‘This is just the beginning’: 1 year in, there's no end in sight for Congress’ Epstein probe

No smoking guns have been found, but the Oversight Committee is likely to continue probing powerful associates of the late, convicted sex offender.

How we got here ...

Cheyenne Hunt: Democrats drew a ‘red line’ with Platner

The progressive Democratic lawyer was key to bringing forward sexual misconduct allegations against former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.).

Collins’ allies think Platner's exit makes her reelection bid tougher

Collins' team thought Platner's baggage gave her the best shot at reelection.

Secret Service advised Trump to not fly Qatari-gifted Air Force One

The Secret Service advised President Trump not to leave the NATO Summit in Turkey on the newer Qatari-gifted Air Force One, according to a Wednesday report. Sources familiar with the matter said the president flew out of Ankara on the older Air Force One model out of an

Trump on Platner rape allegations: ‘A lot of people say big falsehoods’

President Trump weighed in on the accusations against former Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner on Wednesday, questioning whether people should believe the sexual assault allegations against the Democrat. “It's really a question of whether or not you believe the woman. A

GOP rips Platner on the way out

Top Democratic groups recommit to Maine Senate race after Platner drops out

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Senate Majority PAC had abandoned Graham Platner in the wake of POLITICO’s report of a sexual assault allegation.

Troy Jackson makes his Senate run official

The former state Senate president was an ally of Graham Platner's during his recent campaign for governor.

Trump stops to transfer from old to new AF1 in the UK on the last leg of NATO trip

President Trump stopped in the United Kingdom on Wednesday to transfer from the old Air Force 1 to the newer Qatari vessel for his last leg of the trip home from the NATO summit in Turkey. Iran warned that it has “no red lines” when it comes to its defense, leading some to

No Platner paperwork yet

Senate Majority PAC back in

Graham Platner Finally Drops Out After Campaign Filled With Red Flags

Maine’s embattled Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner dropped out of the race on Wednesday after a former partner accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2021. “We believe for the movement to continue, it can’t be me and for that reason, we are suspending campaign

Scandal-plagued Graham Platner drops Maine Senate bid

Graham Platner, the oyster farmer whose populist platform took Maine by storm, dropped his Senate bid Wednesday night as controversies over his past stacked up, leaving Democrats without a nominee to take on Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) this fall. "We're suspending campaign

Trump on Platner: ‘It’s really a question of whether you believe the woman’

These were the president’s first public comments on Graham Platner amid the fallout from POLITICO’s report of a sexual assault allegation.

Democrats weaponize Big Beautiful Bill

Click in for more news from The Hill {beacon} Healthcare Health Care The Big Story Democrats weaponize Big Beautiful Bill Democrats in some of the most competitive races are looking to make Republicans’ “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” an albatross to hang on vulnerable

Maine Democrats plan nomination convention to choose Platner replacement

The convention would include roughly 600 elected delegates.

Top lawyer for military joint chiefs stepping down early, citing 'personal reasons'

The senior legal counsel to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine is stepping down nearly a year ahead of schedule — the latest top official to leave or be pushed out of the Pentagon since the start of the second Trump administration. Brig. Gen. Eric Widmar told

Maine brewery owner throws hat in ring to replace Platner

A Maine brewery owner on Wednesday threw his hat in the ring to replace Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner following accusations of rape. Dan Kleban, owner of Maine Beer Company in Freeport, published a Wednesday Substack post expressing his interest in the nomination

The Memo: Trump’s tough talk on Iran raises big question — will the US return to war?

The United States launched a fresh wave of attacks on Iran on Wednesday, marking the second successive night of offensive action. The new strikes, which were announced in a social media post by U.S. Central Command (Centcom) shortly after 4 p.m. EDT, were far from a surprise.

Actor Patrick Dempsey pours cold water on possible Senate bid in Maine

Patrick Dempsey will not attempt to go from the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital to the real U.S. Senate. Dempsey, a native of Lewiston, Maine, who is perhaps best known for his role on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," said Tuesday he will not run for Senate in his home state, as

Lawmakers demand answers after fatal ICE shooting in Texas

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are calling for an investigation after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shot a Mexican immigrant in Houston on Tuesday. An ICE spokesperson said officers with the agency had tried to conduct a vehicle stop as part of a

US strikes Iran as Trump says truce 'over'

Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story US strikes Iran as Trump says truce 'over' The U.S. military resumed strikes against Iran on Wednesday, aiming to further decimate its ability to

OpenAI moves ahead with new model release

{beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story OpenAI to publicly release new model after delay OpenAI will release its most advanced model series, GPT 5.6, to the public Thursday after delaying the public rollout at the request of the Trump administration. © AP Photo/Alex

Republicans prepare $8 million ad campaign against possible Platner replacement

Republicans are preparing to launch an $8 million ad blitz against the candidate selected to replace Maine Senate Democratic nominee Graham Platner in the wake of sexual assault allegations. In May, the super PAC Pine Tree Results spent $2 million on YouTube and television ads

Iran strikes drive oil price gains

{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story Iran strikes drive oil price gains The end of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire is driving oil prices higher and creating uncertainty for future energy prices. © Filip Singer, Pool Photo via Associated Press On Tuesday,

Iran ceasefire's end drives up oil prices and uncertainty

The end of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire is driving oil prices higher and fueling uncertainty over future energy prices. On Tuesday and again Wednesday, the U.S. said it was striking Iran in retaliation for attacks on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump,

These products could be impacted if Trump ends trade with Spain

President Trump on Wednesday said the U.S. will cut off trade with Spain, a move that would impact billions of dollars in goods across a swath of industries if carried out. “Spain is a wasted cause. We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore by the way,” Trump

Platner, Democrats battles over his replacement

Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner’s staffers on Wednesday accused the Democratic party of excluding grassroot supporters from determining who would replace the embattled party nominee in the November general amid allegations of sexual assault. Platner’s campaign manager,

Democratic infighting roils process to replace Platner in Maine Senate race

Maine Democrats are looking to quickly turn the page on Senate candidate Graham Platner’s imploding campaign and select a new nominee ahead of a looming Monday deadline, but escalating tension between his campaign and the state party is threatening Democrats’ hopes of salvaging

Former Wisconsin Judge Avoids Prison After Standing Up to ICE in Court

A former judge was spared a prison sentence Wednesday after being convicted for helping an immigrant evade ICE agents in her Wisconsin courtroom. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman only gave Hannah Dugan a $5,000 fine, saying, “I think this is a situation where an otherwise good

Vance targets H-1B visas as anti-fraud tour visits battleground Wisconsin

Vice President Vance made a stop in Milwaukee on Wednesday to tout the administration’s crackdown on fraud, announcing that the Labor Department has launched investigations into foreigners involved in the H-1B visa program. H-1B visas are employer-sponsored, nonimmigrant visas

Trump Secretary Says Bike Lanes Are DEI

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Tuesday that his department would redirect $1.73 billion in Biden-era grants away from establishing “ DEI bike lanes ” to build roads and bridges instead. So, what exactly is a “DEI bike lane?” The Daily Wire pointed to former

Markey, Moulton look to capitalize on antiestablishment mood in Massachusetts Democratic Senate debate

The two Democrats vying for Massachusetts’s Senate seat wrestled to position themselves as the challenger in this race during a Wednesday debate, amid a growing appetite from voters across the country for antiestablishment candidates. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) launched his

U.S. Navy Commander Declared Dead as Trump Reignites Iran War

A U.S. soldier who went missing in the Arabian Sea was declared dead just as Trump reignited his war on Iran. The missing soldier was identified Tuesday as Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5 commanding officer Gabriel Edwards. He and three other soldiers were forced to

US military resumes Iran strikes as Trump ramps up rhetoric

The U.S. military resumed strikes against Iran on Wednesday, aiming to further decimate its ability to disrupt maritime traffic, hours after President Trump threatened to unleash a “big attack” on the country. "At the direction of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command

Iranian official issues warning to Trump over new threats: ‘We have no red lines’

An Iranian official on Wednesday warned Gulf states that Iran has “no red lines” when it comes to its defense, following a threat from President Trump to launch another “big attack” on Iran in retaliation for its attacks on commercial ships. “The Gulf states that have stood

Trump hands Zelensky major wins, with Putin on the ropes

President Trump on Wednesday kindled a significant thaw in relations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when the two met on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey, as Ukraine seizes the initiative in its more than four-year war against Russia. Trump announced the

Faith groups urge White House to release funding for HIV/AIDS prevention

Five faith-based organizations are calling on the White House to release funding for HIV/AIDS prevention abroad that Congress already appropriated. In a letter sent to Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, the groups urged full funding for the President’s

Court rules Florida restrictions on race, gender education at colleges violate free speech rights

An appeals court on Tuesday ruled that part of Florida’s law restricting how race and gender are taught in classrooms, specifically provisions restricting how those topics are taught in colleges, violates free speech rights. In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the

'We do not believe them': Family, advocates want answers after fatal ICE shooting

Houston-area officials are comparing the shooting death to those of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

Former Wisconsin judge convicted after thwarting ICE arrest issued fine, avoids prison

Former Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan will not serve time in prison and instead will pay a $5,000 fine after being convicted of federal obstruction for ushering a defendant from Mexico out of her courtroom to avoid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. U.S. District

Trump Denies Disaster Aid for Four States That Didn’t Vote for Him

President Trump rejected FEMA disaster aid requests from four blue states last Friday, after accepting the aid requests of six red states just two days before, according to Politico . This continues his blatant trend of prioritizing petty political beef over sorely needed FEMA

Appeals court denies Trump's bid to pause Kennedy Center name removal while appeal plays out

An appeals court on Wednesday denied President Trump’s bid to pause the removal of his name from the Kennedy Center while he challenges a lower court ruling. A three-judge panel determined the administration’s lawyers did not prove the president or the performing arts center

Trump Has Blown More Than $100 Billion on Iran War

The U.S. president has indicated that he’s done negotiating with Tehran, that the ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. is over, and that the public can expect more strikes to be exchanged between the two nations—a decision that is bound to rack up some monumental costs. A new

Troy Jackson deletes past X posts about Graham Platner

Jackson, hoping to run if Platner drops out, is attempting to distance himself from the disgraced Senate candidate.

Maryland lawmakers to meet in August for special session on redistricting

State lawmakers in Maryland will meet for a special session next month to discuss a ballot initiative on redistricting, with Gov. Wes Moore (D) backing the move. In a joint release, Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson (D) and state House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D)

IMF warns of sharp slowdown in global economy

The global economy is on track for a sharp downward trajectory, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned on Wednesday. Global growth is projected to decline from 3.5 percent in 2025 to 3 percent in 2026 before climbing back up to 3.4 percent in 2027, according to a July

Trump returning to US on old Air Force One amid Iran threats

President Trump confirmed Wednesday that he's taking the old Air Force One back to the U.S. from Turkey but deflected questions about security concerns regarding the new Qatari-donated model. Trump said the new $400 million Air Force One would be sent home through Europe so

Judge orders release of $5.8M Trump owes E. Jean Carroll

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the release of $5.8 million to E. Jean Carroll three years after the jury awarded payment for damages caused by President Trump. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said Carroll should receive the funds, which were placed in an escrow account while