Talk Fuse

    Elections

    Reform UK has received the largest political donation in British history, MPs have voted down assisted dying legislation, and the ground is shifting ahead of both a Westminster by-election and the American midterms. This hub follows the mechanics and drama of electoral politics on both sides of the Atlantic: who funds campaigns, who gets selected to fight for a vacant seat, and how governments quietly time contentious decisions to avoid handing opponents ammunition before voters go to the polls.

    Elections shape who holds power and how that power is exercised, which is why the manoeuvring around them, donor influence, candidate selection rows, delayed rulings, party infighting, often reveals as much as the vote itself. In Britain, attention is turning to a closely watched contest for a former Labour leader's seat, with rival parties jostling for position and local issues such as North Sea drilling becoming entangled in the timing of national announcements. In the United States, both major parties are already framing the narrative around the midterms, trading accusations of foul play and reading the runes for who stands to lose ground.

    Expect ongoing coverage of campaign finance, candidate controversies, parliamentary votes with electoral consequences, and the wider jostling between parties as they position themselves for the next test at the ballot box.

    • 10 House incumbent lawmakers who saw their 2026 re-election bids end in primary defeat

      Ten incumbent US House lawmakers have lost their party primaries in the 2026 election cycle so far, highlighting the vulnerability of sitting members before the general election. – Three Republican incumbents have been defeated: Dan Crenshaw of Texas, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Andy Ogles of Tennessee. – Seven Democratic incumbents have also lost their…

    • Crowley zeroes in on ‘MAGA extremism’ to rebuild a fractured Wisconsin coalition

      In one of his first interviews since winning the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, David Crowley shares his plan to bring in Francesca Hong voters — but he won’t commit to campaigning with far left surrogates.

    • Kennedy Center board renews vote to close complex for renovations

      The Trump-controlled Kennedy Center board has again approved a plan to close the main complex for two years for renovations, while keeping its newer Reach extension open for limited programming and as a memorial to John F. Kennedy. The decision remains subject to review by a federal judge, after he found the board’s earlier closure…

    • Crowley says he won’t campaign with Hasan Piker

      Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Crowley said he will not campaign with controversial left-wing streamer Hasan Piker — who previously backed his rival, Francesca Hong, in the primary. Piker, a commentator with a large following on the streaming platform Twitch, has promoted the Democratic Party’s several progressive-leaning rising stars — including New York City Mayor…

    • Phoebe Bridgers – Lost Weekend

      Clash Magazine’s review finds Phoebe Bridgers’ first solo album in six years, ‘Lost Weekend’, ambitious, emotionally intense and ultimately thrilling, though less cohesive than her previous work. The critic says the album matters because it marks her return after the globally acclaimed ‘Punisher’, as she moves from smaller venues to arena-level audiences with considerable expectations…

    • Higher-income families more likely to enroll kids in organized sports: Poll

      The findings point to a key problem in youth sports: parents almost universally see participation as an important part of kids’ childhood, but the out-of-pocket expenses can be significant.

    • Here are 12 Senate, House incumbents who’ve lost their primaries

      This year’s election cycle has seen a dozen congressional incumbents lose their primaries, with multiple contests remaining over the next month. In the upper chamber, Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) lost their primaries earlier this year to challengers backed by President Trump. The two have since criticized Trump and administration officials from…

    • 5 things to know about David Crowley

      Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley’s surprising win in this week’s Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary, where recent polling had shown him trailing progressive Francesca Hong by double-digits, had catapulted him from a relatively unknown local leader to the national spotlight. The 40-year-old Wisconsin native became the youngest county executive in Milwaukee County history and the first…

    • Poll shows Democrat Cooper with 11-point lead over GOP Senate rival

      Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is leading former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Michael Whatley by double digits in a Senate race in the state, according to a new poll. In the Elon University poll, 53 percent of likely voter respondents backed Cooper, while 42 percent backed Whatley. Three percent said they would…

    • Grieving family pay tribute to ‘devoted dad’, 56, killed in street brawl sparked by deadly turf war between rival biker gangs

      The family of a 56-year-old man killed in a street brawl have paid tribute to him as a “devoted dad”. The death has drawn attention to violence reportedly connected to a long-running territorial dispute between rival biker gangs. The man died after the confrontation, although the article does not establish his role in the dispute.…