U.S. Politics

Jim Sanborn planned to auction off the solution to Kryptos, the puzzle he sculpted for the intelligence agency’s headquarters. Two fans of the work then discovered the solution.

By John Schwartz

Journalists with access to the Pentagon turned in their badges on Wednesday instead of agreeing to a revised press policy that newsroom leaders say violates the First Amendment. The New York Times and others refused to sign, but at least one organization, One America News, did.

By Shawn Paik

Zohran Mamdani is stepping up his Jewish outreach, as he holds private meetings with rabbis and other leaders across New York City who oppose his stance on Israel.

By Lisa Lerer and Katie Glueck

Gov. Gavin Newsom had feared that the ceremony would send missiles over Interstate 5, but the Marines later said that its “live-fire” would be contained.

By Laurel Rosenhall

The president lauded dozens of executives and businesspeople for the “tremendous amounts of money” they have pledged for his project, which has prompted ethical concerns.

By Zolan Kanno-Youngs

The terms of the new order indicate that federal agencies will be hiring only with the approval of his political appointees.

By Eileen Sullivan

The new rules codify strict limitations on access and raise the prospect of punishment for requesting information on matters of public interest.

By Erik Wemple

The layoffs have raised fears that the administration could be effectively ending an initiative that provides contraception for millions of low-income women.

By Caroline Kitchener

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, defended his positions while parrying questions about the Israel-Gaza war.

By Maya King

Top officials, unwilling to fight for the historical independence of their institutions, watched on Wednesday as President Trump continued his pursuit of controlling law enforcement.

By Glenn Thrush

The president’s second term is telling us a lot about the constraints that he faced during his first administration.

By Michael S. Schmidt

The president gave Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wide authority to repurpose funds to pay members of the military without approval from Congress, which has the sole constitutional authority to decide federal spending.

By Luke Broadwater

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered unusually strong criticism of Russia, just as Ukraine seeks American Tomahawk missiles.

By Jeanna Smialek

If the Supreme Court justices determine that lawmakers may not consider race in drawing district maps, the repercussions for the country’s political balance could be widespread.

By McKinnon de Kuyper and Mimi Dwyer

Representative Kevin Kiley of California has criticized his own party for keeping the House out of session during the shutdown. He is battling boredom and disaffection as the stalemate drags on.

By Annie Karni

The proposals would transform a program aimed at helping the most vulnerable people in the world into one that gives preference to mostly white people who say they are being persecuted.

By Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Hamed Aleaziz

The development comes as the U.S. military is drawing up options for President Trump to consider, including possible strikes inside the country.

By Julian E. Barnes and Tyler Pager

An influence campaign has relied on allies of the president, including Rudolph W. Giuliani, to cast a Serbian politician as a victim of political persecution.

By Kenneth P. Vogel

The top Senate Democrat said the president and Republican leaders had an “obligation to denounce vile rhetoric,” even when it comes from within their own party.

By Megan Mineiro

The justices on the State Supreme Court heard arguments in a long dispute about whether the Tesla chief executive’s compensation was fair to shareholders.

By Jack Ewing