United States Politics and Government
- 6 Takeaways From the First Batch of the Epstein Files - Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, and President Trump’s name was rarely mentioned. The White House also sought to make political hay of the release of photos of Bill Clinton.
- Rubio Meets (and Meets, and Meets … ) the Press - The secretary of state held a marathon news conference, offering little news but more respect for reporters than most others in the Trump administration.
- Elise Stefanik Tried Everything to Please Trump. He Still Jilted Her. - The G.O.P. congresswoman who ran as a moderate but became an “ultra MAGA” Trump acolyte ultimately found herself undermined by the president and politically adrift.
- ICE Allows Democratic Lawmakers Inside Migrant Cells in New York City - The immigration agency had barred elected officials from the holding facilities. A federal judge this week said they must be given access.
- Justice Dept. Won’t Meet Friday Deadline to Release All Epstein Files - Several members of Congress criticized the department’s No. 2, Todd Blanche, after he said more documents would be coming weeks late.
- How the Army Caused Alarm in the Washington Skies Years Before a Fatal Crash - An aged helicopter fleet and inexperienced pilots from nearby Fort Belvoir had raised “widespread concern” among local pilots before a midair collision killed 67 people.
- Trump Signs Order to Ease Restrictions on Marijuana - Marijuana’s classification as one of the most dangerous and habit-forming substances has long drawn criticism.
- Democratic State Lawmakers Vow to Unite and Push Back on Trump’s Deportations - Lawmakers from a half-dozen states said Thursday they will use legislation next year to thwart the tactics of federal law enforcement carrying out immigration policies.
- Trump Relies on Distortions to Support His Pressure Campaign on Venezuela - The president has a long record of making false or misleading statements. But the sheer density of them in his administration’s boat attacks and Venezuela pressure campaign is exceptional.
- TikTok Signs Agreements With Investors in Step Toward Avoiding a U.S. Ban - The Chinese-owned video app formalized commitments from the software giant Oracle and two investment firms as part of a deal to keep TikTok operating in the United States.