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John Fetterman accidentally calls himself ‘a lifelong Republican’ Social and news media commenters seize on senator’s gaffe, with some characterizing it as a Freudian slip With speculation about whether he may defect from the Democratic party swirling around him, US senator John Fetterman described himself seemingly unintentionally as a “lifelong Republican” during a fireside chat in Texas over the weekend. Fetterman made the comment when someone listening to him speak with CBS News political correspondent Major Garrett at the Texas Tribune Festival on Saturday asked the Pennsylvania senator why he had not become an independent. “Because I’m a lifelong Republican,” Fetterman replied. Garrett promptly corrected him by saying, “Democrat,” as Fetterman raised a hand and shook his head in disbelief.

Texas Republican called for public execution of Democratic leaders – report Bo French, who is running to lead a state agency, has in the past posted controversial and racist statements online Bo French, a Texas Republican running to lead a powerful state agency, has a history of making controversial social media posts, including calling for the public execution of Democratic leaders, according to a recent investigation from CNN’s KFile team. French, who is running to lead Texas’s railroad commission, has recently faced criticism from members of his own party after making a racist post on social media. Powerful Republicans, including the Texas senator John Cornyn, said they would not support French in the upcoming election. But the latest spat over French’s social media has led to a deeper look at his online history. In a review of old posts from social media accounts that seemingly belonged to French, CNN’s KFile team found that the Texas Republican repeatedly called for public executions of opponents. In 2020, French used a now-suspended X account to seemingly call for the execution of former president Barack Obama and other Obama administration officials that he believed had disseminated false information about Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election.

Trump cancels nearly $1bn in funding approved by Congress Trump using rare power to revoke expenditure with bipartisan approval to aid immigrant services Donald Trump is canceling nearly $1bn in spending approved by Congress, the White House announced on Friday, using a rare and contested power to axe funding for immigrant services and diversity-focused initiatives. Trump’s office of management and budget described the funding cut as focused on “the most harmful government spending”. Most of the cuts are focused on services for immigrants, including non-profits that serve refugees and unaccompanied minors accused of being in the country illegally. The administration says the funds are no longer necessary because illegal border crossings have diminished considerably.

Jim Jordan predicts third Trump impeachment if Democrats take control of House Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on Sunday predicted that Democrats will impeach Trump for a third time between his two presidencies if they take control of the House after the November midterm elections. Jordan suggested in an interview on “Cats Roundtable,” the WABC 770 AM radio show hosted by John Catsimatidis, that Democrats will take the legislative branch’s oversight capability “and turn it into a weaponization of government.” “They say they’re not going to, but we know they will –– they’ll do a third impeachment of President Trump,” Jordan told the host. “But that’s just part of it. They’re going to investigate the first family, they’re going to investigate cabinet secretaries.”

Trump personally helped orchestrate taxpayer-funded ads promoting himself and his policies, source says Donald Trump has personally driven the controversial, taxpayer-funded video ads promoting himself and his administration’s policies, including helping select the imagery and videos used, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. Two Trump advisers familiar with the ads said that they were being created in-house by the White House video team — which is part of the communications team, responsible for the administration’s public messaging. Coming just over a month before the November midterms, the ads have generated bipartisan criticism over how the Trump administration is spending taxpayer dollars.

‘The weaker he gets, the more dangerous he gets’: Trump lashes out as his power wanes Trump tries to dominate at the UN as his approval ratings plummet and even some Republicans stray from the script Donald Trump stood before the United Nations on Tuesday and threatened to “annihilate” Iran. Yet even as the most powerful man on the planet flexed his military muscles, he was powerless to keep the gravitational pull of domestic politics at bay. Heading into the UN building in New York, the US president was questioned by Kaitlan Collins, an anchor at CNN, which he had banned from the White House before a judge ruled against him. “I’m surprised that CNN is here covering me,” the 80-year-old snapped. “You should not be here covering me.” The lashing-out was a reminder that even Trump, who has expanded executive power and dominated the national consciousness, finds some things beyond his control. Indeed, 20 months into his second term, there is a widening gap between the president’s self-perceived invincibility and the reality of his waning influence. Federal courts are reining him in. Congressional Republicans are straying from the script. Poll numbers are tumbling to historic depths, driven by persistent inflation, rising fuel costs and an increasingly unpopular war in Iran. For the first time since his improbable political resurrection, Trump’s aura of authority is fading.

Hegseth confirms plan to cut 20% of US top military brass and rails at ‘beardos, weirdos and wimps’

Talarico leads Paxton by 5 points in Texas Senate race poll A new poll shows Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico leading Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ® by 5 points over a month before the November midterm elections. The Texas Public Opinion Research (TPOR) poll released Friday showed Talarico with 49 percent support from voters and Paxton with 44 percent support, with 3 percent saying they are undecided. This new poll is the second in a monthly series of polling results released by TPOR. Last month’s poll showed Talarico’s ahead by 6 points, 48-42. Independent voters favor Talarico by double digits, 58-26, with 5 percent who say they are undecided. Paxton holds the lead among white voters and voters 55 years and above. Talarico leads among Latino voters, Black voters, voters under 55, college-educated voters, men and women, the poll stated.

Republicans fear North Carolina and Georgia Senate races are slipping from their grasp Some Republicans are growing worried that two key Senate races once considered critical to holding their majority are slipping from their grasp. In more than a dozen interviews with campaign officials, senators and operatives, there is recognition that North Carolina and Georgia are looking less competitive than the party once anticipated and that decisions need to be made soon about whether to keep investing, even as party officials insist they are not walking away from their candidates there. Republican senators like North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, said it was time for the party to make some tough decisions about spending.

Trump asked Xi Jinping if China would like to buy US weapons, American ambassador says David Perdue’s remarks come after a Taiwanese minister spoke of the ‘severe’ military threat posed by Beijing to the self-ruled island Donald Trump offered to sell weapons to China while hosting its leader, Xi Jinping, last week, the US ambassador to China said on Sunday. David Perdue told Fox News on Sunday: “President Trump continues to say, hey, we sell arms to other people around the world. He actually asked President Xi, would he like to buy some at one point.” The extraordinary claim came during an interview about US policy on Taiwan, which has been waiting for months for Trump to approve a new arms sales ⁠package worth $14bn, after a record multi-billion dollar deal was unveiled in December last year. Trump’s level of commitment to protecting Taiwan has previously been questioned. At a meeting with Xi in Beijing in May, ⁠Trump said he was keeping the $14bn Taiwan arms sales package in abeyance, describing it as a “very good negotiating chip” in dealings with China.

Democrats to probe lucrative Trump family business deals if they win midterms Corporate donors to Donald Trump’s ballroom and participants in business deals brokered by Trump family members are expected to be among the first targets of investigations if Democrats take control of the House or Senate ​in November’s midterm elections, multiple Capitol Hill staffers, lawmakers and attorneys told Reuters in recent days. Control of either chamber would give Democrats subpoena power and funding to bolster investigative staff, enabling them to launch probes as early as February ‌and potentially triggering lengthy legal battles that would place the Trump family business empire squarely in the spotlight. The investigations could dominate the second half of Trump’s term after two years of dealmaking in which the Trump family expanded into crypto, drones, artificial intelligence and prediction markets, while the president’s personal wealth grew by an estimated $2.2 billion.

House Democrats plan vast oversight of Trump administration. Impeachment is an option House Democrats are preparing a vast oversight agenda, with investigations of President Donald Trump, his family and his administration if the party sweeps control of the chamber from Republicans in the November elections. The undertaking is as robust as it is daunting, spanning several House committees. With majority power comes bigger budgets and staff, and the ability to investigate, subpoena and potentially course-correct what the Democrats say are widespread corruption and abuses of power. Impeachment of the Republican president and Cabinet officials is not off the table. “There is a cost to the American people of the out-of-control corruption,” said Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who is in line to become House speaker if Democrats win control at the Capitol.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem files for divorce from her husband of 34 years Noem, who was tasked with leading Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown from January 2025 to March 2026 and previously served as South Dakota’s governor, is seeking a divorce from Bryon Noem in their home state. The two married in May 1992 and have three children. The filing, submitted to the court in April but posted online on Monday, comes after questions arose earlier this year about the nature of Kristi Noem’s relationship with a top adviser. The complaint, filed in Hamlin County, South Dakota, notes “irreconcilable differences” as grounds for the divorce.

As AI images become common, the threat to elections draws alarm: ‘How will voters know what’s true?’ Deepfakes and misinformation driven by artificial intelligence have become a point of deep concern for legislators, advocates and the public A poll taken mid-June by Rad Campaign, a digital marketing agency, and Women Who Tech, an advocacy organization for female entrepreneurs, showed that about 71% of respondents worry about AI-generated deepfakes and disinformation affecting elections, while two in three respondents said they were concerned about AI being used to sexualize women. “The findings show that Americans are more concerned about AI’s use in deepfakes, election disinformation, and the sexualization of women and children than its impact on jobs or the economy,” said Allyson Kapin, founder of the Rad Campaign and cofounder of Women Who Tech. The Trump administration has a penchant for deploying AI imagery. In January, the White House’s official account on the social media platform X posted a digitally altered image of Nekima Levy Armstrong, who had been arrested in connection with a demonstration that disrupted church services in St Paul, Minnesota.

She helped lead a far-right internet movement. Then it turned on her. Inspired by female conservative influencers, Amy Dangerfield worked to become one of Nick Fuentes’s model “groypettes.” A vicious fight left her grappling with the dark side of far-right fame. She’d done everything she thought men expected of women on the far right, so when the hatred came for Amy Dangerfield she felt so depressed she could barely stand. She’d moved from Australia to the United States in 2017 with a dream of spreading her internet-inspired beliefs: that women had driven men to madness through rejection and disrespect; that society needed strong men to survive. She’d worked to distinguish herself from the glut of women she thought had been conned by the poisonous promises of feminism, recording dozens of videos on their and her biological inferiorities as she fought to build a 100,000-subscriber YouTube page and a self-made career. Then, this spring, she tried to do something on her own. She organized a small political event in Ohio called America First United, believing she could help spin Fuentes’s online movement into offline activism. But within hours of the first panel, the groypers turned on her, labeling it a disloyal attempt to undermine Fuentes’s leadership.

Jimmy Kimmel says James Talarico interview won’t air on TV after Trump’s FCC threatened his show The late night host announced that his interview with the Texas Senate candidate will only air on YouTube Jimmy Kimmel says that his interview with Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico will not air on TV after President Donald Trump’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) threatened Jimmy Kimmel Live!, ABC, their affiliates, and local stations. During his Wednesday monologue, Kimmel said that while Talarico would stop by the show for an interview on Thursday, viewers at home won’t be able to watch it on broadcast television. Instead, the interview with the Democratic nominee has been relegated to YouTube. “Tomorrow night, I’ll be interviewing James Talarico — tomorrow night, under unusual circumstances,” Kimmel began. “You know, for a lot of years, for the whole 20-plus years of our show, in fact, I’ve been interviewing Americans who are running for office with no problem at all, just like Letterman did, Leno did, Arsenio, et cetera, et cetera. I’ve interviewed a lot of political candidates from Hillary Clinton to Ted Cruz to Donald Trump himself.”

JD Vance says Republicans got tired of being ‘called racist’ for noticing America ‘becoming dirtier’ While speaking on the final night of the GOP midterm convention, Vice President JD Vance said the country was “poorer” and “dirtier” before President Donald Trump was reelected for a second term. “We were tired of being called racists for noticing that our country was becoming dirtier and poorer, and less safe and less prosperous,” Vance said on the final day of the two-day convention in Dallas, Texas. His sentiment appeared to reflect the administration’s efforts to combat rising immigration rates in the U.S., a key campaign point during the 2024 election. Vance himself promoted unsubstantiated claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, in September 2024, spreading misinformation about the community abducting and eating pets.

John Fetterman rejects claim that he's a bad senator, Democrat The Pennsylvania senator has regularly criticized his party, sparking speculation he could caucus with Republicans after the 2026 midterms. At the Texas Tribune Festival, he called on Democrats to embrace a diversity of views. Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. John Fetterman defended his position in the Democratic Party on Saturday, arguing there should be more room for different opinions in the party. At the closing keynote of the Texas Tribune Festival, Fetterman said he doesn’t have a reason to join the Republicans, pointing to the fact that he joins the Democrats on most partisan votes. “I don’t have a reason to,” Fetterman said. “But for a big-tent situation, it’s easier to be included in that big tent to say America deserved 9/11 or America is worse than Al-Qaida than being very proud to stand on the side of Israel.” In a wide-ranging interview, Fetterman also pushed back against reporting from The Wall Street Journal this month that the senator dodged constituent meetings, drawing accusations that he was disinterested in doing the job of a senator.

Trump, hoping to salvage midterms, makes dubious pledge to give every US adult $5,000 if GOP wins

ICE sued by voting rights groups to block agents at the polls: ‘Only meant to scare people and suppress votes’ A coalition of civil rights groups and voting rights advocates are suing to block Donald Trump’s administration from deploying immigration enforcement agents to polling places on Election Day. The administration has not explicitly outlined plans to send armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to the polls, but top officials have repeatedly suggested that federal agents could show up to respond to “threats” or make an immigration arrest. But that’s illegal, according to Thursday’s lawsuit, which was joined by the city of Denver. Under federal law, the only reason federal agents or the U.S. military can show up to polling places is to “repel armed enemies of the United States,” the lawsuit states. “The specter of armed officers at polling places threatens the freedom of this upcoming election,” according to the complaint.

Your health insurance bills are about to go up The premium increases stem in part from rising healthcare costs, including higher prices for medical care and expensive prescription drugs. Most Americans can expect to pay significantly more each month for health insurance next year, whether they get it through work, the Affordable Care Act or Medicare. In some cases, the premium increases may be the largest in decades and are driven by numerous economic pressures. But they won’t look the same for everyone. Some will pay more in the form of higher copays or deductibles. “Healthcare costs are going up faster than they have in years, and open enrollment is when the healthcare affordability crisis is really going to hit home for people,” said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF, a nonpartisan research group. “That’s true for whatever kind of insurance you have.” Prices have shifted upward in every corner of daily life.

Food-borne illnesses, funding cuts and layoffs: MAHA movement’s glaring limitations are now showing Policies enacted by RFK Jr have not delivered the expected results, but have instead hindered people’s ability to eat healthy Cyclospora in leafy greens, E coli in frozen blueberries, salmonella in jalapeños – multiple food-borne illness outbreaks in the US, alongside massive cuts to food assistance programs and to the federal agencies charged with food safety, are showing the limitations of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, experts say. “The policies that we’re enacting are the exact opposite policies one might look to to help people eat healthier,” said Jessica Knurick, a science communicator and registered dietitian with a PhD in nutrition science. When Maha took power, Marion Nestle was hopeful. Perhaps the most prominent voice in food policy, Nestle has written several books and once served as a senior nutrition policy adviser at HHS. She hoped Robert F Kennedy Jr, secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and his supporters would take on the food industry as promised. “They’ve got the power. They’ve taken over health and human services. Run with it,” she remembers thinking. “They didn’t.”

Democrats eye a new tool to hold Trump accountable if they win the House With two months until the midterm elections, Democrats are laying the groundwork to launch far-reaching investigations into the Trump administration and preparing for high-stakes court battles if they win control of the House of Representatives in November. Donald Trump’s war with Iran, his White House ballroom project, his family’s business dealings and the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files will be among the top targets of investigations if Democrats take back the House, according to conversations with over a dozen Democratic lawmakers and aides. Democrats don’t want to squander the opportunity to act as a check on Trump if they reclaim the majority and say they have learned a lot since the last time the party controlled the House while Trump was in office. Few say they are interested in launching an impeachment process on day one, and many instead are eyeing a new tool that would be at their disposal to try to quickly compel the testimony and documents they seek: lawsuits.

Reports: Kennedy Center warns of bankruptcy unless Trump’s name returns Officials at the Kennedy Center warn it faces “certain fiscal collapse” within weeks unless Donald Trump’s name is added back to the building, according to documents obtained by The New York Times and The Washington Post. The warning appears in a draft resolution circulated to the performing arts center’s board of trustees ahead of a special meeting Tuesday, the outlets reported. The center says it could be unable to make payroll or pay routine maintenance contracts within weeks and risks bankruptcy, according to the documents. Trump has offered to raise the money needed to keep it afloat – but only with “appropriate recognition” of his role, without which he is unlikely to lead the rescue or oversee a planned renovation, the resolution says, according to the two outlets.

Fetterman blasts ‘disgruntled staffers’ and ‘smears’ after report details apathy toward his work Sen. John Fetterman is lashing out at former aides who accused him of showing indifference toward his work and of routinely skipping constituent meetings, dismissing them as “disgruntled staffers” pushing “smears” to tarnish his reputation. The first-term Pennsylvania Democrat broke his silence this weekend after The Wall Street Journal published text messages and cited former staffers who contended Fetterman has grown more keen on ingratiating himself with conservative media than on the critical work expected of a United States senator. Now, former Fetterman staffers have created an anonymous account on X and are threatening to share further unflattering details about the senator, who is facing sagging approval ratings within his own party amid battles with the left over Israel, Iran and immigration — all as he stares at a potential run for reelection in 2028. The senator bluntly warned in July that he would leave the Democratic Party if it adopts an anti-Israel policy — one of his most direct threats yet.

Postal Service chief says work stopped on computer system key to Trump effort to limit mail voting The top official at the U.S. Postal Service said Thursday that the agency has stopped work on developing a controversial computer system that was central to Donald Trump’s effort to limit mail voting after the Supreme Court rejected his executive order this week. “There’s an injunction so we’re not doing anything,” postmaster general David Steiner told The Associated Press in an interview. Steiner, a onetime chief executive of Waste Management, has spent most of the past year atop the postal service navigating political and financial challenges. He’s pressing Congress for changes that would help him resolve what he has called a “liquidity crisis.” And Trump’s efforts to largely eradicate mail voting turned the postal service into an unlikely arbiter of who is eligible to vote just months before this year’s critical midterm elections, a role Steiner seemingly had little interest in playing. Unlike Trump, who was sharply critical of the Supreme Court decision and ridiculed some of the justices, Steiner offered no assessment of the court’s action.

Trump withdraws controversial nominee to lead ICE after backlash over his credentials Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper with limited direct experience in immigration policy, is close to DHS head Markwayne Mullin ICE has been without a Senate-confirmed head since the Obama administration. David Venturella stepped back into the agency to serve as acting director earlier this year following the official departure of Todd Lyons, who recently resigned from his leadership position. Department of Homeland Security officials were reportedly up in arms over the nomination as critics inside DHS questioned Schroyer’s qualifications. They wanted Veturella to keep running the agency, Politico reported in August. “We don’t want [Schroyer]. We don’t need him. Leave us alone. We are running better than ever,” one unnamed official told the publication. “People need to stop telling us how to do what we do best.”

Supreme Court backs Republican request to lower TV ad rates The Supreme Court on Friday endorsed a request from Republican campaign groups that want to buy discounted TV advertising for this year’s midterms, the latest in a series of emergency rulings from the high court benefiting the GOP. The decision effectively upholds guidance issued by the Federal Communications Commission in March that allowed the campaign arms of House and Senate Republicans to pay lower ad rates that were previously reserved only for candidates. The court’s order will primarily benefit Republicans, who generally raise more money through party committees than Democrats.

Freedom Fuel gas stations sold stolen fuel, lawsuit claims Freedom Fuel gas stations, which the Trump administration promoted last month, sold fuel that its supplier never paid for, a lawsuit filed earlier this month claims. The suit, which attorneys for Mansfield Oil Company filed in U.S. District Court in Eastern Pennsylvania on Aug. 19, alleges that foreign corporation KRSM obtained in excess of 1.1 million gallons of fuel from the former company’s account from May 21 through July 7. The fuel cost nearly $4 million, the 179-page lawsuit states. But as of Aug. 17, KRSM had not paid for the fuel, despite Mansfield — a foreign corporation with offices in Gainesville, Ga. — sending revised invoices to the defendant on July 17.

Trump calls for NBC’s Kristen Welker to face ‘rebuke or punishment’ from the FCC Treating the Federal Communications Commission like his own personal enforcer, Donald Trump said on social media Sunday that NBC’s Kristen Welker would be “reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment” over a TV segment he didn’t like. In a separate post, Trump complained in all caps about “fake polls” and said “something must be done about it,” adding, “FCC to the rescue!” The posts were Trump’s most explicit efforts yet to direct the FCC to carry out his wishes. FCC Chair Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee and close ally, did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on the matter.

JD Vance mocks Joe Biden’s health while leading first press briefing since Karoline Leavitt’s exit

Trump wants the midterms to be all about him. Republicans are going along. Donald Trump wants the midterm elections to be all about Donald Trump. Republicans think they have little choice but to go along. Many of those Republicans ― or at least the political operatives working for them ― are fully aware they don’t really want the president to show up in their districts. Trump is deeply unpopular, with voter anger at his decision to launch a costly war in Iran and his failure to lower prices driving his approval rating down into the 30s in most public opinion surveys. But downballot Republicans, who have seen their majorities in the House and Senate become deeply endangered, are not responding by breaking with Trump. They long ago decided on a midterm strategy of tying themselves to the president in hopes of turning out low-propensity conservative voters, and they are desperate for his political operation to spend the hundreds of millions of dollars he has hoarded so far.

Why Erika Kirk failed as Turning Point USA’s leader One year after Charlie Kirk’s death, the organization is a joke — even on the right When Charlie Kirk was alive, his wife Erika had a retrograde role that was easy to understand. She didn’t use the word, but she was a tradwife. Her position at Turning Point USA, the organization her husband co-founded in 2012 to promote conservative politics on high school, college and university campuses across the country, was essentially to dote on him as her leader. After they married in 2021, she became the evidence that Charlie Kirk was living up to his own beliefs about male leadership — and female submission — at home during the crucial period that he was rebranding himself as an evangelical leader from the secular libertarian he had been.

Soaring number of mail ballots thrown out for lateness under Trump More mail-in ballots are being tossed for lateness than before—an ominous warning ahead of November’s elections. The U.S. Postal Service’s capability could be what decides the November elections. Election officials are sounding alarm bells that the snail-mail service may not be fit to handle the volume of mail-in ballots this midterm cycle. An analysis published Monday by The New York Times revealed that more mail-in ballots were tossed in 2026 and 2025 than in other years. The Times examined some of the most heavily contested battlegrounds in 12 states—California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington—and found that ballots were discarded for lateness at a higher rate than previously recorded.

Milo Yiannopoulos ‘ashamed’ of supporting Trump after his ICE deportation Milo Yiannopoulos, the British commentator once aligned with the American far right, has publicly denounced his past support for President Donald Trump after being detained and deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last week. Yiannopoulos said during a Tuesday appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored: "To think that the promise and hope and joy and the anticipation of Trump 2016 could, sort of, over the course of 10 years, collapse into this ugly, warmongering, whole mentally ill heap of crazy with some of the most unstable and lunatic people, seemingly directing the president’s actions. "If I had any clue that anything remotely like this was even possible, I would never have got involved in supporting Trump in the first place and I’m very ashamed that I did.”

Trump admin pick to oversee a conspiracy investigation into president’s foes resigns after DOJ clashes The Trump administration’s pick to oversee a conspiracy investigation into the president’s foes has resigned under pressure from the Justice Department. Joe diGenova stepped down from his role overseeing DOJ’s vast so-called conspiracy investigation amid disagreements with top Justice Department officials over the pace of the south Florida-based probe that was intended to pursue possible charges against a swath of Donald Trump’s top political foes, according to people briefed on the matter. DiGenova’s resignation came after a series of clashes with top Justice officials, including one in recent days with someone who advised him he had lost the confidence of his superiors, one of the people briefed on the discussions said.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, met privately in recent weeks, according to two people familiar with the meeting. Jeffries and Kushner discussed an array of topics, including possible areas of common ground, the sources said. Although Kushner does not have an official role in the current administration, he has remained deeply involved, especially on issues related to foreign policy, and continues to serve as an outside adviser to the president. The timing of the talks is striking. The midterms are less than 75 days away and Republicans are facing headwinds in recent polls. Democrats feel cautiously optimistic about their chances of taking the House and Jeffries would be in line to be the next speaker.

DHS voter probe may break state laws and wrongly implicate US citizens, whistleblower alleges A last-ditch Trump administration effort to hunt for noncitizen voters ahead of November’s elections is requiring federal employees to misrepresent themselves on voter lookup tools in a way that likely violates state laws, according to a federal whistleblower’s statement released Monday. The Department of Homeland Security probe known as the “Unlawful Voter Initiative” also asks employees to create federal law enforcement records about voters based on unreliable data, the account warns. That could potentially wrongly implicate U.S. citizens in official documentation that could spur further investigation. The anonymous, nearly 30-page disclosure was published Monday by Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California, the ranking member of a Senate committee overseeing federal elections.

Trump ‘border czar’ denies Milo Yiannopoulos was deported quickly to spare him from ICE detention Tom Homan denies British far-right commentator, who was deported one day after arrest, got preferential treatment Yiannopoulos’s removal one day after his arrest, when many others who have been deported had first endured lengthy detention center incarcerations, has prompted questions about whether he received preferential treatment in that respect. Homan said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, was trying to speed up the deportation process. DHS had quickly publicized Yiannopoulos’s arrest on Thursday at an airport in New Orleans – where he may have travelled to attend a concert by rapper Ye, formerly Kanye West, on Friday at the city’s Caesars Superdome. Officials with DHS touted Yiannopoulos’s arrest on Friday. By Saturday morning, Yiannopoulos’s name was removed from a list of people in ICE detention, and DHS confirmed that he had been deported to the UK on Friday – one day after his arrest.

Elon Musk won't face election bribery charges in Wisconsin, state prosecutor says Elon Musk will not face charges for promising to give $1 million to voters in a 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election because no jury would find that constituted election bribery, a state prosecutor said Tuesday. Musk, the founder of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla, was deeply involved in the effort to flip majority control of the highest court in battleground Wisconsin last year. But the candidate he and Republicans backed lost to Democratic-supported Susan Crawford, whose victory preserved liberals’ majority on the court. The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission in July referred two complaints to the Brown County district attorney’s office for possible charges, saying Musk likely broke the law. La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke was later appointed as a special prosecutor because of a conflict of interest.

Trump’s ex-labor secretary drank on job and created ‘toxic’ work environment, report alleges Labor department report alleges Lori Chavez-DeRemer also made a staffer attend a strip club while on a personal trip Donald Trump’s former secretary of labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, drank during working hours, kept alcohol on federal property and made a staffer attend a strip club while on a personal trip, according to a new report by the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General . Chavez-DeRemer was appointed by Trump to serve as labor secretary in January 2025 and resigned in April 2026 amid the misconduct allegations. The 38-page report contains striking allegations that Chavez-DeRemer “engaged in an inappropriate relationship” with a bodyguard, accepted gifts without properly reporting them under ethics rules and directed employees to perform personal tasks for her, including going to her home to organize her bedroom closet during work hours. The report also said she contributed to a “toxic, intimidating and humiliating” work environment.

Minneapolis police arrested far-right influencer Jake Lang and six of his supporters for rioting Saturday outside city hall. Police said Lang and his entourage drove onto the sidewalk in front of city hall toward a crowd. Social media videos showed Lang standing in the bed of a pickup truck with a sign that included a racial slur. Videos showed Lang and his fellow activists clashing with counterprotesters. Minneapolis police eventually came out from city hall, with Lang driving off around the same time.

New Mexicans meet Trump’s threat to change state’s name with ridicule and outrage

Far-right British provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos has been deported after his immigration arrest in US British far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos has been deported back to the United Kingdom after his arrest by American immigration authorities, U.S. officials said Saturday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Yiannopoulos was returned to his home country on Friday after being accused of overstaying after entering the U.S. legally in May 2019. A immigration judge had issued a final order of removal on July 22 after he failed to show up for an immigration hearing, a Homeland Security spokesperson said. Yiannopoulos was arrested Thursday at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Louisiana and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Macho, macho men? Democrats talk masculinity on campaign trail after years of Trump's bravado This year’s midterm elections will turn on many issues. The Iran war, tariffs, inflation. Immigration, taxes, health care. But there is another, potentially potent undercurrent in several key races that could determine control of Congress — what makes a real man? It’s the latest example of tough-guy politics since Donald Trump brought his own version of masculinity to the trail more than a decade ago, belittling Republican rivals and defeating two Democratic women in his White House campaigns. Now many Democrats are trying to project their own manhood — or at least more confidently deflect conservatives’ attacks — as they try to return to power.

Elon Musk’s super PAC starts spending to help GOP in midterms, including Texas’ Ken Paxton Elon Musk’s super PAC has disclosed its first spending on behalf of Republican candidates, providing roughly $800,000 to help congressional contenders across several states, new filings show. The expenditures by America PAC, made in August and disclosed on Wednesday night to the Federal Election Commission, cover printing costs – a sign that Musk’s political operation is focused on direct voter outreach. The spending includes help for candidates competing in high-profile Senate races from Maine to Texas. The largest share of the newly disclosed spending, more than $247,000, went to aid Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general who has been vastly outspent on the airwaves by Texas’ Democratic nominee James Talarico. In recent weeks, America PAC’s feed on X has targeted Talarico, arguing that his views are out of touch with Texas voters.

More voters identifying as Democrats and not calling themselves Republican Latest data from Gallup, showing 49% leaning Democrat and 39% Republican, marks sharp reversal from 2024 More voters are identifying as Democrats and shying away from calling themselves Republican, according to the latest quarterly data published by Gallup. Some 49% of voters surveyed leaned Democrat, including independent voters asked to pick one party or the other. Only 39% of respondents leaned Republican. That 10-point spread marks a sharp reversal from the four-point advantage that Republicans held over Democrats in the fourth quarter of 2024, when voters sent Donald Trump back to the White House and Republicans swept both houses of Congress. Democrats are seeing their most sizable advantage since 2008, when Barack Obama was elected president, according to the New York Times.

Excavation work on Trump’s towering, gilded arch to begin over next two weeks Project that critics say will disrupt historic sightlines in Washington DC is facing a lawsuit The Trump administration said on Thursday that excavation work will start over the next two weeks on the site where it plans to build a towering, gilded arch, a project that is facing a lawsuit and that critics say will disrupt historic sightlines in Washington DC. The proposed arch is one of several projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave his lasting imprint on Washington, including renaming and renovating the Kennedy Center, building a huge new White House ballroom, refurbishing the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool and rebuilding a golf course in East Potomac Park that could significantly reduce the public’s access to running and biking paths.

The U.S. Venezuela oil deal won't lower your gas prices The Trump administration announced an agreement with the Venezuelan government on Friday to develop a vast amount of Venezuela’s oil reserves. The U.S. government says it is entering into a joint venture with a private Venezuelan company, according to an official who spoke to NPR on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the deal. The Trump administration says the U.S. would get 55% of the oil from the joint venture. That’s equivalent to about 65 billion barrels of oil that’s under the ground. On Truth Social, President Trump called it the “biggest oil deal in the world.” But energy experts say there are many reasons to be skeptical.

Ex-mayor Dan Sullivan supports incumbent Dan Sullivan’s Senate bid against third Dan Sullivan Endorsement of Republican incumbent over challenger with same name adds twist to unusual campaign in Alaska Dan Sullivan supports Dan Sullivan against Dan Sullivan in Alaska’s US Senate election, says a former Alaskan mayor who recently backed the race’s Republican incumbent over a challenger sharing their name. That development provided another of multiple absurd elements to Dan S Sullivan’s campaign for a third term in the US Senate, which – beside Mary Peltola, a former Alaska Democratic congresswoman – has drawn opposition from Dan J Sullivan. Dan J Sullivan emerged from an 18 August primary to join a four-candidate field rounded out by Dan S Sullivan, Peltola and one other contender. His presence in the field for the general election during the 3 November midterms has prompted accusations that he is a Democratic plant aiming to draw enough votes away from Dan J Sullivan – whose name was positioned consecutively to him on the primary ballot – so that Peltola can win.