June 2026
Trump’s unsupported claims about Reflecting Pool vandalism
by Kate Yandell ANALYSIS — President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed vandals for damaging the new blue lining of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which is now peeling, as well as for algae in the water. But the administration has not provided evidence to back up the president’s claims. Experts say the pool’s ills have […]
Senate college sports bill authors plan talks with House
The authors of a Senate college sports bill say it’s time to bring House Republicans and Democrats into discussions, as the clock is ticking to get the measure to President Donald Trump’s desk before the long August recess. Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said the push to advance the bill through the […]
Federal AI security center measure advanced by House Science
A measure that would put into law a key federal office focused on artificial intelligence advanced Thursday out of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, as part of a slate of AI-focused and data center bills. The committee advanced the bills on a bipartisan basis, but put off potential changes regarding funding levels for […]
At the Races: Waiting on SCOTUS
Welcome to At the Races! Each week we bring you news and analysis from the CQ Roll Call campaign team. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can subscribe here. By Mary Ellen McIntire and Daniela Altimari The end of June brings thunderstorms, fireworks and Supreme Court rulings. And one still outstanding case could have […]
Supreme Court sides with Monsanto over cancer warning
The Supreme Court blocked thousands of state lawsuits against leading pesticide maker Monsanto over the ingredients in the popular weed killer Roundup, in a decision Thursday that potentially sends the tussle to Congress. The 7-2 opinion held federal law governing pesticide labels overrides state law claims about a label failing to warn about the alleged […]
Judge blocks Trump order to restrict mail voting
A federal judge in Massachusetts on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to restrict mail voting in federal elections in the states that challenged it, finding the executive branch and mail service did not have the power to do so. Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts […]
‘The Senate sucks’: Chambers clash over voter ID bill inaction
Emboldened by President Donald Trump, a core group of House conservatives redoubled their calls for the Senate to pass the voter ID bill known as the SAVE America Act this week, bringing other business to a standstill and tension between the two chambers to a boiling point. The sweeping voter ID and elections overhaul bill […]
Supreme Court lets US end Haiti, Syria immigrant protections
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that courts cannot review most Department of Homeland Security decisions on which countries qualify for Temporary Protected Status, in an opinion that allowed the Trump administration to strip the deportation protections from immigrants from Haiti and Syria. The 6-3 decision overturned lower court rulings that had preserved the protections for […]
Supreme Court allows policy to curtail asylum claims
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration could restart an Obama-era policy known as “metering” that prevents immigrants from making asylum claims by halting them from reaching the border with Mexico. The Trump administration had asked the justices to overturn a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit to […]
Supreme Court invalidates Hawaii gun possession law
The Supreme Court invalidated a Hawaii law Thursday that barred the possession of guns on private property without the owner’s consent, the latest in a series of rulings that expanded federal gun rights. The 6-3 decision from the justices follows a high court ruling from four years ago that expanded federal gun rights outside the […]