Elections

The Department of Government Efficiency has officially ceased operations, ending a high-profile effort to slash federal spending and staffing. Its shutdown closes a controversial chapter of the administration's cost-cutting agenda.

At a key preliminary hearing ahead of the murder trial, a former Utah Valley University police officer described the chaos that followed the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, while prosecutors laid out graphic evidence against the accused killer. Kirk's family, including his widow Erika, attended the proceedings as the case moves toward trial.

Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner faces a wave of demands to quit the race after a woman accused him of sexual assault, prompting party leaders and campaign committees to begin withdrawing endorsements days before the state's ballot deadline. Platner said he would step back from the trail to 'reflect,' leaving Democrats scrambling for a replacement in a contest that could decide Senate control.

Marine Le Pen awaits an appeal verdict in her embezzlement case that could determine whether she can run for the French presidency. The ruling carries major stakes for France's political future.

New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's Fourth of July speech drew sharp reactions, with Rep. Ro Khanna praising it while conservatives branded it communist rhetoric. Speaker Mike Johnson warned Democrats of more 'Mamdanis' rising in the party.

Michigan Democrat Mallory McMorrow suspended her U.S. Senate campaign, reshuffling a pivotal battleground primary that could help decide control of the chamber. Her exit boosts far-left candidate Abdul El-Sayed and other rivals as she pledged to back the eventual nominee.

House Speaker Mike Johnson pledged the House would pass the SAVE America Act voter ID measure 'one more time' as part of a reconciliation bill, following Trump's July 4 warnings about 'communism.' Johnson also warned of more democratic socialist 'Mamdanis' emerging in American politics.

Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party reelected its leadership at a party congress, as tens of thousands of protesters clashed with police outside the venue. The party's continued rise has intensified tensions in German politics and drawn large demonstrations.

Megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton released his first Senate campaign ad, telling voters 'it's time for something different.' The launch marks the prominent United Methodist leader's entry into electoral politics. His candidacy draws attention to the crossover of pulpit and public office.

Florida has voted to bar illegal immigrants from enrolling in the state's public colleges and universities. Supporters frame it as protecting taxpayer-funded resources, while opponents warn of harm to students. The measure adds to the state's aggressive immigration enforcement posture.

A watchdog report found the Secret Service missed 102 radio calls warning about the gunman who opened fire at a 2024 Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The findings detail communication breakdowns in the run-up to the shooting. The report renews scrutiny of security failures that day.

Conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori has been officially declared the winner of Peru's presidential runoff election. Her victory marks a decisive shift for the country after a turbulent political period. She is the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to announce a proposal to make the seizure of ballots a felony during a July Fourth address. The move comes amid heightened national debate over election integrity. Supporters frame it as protecting the vote.

Former special counsel Jack Smith said he is 'very concerned' about the integrity of the midterm elections under the Trump administration. He warned the DOJ 'can't do its job' amid judges' distrust of prosecutors.

The FBI is directing hundreds of analysts to review records in a dramatically expanded investigation of Georgia's Fulton County 2020 presidential election. Reports say roughly 260 staffers have been ordered to assist. The move comes amid broader personnel shakeups, including a top FBI agent in Chicago being pushed to retire.

Tucker Carlson said he is building a new political party following a public break with the Republican Party, threatening to scramble the right's coalition.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it made 10,000 arrests in five days as the agency surged operations following the Supreme Court's birthright citizenship decision.

President Trump announced that Republicans will hold an unprecedented 'midterm convention' in Dallas this September, an event with no modern precedent in American politics. The gathering is aimed at energizing the GOP base ahead of the 2026 midterms. Trump billed the move as a 'historic event' for the party.

Twenty-nine-year-old Democratic socialist Melat Kiros unseated 15-term Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado's 1st District primary, positioning herself to become the first Gen Z woman in Congress and extending the far-left's primary winning streak. In the same round of Colorado primaries, Attorney General Phil Weiser edged Sen. Michael Bennet for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, John Hickenlooper won renomination for Senate, and progressive Manny Rutinel took the battleground CO-8 nod. Rep. Lauren Boebert survived a Trump-encouraged primary challenge and advances to November.

Cryptocurrency companies have poured roughly $189 million into the 2026 U.S. elections so far, according to a new report, cementing the industry as one of the cycle's biggest political spenders. The figure underscores crypto's escalating push for influence in Washington.

New Jersey Rep. Tom Kean Jr. returned to Congress after months of unexplained absence, revealing that depression had kept him away. Colleagues including Rep. Ritchie Torres expressed sympathy while urging greater transparency about lawmakers' health.

The House decisively rejected war powers resolutions aimed at limiting U.S. military action in Iran and Lebanon, with Democrats joining Republicans to defeat Rep. Rashida Tlaib's measure in a lopsided vote. The outcome underscored bipartisan resistance to curbing the administration's military posture in the Middle East.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to state laws banning so-called assault weapons, setting up a major Second Amendment case over whether bans on rifles like the AR-15 are constitutional. The case could reshape gun regulation nationwide.

The Supreme Court rejected President Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship, ruling on constitutional grounds that the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to nearly all children born on U.S. soil. Trump called the decision a betrayal and floated pursuing a constitutional amendment through Congress, while Justice Alito's dissent called the ruling a 'serious mistake.'

The Supreme Court struck down decades-old limits on coordinated spending between political parties and candidates, a ruling conservatives hailed as a First Amendment victory and critics blasted as handing more power to wealthy donors. Sen. Chris Murphy called the court an 'arm of the oligarchy' in the wake of the decision.

A divided Supreme Court upheld state laws allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive afterward, a ruling that drew sharp reaction from Trump and conservatives pressing the SAVE America Act.

Cities across the United States held Pride parades over the weekend, but the celebrations were not all friendly to Democratic leaders: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was booed at a Pride event, a sign of grassroots frustration on the left. The scenes capture a party wrestling with an energized progressive base.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told migrants to seek permanent legal status or leave the country, reaffirming a hardline deportation stance after an apparent backtrack and following a Supreme Court ruling clearing the way to strip temporary protected status.

President Trump branded Janeese Lewis George, the front-runner to be Washington D.C.'s next mayor, a 'communist' and vowed to block her agenda, while signaling he would still meet with her. The clash sets up a fresh confrontation between the White House and the capital's left-leaning leadership.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says a democratic socialist can win the U.S. presidency, while rejecting any idea of amending the Constitution's natural-born citizen rule. Mamdani argues he and the candidates he endorsed carry a national message for the Democratic Party.

Texas AG Ken Paxton credited God with delivering him from his legal battles as he campaigns for Senate, while declining to say whether rival James Talarico is going to hell and signaling he wants to 'look more into' in vitro fertilization.

Former President Joe Biden returned to the trail at a Maryland Democratic Party gala, attacking President Trump and defending his own record amid intraparty debate over the Democrats' direction.

Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow won the Louisiana Senate runoff against Clay Fleming, securing the GOP nod to replace Bill Cassidy and handing the president another endorsement victory.

Bill Maher told Vice President JD Vance on HBO's 'Real Time' that his vote is 'in play' as the Democratic Party drifts toward socialism, while also pressing Vance over Trump's election-fraud claims. Vance countered that the U.S. wins 'either way' on Iran, in a wide-ranging and combative interview.

An Alaska judge ruled that a man also named Dan Sullivan may appear on the Republican Senate ballot against incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, overturning election officials' attempt to block him over the shared name. The decision is a setback for officials who argued the candidacy would confuse voters.

Democratic strategist James Carville called for a formal 'schism' between mainstream Democrats and socialist candidates, arguing their policies are out of step with most voters and that they 'can't be in the same party.' His comments reflect mounting establishment anxiety after democratic socialists swept several New York primaries.

President Trump announced he will nominate Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper and U.S. Marine with nearly three decades of law enforcement experience, as the next permanent director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Trump praised Schroyer as a 'patriot with real operational experience' who ran a deportation campaign under an ICE-partnered program.

As Democrats argue they need 'manlier' candidates, Vox examines whether New York's rising socialist figure Zohran Mamdani fits the bill. The piece explores how masculinity has become a flashpoint in Democratic politics.

A New York poll worker said two federal officers visited her at a voting location during the state's primaries to confront her about a social media post criticizing ICE. The episode has raised questions about federal presence at polling sites.

One of the country's most contentious Republican primaries reaches its conclusion as Trump-endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow takes on John Fleming in a Louisiana Senate runoff to replace Bill Cassidy. The race is another test of the strength of Trump's endorsement on the ballot.

About 5 million people have dropped ACA insurance after Trump and the GOP allowed enhanced subsidies to lapse and premiums to climb, NPR reports. The exodus signals growing strain on the health insurance marketplace.

A new study suggests common food preservatives may raise blood pressure and heart risks, adding to scrutiny of additives in the American diet. Researchers urged further investigation into the cardiovascular effects.

HUD Secretary Scott Turner touted the Trump administration's faith agenda and accused the prior Biden administration of sidelining Christians. His comments fold into the White House's broader religious-liberty messaging.

The FCC is accused of hiding Chairman Brendan Carr's communications with DOGE and Elon Musk, raising transparency concerns about the agency's dealings. Critics say the withheld records bear on regulatory decisions.

The Trump administration's Religious Liberty Commission issued findings calling for the building of 'bridges' between church and state. The report drew sharp lines in the ongoing debate over the proper relationship between government and faith.

President Trump attacked left-wing New York Democrats as 'godless communists' during the Faith & Freedom Coalition conference, framing communism as the biggest threat facing America on the eve of its 250th birthday. The remarks test a religious-liberty-focused midterm message.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom called for a national billionaires tax, declaring 'it's time for an economic reset.' Critics noted he is simultaneously fighting a similar proposed wealth tax within his own state.

Pete Buttigieg said he endured his 'darkest hours' after being temporarily separated from his children following a false report to child protective services. Police characterized the incident as a hoax swatting-style targeting of the former transportation secretary.

House Oversight Chair James Comer issued two subpoenas to billionaire Leon Black as the congressional panel investigating Jeffrey Epstein escalated its probe. The unusual move targets Black over alleged nondisclosure agreements tied to the Epstein network.

Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty to mishandling classified documents, a striking resolution to a case that had drawn intense political attention. The plea closes one chapter of the long-running dispute between Bolton and the administration.