This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Logoff: President Donald Trump hopes to suspend the federal gas tax as his war with Iran drives prices ever higher. 

Can he do that? Not by himself, though it’s not clear Trump knows that: He unequivocally told a reporter this morning that “we’re going to take off the gas tax for a period of time.” 

Instead, he’ll need Congress to pass a bill — which it might. Democratic lawmakers have previously introduced legislation to do so, and multiple Republican members signaled their support on Monday (it’s also already becoming a campaign issue).

It’s by no means a sure thing, though: Congress has never passed a gas tax holiday, including when President Joe Biden called for one in 2022. On Monday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters that “I’ve not in the past obviously been a fan of that idea,” but that he would hear out senators who supported it. 

How much would it help? The federal gas tax is 18.4 cents per gallon, so suspending it would make a difference at the margin. It would do little to truly normalize prices, however; gas is $4.52/gallon on average, up 38.5 cents from just a month ago and more than $1.50 from the start of the war. 

Suspending the gas tax would also cost the Highway Trust Fund billions in revenue. And there’s the problem of making sure the tax break actually benefits consumers: As the Washington Post points out, the gas tax isn’t collected directly at the pump, so some savings could flow to oil companies instead.

What about the war? The most direct way to ease gas prices would be to end the war in Iran (though it wouldn’t fix the problem immediately, or even quickly). On Sunday, however, Trump rejected an Iranian response to the latest US peace proposal as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.”

And with that, it’s time to log off…

Here’s some unalloyed, grade-A good news: Coffee, it turns out, is not merely okay for us, but affirmatively good for us. My colleague Bryan Walsh breaks down what it does for us and the long scientific journey to figuring it out — you can read his full article here with a gift link.

Have a great evening, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow! 

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Logoff: President Donald Trump’s FBI director was the subject of an embarrassing story. Now, the FBI is going after the reporter. 

What’s happening? On Wednesday, MS NOW reported that the FBI launched a federal criminal investigation “focusing on” Atlantic reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick over a story she wrote last month about FBI Director Kash Patel. 

The story, which is sourced to more than two dozen people, describes Patel as paranoid, frequently drunk, and ill-equipped for the job of FBI director. 

Notably, however, it centers on Patel’s personal conduct in the role, and doesn’t contain any classified information. As MS NOW points out, that fact — as well as the investigation’s reported focus on Fitzpatrick rather than her sources — makes the investigation both abnormal and disturbing. (The FBI, for what it’s worth, has denied that any such investigation exists.) 

On Wednesday, Fitzpatrick published a second story about Patel describing his habit of distributing customized bottles of bourbon engraved with his name, and sometimes signed.

What’s the context? The reported investigation into Fitzpatrick is the latest in a long string of attacks on press freedom under the second Trump administration, including another investigation — since dropped — into a New York Times reporter who reported on Patel and his girlfriend’s use of FBI resources. 

The FBI also seized devices belonging to Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson earlier this year as part of a leak investigation reportedly targeting one of her sources. Natanson’s reporting won her a Pulitzer Prize earlier this week.

What else should I know? This isn’t even the only major FBI news from Wednesday: This morning, agents raided the office of Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas, who spearheaded a Democratic redistricting effort in Virginia that has helped to stymie Trump’s attempts to gain an edge ahead of the midterm elections.

The case reportedly centers on possible corruption allegations, but given Trump’s record of using investigations and indictments to punish his political enemies, the timing is conspicuous, to say the least.

And with that, it’s time to log off…

Good news, readers — the Denali Puppy Cam has returned with a new litter of sled dog puppies, named for America’s national parks. You can see them introduced to the camera here, and watch the livestream here. Have a great evening, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow! 

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Logoff: Stop me if you’ve heard this one — President Donald Trump’s proposed White House ballroom is getting more expensive (again). 

What’s happening? On Monday evening, Senate Republicans released a proposed $70 billion(ish) immigration funding package — with an extra $1 billion tucked in it for an “East Wing Modernization Project.” 

Calling Trump’s project a “modernization” falls well short of reality — he destroyed the East Wing last year — but he is in the process of building a massive new ballroom in its place, as well as a deeply buried underground bunker, replacing the previous Presidential Emergency Operations Center located under the East Wing. 

The bill text specifies that none of that $1 billion may be used for “non-security elements” of the project, but it’s unclear how seriously the White House might take that limitation; previously, Trump and his lawyers have described the entire ballroom as a national security priority. 

What’s the context? When it was announced, Trump said that the ballroom would cost $200 million. Then it was $300 million, and then $400 million — but it was still all private money, from donors like Nvidia and Palantir. (There are also clear ethics problems around companies with government business ponying up money for a top personal priority of the president’s, but that’s a separate issue.) 

Based on Monday’s bill text, however, the cost appears to have skyrocketed — and much of it could be paid for with taxpayer dollars. 

Is this actually going to happen? TBD. Republicans hope to pass the immigration package, with additional funding for ICE and CBP as well as money for the ballroom, through the reconciliation process, which requires only a simple majority to pass the Senate.

They have the votes to do it, if the party holds together — but as some Senate Democrats have pointed out, advancing the bill will now mean giving their explicit blessing for Trump’s deeply unpopular construction project.

And with that, it’s time to log off…

Here’s an extremely useful Atlantic article that I, a chronic multitasker, read with a certain degree of horror: The Secret to Success Is ‘Monotasking.’ But even — or perhaps especially — if you’re similarly afflicted, it’s a great piece, and you can read it with a gift link here.

Have a great evening, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Logoff: Donald Trump is eyeing a new target in his effort to remodel DC.

What’s happening? Over the weekend, the Washington Post reported that Trump is preparing a new private fundraising effort for a Trump-style “renovation” of a storied public golf course in Washington, DC. 

It’s the latest sign that Trump is serious about taking over East Potomac Golf Links, which is part of the cherry tree-lined East Potomac Park near the National Mall.

The course remains open for now — reporting on Friday suggested its takeover was imminent — but a federal judge is warning the Trump administration to tread lightly, citing “a particular concern that we not act first and ask forgiveness later,” as Trump did in destroying the East Wing of the White House last year.

“I do not want a situation where something has happened, and then I’m being told by the government or by a foundation or by a bulldozing company that it’s too late to do anything about it,” District Court Judge Ana C. Reyes said on Monday.

What’s the context? Trump, a golf fanatic who owns more than a dozen courses, reportedly wants to transform the affordable, public East Potomac into something designed for championship play and more closely resembling one of his own courses. In the process, renderings suggest, he could take over much of the parkland surrounding the course.

What’s the big picture? Trump’s popularity is falling and he remains mired in an unpopular foreign war; he should, by rights, have other priorities. Nonetheless, the Washington Post found last month, he’s talking more about his ballroom project than ever and, leaning on the pretext of America’s 250th anniversary, seems eager to continue remaking DC in his image: painting the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool blue, pushing forward with his plan for a massive new triumphal arch, and potentially shuttering a beloved public park. 

And with that, it’s time to log off…

Hi readers! It is May the Fourth, also known as Star Wars Day. Naturally, I’m here to recommend something Star Wars-y. If you haven’t watched the TV show Andor — the second and final season came out last year — now is a great time to get caught up. As the New Republic put it at the time, it’s “the best Star Wars you will ever see” (and just genuinely excellent television). 

As always, thanks for reading, have a great evening, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Logoff: After a major Supreme Court decision, President Donald Trump is pushing Republicans to redistrict even more aggressively. 

What’s happening? On Thursday, Trump said in a post that Tennessee’s governor would “work hard to correct” the state’s congressional map in order to “give us one extra seat” in Congress. 

It’s the latest sign that, following the new Supreme Court opinion, Republicans will try to pick up even more seats ahead of the 2026 midterms by further gerrymandering multiple different states, including Tennessee, Louisiana, and Florida.

What’s the context? On Wednesday, the Court ruled 6-3 in Louisiana v. Callais to strike down a provision of the Voting Rights Act banning racial gerrymandering. 

As my colleague Ian Millhiser explained, the upshot of the ruling isn’t just that the Court’s six conservative justices have further weakened the Voting Rights Act; the decision is a full-throated endorsement of the most aggressive gerrymandering schemes possible, and Republican politicians — including Trump — are taking note.

How did this start? Trump is also the one who kicked all of this off last year, when his White House decided to pressure Texas into a rare mid-decade redistricting scheme. Texas successfully created about five more Republican seats in the US House — probably — by redrawing its maps, but in the process, launched a wider war. 

How’s the math looking? Until recently, it seemed like the redistricting wars could have backfired on Republicans, or at best ended with a stalemate. Earlier this month, Virginia voters approved a referendum to draw new maps creating four additional Democratic seats, giving the party a slight edge nationally. 

Since then, however, Florida has gotten involved; earlier this week, its legislature passed new maps netting four new Republican seats. On Thursday, Louisiana also suspended its about-to-begin congressional primaries to give it time to redraw its maps in response to the Callais decision. And if Tennessee Republicans make good on Trump’s post, the party could net another seat too. 

And with that, it’s time to log off…

Hi readers — if you, like me, happen to live in Washington, DC, I have some fairly specific good news for you. Today, the sun will set at 8 pm here for the first time this year, and we won’t get a sunset earlier than 8 pm again until August. With that in mind, let’s go log off and enjoy some sunshine — we’ll see you back here in May (which is, somehow, tomorrow). 

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Logoff: The Trump administration is taking another run at its enemies list.

What happened? On Tuesday, former FBI Director James Comey was indicted for a second time on new federal charges; prosecutors allege that a 2025 social media post Comey made, showing seashells arranged to read “86 47,” was “a threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon,” Donald Trump.

Trump is the 47th president, and “86” is broadly understood to be service industry slang for rejecting or removing something or someone, depending on the context — but prosecutors, and some Republicans, have instead chosen to interpret it as a call for Trump’s assassination. 

At the time, Comey said he was unaware of any violent connotations to the term and quickly deleted his post in response to backlash.

Why Comey? Trump has long wanted to punish Comey for his role in investigating ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. 

Specifically, Tuesday’s indictment is a transparent retread of a similar attempt last year, when the Trump administration briefly — and incompetently — indicted Comey on a different set of flimsy charges, which were subsequently dismissed.

(It’s not even, we should note, the only such attempt today: The administration also stepped up its attack on late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s employer, ABC, on Tuesday, after both the president and first lady Melania Trump went after Kimmel for a joke. Kimmel was briefly forced off the air by the administration last fall.)

What’s the big picture? Earlier this month, Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi, replacing her with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, a former member of Trump’s personal legal team. 

Trump’s frustrations with Bondi were well-known; in September, he posted a message addressed to her, complaining that “Nothing is being done” against his enemies. Blanche, who is up for the permanent AG job, is clearly trying to remedy that as fast as possible, never mind how ridiculous the charges.

And with that, it’s time to log off…

Here’s some good climate news from my colleague Bryan Walsh, which first ran in his aptly named Good News newsletter: After more than a century of dominance, coal has been unseated as the world’s leading source of electricity — by renewable energy. You can read all about it here with a gift link. Have a great evening, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow! 

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Logoff: Hi, readers. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump was the target of a third high-profile assassination attempt at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. He was unharmed, as were the other attendees. One Secret Service agent was shot but not badly injured, thanks to a bulletproof vest. 

We’re likely to learn more about the shooter, who was arraigned in DC today, in the coming days. But the White House is coming out swinging on two other priorities post-shooting: Jimmy Kimmel and Trump’s ballroom.

What’s going on? Let’s start with Kimmel, who made a joke earlier in the week describing First Lady Melania Trump as having “a glow like an expectant widow.” On Monday, both Trumps called for Kimmel to lose his job over the joke, which Melania described as “hateful and violent.” 

This is something the Trump administration has tried before. Last year, Kimmel was briefly off the air after Trump’s Federal Communications Commission chair threatened his employer, ABC; his reinstatement was a black eye for the administration.

There’s nothing to connect Kimmel’s joke with Saturday night’s attack, but the administration, undeterred, appears to be trying again.

And the ballroom? Said ballroom — a massive entertaining space for which the East Wing was demolished — doesn’t exist yet, but Trump badly wants it done before the end of his term. Right now, however, the White House is enjoined from proceeding with above-ground construction on the building. 

And so, following the attack, the administration is leaning hard into a supposed national security justification for the ballroom. On Sunday, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said that the lawsuit against the administration was “delaying the construction of a secure facility for the President to do his job.”

(The Correspondents’ Dinner is not a government event and would not be hosted at the White House even were the ballroom completed.)

What’s the big picture? Faced with a potential tragedy narrowly avoided, the Trump administration is going all-in on petty political opportunism — and trying to ride roughshod over its opponents.

And with that, it’s time to log off…

I learned a new and delightful word from this Wall Street Journal story: thigmotactic, which the Journal’s Robert McMillan reports is “a scientific term for very social creatures who like to cuddle.” 

The creatures in question are sea lions, and specifically, a stellar Steller sea lion named “Chonkers,” who has made himself at home at San Francisco’s Pier 39. You can read all about him here with a gift link.

As always, thanks for reading, have a great evening, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!