The Senate failed to get anywhere on health care this week. Now it’s the House’s turn.
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson released a package of proposals late Friday to address growing health care costs.
The House legislation does not include an extension of enhanced tax credits that make health insurance more affordable in the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Those tax breaks are expiring at the end of this year.
Johnson said Republicans’ goal is to reduce premiums for all Americans, not just those enrolled in Obamacare plans. But going Johnson’s route has left vulnerable House Republicans representing key battleground districts in a tough spot.
See highlights from Friday.
Vermont-based fighter wing deploying to Caribbean amid tensions with Venezuela, US senator says — 7:45 p.m.
By Paul Heintz, Globe correspondent
U.S. Sen. Peter Welch on Friday said the Pentagon had ordered the deployment of the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing to the Caribbean amid heightened tensions with Venezuela.
According to Welch, the deployment is part of Operation Southern Spear, which has been targeting drug trafficking in the region as President Donald Trump’s administration has sought the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The US Department of Defense has not confirmed the deployment.
The 158th Fighter Wing, based in South Burlington, includes 20 F-35A Lightning II fighter jets and approximately 1,000 personnel.
Trump administration delays decision on federal protections for monarch butterflies — 7:21 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced during the waning days of then-President Joe Biden’s term in December 2024 that it planned to add the beloved backyard pollinators to the threatened species list by the end of 2025, calling monarchs “iconic” and “cherished across North America.”
But the Trump administration quietly listed the effort as a “long-term action” in a September report on the status of federal regulatory initiatives from the Office of Management and Budget. The designation does not mean the administration has blocked Fish and Wildlife from making the decision, only that it will not come in the year that began in September.
It’s unclear why.
TSA renews push to end collective bargaining agreement for airport security screeners — 7:12 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The Transportation Security Administration is renewing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s push to end the agreement — the second such attempt this year, and one that comes just a month after the longest government shutdown on record.
The agency said the move is based on a September memo from Noem that says TSA screeners “have a primary function of national security” and therefore should not engage in collective bargaining or be represented by a union.
The American Federation of Government Employees swiftly vowed to fight the decision, calling it illegal and a violation of a federal judge’s preliminary injunction blocking Noem’s first attempt to terminate the contract. Emailed requests for comment were sent to TSA and Homeland Security.
TSA said it plans to rescind the current seven-year contract in January and replace it with a new “security-focused framework.” The agreement was supposed to expire in 2031.
Republicans threaten Clintons with contempt of Congress — 7:05 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The chairman of the House Oversight Committee is threatening contempt of Congress proceedings against Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton if they refuse to appear for depositions as part of the committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
Rep. James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said in a statement that the Clintons have “delayed, obstructed, and largely ignored the Committee staff’s efforts to schedule their testimony” for several months after subpoenas were issued in the probe of how the government handled the Epstein investigation.
Multiple former presidents have voluntarily testified before Congress, but none has been compelled to do so.
Trump won’t detail his plan for establishing a free economic zone in Ukraine’s Donbas — 6:59 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president declined to provide details about a key provision in the U.S. peace proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war. It calls for creating a free economic zone in the eastern Donbas, which Moscow wants Kyiv to give up entirely.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested that Trump’s negotiating team has been opaque in detailing who would control security under Trump’s proposal for the zone.
“It’s a very complex situation, but it would work. And a lot of people want to see it work,” Trump said.
Trump says he ‘should certainly have a role’ in Federal Reserve’s decisions about key interest rate — 6:42 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president, who has been hammering the Fed chair and pushing for sharper rate cuts, said he thinks his role should be “a recommending” of the Fed’s key rate.
But if he did make recommendations to the chair, Trump said, “They don’t have to follow what I say.”
Trump, who could name a new chair as soon as this month, said his personal success is a sign he should be weighing in.
“I’ve done great. I’ve made a lot of money and very successful. I think my voice should be heard,” he said. “But I’m not going to make the decision based on that.”
Trump was unable to insult his way to victory in Indiana redistricting battle — 6:18 p.m.
By the Associated Press
If Indiana Republican senators had any doubt about what to do with President Trump’s redistricting proposal, he helped them make up their minds the night before this week’s vote.
In a social media screed, Trump accused the state’s top senator of being “a bad guy, or a very stupid one.”
“That kind of language doesn’t help,” said Senator Travis Holdman, a banker and lawyer from near Fort Wayne who voted against the plan.
He was among 21 Republican senators who dealt Trump one of the most significant political defeats of his second term by voting down redistricting in Indiana. The decision undermined the president’s national campaign to redraw congressional maps to boost his party’s chances in the upcoming midterm elections.
FEMA to send Georgia more than $300m in Hurricane Helene relief after accusations of delays — 5:33 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday announced it would send $350 million in funding to localities and electric cooperatives for relief efforts following Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Debby. The announcement comes two months after Democratic US Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia released a report that nearly $500 million in Hurricane Helene disaster relief was unpaid.
Hurricane Helene swept across much of the Southeast in September 2024, devastating parts of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and other nearby states with high winds and heavy rains.
Warnock posted on the social platform X earlier this week that the amount of Hurricane Helene relief funds FEMA was withholding had climbed to $600 million. The money will reimburse efforts such as debris removal, road fixes and utility repairs.
Trump lists 2 leading candidates for Federal Reserve chair — 4:29 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump acknowledged in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that he had pushed Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor, to cut interest rates if he is made chair.
“He thinks you have to lower interest rates,” Trump told the Wall Street Journal, referring to Warsh. “And so does everybody else that I’ve talked to.”
Right now the Fed is sharply divided over whether further rate cuts are needed, with many officials pointing to inflation at nearly 3% — above the Fed’s 2% target — as reason to hold off on further cuts. By demanding further reductions, Trump has broken from decades of precedent under which previous administrations avoided publicly pressuring the central bank.
Trump has previously hinted that he has made his choice to replace the current Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who Trump has sharply criticized for not lowering rates quickly enough. He also has referred to Kevin Hassett, his top economic adviser, as a “potential Fed chair,” seemingly anointing Hassett as the favorite.
But in the Journal interview he suggested Warsh is the front runner.
“I think the two Kevins are great,” Trump said.
Katherine Clark calls for Epstein files release — 4:19 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Massachusetts Representative Katherine Clark renewed calls for the release of files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after House Democrats released photos from the financier’s estate on Friday.
The Revere Democrat wrote on X that the Trump administration should “release the FULL files now.”
“What are Trump and the DOJ waiting for?,” Clark wrote. “The survivors of Epstein’s abuse deserve justice.”
Wounded National Guard member being moved to in-patient rehab — 4:18 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A West Virginia National Guard member who was shot last month in the nation’s capital is being transitioned from hospital acute care to in-patient rehabilitation, a doctor said Friday.
Staff. Sgt. Andrew Wolfe was airlifted to MedStar Washington Hospital Center with a critical gunshot wound to the head on Nov. 26. Wolfe and Spc. Sarah Beckstrom were ambushed as they patrolled a subway station three blocks from the White House. Beckstrom died the next day.
Wolfe has “made extraordinary progress” and can stand with assistance, Dr. Jeffrey Mai, a MedStar neurosurgeon, said in a news release. Wolfe’s family chose not to disclose the location of his rehabilitation.Beckstrom was buried in a private funeral on Wednesday.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who was also shot during the confrontation, has been charged with murder. He has pleaded not guilty.
Democratic leaders call for public release of boat strike video — 2:52 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Top Democrats in Congress are making it clear they want the public and members of Congress to see video of a Sept. 2 military strike that killed two survivors of an initial attack on a boat allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean.
The Democratic leaders in both congressional chambers -- Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries -- as well as the top Democrats on committees on national intelligence -- Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Jim Himes -- signed a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calling for members of Congress to see the full, unedited video of the strike. They also say the video should be released publicly, though with precautions to make sure sensitive intelligence information is not revealed.
Hegseth has told lawmakers that he is weighing whether to hand the video over to Congress, including whether that would reveal classified information. The Trump administration has released edited videos of the overall campaign on social media for the last several months.
DOJ sues Massachusetts, three other states after they refused to hand over voters’ personal data — 2:30 p.m.
By Matt Stout, Globe Staff
The US Department of Justice late Thursday sued Massachusetts and three other states, charging that they refused to produce voter registration data it had requested for millions of people.
The federal lawsuits are the latest in a string of litigation the DOJ has brought against states in a bid to compel them to turn over voter registration lists that includes voters’ home addresses, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers, among other information.
The department on Thursday also sued Colorado, Hawaii, and Nevada, and said it has now filed 18 lawsuits against states for failing to comply with such requests. The DOJ also brought a separate suit against as Fulton County, Georgia for records related to the 2020 election.
Trump administration says it will investigate Boston’s housing policies for anti-white bias — 2:21 p.m.
By Niki Griswold and Emma Platoff, Globe Staff
The Trump administration said it would investigate Boston’s housing policies, accusing the city of discriminating against white people and prioritizing people of color, rather than all low-income residents, in its efforts to support homeownership.
Craig Trainor, assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity under Trump, said in a letter Thursday to Mayor Michelle Wu that “the City has been very public about its intention to discriminate on the basis of race, while essentially claiming that social justice and racial equity concerns purify its intentions.”
White House flags DEI-themed college essays as potentially unlawful — 2:04 p.m.
By Brooke Hauser, Globe Staff
Mo Marie Lauyanne Kouame, 18, dreams of being an aerospace engineer and building spacecraft. This fall, she applied to MIT, Princeton, and Columbia.
For one college essay, she wrote about being homeless at 8 years old, when she came to the United States from France.
She recalled watching her parents fight for help from the Department of Transitional Assistance and sleeping in hospital beds at Boston Medical Center when they didn’t know where else to go. That early experience changed her, she said.
“Homelessness,” she wrote, “taught me resilience.”
Kouame’s essay, which recounts how she learned to thrive as a low-income student of color “surrounded by classmates whose lives felt worlds apart from mine,” is about overcoming adversity.
White House blasts Democrats for release of Epstein photos — 1:40 p.m.
By Jim Puzzanghera, Globe Staff
The White House criticized House Oversight Committee Democrats for the release of photos from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, including three of President Trump.
“Once again, House Democrats are selectively releasing cherry-picked photos with random redactions to try and create a false narrative,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement, echoing criticism from a spokesperson for Republicans on the House panel.
“The Democrat hoax against President Trump has been repeatedly debunked and the Trump Administration has done more for Epstein’s victims than Democrats ever have by repeatedly calling for transparency, releasing thousands of pages of documents, and calling for further investigations into Epstein’s Democrat friends,” Jackson said. “It’s time for the media to stop regurgitating Democrat talking points and start asking Democrats why they wanted to hang around Epstein after he was convicted.”
An unnamed White House official added that no Epstein documents have shown Trump committed any wrongdoing.
Jackson said that previously released Epstein records showed interactions with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and Stacey Plaskett, the House delegate who represents the Virgin Islands.
Jeffries did not communicate directly with Epstein. A firm doing campaign fundraising for him emailed Epstein in 2013 asking if he’d like to attend a fundraising dinner. Plaskett texted with Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing about the testimony in the proceedings.
By Claire Thornton, Globe Staff
US House Representative Tim Walberg, a Republican representing Michigan, announced Thursday he is pressing MIT officials for information about alleged antisemitic incidents on campus this year.
Walberg, who chairs the House Committee on Education and Workforce, wrote a letter addressed to MIT President Sally Kornbluth demanding all documents and communications in the possession of MIT referring to “antisemitism,” “Jews,” “Judaism,” “Israel,” “Palestine,” or “Zionism” that have been issued since Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel.
Walberg said the university has until Dec. 22 to provide records and email communication regarding the incidents.
Epstein dons Harvard sweatshirt in meeting with Alan Dershowitz — 1:21 p.m.
By Camilo Fonseca, Globe Staff
In one photo included in Friday’s release, Epstein can be seen wearing a hooded Harvard University sweatshirt while meeting with former Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz. The photo, which had been previously released, was taken by a professional photographer [Rick Friedman, Corbis/Getty] in 2004.
Epstein never attended Harvard, but was a major donor to the university for roughly two decades. His donations supported numerous programs and faculty, including former university president Larry Summers and his wife, poetry professor Elisa New.
In 2019, Harvard commissioned a review on its financial relationship with the Epstein — though the final report omitted several notable donations. In November, in the wake of Globe reporting about Epstein’s relationship with Summers and New, the university said it would open a new probe into Epstein’s ties with faculty, including Summers, New, and Dershowitz.
Dershowitz, an attorney who has represented prominent figures including Trump, helped negotiate a plea deal for Epstein in connection to state-level prostitution charges in 2006. Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most vocal sex trafficking victims, accused Dershowitz of sexual abuse, which he denied; Giuffre eventually withdrew a lawsuit against him.
As Harvard continues negotiations with Trump administration, deep cuts keep spreading through campus — 1:02 p.m.
By Aidan Ryan and Diti Kohli, Globe Staff
The Trump administration’s efforts to remake Harvard University have slowed considerably since an initial onslaught of funding cuts was rejected in federal court. But as the fall semester comes to a close, the casualties on campus are adding up.
Harvard is already under financial strain, and expected changes in federal grants and a forthcoming endowment tax have led to job cuts across several schools, lower graduate student admissions, and drawn-out negotiations with campus unions. And while grant funding has flowed back to campus after a September legal ruling, researchers still aren’t operating at full capacity as they brace for possible further changes.
“It’s a lot more quiet, and we’re not really getting much news,” said Matthew Tobin, a Harvard junior. “But in many ways, it’s starting to feel like death by a thousand cuts.”
Thai and Cambodian leaders have agreed to renew a cease-fire, Trump says — 12:57 p.m.
By the Associated Press
President Trump said that Thai and Cambodian leaders have agreed to renew a cease-fire after days of deadly clashes.
Trump announced the agreement to restart the cease-fire in a social media posting following calls with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.
“They have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening, and go back to the original Peace Accord made with me, and them, with the help of the Great Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim,” Trump said in his Truth Social posting.
Trump administration says sign language services ‘intrude’ on Trump’s ability to control his image — 12:36 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The Trump administration is arguing that requiring real-time American Sign Language interpretation of events like White House press briefings “would severely intrude on the President’s prerogative to control the image he presents to the public,” part of a lawsuit seeking to require the White House to provide the services.
Department of Justice attorneys haven’t elaborated on how doing so might hamper the portrayal President Trump seeks to present to the public. But overturning policies encompassing diversity, equity and inclusion have become a hallmark of his second administration, starting with his very first week back in the White House.
Faces censored in photo prints Epstein displayed on desk, around estate — 12:12 p.m.
By Camilo Fonseca, Globe Staff
Several individuals pictured in framed photo prints and snapshots — some apparently displayed in Epstein’s estate — had their faces censored in the images released Friday.
In one released photo, right-wing pundit Steve Bannon is seen sitting at Epstein’s desk, across from the financier. On the desk are several photo prints in which faces have been censored, including one on the left side of the desk that appears to show a person resting their head on Epstein’s shoulder. Another framed photo sitting at the upper right corner of the desk, while unclear, appears to show a person in a seemingly vulnerable position.
Another release shows several framed photo prints displayed above a cabinet, presumably also in Epstein’s estate. The prints included a profile shot of Bill Gates, four women standing with their faces censored, and a crouching figure, their face also censored, who appears to be surrounded by bedsheets.
Trump administration ends temporary status for Ethiopia — 11:57 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The Trump administration is ending the temporary status that has allowed more than 4,500 Ethiopians to live and work in the United States for more than three years.
The decision announced by the Department of Homeland Security comes as the White House moves to put more immigrants in the US eligible for deportation. Ethiopia is the latest in a string of countries to lose Temporary Protection Status.
DHS said that conditions in Ethiopia have improved and no longer pose a serious threat to the safety of returning Ethiopian nationals.
National Trust sues to stop Trump’s ballroom construction — 11:34 a.m.
By the Associated Press
President Trump was sued on by preservationists seeking an architecture review and congressional approval over his White House ballroom project.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is asking a federal court to stop Trump’s White House ballroom project until it goes through comprehensive design reviews, public comments and wins approval from Congress.
The National Trust argues that Trump, by fast-tracking the project, has committed multiple violations of the Administrative Procedures Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, while also exceeding his constitutional authority by not seeking congressional approval for a project of this scale.
Trump already has bypassed the federal government’s usual building practices and historical reviews when he razed the East Wing of the White House. He has more recently fired the initial architects for a ballroom that itself would be nearly twice the size of the White House before East Wing’s demolition.
Trump has said a ballroom is overdue for the White House, previously complaining that events were held outside under a tent and guests would get their feet wet if it rained.
N.H. inventor Dean Kamen pictured in newly released Epstein image — 11:30 a.m.
By Steven Porter and Amanda Gokee, Globe Staff
New Hampshire entrepreneur Dean Kamen is among a number of prominent people pictured in a newly released batch of photographs from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate.
The businessman — who flew with Epstein on a private flight in 2003, according to records made public in 2024 — can be seen in a newly released image smiling alongside billionaire Richard Branson as Epstein walks behind them in a tropical location. The image does not appear to depict any illegal conduct.
Kamen is perhaps best-known as the inventor of the Segway, a self-balancing personal transportation device. His business, DEKA Research & Development Corp., based in Manchester, N.H., focuses on medical innovations. He is also the executive director of the nonprofit Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing, or ARMI, which is looking to develop biomanufacturing technology to eventually grow human tissues and organs.
Kamen founded the nonprofit FIRST, which organizes a robotics competition for high schoolers and promotes youth STEM education in other ways.
It was not clear when or where the photo was taken. Kamen did not immediately respond Friday to requests for comment. He is connected to Nadia Marcinko, a fashion model turned pilot, who was close with Epstein.
Epstein pictured with Trump ally Steve Bannon — 11:24 a.m.
By Camilo Fonseca, Globe Staff
Three of the photos released on Friday include Steve Bannon, the far-right political strategist and longtime Trump ally who has said he was working on a documentary on Epstein before the convicted sex offender’s death in 2019.
In one undated photo, Epstein is seen taking a mirror selfie while standing next to Bannon. In another, Bannon is seen in conversation with film director Woody Allen, who was also featured in several other photos released Friday.
Bannon, who served in the first Trump administration and has supported right-wing movements across the globe, has previously said was making a film about Epstein. Roughly 15 hours of footage were filmed, and Bannon has said he intended to release the film early next year, according to the BBC.
Bannon’s correspondence with Epstein was included in emails released by the US House oversight committee earlier this year, in which the two discussed travel arrangements, UK politics, and television appearances, where Epstein coached Bannon on political messaging.
Photo shows Summers, his wife and director Woody Allen chatting on a plane — 11:14 a.m.
By Deirdre Fernandes and Tricia L. Nadolny, Globe Staff
One photo shows Larry Summers, his wife Harvard professor Elisa New, and film director Woody Allen in an animated discussion on a plane.
In an undated letter released last month by the US House, New wrote to Allen referencing having traveled with him on a plane, where the two talked about William Carlos Williams’ poem “This is Just to Say.” She said she had been taken by his interpretation and asked him to appear on camera for a online poetry course she was developing at Harvard.
“I really enjoyed our conversation on the plane last spring,” she wrote to Allen. “You offered a reading of the poem that seemed to me completely persuasive and plausible, and, yet, also, one that is not strictly dictated or delimited by the lines themselves.”
A Globe investigation found that New hid Epstein’s involvement from her staff as she developed her poetry project, Poetry in America, into a nationwide public television show. Epstein would eventually help New secure an interview with Allen, down to scheduling the time and place. He later also helped her acquire the rights to use the footage, emails show.
The footage never aired.
GOP Oversight Committee spokesperson accuses Democrats of ‘cherry-picking’ photos to damage Trump — 11:00 a.m.
By Jim Puzzanghera, Globe Staff
A spokesperson for the Republican majority on the House Oversight Committee accused the panel’s Democrats of selectively releasing photos from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate to damage President Trump.
“Once again, Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Oversight Committee Democrats are cherry-picking photos and making targeted redactions to create a false narrative about President Trump,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
“We received over 95,000 photos and Democrats released just a handful. Democrats’ hoax against President Trump has been completely debunked. Nothing in the documents we’ve received shows any wrongdoing,” the spokesperson continued.
“It is shameful Rep. Garcia and Democrats continue to put politics above justice for the survivors.”
One of the photos showed Trump with six women whose faces were redacted. A committee source familiar with the photos who did not want to be named said the women all were adults.
House Democrats release photos from Epstein’s estate — 10:41 a.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released another batch of photos from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate that show a number of prominent figures associated with the convicted sex offender, including President Trump and former Harvard president Larry Summers.
Trump to honor 1980 “Miracle on Ice” Olympic hockey team on Friday — 10:22 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The president will sign a bill awarding Congressional Gold Medals to members of the US men’s ice hockey team who defeated the heavily favored Soviet Union team during the Cold War.
The game held in Lake Placid, New York is widely regarded as one of the greatest upsets in the history of sports.
Federal judge issues order to prohibit immigration officials from detaining Kilmar Abrego Garcia — 8:58 a.m.
By the Associated Press
A federal judge ordered Friday that US immigration officials could not detain Kilmar Abrego Garcia, hours after his release from immigration detention.
Abrego Garcia appeared Friday morning for a scheduled appointment at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office, some 14 hours after he was released from detention on a judge’s orders. His lawyers asked the judge to block authorities from detaining him again.
Officials cannot re-detain him until the court conducts a hearing on the motion for the temporary restraining order, US District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland said. She wrote that Abrego Garcia is likely to succeed on the merits of any further request for relief from ICE detention.
“For the public to have any faith in the orderly administration of justice, the Court’s narrowly crafted remedy cannot be so quickly and easily upended without further briefing and consideration,” she wrote.
Abrego Garcia became a flashpoint of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown earlier this year when he was wrongly deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador. He was last taken into custody in August during a similar check-in.
Trump led Republicans to power in 2024. But 2026 could be a different story. — 8:49 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump successfully harnessed voter anxiety over the economy, immigration and crime last year to retake the White House — and lift plenty of other Republicans into office with him. But as the party tries to keep its grip on complete control in Washington, that strategy may be harder to replicate.
Republicans have lost a series of elections over the past month, some resoundingly. The latest setbacks came this week when a Democrat won the Miami mayor’s race for the first time in three decades. Democrats also won a special election in a historically Republican district in Georgia.
Perhaps most concerning for Republicans, Trump is losing ground on the very issues that powered his comeback victory last year, potentially undermining his utility as a surrogate for the party’s candidates in the midterm elections.
With Democrats just a few seats shy of reclaiming the House majority, Republicans are watching the developments with a growing sense of unease and frustration that the dynamics of Trump’s first midterm — when Democrats scored a net gain of 40 seats in 2018 — are at risk of repeating.
Indiana Republicans defy Trump and reject his House redistricting push in the state — 8:36 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Indiana’s Republican-led Senate decisively rejected a redrawn congressional map Thursday that would have favored their party, defying months of pressure from President Trump and delivering a stark setback to the White House ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
The vote was overwhelmingly against the proposed redistricting, with more Republicans opposing than supporting the measure, signaling the limits of Trump’s influence even in one of the country’s most conservative states.
Trump has been urging Republicans nationwide to redraw their congressional maps in an unusual campaign to help the party maintain its thin majority in the House of Representatives. Although Texas, Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina went along, Indiana did not — despite cajoling and insults from the president and the possibility of primary challenges.
When the proposal failed 31-19, cheers could be heard inside the chamber as well as shouts of “thank you!” The debate had been shadowed by the possibility of violence, and some lawmakers have received threats.
Trump tried to brush off the defeat, telling reporters in the Oval Office that he “wasn’t working on it very hard” despite his personal involvement in the pressure campaign.
New judicial panels to hear Wisconsin redistricting lawsuits for the first time — 1:23 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Two lawsuits seeking to redraw Wisconsin’s congressional districts were scheduled to be discussed in court Friday as a pair of three-judge panels, never-before-used in the state, meet for the first time.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court last month ordered that the redistricting cases be first heard by the three-judge panels, employing a process created by Republicans in 2011 but never utilized. Friday’s hearings were to determine a schedule for moving forward in both cases.
Court blocks release of hundreds of immigrants arrested in Chicago-area crackdown — 12:02 a.m.
By the Associated Press
A federal appeals court blocked the immediate release of hundreds of immigrants detained during a Chicago area immigration crackdown in a split decision Thursday that also allowed the extension of a consent decree outlining how federal immigration agents can make warrantless arrests.
The 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments last week about the 2022 agreement governing how US Immigration and Customs Enforcement can arrest immigrants besides those being specifically targeted in an operation. The consent decree has been in the spotlight amid the Trump administration’s Chicago-area immigration crackdown that’s led to more than 4,000 arrests.