POLITICS

The Latest: GOP fears grow that even $1 billion may not buy midterm victory
Read full article: The Latest: GOP fears grow that even $1 billion may not buy midterm victoryRepublicans are increasingly anxious that even $1 billion in campaign spending won't fend off sweeping election losses as the party reckons with President Donald Trump’s unpopularity, inflation and the war in Iran.

The Latest: Trump doesn’t commit to repaying federal funds already spent on controversial ads
Read full article: The Latest: Trump doesn’t commit to repaying federal funds already spent on controversial adsA day after President Donald Trump said he would start paying for controversial taxpayer-funded ads with a campaign account, a White House official insisting on anonymity said Trump’s promises don’t mean there’s any reimbursement coming.

Most Texas Republicans ignore Democratic calls to debate in statewide races
Read full article: Most Texas Republicans ignore Democratic calls to debate in statewide racesThe last U.S. Senate race in Texas to go without a debate was in 2000. Gov. Greg Abbott, meanwhile, debated his Democratic opponents in each of his last three campaigns.

Texas execution would be first in U.S. since Tennessee failure
Read full article: Texas execution would be first in U.S. since Tennessee failureLawyers for Jamaal Howard are asking Gov. Greg Abbott for a 30-day reprieve after two lethal injections failed to kill Christa Pike, leaving her hospitalized.

STAAR rescoring requests triple after more Texas schools question computer grading
Read full article: STAAR rescoring requests triple after more Texas schools question computer gradingThousands of STAAR reading results improved after humans rescored students’ written answers. Most of the initial grading was done by an automated engine.

In Virginia, Democrat hoping to oust Republican tests anti-corruption message echoing around country
Read full article: In Virginia, Democrat hoping to oust Republican tests anti-corruption message echoing around countryLongtime Virginia Republican Rep. Rob Wittman is emphasizing his humble roots rather than his deep experience as he campaigns this year in what's seen as the toughest race of his career.

Firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan scheduled for December
Read full article: Firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan scheduled for DecemberThe acting secretary of the U.S. Army says the man convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, will be executed by firing squad on Dec. 3.

Texas agency sues to stop release of data center records that it says could aid terrorists
Read full article: Texas agency sues to stop release of data center records that it says could aid terroristsA lawsuit will test whether Texas officials can withhold data center location details under the state Homeland Security Act.

Trump says he has call scheduled with Putin to discuss possible case of pneumonic plague in Russia
Read full article: Trump says he has call scheduled with Putin to discuss possible case of pneumonic plague in RussiaPresident Donald Trump says he has a call scheduled with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a possible case of plague at a Siberian research institute.

Trump doesn't commit to repaying federal funds already spent on controversial ads
Read full article: Trump doesn't commit to repaying federal funds already spent on controversial adsPresident Donald Trump has pledged to use money from his MAGA Inc. super PAC for a controversial taxpayer-funded ad campaign.

Trump highlights a big new defense project in Maryland, a blue state whose governor didn't attend
Read full article: Trump highlights a big new defense project in Maryland, a blue state whose governor didn't attendPresident Donald Trump traveled to the Baltimore area to highlight a $3.7 billion investment by Anduril to build components for nuclear-powered submarines at a shipyard.

Families of some US troops killed in the Iran war's deadliest strike absent from White House event
Read full article: Families of some US troops killed in the Iran war's deadliest strike absent from White House eventRelatives of some soldiers killed in the Iran war joined dozens of Gold Star families Tuesday at the White House.

ABC and Trump's FCC battle in federal court over issues of free speech and jurisdiction
Read full article: ABC and Trump's FCC battle in federal court over issues of free speech and jurisdictionA lawyer for ABC has asked a federal judge to prevent the Trump administration from conducting an unusual, early review of its broadcast licenses, likening it to a looming execution by guillotine.

US military restricts troops from leaving the base in Okinawa after Marine is arrested in a killing
Read full article: US military restricts troops from leaving the base in Okinawa after Marine is arrested in a killingThe U.S. military in Okinawa, Japan, is pausing all operations for two days after a Marine was arrested on suspicion of killing a local woman.

Democrat Jon Rosenthal outraises Bo French in Railroad Commission race in latest report
Read full article: Democrat Jon Rosenthal outraises Bo French in Railroad Commission race in latest reportA big chunk of Rosenthal’s haul came after French’s racist social media comments following a UT-Austin football game went viral.

Lawyers for ex-Olympian cleared in Reflecting Pool case call for government watchdog investigations
Read full article: Lawyers for ex-Olympian cleared in Reflecting Pool case call for government watchdog investigationsLawyers for a former Olympian whom the Justice Department charged with intentionally damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, only to abruptly drop the case after determining that he was not responsible, are urging two different government watchdogs to examine what they say was a flawed investigation and prosecution.

Greg Abbott outraised Gina Hinojosa but burned through much of his campaign cash in Texas governor’s race
Read full article: Greg Abbott outraised Gina Hinojosa but burned through much of his campaign cash in Texas governor’s raceAbbott outspent Hinojosa 6-to-1 from July to late September, but the governor’s narrow polling lead was largely unchanged as he tapped a war chest that once topped $100 million.

RFK Jr.'s embrace of AI confounds some MAHA allies and medical experts
Read full article: RFK Jr.'s embrace of AI confounds some MAHA allies and medical expertsHealth Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s unexpected embrace of artificial intelligence has rankled some of his allies in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.

White House aide: Trump did not call for attacks on US cities but explained how he's preventing them
Read full article: White House aide: Trump did not call for attacks on US cities but explained how he's preventing themThe White House is clarifying Donald Trump’s comments at a Monday night rally, explaining that the president was not insinuating that he wanted Iran to attack U.S. cities but instead wants to prevent Tehran from having that capability.

Alito says Supreme Court can’t stem emergency appeals and voices concern over Trump’s rhetoric
Read full article: Alito says Supreme Court can’t stem emergency appeals and voices concern over Trump’s rhetoricSome of President Donald Trump's rhetoric about members of the Supreme Court isn't sitting well with one of his favorite justices.

In new San Antonio district, law enforcement Democrat and GOP Air Force vet upend partisan script
Read full article: In new San Antonio district, law enforcement Democrat and GOP Air Force vet upend partisan scriptThe 35th Congressional District was redrawn to elect a Republican, but Latino voters’ brewing leftward shift has put the seat in play for Democrat Johnny Garcia, who faces Trump-backed Carlos De La Cruz.

These are the most competitive November races and where they are up and down Texas’ midterm ballot
Read full article: These are the most competitive November races and where they are up and down Texas’ midterm ballotTexas has an unusually large slate of competitive races for the state Legislature and U.S. House this year. Here’s our list of contests to watch.

Arkansas campaign ad sparks conservative backlash for portraying lazy welfare recipient as white
Read full article: Arkansas campaign ad sparks conservative backlash for portraying lazy welfare recipient as whiteA new video from Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was standard issue Republican messaging for promoting her state’s stricter rules for people on Medicaid.

Republicans return to tough-on-crime message before difficult midterm elections
Read full article: Republicans return to tough-on-crime message before difficult midterm electionsRepublicans are focusing on crime and public disorder in midterm election campaigns, as voters grow frustrated with their handling of the cost of living and the war with Iran.

Israeli documentary ‘NAZA’ opens in the US, reigniting debate over the war in Gaza
Read full article: Israeli documentary ‘NAZA’ opens in the US, reigniting debate over the war in GazaThe Israeli documentary "NAZA" is opening in U.S. theaters, reigniting debate over America's military support for Israel.

Cold War memories stir Rubio in Iceland as he champions diplomacy and downplays differences
Read full article: Cold War memories stir Rubio in Iceland as he champions diplomacy and downplays differencesU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sought to reassure NATO ally Iceland that President Donald Trump's administration has no designs on the island but shares its concerns about Arctic security as tensions between the U.S. and Russia rise in the High North and elsewhere.

Trump approves firing squad execution for Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan
Read full article: Trump approves firing squad execution for Fort Hood shooter Nidal HasanPresident Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Army Maj. Nidal Hasan for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas.

Tennessee Republicans consider more execution options after Christa Pike lethal injection fails
Read full article: Tennessee Republicans consider more execution options after Christa Pike lethal injection failsTennessee's top Republicans are exploring alternative execution methods after the failed execution of Christa Pike.

Ken Paxton raises personal-best $18 million in third quarter for Texas’ U.S. Senate race
Read full article: Ken Paxton raises personal-best $18 million in third quarter for Texas’ U.S. Senate raceThe attorney general more than doubled his second-quarter haul, but still is well short of past totals posted by Democrat James Talarico, who has yet to announce his July-to-September fundraising.

Republican Sen. Tillis calls his vote for Hegseth the 'biggest regret of my career' in a new book
Read full article: Republican Sen. Tillis calls his vote for Hegseth the 'biggest regret of my career' in a new bookRepublican Sen_ Thom Tillis says in a new book that his deciding vote to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in January 2025 is the “biggest regret of my career.”.

Supreme Court weighs local governments' climate change lawsuits against oil and gas companies
Read full article: Supreme Court weighs local governments' climate change lawsuits against oil and gas companiesThe Supreme Court is considering whether local governments can sue oil and gas companies for climate change costs.

Harris County’s cashless bail policy for misdemeanors upheld
Read full article: Harris County’s cashless bail policy for misdemeanors upheldThe policy dates to a 2019 settlement after the county’s cash bail system was found to exacerbate poverty while not “meaningfully” promoting public safety.

Former press secretary Karoline Leavitt lands her next gig: Fox News contributor
Read full article: Former press secretary Karoline Leavitt lands her next gig: Fox News contributorFormer White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is joining Fox News as an on-air contributor starting Nov. 1.

The Latest: Trump visits Nebraska in pre-midterms blitz to reassure GOP voters about the economy
Read full article: The Latest: Trump visits Nebraska in pre-midterms blitz to reassure GOP voters about the economyPresident Donald Trump is campaigning in Nebraska alongside GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts, who faces an independent candidate backed by national Democrats.

Supreme Court rejects appeal over Michigan school's ban on ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ sweatshirts
Read full article: Supreme Court rejects appeal over Michigan school's ban on ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ sweatshirtsThe Supreme Court is rejecting an appeal from a Michigan woman challenging a school district’s ban on shirts with the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon.”.

Supreme Court rejects Roy Moore's push to restore $8.2M defamation verdict
Read full article: Supreme Court rejects Roy Moore's push to restore $8.2M defamation verdictThe U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Roy Moore’s push to restore an $8.2 million defamation verdict awarded to him over a 2017 Senate ad.

Dennis Hastert, longtime Republican House speaker who went to prison, dies at age 84
Read full article: Dennis Hastert, longtime Republican House speaker who went to prison, dies at age 84Dennis Hastert, who served as House speaker longer than any other Republican but later was sent to prison in a hush-money case, has died.

Top crypto group to pour millions into bipartisan slate of House races after key legislation stalls
Read full article: Top crypto group to pour millions into bipartisan slate of House races after key legislation stallsA major cryptocurrency spending group is backing 32 House candidates from both parties ahead of the November midterms.

Ohio Democrats’ path to the governor’s office runs through rural areas that had turned against them
Read full article: Ohio Democrats’ path to the governor’s office runs through rural areas that had turned against themDemocrats say their nominee for governor in Ohio, Dr. Amy Acton, represents the party’s best chance in years to win that office.

Trump’s immigration crackdown divides rural voters as midterms approach, AP-KFF poll finds
Read full article: Trump’s immigration crackdown divides rural voters as midterms approach, AP-KFF poll findsAn AP-KFF poll finds that rural voters are divided on whether President Donald Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown has benefited or harmed their communities.

Tribune’s sample ballot tool now includes local elections for 16 million Texas voters
Read full article: Tribune’s sample ballot tool now includes local elections for 16 million Texas votersThe updated 2026 election ballot tool is a major expansion and part of The Texas Tribune's mission to help Texans shape the future.

Texas city charges $2 million for Flock records as agencies make it harder to see how cameras are used
Read full article: Texas city charges $2 million for Flock records as agencies make it harder to see how cameras are usedHigh invoices and challenges to accessing data on how departments use the surveillance cameras have hindered requests by privacy advocates and journalists.










