US News

US news from Axios, Vox, The Atlantic, Slate, NPR, ProPublica, Mother Jones, Democracy Now!, The Guardian US, and The Conversation — independent American journalism.

Zohran Mamdani just became a congressional kingmaker
Zohran Mamdani just became a congressional kingmaker
[Vox] — 6/24/2026, 4:13:51 AM

State Rep. Claire Valdez, former New York City comptroller Brad Lander Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier during a "Get Out the Vote" rally ahead of a primary election at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn on June 18, 2026. | Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Zohran Mamdani just took...

Admiral fired in Hegseth purge wins Democratic primary in South Carolina
[The Guardian US] — 6/24/2026, 3:15:09 AM

Nancy Lacore will spearhead effort to flip Republican House seat in November’s midterm elections A three-star navy rear-admiral fired by Pete Hegseth last year in the defense secretary’s purge of senior US military officials has won the Democratic primary in a closely watched congressional race....

Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair unseated by socialist challenger
[Axios] — 6/24/2026, 2:41:36 AM

Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) lost his primary Tuesday to democratic socialist challenger Darializa Avila Chevalier, the Associated Press projects. Why it matters: It's a major blow to the Democratic Party establishment and underscores the liberal grassroots' growing...

Mamdani-backed candidates sweep Democratic primaries in New York City
[The Guardian US] — 6/24/2026, 2:40:22 AM

JFK’s grandson Jack Schlossberg fails to advance in election to replace Jerry Nadler in Manhattan district Zohran Mamdani’s growing influence over the Democratic party was on show in New York City on Tuesday as three congressional candidates endorsed by New York’s democratic socialist mayor won...

Rep. Dan Goldman unseated by Mamdani-backed Brad Lander
[Axios] — 6/24/2026, 1:15:44 AM

Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) was unseated in his Democratic primary Tuesday night by former New York City comptroller Brad Lander, according to the Associated Press. Why it matters: Lander's victory — fueled in part by support from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani — represents the latest in a string of...

AJ Dybantsa chosen by Washington Wizards with No 1 pick in NBA draft
[The Guardian US] — 6/24/2026, 12:48:02 AM

BYU freshman tops draft after scoring spree Wizards land first No 1 pick since Wall Dybantsa joins rebuilding Washington The Washington Wizards selected forward AJ Dybantsa, who led the nation in scoring in his one season at BYU, with the No 1 pick in the NBA draft on Tuesday night. Dybantsa...

Federal judge vacates Trump officials’ immigration courthouse arrest policies
[The Guardian US] — 6/24/2026, 12:39:58 AM

Policies expanded arrests at immigration courthouses and duration for detaining noncitizens in short-term facilities A federal ⁠judge in California vacated the ⁠Trump administration’s ​nationwide policies expanding arrests at immigration courthouses and the duration for detaining noncitizens in...

Colombia v DR Congo: World Cup 2026 – live
[The Guardian US] — 6/24/2026, 12:13:51 AM

⚽️ Kick-off time: 8pm local/12pm AEST/3am BST/10pm EDT ⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Mail Jo Thanks Martin. The other Group K match finished a few hours ago, with Ronaldo announcing that he’s back in Portugal’s 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan. I’ll get into that match in a moment. But...

House gives final approval to bipartisan housing bill aimed at lowering costs
[The Guardian US] — 6/24/2026, 12:03:44 AM

Donald Trump has indicated he will sign rare bipartisan initiative to tackle affordability after 358-32 vote in House The House gave final approval on Tuesday to a broad bipartisan bill aimed at lowering the cost of housing, with lawmakers in both parties eager to show progress on affordability...

Republicans brace for Trump SAVE Act showdown
[Axios] — 6/23/2026, 11:48:04 PM

Sens. Mike Lee and Rick Scott have teed up what could be a tense, confrontational lunch Wednesday with President Trump and Senate Republicans. The two spent months pressuring Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on the SAVE America Act. Now Trump will be in the room with them. Why it matters:...

Jeffries downplays clash with Mamdani over New York primaries
[Axios] — 6/23/2026, 11:38:39 PM

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is minimizing the significance of New York's congressional primaries, telling reporters the ideological direction of his party won't rest on a few House seats. Why it matters: It is all part of a careful balancing act in which Jeffries is trying to stop...

Congress passes big housing bill with bipartisan support
[Axios] — 6/23/2026, 11:34:49 PM

With rare bipartisan support, the House passed a housing bill Tuesday evening that aims to address the shortage of affordable homes in the U.S. Why it matters: The bill, the Road to Housing Act, shows that the housing crisis is something both parties actually agree needs to be addressed, even as it...

Man arrested near Trump’s reflecting pool plans to fight obscenity charge
[The Guardian US] — 6/23/2026, 11:28:04 PM

Christian Miles berated Oklahoma state troopers near Washington DC landmark subject to botched renovation A Washington DC resident arrested this week near the National Mall’s reflecting pool told the Guardian he planned to fight the charges, as Donald Trump continues to blame vandals for the botched...

The AI Super PACs Trying to Influence the Midterms
The AI Super PACs Trying to Influence the Midterms
[The Atlantic] — 6/23/2026, 11:25:00 PM

This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. OpenAI’s CEO signed a letter in 2023 acknowledging that AI might cause human beings to go extinct....

Another Top General Is Out At the Pentagon
[The Atlantic] — 6/23/2026, 11:10:40 PM

General Chris “C. D.” Donahue was the last U.S. soldier to leave Afghanistan during the chaotic 2021 withdrawal. As the head of Army forces in Europe and Africa, he has helped bolster Ukraine in its fight to repel the Russian invasion. Now Donahue has become the latest casualty in Defense Secretary...

The shallow authoritarianism of Trump’s Reflecting Pool
The shallow authoritarianism of Trump’s Reflecting Pool
[Vox] — 6/23/2026, 11:00:40 PM

President Donald Trump speaks about proposed renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in the Oval Office on June 3, 2026. | Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images What should one make of the president’s mounting obsession with the Reflecting Pool? On the surface, it’s ridiculous....