6/1/26☀️ AM:  —  The Senate is in session today.  The House doesn't return until Wednesday.  President Donald Trump is at the White House.  —  These are critical weeks for Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress, with just over five months left until Election Day.

US says it struck Iranian military sites, Tehran responds with air base attack  —  The U.S. said it struck Iranian military sites at the weekend and Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Monday it had targeted a U.S. base in response, the latest exchange of attacks amid negotiations to end the three-month-old war.

Trump Hits the Stalemate Phase of His International Interventions, and It Stings  —  In Ukraine, Gaza and now Iran, President Trump's early declarations of easy wins have given way to harsh reality.  —  President Trump likes his military and diplomatic victories quick, clean and decisive.

A Democrat in Iowa tests whether attacking Schumer pays off  —  The race is the first of three Senate primaries that will show whether midterm voters prefer a moderate message or a fiery indictment of the establishment.  —  Summary  —  MASON CITY, Iowa — Two Democrats running …

Platner tests Democrats' tolerance for scandal  —  Donald Trump shattered long-held political norms when Republicans elected him twice despite scandals that would have sunk most candidates.  Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner is testing whether Democrats are willing to play by the same rules.

In Trump's Physical Report, Doctors See Gaps in Details  —  What's absent from the readouts of presidential checkups has gained attention since Biden was diagnosed with cancer after leaving office  —  The White House memorandum describing President Trump's recent physical examination lacks details …

He Was Satirized on British TV.  Now He's Trump's Pick to Lead California. … Earlier this year, the candidates for California governor were asked at a forum what they were watching on television.  Steve Hilton, the Republican who is President Trump's pick for the job, brought up a British political satire called “The Thick of It.”

Trump is taking a wrecking ball to U.S. alliances around the world  —  Trashing America's European partners while undermining its Asian allies' security.  —  The “secret sauce” of American power in the post-1945 era has been the country's network of alliances.

Mikie Sherrill's state police riot in Newark is a national disgrace  —  When Donald Trump was first elected president in 2016 and the United States began its decade-long spiral into authoritarian madness, there arose a popular meme: Whatever you think you would have done to stop the rise …

Convicted pedophile and Trump insiders handed Congress access in credentialing mess  —  EDITOR'S NOTE: Raw Story writer Matt Laslo's congressional bureau, The LCB, has been credentialed by the Radio-Television Correspondents' Association (RTCA) since 2012.  —  WASHINGTON — America's …

Israeli army captures strategic castle in Lebanon in deepest incursion into the country in 26 years  —  Israeli troops have captured a strategic mountain topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon in the deepest incursion into the country in more than a quarter-century, the military said Sunday.

“No One Is Watching”: How Trump Reversed Biden's Crackdown on Gun Trafficking  —  Reporting Highlights  — Less Gun Enforcement: The ATF referred 30% fewer gun-trafficking charges during Trump's first year than the year prior.  The number of referrals prosecutors declined also rose.

California is drowning in internet campaign ‘slop.’ 2028 is next. … Ahead of this year's elections, the Golden State thought it was prepared to regulate a new wave of internet activity on the campaign trail.  But the novel tactics are exploiting glaring weaknesses in California's ability …

Ex-Biden aides give Jill's new book a frosty review … - The backlash comes as excerpts from the book — “View from the West Wing: A Memoir” — appeared online and the former first lady sat for her first interview since her husband left office in January 2025.

New Jersey's House primaries show rising influence of money over bosses … “There's a little bit of a perfect storm happening,” Altman said in a phone interview, citing the influx of outside money, the district's dearth of past competitive elections and a depleted press corps to keep tabs on such a huge field.

Right-Wing Firebrand Surges Into Colombia Runoff, Shaking Political Establishment  —  Abelardo de la Espriella, a rich lawyer who promises an iron-fisted crackdown on drug thugs, finishes ahead of ruling movement's leftist hopeful  —  BOGOTÁ, Colombia—A far-right lawyer who pledged …

Iran's president offers resignation, citing total takeover by IRGC commanders  —  Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has submitted an official letter of resignation to the Office of the Supreme Leader, a source familiar with the matter told Iran International.

Jeffrey Epstein's Sperm May Have Survived Him  —  Mr. Epstein banked his sperm several years before his death and said that if he died, it should be left in the control of his estate.  —  Jeffrey Epstein died in 2019, but his genetic material may live on.  —  Emails and records …

Trump's Moves Illustrate How Much He Cares About the Midterms  —  Ever the performer, President Trump has lately been putting on a show of indifference.  —  The congressional elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3?  Farthest thing from his mind.  “I don't care about the midterms,” he said during a cabinet meeting last week.