Politics news summaries — Page 27
Essential facts and source links for recent politics stories.
-
Trump denies his administration weighed renaming Ford’s Theatre for him
Donald Trump denied an MS NOW report that his administration was considering renaming Ford’s Theatre after him; Abraham Lincoln was assassinated there in 1865. Trump called the report a “ridiculous lie,” and White House and Interior Department spokespeople denied it. -
US senators move fast-track push for permanent Chinese-car ban to next week
Senators Bernie Moreno and Elissa Slotkin postponed until next week their bid to fast-track Senate approval of a permanent ban on Chinese vehicles, as they seek Republican Rand Paul's support; the procedure requires unanimous backing. -
US preservation panel ends consultation process on Trump’s proposed arch
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation says it will end the Section 106 consultation process for Trump’s proposed triumphal arch, instead inviting parties to give verbal comments before seeking a final decision from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. -
Carlson urges Trump’s removal under 25th Amendment over Iran threats
Tucker Carlson urged President Donald Trump’s Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove him, saying Trump should have been ousted after what Carlson called a nuclear threat against Iran. He made the call in an NPR interview published Thursday. -
CNN, MS NOW and Politico regain access after brief White House block
Reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico regained entry to the White House Thursday after some were turned away hours after a judge ordered access restored for 14 days. The administration said confiscated press passes had been returned. -
Three noncitizens charged over voting in Georgia federal elections
Federal prosecutors charged three non-U.S. citizens in Georgia with voting in federal elections; one is accused of voting nine times between 2008 and 2024. A state audit separately flagged 432 potential noncitizens who had voted since 1996. -
Alabama survey finds broad backing for rules on private schools taking vouchers
A Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama survey found respondents nearly split on the 2024 CHOOSE Act: 50% opposed it and 48% supported it. Still, 73%–94% favored rules for private schools taking voucher funds, including audits and academic standards. -
DPS portal error sent tens of thousands of Texas voter records late
Texas counties received tens of thousands of delayed voter applications and updates, some dating to October 2025, after a DPS portal error. DPS says it has been fixed; voters should check their status before the Oct. 5 deadline for the Nov. 3 election. -
California justices rule Riverside sheriff must return about 650,000 ballots
California’s Supreme Court ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to return about 650,000 ballots seized in February after a citizens group questioned the 2025 special-election count. The court called the seizure unlawful; Bianco says he will comply, though he disagrees. -
White House cited Politico report in press-pass dispute; Status identifies JD Vance as source
The White House defended revoking reporters’ passes for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, accusing the outlets of falsehoods about national security and sensitive disclosures. A judge ordered access restored Thursday; Status identified JD Vance as the source in a cited Politico story. -
US-Iran negotiators explore phased Hormuz reopening, blockade relief
US and Iranian negotiators in New York are exploring a phased arrangement under which Tehran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and Washington would lift its economic blockade, sources close to the talks said; Iran could also gain access to frozen assets. -
Danish intelligence sees rising Russian attack risk to NATO, invasion unlikely
Danish intelligence says the risk of a limited Russian military attack on NATO countries bordering Russia is low but growing; an invasion is “highly unlikely” but cannot be ruled out. It expects more hybrid attacks, but not a conventional strike on Denmark. -
Xi says China will send Ping Ping and Fuhuan to Zoo Atlanta
Chinese President Xi Jinping said China will send two pandas, Ping Ping and Fuhuan, to Zoo Atlanta in a few days. He called them an “envoy of friendship” between China and the United States while speaking alongside President Donald Trump at the White House. -
US Senate nears infrastructure-permitting deal after White House assurances on wind and solar
The US Senate is nearing a deal to speed permits for major infrastructure projects after the White House assured Democrats it would improve how wind and solar are handled, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said; a vote before November’s midterms remains uncertain. -
Courts sanction lawyers after AI filings contain fabricated case citations
Across 21 jurisdictions, US lawyers face varied AI guidance; courts have sanctioned attorneys over filings containing AI-hallucinated citations. A 2026 survey found 69% of legal professionals use general-purpose AI at work, while just 9% of firms enforce a written policy. -
Trump’s photo with Xi draws scrutiny over possible image edits
Donald Trump’s photo with Xi Jinping prompted online questions about possible manipulation: other pictures showed him wearing two gloves, but his post showed one. The woman pictured is Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley, not aide Natalie Harp, as some users guessed. -
New York Times/Siena poll puts Susan Collins 3 points ahead of Troy Jackson
A New York Times/Siena poll conducted Sept. 15–22 among 619 Maine voters found 49% likely to vote for Republican Sen. Susan Collins and 46% for Democratic nominee Troy Jackson. An Aug. 28–Sept. 14 UMass Lowell/YouGov poll instead gave Jackson a five-point lead. -
N.J. records show $49,275 in approved invoices tied to Caldwell inquiry
New Jersey records show $49,275 in approved invoices for a law firm hired May 21 in connection with Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, 15 days after an anonymous letter alleged misconduct. Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s office has not confirmed an investigation. -
Georgia early voting starts Oct. 13 for Senate, governor races
Georgia’s November ballot features Senate incumbent Jon Ossoff vs. Republican Mike Collins and Keisha Lance Bottoms vs. Rick Jackson for governor. Early voting starts Oct. 13; voters will also decide three constitutional amendments, while local races vary by district. -
Tuberville alleges many aviation workers belong to furry community, cites no evidence
On Sept. 23, Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama alleged on the Senate floor that many airline pilots, flight attendants and air traffic controllers belong to the furry community. His statement provided no evidence, data or official source for the claim. -
Forbes argues U.S. visa curbs could weaken AI competitiveness
A Carnegie China report says China is the largest source of elite AI talent, while Chinese talent’s flow to the U.S. has slowed; it links lower inflows to tighter visa rules for Chinese STEM graduate students. Forbes argues this could hurt U.S. AI competitiveness. -
Massachusetts report names SparrowMap, cites no indication of criminal intent
A Massachusetts fusion-center report named SparrowMap, a government-vehicle tracker, while saying it saw no indication that threat actors in the state planned criminal use of its data. Records obtained by Reason show Wisconsin’s fusion center redistributed the report. -
Texas to begin moving tens of thousands of delayed voter registrations to counties
Unsent Texas voter applications filed through the DPS driver’s-license portal will begin moving to county registrars this week; the statewide backlog is unknown. People who submit applications before Oct. 5 remain eligible to vote even if processing delays continue. -
Johnson’s early House adjournment draws ‘do-nothing Congress’ charge from Democrats
Speaker Mike Johnson sent House members home early to campaign before the midterms; the House adjourned Thursday two minutes after convening. Democrats accused Republicans of absenteeism and presiding over a “do-nothing Congress,” citing 63 canceled voting days. -
Gallego calls Trump's 'super intelligence' AI rebrand 'f***ing stupid'
Sen. Ruben Gallego called President Donald Trump’s effort to rebrand artificial intelligence as “super intelligence” “f***ing stupid.” Democrats are discussing guardrails, and Sen. Ron Wyden said they would investigate AI if they regain Senate control. -
Four surveillance-company CEOs miss Senate hearing on police camera misuse allegations
Garrett Langley of Flock Safety, Rick Smith of Axon, Greg Brown of Motorola Solutions and Filip Kaliszan of Verkada did not attend a Sept. 23 Senate hearing on police use of license-plate cameras amid concerns about wrongful arrests and audit gaps.
