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Tennessee lawmakers pass U.S. House map carving up majority-Black district in Memphis
The new voting districts approved Thursday could give Republicans a chance to win all nine of the state’s congressional seats in the November midterm elections.
How Kamala Harris is threading the needle on the DNC autopsy saga: From the Politics Desk
Plus, Tennessee is set to become the ninth state to enact a new congressional map since last year.
The Politics Hour: D.C. police scandal & tax hikes in MoCo
WAMU's Alex Koma break down the D.C. police scandal over crime data, WAMU's MD reporter Jenny Abamu previews MD-5 Congressional race, and Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich on why he wants a tax hike.
Appeals court appears poised to reject Hegseth’s bid to punish Mark Kelly over ‘illegal orders’ video
A federal appeals court appeared ready Thursday to reject Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s effort to punish Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over his call to US service members to refuse illegal orders.
Purgatory: Florida congressional delegation in middle of pack in 'Biblical Business Index'
Could Florida legislators be more faith-based?
The National Academy of Sciences Elects Two Berkeley Lab Researchers
Two Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) scientists have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. They are part of a cohort of 120 new members and 25 international members. The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that was established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership, and — alongside the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine — provides science, engineering, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations. The 2026 electees bring the total number of active members to 2,705 with 557 international members. Gary Karpen is a biologist senior faculty scientist in Berkeley Lab’s Biological Systems and Engineering Division and a Professor of Cell and Developmental Physiology in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley. Karpen studies how the structure, organization, and maintenance of genetic material impact inheritance and cell function. His lab focuses on chromatin — a packaged form of DNA strands wrapped around proteins that comprises our chromosomes — with a particular emphasis on centromeres, rarely expressed sequences called heterochromatin, DNA repair, and regulatory RNAs. His research reveals insights into fundamental aspects of nuclear organization and genome regulation that are shared across the tree of life, broadening our understanding of cancer and other diseases, birth defects, and aging. Kam-Biu Luk is a Professor Emeritus of physics at UC Berkeley and a retired senior faculty scientist in Berkeley Lab’s Physics Division. He is an experimental particle physicist whose research has focused on neutrinos: nearly massless, electrically neutral elementary particles that can pass through matter virtually undetected. Neutrinos are created during radioactive decay processes, including the fusion process occurring in stars and the fission process that powers nuclear reactors. Luk initiated and co-led the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment, a project based in China with more than 200 international collaborators. In 2012, the Daya Bay experiment discovered a new form of a phenomenon called “neutrino oscillation” in which neutrinos change from one type to another. For this discovery, Luk and his collaborator Yifan Wang received the 2014 American Physical Society Division of Particles and Fields W.K.H. Panofsky Prize for outstanding work in experimental particle physics, and he was also the co-recipient of the 2016 Breakthrough Prize. Luk is currently participating in the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) hosted by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, which will investigate any potential difference in behavior between neutrinos and antineutrinos that may shed light on the evolution of the universe, especially why antimatter is absent in the present universe. ### Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is committed to groundbreaking research focused on discovery science and solutions for abundant and reliable energy supplies. The lab’s expertise spans materials, chemistry, physics, biology, earth and environmental science, mathematics, and computing. Researchers from around the world rely on the lab’s world-class scientific facilities for their own pioneering research. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest problems are best addressed by teams, Berkeley Lab and its scientists have been recognized with 17 Nobel Prizes. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.
Mamdani's latest tax pledge 'makes no sense' and will only exacerbate Florida 'exodus': former mayor
Republican congressional candidate Scott Singer predicts continued business exodus from NYC to Florida amid Mayor Mamdani's tax-the-rich policies.
Congress must secure the future of college sports
The NCAA is working to modernize college sports with new financial benefits, healthcare, and scholarship support for student-athletes, but is facing challenges from lawsuits and potential employmen…
Kalshi is losing Washington
Congress, the courts, the states, the leagues, and now the President's own circle have all landed in the same place at the same time: this isn't a market. It's a casino with a lobbyist.
Republicans poised to vote on new House map that would erase Democratic seat in Tennessee
Such a move could reshape the electoral map ahead of the midterms by carving up a majority-Black congressional district
Is the FDA Really Suppressing Science? Plus. . .
It’s Thursday, May 7. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Aaron MacLean says Trump is poised to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the Iran war. Joe Klein on the life of CNN founder Ted Turner. Jillian Lederman on why cruise ships are here to stay. And much more. But first: Is the FDA suppressing science? On Tuesday, The New York Times published a story with an alarming takeaway. “FDA Blocked Publication of Research Finding Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe,” read the headline. It is the latest in a string of stories that all have the same message: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other agencies, are engaged in a cover-up—and silencing scientists trying to get the word out about the Covid vaccine. What all these stories suggest—some more subtly than others—is that the outsiders now running the public health establishment, officials such as Marty Makary at the FDA and Jay Bhattacharya at the National Institutes of Health, are on a revenge tour. That they are doing harm to the country to get back at the scientists and bureaucrats who ostracized them for deviating from the public-health consensus during the pandemic. It’s a seductive narrative. But is it true? That’s the question we address in our latest editorial. —The Editors Read [ Marty Makary's FDA Has All the Right Enemies ](https://www.thefp.com/p/marty-makary-vaccine-study-fda) [ Trump Blinks First ](https://www.thefp.com/p/iran-peace-deal-pakistan-trump-strait-of-hormuz) Aaron MacLean In return for no detectable concessions, President Trump this week gave up on forcing open the Strait of Hormuz. Now, the Trump administration looks desperate for a deal to end the war with Iran. It’s easy to understand the desire to end the war, but are they blowing the chance at victory? Aaron MacLean makes sense of the administration’s latest moves—and Iran’s response—in his column today. Read full story Aaron MacLean and Niall Ferguson: Live in New York City Join Aaron MacLean and Niall Ferguson on May 19 for a live recording of School of War at the iconic New York Historical. In a conversation as timely as it is wide-ranging, Aaron and Niall will explore the strategic stakes of the moment, including the Middle East, China, and the future of American leadership on the global stage. Get Tickets Now [ Ted Turner, the Optimist Who Built CNN ](https://www.thefp.com/p/ted-turner-cnn-tribute) Joe Klein The man who gave us CNN and the 24-hour news cycle, Ted Turner, died Wednesday at the age of 87. Today, political writer Joe Klein—who almost ghostwrote Turner’s autobiography—remembers his friend, the American media mogul who stood out for his idealism and lack of a filter—something that got Turner in trouble more than once. “His was not a traditional intelligence, but one of horizon: Ted saw things before other people did,” Joe writes. Read full story [ Nothing Can Sink the Cruise Ship ](https://www.thefp.com/p/cruise-ship-hantavirus) Jillian Lederman A viral outbreak on a cruise ship that left three passengers dead has left some people wondering: Are cruise ships on the way out? Not so fast, says Jillian Lederman, who has been on many a cruise herself. Read her piece on why 38 million people a year take a cruise—and aren’t about to stop. Read full story [ The Great Writers Who Were Terrible People ](https://www.thefp.com/p/the-great-writers-who-were-terrible) Shilo Brooks Throughout history, some of the greatest literary geniuses have also been immoral bigots. In the latest episode of Old School, Shilo Brooks is joined by Eli Lake for a conversation about those geniuses, from Voltaire to Norman Mailer and Roald Dahl—and why we should read their work despite their odious prejudices. Listen on MORE FROM THE FREE PRESS [ Inside the Digital Intifada ](https://www.thefp.com/p/digital-intifada-social-media-hamas-terror) Warren Kinsella Read full story [ This Week in American History: Trump’s Over-Arching Problem ](https://www.thefp.com/p/this-week-in-american-history-trumps-over-arching-problem) Jonathan Horn Read full story [ Humanity Is Still Evolving—and Fast ](https://www.thefp.com/p/humanity-is-still-evolvingand-fast) Razib Khan Read full story THE NEWS Thirteen D.C. Metropolitan Police officers have been placed on administrative leave and could face termination after an internal investigation found evidence that crime statistics were manipulated to make the city look safer. The Republican-led House Oversight Committee previously alleged that former D.C. police chief Pamela Smith pressured officers to skew data. Tennessee Republicans unveiled a redrawn U.S. House map yesterday that would split up Memphis’s black-majority Democratic district, the latest move in a nationwide push to redraw congressional boundaries ahead of the midterms. The effort follows a Supreme Court ruling last week on Louisiana’s districts, which Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton said gave states the green light to redraw maps along partisan lines. Israel struck Beirut for the first time since a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect last month, saying it targeted a commander of the militant group’s elite Radwan force in the city’s southern suburbs. The strikes risk destabilizing that truce at a delicate moment, as Iran and the U.S. report progress toward a deal to resolve their own standoff. The U.S. Air Force is aiming for a Fourth of July delivery of a Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar, hoping to add it to the Air Force One fleet in time for the U.S.’s 250th anniversary, Reuters reported. (For more on the controversy surrounding the aircraft, read Jed Rubenfeld’s piece “It’s a Terrible Idea, but Trump Probably Can Accept a Free Jet from Qatar.”) Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified privately before Congress that he has no memory of why he and his family dined on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in 2012, according to Reuters. The admission contradicts Lutnick’s earlier claim that he had cut ties with the convicted sex offender well before that visit. Weeks before a former JPMorgan investment banker filed a lawsuit packed with explosive allegations, the bank reportedly offered him $1 million to settle his sexual assault and harassment claims, according to The Wall Street Journal. The suit, filed by Chirayu Rana, alleges he was sexually assaulted by a female colleague, subjected to racial discrimination, and forced into a degrading dynamic at work. JPMorgan says the claims lack merit, and the female colleague’s lawyers call the accusations fabricated. A new report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research shows that, for the first time in roughly 20 years, church attendance is trending upward, with more people volunteering and clergy expressing renewed optimism. The study’s authors described the findings, based on a survey of more than 7,400 congregations, as showing signs of widespread recovery from low attendance numbers.
New political map would keep Oak Ridge in U.S. Rep. Fleischmann's district
A political map of Tennessee lawmakers are weighing keeps Oak Ridge, a site of massive investment in science and defense, with a congressman with power over where federal money is spent.
In new poll, Americans voice broad bipartisan support for age caps in Congress
The vast majority of Americans — 8 in 10 — say there should be age caps for members of Congress, as well as term limits, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll.
Tennessee poised to vote on new US House map sought by Trump that carves up Memphis
Republican lawmakers in Tennessee are poised to vote on a plan to reshape a majority-Black congressional district | 830 WCCO
Tennessee poised to vote on new US House map sought by Trump that carves up Memphis
Republican lawmakers in Tennessee are poised to vote on a plan to reshape a majority-Black congressional district | News-Talk 1380 WAOK
How Ethics Committee handling Chuck Edwards' investigation works
Edwards is one of numerous Congress members who have faced allegations of sexual misconduct.
Michael Li: The Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act. Here’s how to fix it.
Districts that gave voters of color a seat at the table may soon be dismantled — and not just in Congress.
SC House Republicans vote to consider congressional redistricting after Trump White House pressure
SC House Republicans voted to allow themselves the option to redraw Congressional lines in 2026 after a pressure campaign by Donald Trump’s White House. The plan still needs approval from
Map passed by North Texas Senator upheld by U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld controversial Texas Congressional maps, ruled there there can be nearly limitless gerrymandering in the states for partisan reasons, and took a chunk out of the Voting Rights Act. Lone Star Politics speaks with Senator Phil King, R-Weatherford, chair of the redistricting committee in the Texas Senate.
Miller-Meeks: Celebrating Iowa Small Businesses
In a newly released op-ed, Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks is highlighting recent wins for Iowa small businesses that support their growth and success.
FBI searches business, other locations associated with Democratic Virginia state senator
Lucas, the president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate, has recently focused her attention on redrawing the state’s congressional maps
Horsford Takes "Congressman on the Job" to the Kitchen, Spotlighting Small Business Crisis
NORTH LAS VEGAS- Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) continued his “Congressman on the Job” series, a district-wide initiative where he steps directly into Nevada workplaces to experience firsthand the challenges facing workers, small businesses, and families across the Fourth District.
Lone Star Politics: May 3, 2026
This week, the Supreme Court made a ruling on new congressional maps and voting rights. We take a look at how it will impact an already intense battle for Congress. Plus, we spoke to a Google representative about the concerns from voters over new data centers in Ellis County.
Republicans want to add $1 billion for Trump's ballroom security to ICE funding plan
Republicans in Congress are proposing $1 billion in funding for security for President Trump's White House ballroom as part of their partisan plan to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Milwaukee Congresswoman wants to fund Job Corps
President Donald Trump, in his budget for the next fiscal year, once again proposes eliminating it.
Milwaukee Congresswoman wants to fund Job Corps
President Donald Trump, in his budget for the next fiscal year, once again proposes eliminating it.
The Price of Partisan Advocacy by Science Institutions
New evidence should have us asking: is it worth it?
Southwest Missouri Congressman Eric Burlison demands investigation into National Academies of Sciences funding
Southwest Missouri Congressman Eric Burlison is leading a push to investigate federal funding for one of the nation’s most prominent scientific organizations.
RELEASE: “Josh on the Job” — Gottheimer Visits Local Buffalo Wild Wings to Meet with Small Business Owners, Employees, and Customers
Above: Gottheimer working in the kitchen with staff. FAIR LAWN, NJ — Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) visited Buffalo Wild Wings GO in Fair Lawn to meet with local franchise owners and employees, helping prepare and serve food for Jersey customers as part of his “Josh on the Job” series highlighting small, locally owned businesses across North […]
Precious Brady-Davis is no stranger to being a first. Could she take that to Congress?
She’s the only Black trans person currently in public office in the country, and her political profile is growing.
Now in hospice care, Barney Frank urges political left to avoid ‘litmus tests’ in new interview
The last act of the legendary congressman from Massachusetts is to push a pragmatic theory of political change.
A Look Inside the Case That Enshrined Political Power for Billionaires
After Watergate, Congress tried to curtail the role of money in politics. But a pivotal Supreme Court case nipped it in the bud. Years later, new details are emerging on how wealthy Americans were conferred with a “right to spend” on elections.
Louisiana’s race to redistrict for Congress puts Republicans in uncharted legal waters
The Supreme Court ruling that the state cannot use race as a factor in redistricting raises thorny new questions.
Trump gets revenge, and other takeaways from Tuesday’s Indiana and Ohio primaries
President Donald Trump vowed revenge when the Republican supermajority in the Indiana state Senate embarrassed him in December, voting down Trump’s demands to redraw the state’s congressional maps to help the party win two more seats.
JD Vance makes his Iowa debut as he campaigns for GOP congressman
The state will play a key role if the vice president decides to run for president in 2028, and other potential GOP candidates have visited in recent months.
May 7 Vacaville/Vallejo Arts-Entertainment Source: Faces and Places
U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson announced that Victoria Wang from Sonoma County was chosen as the overall winner for California’s Fourth District 2026 Congressional Art Competition. Lilly Bertlin was named as the Solano County finalist.
U.S. Congressman Tim Walberg Joins NFIB Small Business Roundtable
Owners discussed small business issues with Rep. Walberg.
GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards’s office acknowledges Ethics Committee investigation
A spokesman for the North Carolina congressman said he welcomes a chance to refute allegations regarding his conduct toward female staffers.
Will new ‘Trump IRAs’ really help the working class to retire?
Experts say Congressional action is needed
Abortion pill rulings bring the issue back to the forefront in a midterm election year
Back-to-back court rulings on abortion pill access are thrusting a contentious political issue back into the spotlight ahead of this year’s midterm elections that will determine control of Congress for the second half of President Donald Trump's term.
US Supreme Court fast tracks Louisiana's congressional redistricting effort
A dissenting justice wrote that the court had “spawned chaos in the State of Louisiana.”
Trump's influence tested in Indiana primaries after failed redistricting push
Indiana's primary will test President Donald Trump's enduring power over the Republican Party as he tries to dislodge state senators who refused to go along with his call to redraw the state's congressional map.
Politics & Power: Supreme Court guts Voting Rights Act, reshaping redistricting battles ahead of midterms
A 60-year-old civil rights law, effectively gutted. Now, Republicans across the South are racing to redraw congressional maps — and Florida just became the first state to act, passing new lines that could flip four seats. Democrats are promising to fight back. Sean Freeder, a political scientist and analyst, joins News4JAX anchor Bruce Hamilton to discuss the pushback and the legal fights ahead.
Live Results: Indiana state primaries
Seven GOP state senators who blocked President Donald Trump's push to redraw the state’s congressional districts now face primary challengers endorsed by him.
Physicians in Congress propose fix for troubled Merit-based Incentive Payment System
Representatives recently introduced the Medicare Physician Data-Driven Performance Payment System Act, drawing praise from the House of Medicine.
Vance gets a chance to woo Iowa GOP voters ahead of 2028 in a campaign stop with congressman
Vice President JD Vance will visit Iowa.
‘Absolutely’: Congressman whose district is at risk from redistricting says Trump is trying to rig the midterm vote
Supreme Court justices spar over Louisiana’s effort to speed up elimination of majority-Black congressional district
The Supreme Court cleared the way Monday for Louisiana to redraw a hotly contested congressional map that the court ruled days earlier was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, a highly technical decision that sparked a bitter back-and-forth between three conservatives and a member of the court’s liberal wing.
Ron DeSantis signs Florida's new congressional map
The fresh cartography could net Republicans as many as 4 U.S. House seats.
Despite pressure, Gov. Henry McMaster won’t call special session to redraw SC’s congressional map
SC Gov. Henry McMaster won’t call a special session to redraw the state’s congressional districts, even as national Republicans push for mid-decade redistricting following a Supreme Court ruling.
Mali: Authorities must immediately clarify the fate and whereabouts of lawyer and pro-democracy politician Mountaga Tall
On 3 May 2026, leader of the National Congress for Democratic Initiative Mountaga Tall was abducted by armed and hooded men.
Warned off vaccine actions, Kennedy seeks quick health wins ahead of midterms
The stakes are high for Trump’s Republican party, which risks losing control of both chambers of Congress, polls show.
Warned off vaccine actions, Kennedy seeks quick health wins ahead of midterms
The stakes are high for Trump’s Republican party, which risks losing control of both chambers of Congress, polls show.
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Michigan's special election for control of the state Senate
Voters in a competitive Central Michigan district will decide control of the state Senate on Tuesday in a special election to fill the seat last held by Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet, who's now a congresswoman.
Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso join Nigeria Democratic Congress in major political shake-up
Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, who came third and fourth respectively in the last elections, switch parties.
Christian Menefee and Al Green, rivals in TX-18, align on aim of strengthening voting rights
The two congressmen, in a Democratic primary runoff election for the same Houston-based seat, both came out strongly for the need to pass new legislation to counteract the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that crippled enforcement of the Voting Rights Act.
MinnPost analysis: How Minnesota’s remarkable response to Operation Metro Surge changed politics
The pushback to Operation Metro Surge impacted policy and congressional politics, it’s also redefined how Americans relate to immigrants.
Democrats Add 8 Candidates to House Battlefield Program for Midterms
The party’s congressional campaign arm is promoting more contenders to take down at-risk Republicans — and is taking sides in some competitive primaries.
Ailing? Joining a rebellion? Congress can keep your seat warm
While an absent Kean looks forward to recovery and return, a glance back at how some incapacitated lawmakers managed to stay in office
Alabama and Tennessee move to draw new congressional districts in wake of Supreme Court ruling
Republican governors in Alabama and Tennessee have called lawmakers into special sessions seeking new congressional districts.
Barney Frank, in hospice, says he remains hopeful but warns Democrats on ‘litmus test’ politics
Speaking from his home in Ogunquit, Maine, the 86-year-old former congressman told CNN that his own experience gives him reason to believe the political landscape can improve.
Cleo Fields, other House candidates ask to join to lawsuit over Louisiana suspending election
U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields has asked a judge to join a lawsuit challenging Gov. Jeff Landry’s suspension of congressional primaries in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling declaring Louisiana’s U.S. House map unconstitutional.
Golf Business Live: U.S. Representative Richard Hudson
U.S. Congressman joins NGCOA CEO and Golf Business Live host Jay Karen to discuss a wide range of issues impacting golf owners and operators on the eve of National Golf Day.
Colorado Democrats scramble to fund health care subsidies after loss of federal benefits
Colorado Democrats are struggling to devise a long-term plan to respond to higher health insurance costs after Republicans in Congress allowed federal subsidies to expire at the end of last year. Individuals and families who...
Colorado Democrats scramble to fund health care subsidies after loss of federal benefits
Colorado Democrats are struggling to devise a long-term plan to respond to higher health insurance costs after Republicans in Congress allowed federal subsidies to expire at the end of last year. Individuals and families who...
Check in with your representatives in Washington: Supreme Court decision, maternal health bill and more
In Congress, Athens-Clarke County is represented by Democratic Sens. Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock and Republican Rep. Mike Collins. Here is the latest from Washington, D.C.
Former Congressman Barney Frank reflects on his life, entering hospice, and the future of the Democratic Party
Austin Democrats brace for more redistricting efforts next year
Recent rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court could spur a third effort to redraw Texas' congressional maps since the 2020 census.
Curing U.S. Health Care, Part II
On March 23, 2010 President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — usually referred to either as the Affordable Care Act or as Obamacare — into law. Joe Biden, then the vice president, could be overheard whispering “This is a big fucking deal.” And it was. The ACA, which went into full effect in 2014, created a system of subsidies and regulations designed to make health insurance available to many Americans who had previously been left out. It worked: In 2010 there were 47 million uninsured people in America, but by 2016 this number had dropped to 27 million. This still fell short of the universal health insurance that every other advanced nation has, but it was real progress. In 2017, during his first term, Donald Trump tried to destroy the ACA, replacing it with the American Health Care Act — legislation that would have eliminated most of the provisions that expanded health insurance under Obama. At the time the Congressional Budget Office projected that the G.O.P.’s replacement bill would nearly double the number of Americans without health insurance, increasing the total uninsured population by 23 million and undoing all of the progress achieved under the ACA. However, the attack on Obamacare failed by one vote in the Senate, and the ensuing public backlash against the G.O.P. delivered a large victory in the 2018 midterms to the Democrats. After these developments many observers assumed that the ACA had become a more or less permanent feature of American life. Such assessments, however, failed to take into account the deep hostility of the U.S. right toward policies that expand access to healthcare. As we’ll see, this hostility goes back generations. And the second Trump administration has taken actions that the CBO projects will add 16 million people to the rolls of the uninsured by 2034. How did we get here? And now what? Today’s primer will analyze the political economy of U.S. healthcare since the 1940s and the combination of danger and opportunity created by the current crisis. Beyond the paywall I will discuss the following: US health care on the eve of Trump II 80 years of US health politics The Obamacare story The new assault on healthcare
Winner and Loser of the Week in Florida politics
There's fallout galore after Florida lawmakers pushed through a new congressional map just months before the election.
Trump disapproval reaches new high, Post-ABC-Ipsos poll finds
Democrats now hold a five-point advantage in support for Congress, up from two points in February.
Inside Democratic Fundraiser ActBlue’s Big Spending and Internal Drama
The group faces investigations from the Justice Department and congressional Republicans six months before the 2026 midterms.
State redistricting battles intensify following U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Voting Rights Act
A Supreme Court decision striking down a majority Black congressional district in Louisiana has amplified an already intense national redistricting battle. Here’s a look at how some states are responding.
Rep. Michael McCaul warns Texas Republicans not to nominate Ken Paxton for Senate
The outgoing Austin congressman believes that Paxton could lose the race to Democrat James Talarico.
FIFA World Congress in Vancouver, B.C., couldn’t shake politics
President Gianni Infantino botched a feel-good moment between Israeli, Palestinian soccer officials
Kemp won't seek to change Georgia's congressional map this year
There will be no changes to Georgia's congressional map before the 2026 midterm elections are held, Gov. Brian Kemp said on Friday.
The politics of Trump's ballroom
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — President Trump was about a half-hour into his second speech of the day, musing about the danger he faced last week at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. “Saturday night, it was good for one thing. People are loving my ballroom now,” Trump told a crowd last night. “That’s the only thing. They love my ballroom.” Ever since he was hustled off stage at the Washington Hilton last week, after an attempted shooter breached the dinner’s security perimeter and sent guests diving to the floor, the president has argued that the incident is proof for why his White House ballroom is needed. Only his planned $400 million, 90,000-square-foot project, Trump has reasoned, can keep a president truly safe at major events. It’s true that a bunch of GOP lawmakers have jumped on board with new legislation and words of support for Trump’s project. House Speaker Mike Johnson, Sen. Rand Paul and other prominent Republicans went on TV to talk about the need for a ballroom. But as we reported at The Washington Post this week, “people” aren’t really changing their minds on Trump’s ballroom. A new Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that most Americans still oppose the ballroom project: 56 percent against it versus 28 percent in favor. The numbers are the same as a poll from last year, the Post’s polling whiz Scott Clement found. Other new polls have found similar margins, too. “I’m just not a giant fan, especially of extravagance,” one independent voter told me. “I mean, in the era we’re in right now, given how much people are struggling, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to spend $400 million on a ballroom.” How we got here The Washington Post has followed Trump’s ballroom project very closely. (My colleague Jonathan Edwards may have written the most total words of any reporter about the project; I may be second.) The project exploded as a national issue after Trump tore down the White House’s East Wing after initially promising not to touch it.1 Historic preservationists sued, and about a month ago, a federal judge ordered a halt to ballroom construction.2 The only way the ballroom could proceed, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled, was if Congress explicitly authorized Trump’s plans. (An appeals court has stayed Leon’s order for now.) The judge’s ruling raised an obvious question: would Congress authorize the project? Keep in mind, “authorization” doesn’t mean that Congress needs to necessarily fund the planned $400 million project; they could just sign off on the private donations that Trump has solicited to pay for the ballroom.3 But GOP lawmakers really didn’t want to talk about the ballroom, we reported at The Post just a few weeks ago. One major reason was the ballroom’s bad polling — not a small detail with many of their own midterm elections looming. The White House Correspondents’ Dinner incident, and Trump’s advocacy, may have changed the political conversation around the ballroom. As this week’s polling shows, it doesn’t seem to have affected the fundamental questions surrounding the project. To put it another way, voters still say that cost-of-living concerns are top-of-mind heading into the midterms. Some Republican and independent voters have told me that they see the ballroom as a vanity project that will help Trump but do nothing for their own lives. It might not help Republicans that Trump has dismissed some of the cost-of-living concerns. He’s described “affordability” as a buzzword manufactured by Democrats whose policies helped cause inflation. “They’ve got one good line of bullshit,” Trump said in his first speech yesterday, delivered at a Florida retirement community known as The Villages. Thanks for reading Dan Diamond's newsletter! Subscribe for free to stay up-to-date on my work. Subscribe Speaking of Trump’s speeches… I’m down in Florida because it’s my “duty week” as a White House reporter — basically, I follow the president wherever he goes. (And then hand the baton off to one of my Washington Post colleagues next week.) As part of my duty week, I’ve spent a few days covering the White House’s reaction to Saturday’s attempted shooting, including officials’ review of the security protocols to protect the president. Trump was restrained in the wake of the incident, addressing the nation from the White House briefing room about the need for peaceful dialogue and trying to lower the temperature. But he’s clearly been itching to get back out of the White House, and I was curious to hear how his Florida speeches would go. And — to my ears — it was an unburdened Trump. Not the one we saw Saturday night in the White House briefing room, but the one we witnessed on the campaign trail in 2024. Loose, dropping profanities, mocking everyone, including members of his team. “We have a man here who knows more about Medicaid, Medicare, medical crap than any human being. Where’s Dr. Oz? Where the hell are you, stand up,” Trump said, referring to Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “It’s the most boring trip I’ve ever made. He’s telling me about Medicare, Medicaid. All I want to do is take care of you, I don’t care. I said, ‘You work out the details.’” I wrote up the speech, as Trump headed to West Palm Beach to deliver more remarks a few hours later. The White House didn’t like my story. Their rapid-response team called it the work of a “total loser”4 and “a miserable TDS-ridden moron.” You can be the judge of whether it’s a fair story or the product of someone afflicted with “TDS.” (The White House’s shorthand for “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”) I’ve pasted the story below with a gift link, meaning that you don’t need to be a Washington Post subscriber to read it. It might prompt you for an email address, though. Meanwhile, I’ll be down in Florida for the rest of the weekend, covering the president. It’s TBD whether those stories will be deemed TDS-afflicted, too. 1 Jonathan details the past six months of ballroom fallout, reactions and the implications for executive authority here. I also had a great time talking about Trump’s ballroom and other projects with Australia’s ABC News Daily on a podcast this week. 2 The judge allowed underground construction and national security-related work to continue. But that hasn’t been enough for Trump, who says the ballroom itself is essential for his protection. 3 The ballroom donors include companies like Palantir, Google and Amazon. For transparency, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, where I work. No one has ever interfered with our team’s coverage of the ballroom or our mentions of Amazon or Bezos, and if that changed, I’d speak out. 4 To be fair, I’ve spent the morning working on stories and writing this Substack post rather than enjoying the beautiful Florida weather. So they may be onto something about who’s winning and who’s losing.
Ruby Red Iowa Backed Trump by 13 Points in 2024. Now It’s a Battleground.
Iowa has trended red for a decade, but Democrats are showing signs of life, and that could help their party reclaim Congress and maybe even a governorship.
Event With Links to Oil Industry Teaches Judges "Healthy Skepticism" of Climate Science
As congressional Republicans accuse climate scholars and lawyers of colluding to influence the judiciary, a symposium hosted by a center funded by the fossil fuel industry educates judges about free-market views of climate science.
Gov. Jeff Landry’s order halting Louisiana congressional elections faces barrage of lawsuits
But several of those lawsuits already faced rejection from judges.
Tennesse to redistrict in effort to flip Memphis congressional seat
At the behest of President Donald Trump, Tennessee’s Republican supermajority is returning to Nashville to redraw the state’s congressional maps.
Trump Tells Congress Why He Doesn’t Need Its Authorization for the Iran War
In letters to the House and Senate, the president asserted that the hostilities had “terminated,” in an apparent attempt to avoid having to seek congressional approval.
Redistricting shuffle: Darren Soto signals he's staying put in CD 9
He has also dismissed Ron DeSantis' proposed congressional map, which passed in the Legislature, 'illegal.'
Trump says Iran conflict is ‘terminated’ as he hits congressional deadline
Trump’s statement came as the United States continues to enforce a naval blockade of Iran and as he declined to rule out additional strikes on the country.
The White House tries to sidestep Congress on Iran as political pressures mount: From the Politics Desk
Plus, a trio of redistricting developments post-Supreme Court ruling.
Trump says deadline for Congress to approve Iran war doesn't apply, claiming hostilities have 'terminated'
Yet President Donald Trump also made it clear in a letter to Congress that the war may be far from over.
As Iran War Reaches 60-Day Mark, Republicans in Congress Grow Impatient With Trump
Months into the operation and with midterms looming, some lawmakers are calling for Congress to restrain the president’s war power or set terms for bringing the conflict to a close.
House passes Farm Bill, yanks pro-pesticide provision
On Thursday the House passed a new farm bill
Former congressman David Rivera convicted in case on secret Venezuela lobbying
Jurors found Rivera and an associate guilty on all counts, including failing to register as a foreign agent with the Justice Department and conspiracy to commit money laundering as part of their work for former President Nicolás Maduro's government.
Science groups, former astronauts urge Congress to reject cuts to NASA
The White House’s budget proposal for the 2027 fiscal year would cut NASA’s budget by 23% and force the cancellation of dozens of missions.
Who’s running for Congress in California? These races could determine the majority
Ballots are in the mail for California’s primary election. These are the congressional races CalMatters is watching closely — and the candidates fighting for their political lives.
Trump administration rejects need for Iran war Congressional approval despite deadline
Pete Hegseth argued that a ceasefire agreement with Iran more than three weeks ago ‘means the 60 day clock pauses, or stops’
A deadline for the Iran war is here. What does the War Powers Act say?
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asserted an ongoing ceasefire “pauses” the clock on the 60-day deadline to end hostilities in Iran or seek congressional approval.
U.S. Debt Smashes Through Unthinkable Milestone. Can It Be Stopped? | WSJ Politics Newsletter for May 1
Plus, Trump is poised to defy Congress over authorization for the Iran war
Obamacare Enrollment Drops Sharply as Costs Rise
Americans can’t afford the higher health insurance premiums that resulted from Congress’s refusal to extend federal tax credits.
Republicans Want Tennessee’s Last Democratic House District
Republicans sliced Nashville into three G.O.P.-leaning congressional districts in 2022. After the Supreme Court decision on voting rights, Memphis could be next.
Trump is supposed to get Congress’ approval when the Iran war hits 60 days. Lawmakers can’t agree when that is.
A Vietnam-era law says Congress must sign off on the Iran war after the conflict hits the 60-day mark. The only problem: Lawmakers can’t agree when that deadline actually hits. And now they’ve left town.
Florida Republicans slice and dice congressional districts: How a new map could cost Democrats seats
The redrawn congressional district lines that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will soon sign into law are intended to help Republicans pick up as many as four U.S. House seats in November — a scenario that would cost some Democrats their seats