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But U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth argues that the cease-fire has paused the clock
The Supreme Court just narrowed a landmark voting law for a nation that has never been more diverse — or more divided over who gets political power. Why it matters: The latest ruling lands in a more multiracial, more mobile country that looks nothing like it did in 1965, raising fresh questions about how voting protections apply to a rapidly evolving electorate. Catch up quick: The court's Louisiana v. Callais ruling on Wednesday effectively narrowed Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibited racially-discriminatory gerrymandering. Section 2 helped end Jim Crow laws and expanded voting protections for people of color across the South, particularly for Black Americans.A weakened Section 2 means fewer federal guardrails as states redraw political power. Zoom in: In 1965, about 85% of Americans were white. Today that share is closer to 59%, according to Census data. The multiracial population is one of the fastest-growing groups, surging by 276% between 2010 and 2020.Latino and Asian American populations have driven much of the nation's growth, reshaping political maps in states like Texas, Georgia and Arizona. Zoom out: The American South has become the center of population growth, gaining millions of new residents from other regions. Metro areas in Sun Belt states are booming — often in places with histories of voting rights battles.That shift is increasing the political stakes of redistricting in exactly the regions where the Voting Rights Act once had its strongest bite. What they're saying: "This decision is a profound betrayal of the legacy of the civil rights movement," Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, said in a statement. NAACP President Derrick Johnson called the ruling "a devastating blow" and "a license for corrupt politicians who want to rig the system."Justice Samuel Alito, who authored the majority opinion, wrote that lower courts have interpreted Section 2 in a way that "forces States to engage in the very race-ba
Data: Axios analysis of data from Dave's Redistricting and Redistricting Data Hub; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals The redistricting war President Trump forced on his party appears to have backfired. With Virginia's vote Tuesday, Republicans are now favored in fewer House seats than if the war had never started. Why it matters: Trump bet his slim House majority on a mid-decade redrawing frenzy. It's increasingly looking like a self-inflicted wound, leaving Republicans with long-shot hopes of any major rewards. While House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and his caucus celebrate their "[m]aximum warfare" win, a Florida showdown and pending Supreme Court decision give Republicans scant hopes to stanch the bleeding. The latest: A Virginia judge on the Tazewell Circuit Court temporarily blocked the state from certifying the referendum results in a decision the state's attorney general vowed to appeal. Between the lines: One way to measure the change is by overlaying the last two presidential elections on the old and new maps across the seven states that redrew lines. Using 2024 results, Kamala Harris would have carried six more seats than before redistricting, per an Axios analysis of data from Dave's Redistricting and the Redistricting Data Hub.Using 2020 results, Joe Biden would have carried two more. By the numbers: Virginia's new map could shift its delegation from 6–5 to 10–1 for Dems. The prospect of snagging up to four blue seats adds to redistricting pickups in California, where Dems could flip five, and Utah, now home to another more Democratic seat.Republican redistricting efforts, on the other hand, aim to grab up to five new seats in Texas, two in Ohio, one in North Carolina and one in Missouri.Sabato's Crystal Ball rates 217 districts as at least leaning Democratic, 205 as at least leaning Republican and 13 as toss-ups after Virginia's vote. What's next: Florida legislators will return to Tallahassee later this month for a delayed special session, ma
US president suggests attacking Iran was his own decision as war struggles to garner public support amid energy crisis
The DOJ dropped its criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell, clearing the way for the Senate to confirm Kevin Warsh
Trump official Michael Kratsios says Chinese entities stealing from American labs
If approved, the redistricting effort could deliver Democrats a 10-to-1 seat advantage in Virginia, which amounts to a net pickup of as many as four House seats
By Humeyra Pamuk, Ariba Shahid and Asif Shahzad WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD, April 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump expressed confidence that an agreement could soon be reached to end the Iran war and urged the Tehran-aligned Hezbollah group to hold its fire as a 10-day truce went in to effect between Lebanon and Israel. Trump said the next meeting between the United States and Iran could take place at the weekend and an extension of a two-week ceasefire was possible, but may not be needed as Tehran wanted a deal
This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is open — but there’s no peace deal yet, and there are plenty of unanswered questions. Here’s what we […]
By Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Erin Banco and Gram Slattery WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration is considering deploying thousands of U.S. troops to reinforce its operation in the Middle East, as the U.S. military prepares for possible next steps in its campaign against Iran, said a U.S. official and three people familiar with the matter. The deployments could help provide Trump with additional options as he weighs expanding U.S. operations, with the Iran war well into its third week
At Kevin Warsh's Fed confirmation hearing today, Republicans will cast him as a change agent ready to shake up a tradition-bound institution. Driving the news: In remarks introducing Warsh obtained by Axios, Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) will say the onetime Fed governor "brings a reformer's heart" and "will shake up a stagnant institution at a time when change is sorely needed." It echoes some of Warsh's own criticisms of the Fed, saying that the central bank "must not be ruled by pointy-headed economists poring over outdated models and reams of market data."Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee plan to focus on potential conflicts of interest stemming from Warsh's expansive portfolio, which includes some investments that could be affected by Fed policy. They also intend to question his independence from President Trump. State of play: Warsh's nomination is broadly supported by Republicans and opposed by Democrats — putting his confirmation on track to be a more partisan affair than in the past. Just four years ago, Jerome Powell received 80 votes in favor of his confirmation. Alan Greenspan was confirmed five times by voice vote.Still, Republicans have the votes to confirm Warsh — or will, that is, if a Justice Department investigation into Powell that is ostensibly about the Fed's over-budget building renovation is resolved.Sen. Thom Tillis says the investigation is a pretext to pressure Powell over monetary policy — a view shared by a federal judge as well as Powell himself. Tillis has pledged to block Warsh's passage through the banking committee until the investigation is dropped. Zoom out: Powell's term is up May 15 and the Trump administration is eager to get him out. McCormick's planned introduction shows the support he has among Republican senators. What they're saying: "If confirmed, Kevin will inherit a Federal Reserve in need of repair and confronting serious uncertainty," McCormick will say, noting "an overextended balance sheet; a poor record on inf
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said countries that rely on oil carried through the Hormuz strait should take responsibility for keeping the passage open, with American help. Global oil prices have surged by 40 percent as Iran has choked off the vital sea passage and attacked Gulf energy facilities since US-Israeli strikes launched the war on Iran