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.
897 total articles
A recent Supreme Court decision, combined with intensified partisan redistricting efforts, has reduced the number of genuinely competitive U.S. House districts heading into the midterm elections. Independent forecasters now count only 32 competitive seats out of 435, a historic low that means control of the House may effectively be decided by a sma…
Attorneys for Cole Tomas Allen have asked a federal judge to end suicide-prevention restrictions imposed while he is in custody in Washington. Allen, accused of firing a shotgun outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25, was initially placed in a padded "safe cell" and later placed on "suicide precautions" that his lawyers say amou…
Two senior Republican lawmakers who lead congressional defense panels voiced strong concern after the Pentagon announced plans to withdraw roughly 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany. They urged consultation with Congress and NATO partners, warning that a premature reduction of forces could weaken conventional deterrence and send an adverse signal to Ru…
Following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that found certain congressional maps unconstitutional and weakened protections under the Voting Rights Act, Republican governors in Alabama, South Carolina and Louisiana have taken swift steps to seek new district maps. Alabama and South Carolina governors signaled plans to pursue revised maps and potential …
ActBlue sued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in federal court in Boston seeking to stop a Texas lawsuit and investigations it calls unlawful retribution aimed at chilling its political speech and activities. The Texas action seeks penalties and a ban on certain payment methods, and follows Republican-led probes that were spurred by a presidential…
On May 1, a panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily enjoined a federal regulation that had allowed the abortion medication mifepristone to be delivered by mail. The decision, which stems from a challenge brought by the state of Louisiana, curtails access to the drug across the United States and is especially consequential in stat…
The FBI said Chinese government hiring of hackers has grown unmanageable and that individuals believed to have conducted state-directed operations lose protective cover once they leave China. The comments followed the extradition of Xu Zewei, 34, from Italy to the United States on charges tied to alleged involvement in hacking campaigns in 2020 and…
President Donald Trump on Friday told reporters he had spoken by phone on Thursday with Iraq’s prime minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi and expressed robust support for his candidacy. The Coordination Framework, an alliance of Shi’ite political blocs, named Zaidi as its nominee earlier in the week. Washington says it seeks to maintain close relations …
BCA Research says the Iran conflict is likely to flare up again within 12 months, assigning a 70% probability of escalation even if maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz partially resumes. The firm points to Iran's strategy of extending the strait closure to keep oil prices elevated and identifies the nuclear dispute as the central impedime…
President Donald Trump will make his first public outing since an alleged assassination attempt, traveling to The Villages retirement community on Friday to promote new senior tax deductions and Social Security accessibility upgrades. The trip comes as his approval rating hits a political low and economic pressures - including rising gasoline price…
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy vetoed a multiyear election reform bill, arguing the package would impose substantial operational burdens and contains legal uncertainties. The measure would have introduced ballot tracking for absentee and other voters, broadened acceptable ID, altered voter roll maintenance, adjusted absentee ballot timelines and est…
Congress approved a 45-day extension of a contested Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) provision that permits warrantless searches of data collected by U.S. intelligence agencies. The stopgap measure, passed in the Senate by unanimous consent and in the House by a 261-111 vote, delays a final resolution as reform advocates continue to pus…
Republican Governor Jeff Landry suspended Louisiana's May 16 congressional primary two days before early voting, following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that invalidated the state's six-district map and removed a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. The pause, issued by executive order, delays House nominating contests until at least July 15 or …
The U.S. Senate voted unanimously to immediately prohibit sitting senators, Senate staff and officers from taking part in prediction markets that permit wagering on real-world outcomes. The rule change was led by Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, and an amendment from Democratic Senator Alex Padilla expanded the restriction to cover Senate employee…
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed an immediate rule change prohibiting current senators, Senate staff and other officers from using prediction markets that function as a form of gambling on real-world events. Sponsored by Republican Senator Bernie Moreno and expanded to include staff through an amendment by Democratic Senator Alex Padilla, the mea…
An Illinois accountability panel assembled by Governor JB Pritzker has called for local prosecutorial inquiries into federal immigration officers following a report that details a pattern of alleged excessive force and widespread use of chemical agents during a large-scale enforcement operation in the Chicago area.
Maine Governor Janet Mills announced she will not pursue a challenge to Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins, saying a lack of necessary campaign funds made continuation impossible. Her exit elevates progressive candidate Graham Platner as the principal Democratic hopeful in a Senate contest that is considered pivotal to Democrats' hopes of regain…
Beijing this month issued trade regulations that create legal grounds to penalize foreign companies that move sourcing away from China. The measures arrive weeks before President Donald Trump’s May 14-15 meeting with Xi Jinping and have provoked concern among U.S. firms and analysts. Washington’s public reaction has been limited, with senior agenci…
The Supreme Court's ruling that narrows key voting-rights protections removes a longstanding legal check on how state legislatures draw congressional districts. Republican lawmakers may use the decision to dismantle Democratic-held, majority-Black or Latino districts in Southern states, a move that could reshape the electoral map through 2028. Tigh…
A recent U.S. government filing and a separate review of security footage have created uncertainty over who fired the round that struck a Secret Service officer during an attempted attack at a White House Correspondents' Association dinner. The pretrial detention motion describes the suspect firing a shotgun toward the ballroom stairs, but does not…
House Republican leadership on Wednesday secured passage of a procedural rule that will allow debate on renewing warrantless domestic surveillance powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). After more than two hours of voting and pressure from party leaders and Trump administration officials, the rule passed 216 to 210. The reau…
Federal prosecutors in Chicago have informed defense attorneys they will dismiss the main conspiracy charge against four people accused of obstructing a federal agent during a September protest at a Broadview, Illinois, detention facility. The defendants will continue to face misdemeanor counts of impeding a federal officer; two other co-defendants…
A foiled armed attack near the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner has sharpened scrutiny of the century-old gala, reviving long-standing ethical concerns about journalists socializing with officials and raising new questions about security for high-profile media events. Organizers say they will review the incident as officials and comme…
Former FBI Director James Comey appeared in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia on April 29 after surrendering to authorities a day following a federal indictment tied to a social media post prosecutors say threatened President Donald Trump. Comey was booked on two counts, including threatening the life of the president and transmitting threats a…
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, upheld a lower court order blocking a Louisiana congressional map that added a second Black-majority district. The courts found the legislature's redrawing relied too heavily on racial considerations, violating the constitution's equal protection guarantee. The ruling comes amid national disputes over redi…
