Senate Panel Votes 8-5 to Hold Anthony Fauci in Contempt
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 8-5 on August 6 to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt after he declined to answer questions at a July 29 hearing.
Politics & Government
Elections, public policy, government decisions, budgets, regulation, ethics, civil rights, and public administration.
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Senate Panel Votes to Hold Anthony Fauci in Contempt Over Refusal to Answer COVID-19 Questions
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted August 6 to hold former NIAID director Anthony Fauci in contempt after he declined to answer questions at a July 29 hearing.
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Senate leaders reach funding deal as lawmakers race to avoid a lapse before August recess
Senate leaders reached a bipartisan funding agreement on Aug. 2, 2026, but the proposal still required Senate action and further legislative steps before it could avert a lapse in federal appropriations.
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Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega says elections will end on July 20 as U.N. chief warns of deeper repression
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega announced on July 20 that the country would no longer hold elections. Two days later, U.N. human-rights chief Volker Türk warned that the move and proposed restrictions on opponents would further erode civil and political rights.
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Federal judge dismisses challenge to makeup of Trump Religious Liberty Commission
A federal judge dismissed the Interfaith Alliance’s challenge to the composition of President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, leaving the panel’s structure in place as its advisory recommendations move forward.
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States Ask Supreme Court to Keep Trump Mail-Voting Order Limits in Place Before 2026 Midterms
States challenging the Trump administration’s mail-voting order are asking the Supreme Court to leave lower-court limits on implementation in place while the legal dispute continues ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections.
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GAO says many federal programs still lack clear goals and useful performance data
A Government Accountability Office report says agencies often lack the goals and data needed to judge whether taxpayer-funded programs are achieving their intended results.
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Federal judge allows DHS to advance border-wall construction through Texas levee system
A federal judge ruled that DHS may proceed with border-wall construction through a Texas levee system, rejecting a challenge to the administration’s waiver authority.
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Trump orders executive changes at Smithsonian in bid to restore ‘trust’ in institution
Executive Order 14416 directs a White House-led review of Smithsonian exhibitions, educational materials and public programming for what the administration characterizes as inappropriate ideology or political content.
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Minnesota legislative auditors receive findings on agricultural water-quality program
The Minnesota Legislative Audit Commission met August 4 to receive findings and recommendations from an evaluation of the statewide Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program. The audit’s substantive conclusions and any government response remain unverified.
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Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Democratic Senate primary in closely watched statewide contest
Abdul El-Sayed defeated U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Democratic primary for an open U.S. Senate seat. The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3.
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Maryland lawmakers advance redistricting amendment to November ballot after special session
Maryland lawmakers approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would let voters decide whether the state may revisit congressional district lines before the 2028 election cycle.
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Kansas voters reject proposal to elect state Supreme Court justices
Kansas voters rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have replaced the governor-appointment process for Supreme Court justices with direct popular elections.
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Whitmer signs Michigan’s fiscal 2027 budget with $4 million for apprenticeships
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Michigan’s fiscal 2027 budget on July 21, including $4 million for registered apprenticeships and provisions the administration says will protect health care access and lower costs.
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New Jersey enacts record $60.7 billion budget with tighter senior tax relief and Jersey City aid
New Jersey’s fiscal 2027 budget keeps full pension funding and raises school aid to record levels, while narrowing Stay NJ eligibility and providing Jersey City with about $105 million in low-interest financing.
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New Hampshire judiciary faces scrutiny over no-bid contract with Republican operative
A New England Public Media investigation says the New Hampshire Judicial Branch hired Mike Karoutas without public bidding or notification, while arguing that it is not bound by the same transparency rules as many other government bodies.
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Montana petition organizers challenge conflicting deadline guidance in Yellowstone County data-center fight
Yellowstone County organizers say a conflict between Montana statutes led them to use the wrong signature-gathering deadline. They are seeking guidance from the secretary of state before the initiative’s ballot status is decided.
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Missouri secretary of state rejects referendum effort targeting new congressional map
Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected a petition seeking a public vote on Missouri’s new congressional districts as supporters considered a court challenge.
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Massachusetts Senate advances bill to open governor and legislative records
The Massachusetts Senate released S.3200, a proposal that would expand public access to voting, salary, ethics, spending and contract records while creating a process for requesting legislative documents.
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Maine’s New Budget and Policy Laws Take Effect, Starting Statewide Implementation
Dozens of laws, including a supplemental budget and measures covering housing, childcare, education, affordability and public safety, took effect across Maine on July 29.
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Louisiana opens three-day House candidate qualification window after canceled May elections
Candidates for affected Louisiana House races must qualify Aug. 5-7 after Gov. Jeff Landry canceled the previously scheduled May 16 elections.
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Beshear disputes claimed Aug. 3 deadline for Kentucky Senate special election
Gov. Andy Beshear challenged the legal basis for a widely circulated Aug. 3 deadline to call a special election for Kentucky’s U.S. Senate seat, while questions about Sen. Mitch McConnell’s status remain unresolved.