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Vice-president wears religion on his sleeve but winding spiritual path could alienate evangelicals and CatholicsUS vice-president JD Vance has worn his religion on his sleeve since converting to the Catholicism in 2019. He recently published a book, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, and memorably met the late Pope Francis at the Vatican on Easter Sunday in 2025, a day before the pontiff died.But his religious identity could take on new weight as he positions himself for a presidential run in 2028, in which a successful campaign would make him only the third Catholic president in US history. Vance’s winding spiritual path – combined with his avowed evangelical roots – have the potential to stymie him, as he seeks to retain the Christian nationalist voters that have sustained Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (Maga) movement while wooing fellow Catholics. Continue reading...

• The House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution with a 370-48 vote to approve government spending and avoid a shutdown before the midterms. • The bill extends funding until December 11 and includes a delay on a White House Office of Management and Budget rule that Democrats feared would allow the Trump administration to cancel grants arbitrarily. • This bipartisan agreement follows a period of instability where Democrats used Senate filibusters to force policy compromises after losing control of Congress in the 2024 elections.

• The House of Representatives passed a short-term funding bill in a 370-48 vote to keep the government operational into early December. • This legislative action was taken specifically to prevent a government shutdown from occurring before the upcoming midterm elections. • Key provisions include blocking the Department of Homeland Security from transferring funds to the Border Patrol and delaying rules that would grant Trump administration appointees more authority over federal grants.

Continuing resolution to approve government spending until 11 December passes 370-48 and will now go to Trump The US House of Representatives on Tuesday approved legislation to prevent a government shutdown through the midterms, as both parties opted to defuse a volatile dispute ahead of the November elections that will decide the balance of power in Congress for the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency.A continuing resolution (CR) authorizing government spending until 11 December passed the House by a 370-48 vote, with only 19 Republicans and 29 Democrats in opposition. Had it not passed, lawmakers would have had until the end of September to approve new funding or face a government shutdown. Continue reading...

• The U.S. House is expected to vote this Tuesday on a short-term spending measure designed to prevent a government shutdown. • The proposal aims to keep the government operational through the November midterm elections, allowing members of both parties to focus on their campaigns. • GOP hard-liners from the House Freedom Caucus are resisting the measure, citing objections to funding for Planned Parenthood and the absence of a ban on specific hemp products.

• House Speaker Mike Johnson is launching a floor vote on a stopgap funding bill to prevent a federal government shutdown before the November midterm elections. • The short-term measure aims to keep the government fully funded through early December, avoiding a lapse in services. • To secure Democratic support, the Senate modified the bill to delay an Office of Management and Budget rule that would have increased political appointees' control over federal grants.

Speaker Mike Johnson to launch a floor vote designed to prevent any federal shutdown before the November midtermsHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.House speaker Mike Johnson will launch a floor vote to pass the stopgap funding bill designed to keep the federal government fully funded through early December, removing the possibility of a shutdown before the midterm elections.The Supreme Court allowed Donald Trump to continue building his $400m White House ballroom project. In a 5-4 decision along political lines, the justices found that a group issuing a legal challenge against the ballroom did not have standing to bring their case. Trump celebrated with a post on his Truth Social platform while Democrats criticized the decision.Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down from his role after 18 months on the job, leaving another top military position vacant. Driscoll and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had reportedly butted heads for some time.Trump vowed further strikes on Iran and called it a “failed nation”. The remarks came as Washington and Tehran exchanged their first military strikes in a month.JD Vance gave a speech in Michigan that included an attacked against Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. “There’s something about Abdul El-Sayed that is very, very evil,” Vance told the crowd.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of turning their trade dispute into a “political shouting match”. Carney had rejected the Trump administration’s terms that would have given the US government extensive power over Canada’s trade policy.California Governor Gavin Newsom vowed to block the appointment of election denier Tina Peters, who was convicted in 2024 in relation to a plot to chase pro-Trump election conspiracies. Newsom announced he would take measures to prevent Peters from working as an election consultant for Northern California’s Shasta county. Continue reading...