Anthony Zurcher

Democrats left bruised after historic shutdown yields little Trump emerges from the shutdown having made little in the way of substantive concessions to Democrats in Congress.

The shutdown is over, Trump is spiking the football and Democrats are wondering what went wrong. But fortunes change quickly in politics... www.bbc.com/news/article...

Fifty-year mortgages and $2,000 cheques: What's behind Trump's affordability drive? The US president is increasingly focusing on affordability amid growing public pessimism on the economy.

Economists say there's not enough tariff revenue to pay Trump's $2,000 "subsidy" - and it might drive up prices. But after last week's electoral defeats, the president is looking for a way to address affordability concerns that he first called a "con job". www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Bipartisan US shutdown deal will sharpen divisions among Democrats Key takeaways after a Senate breakthrough heralds a possible end in sight to the longest shutdown in US history.

Trump golfed, Democrats blinked and this shutdown may be drawing to a close, But shutdown politics is here to stay. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Weird things that take 14 words to say?

Supreme Court justices sharply question Trump tariffs in hearing If the court rules against Trump's tariffs, it could force the US to refund some of the billions it has collected.

Always risky reading too much into Supreme Court oral arguments, but … Trump’s tariffs may be on shaky ground. www.bbc.com/news/article...

What Trump took from Dick Cheney's political playbook There was no lost love between the two Republicans, but there are parallels in how both expanded presidential power.

Dick Cheney championed an expansive presidential authority and built today's American security state. Trump is taking those tools and bending them to his will. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Exododus! Movement of jah peopople!

The ecclesiastical way of subtweeting

Trump's Asia tour sees deals, knee-bending and a revealing Xi meeting His five-day tour displayed the power of his presidency - but also, at times, that power's limitations.

I was with Trump on his Asia swing - and I saw a lot of personal accommodations that bordered on the obsequious. But his face-to-face with Chinese leader Xi Jinping was all business, no fanfare. www.bbc.com/news/article...

French lawmakers vote to hike tax on American tech giants President Donald Trump has warned he would retaliate against any move that targets U.S. companies.

This is one policy option. Another is for tech giants to voluntarily contribute hundreds of millions to a massive government vanity project favored by the regime that is considering how to regulate them. www.politico.eu/article/fren...

White House begins demolishing East Wing facade to build Trump’s ballroom The president had claimed construction of the $250 million ballroom wouldn’t ‘interfere’ with the existing White House structure.

Meanwhile, at the White House... www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

'No Kings' protests: where does Democratic opposition go next? Millions of Americans joined anti-Trump protests, but Democrats are less popular than the president and divided over how to fight back.

Millions of Americans turned out for the No Kings rally this weekend. Can Democrats turn that energy into ballot box success? The first test comes next month. www.bbc.com/news/article...

During the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, voters elected 16 Blacks to Congress, including two senators from Mississippi. The last departed in 1901 as Jim Crow kicked in. It would be 28 years before another Black won a federal race and 71 years before one represented a Southern state

Supreme Court weighs 'earthquake' ruling on Voting Rights Act The court's decision could lead to the redrawing of congressional districts across the US south.

The Supreme Court weighs doing away with the requirement that states draw congressional districts to give black voters representation roughly equal to their population share. Doing so could let conservative southern states flip more than a dozen seats to the Republicans. www.bbc.com/news/article...

The subtext of this comment is that the Mayor of Boston is Asian-American, whereas the Mayor of Chicago (like almost everyone else that Trump refers to as “a low IQ person”) is Black.

Submarine movies are the best movies. And Wrath of Khan is a sub film in spirit if not in fact.

Who’s first in line? My money is on OU. Or Okie State.

How Trump secured a Gaza breakthrough which eluded Biden Trump's unique style and his relationships with key players helped but there were also factors beyond his control.

Trump has the advantage of personal relationships with Netanyahu and key Arab leaders. He has an unconventional approach that yielded conventional success. But in the end, Netanyahu may have decided that his military objectives had all been accomplished. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Do they also jangle?

If Habeas Corpus tested positive for PEDs, I believe an 80-game suspension is mandatory per Major League rules.

Five takeaways from Pam Bondi's tense, partisan Senate testimony Nerves were raw in a hearing that covered much ground, and saw Trump's attorney general go on the attack.

I watched five hours of Pam Bondi Senate testimony today... Here's what we learned - and what we didn't. www.bbc.com/news/article...

New Supreme Court term will reshape Trump's powers Legal challenges have slowed Trump's momentum on a number of fronts. Now the highest US court is going to weigh in.

Happy first day of the new Supreme Court session, for those who celebrate. It's shaping up to be a pivotal one for defining the breadth of presidential authority. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Russell Vought - from Project 2025 to Trump's shutdown enforcer The Office of Management and Budget boss may not be a household name, but he's a key figure in Washington's shutdown.

After distancing himself from Project 2025 last year, Trump is now citing it - and co-author Russ Vought - to threaten Democrats. Is this a bluff or another step in a budget-slashing plan? www.bbc.com/news/article...

Four ways the US government shutdown could end At some point, public pressure and political pain will see one side yield to bring this latest US government shutdown to an end.

So how does this shutdown end? I tick through four possibilities - three of which aren’t great for the Democrats. www.bbc.com/news/article...

lol. Maybe Trump will bring them back, along with the battleships.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but they don’t have officers clubs anymore.

US shutdown looms as Trump and Democrats end meeting without a deal Democrats say there are still "very large differences" between the two sides, while Republicans have accused them of "not doing the right thing".

At this point, a government shutdown at midnight tonight seems certain. And while both sides have plans for how it might play out to their advantage, there are no guarantees. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Did they have ties at some point?

Trump promised retribution - how far will he go? As the US president pushes a crackdown on left-wing groups and openly targets political foes, critics ask where he's taking America

Last yeear, Trump said, "Sometimes revenge can be justified." Back in the White House, he is now punishing his critics and adversaries. www.bbc.com/news/article...

"Clear and Present Danger" - but instead of covert CIA operations, they just come right out and say what they're going to do.