Talking Points Memo

Hello it’s the weekend. This is The Weekender ☕️ Trump ordered the military to fight Latin American drug cartels that it labeled as terrorist organizations in a secret directive, multiple news organizations reported on Friday. Let’s take a moment here to reflect on how far this marks the … War on Terror, Cartel EditionRead more

I’ve told you a few times of my difficulty launching the DOJ-in-exile project. Such is life. But there’s another set of actions, much easier to do, not requiring any organization or concerted action, which is just as important. We hear a lot of Trump administration actions decried, denounced … The Fires Next TimeRead more

An onslaught of bad news for the rule of law over the past few hours:

After sitting on the case for months, a federal appeals court Friday shut down the contempt of court proceeding against the Trump administration in the original Alien Enemies Act case.

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. The Retribution: FBI Edition President Trump continues to decimate the senior ranks of the FBI with the unlawful firings of career agents, all of whom hold non-political career … A New Round Of Unlawful Purges Hits FBIRead more

This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis. It was originally published at The Conversation. It’s been about six months since the U.S. Department of Education sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to all schools that receive federal funding, warning them that they could risk … Trump Promised to Eliminate Funding to Schools That Don’t Nix DEI Work—But Half of States Aren’t ComplyingRead more

We’re on the cusp of being 90% of the way toward our goal of raising $500,000 in this year’s annual TPM Journalism Fund drive. If you can please take a moment to help us get to $450,000 tonight. We’re almost there. Just click here.

A hallmark of the second Trump presidency is the White House’s insatiable, gradually progressing power grab. It has steadily crafted, through legal and illegal means, a once-unimaginably muscular presidency. In recent months, the administration has started to itch for more, jealously eyeing Congress’ greatest power and responsibility and … Russ Vought Is Talking A Big Game—But Even This Supreme Court Might Not Back It UpRead more

This story first appeared at ProPublica, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. It was meant to be a routine discussion on pollution. One by one, delegates at the United Nations expressed support for … The Trump Administration is Promoting Its Anti-Trans Agenda Globally at the United NationsRead more

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. A Snapshot of America in the Summer of 2025 I returned last night from a weeklong trip paddling down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. No phone … The Long, Hot Summer of Trump II DepredationsRead more

We’ve got more from Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL), the avatar of post-law Washington DC, where they let you do it if you’re a Republican. Remember all the way back in February DC police were called to Mills’ apartment over an alleged assault of a woman who was not … Scenes From Post-Law DC: Cory Mills Sex Tape Threats EditionRead more

President Donald Trump is going after the census again. In a Thursday post on his social media platform Truth Social, the president announced that he’d “instructed” the Commerce Department to redo the census based on the 2024 election results to ensure that “people who are in our country … Trump’s Attack on Data Has ‘Dangerous Trickle-Down Effect’ for America’s Most VulnerableRead more

The term “constitutional crisis” gets used a lot these days. By a very fair definition we’ve been in one since January. A more apt and consequential meaning, however, is a crisis in which the legitimacy and continuation of the state rests in the balance or whether it fragments … How the Federal Union Could Break ApartRead more

Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee released a report on the country’s federal labor, health, human services, and education agencies in which staffers buried a small note of concern.  It has to do with a case of duplication. 

Vice President JD Vance brought an entourage of White House officials with him to Indiana today for his meeting with Republican state officials there, whom he attempted to pressure to follow Texas’ lead and do the Trump administration’s bidding when it comes to the state’s congressional maps.

While Texas Republicans threaten elected state Democrats with arrest for trying to resist President Trump’s power grab via their state’s congressional maps, the Trump administration is trying to plant some mid-decade gerrymandering seeds in Indiana, too.

I wanted to flag for you what I think is an important shift in the assumptions and behaviors of key institutionalist or middle-of-the-road Democrats. Here I don’t mean ideology so much as behavior, the critical spectrum between fight and norms. Four days ago, Chuck Schumer or, most likely, … There’s a Big Sea Change Underway Among Even the Most Conventional DemsRead more

President Trump’s firing of Commissioner of Labor Statistics Erika McEntarfer last Friday brought into laser focus how willing he is to manipulate federal data in his favor.  McEntarfer’s dismissal came just hours after a monthly jobs report showed the labor market performed more sluggishly than previously reported. The … In Firing the BLS Chief, Trump Escalates His Administration’s War on DataRead more

A congressional watchdog agency, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), published a post Wednesday morning reaffirming that “pocket rescissions” — a supposed loophole in the budgeting process that the Trump White House thinks it can use to seize Congress’ power of the purse — are illegal.

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. This Could Be Roe all Over Again Some of Trump’s judicial nominees have refused in confirmation hearings to acknowledge that the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Obergefell v. … We Need to Talk About Why Trump Judicial Nominees Won’t Talk About ObergefellRead more

If you’re lucky enough to have missed it, here’s the skinny on the Sydney Sweeney news cycle from hell: American Eagle put out an ad starring the actress that features a jeans/genes double entendre (“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring,” she says in the ad. “My … The Sydney Sweeney News Cycle Proves That Democrats Simply Can’t WinRead more

The White House has been making noises about President Trump being concerned or unhappy about starvation in Gaza. After his comments over the weekend, Axios reported today that the U.S. is mulling a “take over” of aid provision in Gaza because Israel isn’t up to the task. But … To Feed Gaza, the UN and the NGOs Have to Be Allowed Back inRead more

We really need to pull out all the stops now. Today is the end of the third week of this year’s annual TPM Journalism Fund drive. We need to get to $425,000 by the end of the day to stay on track. We’re currently at $409,743. If you’ve … We Need Your Help with ThisRead more

Public records related to Florida’s so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” migrant detention camp have essentially disappeared into what one expert called a “black hole.” Over 90 pages of contracts reviewed by TPM were removed from an online transparency database operated by the state; in other cases, public records requests have … There Is an Information Blackout at Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Migrant Detention Camp Read more

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) asked the FBI to get involved in Texas Republican officials’ efforts to arrest state Democrats who fled Texas to delay the Republican-controlled legislature’s scheme to redraw congressional maps to benefit Republicans. State House Speaker Dustin Burrows signed civil warrants for the Democrats arrest on … Cornyn Asks FBI to Help Arrest Texas Dems Who Fled to Delay GOP’s Midcycle RedistrictingRead more

This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis. It was originally published at The 19th. Texas Democrats fled the state over the weekend to stop a Republican proposal redrawing the state’s congressional maps. But their exit has also temporarily halted other conservative priorities for … How Anti-Abortion and Anti-Trans Bills Are Impacted by Texas Democrats Fleeing the StateRead more

I’ve been trying to hang back on the asks. I know they can be tiresome. But we’re about to enter the fourth week of this year’s annual TPM Journalism Fund drive, and it’s time for the final push. We’re at $395,000, and we need to get to our … Need Your Help With ThisRead more

When Congress returns from its lengthy August recess, lawmakers on Capitol Hill will only have a few weeks to work something out before the government runs out of funding at midnight on Sept. 30.  And Senate Democrats will quickly have to make a decision. 

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. Tired of Winning Yet? President Trump’s firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)  has notched a new accomplishment for the bumbling autocrat: drawing the … ‘Successful Businessman’ Trump Mobilizes Business Economists Against Him Read more

As soon as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) vowed to oust, arrest and replace Democratic state lawmakers who left Texas to slow down Republican lawmakers’ efforts to redraw state congressional maps in their political favor, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton made a big show of backing Abbott’s attempted … Texas AG Paxton Has To Water Down Abbott’s Threats to Jail State DemsRead more