I spent hours trying to persuade US voters to choose Harris not Trump.  I know why she lost  —  As a phone bank volunteer, I hoped to counter the Republican attacks and half-truths, but people really believed them  —  It has been an extraordinary week for US politics …

November 8, 2024  —  Social media has been flooded today with stories of Trump voters who are shocked to learn that tariffs will raise consumer prices as reporters are covering that information.  Daniel Laguna of LevelUp warned that Trump's proposed 60% tariff on Chinese imports could raise …

Anti-abortion advocates press Trump for more restrictions as abortion pill sales spike  —  Anti-abortion advocates say there is still work to be done to further restrict access to abortion when Republican Donald Trump returns to the White House next year.  They point to the federal guidance …

Pentagon officials discussing how to respond if Trump issues controversial orders  —  Pentagon officials are holding informal discussions about how the Department of Defense would respond if Donald Trump issues orders to deploy active-duty troops domestically and fire large swaths of apolitical staffers, defense officials told CNN.

Democrats' election reckoning pits liberals against centrists  —  The Democrats' shellacking at the polls this week has triggered a feisty battle between the ideological wings of the party about what went wrong — and who bears the blame.  —  Some liberals say the party didn't tack far enough to the left to animate the base.

Democratic US Sen. Jacky Rosen is reelected in Nevada, securing battleground seat  —  Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen won reelection, beating Republican Sam Brown in a tight but unusually quiet race for the battleground state.  Rosen, a first-term senator, campaigned on abortion rights …

Justice Dept. to focus on ‘most egregious’ Jan. 6 cases until Trump is inaugurated  —  President-elect Donald Trump has said he would “absolutely” consider pardoning every Capitol rioter and has called them political prisoners and “hostages.”  —  WASHINGTON — The Justice Department plans …

Qatar to pull out of Gaza ceasefire mediation, source says  —  Qatar will stop trying to mediate a Gaza ceasefire deal until Hamas and Israel show a “sincere willingness” to return to the negotiating table, an official briefed on the matter told Reuters on Saturday, in the biggest setback to efforts to reach a truce since the war began.

📝 The Readback: It's now Trump's Washington  —  THIS IS A PREVIEW! … Welcome to The Readback, our weekend digest featuring the best of Punchbowl News this week - a quick roundup of all our scoops, analysis and Capitol Hill insight you won't find anywhere else.

Bird flu begins its human spread, as health officials scramble to safeguard people and livestock  —  GETTY  —  Almost from the beginning of the spread of H5N1 bird flu among farms and ranches in the U.S. earlier this year, experts and researchers warned that a critical lag in the blood testing …

Mississippi Senate paid Black attorney less than white ones, US Justice Department says  —  The Mississippi Senate discriminated against a Black attorney by paying her about half of what her white colleagues were paid for doing the same job, the U.S. Justice Department says in a lawsuit it filed Friday.

Arizona Elections Signal Robust Immigration Enforcement Under Trump  —  Along with a state ballot initiative to empower local officials on immigration, voters in the largest county elected a sheriff following in the footsteps of the notorious Joe Arpaio.

Trump Holds Up Transition Process Over Ethics Code  —  President-elect Donald J. Trump has not submitted a required ethics plan stating he will avoid conflicts of interest.  —  President-elect Donald J. Trump has not yet submitted a legally required ethics pledge stating that he will avoid conflicts …

Should Alito and Thomas Be Pushed to Retire?  Conservatives Are Divided.  —  Coaxing aging Supreme Court justices to give up their power and status during a window of political opportunity can be a delicate endeavor.  —  With Republicans set to regain control of the White House and the Senate …

Smile, Flatter and Barter: How the World Is Prepping for Trump Part II  —  Foreign leaders have rushed to ingratiate themselves with Donald J. Trump in recent days, nervously recalling the clashes, insults and feuds of his first presidency.  —  When Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Donald J …

Trump's political comeback is complete.  What it says about American voters  —  “He's an angry man and they think, 'He's angry like I am,'” one observer said.  —  Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center …

Elon Musk Uses X to Promote Trump's Incoming Administration  —  Since the election, Mr. Musk has used his social media company to talk up how bright the future will be under the president-elect.  —  Since Donald J. Trump won the presidential election, Elon Musk has gone all in on X to promote the incoming administration.

With Ready Orders and an Energy Czar, Trump Plots Pivot to Fossil Fuels  —  President-elect Donald J. Trump's transition team for climate and the environment is considering relocating the E.P.A. out of Washington and other drastic changes.  —  As President-elect Donald J. Trump's transition team plans …

Republican Don Bacon holds on to win reelection in Nebraska House seat  —  Bacon's victory comes after several polls showed him narrowly trailing Vargas.  —  Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) will hold onto his battleground House seat, The Associated Press projected, fending off a spirited push for a Democratic pickup.

Trump's second presidency sparks fear of ‘scary’ time ahead among some immigrants  —  Lauren Villagran Trevor HughesUSA TODAY  —  Giddel Contreras lives in the Bronx, works as a chef at a hotel-resort in Queens and is as much a New Yorker as the next guy.  —  But the Honduran native's decision …