The Defense Department violated a federal court order in its press access case against the New York Times, a judge ruled, admonishing the Trump admin: "Suppression of political speech is the mark of an autocracy, not a democracy—as the Framers recognized when they drafted the First Amendment."

"Roughly two-thirds of adults say they have read a physical book in the past 12 months, according to our October survey." Pew updates their long-running surveys on reading, analysis by former Post-UMD polling fellow William Bishop www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

Exclusive: The acting director of the CDC has delayed publication of a report showing the covid-19 vaccine cut the likelihood of ER visits and hospitalizations for healthy adults last winter by about half, according to two scientists.

Woah

Another connection: Avignon charged tolls to ships going up the Rhône river, just as Iran plans to charge ships to pass through Hormuz www.avignon-et-provence.com/en/monuments...

Hegseth’s rosy claims about Iran war contradict reality, raising risk of misinforming the public and the president, officials say www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

Republicans differ by age when it comes it comes to Trump and NATO. Younger Republicans are 22 points *less* likely to have confidence in Trump's decision-making on the issue and 9 points *more* likely to say the US benefits from being part of NATO. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

NEW: Kidnapped U.S. journalist Shelly Kittleson is believed to be alive and held in an Iran-linked militia’s Iraqi stronghold. w/ @Mustafa_salimb GIFT LINK: wapo.st/4crQTDI

My first newsletter/column for my new gig is up. A little about smaller U.S. communities; a little about how rooting for Michigan is doing the Devil's work. Gift link:

Trump threatened to jail reporters if they don’t turn over a source who disclosed details about the U.S. airman previously missing in Iran. Trump didn't specify which reporters from what news organization he was talking about. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

I found this analysis from The Pillar, about trends in Catholic conversions, to be quite informative. www.pillarcatholic.com/p/americas-n...

Trump threatens to jail reporters if they don’t turn over Iran source. Gift link -> wapo.st/4vf17ib

Our poll asked if Virginia Gov. Spanberger's proposals will make the state more/less affordable, both in general and about 8 specific policies. Lots to discuss! wapo.st/4e53VIu

“Some amount of polarization is baked in, but this is unusual at this early stage of her administration and given that she had long cultivated a centrist image,” said Mark Rozell, dean of George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, which co-sponsored the poll.

"It’s Called Silicon Sampling, and It’s Going to Ruin Public Opinion Polling" www.nytimes.com/2026/04/06/o...

ugh, this is horrible

Virginia WAS for governor lovers, approving of its last 7 executives by 60%-31% on average Abigail Spanberger stands at 47%-46% months after a landslide election. Closest coms Glenn Youngkin year (50%-46%) Ralph Northam amid a blackface scandal (43%-44% in Feb. 2019) Gift link: wapo.st/4e53VIu

NEW Washington Post-Schar School poll: Virginians deeply divided on Gov. Abigail Spanberger months after her landslide win, story w/ @schneidergs.bsky.social & @praveenavsoma.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

NEW: CNN is used to attacks from Donald Trump. But as staffers prepare for David Ellison's Paramount to take control of the company, those broadsides stir new anxieties. GIFT LINK: wapo.st/4tu9IvK

"The modest church on the cover of Vice President JD Vance’s new memoir unpacking his Catholic faith has a tiny but loyal congregation. What it doesn’t have, members said: any connection to Vance or Catholicism." www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/...

Democrats have racked up victories in their efforts to fight fire with fire in the mid-decade redistricting kicked off by Texas Republicans last year. But a new Washington Post poll shows their efforts in Virginia face substantial opposition. Via @sfcpoll.bsky.social wapo.st/3Qj8LrC

Indeed! More from our story - "Early voting rates are almost identical to last year’s election at a similar point, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan service that compiles state campaign finance and elections data." www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Oh, were you craving a poll on Virginia's April 21 redistricting referendum? I got you -> www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

NEW Washington Post-Schar School poll: Virginia voters narrowly support redistricting to favor Democrats. Details in our story w/ @schneidergs.bsky.social @praveenavsoma.bsky.social & Isabelle Gibson -> www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Non-MAGA Republicans have turned sharply against the war with Iran over the past two weeks. (@dhmontgomery.com) More, via Opinion Today: opiniontoday.substack.com/p/260401

twist: it's now an agentic LLM mad that it wasn't asked

This is the most accurate description of USMNT fandom I’ve read in years.

Not all TSA lines are long, and airports are asking — please! — stop coming so early www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2026/...

Proud of the collective work of U.S. pollsters capturing opinion on the Iran conflict over the past month. Here's my attempt to sum it up, gift link -> wapo.st/4m1elLn

Opposition to the Iran war has hardened, and new polls show Americans have little appetite for sending U.S. troops to Iran. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Gallup’s quarterly party ID data tells a story so I wrote it up

now THAT is some madness holy shit

Is Bill Raftery the only commentator who refers to feet as "puppies?"

BREAKING The Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, U.S. officials said, as thousands of American soldiers and Marines arrive in the Middle East for what could become a dangerous new phase of the war www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

More Nashvillians think the city is on the wrong track than just a year ago, according to the latest @vanderbilt.edu Poll conducted by SSRS. news.vanderbilt.edu/2026/03/26/v...

Frustrated Nationals fans find themselves shut out of watching Opening Day on TV (via @spencernusbaum.bsky.social and @evandrellich.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/715...

No, you don't have to fight crowds to see cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin. We have maps of where to see trees across the DMV: www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202... I have said for years that my favorite place is the National Arboretum, not the Tidal Basin. Gift link: wapo.st/41uOfqm

Down at Metro Center, Metro GM Randy Clarke is handing out 50th anniversary pennants. There’s also a DJ, and some posters showing historical milestones for the system.

Bernie Sanders weighs in on the Bears stadium debate. No, seriously. My story for the @chicagotribune.com (gift link) www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/26/b...

AI is just another technology Americans don’t like but can’t stop using. @shiraovide.bsky.social is calling us out and has the receipts (aka data)! www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

Very cool to win a @sabew.bsky.social feature-writing nod for my story on the Twitch streamer Emilycc. sabew.org/2026/03/sabe...

Most Republicans approve of Trump's handling of the US military action against Iran, while most Democrats disapprove of it. But strong approval is much less widespread among Republicans than strong disapproval is among Democrats. www.pewresearch.org/politics/202...

Yesterday a jury in New Mexico found that Meta endangered children online. Today a jury in California found Meta and YouTube negligent for addictive product design. And now: "There are thousands more lawsuits waiting to be heard... " www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

@gelliottmorris.com is absolutely right here. Real polls interview real people, not AI-created "synthetic respondents"

Partisan brawl in Virginia muddles Spanberger’s message of moderation - Story by @schneidergs.bsky.social including an interview with Spanberger. Gift link -> wapo.st/3Nsslkt

In Trump’s war messaging, veterans see something new — and disturbing, new via @drewharwell.com www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

He wants you to do as he says and not how he does? From @merica -- Trump just voted by a method he calls ‘mail-in cheating’ wapo.st/47MIxnq

POST EXCLUSIVE With ally Viktor Orban's popularity in Hungary falling ahead of the April election, Russia's foreign intelligence service proposed "The Gamechanger": A staged assassination attempt Wild reporting from Catherine Belton in Budapest wapo.st/4smKFuj

Breaking news: A federal judge has ruled that the Defense Department’s controversial press policy was illegal, striking it down as unconstitutional in a lawsuit brought by the New York Times.

Thousands have swooned over this MAGA dream girl. She’s made with AI. Via @drewharwell.com www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...