The dominant narrative about the Democratic sweep of the midterm elections has focused on President Donald Trump’s brash ineptitude and voters fed up with the costs of living amid reports of corruption emanating from the White House. The climate crisis appeared to take a backseat to concerns about rising energy prices driven by data center build-out and inflation linked to the U.S.
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A proposed rule change by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeks to limit eligibility standards for some households with low incomes when it comes to automatic enrollment into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), sometimes referred to as the food stamps program. Currently, any household that receives cash or in-kind assistance from the Temporary Assistance for Needy…
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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* There are still some U.S. House races that have not yet been called, including Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar’s re-election bid in Miami. After unofficial returns found the incumbent leading Democratic nominee Eliott Rodriguez by roughly 1,000 votes, Florida’s secretary of state ordered a machine recount.
That process began Monday morning, though Salazar declared herself the winner before the recount got underway.
* There was an expensive fight in California over Proposition 40, which would have created a first-in-the-nation tax on the net worth of billionaires. On Monday, The Associated Press called the race and concluded that the state’s voters had rejected the proposal.
* Speaking of the Golden State, a redistricting effort in California meant two incumbent House Republicans — Reps. Ken Calvert and Young Kim — were forced to run against each other in the state’s 40th Congressional District. It was competitive, but the AP has called the race for Calvert.
* As part of an apparent bid to remain politically relevant, former Sen. Joe Manchin endorsed several like-minded candidates in the 2026 election cycle. All of the candidates backed by the West Virginia independent lost.
* Last week in Wisconsin, Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden lost to Democratic candidate Rebecca Cooke by roughly 7 points in one of the nation’s most closely watched House races. Less than a week later, the ousted GOP lawmaker filed the paperwork for a 2028 rematch.
* The prominent conservative group Turning Point USA, founded by the late Charlie Kirk, focused much of its 2026 energies on backing far-right candidates in Arizona, including spending nearly $20 million in
There was an unexpected exchange during Donald Trump’s latest “60 Minutes” interview, in which the president reflected on the unpopularity of his administration’s mass deportation agenda. His comments sparked a conversation of sorts — including criticisms from the White House’s allies on the right.
When CBS News’ Ross Douthat asked specifically whether he thought his deportation policy went too far, Trump responded, “I think it might be too tough. … That hurt me.”
As the discussion moved forward, the Republican went further, suggesting that the White House might “work something out” with the incoming Democratic majority, reaching a bipartisan compromise on immigration policy. “I think that’s something that’s actually doable.”
The reactions from several Republican officials, conservative think tanks and MAGA activists was swift and predictable: They don’t want a bipartisan deal; they want more deportations.
They shouldn’t be too concerned about a breakthrough agreement. In fact, I’m reminded of a story from nearly nine years ago.
In January 2018, as policymakers worked on an immigration deal ahead of a government shutdown deadline, Trump urged Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill to work on a solution, which he vowed to support, explicitly telling them that he didn’t care what was in it.
Soon after, the president spoke to Sen. Dick Durbin, and the Illinois Democrat explained that a bipartisan deal was in place. Trump asked if then-Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham was on board, and Durbin said he was. The president then invited Durbin and Graham to the White House.
Graham and Durbin thought the discussion would be with Trump. It was not: The bipartisan duo were surprised to arrive at the White House and find several anti-immigration
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s bid to continue leading the Democratic Party when it takes control of the US Senate in January continued to falter Monday night as a key machinists’ union asked the New York senator to step aside and allow “a new generation to lead Senate Democrats.” In a letter, Brian Bryant, international president of the International Association of Machinists and…
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