SCOOP: Trump officials are pressuring the National Park Service to find a way to give a small piece of Yosemite to a private developer.

The land would be used for a road, to give the developer rare private access to the heart of the park.
notus.org/agencies/trump…

@statedeptspoxd our story.

Prior to publishing, we asked the State Department, in writing, to respond to allegations that “employees are being directly asked who they voted for in 2016, 2020 and 2024 before they receive promotions, and are told directly that if they have any history of donating to Democrats that they will not be eligible for the role.” The State Department did not in any way deny that those incidents occurred. Instead, it said that the department values “fidelity,” that it “will not tolerate . . . people using their positions to actively undermine the duly elected President’s objectives,” and that it prioritizes “merit and reward[s] demonstrated performance on behalf of Administration priorities.”

After the story was published – and after members of Congress raised concerns based on the story – the State Department gave additional comment denying the “premise” of our reporting. We published this after-the-fact statement in full. And since publishing, we have heard from additional sources familiar with top State officials asking foreign service officers about their voting and political contribution histories.

Maine set another record for heating oil prices — an 83% increase from the same time last year, according to new data from the state. That’s about $750 more to fill a full tank than the cost last year.

About half of everyone in Maine relies on fuel oil for heat.

@washingtonsun State officials have warned candidates for mid-to-upper level roles that they would assess their donor histories to ensure no Democratic donations.

Full story with @anna_c_kramer washingtonsun.com/administration…

NEW: Republicans are increasingly worried that NC-11 - a district Trump won by nearly 10 - is already lost.

Said a NC GOP operative: "The rating in the 11th District should be likely Democrat, not lean Democrat.”

Sign of how deep the Dem wave could go

washingtonsun.com/campaigns/nort…

NEW: Lobbying on Venezuela issues is picking up, with the Trump-tied lobbying firms registering more clients and more spend.

BUT Venezuela got no mention in the latest massive disclosures from the big companies like Exxon, ConocoPhillips, and Occidental.
washingtonsun.com/energy-environ…

Trying to look and smell like Donald Trump? It's going to cost you more than it used to.

I explored how inflation is hitting Trump's merch machine for @washingtonsun

washingtonsun.com/influence/dona…

News: Trump admin getting ready to move forward w/ garnishing wages & benefits of defaulted student loan borrowers after internal dispute bw Treasury, OMB & Ed

Treasury looking to mitigate downsides

Were warnings of consequences for low income borrowers

washingtonsun.com/economy/trump-…

SCOOP: White House wants to install Russ Vought's OMB Deputy Eric Ueland as the head of GAO — the watchdog agency with the power to sue the admin for OMB's actions.

You may have heard as Ueland: he's also acting head of OGE and USAID. @EricM_Katz

washingtonsun.com/whitehouse/tru…

I got a new job and @Emily_Sundberg wrote about it. Subscribe to the @washingtonsun and stay tuned ☎️

NEWS: Congressional watchdog found again that the Trump administration illegally withheld funds for more programs last year.

But still no action from GAO on any of these findings of impoundment.
washingtonsun.com/whitehouse/con…

Education programs for the kids of farm laborers are on the chopping block bc of Trump's pocket rescissions.

@LlanosJackie talked to a man born and raised in El Paso who wants to become a farm animal vet because of one of these programs. A must-read:
washingtonsun.com/immigration/fu…

New: The Democratic Party's reputation is in the toilet. Some of the party's candidates are trying to take advantage.

On the widespread effort among '26 Dems to distance themselves from party, a big part of their effort to compete on a red-leaning map washingtonsun.com/campaigns/cogn…

Now that’s how you do a launch! Congrats to everyone at the Sun.

Congratulations to the @washingtonsun as it launches! Great to finally have a Washington newspaper again owned by a Washingtonian who cares about the city and area.

SCOOP: White House officials, led by Susie Wiles, have told DOJ to delay any abortion-related action until after the midterms

Wiles suggested to Todd Blanche that an aggressive approach on abortion would be negative for the GOP in November

w/@EricM_Katz
washingtonsun.com/campaigns/abor…

Scooplet: What Happened to $300 Million in Taiwan Aid? It’s Classified.

The Trump admin has classified its account to Congress for $300M in Taiwan military aid, leaving no public answer about whether the money was committed by a Sept. 30 deadline.

washingtonsun.com/whitehouse/300…

The Interior Department is paying a Maryland landscaping company almost $3.4 million to repair turf damaged during the celebrations on the National Mall for America’s 250th birthday.

washingtonsun.com/metro/national…

The Washington Sun is creating The Washington Sun Magazine, a monthly print publication featuring some of the most compelling journalism produced by The Sun’s newsroom, with an emphasis on longform storytelling, essays and local news. The magazine will also feature The Sun’s Hill and culture coverage, and opinion columnists.
washingtonsun.com/about-us/press…

The Washington Sun now coming to a DC metro stop near you 🌞🌞🌞

The Department of Defense has spent over $49 million since October 2025 feeding National Guard members posted in D.C. It could spend another $20 million by the end of the year.

w @shamira_akilah & @anna_c_kramer for @washsunmetro:

washingtonsun.com/metro/national…