(August 19, 2026)
The group of volunteers for her underdog Senate campaign sat inside a union office in suburban Broward County, a liberal stronghold in the increasingly Republican-leaning state. It was a small group, maybe a dozen people.
But donât worry, Ms. Nixonâs political director, Rachel Gilmer, reassured them: âThis tiny room is part of many, many tiny roomsâ across the state, she said, with more volunteers also ready to knock on Democratic votersâ doors.
In a surprise upset described variously as âstunningâ and âa shockerâ in headlines, State Rep. Angie Nixon won the Democratic primary for the open US Senate seat in Florida on Tuesday, defeating Lt. Col. Alex Vindman, the former national security official who many presumed would sail to victory with the support of the party establishment and a massive cash advantage.
Nixon, a former union organizer and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, will now face Sen. Ashley Moody, whom Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed to the seat after former Sen. Marco Rubio became Secretary of State, in the general election.
What Led To This Moment
Angie Nixon is a Florida State Representative, union organizer, and mother born and raised in Jacksonville who has spent her career fighting for hardworking Floridians. In the State House, she expanded childcare, took on corporate price-gouging, and led the fight against DeSantisâs unfair voting maps. Her leadership is rooted in lived experienceâwatching her mom work two jobs to get by, attending public schools, and losing her cousin to gun violence. Angie is running to lower costs, raise wages, and build a people-powered government that puts families firstânot greedy billionaires.
Florida State Rep. Angie Nixon, from Jacksonville‘s Moncrief neighborhood, beat former Trump Administraton whistleblower Alex Vindman in a stunning upset.
Vindman ran a centrist camapaign focused on corruption and the need for congressional checks on the Trump administration. But some strategists have said his campaign was a sleepy one, centered more on the general election than on the primary, where he faced an experienced campaigner.
Vindman declined to debate Nixon during the campaign. He conceded the race Tuesday night, applauding her âhard workâ and Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate. ââI will be standing by her,â he said, âand my hope is that she wins this election, because again, the stakes couldnât be higher.â
Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member and Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon scored a massive upset in the state‘s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Nixon ran against retired Air Force Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a prominent critic of Trump who played a central role in the left‘s failed 2019 impeachment attempt, who was expected to emerge victorious.
She defeated Vindman by almost 12 points, despite his $16.3 million war chest, compared to hers of only about $1 million. As of July, Vindman had spent about $9 million on the race, while Nixon had spent just over $700,000.
A new poll of US voters published on Tuesday offers a warning for congressional lawmakers backing a plan to deepen military ties between the United States and Israel, finding that a clear majority of voters oppose the proposalâwhich some critics have called âtreasonous.â
The Data for Progress survey of 1,217 likely US votersâconducted August 3â7 for Demand Progress and the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) Policy Projectârevealed that 61% of respondents oppose legislation in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2027 that would integrate Israeli weapons companies into the Pentagon at a level exceeding that of any other country. That figure rose to 78% among Democrats and 73% among independents.
Now, Peggy is running for Senate to stop Donald Trump and the billionaires ransacking our government from making it harder for families, like the one she grew up in, to have a fair shot. At a time when Washington is more rigged than ever, Peggy will be a Senator who has the guts to take on our toughest fights and win for Minnesota families.
Peggy lives in her hometown of St. Louis Park with her husband, Tom, and her daughter, Siobhan. She is a proud graduate of the University of Minnesota.
Another Midwestern moderate versus progressive showdown will play out Tuesday in Minnesota, where Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are competing to replace Sen. Tina Smith.
Flanagan has the backing of national progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Smith, who is retiring.
Craig has the backing of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and top local leaders like Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
Around 4:30 am ET, the US Senate voted 50-49 to confirm Blanche, President Donald Trumpâs former personal attorney and acting attorney general since April, as the nationâs chief law enforcement officer. It did so despite widespread concerns, including among some Republicans, that he would use the office primarily to carry out the presidentâs whims.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), one of two Republicans who voted against Blanche, outlined her concerns in a social media post Friday ahead of the vote, saying Trump had âacceleratedâ the âpoliticizationâeven weaponizationâ of the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and that Blanche had played a part.
The Republican-led Senate voted 50-49 to make Blanche the second confirmed attorney general since Trump returned to the White House last year with a stated desire to use the law enforcement agency to investigate his political enemies. While Blanche has already been leading the department in an acting capacity, his confirmation could free him to pursue the administrationâs agenda even more aggressively.
You can‘t actually talk about what you want to do?
Ripping Rogers as a âcorporate sellout,â El-Sayed said that he is âa guy who spent 14 years in Congress with one goal: to figure out how to cash out the day he left. And guess what he did: As soon as he left Congress, after having taken corporate check after corporate check after corporate check, to empower the corporations to pick your pockets, he went and he cashed out.â
âNot in Michiganâno, winters are too cold for him,â he added, eliciting chuckles from the crowd. âHeâs got thin skin, after all. He went to Florida. So, Mike, if you wanna be a Florida man, go be a Florida man.â
Rogersâ who was unopposed in Tuesdayâs GOP primary, worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation before entering politics, first at the state level and then representing Michiganâs 8th District in Congress from 2001-15. In comments to Fox News late Tuesday, the Republican cited his time fighting âterrorismâ in the FBI and falsely claimed that El-Sayed believes âAmerica deserved 9/11.â
MICHIGAN â On Tuesday, August 4th, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed won the Democratic nomination for Michiganâs United States Senate seat, prevailing in the most expensive Senate primary in American history. The race drew record breaking outside spending from AIPAC and corporate special interests, totaling nearly $70 million, Abdul having been outspent 11:1.
An average of $95 was spent for every vote against Abdul, more than 10 times as much as Abdulâs $9 per vote average.
Big money, the Democratic old guard and attacks on El-Sayedâs Democratic Socialist leanings dominated the primary, and leave the last man standing on the Left bruised and battered heading into the showdown with Rogers.
(July 27, 2026)
The War Powers Resolution was passed by both the House and Senate in June, marking the first time Congress approved a concurrent resolution under the 1973 War Powers Act directing the termination of an unauthorized war.
Section 5(c) of the 1973 War Powers Act states that âat any time that United States Armed Forces are engaged in hostilities outside the territory of the United States, its possessions and territories without a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization, such forces shall be removed by the President if the Congress so directs by concurrent resolution.â
(July 27, 2026)
Massie accused Trump and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth of being „in blatant violation of two sections of the War Powers Resolution of 1973.“
„For the first time since the law was enacted, a concurrent resolution has passed in accordance with 5(c) of the law, but the White House has ignored it. It seems theyâve assumed the law is unconstitutional, but no court has ever found that to be the case, so the law remains on the books while the White House flouts it. In the 1983 case INS v. Chadha, the Supreme Court did not opine on the 1973 War Powers Resolution. Itâs time for the courts to settle this, and thatâs what our legislation directs,“ Massie said.
The Senate rejected the latest attempt to rein in President Trump‘s war powers in Iran on Thursday, soon after the House adopted a separate measure rebuking the president amid escalations in the conflict in recent days.
In a 47 to 49 vote, one Republican â Susan Collins of Maine â joined Democrats in voting to advance the measure. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the sole Democrat to oppose. Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky, who have previously supported similar war powers efforts, did not vote.
Thursday‘s vote is largely symbolic, and the resolution will not go to Trumpâs desk for signature if the Senate chamber were also to pass it.
But Democrats‘ war powers effort underscores that the war in Iran is continuing to divide Republicans, several of whom have complained the White House has not given enough visibility to Congress about the militaryâs actions.
Just 34% of voters approve of Trump‘s handling of Iran, according to a Fox News poll released Wednesday.
The 214-208 vote requiring congressional approval for the war comes as the Senate is expected to consider a similar resolution later Thursday morning. Though the votes forced by Democrats are largely symbolic, they are meant as a strong signal to the Republican president that his support on Capitol Hill is chipping away as the war drags on and lawmakers in both parties have questioned his administrationâs endgame.
The war has had âno clear mission, no strategy, no end goal,â said Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat who led the resolution on the House floor.
(August 6, 2023)
In Israel, there‘s concern that the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, might delay and consider pushing the U.S. agreement until after the 2024 presidential elections.
Israel has sent signals to Saudi Arabia emphasizing the advantages of forging ahead under the current Democratic regime. If a future Republican government, possibly under the leadership of former President Donald Trump, were to take over, bridging bipartisan support for the deal might become an uphill battle.
(…)
Beyond a defense pact, the Saudis also have raised requests with the US for civilian nuclear capabilities, advanced weaponry, and beyond. Israeli agreement would be crucial for these components.
House lawmakers voted 216-212, almost entirely along party lines, to pass HR 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2027.
Republicans voted 209-7 in favor, while Democrats voted 205-6 against the measure. Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar (Texas), Don Davis (NC), Jared Golden (Maine), Vicente Gonzalez (Texas), Adam Gray (Calif.), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.) voted „yes.“ Independent Rep. Kevin Kiley of California also voted in favor of the bill.
Republicans will now race to replace Graham on the November ballot in a special primary election in mid-August, according to state law.
In an interview with NBCâs âMeet the Pressâ on Sunday morning, President Donald Trump said he was already considering who he might back in the race.
The longtime politician had served as a US senator for South Carolina since 2003
(Updated on October 1, 2024)
– Congress works less than half the year, with the House averaging 147 legislative days annually.
– Senate members have slightly more legislative days, averaging 165 days each year since 2001.
(June 9, 2026)
However, legal experts said the issue is not settled law. No concurrent resolution under âthe 1973 war powers law had passed since the law was enacted.
„The executive branch will likely ignore it on constitutional grounds, and itâs not clear who might have âstanding to sue to enforce it,“ said Scott Anderson, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and senior editor of the online legal publication Lawfare, although he added that he expected someone âwould.
(video)
Two Senate Republicans who supported a previous resolution calling for an end to the US war on Iran changed their votes late Wednesday after President Donald Trump publicly and privately berated GOP lawmakers, calling them âlosersâ who provided âaid and comfort to the enemy.â
In Wednesdayâs procedural vote, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.)âwho reportedly got into a shouting match with Trump over the Iran war during a closed-door lunch hours earlierâsided with virtually every other Republican in opposing the war powers resolution, just a day after he supported a separate, symbolic resolution calling for the removal of US forces from the conflict. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) also switched, changing his vote to âpresentâ at the urging of the president.