The Strait of Hormuz is still closed, and it isn’t poised to open anytime soon. Donald Trump signaled on Wednesday that he intends to keep the U.S. blockade in place until Iran cries “uncle” and says, “We give up.” The longer the strait stays closed, the less likely any sort of
Getting into generational discourse is not unlike diving deep into astrology: Every vague, contradictory statement feels true, especially when it’s what you want to hear. Are millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, lazy or hardworking? Are they romantics or cynics? Are
The Supreme Court’s decision this week to destroy what remained of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 compels us to consider structural reforms to the court itself to preserve the republic. By giving a de facto blank check to Republican-led states to racially gerrymander Black
A group of Senate Democrats are questioning Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) recruiting and broader political strategy heading into the 2026 midterm election after his prize recruit in Maine, Gov. Janet Mills (D), announced Thursday she would drop her bid to
Now that the Supreme Court has gutted yet another piece of the Voting Rights Act, this one concerning redistricting, here’s one thing we know for sure: Democrats will have to enter into a new era of procedural total war. That might make many of them uncomfortable, but when it
Public polls are showing that Democrats now have the advantage over Republicans on the economy, a milestone. Strikingly, Politico reports that a newly-leaked memo from a GOP-aligned group actually confirms the same thing. The memo warns that the group’s internal polling and
The Congressional Progressive Caucus on Wednesday unveiled their new agenda ahead of the midterm elections to demonstrate a path for how the Democratic Party can tackle cost of living issues facing millions of Americans. The caucus dubbed their plan the "New Affordability
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) on Thursday defended Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner (D), who has faced criticism for past controversial online posts and a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, saying that "people should have second chances." Van Hollen addressed Platner in an
Six transgender Idaho residents on Thursday sued the state over a new law banning them from using sex-designated public restrooms in public buildings and private businesses, asking a federal judge to strike the law from the books. Lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is knocking down the price of a PreCheck membership during the month of May, for qualifying customers.
The Koch-backed Republican super PAC Americans For Prosperity (AFP) warned in a memo that the GOP-controlled majority in the Senate is at risk unless senators focus on the cost of living. AFP's senior adviser Emily Seidel and Executive Director Nathan Nascimento pointed to the
In a 6-3 decision on Wednesday, the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana's second majority Black congressional district, ruling it an unconstitutional gerrymander. The ruling has significant implications for future applications of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), which activists
Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Hegseth complicates Iran war 60-day clock Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth argued on Thursday that the 60-day clock for the war with Iran stopped
The House took a major step in passing a Senate bipartisan bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday, but the tougher fight over funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol still lies ahead. Republicans are aiming to
Welcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story Inflation hit 3.5 percent in March as Iran war drove prices higher Prices grew at a far faster rate in March as the war in Iran drove a significant increase in
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) made it clear that he’s not thrilled with Graham Platner (D) becoming the presumptive Democratic Senate nominee in Maine, declaring that “Republicans f‑‑‑ing love him” because of his liberal policy positions and controversial statements. “Democrats
President Trump on Thursday blasted The New York Times and CNN over their coverage of the U.S.-Israeli conflict in Iran, calling the latter outlet "stupid" and claiming the former's coverage was "actually seditious." Trump had signed an executive order to expand workers’ access
{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story Brent briefly reaches four-year high Global oil prices surged to a four-year high overnight before retreating somewhat early Thursday as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and the prospect of a deal to end
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Thursday that the U.S. is “not at war” with Iran, as the 60-day mark since Congress was notified of the conflict approaches. “I don’t think we have an active, kinetic military bombing, firing or anything like that. Right now, we are
Democrats are coalescing around progressive political outsider Graham Platner and his bid to oust incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine after primary rival Gov. Janet Mills ended her struggling bid Thursday. Mills, who is term limited as governor, jumped into the
{beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story Senators ban themselves from prediction markets The Senate unanimously agreed to a resolution Thursday barring its members from trading on prediction markets in the face of growing concerns about insider trading on the platforms.
Conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly said Wednesday he was "absolutely wrong" with his past defense of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel in the wake of remarks the host made before the White House Correspondents' Association dinner shooting. O'Reilly told Chris Cuomo on
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez (D) slammed Meta on Thursday for threatening to shut down its social media platforms in the state following a jury's verdict against the company, calling it a “PR stunt.” In a court filing shared with The Hill, Meta said the state of New
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said Thursday that Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) deciding to move forward with the state's Senate primary election next month was “disappointing.” Landry signed an executive order earlier Thursday suspending the House primary elections in Louisiana, a
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tangled with Senate Democrats Thursday during his second day of hearings on Capitol Hill, sparring with lawmakers over President Trump’s war with Iran, the Pentagon’s massive $1.5 trillion defense budget request and potentially sending troops to
Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 death—ruled a suicide by a New York City coroner—has been pored over by conspiracy theorists. The financier was arrested for running a child sex-trafficking ring, and was friendly with many politicians and celebrities. His trial could have led to the
It has been more than two months since the U.S. and Israel launched joint military operations on Iran at the end of February. Since the first strikes on Feb. 28, 13 U.S. service members have died in the conflict and hundreds more have been injured. Additionally, Iranian
A former Department of Justice (DOJ) official and federal prosecutor slammed former FBI Director James Comey’s recent indictment, saying the case “has zero merit.” “It makes no sense. This is something that brings stain and dishonor on the department, on its leadership, on the
During an April 17 congressional hearing, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called for retraction of a new Danish study that didn't find a link between Tylenol and autism, repeatedly calling it “garbage” and baselessly suggesting that it was
Congress has reauthorized Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act - but only for another 45 days. The extension is meant to give legislators more time to negotiate reforms to the controversial wiretapping bill. If the past few weeks are any indication of how
The way the White House is operating, it seems that the United States doesn’t want allies. Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Thursday that he’s open to the idea of pulling troops from other allies Italy and Spain due to the European continent’s lacking support for
The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced a bill Thursday to ban minors from artificial intelligence companions and prevent AI chatbots from exposing children to sexual or harmful content. The Guidelines for User Age-verification and Responsible Dialogue (GUARD) Act,
Staffers who signed the “Katrina Declaration,” an open letter critical of the Trump administration, have been reinstated at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “We have been reinstated,” Abby McIlraith, one of the signatories, told The Hill in a Signal message.
The U.S. national debt crossed 100 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) at the end of March, with signs that it might cross the record of 106 percent of GDP reached immediately after World War II. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released data on the national debt reaching
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) on Thursday suspended the May 16 primary elections for the House in his state, a day after the Supreme Court ruled that Louisiana’s addition of a second majority-Black congressional district was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Landry
President Trump joked Thursday about the possibility of him wearing a bulletproof vest in the future in the aftermath of a third assassination attempt, joking that he does not know if he “can handle looking 20 pounds heavier.” The comment elicited laughs in the Oval Office
A federal indictment against former FBI Director James Comey hinges on the meaning of "86." The Department of Justice said it indicates a threat of physical harm, while the more common dictionary definition is to throw out or get rid of something. The post Definition of ‘86’
Republicans in Congress voted to fund the Department of Homeland Security Thursday, effectively ending the 76-day shutdown of the department. The bill, passed by a voice vote in the House, is a win for Democrats, as it still includes no money for ICE or Border Patrol , and is
The U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday that new caps on federal loans for graduate school programs will go into effect July 1. The department said this decision is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the costs of postsecondary education and
CNBC host Jim Cramer on Thursday slammed the newest inflation report signaling financial gloom for the coming months. The Personal Consumption Expenditures index, which reflects changes in the prices of goods and services purchased by consumers in the U.S., rose by 0.7 percent
Close watchers of the Supreme Court knew that the conservative supermajority was about to murder what was left of the Voting Rights Act. Wednesday's decision in Louisiana v. Callais took down Section 2 of the law, clearing the way for racist gerrymandering, because it is now