Magazine – Washington Briefing

The U.S. Supreme Court is seen in Washington on April 7, 2026.

Key law enforcement search tool faces Supreme Court scrutiny

Jack Birle · April 27, 2026 7:00 am

Backdropped by ships in the Strait of Hormuz, damage caused by airstrikes is seen on a fishing pier in the port of Qeshm island, Iran on April 13. (Asghar Besharati/AP)

Lessons from the 40-day Iran war

President Joe Biden listens as Interior Secretary Deb Haaland speaks at an event at the White House on Oct. 8, 2021. (Susan Walsh/AP)

Biden Cabinet members seeking high office tout records while working for unpopular president

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pose for a photo in 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

The fall of Viktor Orban is the latest omen portending a reversal of fortune for Ukraine

Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) and Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) are both running for the Republican spot in California’s June 2 all-party primary for the newly-fashioned 40th Congressional District. Whether it’s Young or Calvert, they’re favored to win in the November ballot against a democratic candidate. (Ken Cedeno/Pool via AP; Jose Luis Magana/AP)

GOP House incumbents fight for same inland Southern California seat

President Donald Trump holds up the name of the USA during the draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 5. (Jia Haocheng/Pool Photo via AP)

New national security strategy a throwback to 1823

Jamie McIntyre December 12, 2025 4:58 am

President Donald Trump welcomes Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House on Nov. 18. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Trump administration balances US support for Saudi Arabia and Israel

David Mark December 5, 2025 5:55 am

Meta isn’t a monopoly after Instagram and WhatsApp acquisition, per judge’s ruling

Jessica Melugin December 5, 2025 5:50 am

The American flag and the state flag of Utah fly at half-mast at the Utah state Capitol.

New Utah map could leave four House GOP members scrambling for three seats

Taylor Millard December 5, 2025 5:47 am

President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting as War Secretary Pete Hegseth looks on at the White House.

Trump and Hegseth’s fraught relationship with the law of war

Jamie McIntyre December 5, 2025 5:41 am

That’s the thing about empathy: There’s very little quality control. (Ethan Swope/AP)

The growing threat of toxic empathy

John Scott Lewinski November 28, 2025 6:05 am

A vendor sells local newspapers with headlines referring to President Donald Trump’s comments about Nigeria on the street of Lagos, Nigeria. (Sunday Alamba/AP)

Will Trump order US military operations in Nigeria?

David Mark November 28, 2025 5:55 am

Left to right: Portland Trail Blazers’ head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. (AP Photo)

NBA scandals lead to SAFE Bet Act full-court press

Jeremy Lott November 28, 2025 5:30 am

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the Knesset as U.S. President Donald Trump and Amir Ohana, Speaker of the Israeli Knesset, look on October 13, 2025 in Jerusalem. President Trump is visiting the country hours after Hamas released some of the remaining Israeli hostages captured on Oct. 7, 2023, part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal to end the war in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

With Trump administration-brokered Gaza ceasefire, Israel has a chance to rebuild frayed international relations

Frederic J. Frommer November 14, 2025 6:00 am

Workers look over racks of bitcoin data miners during construction of a bitcoin data center in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 2018. (Steve Helber/AP)

AI data centers spur anger across the political spectrum

Dain Fitzgerald November 14, 2025 5:56 am

Pete Hegseth speaks during the 4th annual Northeast Indiana Defense Summit at Purdue University Fort Wayne on Nov. 12. (Darron Cummings/AP)

Pete Hegseth vows to build an ‘Arsenal of Freedom’

Jamie McIntyre November 14, 2025 5:26 am

Gene L. Dodaro, US comptroller general at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) during a Senate Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch hearing in Washington, DC on April 29. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Senate and Trump on a collision course over the leadership of the GAO

Kevin R. Kosar November 14, 2025 5:13 am