“Meta Platforms agreed to an $18 billion settlement with 48 state attorneys general, bringing an end to a massive federal trial over social media’s harm to teenagers and ushering in a new era of tech companies having legal responsibility for their platforms,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “As part of the settlement agreement, Meta will […]

“About a year ago, cuts to the nation’s largest food assistance program went into effect as part of the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill, affecting about 4.5 million Americans. Nearly all House Republicans voted for reductions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, despite pleas from food banks and anti-hunger organizations,” the Washington Post reports. “On […]

Time: “The backlash is stealthily turning midterm elections across the country into referendums on anxieties about an economy overrun by A.I., and specifically the role of those data centers that appear to be sending both electricity bills and NIMBY-ism spiking. The shift also sets in motion a messy collision between the GOP candidates adjusting to […]

“The U.S. economy expanded at an unrevised 1.5% pace in the second quarter, though underlying details showed stronger consumer spending and business investment than initially reported,” Bloomberg reports. “The annualized gain in inflation-adjusted gross domestic product compares with a 2.1% advance in the first quarter.”

“Last year, Republicans set American health care on a new path: They slashed $1 trillion from expected Medicaid funding over the next decade and allowed tens of billions of dollars in annual insurance subsidies to expire,” Stat reports. “The full impacts of those changes won’t be felt for years, but many parts of the health […]

“The boss of a defense manufacturing start-up backed by Donald Trump Jr’s investment firm donated almost $450,000 to Republican causes just months after winning a $900mn contract from the U.S. government,” the Financial Times reports.

“President Donald Trump often dismisses ‘affordability’ as a political attack line from Democrats. He’s still worried about it,” Politico reports. “The president’s latest bid to lower beef prices is a last-ditch effort to ease consumer strain at the grocery store, a key driver of negative sentiment. The move, which angered farm-state Republicans and agriculture industry […]

G. Elliot Morris: “In our new Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll, fielded Aug. 14–19, President Donald Trump’s net approval on border security — his best issue in this tracker for most of the past year and a half — fell to −5, the worst mark we’ve recorded on it and now squarely net-negative. Every one of […]

“Days before the Army’s top officer was abruptly fired earlier this year, he was advised by a fellow general now vying to replace him to stop the military’s investigation into an unauthorized helicopter flyby of musician Kid Rock’s Tennessee estate,” the Washington Post reports. “Gen. Randy George, whom Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed as the […]

“The Trump administration in recent weeks has warned states that it would withhold federal funding and even arrest and prosecute election officials if noncitizens cast ballots in federal elections,” the Washington Post reports. “Now, with high-stakes midterm elections only months away, private voting rights attorneys and some attorneys general in Democratic states are gearing up […]

“President Trump gathered his top political advisers in the Oval Office early this month to solve a problem of riches: how to spend his super PAC’s $400 million political war chest with fewer than 100 days to go before the midterm elections,” The Atlantic reports. “Republican strategists are concerned about Trump’s low approval ratings and […]

“Two Dan Sullivans will be on the ballot in November for Alaska’s Senate seat, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, an outcome that could benefit Democratic former Rep. Mary Peltola’s bid to flip the seat,” CNN reports. “While incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan and Peltola were virtual locks to advance from last week’s all-party primary, where the top […]

“Iran and Oman are approaching a deal to secure safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz and future administration of the vital economic artery,” CNBC reports. Bloomberg: Iran, Oman discuss “interim” reopening of Strait of Hormuz.

“Former Oklahoma state Sen. Mike Mazzei is projected to win the Republican nomination for Oklahoma governor, giving President Donald Trump, who endorsed him, a win in one of his favorite states,” NOTUS reports. New York Times: 5 things to know about Mike Mazzei, Oklahoma GOP candidate for governor.

“President Trump had seemed to be in danger of taking a major defeat on Tuesday night,” the New York Times reports. “His choice for Senate in South Carolina, Darline Graham, had admitted at a debate that she wasn’t ‘that informed on national security.’ Mr. Trump’s so-far-stingy super PAC was forced to spend more than $800,000 […]

“Democratic candidates’ call to get money out of politics is a central theme in the 2026 midterms, with dozens of Democratic incumbents and candidates pledging to reject donations from corporate political action committees,” NOTUS reports. “But there’s a workaround that is enabling the flow of money from business interests into the campaign accounts of many […]

“The slow decline of traditional polling has left politicos, who are always desperate for numbers, in a lurch,” NOTUS reports. “Two venture-backed prediction market companies are offering nothing short of magic to meet those needs: real-time odds on who will win elections, and even projections of how much they will win by. As these companies […]

“Vice President JD Vance’s allies are brushing off Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s declaration that Republicans have not yet coalesced around a potential Vance candidacy,” Semafor reports.

“Republicans were already struggling to defuse simmering voter frustrations over the cost of living ahead of the midterms. Then President Donald Trump rekindled his trade wars,” Politico reports. ”Trump’s latest actions — especially his decision to impose 50 percent tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, inviting retaliatory duties from America’s No. 2 trading […]

“Frustrated with his fellow Democrats, Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia in 2024 gave up his lifelong membership in the Democratic Party to become an independent as he ended his congressional career,” the New York Times reports. “Now he is trying to get more people like himself elected to Congress in a bid to […]

“Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) is projected to win the South Carolina Republican primary runoff to replace her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), on the November ballot,” The Hill reports.

“President Trump has submitted a landmark nuclear accord with Saudi Arabia to Congress for review, but hasn’t dropped his last minute condition that the kingdom normalize relations with Israel,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The move is expected to trigger months of intensive debate among lawmakers about how to boost the American nuclear industry while […]

“In the obscure yet consequential world of the cost of television ads for political candidates and parties, Democrats scored a legal victory on Tuesday ahead of the midterm elections,” the New York Times reports. “A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled that low-cost ad rates that candidates qualify […]

“A Massachusetts judge ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration violated a nationwide injunction by finalizing a rule that would significantly overhaul mail voting if allowed to take effect,” Axios reports. “Why it matters: The order allows the Trump administration to publish the rule Wednesday, but the U.S. Postal Service remains barred from making the dramatic […]

There are primary elections today in Georgia Oklahoma and South Carolina. Here are the poll closing times and links: South Carolina – 7 p.m. ET Georgia – 7 p.m. ET Oklahoma – 8 p.m. ET Leave your reactions in the comments as results come in.

New York Times: “The age of capitulation that defined Mr. Trump’s return to office may be starting to fade. World leaders and domestic institutions are, in some cases at least, showing less willingness to submit to Mr. Trump’s will. European leaders have refused to join his war with Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel […]

A new Economist/YouGov poll finds 39 percent of respondents said they believe Democrats do “a better job handling the economy,” while 32% said the same of Republicans. Fifteen said both parties handle the economy “about the same” and another 15 percent were unsure.”

The Economist: “As Donald Trump becoming a lame duck? As his troubles multiply at home and abroad, the prospect of dealing with a hobbled American president is enough to make foes and friends swoon with relief…” “Alas, anyone hoping to see Mr Trump chastened by failure is misjudging the man. Political wisdom may soon declare […]

“Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), chair of the House Republicans’ campaign arm, is facing an ethics complaint for using footage of official House floor and committee action in campaign materials,” the Washington Post reports. ”Members of Congress are prohibited by House ethics rules from using recordings of official proceedings for campaign purposes, including footage by third-party […]

“Billionaire Elon Musk will not face charges for promising Wisconsin voters $1 million checks during last year’s state Supreme Court election,” NOTUS reports.