In a 7-2 ruling on Friday afternoon, the Supreme Court once again barred the Trump administration from removing Venezuelans held at Texas immigration detention centers under the Alien Enemies Act, which gives the government extraordinary powers to summarily deport noncitizens during a “declared war” or “invasion.” The justices found that the federal government violated the […]

Why do Republicans and their enablers insist on fantasizing about one of the most evil empires in science fiction? In a recent CNN appearance, former Mitch McConnell adviser and GOP operative Scott Jennings went on the defense, justifying Emperor Palpatine’s violent vision for a galactic empire. When podcaster and contributor Van Lathan pointed out just […]

President Donald Trump insists that accepting a $400 million Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar’s ruling family would not amount to a huge bribe. That’s because this opulent new Air Force One would go to his “library” when he leaves office. That, at least, is what the president claimed amid concern that he might make […]

In March, Axios reported that Donald Trump’s Oval Office had begun to resemble an Oscar night gift suite, as world leaders and business officials knew that showing up empty-handed risked earning Trump’s displeasure. In response to the news outlet’s catalogue of favors visitors bestowed on the president in such meetings, a White House spokesperson declared, […]

One day, Sarah Ortiz bought a sweater at Target. She knew money was tight. She had just moved across the country from California to Massachusetts with her two toddlers and husband to seek costly, specialized medical care for one of her boys. But, Ortiz thought, it was just $25. And she needed a new sweater. […]

One day, Sarah Ortiz bought a sweater at Target. She knew money was tight. She had just moved across the country from California to Massachusetts with her two toddlers and husband to seek costly, specialized medical care for one of her boys. But, Ortiz thought, it was just $25. And she needed a new sweater. […]

This story was produced in partnership with the Food & Environment Reporting Network. Laura Beth Resnick was delivering snapdragons and anemones to clients near the White House when she got the news: In his first wave of executive orders, President Donald Trump had frozen all projects funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, one of his […]

Last November, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner issued a characteristically blunt warning to anyone hatching plans to “play militia,” threaten voters, or otherwise interfere in the upcoming election: “F around and find out.” “You can have your fun in a jail cell, ’cause that’s what’s coming,” he said in a press conference that went viral […]

This story was originally published by Inside Climate News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The Trump administration on Wednesday announced plans to rescind and postpone rules limiting “forever chemicals” in drinking water that were enacted under the Biden administration and designed to prevent millions of people from exposure to these persistent and dangerous contaminants. […]

Earlier this week, Moscow, Idaho, pastor Doug Wilson made a big announcement: In July, his church will be opening a branch in Washington, DC, just blocks away from the US Capitol building. In a blog post, Wilson, a self-proclaimed Christian nationalist, wrote that he believed that the moment was right to bring his version of […]

Not even a year ago, though it feels like a decade, the US Supreme Court granted presidents immunity from criminal laws when they act in their official capacity. In other words, presidents don’t have to worry about breaking the law, as they will never be held to account. On Thursday, the Trump administration was back […]

Earlier this month, the Trump administration scored seemingly positive headlines when it asked a federal court to dismiss a case brought by three Republican states seeking to restrict telehealth access to mifepristone, the first of two drugs used in a medication abortion. Several news outlets claimed in headlines that the administration would “defend” access to […]

Standing in the parking lot of the El Portal Church of Christ in the Richmond, California area, unhoused people are quick to give O’Neill Fernandez a hug—or just chat. Some have come to shower in a mobile unit run by his employer, Safe Organized Spaces Richmond, better known as SOS. Fernandez was in their shoes, […]

When the Trump administration asks the Supreme Court on Thursday to allow it to deny birthright citizenship to the children of undocumented immigrants and visa holders, its legal theory will rest on a reinterpretation of a critical phrase of the Constitution. But when you plug their preferred meaning back into the historical context in which […]

This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Cars and meat are major factors driving a gender gap in greenhouse gas emissions, new research suggests. Men emit 26 pecent more planet-heating pollution than women from transport and food, according to a preprint study of 15,000 people in France. The gap shrinks to […]

The “nonprofit killer” is back—this time tucked into congressional Republicans’ aggressive new tax proposal, which they’ve dubbed the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill.” For those who forgot: In November, the House of Representatives passed HR 9495, or the “Stop Terror Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act,” which would give the Secretary of the Treasury […]

The contentious plan to defund Planned Parenthood, included in the Republican-backed reconciliation bill that would slash millions in Medicaid funding, would cost taxpayers $300 million over the next decade, according to a leaked preliminary estimate compiled by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The news comes as House Republicans have doubled down on the proposal […]

In a curious twist during his confirmation process, Kash Patel failed to disclose significant personal financial information until after the Senate hearing in January on his nomination to become FBI director. Consequently, one peculiar item listed on his financial disclosure form received no attention during that hearing: Patel’s work as a consultant for the embassy […]

The below article first appeared in David Corn’s newsletter, Our Land. The newsletter comes out twice a week (most of the time) and provides behind-the-scenes stories and articles about politics, media, and culture. Subscribing costs just $5 a month—but you can sign up for a free 30-day trial. The other day I ran into an acquaintance who runs a government program […]

Before taking office in 2017, Donald Trump famously held a press conference to allay concerns that he would attempt to profit off the presidency. While emphasizing that conflict of interest rules don’t apply to presidents, he noted that he had just turned down a $2 billion venture with the Trump Organization’s Emirati business partner, Hussain […]