Your daily briefing on the top U.S. political stories.

1. 1
   Congress

   House Narrowly Passes $1.6 Trillion Defense Bill

   The U.S. House of Representatives passed the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, setting a $1.6 trillion national security budget. The measure narrowly passed 216-212 along partisan lines, drawing strong opposition from Democrats over controversial conservative amendments.

2. 2
   Foreign Policy

   Administration Vows to Dismantle International Criminal Court

   The White House announced a formal policy aiming to dismantle the International Criminal Court to protect U.S. sovereignty. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated the government will consider revoking visas and sanctioning ICC personnel to halt any investigations into American military members.

3. 3
   Ukraine

   U.S. Poised to Help End Ukraine War, Says Rubio

   Speaking at the ASEAN Regional Forum in the Philippines, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the U.S. is ready to help end the war in Ukraine. However, he acknowledged that brokering a peace deal will require difficult diplomacy and will not happen immediately.

4. 4
   Elections

   Glitch Exposes Thousands of Non-Citizen Voter Registrations in New Jersey

   New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill revealed a software glitch allowed roughly 6,600 non-citizens to mistakenly register to vote in the state. Congressional Republicans are heavily citing the error as they push for strict federal legislation to block non-citizens from casting ballots.

5. 5
   Midterms

   Congress Sees Highest Number of Retirements in 26 Years

   Heading into the 2026 midterms, 70 members of Congress have announced they will not seek re-election, marking the highest retirement rate since 2000. The departures include 11 Senators and 59 Representatives, leaving numerous highly competitive open seats across both chambers.

6. 6
   Executive Branch

   President Promotes Children's Investment Accounts Ahead of Midterms

   The President is promoting a new initiative for children's investment accounts during recent campaign stops. The policy push is designed to equip the Republican party with a strong, family-focused economic message to win over voters before the upcoming midterm elections.