FEMA9s FY2026 HSGP ties roughly $1.064 billion to sweeping election‑security mandates — SAVE checks, 5% manual audits and a phase‑out of QR/barcode tabulation — setting up legal and budget fights for states.

Startups are using AI to answer campaign texts; vendors say millions of messages have already been sent as the 2026 midterms approach. Regulators and voters are weighing consent and disclosure.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, 71, died after a "brief and sudden illness," his office said. He had recently met with Ukraine’s president and chaired the Senate Budget Committee.

A package of property‑tax bills went before the D.C. Council on Friday, promising new exemptions for disabled veterans and procedural fixes for appeals.

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued two landlords, accusing years of neglect that led to a Sept. 20, 2024 gas explosion that displaced residents and injured a tenant.

UN Women warns funding cuts have stripped life‑saving services from at least one million women and girls, pushing local women‑led groups to the brink.

Ford tapped former Sen. Debbie Stabenow aide Matt VanKuiken to run its Washington government‑affairs shop as the automaker presses D.C. on EV credits, trade and emissions rules.

State Question 846 would enshrine a voter ID requirement in the Oklahoma Constitution and appears on the Aug. 25 runoff ballot. Supporters say it secures elections; opponents warn it could entrench restrictions.

The Trump administration plans permanent fencing around Lafayette Square and a two‑block stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue, a move that would let officials close a major tourist and protest corridor.

A D.C. Council hearing over a proposed 10‑cent bottle deposit exposed sharp divides: environmental advocates tout river cleanup while businesses warn of steep startup costs.

Kevin Warsh tapped tech investors, corporate chiefs and Nobel economists to lead five task forces that will review the Fed's communications, data, balance sheet and inflation approach.

Rep. John McGuire introduced the Birthright Citizenship Clarification Act of 2026 to narrow automatic citizenship for some U.S.-born children. Legal fights look likely.

Reports say Israel warned the U.S. it had intelligence Iran was plotting a fresh assassination attempt on President Trump as strikes resumed in the Strait of Hormuz.