Senator’s comments come amid growing divisions within the party, which he says has ‘too small of a coalition’Cory Booker, the Democratic senator from New Jersey, renewed his calls for new leadership of the Democratic party, saying the party has “failed this moment”.“As a whole, our party has failed this moment,” Booker said on Sunday. “I’ve called for a generational renewal, because this left-right divide is killing our country and our adversaries know it.” He also said that “purity tests” within the party have led to more division in the US. Continue reading...
• Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren opened a congressional hearing emphasizing deep-sea exploration's role in US national security, resource management, economic health, and cultural identity.
• Advances in deep ocean knowledge support critical national interests amid growing global competition.
• Hearing addresses regulatory and scientific challenges in ocean research funding and policy.
Aipac-backed lawmakers denounce ‘extremist’ violence in West Bank as support for Israel becomes a political liabilityAs Israeli settlers ramp up violent attacks on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, often as Israeli forces stand by, denunciations are mounting in the US, even from Democratic legislators and public figures who are typically staunch defenders of Israel.In recent days, dozens of settlers have torched homes and vehicles and attacked Palestinians in apparently coordinated attacks. Since the start of the month, Israeli settlers and police have killed at least 10 Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank, including two young brothers and their parents as they returned from a Ramadan shopping trip. Continue reading...
Emily Gregory defeats Republican Jon Maples in district that is home to US president’s Palm Beach estateDemocrats managed to flip a seat in the Florida state house in the district that is home to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago.Emily Gregory, a Democrat, defeated Republican Jon Maples, who had an endorsement from the US president. The Associated Press called the race on Tuesday evening. Continue reading...
• President Trump declared that Republicans should not agree to any legislative deal until Democrats pass the "SAVE America Act," a sweeping voting measure.
• The bill would require a birth certificate to register to vote and a photo ID to cast a ballot, representing stricter voter identification requirements.
• Trump made the demand in remarks delivered in Memphis, Tennessee, as negotiations continue on various legislative fronts.
Calls for Pennsylvania senator – Trump’s ‘favorite Democrat’ – to resign after casting decisive committee voteDemocrats reacted with outrage to their party colleague John Fetterman’s decision to advance the nomination of Republican US senator Markwayne Mullin as homeland security secretary.Fetterman, the senior US senator from Pennsylvania, has in recent months broken with the party several times to support Republican proposals, and has routinely expressed staunch support for Israel. He cast the decisive committee vote on Thursday to advance Mullin’s nomination to succeed Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary. Continue reading...
• Online prediction markets like Kalshi now slightly favor Democrats to gain control of the Senate in November 2026 midterms amid favorable political trends.
• Key races include Texas with Democrat James Talarico challenging scandal-plagued Ken Paxton or John Cornyn, and openings in Montana after Sen. Steve Daines' retirement.
• Senate control will impact judicial confirmations, potentially allowing Trump to fill a fourth Supreme Court vacancy if one arises in 2027-2028.
• Democrats laying groundwork for major U.S. health care reforms amid political shifts in Washington.
• NIH's Bhattacharya commits to full budget spending; top FDA official announces exit.
• Moves signal potential policy battles over research funding and regulatory changes.
Anger grows after a closed-door briefing from attorney general where she refused to commit to testify under oath despite subpoenaDemocrats walk out in protest at Epstein briefing from BondiSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Furious Democratic lawmakers have moved to impeach attorney general Pam Bondi after walking out of a closed-door briefing about the Jeffrey Epstein files on Wednesday.We asked her multiple times, are you going to come and speak with us under oath? She would not say yes. Filibuster, filibuster, filibuster, would not say yes.Democrats on the Senate intelligence committee pressed Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, to explain why her deputy, Joe Kent, said in his resignation letter on Tuesday that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation”, which contradicts weeks of statements to the contrary by Donald Trump.Senator Markwayne Mullin fielded questions from his colleagues in a confirmation hearing to take over as Donald Trump’s new homeland security secretary.The Federal Bureau of Investigation has started buying location data on Americans, the FBI director, Kash Patel, said under oath at the Senate intelligence committee worldwide threats hearing on Wednesday.Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, argued that the changes to election law Republicans call the Save America Act will make it more difficult for US citizens to voteBy a vote of 53-47, Senate Republicans blocked a war-powers resolution that would have limited Donald Trump’s ability to prosecute the war on Iran he started last month. Continue reading...
Lawmakers leave closed-door meeting after AG refuses to commit to honoring subpoena to testify under oathDemocrats on the House oversight committee walked out of a closed-door briefing from attorney general Pam Bondi about the Jeffrey Epstein files on Wednesday, leaving what California congressman Robert Garcia called “an outrageous fake hearing” after Bondi refused to commit to honoring a subpoena to testify under oath.The committee voted to subpoena Bondi earlier this month, with five Republicans joining Democrats to demand that the attorney general answer questions about the justice department’s failure to properly release files from the federal investigations into Epstein. Continue reading...
