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.
619 total articles
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…
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared at a campaign rally in Kentucky to endorse Republican Ed Gallrein over incumbent Representative Thomas Massie, a move that breaks with longstanding norms about military political neutrality. Hegseth framed his participation as personal and said Gallrein would align with President Donald Trump’s agenda, while …
Civil rights veterans in Selma, Alabama, say a recent Supreme Court decision that removed protections under the Voting Rights Act and subsequent Republican-led redistricting efforts in several southern states threaten gains in Black political representation. Activists who took part in the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery march described renewed urgency to …
Representative Thomas Massie characterized President Donald Trump’s weekend social media assaults as a desperate bid to help the president’s preferred candidate in Tuesday’s Kentucky primary. Massie, who has clashed with Trump on major legislation, the Iran war and led efforts to release government files on Jeffrey Epstein, faces Trump-backed Ed Ga…
A nine-hour, White House-affiliated religious gathering on the National Mall highlights ties between President Trump and conservative Christian leaders, prompting complaints that the event privileges evangelical and conservative Catholic voices while excluding many other faith communities and unaffiliated Americans. Organizers say the program aims …
President Donald Trump said he may support a primary challenge to Representative Lauren Boebert after she campaigned for Representative Thomas Massie in his Kentucky district. Trump criticized Massie on Truth Social and reiterated his push to unseat Massie, who has repeatedly broken with the president on key votes and led efforts to release governm…
Democrats running for Congress and other party officials are criticizing Republican support for a proposed White House ballroom as evidence the GOP is detached from voters' cost-of-living pressures. As lawmakers consider legislation that could include roughly $400 million tied to the White House complex within a broader $1 billion presidential secu…
The U.S. Supreme Court on May 15 declined to block a decision by the Virginia Supreme Court that invalidated a voter-approved congressional map favored by Democrats. The rejected map had been crafted to turn four Republican-held U.S. House seats into Democratic pickups ahead of the November midterm elections. The move follows a broader, partisan re…
President Donald Trump is advancing an expansive program of construction and renovation across Washington, D.C., including a proposed $400 million ballroom attached to the White House, a planned National Garden of American Heroes, a major overhaul of the Kennedy Center, restoration of the Reflecting Pool in blue, a proposed 250-foot Independence Ar…
Authorities are probing vandalism at Old Memphis Cemetery in Palmetto, Florida, where 17 gravesites were damaged and red spray paint referencing 'Trump' and 'DeSantis' was left on tombs. Detectives say the incident occurred within the past few weeks; no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing. Family members and a White House spokes…
U.S. officials are weighing a request that Israel transfer a portion of Palestinian tax revenues it has withheld to support a U.S.-led post-conflict reconstruction and transitional governance plan for Gaza. Sources familiar with deliberations say the proposal would channel funds to a U.S.-backed transitional administration in Gaza and tie additiona…
Muslim American groups criticized Republican-led congressional hearings framed as opposing 'Sharia law' as an effort to stigmatize Muslim communities and stoke fear. Lawmakers who sponsored the sessions argue that political Islam is incompatible with the U.S. Constitution, while civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers say the hearings single o…
The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday produced a 212-212 tie on a Democratic-led resolution that sought to bar military actions in Iran without congressional approval. Because the measure required a simple majority, the tie caused its defeat. The vote was the third in the House this year on an Iran war powers resolution and the first since …
The Republican-led Louisiana Senate approved a new congressional map that removes one of the state’s two Democratic-held, majority-Black U.S. House districts. The 27-10 vote followed the U.S. Supreme Court decision that reduced protections for minority-majority districts, and the map now moves to a Republican-dominated state House. Supporters frame…
On May 14, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 212-212 on a Democratic-led resolution that sought to halt U.S. hostilities with Iran until Congress authorized further military action. The tie caused the measure to fail for lack of a simple majority. This was the third House vote this year on an Iran war powers resolution and the first since a 6…
Local law enforcement is probing the defacement of 17 graves at Old Memphis Cemetery in Palmetto, Florida. Headstones and vaults were knocked over and red spray paint with the names of two U.S. political figures was found on tombs. Community members described anger and distress, and officials said no arrests have been made as the investigation cont…
A federal judge will hear arguments on May 14 over a Republican presidential executive order that tightens verification and delivery rules for mail-in ballots. Democratic Party leaders contend the March 31 order is unconstitutional and would disenfranchise eligible voters; the Justice Department says lawsuits are premature because agencies have not…
On May 14, the Republican-led Senate Banking Committee will hold a mark-up on the Clarity Act, legislation designed to set rules for cryptocurrencies by clarifying which regulators oversee tokens and related activity. The vote will show whether the bill can attract the minimum Democratic support needed to advance in the Senate, as Democrats raise c…
The NAACP has filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, asserting that a newly approved congressional map intentionally discriminates on the basis of race by fracturing a longstanding majority-Black district anchored in Memphis. The complaint names state officials as defendants and comes after Tennesse…
The U.S. Senate voted 50-49 not to advance a Democratic-led war powers resolution that would require President Trump to obtain congressional authorization for the conflict with Iran. The measure, sponsored by Senator Jeff Merkley, drew support from nearly all Democrats and three Republicans, but was blocked by Senate Republicans for the seventh tim…
A discharge petition in the U.S. House of Representatives reached the 218-signature mark on May 13, enabling a forced floor vote on a bill to provide security assistance to Ukraine and impose additional sanctions on Russia. The move came after Representative Kevin Kiley, who switched his affiliation to independent in March, added his signature. The…
The Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel has issued a May 12 opinion supporting the federal government's push to obtain unredacted state voter rolls. The guidance, which is not binding on states, says DOJ may compel production under a civil rights statute and could share the data with the Department of Homeland Security to check for nonc…
BCA Research's geopolitical team says the Iran-related oil shock is reshaping the midterm outlook. While a proprietary Senate model currently favors a narrow 51-49 Republican edge, the firm and its chief geopolitical strategist view that projection as fragile. Rising energy prices, worsening state economic data and weak presidential approval are er…
The Democratic primary to succeed departing Republican Representative Don Bacon in Nebraska's 2nd congressional district remained unresolved with roughly 89% of votes counted. Activist Denise Powell led state senator John Cavanaugh by a narrow margin, setting up a general election against Omaha city councilman Brinker Harding. The outcome in the Om…
Republican-led redistricting this cycle has produced a tangible structural advantage that could flip a number of Democratic-held U.S. House seats. Yet analysts warn that the advantage may be offset by national political dynamics - including low presidential approval and a Democratic lead on the generic ballot - leaving control of the House in play …
