Israel intercepts Gaza-bound aid flotilla carrying Greta Thunberg and MEPs

The flotilla set sail in August and has pro-Palestine activists from around the world on board. Israel intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza on Wednesday evening as it approached Palestinian territory, triggering a wave of street protests in Italy. “Here you can see the interception to one of our boats,” French … Read more

White House pulls Brian Quintenz nomination to lead CFTC

He faced opposition from major crypto investors. The White House withdrew Brian Quintenz’s nomination to chair the Commodity Futures Trading Commission late Tuesday, according to two people granted anonymity to discuss the decision ahead of a public announcement. A small but powerful agency, the CFTC oversees a broad swath of financial markets including those tied … Read more

After Jeffries accused Trump of “bigotry” for an AI-generated video, Trump posted a similar video belittling his response. President Donald Trump posted another deepfake AI-generated video of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Tuesday hours before the federal government is expected to shut down, further signaling the significant divide between the two parties. On Monday, … Read more

Judge says Nevada US attorney’s involvement in criminal cases ‘would be unlawful’

A judge disqualified Sigal Chattah from handling a set of cases after the defendants challenged her legal authority. A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the top federal prosecutor in Nevada is disqualified from handling cases, a rebuke to the Trump administration’s effort to sidestep the traditional methods of installing U.S. attorneys. U.S. District Judge David … Read more

‘They have a completely different playbook’: California leaders acknowledge Trump’s success

Trump has moved more quickly to dismantle California’s climate and air pollution policies than in his first term. SACRAMENTO, California — Gov. Gavin Newsom’s top climate adviser acknowledged Wednesday that President Donald Trump has been more effective than she anticipated at attacking California’s core climate policies. “We thought it would look more like Trump 1.0, … Read more

Gavin Newsom: ‘I don’t think Donald Trump wants another election’

The California governor painted a bleak picture of the state of American democracy under President Trump. SACRAMENTO, California — Gavin Newsom warned the country is on the precipice of tipping into authoritarianism, predicting that President Donald Trump does not want to leave office after his term ends and accusing federal immigration officials of acting as … Read more

Padilla’s options, Porter’s brushback and Newsom’s crusade: 7 takeaways from POLITICO’s California summit

Alex Padilla played it cool. Xavier Becerra and Katie Porter played nice. Steve Hilton played his Trump card. And Gavin Newsom just went off on Donald Trump. Many of California’s leading political figures joined POLITICO’s “The California Agenda: Sacramento Summit” on Wednesday to share their thoughts on this year’s redistricting fight, the 2026 election and … Read more

Trump Is Weaponizing the Government Against His Enemies. It Doesn’t Mean He’ll Succeed.

How to follow the Trump revenge tour. The FBI’s search of John Bolton’s home and office last week shook much of official Washington. It was the most intrusive and aggressive law enforcement action taken by the Trump administration against the president’s critics and political opponents to date. Many in the political press corps certainly treated … Read more

MAGA Star, 36, Doesn’t Seem to Get that ‘South Park’ Is Mocking Her

People are quick to point out that the episode’s parody of Rep. Anna Paulina Luna isn’t supposed to be flattering. MAGA Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna found herself on the parody chopping block in South Park’s latest episode in its 27th season, aptly titled “Sickofancy.” And she is desperately trying to embrace her depiction despite the … Read more