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.
618 total articles
Aimee Bock, who ran the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, received a 500-month prison term after being convicted of orchestrating a $250 million scheme to defraud a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal prosecutors had sought 50 years. The case has figured in national political rhetoric about enforcement actions…
Senate Republicans met with Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche to demand details about a newly disclosed $1.8 billion fund tied to President Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS. Senate GOP leaders want explanations of how the Anti-Weaponization Fund would operate, who it would benefit and whether it would limit audits of Trump’s taxes, while Dem…
Vice President JD Vance used a recent stint at the White House briefing room podium to defend the administration on several contentious issues, from its handling of the Iran war to a newly created $1.8 billion fund to aid allies who claim political prosecution. The appearance, which came two weeks after Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke at the s…
Donald Trump’s recent push to remove Republicans he views as disloyal has succeeded in multiple primary fights, consolidating his control over the party’s activist base. But strategists warn that prioritizing loyalty over broader electability could cost the GOP in competitive November races, strain campaign resources and complicate governance with …
Legal specialists say opponents face steep obstacles to overturning President Trump's $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund and the provision that bars audits of his past taxes, with key challenges tied to standing, the dismissal of related litigation and limits on court review. Critics from across the political spectrum have raised alarms about t…
A former attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida has been indicted on charges that she emailed herself an unreleased portion of Special Counsel Jack Smith's report related to the dismissed classified documents case involving former President Trump. The accused, Carmen Lineberger, pleaded not guilty at a federal h…
Two officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, have filed a federal suit seeking to prevent disbursements from an almost $1.8 billion fund the Justice Department established as part of a settlement tied to former President Donald Trump. Plaintiffs say the fund was created to finance those who commit violence in Trump's name and ask …
Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky was defeated in his Republican primary by Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL supported by former President Donald Trump and buoyed by more than $15 million in spending from pro-Israel groups. The result, decided with 99% of votes counted, underscores Trump's influence among Republican primary voters even as que…
South Carolina’s Republican-led House approved a redistricting plan in the early hours of Wednesday that would redraw congressional boundaries in a way described by opponents as aimed at unseating Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn. The measure, advanced during a special legislative session called by the governor after pressure from former President Donal…
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent interventions in state redistricting disputes have repeatedly allowed Republican-favoring maps to take effect, even when changes came close to primary voting. Justices cited or invoked the Purcell principle in some cases but not others, prompting debate among legal scholars about consistency, judicial restraint and p…
The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to hand down decisions in four significant cases tied to President Donald Trump that could constrain or endorse aspects of his second-term agenda. The disputes cover an executive order aimed at curbing birthright citizenship, the attempted ouster of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, the removal of Federal Trade Co…
Two Republican contenders - U.S. Representative Mike Collins and former University of Tennessee coach Derek Dooley - advanced to a June 16 runoff in Georgia’s GOP U.S. Senate primary after neither secured a majority in the initial vote. With roughly 80% of ballots tallied, Collins led Dooley, eliminating a third major candidate, Representative Budd…
At a May 19 White House briefing, Vice President JD Vance sought to reassure the public that the administration’s campaign against Iran will be finite, saying "This is not a forever war." While standing in for the press secretary, Vance addressed a range of hot-button topics including the use of taxpayer funds for individuals convicted in the Janua…
President Donald Trump provided new, previously undisclosed details about a planned 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom, describing hardened security features including a rooftop drone base, titanium fencing and a six-story underground complex that would house a military hospital and research facilities. He led reporters through the constructio…
A one-page Justice Department order signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche prevents the Internal Revenue Service from auditing President Donald Trump, his relatives or his companies over tax returns filed before Monday, extending a settlement that resolved Trump's $10 billion lawsuit over a tax-return leak and established a nearly $1.8 bill…
President Donald Trump is pressing ahead with an array of major renovation and construction projects across Washington, D.C., including a proposed 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom initially estimated at $400 million, a National Garden of American Heroes at West Potomac Park, a renamed and soon-to-close-for-renovation Kennedy Center, restorat…
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Helsingborg, Sweden, this week to attend a NATO foreign ministers meeting where burden sharing among alliance members is slated for discussion, the State Department said. After the NATO session Rubio will visit India from May 23-26, stopping in Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi to meet senior Ind…
A bipartisan pair of U.S. senators will introduce legislation aimed at reducing the appeal of Chinese artificial intelligence and digital technology offerings among foreign governments. The bill would create a State Department office to subsidize allied purchases of U.S. technology, streamline procurement, and establish a $500 million financing veh…
Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Republicans advanced legislation allocating roughly $72 billion to support an expanded migrant deportation program, while internal disputes persist over a proposed $1 billion in Secret Service and White House ballroom-related spending. Committee Republicans defeated multiple Democratic attem…
The NAACP has launched the 'Out of Bounds' campaign, asking Black athletes, recruits, fans and donors to withhold support from flagship public athletic programs in eight Southern states that the group says are reducing Black voting power following a Supreme Court decision. The campaign targets major programs that generate more than $100 million ann…
President Donald Trump said he will make an endorsement in the Texas Republican U.S. Senate primary on Tuesday, signaling a decision ahead of the May 26 runoff between incumbent Senator John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton. The move follows a March three-way primary in which neither candidate won a majority, and comes after Paxton endured he…
The U.S. Treasury on Tuesday announced sanctions on Iran-based Amin Exchange - also known as Ebrahimi and Associates Partnership Company - saying the firm runs a network of front companies across the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Hong Kong that process large foreign-currency transactions for Iranian banks. In a related action the U.S. also block…
With no confirmed frontrunner and the party’s nominating calendar still shaped by the 2026 midterms, a range of Democratic governors, senators and progressive figures have begun visible pre-campaign activity for the 2028 presidential contest. The moves include travel to early-voting states, fundraising through political action committees, and publi…
President Donald Trump has intervened in the Republican primary for Kentucky's 4th Congressional District by endorsing Ed Gallrein against incumbent Thomas Massie. The race has become one of the priciest U.S. House primaries on record, drawing heavy outside spending from pro-Israel groups and Trump-aligned donors, and is being watched as an indicat…
A group of Democratic senators led by Senator Alex Padilla has asked the White House to either remove Kurt Olsen from his role as an election security adviser or explain how his continued service complies with federal limits on special government employees. The senators contend Olsen exceeded the 130-day cap on special government employees and poin…
