“Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin threatened local election officials on Friday with prison time if they did not comply with the Trump administration’s efforts to change election policies, while reiterating many of President Trump’s unsubstantiated claims about the security of American elections,” the New York Times reports. “Mr. Mullin pledged to ‘dig in just a […]

“President Donald Trump said he’s urged Sen. Darline Graham, the younger sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, to run in South Carolina’s upcoming special primary and pledged his ‘complete and total endorsement’ if she enters the race to take her brother’s spot on the ballot,” CNN reports. CBS News: Darline Graham in serious discussions […]

“Alan Dershowitz, a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School who worked to craft the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s 2008 plea deal, will not appear before the House Oversight Committee for his scheduled transcribed interview Monday,” Politico reports.

“Fighting between the U.S. and Iran has expanded, with the American military striking a broader range of targets and moving jet fighters into the Middle East while Tehran launches attacks across the Persian Gulf,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The fighting is focused on control of the Strait of Hormuz but this round raises the […]

“But down the road, there’s no chance that Senator Fetterman could win a Democratic primary — you just understand that. And Democrats need to understand: if the Senate comes back 50-50 after the election, and there is a reasonable chance that could happen, I don’t think there’s any doubt that Fetterman switches. Because if he […]

“Josh Shapiro is making his biggest midterm play yet — with a likely eye on 2028,” Politico reports. “The Pennsylvania governor is pouring $3.3 million into a coordinated campaign launching this weekend to help Democrats in the nation’s biggest swing state flip four congressional seats and secure a governing trifecta in Harrisburg for the first […]

Reuters: “In this deeply polarized country, opposition to data centers is among the few issues that unite voters across ideological lines. Just a third of Americans approve of the pace of data-center construction, according to a June Reuters/Ipsos poll. Only 14% of respondents would support a data center being built in their community.” “That tension […]

Punchbowl News: “House Democrats are rolling in cash with just 109 days until the midterms.” “A new trove of campaign-finance reports released this week showed a concerning reality for the GOP: Democratic candidates raked in gargantuan amounts of money last quarter in key battleground districts.” “In fact, at least 25 GOP incumbents — and Rep. […]

“There couldn’t be a worse moment for an internal brawl in Ukraine,” Politico reports. “Instead of discussing how to maintain the wartime initiative it has enjoyed over Russia this year, Kyiv is fuming over President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to oust 35-year-old tech prodigy and reformer Mykhailo Fedorov, who is admired by Ukraine’s partners and people, […]

“Andy Burnham will be the U.K.’s new prime minister after becoming Labour’s leader Friday,” Axios reports. “Burnham vaulted from regional politics to the cusp of Downing Street within weeks — an unusually rapid ascent that leaves him little time to prepare for mounting economic and political challenges.” “He spent seven years as the mayor of […]

“Iran said Thursday it would destroy ‘all’ regional infrastructure if President Donald Trump followed through on his threats to attack Iranian power plants and bridges, as U.S. military forces expanded their range of strikes within Iran,” the Washington Post reports.

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Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “Democrats should ultimately end up with a less damaged candidate against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) than Graham Platner was, although that is a low bar.” “We are keeping the Maine Senate race at Toss-up.” “But we are making some other moves in Maine: We are upgrading Democrats’ chances in the open-seat […]

“After a federal immigration officer fatally shot a man in Maine this week, the state’s major Democratic Senate candidates have embraced a once-fringe position: abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” the Washington Post reports. “The leftward shift shows how the contenders, competing in a fast-paced contest to replace Graham Platner as the nominee, are adopting […]

NOTUS: “These are the most recent examples of how abortion has receded as an issue in 2026 compared to the 2022 and 2024 elections, when it was one of Democrats’ top electoral focuses. In fact, more than three times as many abortion-related ads ran from January to mid-July 2024 — with candidates and organizations spending […]

“Republicans in North Carolina who control state and county election boards have attempted to move early voting sites off college campuses and reduce Sunday voting, which officials in both parties called a blatant attempt to make it harder for students and Black voters to cast ballots,” the New York Times reports.

NOTUS: “Republicans have publicly and privately fretted that their cuts to the social safety net could be a liability in battleground states. The race for Virginia’s 1st Congressional District is a test of just how much.” “It’s a contest taking shape around the future of health care, and particularly Virginia’s rural hospitals. Three such clinics […]

“Gavin Newsom has retained prominent defense lawyer Abbe Lowell to represent him as federal investigators probe the California governor’s circle,” Politico reports.

A new CNBC poll finds “more voters would be more likely to support a democratic socialist candidate than a Make America Great Again supporter or a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump.”

“Every political alliance comes with a price. Brazil’s Bolsonaro family may have just discovered theirs,” Bloomberg reports. “For more than a year, they turned to Donald Trump as former President Jair Bolsonaro fought to avoid conviction over his attempted coup and escalated his confrontation with Brazil’s institutions.” “Now, the U.S. decision to slap 25% tariffs […]

Paul Krugman: “Donald Trump surprised me last night. I expected to hear lurid lies about the 2020 election. What he offered instead was mostly dreary innuendo that convinced nobody.” “Which is not to say that his speech was free of lies. Indeed, more or less every word he spoke was a lie, including ‘a,’ ‘and,’ […]

The White House spent much of the day promising that President Trump would use a prime-time address to reveal “bombshell” evidence that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen. He did nothing of the sort. Join now to continue reading. Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more. If you’re already a […]

“Much of the country is waking up to terrible air quality from wildfires — including Washington, DC — and Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) wants to see Canada punished for the ‘atrocity,’ according to details first shared with Semafor,” Semafor reports. “The Ohio senator is dropping a new bill that would require President Donald Trump to […]

“The U.S. and Iran intensified their attacks beyond military targets during a sixth straight day of hostilities, increasing fears of a return to full war with no agreement reached over the Strait of Hormuz,” Bloomberg reports. “The U.S. hit southern Iran overnight, striking six road bridges, according to Iranian state media. There were separate reports […]

“Democrats are making a growing effort to adopt a pragmatic focus as they campaign on affordability in the midterms, as some within the party push for moving away from ideological arguments,” the Los Angeles Times reports. “Across the country, Democratic candidates are trying to win over voters by talking about real-life scenarios, framing other platform […]

The latest episode of Trial Balloon is live. Aging politicians, the backlash against AI data centers and the political costs of the war with Iran. Join now to continue reading. Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more. If you’re already a member, sign in to your account.

“President Trump is betting that reimposing the blockade on Iran and revoking its right to sell oil will throttle the regime’s economy and convince it to release its hold on the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran is betting it can hold out,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The danger is, in the short term at least, […]

“Democratic challengers in several key U.S. House races put up massive fundraising numbers in the second quarter, closing some of the GOP’s cash advantage in battlegrounds across the country,” Politico reports. ”Seven of the 10 best-fundraising House candidates across competitive districts were Democratic challengers… All seven outraised the GOP incumbents they are facing in the […]

“Hours after Sen. Thom Tillis demanded acting Attorney General Todd Blanche meet with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, President Donald Trump’s nominee to permanently lead the Justice Department did just that,” Politico reports. CBS News: Blanche holds meeting with Epstein accusers after Tillis’ request.

“Andy Burnham will officially become leader of Britain’s governing Labour Party on Friday, clearing his final hurdle to taking office as prime minister next week,” the Associated Press reports. “The center-left party will announce the result of a leadership contest to replace departing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in which Burnham was the only contender. He […]