August 2026
Former Kansas Sen. Nancy Kassebaum remembered as trailblazer
Former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker, who broke multiple barriers for women in the Senate, has died at the age of 94. The Kansas Republican died of natural causes in hospice care on Aug. 21, her son Bill Kassebaum confirmed to The New York Times. Memorials came in from across the political spectrum in Kansas. Democratic […]
Mail-in voting battle continues as midterms near
With just 10 weeks left before the midterm elections, the White House is still hoping there’s enough time to restrict voting by mail. On Monday the Trump administration submitted another brief to the Supreme Court, re-upping its plea for urgency as November approaches. The Postal Service issued new regulations Friday aimed at mail-in ballots, pursuing […]
Stopgap funding bill’s hemp troubles aren’t over
House GOP leadership faces a balancing act next month as they work to avert a partial government shutdown while navigating internal tensions over the Senate-proposed delay of a ban on sales of certain intoxicating hemp-derived products. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris has been sounding the alarm since the Senate on Aug. 8 passed a […]
The name Trump didn’t utter while stumping for Darline Graham
Ralph Norman. Those were two words President Donald Trump notably did not speak Friday night despite being on stage in Myrtle Beach, S.C., for about 80 minutes. The rally was meant to boost Sen. Darline Graham in a South Carolina GOP primary runoff, slated for Tuesday. By not mentioning her opponent, a five-term House member, […]
Congress’ wide age gap comes into focus
Iowa Sen. Charles E. Grassley, the oldest member of Congress, was born in 1933, the year Prohibition ended. On the other end of the age spectrum, Congress’ youngest member, Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost of Florida, was born in 1997, the year Google registered its domain. That’s an age gap of some 64 years — about […]
Progressive Aisha Wahab wins California special election for Swalwell’s seat
California state Sen. Aisha Wahab has won the special election to succeed Democratic former Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned in April amid allegations of sexual misconduct. With more than 95 percent of the vote counted, Wahab was leading fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez, the president of the Bay Area Rapid Transit board, 53 percent to 47 […]
A Massachusetts primary tests Democrats’ appetite to ‘change the culture’
PEABODY, Mass. — The 2026 midterm primary cycle has been a year of tests — both ideological and generational — for Democrats across the nation. A race for a House seat north of Boston poses another question: Are voters looking for a candidate with powerful connections and a raft of experience or are they seeking […]
Trump creates beef with ranchers over new import plan
President Donald Trump’s new plan to temporarily allow more tariff-free foreign beef into the U.S. in an effort to bring down prices has only ramped up tensions with domestic cattle ranchers, who warn the policy could hurt both U.S. producers and consumers. The backlash comes as Republicans face mounting pressure over the cost of living […]
White House ballroom construction can proceed, SCOTUS says
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to a Trump administration request to temporarily set aside an appellate court ruling that would have stalled above-ground construction on the planned White House ballroom. The one-sentence order, signed by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., did not provide any explanation for his decision, which he said is temporary […]
Trump tries to shrug off opponents’ rush to define him as lame duck
By continuing to tease a bid for a legally prohibited third term, President Donald Trump could delay what every second-term president resists: becoming a lame duck. Any president approaching the final two years of their second term eventually becomes that weakest of political birds. Lawmakers, foreign governments, political donors, journalists and potential successors start looking […]