Like Americans today, the people living in the United States in 1826 were preparing to celebrate a milestone for their country. July Fourth of that year marked the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

As what was known as the “Jubilee” of American independence approached, Americans realized that the founding ...Read more

In recent months, some prominent conservatives and erstwhile allies of President Donald Trump – former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and journalist Megyn Kelly, for example – have voiced their displeasure with him on several issues. They range from Trump’s handling of the Iran war and the economy to the release of information ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Just six months ago, the prospect of winning the Senate majority seemed far outside of Democrats’ grasp. The party was coming off steep 2024 losses, and the path to netting the four seats needed to win control of the chamber wound through several deeply Republican states.

But Democrats now say their midterm picture is ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Political activist Denise Powell has won the Democratic primary for Nebraska’s open 2nd District, a battleground seat that both parties say will be crucial to determining control of the House this fall.

Powell was leading state Sen. John Cavanaugh, 39% to 37%, in a crowded primary when The Associated Press called the race ...Read more

President Donald Trump is wielding power in unprecedented ways to bring states to heel, marking a dark new chapter in the relationship between the federal government and the states.

Since taking office last year, Trump has punished Democratic-led states that anger him by withholding federal funding and slow-walking assistance. His ...Read more

As a progressive economist, I wrote a paper in 2021 with a generally conservative colleague, Kevin Hassett, who now directs the National Economic Council in the Trump White House. We agreed then on the basic arithmetic of the American retirement crisis. We still do. That’s why people like him and people like me can all say: Trump’s executive...Read more

WASHINGTON — Federal efforts to accelerate nuclear energy development are starting to pay off, government and industry experts say, as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission works through mandated updates to licensing processes and its mission.

The commission is responding to two actions: a 2024 law directing the NRC to develop processes that ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Frustration over government shutdowns has led senators to consider what was once unthinkable: forfeiting their pay during a funding lapse.

In a rare show of bipartisanship, the Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to move forward on a resolution that would withhold member paychecks during future shutdowns, a move that comes after ...Read more

WASHINGTON — As some worry that an uproar over sexual misconduct in Congress will pass without meaningful change, House members announced a “bipartisan partnership” Wednesday.

The goal is to “identify reforms and solutions to make Congress a safer work environment for women and all survivors,” according to a news release.

Reps. ...Read more

Voters in The Bahamas have handed Prime Minister Philip Davis and his Progressive Liberal Party a historic second consecutive five-year term in office, while delivering crushing defeats to the country’s national security minister, a former prime minister running as an independent and a one-time NBA champion.

Unofficial results from Tuesday’...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., addressed allegations Wednesday on social media that he offered a former girlfriend hush money to drop a complaint against one of his allies in Congress.

Massie, in a statement on X, denied the claims and said they were typical in the lead-up to heated races. He’s currently fighting to defend the ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Republicans are riding high after a series of redistricting victories that could help the GOP become the first party since 1978 to retain control of both chambers of Congress in a midterm election while holding the White House.

But two batches of Republican surveys show how such an outcome would still be tough to pull off, ...Read more

The state of Florida illegally attempted to curry special favor from the president by gifting downtown Miami land for Donald Trump’s planned presidential center and skyscraper, according to a new lawsuit filed in federal court Wednesday.

The complaint accuses Trump, his nonprofit presidential library foundation, Miami Dade College and its ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The last time Americans overwhelmingly approved of Congress, the U.S. had recently gone to war and was still reeling from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Gas prices were $1.31 a gallon and “Fallin’” by Alicia Keys was the top song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The year was 2001, and 84% of the public approved of the way ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Political activist Denise Powell clung to a narrow lead in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for Nebraska’s open 2nd District after a contentious campaign that brought an influx of outside money and a blitz of increasingly negative attack ads to one of the nation’s most competitive House battlegrounds.

With more than 51,000 ...Read more

President Donald Trump announced on May 1, 2026, that the United States will withdraw 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany – personnel who had been deployed there as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Germany-U.S. tensions started after the U.S. invasion of Iran. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz refused to support Trump’s war...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — When state Sen. Sharif Street was elected to be the first Black chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in 2022, he inherited a fractured coalition led by some powerful people who had outwardly opposed his ascent to the role.

At the time, Gov. Josh Shapiro, who backed another candidate for the post, said publicly that an ...Read more

WASHINGTON — In Napa and surrounding counties, Rep. Mike Thompson’s once-easy reelection contest is turning into something of a race. In the Sacramento area, Rep. Doris Matsui is facing one of her most serious challengers in two decades. In Los Angeles, a former White House climate official wants to unseat Rep. Brad Sherman.

In these ...Read more

WASHINGTON — FBI Director Kash Patel denied allegations about his alcohol consumption Tuesday as Senate Democrats raised concerns about his leadership, pressing him on a series of rolling controversies at the agency.

At one point during a more than two-hour budget hearing, Patel lashed out at Sen. Chris Van Hollen after the Maryland Democrat ...Read more