Siblings LaVon and Randolph Bracy Face Off in FL Senate Race
By Randall Barnes HBCU alumna LaVon Bracy Davis finds herself facing a very interesting opponent in the Florida State Senate election: her brother Randolph Bracy. The seat, which represents a portion of metro Orlando, was left open following the passing of longtime state Senator Geraldine Thompson earlier this year LaVon Bracy Davis is an attorney who earned her undergraduate degree from Howard University and her Juris Doctor from Florida A&M University College of Law. She now serves as a member of the Florida House of Representatives. She has publicly vowed to extend Thompson’s legacy by focusing on voting rights, job creation, and higher pay for public
Iran-Israel Ceasefire Holds as Nuclear Tensions Persist
By Jon Gambrell Israel and Iran seemed to honor the fragile ceasefire between them for a second day Wednesday and U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that American and Iranian officials will talk next week, giving rise to cautious hope for longer-term peace. Trump, who helped negotiate the ceasefire that took hold Tuesday on the 12th day of the war, told reporters at a NATO summit that he was not particularly interested in restarting negotiations with Iran, insisting that U.S. strikes had destroyed its nuclear program. Earlier in the day, an Iranian official questioned whether the United States could be trusted
Senate GOP Faces Hurdles on Trump’s Agenda Before July 4
By Deidre Walsh Senate Republicans are racing the clock, trying to meet President Trump’s demand that they pass his domestic agenda bill by July 4th as they work to resolve major sticking points inside the GOP conference. While Senate committee leaders have made several significant changes to the bill in recent days, the issue of funding for rural hospitals has emerged as a major roadblock. Senate GOP leaders are also waiting to learn if major tax provisions in the bill meet strict Senate rules for what can be included in the bill and still pass with a simple majority vote.
Zohran Mamdani Leads NYC Mayoral Primary, Cuomo Concedes
By Brittany Shepherd In the closely watched New York City Democratic mayoral primary, no candidate reached the 50% threshold needed to be declared the winner outright. But after a strong showing in the first round, state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani declared victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who conceded earlier, in what was shaping up to be a remarkable upset. The New York City Board of Elections reported as of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday that Mamdani was leading among the candidates voters ranked first on their ballot, with 44% of the vote. Cuomo was second with about 36%. City comptroller Brad Lander
Trump Pressures NATO, Doubts Article 5 Commitment
By Seung Min Kim President Donald Trump on Wednesday is meeting with members of a NATO alliance that he has worked to bend to his will over the years and whose members are rattled by his latest comments casting doubt on the U.S. commitment to its mutual defense guarantees. Trump’s comments en route to the Netherlands that his fidelity to Article 5 “depends on your definition” are drawing attention at the NATO summit, as will the new and fragile Iran-Israel ceasefire that Trump helped broker after the U.S. unloaded airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. At the same time, the alliance
NYC Mayoral Race Heats Up as Cuomo Faces Ranked Vote Test
By Anthony Izaguirre Their chances of becoming the next mayor of New York City may have dimmed. Their mission now? Stopping former Gov. Andrew Cuomo from getting to City Hall. In the final day of campaigning before the city’s Democratic primary, candidates who are seen as longer shots to win the nomination urged voters to leave Cuomo off their ballots in the city’s ranked choice election in a last-ditch effort to block the former governor’s comeback from a sexual harassment scandal. “Let’s make sure Andrew Cuomo gets nowhere near City Hall,” candidate and city Comptroller Brad Lander said Monday on
Trump’s Iran Strikes Spark Legal, Global Debate
By Gary Grumbach and Carol E. Lee President Donald Trump’s decision to order strikes in Iran — among the most consequential he has made as commander in chief — is the latest example of a U.S. president’s taking military action without first seeking congressional approval. And experts say that, while his power over American armed forces isn’t absolute, there’s most likely little lawmakers will do. Trump is supposed to submit to Congress a legal justification for having bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities within 48 hours after the operation began. Unlike tangible consequences Trump has faced for other moves in which he tested the bounds of executive power
NATO Faces Tensions Over Defense Spending at 2025 Summit
By Lorne Cook U.S. President Donald Trump and his NATO counterparts are due to gather Tuesday for a summit that could unite the world’s biggest security organization around a new defense spending pledge or widen divisions among the 32 allies. Just a week ago, things had seemed rosy. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was optimistic the European members and Canada would commit to invest at least as much of their economic growth on defense as the United States does for the first time. Then Spain rejected the new NATO target for each country to spend 5% of its gross domestic product on defense needs, calling it “unreasonable.”
Trump Pauses Iran Strike Decision, Cites Talks Potential
Written By Lexx Thornton President Trump has bought more time to make a decision on U.S. military intervention in Iran, capping off a whirlwind week that saw his administration approach the brink of direct action before hitting pause. “Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiation that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go in the next two weeks,” Trump said in a statement Thursday read aloud by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Trump’s decision puts on hold any immediate move
Judge Blocks DOT Rule Tying Grants to Immigration Policy
By Vanessa Romo The Trump Administration cannot withhold billions of dollars in transportation grant funding from Democrat-led states refusing to cooperate with immigration enforcement, according to a ruling on Thursday. Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Providence, R.I., granted a preliminary injunction in the case filed by 20 states, saying “large-scale irreparable harm would occur without the preliminary injunction.” The Department of Transportation was unavailable for comment on the ruling late Thursday evening. The ruling comes ahead of a June 20 grant application deadline for states. Prior to that deadline, Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy imposed conditions on that funding,
