NEWS: At tonight’s Michigan Senate debate, Mike Rogers rolled out the oldest trick in the book against Abdul El-Sayed — bringing his mom into the argument. But the Democrat was largely unfazed by those attacks. More from the debate ⤵️ www.huffpost.com/entry/mike-r...

Mike Rogers Pulls The ‘Your Mom’ Card On El-Sayed In Michigan Senate Debate

Attacks from Rogers fueled El-Sayed’s message that the Republican Senate candidate was more interested in him than in Michigan voters' concerns.

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New: Democrats are torn over how ambitious the party can afford to be as it looks at its best political environment in two decades. "At what point do you play for a wave versus just playing for a majority?," asks one leading party strategist. www.huffpost.com/entry/democr...

Dems Have A 'Once In A Generation' Opportunity To Hasten The Fall Of Trumpism

The party is torn between securing majorities and seeking game-changing wins.

huffpost.com

👀 NEW: The attorney representing Jane Doe in the Cornell 7 case told me today right-wing attacks against her were "tragic." "As usual, any efforts at a unifying positivity are being drowned out by the misogynistic noise of a minority of unhappy cranks." More ⤵️ www.huffpost.com/entry/right-...

Right-Wingers Are Rushing To Defend The Cornell 7 — And Attack Jane Doe

The lawyer representing the former Cornell student derided what he called “the views of women held by Neo Nazis, White Supremacists and Andrew Tate.”

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✈️ As top Trump officials publicly toy with killing the H-1B visa program, one vulnerable Senate Republican is still backing those "legal immigration pathways" for skilled foreign workers. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) went to bat for H-1Bs at an event in June. More ⤵️ www.huffpost.com/entry/vulner...

Vulnerable Kansas Republican Backs H-1B Program Even As His Party Abandons It

The Trump administration has taken steps to crack down on H-1B visas, and some officials have called for scrapping the program altogether — but Sen. Roger Marshall said he’d defend such pathways for i...

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NEWS: I spent the weekend on the campaign trail with Abdul El-Sayed, where I saw firsthand the confidence of a campaign that's managed to secure the support of national Democrats. But some MI Dems are still worried about his support among key demographics. More ⤵️ www.huffpost.com/entry/fight-...

El-Sayed Is Aiming To Unify Michigan. There's One Unknown That Could Cost Him.

At a pair of campaign stops — including in a deep-red county — Abdul El-Sayed was optimistic he’d outflanked Republican Mike Rogers and quelled concerns about his progressive platform.

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NEWS: I spoke w/ the director of a food bank in Livingston, MT, across the street from where the Daily Wire is filming a pro-ICE movie dramatizing the Renee Good killing. She told me set closures & security have blocked people from getting crucial food aid. More ⤵️ www.huffpost.com/entry/ben-sh...

A Pro-ICE Movie Recreating Renee Good’s Killing Is Disrupting A Montana Food Pantry

Clients of Livingston, Montana’s only food pantry had to walk past a dramatization of ICE killing Renee Good — when they could get in at all.

huffpost.com

Good morning from Flint, Mich., where @abdulelsayed.bsky.social is holding the latest in a series of town halls as he makes his closing argument ahead of the midterms. Sen. Elissa Slotkin joining him in Macomb Co. later today. I’m covering both for @huffpost.com so follow along.

👀 SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE: Republicans leaving town to campaign this week told me & @jbendery.bsky.social they were optimistic about their chances at keeping the Senate in Nov - and were looking forward to seeing Trump on the trail. More on @huffpost.com ⤵️ www.huffpost.com/entry/republ...

Republicans Sound Delusional About Their Fate In The Midterm Elections

“I think we hold the majority of both chambers,” said GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno, as Trump’s approval rating craters and Democrats lead in key battleground races.

huffpost.com

On the one hand, Trump's approval ratings are at an all-time low, voters everywhere are furious about high costs + Dems have the edge in key battleground races. On the other hand: “I think we hold the majority of both chambers,” said Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio). www.huffpost.com/entry/republ...

Republicans Sound Delusional About Their Fate In The Midterm Elections

“I think we hold the majority of both chambers,” said GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno, as Trump’s approval rating craters and Democrats lead in key battleground races.

huffpost.com

✈️ H-1BEGONE: VP Vance told right-wing commentator Jack Posobiec in an Air Force Two interview he'd love to see the H-1B visa program eliminated completely, putting the 2028 hopeful firmly on one side of a contentious debate within the right. More on @huffpost.com ⤵️ www.huffpost.com/entry/vance-...

JD Vance Wants To Kill ‘Completely Broken’ H-1B Visa Program

The vice president said in an interview on Air Force Two that — if he had it his way — the Trump administration would eliminate the visa scheme used to hire skilled foreign workers.

huffpost.com

Back posting again on Bluesky because I’m in my first week covering the conservative movement for @huffpost.com. Already done a fair bit of reporting so drop me a follow as I keep unpacking the modern right! www.huffpost.com/author/benja...

Benjamin S. Weiss | HuffPost

Read the latest work from Benjamin S. Weiss.

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While we wait for SCOTUS opinions, get caught up on what's happened in the year since the Trump admin allowed Park Police to engage in high-speed chases In DC alone the policy led to dozens of extended pursuits. via @benjaminweiss.bsky.social courthousenews.com/another-high...

Another high-speed car chase in DC spotlights Park Police’s norm-shattering pursuit guidelines

The Trump administration last year handed the federal police force, charged with protecting national parks, expanded authority to “chase until the wheels fall off.” It’s a decision experts say sets Pa...

courthousenews.com

🚽NEWS YOU CAN USE: I sat down with "Drain the Swamp Toilets," the congressional staffer whose self-described "obsession" with well-appointed bathrooms has led her on a quest to find the best (and worst) lavatories on Capitol Hill. More @courthousenews.bsky.social: courthousenews.com/political-po...

Political potties: Meet the congressional staffer on a quest to rate every Capitol bathroom

Self-described bathroom hobbyist Symphony Rojas, the face behind “Drain the Swamp Toilets,” dishes on the best commodes across the Capitol complex.

courthousenews.com

My report from this week on ICE smart glasses & congressional response below:

Alt National Park Service@altnps.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Links: www.kenklippenstein.com/p/exclusive-... courthousenews.com/dhs-startles... law.vanderbilt.edu/eyes-everywh...

A $7.5 million funding request from DHS to develop high-tech “smart glasses” for immigration agents landed with a thud on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. @benjaminweiss.bsky.social www.courthousenews.com/dhs-startles...

DHS startles Congress with request for millions to develop ICE ‘smart glasses’

The Homeland Security Department requested $7.5 million for research and development projects, including prototype “smart glasses” that will give federal agents access to biometric identification data...

courthousenews.com

NEW: In its 2027 budget request, DHS asked Congress for $7.5M to, among other things, develop "smart glasses" for ICE agents to use in the field. Civil liberties advocates have sounded the alarm, but lawmakers said they're finding out about it for the first time. Full story ⤵️

The House Ethics Committee on Monday published a complete list of members of Congress it has investigated for sexual misconduct and defended its process for addressing — and publicizing — reports of such behavior. @benjaminweiss.bsky.social www.courthousenews.com/house-ethics...

House Ethics Committee releases list of sexual misconduct investigations amid lawmaker scandals

The House’s bipartisan panel for self-investigation defended what it said was a “long history” of investigating accusations, as its top Democratic lawmaker called for a zero-tolerance policy.

courthousenews.com

🚨Amid increased scrutiny on Congress & its handling of sexual misconduct allegations, the House Ethics Committee has released a full list of its publicly disclosed investigations into such conduct & their outcomes, dating back to 1976.

The celebrity news organization unveiled its new Capitol Hill team this week to much online fanfare — but aides to members of Congress say they have mixed feelings about TMZ’s entry into the Washington political media landscape. @benjaminweiss.bsky.social www.courthousenews.com/tmz-in-dc-ho...

TMZ in DC: How congressional staff are bracing for the gossip outlet’s descent on Washington

The celebrity news organization unveiled its new Capitol Hill team this week to much online fanfare — but aides to members of Congress say they have mixed feelings about TMZ’s entry into the Washingto...

courthousenews.com

NEWS: I spoke to congressional staffers from both parties about how they & their colleagues are preparing members of Congress for encounters with TMZ's new Capitol team - as well as mixed feelings among Hill staff about having the celebrity news outlet around. Story below⤵️

Though Pam Bondi was supposed to appear for a closed-door meeting with lawmakers, the Justice Department argues a congressional subpoena does not bind her because she is no longer attorney general. @benjaminweiss.bsky.social www.courthousenews.com/democrats-bl...

Democrats blast Bondi for dodging House deposition

Though the ousted attorney general was supposed to appear for a closed-door meeting with lawmakers, the Justice Department argues she is not bound by a congressional subpoena because she no longer lea...

courthousenews.com

NEW: Dems and Rs on the House Oversight Committee sparred Tuesday after fmr AG Pam Bondi failed to appear for an Epstein files deposition set by a March subpoena. Dems threatening to hold Bondi in contempt, but DOJ says she is no longer bound by subpoena. www.courthousenews.com/democrats-bl...

Democrats blast Bondi for dodging House deposition

Thought the ousted attorney general was supposed to appear for a closed-door meeting with lawmakers, the Justice Department argues she is not bound by a congressional subpoena because she no longer le...

courthousenews.com

NEW: @raskin.house.gov has unveiled a bill establishing a "Commission on Presidential Capacity," a body overseeing the 25th Amendment power to remove a president from office if "mentally or physically" incapacitated. Comes as Dems scrutinize Trump for recent posts & statements.

#BREAKING: Swalwell to resign from Congress amid sex abuse scandal @benjaminweiss.bsky.social www.courthousenews.com/swalwell-to-...

Swalwell to resign from Congress amid sex abuse scandal

The Democratic congressman was facing an ethics probe and a potential expulsion vote over accusations that he sexually assaulted a former staffer and had suspended his campaign for California governor...

courthousenews.com

‘I thought it was me as a doctor:’ Trump downplays controversial post depicting himself as Jesus Christ @benjaminweiss.bsky.social www.courthousenews.com/i-thought-it...

‘I thought it was me as a doctor:’ Trump downplays controversial post depicting himself as Jesus Christ

The president sparked outrage across the political spectrum with the image, which showed him in Christlike robes healing a sick man.

courthousenews.com

New: Facing intense backlash from his own supporters over a social media post depicting himself as Jesus Christ, President Donald Trump told reporters Monday he thought the highly controversial image merely showed him “as a doctor.” More: www.courthousenews.com/i-thought-it...

‘I thought it was me as a doctor:’ Trump downplays controversial post depicting himself as Jesus Christ

The president sparked outrage across the political spectrum with the image, which showed him in Christlike robes healing a sick man.

courthousenews.com

Trump vs the Pope 🧐 on Truth Social. The president writes that the first American Pope is “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy.” “I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States,” said Trump.

NEW: Trump has nominated Matthew Schwartz, who worked on the president’s legal team appealing his criminal conviction in the New York hush money case, to fill a key appellate judicial vacancy on the Second Circuit.

Senate GOP forging ahead with Homeland Security funding, leaving Democrats aside @benjaminweiss.bsky.social www.courthousenews.com/senate-gop-f...

Senate GOP forging ahead with Homeland Security funding, leaving Democrats aside

Senate Republican leaders said they would travel to the White House this week to discuss legislation to end a protracted DHS shutdown without any Democratic input.

courthousenews.com

NEW: Rep. Jamie Raskin has sent a letter to WH physician Capt. Barbarella demanding he conduct a cognitive assessment on Pres. Trump after “disturbing” rhetoric on Iran war. Comes as Raskin is preparing to brief House Dems this afternoon on 25th Amendment. Story TK