Makeover in store for Congress with flood of lawmakers headed for the exits
At least 13% of Congress is turning over — the highest rate in more than three decades — as dozens of lawmakers retire or seek other offices ahead of the 2026 elections.
National
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New lawsuit filed against Les Wexner alleges he helped fund Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes
Eleven women accuse Les Wexner of enabling Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking network, while Wexner denies wrongdoing and vows to fight the lawsuit.
Trump budget seeks 43% boost in defense spending, cuts in many domestic programs
The Trump administration's fiscal 2027 budget request proposes raising Pentagon spending to $1.5 trillion while cutting the EPA by 52%, HHS by 12.5%, and the Small Business Administration by 67%, setting up another contentious fight on Capitol Hill.
Trump’s SAVE America Act would end voter registration drives nationwide
The SAVE America Act, currently before the U.S. Senate, would effectively eliminate third-party voter registration drives that helped register 2.1 million Americans in 2024 — with critics warning the bill would disenfranchise young, Hispanic, and low-income voters.
Republicans applaud immigrant detention — until it’s in their back yards
Republicans from New Hampshire to Oklahoma are blocking or opposing DHS plans to convert warehouses into immigrant detention mega-sites holding up to 10,000 people each — even as the same lawmakers voted for the $45 billion that's funding the expansion.
‘Liberation Day’ tariffs celebrated by Trump one year out, panned by Dems
One year after Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs were struck down by the Supreme Court, the president signed executive orders imposing a 100% tariff on pharmaceuticals from companies that won't manufacture in the U.S. and adjusting duties on steel, aluminum, and copper.
Homeland Security shutdown drags on, but Trump says he’ll sign order to pay all employees
The U.S. Senate approved a Department of Homeland Security funding bill Thursday — for the second time in a week — but the House declined to act during a brief session, extending the DHS shutdown as members remain on a two-week spring break until April 14.
Abortion bans are shrinking the OB-GYN workforce, study finds
A new study finds that medical residency applications to states with abortion bans have declined significantly since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, raising alarms about deepening maternal health care shortages across the South and Midwest.
Pam Bondi out as Trump’s attorney general
President Trump announced Thursday that Attorney General Pam Bondi is leaving the Justice Department and will be temporarily replaced by Deputy AG Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal defense lawyer. Bondi faced heavy criticism over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Trump tells nation Iran war will end soon, but also vows ‘extremely hard’ hits to come
President Trump said Wednesday the U.S. military campaign in Iran is "nearing completion," but offered no new details in an 18-minute address as the civilian death toll reaches nearly 1,600 and gas prices top $4 a gallon nationally.
Democrats sue to block Trump’s mail ballot order as unconstitutional
The Democratic National Committee, congressional leaders, and several state election officials have filed suit challenging Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting and directing the creation of a national citizen voter database.
A Biden student loan plan has ended. Here’s what borrowers need to know.
A federal appeals court has effectively ended the Biden-era SAVE student loan repayment plan. Here's what the more than 7 million enrolled borrowers need to know about deadlines, new plan options, and next steps.
Trump’s Justice Department dropped 23,000 criminal investigations in shift to immigration
A ProPublica analysis found the Trump Justice Department declined more than 23,000 criminal cases in its first six months — abandoning investigations into drugs, terrorism, fraud, and labor corruption while tripling immigration prosecutions.
States sue Trump administration over toxic air rule rollback
A coalition of 21 states and local governments has filed suit challenging the Trump administration's repeal of federal limits on mercury, arsenic, and other toxic air pollutants from coal and oil power plants.
As gas spikes to an average $4 a gallon, Hegseth says Iran ground war still an option
The White House is calling $4-a-gallon gas a "short-term disruption" as the U.S.-Iran war enters its fifth week, with Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz driving global oil prices above $119 a barrel and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth refusing to rule out ground troops.
Trump order to block NPR, PBS funding was unlawful, judge rules
A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Trump's executive order directing agencies to cut all funding to NPR and PBS is unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination under the First Amendment — though Congress has separately moved to eliminate $1.1 billion in public broadcasting funding.
States pass laws allowing pregnancy centers to evade regulation and countersue for damages
At least 4 states introduced legislation this session protecting anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers from government regulation — centers that have received $491 million in taxpayer funds since Dobbs and face criticism from medical experts for endangering public health.
U.S. Supreme Court rules against Colorado ban on conversion therapy
An 8-1 Supreme Court ruling found Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ minors likely violates the First Amendment — a decision that could unravel similar protections in more than 20 states.
TSA officers finally get paid amid ongoing Homeland Security shutdown
Most TSA officers received 4 weeks of back pay Monday after a presidential order redirected funds, but the 45-day partial DHS shutdown — now the longest in U.S. history — continues as Congress remains deadlocked on a solution.
How Trump’s expansion of federal power threatens states’ authority
As the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary, the Trump administration's use of funding cutoffs, military deployments, and executive overreach is pushing state-federal relations to a breaking point not seen in modern history.
