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Amy McGrath Kicks Off Another Senate Bid
Amy McGrath (D) officially launched another Kentucky Senate bid, aiming to take the seat held by retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Politico reports.
Hakeem Jeffries Challenges Mike Johnson to a Debate
“House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries challenged Speaker Mike Johnson to a floor debate on the government shutdown Monday as agencies remained closed into a second workweek,” Politico reports.
Said Jeffries: “Given the urgency of the moment and the Republican refusal to negotiate a bipartisan agreement, a debate on the House Floor will provide the American people with the transparency they deserve. It will also give you an opportunity to explain your my way or the highway approach to shutting the government down, when Democratic votes are needed to resolve the impasse that exists.”
Johnson declined the offer: “I respect him, but we all know what he’s trying to do there.”
Illinois and Chicago Sue Over National Guard Deployment
“The state of Illinois and Chicago on Monday sued the Trump administration over its move to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago as the White House targets Democrat-led cities amid weeks of protests against the federal government’s immigration enforcement campaign,” CNN reports.
Stephen Miller Is Going for Broke
Jonathan Chait: “The White House aide equates opposition to Trump’s agenda with terrorism—and pushes for the use of state power to suppress it.”
Scott Bessent to Remain as IRS commissioner
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will remain in his role as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, and Frank Bisignano will serve in the newly created position of CEO, CNBC reports.
Maine State Auditor Defies National Democrats
“Maine State Auditor Matt Dunlap on Monday launched a primary challenge against moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Golden in a race that could directly affect the party’s hopes of winning a House majority next year,” NOTUS reports.
“The showdown in Maine’s right-leaning 2nd Congressional District will likely draw national attention as a referendum on whether Democrats’ rank-and-file voters will continue to back candidates who break from the party on some key votes — or if they will take an electoral risk on a candidate they think better represents their values.”
Quote of the Day
“They refuse to put up polls that correctly show me at 65% in popularity.”
— President Trump, slamming Fox News polls.
As CNN notes, when Joe Biden insisted he’d seen polls that showed him ahead despite the many that showed him behind, it was taken as evidence of his disconnect from reality.
Supreme Court Will Not Hear Ghislaine Maxwell Appeal
The Supreme Court said it would not hear the appeal of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking related to the sexual abuse of underage girls by Jeffrey Epstein, CNBC reports.
New York Times: “The court’s action ends Ms. Maxwell’s attempt to overturn her conviction, meaning her only chance of an early release from prison is likely to be clemency from President Trump, with whom she used to socialize in the Florida and New York party scenes.”
Jane Goodall’s Last Words
Netflix secretly recorded an interview with Dr. Jane Goodall in March, set to air only after her death which happened last week, The Verge reports.
Said Goodall: “Absolutely there are people I don’t like, and I would like to put them on one of Musk’s spaceships and send them all off to the planet he’s sure he’s going to discover… He’d be the host… Along with Musk would be Trump… And then I would put Putin in there. And I would put President Xi. I’d certainly put Netanyahu in there, and his far-right government.”
She added: “Put them all on that spaceship and send them off.”
Does Trump Actually Know What’s Happening?
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Trump Is a Wrecking Ball to the Rule of Law
New York Times: “Before the election, we surveyed the legal establishment about what a second Trump term could mean for the rule of law. A year later, they’re very, very worried.”
Roy Cooper Builds Huge War Chest
“Roy Cooper raised $14.5 million during the first 65 days of his campaign — a record-breaking total for a Senate challenger in their first fundraising quarter in one of the most competitive races of 2026,” Politico reports.
John Larson Gets a Viable Primary Challenger
“Former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin raised over $1.2 million in the two months since launching his primary challenge against Rep. John Larson (D-CT),” Axios reports.
“It is a substantial sum sure to put Bronin on a competitive footing with Larson, who has raised over $1 million since January.”
Most Californians Back Early Redistricting
A majority of California voters, 54%, said they support Proposition 50, which would enact a mid-decade redistricting of the state’s congressional map, according to a survey from the firm co/efficient.
A significantly smaller share, 36%, said they oppose it.
Wesley Hunt Jumps Into Texas Senate Race
Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) is running for the U.S. Senate in Texas, defying Senate GOP leadership and adding a new element to an already contentious primary campaign, the AP reports.
Hunt’s entry makes it likely the race will extend into a runoff.
Trump’s Tariffs Are Upending Democratic Politics
Politico: “Democrats across the country are going all-in on attacking Trump’s global tariffs as they aim to convince voters that they’re serious about tackling the high cost of living. And they are increasingly making their opposition to this president’s trade policy a central piece of their strategy for the midterm elections.”
“It’s a pretty remarkable stance for a party that hasn’t always been high on removing barriers to trade, focusing instead on protecting American workers.”
Dan Drezner: Will Democrats become the party of free trade?
Shutdown Threatens to Drag On as Positions Harden
“Buckle in — this shutdown might last a while,” Politico reports.
“With federal agencies closed going into a second workweek, there are vanishingly few signs that a bipartisan breakthrough is imminent. To the contrary, all indications are that leaders in both parties are only digging in deeper, and efforts to forge a compromise among the Senate rank-and-file are so far sputtering.”
NewsNation: Trump aloof as lawmakers fear protracted shutdown.
