Section · page 8
Politics archive — page 8 of 22, newest and highest-significance first.
Leftwing Democrats are gaining attention, with figures like Zohran Mamdani in New York and Abdul El‑Sayed in Michigan. Many people are urging Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez (AOC) to run for president in 2028. The article asks whether democratic socialism has moved from the fringe to the mainstream. Journalist Jonathan Freedland discusses these issues with Bhaskar Sunkara, a socialist writer and editor.
In June, the U.S. Department of Justice said states do not have to pay for services that let people with disabilities live at home. The opinion concerned the Americans with Disabilities Act. Advocates worry that states might cut those home‑based services. People with disabilities say losing the services would make it harder to stay independent.
Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill, which reduced federal healthcare funding. Republican lawmakers who supported the cut are now running ads saying they will lower healthcare costs. They claim the bill will save money for taxpayers.
Diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran are breaking down. Analysts say the conflict is expanding. In mid‑June, President Trump signed a 14‑point deal with Iran. The deal was intended to be a diplomatic off‑ramp but has not stopped the escalation.
A little-known court in Washington held its first hearing. The U.S. government is trying to remove an Afghan woman who lives in the country legally. She is a permanent resident, which means she has a green card. This is the first case the court has heard after being inactive for many years.
A new Emerson College poll shows Abdul El‑Sayed ahead of Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary. The poll puts El‑Sayed at 54 percent and Stevens at 39 percent, with 6 percent undecided. Some outlets note that while El‑Sayed leads in the primary, Stevens may be stronger in a general election matchup. The outcome will decide which Democrat faces the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate seat.
College Republicans at Brigham Young University are in conflict after the county clerk hired Kai Schwemmer, a young right‑wing influencer, to help reach voters. Schwemmer is a member of the College Republicans of America and known for provocative livestreams. His hiring caused an uproar among moderate members who see it as a shift toward the far right. Observers say the infighting makes the group look childish and helps far‑right voices gain influence.
The Trump White House has ordered 250 new Cadillac Escalades for its fleet. Meanwhile, gas prices have risen almost a dollar per gallon since Trump took office. Mortgage rates are at their highest level in nearly a year. An economist said the Iran war is costing the average US household more than $1,200 a year, adding to Americans' financial strain.
Mamdani says New York doesn’t have authority to arrest Netanyahu, urges feds to act
The Department of Homeland Security said a man was killed by an ICE agent in Houston. This man was not the main person the agents were looking for. His family wants a deep look into how he died. Also, a parasite is now in over 30 states across the US.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore said he is very concerned that former President Donald Trump might try to interfere in the upcoming midterm elections. He warned that Trump could use federal power to influence the fall elections. Moore made the comment in a recent interview. He urged voters to stay alert and protect the election process.
Many Democrats are now avoiding talk about the climate crisis, even though they once called it an existential threat. Climate activists are responding with nationwide actions to keep the issue in the public eye. This summer, extreme weather like floods, heat waves, and wildfire smoke has affected many parts of the United States. Scientists say global warming is making such events more common and severe.
At a recent congressional hearing, Dr. Anthony Fauci faced tough and sometimes angry questions from lawmakers. The exchange became heated, showing strong disagreements about COVID-19 policies. In a separate event, a 17-year-old runner beat several professional athletes in a race. These two stories were combined into a news quiz for readers to test their knowledge.
The Democrats say they have less than 100 days to stop the weakening of US democracy. They believe they need a big election win, like a landslide, in the November midterms to counter Donald Trump’s efforts to change the voting system. The V-Dem Institute at Gothenburg University reported that in 2025 the US experienced one of the fastest drops in liberal democracy ever recorded. Without such a win, the decline could continue.
The United States plans to make its visa bond program permanent. The program mainly affects citizens from about 50 African countries. Under the program, travelers must pay a bond to get a U.S. visa. The State Department may raise the bond amount to as much as $20,000.
Former President Donald Trump said the $1.8 billion Anti‑Weaponization Fund is dead. He stated that the fund no longer exists. At the same time, he said he still wants the money that was supposed to go into the fund. He defended the idea of the fund even while calling it dead.
NPR World reported that Trump's plan for Gaza faces huge hurdles ahead. The headline highlights major obstacles to the plan. The headline does not give details about the plan or the specific hurdles.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it hit two oil tankers trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. The tankers were under the protection of US naval forces. President Donald Trump called his cabinet to discuss the conflict and rising energy prices. Oil markets reacted, with some reports saying prices rose and others saying they fell as traffic recovered.
Four major Latino organizations have decided to work together. They will try to get more Latino people to vote in the upcoming midterm elections. This is the first time these groups have joined forces for such a campaign.
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Van Hollen said Republicans in Congress are acting like 'gelatinous blobs' and are just rubber stamps for President Trump's Iran policy. They argue that Congress has given up its constitutional authority to the president. The accusation came during a morning briefing known as 'First Thing'.
The Ukrainian ambassador to the United States is leaving her post. She said Ukraine has fought against a wrong idea that Russia was winning the war. She noted that this idea was wrong even as the war entered its fifth year. She believes Ukraine has changed the story told in Washington.
{"The Pentagon is considering ending civilian tenure at the U.S. military academies.","A draft memo obtained by CBS News shows this idea.","The memo also calls for a line‑by‑line review of courses taught at the academies.","If approved, civilian professors could lose the job protections they now have."}
The Trump administration will not renew a contract that pays lawyers to help unaccompanied immigrant children. The contract ends this Friday, and the government has stopped paying the legal services firm since December. As a result, many immigrant children may lose legal help and face faster deportation.
Mandela Barnes, former lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, announced he is dropping out of the Democratic primary for governor. He said he no longer sees a viable path to the nomination as fellow candidate Francesca Hong has gained a strong lead. Barnes made the announcement in a video posted on social media less than two weeks before the August 11 election.
The White House says China tried to influence U.S. elections. This repeats claims made by former President Trump. Election experts say there is no evidence for these claims. China says it did not interfere.
Republican disenfranchisement bid drives Black voters to polls, study finds
Senators still working with SEC, Big Ten on issues involved in college sports bill
The US has fewer Patriot interceptors now. This is because of the war with Iran. The US had 2,330 Patriot interceptors before the war, but now it has less than half of that number.
The US Senate voted unanimously to oppose a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell. She is in prison for 20 years for sex-trafficking crimes. This means the president cannot pardon her.
Watch: Trump takes reporter questions on Iran, Fauci, AI and more at White House
Donald Trump has attacked the media a lot recently. This fighting is happening in his second presidency. His team has sued some media companies. They also cut access and used subpoenas (official orders).
Small farmers in the United States say President Trump is abandoning them after he promised support during his campaign. The US Department of Agriculture is cutting some grants, saying the programs focus too much on diversity, equity and inclusion and waste money. Lawrencia Rogers, a 33‑year‑old farmer in Iowa, grows vegetables on a tiny plot and says the funding cut feels like a slap in the face. She says getting into farming is hard without family ties, and the loss of aid makes her dream hard
Several women have accused Republican Representative Max Miller of abuse. The allegations have increased pressure on him. Democrats say they now have a better chance to win his Ohio House seat. They see this as an opportunity for an upset in the upcoming election.
Troy Jackson, a progressive lumberjack, won the Democratic nomination for Maine's Senate seat. He has less than 100 days to convince voters to support him against Republican Senator Susan Collins. He is avoiding discussion of Graham Platner, who left the race after rape accusations he denies.
The attorney general of New Mexico set a 31 July deadline for the US Department of Justice to give him documents about abuse at a ranch once owned by Jeffrey Epstein. The ranch, called Zorro, is a large property in the desert outside New Mexico. The state reopened a criminal investigation into what happened there and asked for unredacted files in February. The Department of Justice did not send the files by the deadline, so it appears to have ignored the request.
The Trump administration has started speaking more warmly to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This change comes after Ukraine showed it can help the United States with problems in the Middle East, especially the growing crisis with Iran. Conservative commentator Laura Loomer and Senator Lindsey Graham are mentioned in the story as people who talk about this shift. The article says the new Trump‑Zelenskyy tone is not as close as the friendship between Reagan and Thatcher or Reagan and Gor
President Trump said he is losing faith in Iran and doubts a peace deal can work. He met with his Cabinet at Camp David to talk about the wars in Iran and Ukraine. After the meeting, he answered questions from reporters.
Andy Burnham began his new role as leader and his approval rating has risen in the first ten days. He faces a challenge from Donald Trump's influence coming from the United States. At the same time, European countries are working together for safety, while Britain feels left out. Burnham must decide how to respond to both Trump and Europe to strengthen Britain's position.
Democratic lawmakers are asking for more information about the ICE agent who killed an immigrant in Maine. Representative Robert Garcia from California and Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut want details on the agent's training and background checks. The immigrant who died was Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a Colombian man. They say the public needs to know if the agent was properly vetted.
