Democrats Weigh Redistricting Moves as GOP Expands Maps
By Jane C. Timm As Republicans across the country pursue new congressional maps to boost their party ahead of next year’s midterm elections, Democrats are ramping up pressure on states where they can respond. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has held discussions with members of the Maryland delegation and Democratic Gov. Wes Moore in recent weeks about possible mid-decade redistricting efforts, according to a source with knowledge of the conversations. The source also said Jeffries spoke with members of the Illinois delegation about drawing new district lines, as Politico first reported. Maryland has just one Republican, Rep. Andy Harris, in its
John Bolton Indicted for Retaining Classified Documents
Written By Lexx Thornton Former national security adviser John Bolton was indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday, becoming the third prominent critic of President Donald Trump to face criminal charges recently. The indictment, filed in federal court in Maryland, where Bolton resides, charges him with eight counts of transmitting national defense information and ten counts of retaining national defense information. The charges stem from an investigation into whether Bolton improperly kept classified materials after his contentious exit from the first Trump administration. The indictment alleges that Bolton “abused his position” during the first Trump administration by “sharing more
Democratic Divides Spark Wave of Primary Challenges
By Ben Kamisar, Bridget Bowman and Joe Murphy The Democratic Party’s ongoing reckoning is fueling more primaries against longtime lawmakers, new fundraising reports show — the latest in a string of signs that some veteran Democrats next year may face their toughest challenges yet, as the party grapples with generational and ideological divides. Fourteen House Democratic incumbents are facing primary challengers who raised $100,000 or more in the most recent fundraising quarter, with nine also outraised by their primary opponents. The number includes some challengers who are pouring their own money into campaigns against entrenched incumbents, seeing the possibility of a rare political opportunity.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Retention Vote Draws Big Stakes
By Jane C. Timm Three state Supreme Court justices are on the ballot in Pennsylvania next month in a typically under-the-radar vote that could have far-reaching implications in the critical battleground state. The justices — Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht, who are all backed by Democratic Party — are facing an up-or-down “retention” election, meaning voters choose whether to keep them on the court for another 10 years. Few Pennsylvania justices have lost their jobs in this way. But with Democrats’ 5-2 Supreme Court majority at stake ahead of the 2026 and 2028 elections, this year’s retention vote is
U.S. Braces for Prolonged Government Shutdown Standoff
By Sahil Kapur and Scott Wong At the two-week mark, Republicans and Democrats are bracing for a long government shutdown, with both parties seeing more upside in persisting with their conflicting demands. As a result, neither side is willing to give an inch in the standoff, now the fifth-longest shutdown in the country’s history. Republicans say their message is simple: Senate Democrats should vote for the short-term funding bill to reopen the government that passed the House last month and pursue their policy demands separately. They accuse Democrats of holding the government “hostage” to their goals. But Democrats are eager to continue a
Airports Refuse DHS Video Blaming Democrats for Shutdown
By Ayesha Ali Major airports across the country — including in New York City, Chicago and Atlanta — are refusing to play a video featuring Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the impacts of the government shutdown. Many of the airport representatives said their facility’s policies bar the showing of political content. Some also pointed to the Hatch Act, a law that restricts the political activities of federal employees as well as some state and local employees who are involved in or work in federally funded programs. The roughly 30-second video began rolling out to airports
Louisiana Case Could Redefine Voting Rights Act Protections
By Lawrence Hurley The way Louisiana’s Republican leaders put it, the pervasive racial discrimination in elections that led to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act is all in the past. That is why they are now urging the Supreme Court, in a case being argued on Wednesday, to bar states from using any consideration of race when drawing legislative districts, gutting a key plank of the law that was designed to ensure Black voters would have a chance of electing their preferred candidates. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill told NBC News that the Voting Rights Act was designed to
Vance Says Trump Weighing Use of Insurrection Act
By Megan Lebowitz Vice President JD Vance indicated in an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday that President Donald Trump was not opposed to invoking the Insurrection Act. Asked by moderator Kristen Welker whether the White House was seriously considering invoking the 1807 statute, Vance said, “The president is looking at all his options.” “Right now he hasn’t felt he needed to,” he added. The Insurrection Act would allow the president to deploy the U.S. military domestically for law enforcement purposes. The military is typically not allowed to be deployed on U.S. soil for domestic law enforcement purposes without congressional
Justin Pearson Launches Primary Challenge to Rep. Cohen
By Bridget Bowman Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson, who drew national attention in 2023 for protesting gun violence on the state House floor, announced Wednesday that he is launching a Democratic primary challenge against longtime Rep. Steve Cohen. Pearson was one of three Democratic state legislators, who became known as the “Tennessee Three,” who led protests on the floor after a school shooting. Pearson and fellow state Rep. Justin Jones were expelled from the Legislature, while state Rep. Gloria Johnson withstood her expulsion vote. Pearson and Jones were eventually reinstated. Pearson, 30, is the latest young Democrat to take on a veteran House member as
500 National Guard Troops Deployed to Chicago Amid Lawsuit
By Daniella Silva Five hundred National Guard members have arrived in the Chicago area and are mobilized for an initial period of 60 days, despite an ongoing lawsuit challenging their deployment there, according to a statement Wednesday from U.S. Northern Command, a part of the Defense Department. About 200 members from multiple units in the Texas National Guard and 300 members from units in the Illinois National Guard have been activated and sent to the Chicago area, the statement said. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has denounced the deployment as an unconstitutional invasion. The troops are stationed at the Army Reserve center in Elwood, outside
