Obama Rebukes Trump Over Treason Claims, Election Attacks
By Monica Alba, Vaughn Hillyard, Dareh Gregorian and Zoë Richards Former President Barack Obama’s office issued a rare rebuke of President Donald Trump on Tuesday after the president accused his predecessor of having committed “treason” and rigging the 2016 and 2020 elections. “Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,” Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush said. “But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.” When reporters on Tuesday asked Trump about the late convicted
Trump’s Tax Bill Sparks 2025 Governor Race Showdowns
By Bridget Bowman and Adam Edelman President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax cut and spending law known as the “big beautiful bill” is expected to be a major issue in the 2026 midterm elections. But first, candidates for governor this year in Virginia and New Jersey are already testing how the measure plays on the campaign trail. Rep. Mikie Sherrill and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominees in New Jersey and Virginia, respectively, have warned about devastating impacts from looming cuts to social safety net programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Republicans are taking mixed approaches. In New Jersey, a
Trump’s Tax Bill Adds $3.4T to Debt, Cuts Health Coverage
By Sahil Kapur President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” which he signed into law this month, will add $3.4 trillion to the U.S. national debt over the next decade, according to a report the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office published Monday. The report found that the law, which Republicans passed along party lines, will also “increase by 10 million the number of people without health insurance” by 2034. The budget office scrutinized the final version of the bill after Republicans made a series of last-minute changes to cobble together the votes needed in the Senate; it passed 51-50. That revised version subsequently passed the House on
SC Democrats Seek Fighter-Leader for Post-Trump Era
By Alexandra Marquez Democratic strategists, elected officials and voters in South Carolina are already eagerly looking forward, hunting for the next leader of their party after their 2024 presidential loss. They haven’t had to look far: Prominent Democratic officials have flooded into the state, which was the first to vote in Democrats’ 2024 presidential primaries, in recent weeks. Democratic Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland, Tim Walz of Minnesota, Gavin Newsom of California and Andy Beshear of Kentucky have all crisscrossed South Carolina so far this year, while Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is also planning an event just outside of Charleston this
Trump Denies Epstein Letter, Threatens WSJ With Lawsuit
Written By Lexx Thornton The controversy surrounding President Trump and the so-called Epstein files has moved back to the legal system as he threatens to sue The Wall Street Journal and wants some case files released. The Journal published an article on Thursday that claims the then-real estate mogul Trump contributed a lewd birthday letter to a compilation given to billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2003, three years before Epstein was arrested for prostitution-related offenses. That article claims that among the materials in an Epstein investigation years ago was a book of birthday letters from 2003, including one with the
New Bills Target Toxic Chemicals in Black Hair Products
By Deon J. Hampton Federal lawmakers on Wednesday introduced four bills aimed at banning or regulating dangerous chemicals in hair and beauty products largely marketed toward Black women. The four proposals in the Safe Beauty Bill Package would remove ingredients that are known to cause cancer from beauty and personal care hair products, thus protecting women of color and salon workers who are at a high risk of exposure to these ingredients, lawmakers said. Lawmakers also say there’s mounting scientific evidence linking harmful beauty ingredients to serious health conditions such as breast cancer, reproductive harm, early puberty and learning disabilities. Ingredients that
Senate Approves Trump’s $9B Cuts to Aid, Public Media
The US Senate has approved Donald Trump’s plan for billions of dollars to be cut from funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, handing the Republican president another victory as he exerts control over Congress with little opposition. The Senate voted 51 to 48 in favour of Trump’s request to cut $9bn in spending, which had already been approved by Congress. Most of the cuts are to programs to assist foreign countries dealing with disease, war and natural disasters, but the plan also eliminates the $1.1bn the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was due to receive over the next two years. Trump and
GOP Pushes Trump to Release Epstein Files, Seeks Answers
By Scott Wong and Sahil Kapur Conservative Republicans in Congress are breaking with President Donald Trump’s handling of the case of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the latest development in a rare MAGA revolt against the administration. After the Justice Department and the FBI said they would not release any further information related to the case and Trump sought to downplay it, his allies on Capitol Hill called for the government to release the Epstein files, which has consumed right-wing circles for years. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told conservative commentator Benny Johnson said he supported the release of the files related to the
House Democrats Divided Over Trump Impeachment Pushes
By Scott Wong and Julie Tsirkin House Democrats have been publicly grappling with the issue of impeaching President Donald Trump, with grassroots activists pressuring lawmakers to more aggressively confront Trump and centrist members of the party dismissing the push as futile. During a six-week stretch this year, House Democrats twice were confronted with impeachment votes — forced by their own rank-and-file members — that had zero chance of passing, given that Republicans control the chamber. In May, Democratic leaders convinced Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., to back off his impeachment push at the last minute. But the following month, Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, forced a failed
Supreme Court Backs Trump’s Education Dept. Restructure
By Walter Hudson The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to restructure the Department of Education, allowing the administration to proceed with laying off nearly 1,400 employees. The ruling, handed down Monday, is seen as a significant step in the President’s ongoing efforts to shrink the federal government and reshape its agencies. The decision pauses a previous injunction from U.S. District Judge Myong Joun, who had temporarily blocked the layoffs in a ruling that criticized the plan as potentially crippling the department. Judge Joun’s initial order, issued in Boston, warned that the layoffs
