Political developments with market and economic implications.
Coverage of political events, elections, legislation, and regulatory changes that influence markets and economic policy. Focuses on political risk, fiscal decisions, and policy uncertainty relevant to investors.
910 total articles
President Donald Trump announced that Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) will replace Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on March 31, 2026. The move follows a sharply critical Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that many officials characterize as damaging to Noem's standing. Trump praised Noem's work and assigned her to a new role as Special Envo…
Top House Republicans have publicly asked Representative Tony Gonzales to abandon his campaign for re‑election after the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into allegations of an improper relationship with a former staff member who later died by suicide. Leadership said Gonzales has agreed to cooperate with the probe, while other mem…
President Donald Trump announced that U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin will replace Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem effective March 31, 2026, while Noem will transition to a Special Envoy post. The personnel shift comes amid intense criticism of Noem’s hardline immigration tactics, congressional scrutiny, and debate over whether the administra…
A national struggle over congressional maps is unfolding as Republican and Democratic officials pursue mid-decade redistricting to tilt competitive districts ahead of the November midterms. The dispute escalated after Republican-led Texas moved to redraw its map to target five Democratic seats, prompting a counter-effort in California and subsequen…
President Donald Trump has launched a set of large-scale renovation and construction initiatives across the White House campus and nearby Washington cultural sites. The projects include a 90,000-square-foot, $400 million ballroom that replaces the East Wing, a proposed 250-foot Independence Arch, and a $200 million overhaul of the Kennedy Center th…
Negotiations over the Clarity Act - landmark legislation intended to set clear rules for digital assets - have stalled after major banks refused to endorse a White House-brokered compromise on stablecoin rewards. The setback raises questions about whether the bill can clear remaining Senate hurdles before lawmakers break for the mid-term campaign s…
The U.S. House Ethics Committee will investigate allegations that Representative Tony Gonzales engaged in sexual misconduct and granted special favors to a staff member, according to the committee. The moves come amid a closely contested primary that left Gonzales headed to a May runoff and follow publication of explicit messages tied to a former s…
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended a $220 million advertising campaign for border security at congressional hearings, saying the contract was awarded through a competitive process and handled by career procurement staff. Lawmakers from both parties pressed her on a notice that limited competition to four companies and on awards to fir…
Colorado Governor Jared Polis said he would consider clemency for former county clerk Tina Peters, convicted in a 2024 election security case, after pointing to a more lenient sentence handed to a state senator on a related felony charge. Polis extended the clemency application window to allow review, while the state’s top election official said th…
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he is not worried that the economic consequences of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran will derail Republican messaging on affordability ahead of the November midterm elections. Johnson told Reuters Republicans have been steady on economic issues and will remain focused on them as global events unfold.
Republicans enter the 2026 midterm cycle defending a slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives while Democrats aim to flip enough seats to take control and gain subpoena power over the executive branch. Voters began selecting nominees in party primaries starting March 3 in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas. Several high-profile and compet…
With Republicans holding a 53-47 edge in the U.S. Senate and 35 seats up for election in 2026, Democrats face a steep path to a majority. Nonpartisan analysts rate just two Republican seats as competitive while Democrats defend four of the closely watched contests. Key states to monitor include Texas, North Carolina, Alaska, Maine, Georgia, New Ham…
Senators will begin voting on a bipartisan war powers resolution intended to halt the current military campaign against Iran unless Congress authorizes additional hostilities. Sponsors frame the effort as a restoration of the constitutional role of Congress to declare war, even as Republican leaders warn the measure could imperil troops and lawmake…
Voters in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas cast the initial ballots of the 2026 midterm primary season on March 3, producing contests that illuminate debates within both parties about strategy, loyalty and response to an emerging international crisis. In Texas, a closely watched Democratic Senate primary contrasted an outspoken anti-Trump figure …
John Cornyn and Ken Paxton will face off in a May 26 Republican runoff in Texas after neither candidate secured a majority in the party primary. Cornyn led a three-way field while U.S. Representative Wesley Hunt finished third. Allies of the senator poured more than $60 million into the contest to blunt Paxton's challenge. The primary dynamics - a …
On March 3, Gina Hinojosa, a long-serving member of the Texas House of Representatives and former chair of the Texas Democratic Party, won the Democratic primary for governor and will face incumbent Republican Greg Abbott in the November general election. Hinojosa, 52, first elected to the Texas House in 2016, entered the contest as the clear favor…
California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks has urged candidates seeking the party’s gubernatorial nomination to 'honestly assess the viability of their candidacy and campaign,' citing concern that an overcrowded field could permit two Republicans to secure the top spots in the June 2 open primary and leave Democrats off the November ballot. Hick…
Michael Whatley, a close ally of former President Donald Trump and one-time Republican National Committee chair, won the Republican primary for North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat, according to media reports. With more than 30% of the vote in a seven-candidate field, Whatley avoided a runoff and is set to face Democrat Roy Cooper, the state's fo…
Senior members of President Donald Trump’s national security team were due to brief the Senate and the House on U.S.-Israel military action against Iran, as some Democrats and a subset of Republicans pressed for more information and debated whether Congress must authorize further military operations or funding. Lawmakers signaled upcoming votes on …
Hillary Clinton told the House Oversight Committee during a closed-door deposition that she does not recall meeting Jeffrey Epstein and has no information about his criminal conduct. Speaking after a seven-hour session in Chappaqua, New York, Clinton said she never flew on Epstein’s plane or visited his properties. The hearing featured repeated lin…
Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, escalating global attention. Bank of America and Morgan Stanley analysts say Tehran's rhetoric has hardened, but they and other experts question whether Iran can sustain a full maritime blockade given depleted missile inventories, losses to its naval forces, and signs of compromised communications. Oil…
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee amid mounting criticism of the department's forceful immigration enforcement tactics, stalled funding, and reports of internal disorder. Democrats have linked new funding to changes in enforcement practices, and House Democrats launched an impeachment ef…
Texas voters will decide Democratic and Republican nominees on the first night of the midterm primary season in districts transformed by aggressive redistricting. Several incumbents have shifted plans or face intensified challenges after boundary changes, allegations, and high-profile endorsements. Outcomes in these six contests will influence whic…
Voters in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas began the official midterm calendar on Tuesday, choosing nominees who will compete in November’s general election for control of the U.S. Congress. The early contests center on a high-profile and fractious Senate primary in Texas that underscores divisions within both parties, while new congressional map…
Republican lawmakers and administration officials told congressional leaders the attacks on Iran fell within presidential authority as commander in chief, citing what they described as an imminent threat following coordinated Israeli and U.S. strikes. Democrats countered that the administration has not justified sustained military action without ex…
