President Trump’s return to a U.S. military blockade on Iranian ports this week marked another dead end in his bid to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The restart of the blockade — which first began in mid-April and held until last month when a tenuous deal to begin peace
President Trump is getting ready to address the nation on Thursday evening, but the speech comes as his political troubles are piling up. The war on Iran, unpopular since its inception, has been restarted at Trump’s behest. A new Economist/YouGov poll shows 65 percent of
There is not a clear favorite in the GOP Senate primary race to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), according to a new poll. The Republican senator was in the middle of seeking his fifth term in the upper chamber but passed away suddenly 71 after an aortic
House Republican leaders are facing pressure from the clock and from their own members over a $95 billion reconciliation 3.0 framework that they will attempt to advance out of the Budget Committee on Thursday, raising questions about whether the package will make it out of the
Dan Kleban is something of a celebrity in Maine. For the past 20 years, he’s built the Maine Beer Company alongside his older brother, Dave. His IPA Lunch beer, not to be confused with its equally well-known sibling Dinner, has become a Vacationland staple. Kleban started the
The Trump administration has removed a slavery exhibition at the home of former President George Washington in Philadelphia, according to The Associated Press. A slavery-focused exhibit at Washington’s home was swapped on Wednesday out by the administration with another
The New York Times has filed a motion pushing back against subpoenas issued to its reporters from the Trump administration following a report on the new Air Force One, the paper reported Wednesday. According to the Times, the outlet’s top newsroom lawyer, David McCraw, said in
The Texas Republican left Blanche's confirmation hearing unsatisfied by what he heard.
Lawmakers and Trump administration officials took to the stage at the second Hill Nation Summit on Wednesday in Washington, meeting with reporters at The Hill and NewsNation to talk about the news of the day. The event was a bipartisan gathering where lawmakers and officials
Meanwhile, the likely GOP nominee is building his war chest.
President Trump said on Wednesday evening that Iran has freed a U.S. citizen as a gesture of goodwill after recently increased tensions between Washington and Tehran. “Iran has allowed an American Citizen, who was wrongfully detained in December of 2024 under the ‘presidency’
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who is exploring a possible run for president in 2028, says that Democratic leaders have not done a good job explaining what the party is for and how it would improve Americans’ lives, instead focusing too much on opposing President Trump. “I
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Two of President Trump’s most recent health nominees, including his newest pick to be head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), appeared before the Senate on Wednesday where a reluctance to break with the administration put Democrats and some Republicans on
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Maverick Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has said he has “no plans” to leave the Democratic Party, but he warned on Wednesday that if Democrats completely turn their backs on U.S. support for Israel, that would cross a red line that could push him out of the party. “If our party
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that a high-speed internet grant program signed into law by President Biden unconstitutionally used race as a factor in deciding where to dole out the funds. U.S. District Judge John Bates heavily cited the Supreme Court’s decision invalidating
The Pentagon on Wednesday announced it will convene a panel to study the “decisions, coordination, planning, and execution” of the military’s 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate, a rule that led to the dismissal or departure of more than 8,700 service members. Defense Secretary Pete
Close to half of Americans believe the Iran war will stretch a year or beyond from now, according to a new poll, as tensions reignite between Washington and Tehran. In a poll from The Economist/YouGov, 46 percent of respondents said the war will go on “a year or more” from now.
The House on Wednesday passed an appropriations bill funding the State Department, national security and other programs for fiscal year 2027, sending the measure to the Senate for consideration. The lower chamber voted 217-209 to pass the measure, with one Democrat crossing the
{beacon} Technology Technology Your feedback matters to us. Take our brief newsletter survey to help us improve the newsletters you read every day. The Big Story Lieu bashes GOP colleagues for strategy on AI Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) on Wednesday expressed concern about the
House Democrats split nearly evenly on a Wednesday amendment to cut off U.S. aid to Israel, showcasing how the contentious issue is reshaping the political dynamics in the party. The amendment spearheaded by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) was always presumed to be a doomed show
The Elon Musk-owned xAI is suing a South Carolina man who allegedly used the company's Grok AI chatbot to generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In a lawsuit reported earlier by Reuters, xAI claims Terry Wayne Harwood "knowingly and intentionally used Grok to circumvent
The U.S. military disabled an unladen oil tanker attempting to sail to an Iranian port in the Arabian Gulf on Wednesday, the first instance of the U.S. forces crippling a vessel since President Trump reimposed the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz this week. A U.S.
The Federal Communications Commission will vote next month on whether a single company can own broadcast stations that reach more than 39 percent of US TV households. In a Breitbart op-ed on Wednesday, Republican Chair Brendan Carr announced an August 6th vote to end the
Acting attorney general Todd Blanche pledged on Wednesday to take action to stop abortion medication from being available through the mail. Blanche committed to Republican senators he would prioritize taking action on mifepristone if confirmed but declined to go into
President Trump is reportedly considering a return to all-out war against Iran as he seeks to break a stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz and force Tehran’s hand in nuclear negotiations. The U.S. military has resumed strikes over the past week, mostly targeting air defense and
Views of the United States and President Trump are worsening around the globe, according to a survey published by the Pew Research Center on Wednesday. At the same time, China and its leader, Xi Jinping, are gaining more favorability, marking a reversal in worldwide opinions.
“We’ve been lied to,” one House Republican said Wednesday of GOP leadership.
The White House is planning to strip commercial driver’s licenses from undocumented immigrants and effectively automatically transfer them to military veterans. “My administration will soon take historic action to get illegal alien truck drivers who are just killing a lot of
Data centers are expected to add billions in electricity costs across 13 states in the years ahead after a recent power auction. Grid operator PJM this week announced the results of an auction to buy power for the 13 states that it serves for June 2028 through May 2029.
Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) on Wednesday addressed the international race to achieve dominance over artificial intelligence and the importance behind each country’s efforts to take the lead. “China and Russia and Iran would love nothing more than for us to say, absolutely, no
The amendment to block military assistance failed, but partisan split cemented the increasingly polarized view of the U.S. ally.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday faced what one lawmaker said was more of a performance evaluation than a job interview as he seeks to secure his post as the top law enforcement official for the country. The tough questions came not just from Democrats, but
Nearly 7,000 people in the country may have cyclosporiasis, a parasitic foodborne illness that can cause weeks of intestinal unrest and diarrhea, according to the latest federal figures. There are 1,645 lab-confirmed domestic cases, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Nearly every member of the House Democratic Caucus signed onto a letter demanding an independent investigation into two fatal shootings carried out in the span of a week by officers at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “We are calling for immediate independent
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared to have a verbal slip-up about his role during his confirmation hearing for attorney general on Wednesday. In the hearing, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) asked Blanche if he has a friendship with President Trump. “I'm his lawyer — was
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) introduced a bill Wednesday that would require prediction markets and online sportsbook to use facial recognition to verify users' ages to avoid minors from placing bets or trading on platforms. The New Jersey Democrat announced the bill alongside
During negotiations with the U.S. in Switzerland last month, the Iranian government reportedly warned Vice President JD Vance that President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner were undermining the chances of a peace deal. Drop Site News reports
Bedrock civil rights milestones are at risk of withering away under the Trump administration—including in the physical sense. Hot conditions in a new National Park Service exhibit under the Lincoln Memorial are imperiling rare 1860s copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and
Vice President J.D. Vance is suggesting Republicans have a relatability problem with voters. The second in line to the presidency said as much during an appearance on Joe Rogan's popular podcast this week, arguing more voters find Democrats "cool" than they do Republicans.
House Democrats on Wednesday slammed Russell Vought over his tenure as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), heralding his upcoming departure. It marked Vought’s first appearance before Congress in his role leading the consumer watchdog agency,
The U.S. military conducted a second wave of strikes against Iran on Wednesday, targeting Tehran’s ability to threaten ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, as President Trump mulls attacks against the nation’s bridges. The strikes, which began at 3 p.m. EDT, come
Mexico has formally asked U.S. state attorneys to open criminal investigations into the deaths of Mexican migrants who died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. At least 17 Mexican nationals have died
Wildfires burning in Canada and Minnesota sent smoke blowing over a huge swath of the U.S. on Wednesday, giving the sky an apocalyptic haze. The smoky skies are likely to linger – and even worsen – in the next couple days before there's a chance of improving.
Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), the most vulnerable Senate Democrat up for reelection this year, took Jay Clayton, President Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, to task over the administration's focus on debunked claims that the 2020 elections were fraudulent. In a
A trio of Democrats are raising alarm that a bipartisan sanctions bill targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine gives President Trump unacceptable tariff authorities. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee,
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) will join with survivors of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to voice their opposition to President Trump's nomination of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to serve full-time
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday threw cold water on the idea of launching a bid to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in the Senate. “There’s going to be a primary in South Carolina, and I will not be in it,” Bessent told the Washington Examiner in an