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Who wins the re-redistricted House?

As President Donald Trump's job approval sinks to or below 40% (depending on which poll you're looking at), betting markets and political conventional wisdom are that his Republican Party is not necessarily doomed to lose its narrow House majority, nor is it at serious risk of losing its ...

Trump says he called off Iran strike at allies’ request

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he is holding off on a military strike on Iran planned for today because "serious negotiations" are underway. Trump made the announcement in a social media post Monday after threatening over the weekend that time was running out for Iran to ...

Almanac for May 19, 2026

Today is Tuesday, May 19, the 139th day of 2026. There are 226 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1920, 10 people were killed in a gunbattle between coal miners, who were led by a local police chief, and a group of private security guards hired to evict them for joining a union in Matewan, West Virginia. Also on this date: In 1536, Anne Boleyn, the second wife of England's King Henry VIII, was beheaded at the Tower of London after being convicted of adultery. In 1883, William Cody held the first of his "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" shows in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1921, ...

When killing becomes commonplace

"It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets." — Voltaire (1694-1778) Last week, when the Pentagon resumed its attacks on small boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, the media barely noticed. The ...

GOP incumbent in Louisiana loses Senate primary race

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — When Charles Wandfluh voted in Louisiana's Republican primary over the weekend, he could only conjure the unflattering image of a panicked rodent when talking about Bill Cassidy's desperate attempt to cling to his U.S. Senate seat despite opposition from President Donald ...

Almanac for May 18, 2026

Today is Monday, May 18, the 138th day of 2026. There are 227 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1980, the Mount St. Helens volcano in Washington state erupted, leaving an estimated 57 people dead or missing. Also on this date: In 1863, the Siege of Vicksburg began during the Civil War, ending on July 4 with a Union victory that gave its forces control of the Mississippi River. In 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Plessy v. Ferguson, endorsed "separate but equal" racial segregation. (The decision was reversed in 1954 by Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.) In 1927, ...