House to leave early, punting Hegseth impeachment vote until after November elections
By Scott Wong and Kyle Stewart House members will leave Washington on Wednesday night for the last time before the November midterm elections, after GOP leaders said they were canceling votes set for Thursday. The change in schedule means that the House won’t vote on Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky’s resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth until after Election Day. GOP leaders insisted their decision had nothing to do with Massie’s impeachment efforts. But they were eager to avoid a difficult vote for many of their vulnerable Republican members who have been uneasy with Hegseth’s leadership during the unpopular six-month war with
Supreme Court pushes back against Trump and GOP ahead of the midterm elections
By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court in the last week has delivered major blows to President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans that suggest the justices will not be receptive to last-minute efforts to change election rules heading into the midterms. With control of Congress at stake, the court on Monday night blocked Trump’s plan to exert federal control over mail-in ballots via a Postal Service regulation. The decision came after the court twice last week ruled against Republicans by declining to revive a new congressional map in Missouri that would have eliminated one of two Democratic-held districts. While the court has a
HBCU students build on civic engagement legacy to mobilize midterm voters
When the leaky roof of her crumbling New Orleans high school left rain-drenched students huddled in moldy classrooms, Alaina Zelaya helped rally her community to demand improvements to school facilities. Now a junior at Tuskegee University in Alabama, Zelaya is channeling that same determination to get out the vote on her campus. “In class, I’d look up at the ceiling and see cracks and think to myself, ‘What is going on? We should not be going through this,’” Zelaya said. “I was tired of being outraged but not doing anything with the outrage. I’ve always been told by my mother
Supreme Court says Trump can’t enforce new mail-in ballot regulation
By Lawrence Hurley and Jane C. Timm WASHINGTON — Casting a decisive blow against President Donald Trump’s hopes of exercising federal control over the midterm elections, the Supreme Court on Monday prevented a U.S. Postal Service regulation concerning mail-in ballots from going into effect. The court in a brief order rejected an emergency application the Trump administration filed seeking to block a lower court ruling that said the regulation was most likely unlawful. The court appeared to be divided 7-2, with two conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, dissenting. The measure would have imposed requirements on states for sending out mail-in ballots to voters. Typically, the Postal Service
North Carolina officials “removed” an early-voting site from North Carolina A&T State University.
By Paul Specht North Carolina U.S. Senate candidate Roy Cooper told MSNOW that Republican elections officials in his state “removed” an early-voting site from the campus of a historically Black university — a claim that omits context about past polling sites at the school. Cooper is the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, who isn’t seeking reelection. Cooper faces Republican Michael Whatley in a race that political analysts believe could help determine party control of the U.S. Senate. Green Party candidate Michael Dublin and Libertarian Shannon Bray are also running for the
Iran war largely ignored at the Republican midterm convention
By Amanda Terkel and Daisy Conant America has been at war with Iran for more than six months — but it was far from a top issue at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas this week. The war wasn’t entirely absent: Administration officials defended it. President Donald Trump talked about the war in his speeches Wednesday and Thursday nights. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also referred to it in a video shown Wednesday. Vice President JD Vance didn’t explicitly mention Iran in his address Thursday night, but he paid tribute to slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, saying he “hated war” and acknowledging that there
‘I’m on the ballot’: Trump tries to energize his base by placing himself front and center
By Matt Dixon DALLAS — President Donald Trump wants to make one thing clear: His name is not on the ballot in November, but his supporters need to vote like it is. Republicans from across the country convened here Wednesday for their party’s first-ever midterm convention, an event designed to put Trump front and center in the closing stages of the midterm election cycle. “Pretend that I am on the ballot,” Trump said to loud cheers during his keynote address Wednesday night. “I’m on the ballot.” Indeed, Trump was the star of the show. Speakers mentioned his name 155 times, and
Jordan Chiles gets assist from Michael Jordan to announce run for 2028 Games in L.A.
By Phil Helsel Gymnast Jordan Chiles will try a return to the Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles, the gold medalist from the Paris Games announced Wednesday — with an assist from Michael Jordan. Jordan lent his voice as the narrator for Chiles’ announcement video on Instagram, in which she posted “LA 2028… WHY NOT?” The video features overhead shots of the Southern California coastline and Chiles at a beach. “Why again? Because the dream is still there,” Jordan narrates. “Why continue? Because there’s still more to give.” Chiles, 25, is named after the NBA legend and is no stranger to Los
House Democrats block constitutional amendment to lock Supreme Court at 9 justices
By Sahil Kapur and Kyle Stewart WASHINGTON — The House on Wednesday voted down a proposed constitutional amendment to keep the Supreme Court at nine seats, with the measure falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass. The vote was 212-206. All but one Democrat voted against it, as openness within the party to expand the high court by four seats grows. The joint resolution, offered by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., calls for amending the Constitution to say: “The Supreme Court of the United States shall be composed of nine justices consisting of one chief justice and eight associate justices.” The office of House Minority
Key Texas county votes to cut polling sites ahead of the midterms
By Jane C. Timm Officials in Texas’ third-largest county voted Tuesday to significantly reduce the number of polling sites for this fall’s midterm elections, drawing protests from Democrats and voting rights advocates. Commissioners in Tarrant County, a fast-growing and politically competitive area that includes Fort Worth, approved a plan that results in 92 fewer Election Day polling locations compared with the 2022 midterms. The roughly 30% reduction leaves the county with 224 polling sites to serve 1.3 million voters. Voters in the county are able to cast ballots at any of those polling sites. The three Republicans on the Tarrant County Commissioners