Politics

Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorsed Graham Platner in the Maine Democratic primary, highlighting his working-class background and military service; the endorsement arrives as Gov. Janet Mills' campaign has aired an ad about Platner's past Reddit posts and the June primary approaches.

Gov. Tony Evers signed Senate Bill 23 (2025 Wisconsin Act 102) to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage in Wisconsin from 60 days to 12 months, and the state is now the 49th to adopt such an extension.

A federal judge ruled that Arkansas's 2025 law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms is unconstitutional and blocked the mandate in the case, and the governor has said she will appeal.

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton won the Democratic primary to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, holding about 40% of the vote when the Associated Press called the race; she will face Republican Don Tracy in the November general election.

A federal judge ordered Texas to extend the private school voucher program application deadline to March 31 after a lawsuit alleged Islamic schools were excluded; the judge also consolidated two related lawsuits.

Kentucky's Republican-led legislature overrode Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of House Bill 1 to allow the state to opt into a federal tax credit scholarship program, with the Senate voting 31-5 after the House voted 77-14-1.

An advocacy group will spend $50 million to promote child and elder care as election issues and plans targeted support for Democrats in several congressional races.

A Gongwer‑Werth survey of 40 Ohio legislators found most use AI in their work but many are undecided about how and at what level it should be regulated; lawmakers and the governor have pushed bills on AI-generated child sexual content and models that could encourage harm.

A bipartisan bill to speed housing construction and limit large investors cleared a Senate procedural vote 89-9; the House passed its own version and the two chambers must reconcile differences before it can reach the president.

President Trump signed two executive orders intended to reduce federal regulatory burdens on housing development and mortgages, and the Senate recently passed a bipartisan housing bill whose path in the House is uncertain.

Alysa Liu held a celebration rally at Oakland City Hall attended by thousands and received the key to the city; the event highlighted her ties to Oakland and its Chinatown community.

The Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act by an 89 to 10 vote; the House must now consider the Senate's substituted version and decide whether to accept it, amend it, or go to conference.

SEA opened a food pantry collecting non-perishables and hygiene items for unpaid TSA workers; DHS funding has lapsed amid a congressional stalemate.

The Senate approved the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in an 89-10 vote; the 303-page bill includes grants, pilot programs, regulatory changes to speed construction, and limits on large institutional purchases of single-family homes. The measure will return to the House, and its final outcome there is uncertain.

Rep. Jim Clyburn announced he will seek an 18th term in Congress and said he will sign paperwork to run; South Carolina's primary is scheduled for June 9.

Jill Biden's upcoming memoir, View from the East Wing, will include her account of Joe Biden's decision to end his 2024 reelection bid and is scheduled for publication June 2.

Gov. Kay Ivey commuted 75-year-old Charles Lee “Sonny” Burton’s death sentence to life without parole two days before his scheduled execution, saying Burton did not shoot the victim and had left the store; next legal steps are undetermined at this time.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey commuted Charles "Sonny" Burton's death sentence to life without parole; Burton was not the shooter and another man fired the fatal shot.

President Trump described the 10-day conflict with Iran as "short term" and a "little excursion" and said it will end soon; he did not provide a timeline.

Sen. Cory Booker plans to introduce a Senate bill to raise the standard deduction to $75,000 for married couples and $37,500 for individuals, and the proposal would also raise child tax credits and add a one‑time baby bonus.

U.S. Central Command announced the death of a seventh American service member who was wounded in an attack on troops in Saudi Arabia on March 1; Iranian state media reported Mojtaba Khamenei has been chosen as Iran's next supreme leader.

A plaque honoring officers who responded to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack was quietly installed on the Senate side of the Capitol after a three-year delay; officers who sued say the placement is a stopgap and their lawsuit continues.

ICE arrested reporter Estefany Rodriguez in Nashville; government filings say agents used an administrative warrant and that her tourist visa expired in 2021. She is being held in a Louisiana detention center and has a hearing set for March 21.

Colleen Hanabusa, a former U.S. representative and former president of the Hawaii State Senate, died at 74 after a private battle with cancer, her family said; Hawaii Gov. Josh Green ordered flags lowered to half-staff.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed HB111, raising the maximum penalty for water code violations to $3,400 per day (effective May 20), and approved HB63, which puts about $522 million in loans for 113 local and tribal water projects into law (effective March 5).

Bernard LaFayette, a civil rights organizer whose work in Selma helped pave the way for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, died at 85 of a heart attack, his son said.

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking Gov. Ron DeSantis' December executive order that labeled the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) a "terrorist organization," saying the action threatened constitutional protections; the next legal steps are undetermined at this time.

Thousands of Americans are reported stranded in parts of the Middle East after an air campaign and subsequent Iranian retaliation, and lawmakers and diplomats have criticized the administration's preparedness and communication.

Pentagon officials said the U.S. military killed an Iranian leader they say was involved in a 2024 plot to assassinate President Donald Trump, and that Operation Epic Fury remains underway.

The State Board of Education unanimously adopted new A–F accountability rules returning letter grades to Indiana schools after nearly a decade, and initial grades are scheduled for distribution later this year. The system adds measures beyond test scores, such as attendance, career exploration and workforce credentials, and it places more weight on proficiency than on academic growth.