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Former SC GOP chair: ‘Not a given’ Darline Graham will win
Former South Carolina Republican Party chairman Chad Connelly said it is “not a given” that Senator Darline Graham will win the state’s Republican primary, despite President Trump’s endorsement. His comments underline uncertainty over whether Graham, who was appointed after the death of her brother Lindsey Graham, can quickly build support as a first-time candidate in…
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Ben Folds hits out at Donald’s Trump’s Kennedy Center takeover before Congress: “When you politicise art, you’ve got propaganda”
Ben Folds, who served for nearly a decade as artistic advisor to the Kennedy Center’s National Symphony Orchestra before stepping down in 2025, has testified before Congress criticising Donald Trump’s takeover of the Washington D.C. arts institution. Speaking at a congressional forum on 21 July 2026, the singer-songwriter said the venue had become a “hyper-politicised…
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Increased defence spending will boost UK economic growth, Streeting says
Wes Streeting, the new defence secretary, has said increased defence spending will make “an enormous contribution” to UK economic growth, signalling that the military will be prioritised over other government departments under Andy Burnham’s leadership. Speaking at the Farnborough airshow, Streeting made no new financial commitments but pledged to give the arms industry “clarity and…
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Republicans sound alarm over far-left group’s push to transform America into ‘Cuban dictatorship’
Senate Republicans are raising alarm over policies pushed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a far-left group they say is gaining influence within the Democratic Party, warning its platform to abolish the US Senate would undermine the Constitution and could strip lawmakers of their positions. GOP senators have likened the group’s aims to turning…
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Jackson leading Collins in Maine Senate race survey
A University of New Hampshire survey puts Democrat Troy Jackson narrowly ahead of Republican Senator Susan Collins in Maine’s 2026 Senate contest. The result matters because Collins’s seat is viewed as a significant opportunity for Democrats to gain ground in the Senate, although the margin leaves the race highly competitive. Among likely voters surveyed from…
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Andy Burnham is Prime Minister. Now what?
Andy Burnham has unveiled his first cabinet as prime minister, appointing John Healey as chancellor in a surprise move, shifting Ed Miliband to the Foreign Office and keeping Shabana Mahmood as home secretary. The announcement, followed by his first speech outside Downing Street, offers an early signal of the political direction and priorities of his…
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Clarence Thomas’ constitutional argument against federal gun law gets first major court test
The full US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to rehear the case of United States v. Squire, brought by a convicted heroin trafficker, in a move that could challenge the constitutional basis of one of the federal government’s most frequently used gun laws. The decision follows recent remarks from Supreme Court Justice Clarence…
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What is Pickaxe Mountain?
Pickaxe Mountain is a heavily fortified underground site in Iran, near the Natanz nuclear-enrichment complex, which President Trump has threatened to strike. Its importance lies in the possibility that it could protect parts of Iran’s nuclear programme from air attacks, although international inspectors have not been allowed access and its exact purpose remains unconfirmed. Known…
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Ben Folds Testifies Before Congress About Trump’s Kennedy Center Takeover
Musician Ben Folds testified before a bicameral congressional forum on 21 July 2026, arguing that Donald Trump’s takeover of Washington’s Kennedy Center has damaged the institution. Folds, who resigned as the National Symphony Orchestra’s Artistic Advisor over the takeover, said the once-apolitical venue had been undermined after Trump removed board members, installed himself as chairman…
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Democrats push for investigation into fired IRS lawyer who reportedly clashed with White House over audits
Senate Democrats have called for an investigation into the reported removal of Kenneth Kies, the acting chief counsel at the Internal Revenue Service. They say he was forced out after objecting to White House efforts to influence audits of particular taxpayers, raising concerns that political pressure may have compromised the tax agency’s independence. Twelve Democratic…