Maps, turnout, and the arithmetic of power
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A federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s request to segregate roughly 20,000 California mail ballots ahead of the…
7 min read
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Barack Obama storms back onto the campaign trail in Cleveland and Detroit, ripping Trump and Ramaswamy as Democrats fight for…
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President Trump urged Vivek Ramaswamy to keep running a controversial ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother, deepening a…
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Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers fought over who voters can trust in the final Michigan Senate debate. The toss-up race could…
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Ohio's governor's race took an ugly turn with a viral ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother, prompting denunciations from…
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Trump says he will have spent $400M on GOP midterms and will personally arbitrate the new federal fraud whistleblower bounty…
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Vice President JD Vance faced pointed questions on the Iran war, cost of living, ICE conduct, and White House access sales…
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No Kings rallies push early voting as Trump threatens jail for California officials over voter rolls and $137 million in AI…
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The Trump administration is reviving 2020 election conspiracies with federal resources while GOP travel patterns reveal…
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Federal investigators are probing suspicious letters containing unknown substances mailed to election officials and…
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Trump leans on rallies, policy rollouts and foreign policy flashpoints on Iran and Ukraine's Starlink as Republicans scramble…
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At an Arizona midterm rally, Donald Trump escalated attacks on government disclosures, suggesting federal personnel who share…
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Trump rejects OSCE election monitors for the 2026 midterms, breaking a 20-year tradition as civil rights groups mobilize…
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Sen. Jon Ossoff used his second Georgia debate to rule out a 2028 presidential bid and pledge a full six-year Senate term…
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President Trump asked Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign after damaging reports, a rare break with a one-time insider as…
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Katie Zacharia holds her first White House press briefing, replacing Karoline Leavitt three weeks before the midterms as the…
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Trump's Texas rally for GOP Senate nominee Ken Paxton was rocked by repeated protests, while Paxton privately blamed the Iran…
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Ashley Hinson and Josh Turek met in their first Iowa Senate debate, clashing over health care, agriculture, Social Security…
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The DNC sued the Trump administration Wednesday, alleging taxpayer-funded TV ads promoting the president violate federal bans…
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Susan Collins distanced herself from Trump while Troy Jackson argued she has failed to push back, in the first debate of…
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California leaders call Trump deranged and dangerous after he suggested Iran could take out Los Angeles and San Diego at a…
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Trump hits a record-low 32% approval as Latino support slides to 24%, while his super PAC moves to pay for taxpayer-funded ads…
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New polling shows Democrats leading in key governor and House races while Trump's support among Hispanic voters erodes and…
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Trump rallied for Sen. Jon Husted in Vandalia, Ohio, defended data centers and predicted a midterm surprise as polls show…
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Trump rallied Republicans in Mobile, Alabama, announcing a G7 diesel reserve release and predicting the Iran war will end…
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With the 2026 midterms one month away, Trump is crisscrossing the country for Republican candidates while facing growing…
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Trump launches a 32-day campaign tour across red states, but record-low approval ratings and the unpopular Iran war are…
From Charlie Cook's 'done deal' House call to Fetterman's Senate optimism and a pastor's challenge in ruby-red Kansas,…
Trump's election integrity push, the Iran war's political fallout, soaring diesel costs, and identity-based campaigning are…
The Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling allows the Trump administration to deploy the SAVE federal database to screen state voter rolls…
New polling shows Democrats leading by double digits as Trump's low approval and economic policies drag down Republicans ahead…
Trump-aligned super PACs pour $150M into once-safe GOP seats as Florida and Iowa Republicans break with the president on…
Early voting opens in Virginia, Minnesota, Idaho and South Dakota as the 2026 midterms turn on the Iran war and cost of…
Trump returned to the campaign trail in Gastonia, N.C., urging voters to treat the midterms as if he were on the ballot and…
Rep. María Elvira Salazar's new ad says Trump's immigration enforcement has gone too far, warning that Hispanic voters feel…
The Supreme Court rejected Trump's mail ballot restrictions, letting states run November's midterms under existing rules as…
A federal judge extended a preliminary injunction blocking President Trump's order to restrict mail-in voting as midterm…
At the Defend the Vote March on Washington, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez framed November as a civil-rights turnout test after the…
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Unofficial Secretary of State returns show Harriet Hageman leading the open Republican Senate primary and James Byrd leading…
Wyoming state Sen. Eric Barlow, a rancher and veterinarian, has defeated Trump-endorsed Megan Degenfelder in the GOP…
Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes exits the Democratic primary, citing Francesca Hong's surge, as the race enters its final stretch.
In the final debate before Michigan's Democratic Senate primary, Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens sparred over outside…
A software error at New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission improperly registered 6,600 noncitizens to vote, with nearly 400…
President Trump declassified documents alleging election fraud, but fact-checkers and officials say they show no proof of…
President Trump delivered a primetime address alleging Chinese interference in the 2020 election and declassifying documents,…
Trump cites declassified intel to back false election claims; DHS Secretary Mullin threatens states with prison time and…
President Trump delivered a primetime address alleging Chinese interference in the 2020 election and declassified documents,…
President Trump's primetime address alleging Chinese interference in the 2020 election is met with bipartisan criticism and…
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defends President Trump’s primetime speech on election integrity, citing media…
President Trump fired the last two Democratic commissioners of the Election Assistance Commission, leaving the federal body…
President Trump terminated the remaining members of the federal election commission, drawing sharp criticism and raising…
President Trump terminated the remaining members of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission months before the midterms,…
Democrat James Talarico raised over $30 million in Q2, more than triple Ken Paxton's haul, reshaping the Texas Senate race.
With the Senate narrowly divided, five battleground states — Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin — will…
Primary season turnout figures offer early signals about voter enthusiasm and demographic shifts. This analysis compares 2026…
Geopolitics beyond the headlines
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Israel's October 27 election pits Netanyahu against a rival bloc in a virtual tie, fought under a Hebron lockdown and a surge…
7 min read
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Student-led protests in France have escalated into a nationwide political crisis, with thousands arrested, hundreds injured,…
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Zelensky secures fresh EU support and requests $79bn for next year's war effort as his relationship with Trump deteriorates…
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Elon Musk says any limits on Ukraine's Starshield access are decided by the US military and ultimately the president, as Kyiv…
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President Trump called the Nobel Peace Prize discredited and said Norway's decision to award it to Navi Pillay left an…
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The Pentagon withdrew all 12 B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford after U.S. officials cited an Iran-based plot against the base,…
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The G7 has agreed to release 100 million barrels of oil and diesel from emergency reserves under pressure from President…
Iran's UN delegation says it has no plans to negotiate with the US, contradicting Trump's claim that talks will resume after…
Trump personally greeted Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews as the US and China extended their trade truce to January, with AI,…
Ed Sheeran returned to the stage in Philadelphia, calling Gaza catastrophic and unjustifiable while addressing the Macklemore…
Trump announces an Arctic security pact with Denmark and Greenland granting permanent US basing and overflight rights,…
Army crews broke into a mud-choked Trishuli 3A tunnel and began pumping air toward more than 100 hydropower workers still…
The 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in New York City features political figures, celebrity performances, and…
Influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested in Miami on a sealed warrant as UK prosecutors bring additional rape and sex…
The transatlantic alliance faces unprecedented strain as member states debate defense spending commitments, the pace of…
Control over energy resources and supply chains has become a central axis of great-power competition. We analyze how energy…
Alliances, deterrence, and global strategy
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Special envoy Witkoff called Putin a humanitarian after freeing an American. Lawmakers push back hard, and Trump links the…
4 min read
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Trump's push for a trilateral US-Russia-China summit is drawing sharp opposition from Republican lawmakers and complicating…
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President Trump's late-night executive order suspending Russia sanctions drew sharp criticism from GOP lawmakers and deepened…
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Bipartisan senators call for a Pentagon inspector general investigation into whether the Trump administration restricted…
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President Trump says he is looking at firing U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle after a donor alleged she sought…
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Trump's deal to import Russian diesel to lower US fuel prices triggers fierce backlash from Zelensky and NATO allies, who call…
President Trump spurns Iran's seven-day proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, leaving Tehran awaiting an official US…
President Trump has rejected Iran's latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, calling it unacceptable and deepening a…
President Trump's rejection of Iran's seven-day ceasefire proposal is deepening Republican rifts in Congress and driving his…
Trump and Xi wrapped a three-day Washington summit with pageantry and a pledge to meet again, but trade, AI and Iran divides…
Iran puts a seven-day roadmap on the table to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as the US-Israel war grinds on, high fuel prices…
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a fiery UN General Assembly address denouncing delegates who walked out as…
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at the White House Thursday for his first state visit in more than a decade, launching…
As U.S.-Iran tensions explode at the UN General Assembly, Trump's simultaneous threats to annihilate Iran and hold…
Trump threatens to annihilate Iran and signs a trilateral security deal with Greenland and Denmark, expanding the U.S.…
State Department approves a potential $24 billion F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia, even as U.S. intelligence warns China could…
Senate Republicans demand clear objectives as Trump claims direct Iran talks and the Strait of Hormuz stays closed, rattling…
Rep. Gregory Meeks has placed a hold on the Trump administration's $2.8 billion sale of 40,000 one-ton bombs to Israel, citing…
CBO estimates the Iran war has cost $38 billion and could run $2 billion monthly, as the Pentagon inspector general confirms…
President Trump cancels planned strikes on Iran, citing an agreed framework for a deal, amid Saudi pressure and Tehran's warnings.
US reportedly plans renewed strikes on Iran as soon as this weekend, with Tehran vowing to respond, amid tensions over…
US and Israel are preparing to strike energy-related targets in Iran, sources say, as Tehran warns of retaliation and regional…
President Trump announces a phased Hamas disarmament deal brokered by the Board of Peace, but Israel remains skeptical and…
President Trump's approval rating falls to a second-term low as the Iran war drags on and gas prices surge, with analysts…
The US military completes a heavy wave of strikes on Iran after an attempted missile attack on American forces, killing three…
The US military struck dozens of IRGC targets in southern Iran in retaliation for Iranian missile attacks on American forces…
Iran vows to 'punish the aggressor' after US retaliatory strikes. Senate war powers resolution fails 49-50 as conflict enters…
New polls show 55% of Americans expect the Iran war to last a year or longer, and 64% say the conflict is not worth the risks.
President Trump held separate meetings with Ukraine's Zelenskyy and Israel's Netanyahu, discussing Patriot missile licenses…
Iran launched missiles at US forces in Jordan and struck ships in the Strait of Hormuz, while US and Saudi airstrikes hit…
President Trump eulogizes Sen. Lindsey Graham at Washington National Cathedral as Zelensky and Netanyahu attend, with separate…
Mediators report progress in US-Iran talks after both sides pause attacks for three days, leading to a sharp drop in oil prices.
The US-Iran war slows as diplomacy gains traction, but drone strikes on Saudi Arabia and a proposed US-Saudi nuclear deal add…
Pentagon reclassifies four service member deaths under new 'Overseas Operations' category and adds over 140 wounded, raising…
Regional officials say mediators are making headway in US-Iran negotiations to prevent further escalation in the Middle East.
President Trump reportedly halts plans to expand the Iran war as polls show most Americans feel uncertain and frustrated,…
The Trump administration pauses daily strikes on Iran for two nights, with U.S. envoy Mike Waltz saying the move is intended…
The US launched a 13th consecutive night of strikes on Iran as oil prices surged past $100 a barrel and Houthis allowed…
Trump administration slaps 10-12.5% tariffs on 60+ nations over forced labor, replacing expiring global duties after Supreme…
President Trump’s tariffs on 60 countries took effect July 24, drawing fire from Democrats and trading partners who call them…
President Trump says the US-Saudi nuclear pact depends on the kingdom joining the Abraham Accords, throwing the agreement into…
The House approved a war powers resolution to limit Trump's Iran conflict, but the Senate rejected a binding version,…
The House narrowly passed a $1.15 trillion defense bill expanding military cooperation with Israel amid the Iran war, as Trump…
The Trump administration will announce a civilian nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia that may allow uranium enrichment, raising…
President Trump attended the dignified transfer of four U.S. soldiers killed in Iranian attacks, underscoring the human toll…
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani says the city lacks legal authority to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu, calls on the federal…
The US launched a tenth consecutive night of strikes on Iran after three American service members were killed. Iran retaliated…
President Trump announced 50% tariffs on a wide range of Canadian imports, including wine and hockey sticks, citing…
Fox News pundits and Republican lawmakers pressure Trump to end Iran hostilities as Pentagon identifies a US soldier killed in…
US launches ninth consecutive night of strikes on Iran after a US soldier is killed in northern Iraq during a controlled…
The US conducts a ninth consecutive night of strikes on Iran as President Trump says attacks honor killed personnel. Rubio…
The US launched a ninth night of strikes on Iran as gas prices hit $4 a gallon and the Pentagon identified two soldiers killed…
The Pentagon hid nearly 100 service member injuries from Iranian strikes, officials confirm. Trump vows retaliation and will…
The US military launched airstrikes against Iran after an Iranian attack on a US base in Jordan killed two American soldiers,…
US retaliatory strikes hit Iran after two service members killed in Jordan. Trump calls deaths 'a very sad thing.' Iranians…
The US military strikes Iranian energy, port, and bridge infrastructure as Iran retaliates against US allies, bringing the…
Two US service members were killed and one is missing after an Iranian missile and drone attack in Jordan. Iran's supreme…
President Trump threatens new tariffs on Canada over wildfire smoke blanketing US cities, accusing Canada of willful negligence.
The US military continues strikes on Iran for a sixth day, as Tehran claims it has hit American bases and warns of wider…
US launches fresh strikes on Iran; Iran retaliates against Gulf nations. Amid the escalation, a US citizen detained since 2024…
Trump warns of bombing bridges and power plants unless Iran resumes talks, as US and Iran exchange fire for fourth day.
US launches third night of strikes on Iran; Trump orders blockade and 20% toll on Strait of Hormuz cargo. UAE condemns Iranian…
The US and Iranian militaries exchanged fire after President Trump threatened to reimpose a naval blockade and impose tolls on…
The US and Iran exchange escalating attacks over the Strait of Hormuz, threatening a fragile ceasefire and sending oil prices…
President Trump says the US will become the 'guardian' of the Strait of Hormuz, as ship traffic hits a five-week low amid…
Senator Lindsey Graham's sudden death removes a key hawkish voice on Ukraine and Iran, leaving a void in US foreign policy as…
The US military launched a third round of strikes on Iran after Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz and attacked a container…
President Trump says the ceasefire with Iran is over as US forces hit over 170 targets. Iran privately admits a mistake in…
President Trump threatens to 'decimate and destroy' Iran if it carries out a reported assassination plot, as tensions escalate.
California Democrat Ro Khanna says armed Israeli settlers detained him for over an hour in the occupied West Bank, accusing…
America's pivot to the Indo-Pacific involves complex trade negotiations, military basing agreements, and diplomatic balancing…
Courts, precedent, and constitutional stakes
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The Supreme Court upheld a lower-court block preventing the Trump administration from cutting gender-affirming care for…
5 min read
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A federal judge pressed the Trump administration over its plan to shut down and renovate East Potomac Golf Links, as DOJ…
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A federal judge extends an order blocking Trump from banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters from White House access, as…
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A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to immediately cancel taxpayer-funded TV ads featuring the president, siding…
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The Justice Department is investigating ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC over their brief suspension of White House pool coverage of…
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Christa Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital in Tennessee's failed execution. Days later, she is conscious and speaking,…
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The Supreme Court begins its new term hearing arguments in a high-stakes case where fossil fuel companies seek to block…
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The Supreme Court begins its new term near record-low public approval, with a docket stacked with immigration clashes against…
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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee halted all executions after death row inmate Christa Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital and was…
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Gov. Bill Lee paused Tennessee's remaining 2026 executions after Christa Pike survived two lethal injections, prompting a…
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Tennessee's first execution of a woman in nearly 200 years collapsed after two pentobarbital doses failed to kill Christa…
The Justice Department says White House access is a privilege, not a right, as CNN, Politico and MS NOW seek a temporary…
CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed suit Monday against the Trump administration after their reporters were barred from the White…
The Supreme Court refused to revive the Postal Service's mail-ballot screening rule, preserving existing voting procedures as…
The New York Times files motion to quash Justice Department subpoenas targeting journalists who reported on security concerns…
A federal judge ruled President Trump's $10B IRS lawsuit was filed for an 'improper purpose,' voided the $1.8B settlement, and…
A Trump-appointed judge granted the DOJ's request to vacate the remaining Jan. 6 convictions of four Proud Boys leaders,…
The current Supreme Court term features cases spanning executive power, regulatory authority, and civil liberties. This…
Law, bureaucracy, and American life
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President Trump announced plans to redevelop East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., setting a Nov. 15 start date and…
7 min read
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Katie Zacharia's five-day tenure as White House press secretary ended amid scrutiny over her legal credentials and a widely…
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A 16-year-old gunman killed three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon, before a bystander shot…
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President Trump reversed the Pentagon's plan to livestream Nidal Malik Hasan's firing squad execution after global backlash,…
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This week in US politics saw intensifying debates over the debt ceiling, new developments in the classified documents probes,…
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An ICE agent shot a man in the Bronx with a five-year-old reportedly in the car, prompting protests and a sharp rebuke from…
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ICE plans electric-shock gloves, Georgia detainees hunger strike, and federal investigators target voter registration…
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President Trump abandoned taxpayer-funded TV ads promoting himself after rare bipartisan condemnation, announcing his super…
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed a sweeping 20% reduction in U.S. generals and admirals while naming Elon Musk, Palmer…
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Trump and top tech CEOs signed a voluntary AI self-regulation accord at a White House summit, raising questions about whether…
The White House aired a taxpayer-funded ad during NFL games that closely mirrors Trump's 2024 campaign spot, raising legal and…
A repurposed 2024 Trump campaign ad now airs on national television paid for by the U.S. government, drawing rare bipartisan…
The White House removed CNN from the presidential press pool ahead of Trump's Tennessee trip, barring the network from Air…
Trump used a contested pocket rescission to cancel nearly $1 billion in immigrant services and diversity-focused health and…
A cybercriminal group claims it stole terabytes of FBI personnel and applicant data, prompting an FBI investigation into the…
CNN, MS NOW and Politico sue Trump over White House credentials as the network TV pool boycotts coverage and the White House…
Trump backs a diesel export ban as pump prices hit a record $6.53 a gallon. Senate Republicans are split and analysts warn the…
ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News suspend White House pool coverage after Trump banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico, escalating a First…
President Trump and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani will meet Monday at Gracie Mansion, their first sit-down in the city and at least…
CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters were denied White House access a day after Trump banned the outlets, raising First…
Trump says he is immediately banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, calling their coverage fake news as the…
Trump announced an 'AI Force' and an AI czar, dismissed superintelligence fears as a hoax, and floated renaming artificial…
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told an anti-vaccine conference that skeptics have a friend in the White House as U.S.…
A cross-partisan backlash against unchecked AI is forcing Washington to confront regulation, as tech CEOs, lawmakers, Bannon…
Trump dismisses AI safety warnings as a hoax and rejects new regulation, while Democrats and some industry leaders push…
A gunman opened fire at an In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, killing several and wounding others before dying. Police say…
President Trump publicly rebukes his own U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro over the dropped Reflecting Pool case, as the dispute…
Federal prosecutors drop felony vandalism charges against former Olympian David Hearn, admitting the Lincoln Memorial…
Trump defends $1.8B 'anti-weaponization fund' for Jan. 6 defendants, further complicating Todd Blanche's attorney general…
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has ordered sheriffs and local police to terminate 287(g) agreements with ICE by August 25 under a…
Senate Republicans delay Todd Blanche's attorney general vote over a $1.8 billion DOJ settlement fund linked to Trump's IRS…
The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged at 3.5%-3.75% for the fifth consecutive meeting, citing elevated inflation…
President Trump visits Michigan to defend tariffs amid slow job growth and rising costs from the Iran war, while negotiations…
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faces a pivotal Senate confirmation hearing, with scrutiny over his order granting Trump…
ICE halts most vehicle stops after fatal shootings in Texas and Maine. Investigations underway, political backlash grows.
Acting AG Todd Blanche faced bipartisan Senate questioning over his relationship with Trump, the Epstein files release, and a…
An ICE officer shot and killed a 26-year-old Colombian man in Biddeford, Maine, during an immigration operation. The victim…
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican immigrant, was fatally shot by ICE agents who mistook him for a target. The DHS says he was…
President Trump refuses to sign a bipartisan housing bill over a voting act standoff, but the legislation will become law at…
Despite broad public support for comprehensive reform, partisan incentives continue to block legislative progress. We analyze…
Procedure, leverage, and legislative chess
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House Republicans are threatening to block $350 billion in Pentagon spending unless Trump reverses his Russia oil tariff…
6 min read
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Homeland Security Investigations searched Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington, D.C. home Monday as part of a criminal probe into her…
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Trump pressured Sen. Tom Cotton over the stalled Sunshine Protection Act by appearing to post his cellphone number, escalating…
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The Senate approved the Protect College Sports Act 77-22, setting up a federal framework for NIL, transfers and revenue…
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand that eight sailors in the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group…
House Republican leaders canceled Thursday votes, sending lawmakers home early for the midterm recess and delaying a vote on…
The House passed a Democratic-backed Iran war powers resolution 220-204, its third rebuke of Trump, as reports detail U.S.…
FBI Director Kash Patel defended loosened hiring rules on prostitution and bestiality and clashed with senators at a Senate…
Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right at a Senate hearing on COVID-19 origins, accusing Sen. Rand Paul of an…
President Trump delivered a eulogy for Sen. Lindsey Graham at Washington National Cathedral, calling him a 'true American…
The House approved a short-term funding bill to keep the government open through Dec. 4, but the measure faces an uncertain…
Darline Graham, sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, was sworn in Tuesday to fill his seat, a historic first sibling…
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a key ally of Donald Trump and influential voice on foreign policy, died Saturday evening from a…
Sen. Lindsey Graham died suddenly at 71, prompting tributes from Trump, world leaders, and raising questions about his South…
Sen. Lindsey Graham's sudden death prompts bipartisan calls to pass his Russia sanctions bill and a scramble to fill his…
Mitch McConnell's health mystery deepens after staff admission he was found unconscious, may have suffered heart attack,…
Calls to reform or abolish the legislative filibuster have intensified, but the 60-vote threshold retains defenders on both…
Long-form reports built from primary sources, polling data, and institutional context — not hot takes.
