Politics

White House report card: A confusing week for Congress and the rest of us

Welcome to Friday’s edition of Washington Secrets, your guide to power and politics in the nation’s capital. As usual, we review the president’s week with the help of our political strategists.

Macron plans rare dinner for Trump at Palace of Versailles

French President Emmanuel Macron is floating plans to woo President Donald Trump with a rare dinner at one of history’s most ornate palaces.

Seth Meyers on Trump sleeping during meetings: ‘He’s busy posting AI slop at night’

The late-night host discussed the president’s love of AI images, his odd rhetoric and reflecting pool renovations

Thieves who stole 2,500-year-old gold relics from Dutch museum get 47-month prison sentences

Three men were each sentenced to 47 months in prison on Friday for the theft of an ornate Romanian gold helmet and bracelets in a raid on a Dutch museum.

Trump's justice department is weaponizing civil rights laws against students of color

Claims of discrimination at UCLA and Yale show how laws meant to foster inclusion are being used for the opposite

Trump lawyers refuse to reveal financial information to BBC in defamation case

Request for evidence to support claims of reputational and financial harm from Panorama documentary dismissed as ‘fishing expedition’

Red states push conservative rebrands of Pride month in backlash to LGBTQ+ celebrations

Republican states rebrand June as ‘nuclear family month’ or ‘fidelity month’ in latest attack on LGBTQ+ communities

The Republicans Who Impugn Talarico’s Manhood

Attacks on the Democratic Senate candidate in Texas show the GOP’s narrow, anxious definition of masculinity.

When does Nigel Farage 'speak for the nation'? When it suits him

Compare his response, or lack of, to three murders over the past decade – Jo Cox, Sarah Everard and Henry Nowak

Graham Platner accuser says New York Times journalists 'twisted' her story

A woman who accused Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner of toxic behavior when he dated her years ago accused the outlet that reported her allegations of manipulating the narrative in his favor.

Dua Lipa and Callum Turner wedding divides Palermo: ‘I could understand if it was for the pope’

While some residents are proud to host celebrations, others lament road closures and city’s transformation into a ‘theme park’

Seven Republicans Vote Against FISA Extension After Bipartisan Plan Blows Up

Seven Senate Republicans voted to block debate for a bipartisan deal to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for another three years, after Democrats tanked the plan over President Donald Trump’s pick for the director of national intelligence.