“Israel has concluded that some of Iran’s underground stockpile of near-bomb-grade enriched uranium survived American and Israeli attacks last month and may be accessible to Iranian nuclear engineers,” the New York Times reports.
Mahmoud Khalil Files $20 Million Suit Against U.S.
Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University graduate and Palestinian activist who was detained by the Trump administration for months, filed a claim for $20 million in damages against the administration, alleging Khalil was falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted and smeared as an antisemite as the government sought to deport him over his prominent role in campus protests, The Guardian reports.
Senate Poised to Confirm First Judge of Trump’s 2nd Term
“The Senate is poised to vote Monday to confirm the first judicial nominee of President Donald Trump’s second term,” Politico reports.
“The Senate voted 51-43 along party-lines to end debate on Whitney Hermandorfer’s nomination for a judgeship on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The procedural step cleared the way for a final vote on confirmation when senators return to Washington next week after a weekend back home.”
Justice Department Purge Has Created a Climate of Fear
“The Trump administration is firing and pushing out employees across the Justice Department and FBI, often with no explanation or warning, creating rampant speculation and fear within the workforce over who might be terminated next,” the Washington Post reports.
“Some people are simply fired, delivered a notice signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi that cites the broad powers afforded to the president in the U.S. Constitution. Others, particularly at the FBI, are told they can leave or be demoted or terminated.”
A Deep Dive Into Two Swing Seats
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Trump to Stay Out of Texas Primary for Now
“President Donald Trump huddled Wednesday evening in the Oval Office with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and top Senate GOP campaign officials about the 2026 midterm elections,” Punchbowl News reports.
“During the meeting, Trump administration officials made clear to Thune and the Senate Leadership Fund that they were going to let the race between Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton play out a bit before deciding whether and how to engage in the contest. The White House wants to see whether the polling gap between Cornyn and Paxton will close. The primary is scheduled for March.”
Ken Paxton’s Wife Files for Divorce
Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton (R) has filed for divorce from her husband, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), KUT News reports.
“Ken Paxton is running for U.S. Senate against John Cornyn. The attorney general has long been dogged with allegations of infidelity, including during impeachment proceedings in 2023 that ended in his acquittal. He was accused of securing a job for the woman with whom he was having an alleged affair.”
Anything Goes with Trump’s Tariff Policy
“Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on Brazil over its domestic political affairs, the most extreme case yet of the US president weaponizing trade policy to make unrelated demands,” Bloomberg reports.
“Trump’s latest threat, against a nation that sells fewer goods to the U.S. than it buys, risks reinforcing concerns that formal trade agreements may offer limited protection against future tariff hikes. It also again shows that the rates Trump unveiled in April on “Liberation Day” carry little meaning.”
“Trump has previously used tariff threats to accomplish other geopolitical goals. In January, he announced sweeping tariffs on Colombia before abruptly pulling the threat after reaching a deal on the return of deported migrants. He’s also put 20% tariffs on China for its alleged failure to stop the flow of fentanyl to the US, and threatened BRICS nations with higher duties for undermining the dollar.”
Rubio Tells Top Russian Diplomat of Trump’s Frustration
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday expressed frustration with Russia over the lack of progress in peace talks on Ukraine, echoing President Trump’s increasing criticism of President Vladimir Putin over his escalation of the war,” the New York Times reports.
Said Rubio: “Look, the president’s been pretty clear. He’s disappointed and frustrated that there’s not been more flexibility on the Russian side to bring about an end to this conflict.”
America Has Never Seen Corruption Like This
Casey Michel: “The White House has seen its share of shady deals. Ulysses S. Grant’s brother-in-law used his family ties to engineer an insider-trading scheme that tanked the gold market. Warren Harding’s secretary of the interior secretly leased land to oil barons, who paid a fortune for his troubles. To bankroll Richard Nixon’s reelection, corporate executives sneaked suitcases full of cash into the capital.”
“But Americans have never witnessed anything like the corruption that President Donald Trump and his inner circle have perpetrated in recent months. Its brazenness, volume, and variety defy historical comparison, even in a country with a centuries-long history of graft—including, notably, Trump’s first four years in office. Indeed, his second term makes the financial scandals of his first—foreign regimes staying at Trump’s hotel in Washington, D.C.; the (aborted) plan to host the G7 at Trump’s hotel in Florida—seem quaint.”
“Trump 2.0 is just getting started, yet it already represents the high-water mark of American kleptocracy. There are good reasons to think it will get much worse.”
“Virtually every week, the Trump family seems to find a new way to profit from the presidency.”
Jamie Dimon Says Europe Is ‘Losing’
JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon warned European leaders they have a competitiveness problem and that they are currently “losing” the battle to rival the U.S. and China, the Financial Times reports.
Said Dimon: “Europe has gone from 90 percent US GDP to 65 percent over 10 or 15 years. That’s not good. You’re losing.”
‘We Could Assassinate Trump Sunbathing’
A senior Iranian official suggested President Trump could be assassinated while he sunbathes at his estate in Florida, the Times of London reports.
Said Javad Larijani, an adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: “Trump has done something so that he can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago. As he lies there with his stomach to the sun, a small drone might hit him in the navel. It’s very simple.”
Not Ordinary Times
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Judge Blocks Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Order
“A federal judge on Thursday has again barred President Donald Trump’s administration from enforcing his executive order limiting birthright citizenship nationwide after the U.S. Supreme Court restricted the ability of judges to block his policies using nationwide injunctions,” Reuters reports.
Incompetence Is Part of the Crisis
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Bonus Quote of the Day
“Lobbying used to be Congress-focused, but they’re not driving the show anymore. They are all now taking orders from the administration. Trump is outsize now, even compared to his last term.”
— A Republican lobbyist, quoted by New York Magazine.
Cassidy Convinced Tillis to Vote to Confirm RFK Jr.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) told CNN that he voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for health secretary because Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) told him: “Let’s see how he does.”
El Salvador Is Reaping Rewards From Trump’s Agenda
“For the U.S. government, sending deportees accused of being gang members to a prison in El Salvador fits with President Trump’s promise to aggressively deport undocumented migrants and to crack down on crime,” the New York Times reports.
“For El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, the rewards appear to have included, among other things, a White House visit and a travel-safety rating for his country that is higher than France’s.”
“While the exact terms of the agreement have not been made public, other leaders around the world may be watching, experts and immigration lawyers say, especially as the Trump administration searches for other countries willing to take expelled migrants of other nationalities.”
