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.
712 total articles
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a team of volunteer legal observers who will wear purple vests to monitor and record federal immigration enforcement activity. The observers will document whether officers act within legal bounds as the Trump administration increases deportation efforts and has staged high-profile operations in citi…
Lawyers for U.S. Senator Mark Kelly will ask a federal judge to block Pentagon proceedings that could remove his retired Navy captain rank after he urged service members to refuse unlawful orders. The hearing, before U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington, is framed as a test of a wider campaign of retribution pursued by President Donald Tr…
A Democrat, Taylor Rehmet, won a special election for a Texas state senate seat formerly held by a four-term Republican, defeating Republican Leigh Wambsganss by more than 14 percentage points in a conservative Tarrant County district. The result, framed by the losing candidate as a 'wake-up call,' adds to a string of recent Democratic victories th…
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard says she attended an FBI search of a Fulton County election facility at President Donald Trump's request and that her presence fell under her statutory election-security responsibilities. In a letter to lawmakers, Gabbard says she observed agents executing a warrant, briefly visited the Atlanta f…
In a podcast appearance, the president said Republicans should "take over" voting in at least 15 unspecified jurisdictions and "nationalize" voting, repeating unproven assertions that his 2020 defeat was due to fraud. He provided no operational details. His remarks came amid an FBI search of a Georgia election office and reports he contacted agents…
Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump has issued directives and taken steps aimed at reshaping how federal museums, national parks and cultural bodies present American history. Actions include an executive order targeting what the administration calls "anti-American ideology," reviews of interpretive materials at the National P…
A coalition of civil rights organizations filed suit in federal court in Manhattan seeking to halt a State Department policy that paused immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries. Plaintiffs contend the policy undermines long-established immigration law and rests on an unsupported claim that nationals of the listed countries will becom…
The New York Times reported that President Donald Trump spoke by phone with several FBI agents a day after their search of a Fulton County, Georgia election office. The call followed a raid tied to an inquiry connected to Trump’s unproven claims about the 2020 election. A White House statement defended collaboration on election integrity priorities…
President Donald Trump told officials he was not asleep during a December cabinet meeting in which he shut his eyes repeatedly, saying he was simply bored and wanted to leave. The remarks came during an 81-minute televised meeting that the White House shortened from its usual format. The episode underscores ongoing questions about the 79-year-old p…
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has issued an executive order instructing the Chicago Police Department to investigate allegations of illegal activity by federal immigration agents and to refer cases for prosecution when warranted. The order requires preservation of body-camera footage, identification of federal supervisory officers at scenes, and co…
On Jan 31 a U.S. district judge in Minneapolis declined to pause a Department of Homeland Security-led immigration enforcement operation that state officials say has produced widespread civil-rights abuses. The Minnesota Attorney General's lawsuit sought court intervention after the deployment of thousands of federal agents to Minneapolis-St. Paul,…
A federal judge ordered the release of Adrian Conejo Arias and his five-year-old son, Liam Conejo Ramos, after they were taken into custody during an immigration enforcement action in a Minneapolis suburb. A Texas congressman said he retrieved the pair from a detention center in Dilley, Texas and escorted them back to Minnesota. The decision and su…
A Democratic candidate, Taylor Rehmet, captured a Texas state senate seat in a special election by more than 14 percentage points, taking control from Republicans for the first time in decades. The result in a conservative district outside Dallas prompted calls from the losing Republican candidate and party officials for renewed focus ahead of the …
Christian Menefee, a former Harris County attorney, won a runoff to represent Texas' 18th Congressional District, shrinking the Republican majority in the U.S. House. The result follows a Democratic pickup in a separate Texas state Senate special election and precedes several scheduled special elections and potentially close legislative votes in Co…
President Donald Trump announced he has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to refrain from engaging with protesters in cities led by Democratic officials unless those cities request federal assistance or federal property is at risk. The declaration follows weeks of unrest tied to federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota, including the …
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has issued an executive order requiring the city police department to investigate alleged illegal activity by federal immigration agents, preserve body-camera footage, identify federal supervisory officers at scenes, and file reports on any state or local laws allegedly violated. The directive comes amid broader state …
President Donald Trump criticized Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for saying local police would not enforce federal immigration laws, calling the stance "PLAYING WITH FIRE." The comment came amid continued federal immigration enforcement under "Operation Metro Surge," a wave of confrontations between heavily armed immigration agents and protesters tha…
Journalist Don Lemon was arrested following a livestreamed disruption of a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, and faces federal charges that include allegations under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and an 1871 civil-rights statute. The case spotlights how a law primarily used against anti-abortion demonstrators is being ap…
New York Governor Kathy Hochul introduced legislation to stop local law enforcement from being deputized by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and to prohibit the use of state-funded personnel and resources for federal civil immigration enforcement. The proposal, announced amid nationwide protests after two fatal shootings by federal agents i…
Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump has issued directives and moved to alter how federal cultural and historical institutions present U.S. history. Actions include a 2025 executive order targeting so-called 'anti-American ideology' at the Smithsonian, a review of national park signage, removal of slavery exhibits, restoration…
Dozens of religious leaders were detained inside a Senate office building in Washington as they protested President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and urged lawmakers to restrict funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Organizers said the action targeted what they described as ICE’s harmful impact on communities; law enforcement…
Senior Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence panels have asked Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to brief their committees about her presence during an FBI raid on an election office in Fulton County, Georgia. Senators and representatives expressed concern that the nation's chief intelligence official was at the scene of a do…
President Donald Trump told officials he was not asleep but merely bored during a December cabinet meeting in which he closed his eyes for extended periods. Speaking in the White House Cabinet Room, Trump said he shut his eyes to shorten the meeting and denied sleeping, repeating that he does not sleep much. The remarks come amid ongoing scrutiny o…
Senator Ron Wyden has asked the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office to explain why U.S. tariffs on imports from Switzerland were cut to 15% from 39% soon after a meeting where Swiss business executives presented lavish gifts to the U.S. president. Wyden set a February 11 deadline for answers about who set the original tariff, who recommended the cut…
U.S. President Donald Trump told officials that Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to suspend strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian towns for one week. Trump said he made a personal request for the pause during a Cabinet meeting and attributed the decision to unusually severe cold in the region. He also said the outcome exceeded expectations…
