U.S. politics, government, the courts and the policies changing American life.
Explainer
California's governor sued Fox News for $787 million and defended his new congressional map against the Trump administration. Here is what each case is about and where it stands.
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The longest government shutdown in U.S. history, an even longer lapse for Homeland Security, and deep cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting. Here is what happened, what it disrupted, and the next deadline.
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She was one of the president's most loyal allies in Congress. Then she split with him over the Epstein files, foreign policy and health care costs — and within weeks she had quit. Here is how it happened and what came next.
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Trump calls it an "IQ test." It is actually a 10-minute screen for dementia. Here is what the Montreal Cognitive Assessment measures, what his physicals have found, and why questions about the 80-year-old president's health persist.
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Record detention, new surveillance software, deportations to countries migrants never lived in — and two U.S. citizens killed in Minneapolis. Here is how the enforcement drive has unfolded, and where it stands now.
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James Comey, Letitia James and John Bolton were indicted; George Santos and Binance founder Changpeng Zhao walked free. Here is how the Justice Department changed in Trump's second term — and how judges and grand juries pushed back.
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Billion-dollar lawsuits against news organizations, the end of federal funding for public broadcasting, and a Senate inquiry into Wikipedia. Here is how the fight over the media has played out in Trump's second term.
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The president sent troops into American cities over the objections of local leaders, and the courts pushed back. Here is what happened in each city, how the legal fight played out, and where the deployments stand now.
A new state law, in effect since Jan. 1, 2026, bars California cities from prohibiting people and organizations from giving unhoused residents food, water, shelter supplies or medical and legal help.
A little-known state assemblyman from Queens became the first Muslim and first South Asian mayor of New York City. Here is how he won, what he promised and what he has delivered so far.
Boyd, who maintained his innocence, was put to death for a 1993 killing in one of the longest nitrogen executions yet. Three Supreme Court justices called the method cruel. Here is what to know.
Three times since June 2025, millions of Americans have joined coordinated "No Kings" rallies against President Trump. Here is who organizes them, how big they have been and what they want.
Since fall 2025, Harvard College has charged no tuition to students from families earning $200,000 or less — and nothing at all for most costs if a family earns $100,000 or less. Here is who qualifies and what it covers.
Explainer
A federal judge first blocked the ban in March 2025. Since then the Supreme Court has let it take effect, an appeals court has said it appears discriminatory, and the administration is back before the justices. Here is where the case stands.
