Voters in New York are taking part in primary elections to choose candidates for several U.S. House of Representatives seats, including some open positions. These races follow the decisions of some current members of Congress not to run again.
Key Facts
New York is holding primary elections for the U.S. House.
Several districts have open seats, such as the 7th, 12th, and 21st.
Democratic Representatives Nydia Velázquez and Jerry Nadler are leaving their seats.
Republican Representative Elise Stefanik is also leaving Congress.
These changes have opened competitive races in New York.
The elections will decide who represents these districts in the general election.
The primaries are seen as a test of influence for local political figures.
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Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat, is running for a second term in Maryland and faces only one challenger in the primary. Meanwhile, several Republicans are competing to become their party’s candidate for governor in the upcoming election.
Key Facts
Governor Wes Moore is the current Democratic governor of Maryland.
Moore is seeking a second term in office.
Moore has one opponent in the Democratic primary.
Moore is expected to win the primary easily.
Many Republicans are competing in their party’s primary to challenge Moore.
Ed Hale, owner of the Baltimore Blast soccer team, is one of the Republican candidates.
The primary election takes place on a Tuesday.
The winner of the primaries will run in the November general election.
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Voters in Utah are voting in primary elections for the U.S. House of Representatives. One seat is open because Blake Moore is not running again, and new district lines make that seat more favorable to Democrats.
Key Facts
Utah is holding primary elections for the U.S. House on Tuesday.
Blake Moore decided not to run for reelection in Utah’s 1st Congressional District.
The 1st District’s boundaries were changed by a court order.
The new district map gives Democrats a better chance to win this seat.
Multiple Democrats are competing in a primary race for the open seat.
Redistricting means the political balance in the district has shifted.
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Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson are competing in the Republican runoff election to become South Carolina’s next governor. President Donald Trump recently endorsed Wilson, although he initially supported Evette before the primary election.
Key Facts
The runoff election is to choose the Republican candidate for South Carolina governor.
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson are the two candidates running.
The current governor is Henry McMaster, who supports Evette.
President Donald Trump has recently endorsed Alan Wilson.
President Trump had supported Evette before the June 9 primary election.
The outcome will decide who runs for governor in the general election.
The runoff is happening on a Tuesday (date unspecified).
Both candidates are members of the Republican Party.
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The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. has turned green again due to algae, despite a recent $14 million renovation led by President Trump. President Trump claims vandals deliberately damaged the pool, but he has not shown any proof of this, and officials have not publicly confirmed the alleged vandalism.
Key Facts
The Reflecting Pool was recently renovated by President Trump's administration with over $14 million spent.
The pool was painted dark blue to better reflect the Washington Monument for the U.S. 250th anniversary.
Soon after, the water turned green from algae growth, which is the largest bloom seen in years.
The blue paint on the pool's bottom began peeling and floating in the water after chemical treatment.
President Trump says a 350-foot cut was made by vandals and claims arrests have been made, but he has not provided evidence.
The White House stated the arrested individuals are longtime Democratic donors, but no proof was provided.
Journalists investigating the site found no visible damage supporting the vandalism claims.
Security at the Reflecting Pool has increased with National Guard and Park Police patrols.
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Rep. Ro Khanna from California has invited Elon Musk to a public debate after Musk said Khanna should be jailed. The exchange happened during a podcast interview where Khanna also discussed political topics related to his party.
Key Facts
Ro Khanna is a Democratic representative from California.
Elon Musk, a wealthy tech entrepreneur, suggested Khanna should be put in jail.
Khanna responded by challenging Musk to a debate.
The conversation occurred on the “IHIP News” podcast.
The podcast is related to another podcast called “I’ve Had It.”
Khanna talked about how his political party would work if they win control of the House of Representatives.
The incident reflects a tense exchange between a politician and a business leader.
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The US Senate voted 50-48 to require President Donald Trump to stop the war in Iran or get Congress's approval before continuing military actions. The House of Representatives passed the same measure in June, but the resolution is mostly symbolic and will not be sent to the President or become law.
Key Facts
The Senate approved a war powers measure with a 50-48 vote.
The measure instructs President Trump to end the war in Iran or seek congressional approval to continue.
Several Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the measure.
The House of Representatives passed the same resolution earlier in June.
The measure is symbolic and does not have legal force.
Congress will not send the resolution to President Trump for approval.
The war in Iran started in February 2024.
This is the first time Congress has passed such a war powers measure related to this conflict.
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A second ransom note sent to the family of Nancy Guthrie, who disappeared in February, said that she had died. The note is believed to have come from the person accused of taking her.
Key Facts
Nancy Guthrie disappeared in February.
Two ransom notes were sent to her family.
The second ransom note said Nancy Guthrie was dead.
The note is thought to be from the alleged abductor.
The case is under investigation by authorities.
CBS News reported on the ransom notes and the disappearance.
Jonathan Vigliotti provided the report for CBS News.
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Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she is leaving the Republican Party, following conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. Both criticize the party's direction, especially President Trump's foreign policy, but say they will not join the Democratic Party.
Key Facts
Marjorie Taylor Greene said she is quitting the Republican Party.
Tucker Carlson also announced he is leaving the GOP after 35 years of support.
Both believe President Trump's foreign policy is no longer in America’s best interest.
Greene and Carlson do not plan to become Democrats.
Greene resigned from Congress in November 2023.
Greene said many conservatives feel betrayed by the Republican Party.
Carlson spoke about his decision during a popular podcast.
Greene described the party as putting "America last," which she opposes.
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Lesley Groff, who worked as Jeffrey Epstein's executive secretary for over 18 years, testified before a House committee investigating Epstein’s crimes. She said she did not know about any illegal activities and claimed she never booked appointments with underage individuals for Epstein's massages.
Key Facts
Lesley Groff served as Epstein’s executive secretary in New York starting in 2001.
She testified for eight hours in a closed-door House Oversight Committee interview in June 2026.
Groff said she routinely scheduled massages for Epstein but did not know the ages of the women involved.
She denied knowingly helping Epstein or conspiring with him in his crimes.
Groff claimed that Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell told her not to associate with their friends or business matters.
Federal prosecutors in 2021 told her she would not be charged in relation to Epstein’s case.
Committee members questioned how Groff could be unaware of Epstein’s sexual abuse given her long employment.
The interview was voluntary, not under oath, and not recorded.
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The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office used a small drone with a magnet to remove a knife from an unresponsive suspect during a police operation. This method, described as a “nationwide first,” aimed to avoid putting officers at risk while disarming the suspect.
Key Facts
The incident took place in Sacramento County, California, in June 2026.
A suspect armed with a knife and firearm was unresponsive to police negotiators.
Police used a drone equipped with a dangling magnet to pull the knife from the suspect’s hand.
The suspect appeared motionless and may have overdosed, according to police.
The drone pilot’s skill was praised for safely disarming the suspect without direct contact.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office regularly uses drones for surveillance and tactical support.
Over 1,800 U.S. police departments have used drones for law enforcement tasks.
Using drones to disarm fully conscious suspects is still uncommon due to the suspect’s potential reactions.
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President Donald Trump visited a Mack Trucks factory in Pennsylvania to promote his economic plans and the Iran agreement. At the same time, the U.S. Senate approved a war powers resolution related to Iran, which was seen as a symbolic challenge to the president.
Key Facts
President Trump visited a factory in Pennsylvania on Tuesday.
He spoke about his economic agenda during the visit.
He also highlighted the Iran agreement.
The U.S. Senate passed a war powers resolution concerning Iran.
This resolution was previously approved by the House of Representatives.
The Senate's action was viewed as a symbolic rebuke to President Trump.
The event and the Senate vote happened on the same day.
The resolution relates to limiting the president’s war-making powers with Iran.
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Bill Gates told a House committee that after he tried to end his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein tried to use information about Gates' affairs to get back into his life but never directly threatened him. Gates said Epstein coached someone else on how to blackmail him but no blackmail attempts were directly made to Gates.
Key Facts
Bill Gates appeared before the House Oversight Committee on June 10, 2026, about the government's investigation of Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein tried to use details of Gates' extramarital affairs to manipulate him after Gates tried to cut ties.
Gates said Epstein sent "veiled" threats and coached others on possible blackmail tactics but never directly threatened Gates.
Gates admitted to having at least three extramarital affairs but said Epstein was not involved with any of those women.
Gates began meeting Epstein in 2011, hoping Epstein’s connections could help the Gates Foundation’s global health work.
Gates knew about Epstein’s prior sexual crime conviction but did not look into it deeply until 2018.
Gates said he never saw Epstein commit crimes or suspected the women traveling with him were victims of trafficking.
The Department of Justice found no credible proof of Epstein blackmailing prominent people.
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The U.S. Treasury Department issued a temporary 60-day license allowing Iran to sell its oil openly on the global market, a change from previous sanctions. This license also lets Iran receive payment in U.S. dollars, which could make oil sales easier and increase Iran’s revenue.
Key Facts
The license was issued by the Treasury Department following a memorandum signed by President Donald Trump.
It permits Iran to sell oil openly for the first time since 2018, when Trump ended the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed strict sanctions.
Iran can now be paid for oil sales in U.S. dollars, which it has not done since 2007 due to sanctions.
Using U.S. dollars is significant because the dollar is central to global banking and payments.
The license may help Iran sell more oil and get better prices because buyers face less risk.
The license allows Iranian oil to be imported into the U.S. only for certain purposes like processing or re-export, not for direct sale in U.S. gas stations.
American refiners are cautious and waiting for official guidance before dealing with Iranian oil.
Iran had been exporting oil secretly using a shadow fleet before this license was granted.
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President Donald Trump said the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool will be drained around July 4 for permanent repairs after recent problems with algae and paint damage. He also said six people have been arrested for allegedly damaging the pool, although evidence has not been publicly provided.
Key Facts
The Reflecting Pool was recently renovated with a cost of over $16 million.
There have been issues with algae growth and peeling paint since the renovation.
President Trump directed the pool be painted blue for the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.
Trump announced plans to drain the pool around July 4 to complete permanent repairs.
Six people have been arrested and others cited for alleged vandalism at the site.
Trump described damage including a 350-foot long cut made by sharp objects.
The Interior Department and U.S. Park Police have not publicly shared evidence of the vandalism.
The Reflecting Pool was originally built in the 1920s and underwent a $35 million renovation under President Obama.
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is spending $50 million to watch over the certification of election results in the upcoming midterm races. They have sent thousands of workers to key states like Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania to protect voters' rights to vote and have their votes counted.
Key Facts
The ACLU is investing $50 million in the 2024 midterm elections.
The focus is on monitoring the certification of election results.
Their goal is to protect voters’ ability to vote and have their votes counted.
The ACLU is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization.
They have deployed thousands of staff members to battleground states.
Key states include Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
This effort is part of a broader push to ensure election integrity in midterms.
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A man named Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who shares the same name as Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan, has filed a lawsuit to stay on the primary election ballot. He was removed from the ballot because of the name similarity, but he argues this removal is not legal.
Key Facts
Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. has the same first and last name as Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska.
Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. is not related to the incumbent senator.
The state of Alaska removed Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. from the primary election ballot.
He filed a lawsuit in Alaska Superior Court to challenge the removal.
His argument is that the state cannot legally remove him from the ballot due to the name similarity.
The issue relates to the rules around candidate names on election ballots.
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The U.S. Senate passed a resolution related to war powers concerning the conflict with Iran, following earlier approval by the House of Representatives. The vote was very close, and the resolution serves as a rare formal criticism of President Donald Trump’s actions regarding the Iran conflict.
Key Facts
The Senate approved the war powers resolution by a vote of 50-48.
The House had already passed the same resolution before it reached the Senate.
This is the first time a war powers resolution has been passed since the war with Iran began.
The resolution is largely symbolic and does not immediately change U.S. military action.
The vote represents an uncommon public disagreement with President Trump by Congress.
The article was published on June 23, 2026.
The resolution relates to the U.S. government's authority over military conflicts.
Military and political tensions with Iran remain an ongoing issue in U.S. foreign policy.
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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that border agents can more easily deport lawful permanent residents (green card holders) if they believe the person committed a crime involving "moral turpitude." The court decided that agents do not have to prove this with strong evidence before denying re-entry to the U.S.
Key Facts
The Supreme Court voted 6-3 to support easier deportation of green card holders suspected of certain crimes.
The ruling applies at U.S. ports of entry when green card holders return from trips abroad.
Border agents only need a reasonable belief, not clear proof, that the person committed a disqualifying crime.
The case involved Muk Choi Lau, a Chinese green card holder denied re-entry in 2012 due to pending state charges.
Lau later pleaded guilty to counterfeiting and was ordered deported.
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the majority opinion.
Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan dissented, raising concerns about government power and proof standards.
The decision strengthens federal authority over green card holders’ residency status.
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The US Senate passed a resolution that limits President Donald Trump’s ability to continue military action against Iran without Congress’s permission. The resolution, which does not require the president’s approval, highlights growing opposition in Congress and among the public to the conflict with Iran.
Key Facts
The Senate approved the war powers resolution by a 50-48 vote.
Four Republican senators joined Democrats in supporting the resolution.
The measure had already passed the House of Representatives earlier this month.
The resolution requires the president to get Congress’s approval before using military force against Iran.
President Trump sent JD Vance to Switzerland to negotiate ending the conflict with Iran.
The resolution is symbolic and does not have the force of law or require the president’s signature.
Public support for the war with Iran is low, with only 23% believing it makes the US stronger.
Since the conflict began, 13 American service members have died, and hundreds have been wounded.
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