Labor Day weekend has arrived: typically the unofficial kickoff for the final sprint to Election Day.
Yes, there are still three more primaries (hello New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Delaware!). But most matchups for November are set, and the primary season is over. And what a season it has been.
Into the summer, Democrats grappled with the future of the party as primaries spurred spirited debates about the kind of candidates and platforms that would best propel an escape from the political wilderness. There was also a weekslong controversy for Maine Democrats over a Senate candidate, prompting a last-minute swap.
A new generation of progressive insurgents, some affiliated with the Democratic Socialists, defeated several incumbents backed by Democratic heavyweights. Though they did not triumph across the board.
Now campaigns are trying to unify their parties after some bruising primaries — and amp up efforts to woo independent, undecided and irregular voters.
Healing those fissures inside the Democratic Party is proving more complicated in some battleground states, like Michigan. Meanwhile in Georgia, Jon Ossoff — who on paper should be among the most vulnerable Senate Democrats — has established a lead over his Republican opponent.
On the line is control of the Senate and the House, where Republicans now have a narrow majority.
Next week Trump will rally Republicans for a midterm convention in Texas. Trump is trying to fire up supporters who might not turn out when he is not on the ballot.
But the president could be a liability in swing races as Democrats are trying to capitalize on anger at Trump and his administration, including over affordability, to drive voters to the polls.
Congress averts shutdown: Congress has eliminated the threat of a politically perilous government shutdown this fall. The House voted Tuesday to extend federal spending at current levels, with a few exceptions, through Dec. 11, punting the funding fight until after the midterm elections.
ICE says it has enough body cameras: Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it now has enough body cameras to equip all its officers and agents, after years of immigration officials telling lawmakers and advocates that they did not have enough devices for a body-worn camera program to be implemented agency-wide. Cameras could help alleviate some accountability concerns after federal immigration officers were involved in about two dozen shootings under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
Kirk shooting suspect will stand trial: A Utah judge decided the murder case against the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk last fall will go to trial. Tyler Robinson, 23, is accused of fatally shooting Kirk during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University nearly one year ago. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
ICE officer faces charges for lying about shooting: Federal prosecutors have brought charges against an ICE officer for lying to investigators about a shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minnesota earlier this year. As Ryan Lucas and Ximena Bustillo report, the charges represent a rare moment of the Justice Department seeking to hold immigration officers accountable for their actions and tactics while conducting arrests.
Mail-in voting fight: Key parts of a U.S. Postal Service plan to impose new requirements on mail-in voting are currently blocked by a court order. But the Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to lift that block, just weeks before the midterm elections. Here’s what you need to know.
The NPR Politics Podcast is doing a virtual event for our NPR Plus supporters where Tamara Keith, Mara Liasson and Miles Parks will break down the midterm races to watch — plus a live Q&A.
It's on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT, over Zoom.
"President Trump can call it whatever he wants, but I can tell you the rest of the world will always call it Lake Ontario," Ford told reporters. “We're resilient and we're strong Canadians who are always going to protect our sovereignty, always, and we'll never ever back down from a bully, ever."
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