Behind the Curtain — Scoop: The Trump job applications revealed  —  We told you in a “Behind the Curtain” column last month that Trump allies are pre-screening the ideologies of thousands of potential appointees and employees in case he wins back the White House.

Steve Scalise reveals what's really happened since McCarthy's fall  —  The House Majority Leader illuminates what happened behind closed doors after Kevin McCarthy's ousting as well as what to expect next on impeachment; why he will vote against expelling George Santos; and how Speaker Mike Johnson …

Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female Supreme Court justice, dead at 93  —  From the early 1990s until her retirement in 2005, she was the indisputable swing justice  —  Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court and the justice who held the court's center for more than a generation …

Israel Knew Hamas's Attack Plan More Than a Year Ago  —  A blueprint reviewed by The Times laid out the attack in detail.  Israeli officials dismissed it as aspirational and ignored specific warnings.  —  Israeli officials obtained Hamas's battle plan for the Oct. 7 terrorist attack …

Speaker Johnson wrote foreword for book filled with conspiracy theories and homophobic insults  —  Speaker of the House Mike Johnson wrote the foreword and publicly promoted a 2022 book that spread baseless and discredited conspiracy theories and used derogatory homophobic insults.

DeSantis calls for resignation of embattled Florida GOP chairman  —  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is calling for the resignation of Florida GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler, who is ensnared in a police inquiry involving alleged sexual battery.  —  “I don't see how he can continue …

Rand Paul performs Heimlich on fellow GOP senator  —  Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa thanked Sen. Rand Paul in a post on X after the incident.  —  WASHINGTON — Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., performed the Heimlich maneuver on Sen. Joni Ernst during a Republican conference lunch at the Capitol on Thursday, according to a tweet by the Iowa senator.

The Bogus Historians Who Teach Evangelicals They Live in a Theocracy  —  A new book on the Christian right reveals how a series of unscrupulous leaders turned politics into a powerful and lucrative gospel.  —  POLITICO illustration/Photos by AP, Gage Skidmore, iStock

Israel-Gaza war live updates: Airstrikes resume in Gaza as pause in fighting ends 23 minutes ago  —  Here are the hostages released by Hamas and those remaining in Gaza  —  Thin rations, heavy bombing: Israel's hostages start sharing their stories  —  Israel-Gaza war

The White House ran afoul of the Hatch Act after initial warning, government watchdog says  —  Karine Jean-Pierre and Andrew Bates took actions that were “contrary” to guidance on complying with a law designed to limit how officials engage in elections, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel said.

Former U.S. Marine Pleads Guilty to Firebombing a Planned Parenthood Clinic in Orange County and Admits to Planning Additional Attacks  —  For Immediate Release  —  U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California  —  SANTA ANA, California - An Orange County man pleaded guilty today …