“In recent meetings, including a Monday discussion in the Situation Room, Trump opted to continue squeezing Iran’s economy and oil exports by preventing shipping to and from its ports. He assessed that his other options—resume bombing or walk away from the conflict—carried more risk than maintaining the blockade, officials said.”

“Yet continuing the blockade also prolongs a conflict that has driven up gas prices, hurt Trump’s poll numbers and further darkened Republicans’ prospects in the midterm elections.”

“In a week that was supposed to set the tone for a furious period of election-year legislating, Speaker Mike Johnson’s House GOP majority is once again the epitome of discord and dysfunction.”

“It’s not really clear how House Republicans will get through the next few days. Johnson’s leadership team may lose yet another big rule vote. There’s constant grumbling inside House Republican leadership circles as people snipe at one another. Senate Republicans are furious with their House GOP counterparts. The White House seems fed up with the chaotic House GOP conference too. Plus, the stakes couldn’t be higher, politically and policy-wise.”

Playbook: “Despite the weekslong standoff over how to proceed on all three priorities, House GOP leadership doesn’t appear to have the votes to advance anything.”

“The latest instances of turning government power against President Donald Trump’s critics and pursuing years-old grievances added to frustrations felt by Republicans who say the president isn’t doing enough to address the signature issues that won him a second term.”

“Martin isn’t either of those things, and he also isn’t a factional favorite of progressive small donors. He’s a guy who got the job primarily by having a lot of support inside the world of state party committees rather than in the broader Democratic Party universe.”

“He apparently didn’t do much to make calls or hold meetings with major donors and is somewhat paranoid about his opponents in a way that makes it hard to build bridges.”

“But some Republicans are already threatening to tank the rule when it heads to the floor Wednesday around 10:30 a.m. — leaving a huge task for Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership team as they wrangle votes. Johnson can only lose a couple of GOP votes with full attendance for the party-line rule vote.”

“Charles used his remarks to a joint session of Congress — the first such address by a British monarch in more than three decades — to argue for preserving the alliance between the UK and US. The king appealed to the shared heritage between the two nations, sprinkling his remarks with references to culture, religion and principles behind America’s decision to declare independence 250 years ago.”

“The push for the White House to take a more active role comes as the GOP finds itself stalemated on several fronts with no sign that they will be able to navigate a way forward without Trump’s direct intervention.”

“This ought to be a simple point to understand. Yet it is lost on a large swath of the American right, who insist that calling Trump what he is causes at least some of his opponents—among them, the accused shooter Cole Tomas Allen—to believe that violence is justified against the president.”

“The agency overseeing the review, the Federal Communications Commission, said in a filing that the review was related to an investigation into ABC’s diversity and inclusion policies. But it came in the middle of a fight this week between Mr. Trump and the network’s late night host, Jimmy Kimmel, that prompted the president to demand that ABC fire Mr. Kimmel.”

“Last May, Comey posted a photo on social media of shells on a beach writing out the numbers ’86 47,’ which critics said referred to taking out or killing Trump.”

It comes as the Treasury Department prepares to produce coins featuring Trump’s image—both a controversial $1 coin in general circulation and an “as large as possible” commemorative gold coin—and as the National Park Service emblazons Trump’s face on its park passes.

“Until now, the White House had effectively shut down the primary legal avenue ex-employees had to challenge their terminations by refusing to fully staff an obscure government panel that handles workplace disputes. But a New York judge on Tuesday issued a decision that said the dismissals open the door to bringing the fight to federal court. It was the second such ruling this month.”

Playbook: “The eight-term congressman, who has run multiple times for House speaker, had warned Republicans against the gerrymander that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled yesterday.”

“They are less likely than other religious groups to see a problem with the Trump administration’s handling of files related to the investigation of the convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, the fallout from which has clouded Mr. Trump’s second term. And they have largely embraced the religious framing that administration officials have used to justify the war in Iran.”

“But Mr. Trump’s latest rhetoric, particularly on matters of faith as the war continues, has, according to polls and religious leaders, threatened to splinter a powerful coalition of religious voters who returned him to the White House, a group that includes white and Latino Catholics as well as Latino evangelicals, all of whom swung Mr. Trump’s way in 2024.”