White House Is Weighing Mass Pardons for Junior Staff  —  White House attorneys are evaluating whether to issue mass pardons to junior staffers, as Trump allies press the administration to protect lower-ranked officials from prosecution and other legal challenges, according to two sources familiar with the conversations.

Facing an electoral wipeout, Trump goes after the system  —  President Donald Trump is escalating his crusade to exert control of America's elections as his party barrels towards a potentially bruising midterm.  —  The Justice Department has already filed lawsuits in nearly every state to try and gain access to voter files.

Republicans Are Crude, Craven, Cruel.  It's Not Working Anymore.  —  In my column last week, I wrote about the Democratic Party's dramatic change of fortune in the race to control the Senate.  The expectation at the start of this election cycle was that Republicans would hold the chamber easily and …

In U.S. Gas Talks With Kremlin, Hidden Financing for Alaska Project Emerges  —  Interviews and documents show a Russian energy giant secretly funded a U.S. firm.  The deal has been discussed in talks to end the war in Ukraine.  —  At first blush, the proposed venture looks like it would further …

How the Most Ruthless Ad of the Midterms Divided Republicans  —  The fallout from Vivek Ramaswamy's brutal spot targeting his Democratic rival in the Ohio governor's race showed that even in the Trump era, a political attack can be seen as going too far.  —  The most explosive advertisement …

Fire devastates the Eagle's Nest retreat built for Hitler in Germany.  A person is detained  —  The retreat known as the Eagle's Nest built for Adolf Hitler in the Bavarian Alps was almost completely destroyed in a fire, and work to extinguish the blaze was still in progress Saturday, authorities said.

Woman in ad who said a Democrat endangers kids pleaded guilty to endangering kids  —  Shellie Flockhart, who called Iowa Democratic House candidate Sarah Trone Garriott “dangerous” for kids, pleaded guilty after authorities said she drove drunk with her children in the car in 2017.  —  SummaryLoading...

DOJ demands that California counties help identify noncitizen voters  —  The move is the latest in a legal battle between California and the Trump administration as the White House attempts to root out suspected noncitizen voters.  —  The Department of Justice on Friday warned local election officials …

How Trump Gave the Worst Polluters a Free Pass  —  The president temporarily waived clean-air rules for industrial facilities that spew cancer-causing gases.  Then his appointees worked to gut the regulations altogether.  —  Within sight of a southeast Texas middle school stands a chemical plant …

Iran in ‘Advanced Stages’ of Planning Attacks Against Americans, Officials Say  —  The U.S. government has ordered diplomats and other federal employees to leave Saudi Arabia.  It is also drawing down staff at other missions in the region.  —  The U.S. government has put employees …

Trump joins Hannity-Earhardt wedding rehearsal dinner at Mar-a-Lago  —  Fox News hosts Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt held their wedding rehearsal dinner on Friday evening at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla.  —  Both Trump and first lady Melania Trump were in attendance …

Gen Z Is Broke and Fed Up With Politics … At Thanksgiving last year, a great-aunt tried to offer Kayla Cornett a reassuring example: Her older cousin had worked hard, saved and bought a house.  Cornett, 24, could do the same, she said — if she tried just a little bit harder.

Washington's message to AI execs: Please shut up  —  Washington has always viewed Silicon Valley as culturally strange.  But the current crop of AI leaders is becoming a monumental political liability, lawmakers and White House advisers tell Axios. … - By centering the conversation around …

Britt McHenry resigns from State Department job after basketball game altercation  —  The former ESPN reporter was appointed as a press adviser last month.  —  In this Sept. 8, 2015, file photo, ESPN television reporter Britt McHenry smiles before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals …

Hillary Clinton thinks we should have 13 Supreme Court justices.  Here's why that matters.  —  Hillary Clinton may no longer be the most influential voice in the Democratic Party, but she remains a member in good standing of the party establishment.  So when she expresses support for expanding …

The signs for El-Sayed in Detroit — and the lack of them — are setting off alarm bells  —  Sixteen days before Election Day, Abdul El-Sayed is sitting at the dinette of a bus that has his face plastered all over it.  —  I had just played him a clip on my iPad.

The MAHA-MAGA Alliance Is Fracturing Before the Midterms  —  RFK Jr. supporters, who helped power Trump to the White House, are disillusioned with progress on the movement's priorities  —  FORT WORTH, Texas—Leaders of the Make America Healthy Again movement had aimed to cement their alliance …

In defense of empathy  —  Public Notice is proudly celebrating five years of independent journalism.  This special Saturday edition is possible thanks for paid subscribers.  Become one ⬇️  —  🙏 Subscribe to PN 🙏  —  Empathy is one of those things that really shouldn't need defending.

As Israeli election looms, Trump advisers see opportunity beyond Netanyahu  —  President Trump has endorsed Benjamin Netanyahu in Tuesday's Israeli election, but some of his advisers see opportunity for his Middle East agenda in a government led by someone else, U.S. officials tell Axios.

Aboard USS George Washington as It Rearms for Possible Iran Strikes  —  Watch as sailors in the USS George Washington strike group prepare for a possible escalation in fighting on the front lines of the Iran war  —  American warships in the Middle East are preparing for an escalation …