“All of this has made the job of press secretary in a Trump administration less, not more, important than it normally is. In most administrations, the White House press secretary has a unique role in shaping public opinion, whereas the other staffers are concerned principally with governing. In Trump’s White House, distorting reality, rather than trying to improve it, is the highest priority for every official, including and especially the president himself. In an administration where everybody’s main priority is to lie on television, the role of the press secretary is redundant.”

“The U.S. and China are racing to build the world’s most advanced AI systems — and it appears Chinese propaganda has infiltrated American circles with the hope of slowing the U.S. down.”

“But unlike campaign mailers, billboards and television spots, these messages fall into a legal gray area.”

“There are no federal regulations requiring disclosure of payments for political support on social media, and only a few states have such rules. That allows influencers, in most instances, to endorse candidates for a fee without ever disclosing those payments in their posts. Creators say some campaigns have even asked them to actively conceal the fact that they’re being compensated, making it impossible to know what’s genuine support — and what is pay-for-play.”

“He is the only Senate Democrat seeking re-election this year in a state President Trump carried in 2024, making him one of the most vulnerable incumbents in his party and an obvious Republican target from the start.”

“But Mr. Ossoff hasn’t moderated his votes or his message to appeal to a broader swath of voters, as Democrats in competitive statewide races often do in the conservative-leaning South. Instead, he has dived into his party’s efforts to thwart the president’s agenda in Congress, and sharpened his attacks on Mr. Trump and Republicans on the campaign trail.”

“It was the financial frustration of a pandemic-weary electorate that helped to catapult Mr. Trump and his fellow Republicans to a rare supermajority in 2024, which they promised to use to defeat the scourge of inflation and slash the profligate government spending they saw as the root of the problem.”

“But Mr. Trump’s actions in office have complicated — if not undermined — those pledges. With two months until the midterms, some of his policies have prolonged or worsened the economic fortunes of those he promised to help.”

“The ruling marks a blow to the federal government’s long-delayed effort to prosecute Mohammed, who is accused of developing the plot to crash planes into the Pentagon and World Trade Center. He is being held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, along with several other defendants who are awaiting trial.”

“The cuts have been so deep that the U.S. inventories in Europe of PAC-3 Patriot air defense interceptors and Atacms surface-to-surface missiles are deemed to be ‘beyond critical.'”

“In a 90-page ruling, Judge Noël Wise found that the key legal foundations that the Trump administration had relied on to arrest and deport foreign students were unconstitutional, because Trump officials had wielded them to target students who used their freedom of speech to express opinions that the government did not like.”

“Trump’s senior advisers have for months tried to shift the president’s focus to the economy, in a bid to show voters that the president is focused on the issue they care about the most. While the president has touted his economic record in speeches and Oval Office events, his attention frequently shifts to other issues, from his construction projects to attacks on his perceived enemies.”

Said Trump: “Maggot Hagerman, the Fake Reporter from The Failing New York Times, an unattractive person both inside and out, and who knows less about me than most reporters on the beat.”

“Under the terms of the settlement, Gabriel Perez, the teleprompter operator, will pay a $65,000 civil monetary penalty and give up more than $107,000 won in bets to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. He will also be suspended from direct or indirect access to Kalshi for three years.”

Said Trump: “At my direction, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, working closely with Highly Respected Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, and, through a partnership with private business, have secured majority U.S. control of more than 65 BILLION BARRELS of proven Oil Reserves in Venezuela, at no cost to the American Taxpayer.”

Bloomberg: Why the U.S. wants a stake in Venezuela’s oil.

“Why it matters: The personnel changes come months before the progressive leader will decide whether to launch a presidential campaign. She’s also weighing a run for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s seat, which is also up in 2028.”

Said Cornyn: “Paxton’s a poor campaigner. He’s lazy and doesn’t raise money. And he basically is not offering a very compelling case for his election. He’s making this harder than it needs to be.”

“Except that it is not. Mr. Trump’s war in Iran, which hit the six-month mark on Friday, is anything but accomplished. Half a year in, the conflict has deteriorated into a quagmire of the president’s own making with no clear goals, no obvious strategy and no end in sight. Mr. Trump, who came to power running against Mr. Bush’s ‘forever wars,’ has staked his presidency on his own version.”

“For Mr. Trump, it may be the worst of both worlds. He finds himself stuck in a maddening purgatory between full-fledged combat and genuine peace.”

Washington Post: Trump promised a short Iran war. Six months later, he has few good options.

“Today, those acts, which are mostly illegal across the country, are no longer automatic deal breakers for applicants to the nation’s top law enforcement agency.”

“Hegseth and his wife, Jennifer, have floated the idea of a presidential run for the past few months, believing he has some of the same attributes that have made Donald Trump popular with the MAGA movement… Trump’s core voters appreciate Hegseth’s toughness, defiance and conservative stance on social issues.”