to limit justices' terms and misconduct.  Third Way's proposal, shared first with POLITICO …

We polled two must-watch House races.  There are good signs for Democrats.  —  Democrat Shannon Taylor is narrowly ahead of Rep. Rob Wittman (R) in Virginia's 1st, while Democrat Tom Perriello is modestly behind Rep. John McGuire (R) in the 5th.  —  Several House seats could flip blue …

Most Americans blame Trump for high prices as midterms approach, a new AP-NORC poll finds  —  Americans are deeply frustrated with President Donald Trump's handling of the economy and rising prices, with most panning his performance and blaming his policies as higher costs threaten his party's chances in November.

How Trump's signature issue fell off voters' radar  —  Immigration — the issue that helped propel Donald Trump to the presidency and rally his supporters over the past decade — has become an afterthought for voters. … What was once a rallying cry for the party is losing salience …

Global bond sell-off deepens as 10-year Treasury yield hits highest since 2002  —  Sovereign debt costs around world return to multiyear highs  —  Emily Herbert and Ian Smith in London, William Sandlund in Hong Kong and Leo Lewis in Tokyo  —  A brutal global bond rout deepened on Thursday …

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on his blueprint for depolarizing a fractured nation  —  In the aftermath of the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox emerged as a prominent voice calling on Americans to step back from the political hatred and violence gripping the country.

White House removes CNN from press pool for Trump's upcoming trip to Texas and Oklahoma  —  CNN was previously scheduled to fly on Air Force One and also provide on-the-ground coverage of Trump's trip.  —  The White House on Wednesday removed CNN from the press pool that's set to cover …

Capitol agenda: Dems skip DC with wind in their sails  —  The Senate wrapped up its work late Wednesday night, and lawmakers in both chambers won't be back until after midterm voters pass judgment.  And Chuck Schumer is growing increasingly confident they'll hand the Senate to Democrats …

EXCLUSIVE: Senator Accuses DOJ and FBI of Withholding Secret Epstein Banker Interview, Demands Release of All FBI 302s  —  Add MeidasTouch as a preferred Google sourceUse your Google account to add this to your settings  —  Senator Ron Wyden is accusing the Justice Department and the FBI …

How Zuckerberg shaped Trump's AI industry pledge  —  The Scoop  —  The idea for what became President Donald Trump's Tuesday pact with the AI industry came from a conversation between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and House Speaker Mike Johnson at last week's state dinner, a source familiar with the matter told Semafor.

Democratic Senators Challenge Trump Officials on Pentagon's Venezuela Oil Deal  —  Ranking Senate Democrats on the foreign relations, energy, banking and armed services committees question deal crafted by top Trump officials  —  Senate Democrats are challenging the legality and prudence …

Trump, Big AI go all-in together  —  President Trump and the AI industry have co-signed one of the biggest economic and technological wagers of all time.  — If it goes right: A new age of abundance — explosive productivity, staggering wealth and a generational leap in American power.

PAC spent $131 million in 17 days to rescue Paxton in Texas Senate race  —  The new Texas PAC spent a staggering $131 million in just 17 days to boost Republican Ken Paxton in his battle for a U.S. Senate seat, new financial reports reveal.  And tens of millions more could be on the way.

Oil Is Flowing From the Persian Gulf, but Prices Remain High.  Why?  —  Crude oil costs close to $100 a barrel because traders are worried hostilities could soon restart and the world is burning through its emergency stockpiles.  —  More oil is flowing from the Middle East than at any point since …

Congressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election  —  The weeklong staff trip, including stops at a Ferrari factory and Champagne, was to be led by an aide to House Speaker Mike Johnson and was canceled after NBC News asked about the itinerary.

How 16 undecided voters are weighing their 2026 election options  —  The voters, who participated in a recent NBC News poll and spoke to reporters afterward, are laser-focused on high prices and largely disappointed with both parties.  —  James Morton isn't sure which party he's going to support …

Texas Governor Race Puts Pressure on Andy Beshear and Democratic Governors Association  —  Allies of Gina Hinojosa want a Democratic group to support her bid for Texas governor — putting pressure on its chairman, Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, who is weighing a run for president.

John Roberts and His Island … To many people on this remote stretch of Maine coastline, where every day looks like a fresh painting made of light and water, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. is just “John.”  —  John, who has spent over 20 summers on Hupper Island, a refuge about 90 miles northeast …

Hackers stole millions of US military personnel records during months-long data breach  —  The U.S. government is reportedly alerting millions of current and former U.S. military service members and staff that their personal information was stolen during a months-long breach …

Trump's White House visitor screening center poised for approval  —  The project, which would revamp how visitors enter the White House grounds, is one Trump construction effort that has drawn wide agreement.  —  SummaryLoading...  President Donald Trump has imposed sweeping changes …

The Flailing President  —  The White House's South Lawn was prepared just so: A full honor guard, complete with American and Chinese flags, stood at attention.  The new White House helipad, made of four-inch-thick black-and-white California granite, seemed to gleam.

Trump loses favor with crypto fans who call him out for cashing in  —  The president's 2024 campaign leaned into crypto to attract young men, a demographic that is deserting Republicans in the midterms.  —  SummaryLoading...  Carl Runefelt, a cryptocurrencies-focused streamer known as …

America leaves Iraq, again  —  This story appeared in Today, Explained, a daily newsletter that helps you understand the most compelling news and stories of the day.  Subscribe here.  —  The last US troops in Iraq formally withdrew today, 23 years after the United States first invaded Iraq …