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Mitch McConnell Hospitalized
Mitch McConnell Hospitalized
Feb 4, 2026 12:00 AM CST

Mitch McConnell Hospitalized

McConnell under evaluation after flu-like illness; staff says prognosis is positive

(Newser) - Sen. Mitch McConnell checked himself into a Kentucky hospital Monday night after feeling under the weather over the weekend, his office said. The 83-year-old Republican reported "flu-like symptoms" and went in "out of an abundance of caution," according to spokesman David Popp, who described McConnell's outlook...

Senate Vote to Avoid Shutdown Fails in 45-55 Vote

Partial shutdown may now be inevitable

(Newser) - A Senate test vote meant to keep much of the federal government open failed on Thursday, and both parties are now racing a shutdown clock while haggling over how far to curb immigration enforcement.
  • The procedural vote to move forward on a sweeping spending package failed 45–55, with all
...

Kyrsten Sinema Is Being Sued Under NC's 'Homewrecker' Law

Suit alleges ex-senator shattered veteran's marriage through alleged affair

(Newser) - Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is at the center of a North Carolina "homewrecker" lawsuit that accuses her of having an affair with a married member of her security detail and wrecking his 14-year marriage, USA Today reports. In a civil complaint seeking more than $25,000 in damages, Heather...

Leavitt: Trump Remarks About Canceling Midterms 'Facetious'

POTUS has made such comments at least twice recently

(Newser) - President Trump wasn't floating a constitutional crisis—he was cracking a joke, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Pressed Thursday on why the president has recently mused multiple times about scrapping this year's midterm elections, Leavitt told reporters Trump's comments were not serious, Mediaite reports....

Op-Ed: Dems Have 'No Credible Path' Unless They Shift Now

Strategist David Pllouffe urges immediate overhaul of party brand, agenda, leadership

(Newser) - Democrats may be riding high now, but one of their top strategists says the party is on track to crash in 2028 unless it overhauls itself fast. In a New York Times op-ed, David Plouffe—who helped run three recent Democratic presidential campaigns, including Kamala Harris' 2024 bid—argues that...

House Republicans Defy Party to Pass ACA Subsidy Extension

Senate GOP leaders oppose bill without a series of changes

(Newser) - The House approved a three-year extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies on Thursday, with 17 Republicans joining all Democrats in a rebuke to GOP leaders. The bill, passed 230-196, would restore higher federal subsidies that lapsed at the end of last year to help lower premiums for millions of...

Hageman Launches Wyoming Senate Bid, With Big Endorsement

Trump-supported congresswoman seeks to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Cynthia Lummis

(Newser) - Rep. Harriet Hageman is looking to trade her seat in the House for one in the Senate, launching a 2026 bid in Wyoming to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis. The 63-year-old congresswoman announced her campaign on Tuesday, days after Lummis said she wouldn't seek another term, reports NBC...

GOP Senator Says She Lacks Energy for Another Term

Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming says it's been 'difficult, exhausting' session

(Newser) - Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming has announced that she's leaving the Senate after one term, opening a rare GOP primary fight in one of the nation's most reliably Republican states. Lummis, 69, said Friday that she will not run in 2026, timing the decision with the Senate's adjournment...

Johnson Blocks Vote on Health Subsidies; Was 'Not to Be'

Dismisses GOP moderates who wanted an extension; subsidies will now almost surely expire Dec. 31

(Newser) - House Speaker Mike Johnson has shut down a push for a vote to keep expanded Affordable Care Act subsidies in place, leaving millions facing higher premiums when the aid ends on Dec. 31. After days of mixed signals, Johnson told Republicans in a closed-door meeting on Tuesday that the House...

Musk Is Back to Bankrolling GOP Campaigns

So much for the billionaire's 'American Party'

(Newser) - Elon Musk is quietly reemerging as a heavyweight Republican donor, this time with a focus on the 2026 battle for Congress. According to Axios , Musk has begun pouring money into GOP House and Senate campaigns, marking a notable shift from his supposed launch of a third " American Party "...

Bid to Save ObamaCare Subsidies Fails in Senate

Vote means they are all but certain to expire at the end of the year

(Newser) - The Senate on Thursday rejected legislation to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits, essentially guaranteeing that millions of Americans will see a steep rise in costs at the beginning of the year, per the AP . Senators rejected a Democratic bill to extend the subsidies for three years and a Republican...

Rising Dem Star Shakes Up Texas Senate Race

Jasmine Crockett looks to unseat GOP's John Cornyn, amid a crowded field

(Newser) - Texas Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett, widely seen as a rising star in her party, has formally launched a campaign for the US Senate, aiming to unseat Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Crockett made her announcement at a campaign event on Monday and released a video using audio of President Trump criticizing...

Competing Plans on Subsidies Tie Up Congress

Democrats are united on extending ACA aid, but Republicans have no consensus

(Newser) - With enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expiring soon, members of Congress—especially Republicans—are split on what to do. GOP leaders in the House and Senate are considering holding votes next week on the party's health care priorities, Axios reports, though there's no consensus yet on what the...

Hegseth Wears Thin on Congressional Republicans

Lawmakers express frustration with Pentagon secrecy over strikes

(Newser) - Republican lawmakers are expressing exasperation with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his management of the Pentagon—with some suggesting he may not be able to keep the job even if their investigations clear him in the fatal attack on apparent survivors of a US strike in the Caribbean. Their frustration...

Mike Johnson Backs Trump on Sedition Attacks Against Dems

Speaker claims Trump was 'defining' sedition, not calling for executions

(Newser) - House Speaker Mike Johnson came to the defense of President Trump after the president's latest incendiary comments, in which Trump accused congressional Democrats of "sedition"—a crime the POTUS noted is "punishable by death." Trump, who suggested that six Democrats who encouraged US troops to...

A Rare Unanimous Vote in House Kills Big Senator Payouts

It's a 426-0 nay for $500K in damages sought over seized records in Trump probe

(Newser) - The House of Representatives cast a unanimous 426-0 vote on Wednesday to remove a Senate-added provision that could have allowed certain senators to claim at least $500,000 each in taxpayer-funded damages. The provision, which drew bipartisan criticism, was inserted into the legislation that ended the recent government shutdown and...

Senate Agrees to Pass Bill on Epstein Files

Legislation could reach Trump's desk tonight

(Newser) - A bill to force the Justice Department to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein is set to reach President Trump's desk after passing the House with near-unanimous consen t. Hours after the House vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer offered a motion that secured unanimous consent to deem the...

Massie Wants Vote to Rule Out Veto of Epstein Files Release

Republican said there could be a 'deluge' of GOP support

(Newser) - As many as 100 House Republicans may support a measure to force the release of files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Rep. Thomas Massie said Sunday. Speaking on ABC News ' This Week, Massie said the House is expected to vote on the matter this week and suggested there...

Trump's Redistricting Hits a Wall in Indiana

White House immediately summons state lawmakers to Washington

(Newser) - President Trump's plan to redistrict Indiana to try to deliver more congressional seats to Republicans in the 2026 midterms does not have the votes to pass the state Senate, its leader announced Friday. So the GOP-run Senate will not convene for a redistricting session, President Pro Tem Rodric Bray...

Senate Votes to End Government Shutdown

House must still reconvene to vote on the legislation

(Newser) - The Senate passed legislation Monday to reopen the government, bringing the longest shutdown in history closer to an end as a small group of Democrats ratified a deal with Republicans despite searing criticism from within their party, the AP reports. The 41-day shutdown could last a few more days as...

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