“Massie — best known for his defiance of President Donald Trump and advocacy for the release of files associated with notorious sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein — is believed to still have a small edge in his race against military veteran Ed Gallrein… But his lead is shrinking under an onslaught of negative ads and steadfast opposition from a bloc of older Republicans who remain fiercely loyal to the president.”

“That’s raising questions like: Has traditional battleground barnstorming by the president been replaced by backroom arm-twisting for more favorable maps?”

“For as much as Trump appears focused at times on keeping the House and fending off a third impeachment and wave of subpoenas, it’s less clear how he plans to win that case outright at the ballot box. While he’s made a handful of trips to get in front of voters, including to Las Vegas last month to play up his ‘no tax on tips’ policy, such trips appear to have fallen off the schedule as the president’s attention shifts elsewhere.”

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Can Republicans redraw enough congressional maps to hold back a Democratic wave in the midterms?

“Several House and Senate Republicans are privately raising alarms about the money and the political pitfalls of funding anything related to Trump’s controversial ballroom, even as the White House, administration officials and GOP leaders insist the $1 billion is only for security.”

“Some of these skeptical Republicans feel the ballroom project is just too politically toxic right now, especially when Trump said for so long that it would be paid for by private funds.”

“In recent weeks momentum has grown for a third party-line bill Republicans can pass without Democratic support. Last year’s success enacting President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ and progress this spring on immigration enforcement spending legislation has raised expectations that a third bite at the apple may be possible in the lead up to November.”

“Lawmakers are now assembling a grab-bag style wishlist for reconciliation 3.0, ranging from affordable housing measures to a fraud crackdown to Iran war funding. But intraparty debates could easily derail the delicate budget process, especially with razor-thin majorities in both chambers.”

“On prediction markets, the price of an event contract often mirrors the market’s estimation of the probability of a given outcome — in this case the chance a candidate will win. So a contract selling for 20 cents means the market is pricing a 20% chance of success.”

“Once the poll went public, the prediction market contracts shot up in value. The staffer would then sell their contracts at a higher price and make money.”

“Vance leads in early polls of the potential 2028 GOP field, but his overall approval ratings have fallen alongside Trump’s as most Americans disapprove of the president’s handling of the Iran war and the economy.”

“It was a striking imbalance, according to early estimates, one that the country has experienced only in rare circumstances — briefly during the pandemic, and in the aftermath of World War II. But the development barely seemed to register in the nation’s capital, where few policymakers bothered to acknowledge the latest warning sign about the government’s poor fiscal health.”

“Universities and school systems across the country, from local school districts to Georgetown University to the University of Oklahoma, reported a ransom note on the homepage of their schools’ Canvas sites. Canvas is a popular, cloud-based digital hub for classrooms.”

“President Trump said the cease-fire with Iran is still in effect, calling the latest U.S. strikes against the country a ‘love tap.'”

Said Fetterman: “My values have not changed, and I have always turned to those kinds of ideals that defined being a Democrat. I remain strongly pro-choice, pro-weed, pro-LGBT, pro-SNAP, pro-labor and even pro-rib-eye over bio slop. I refuse to cave on my conscience because Pennsylvania deserves someone who is honest and can work across the aisle.”

The loss marked a new legal setback for the White House, which imposed the duties earlier this year as a temporary replacement to the initial slate of punishing duties struck down by the Supreme Court.

“But Trump’s allies also sees opportunity. They argue Jeffries is no Nancy Pelosi — that, unlike her iron grip on the caucus, he’s weak and getting yanked around by the left. They also note that Jeffries doesn’t yet have a strong nationwide name ID — and they’re eager to define him in a negative light before he can define himself.”

“U.S. retail prices are tethered to global oil markets that will be in turmoil for a while.”