Trump Revives 2020 Election Claims as Declassified Intelligence Sparks Fresh Political Fight Over Election Security

White House releases intelligence documents highlighting known election vulnerabilities, but federal assessments continue to find no evidence that foreign actors altered the outcome of the 2020 presidential election as debate over voting reforms intensifies.

WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump returned election security to the center of the national political debate Thursday, unveiling newly declassified intelligence documents that he said exposed significant vulnerabilities in America's election infrastructure and alleged Chinese efforts to collect U.S. voter information. The address also renewed his push for sweeping election reforms ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Speaking from the White House in a nationally televised address, Trump argued that the newly released documents revealed serious weaknesses in election systems and called on Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, legislation that would impose stricter voter-registration and election-security requirements. He also directed federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to investigate what he described as efforts to conceal election-related intelligence.

Documents Highlight Security Concerns—But Not Evidence of Altered Vote Counts

The declassified records describe issues that election officials, cybersecurity experts, and intelligence agencies have discussed publicly for years, including foreign attempts to obtain publicly available voter registration information and broader concerns about election infrastructure cybersecurity. Intelligence assessments also documented internal disagreements among analysts over the extent of China's intentions during the 2020 election cycle.

However, neither the released documents nor previous U.S. intelligence community assessments conclude that foreign governments successfully manipulated ballots, altered vote tabulations, or changed the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Multiple federal reviews conducted after the election reached the same conclusion.

One declassified document indicates that Chinese-linked actors obtained large volumes of voter registration information that was already publicly available through commercial sources. Election security specialists note that possession of voter registration data is different from compromising election systems or altering votes.

CNN Faces Wave of Uncertainty as Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery Deal Fuels Newsroom Anxiety Over Future Leadership

Reports of a potential expanded role for Bari Weiss and continued merger speculation spark concerns among CNN employees as executives weigh the future of one of cable news' most profitable brands.

The future of CNN has become the subject of growing industry speculation as Paramount's planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery nears completion, prompting fresh questions about leadership, editorial direction, and the long-term strategy for one of television's most recognizable news organizations.

Despite years of declining cable audiences, CNN remains a financial powerhouse. Warner Bros. Discovery projects the network will generate approximately $600 million in operating profit during 2026 on roughly $1.8 billion in annual revenue, making it one of the company's most valuable media assets. Those figures have elevated CNN's importance as Paramount prepares to absorb Warner Bros. Discovery while managing an anticipated $79 billion debt load.

For employees inside CNN, however, profitability has done little to ease concerns about what comes next.

Leadership Questions Dominate Internal Conversation

Much of the uncertainty centers on persistent industry speculation that Bari Weiss, currently Editor-in-Chief of CBS News under Paramount Skydance, could assume a broader leadership role overseeing CNN following completion of the merger.

Neither Paramount Skydance nor CNN has publicly confirmed any executive appointments, but reports that Weiss may gain oversight have fueled widespread discussion in the newsroom.

According to multiple reports, some CNN employees worry that new ownership could significantly reshape the network's editorial identity after years of strategic repositioning under successive leadership teams.

The uncertainty has reportedly influenced staffing decisions. CNN legal correspondent Paula Reid is expected to depart after choosing not to renew her contract, joining a growing list of high-profile journalists leaving amid broader restructuring across the television news industry.

No Clear Evidence Religion Is ‘Bigger and Stronger’ in U.S., Despite Trump Claim

Recent surveys show signs of stabilization in U.S. religious affiliation after decades of decline, but researchers say there is little evidence to support claims that religion has experienced a broad national resurgence.

WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump said at a June faith conference that “religion is back in our country, bigger and stronger than it has been in many, many years” and “it’s going up.” The statement is misleading, as multiple surveys show lower religious affiliation and engagement than in past years — despite a recent rise in the perceived influence of religion in America.

The president made a similar claim during his February State of the Union address, in which he stated that, during both of his presidential terms, there had been “a tremendous renewal in religion, faith, Christianity and belief in God,” especially “among young people.” We wrote at the time that recent polling showed the opposite.

But Trump has continued to present religion as gaining strength nationally, including remarks in April for Easter and in May for the National Day of Prayer. 

'TELL IT LIKE IT IS' Explaining What We Know About the Obama Presidential Center Contractor Disputes

As the Obama Presidential Center opens in Chicago, unpaid invoice claims from several subcontractors have sparked legal scrutiny and renewed questions about project oversight, contractor accountability, and the challenges of managing one of the nation's most ambitious civic construction projects.

The Obama Presidential Center is a 19.3-acre campus built to honor and preserve the legacy of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. It is located in Jackson Park in Chicago. The presidential center includes a museum, community athletics and events space, and a branch of the Chicago Public Library. The center opened this year on June 19 — the Juneteenth holiday.

The total estimated cost for the project was $850 million, a spokesperson for the Obama Foundation confirmed with us. That’s hundreds of millions more than a widely reported early estimate of $500 million in 2016, Obama’s last year in office, and $300 million to $350 million, which the Obama Foundation cited in 2018 as the construction cost when the project was getting started.

Several readers have asked us about reports that subcontractors who worked on the project are still owed money and whether the former president is at fault. “Did Obama stiff 2 contractors on the work they did on the library?” one reader asked. Another inquired: “Are the Obamas in debt to minority contractors?”

A week before the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, Crain’s Chicago Business first reported that several subcontractors on the job said they haven’t been paid. The article contained information from mostly anonymous contractors. “The companies, including several established minority-led firms, allege a portion of the unforeseen costs on a project that came in hundreds of millions of dollars over its original estimated budget has been pushed onto them and other small contractors least able to afford them — jeopardizing jobs and the future of some businesses the historic project was designed to elevate,” Crain’s reported.

Trump Urges ICE to Continue Traffic Stops After Fatal Shootings, Appearing to Reverse Agency's Operational Pause

President's comments reignite debate over immigration enforcement tactics as former federal law enforcement trainers question the role of routine traffic stops in ICE operations following deadly incidents in Maine and Texas.

WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to continue conducting traffic stops, appearing to contradict a recently issued operational pause that followed two fatal officer-involved shootings during immigration enforcement operations in Maine and Texas.

The remarks came just days after ICE leadership reportedly directed officers within Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) to suspend most routine vehicle stops while the agency reviews its tactics and provides additional training. The temporary pause includes exceptions for criminal warrants and coordinated operations with other law enforcement agencies.

In a social media post, Trump described traffic stops as one of ICE's most effective crime-fighting tools, arguing that abandoning the tactic would make it more difficult to locate individuals who are the subject of immigration enforcement efforts.

The debate intensified after two separate incidents in which ICE officers fatally shot motorists during enforcement operations. One shooting occurred in Houston, Texas, while another took place in Biddeford, Maine. According to published reports, neither individual killed was the primary target of the underlying enforcement operation, prompting renewed scrutiny from lawmakers, civil rights advocates, and former federal officials.

Lindsey Graham’s Enduring Legacy: How a South Carolina Senator Became One of Washington’s Most Influential—and Most Polarizing—Power Brokers

From military service and bipartisan dealmaking to his evolution into President Donald Trump’s closest Senate ally, Lindsey Graham’s career reshaped U.S. foreign policy, judicial politics and the Republican Party for more than two decades.

WASHINGTON | The death of longtime Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham at age 71 closes one of the most consequential and debated careers in modern American politics. Graham, who died Saturday following a brief illness, leaves behind a legacy defined by military service, legislative influence, judicial battles, foreign policy advocacy and one of the most remarkable political transformations of the Trump era.

For more than 23 years in the U.S. Senate, Graham stood at the intersection of national security, judicial confirmations and Republican politics. His influence extended far beyond South Carolina, earning him a reputation as a trusted adviser to presidents, a leading voice on defense policy and, in later years, one of President Donald Trump's closest allies in Congress.

From Humble Beginnings to National Influence

Born in Central, South Carolina, Graham's early life was shaped by hardship. After losing both parents while still a young man, he helped raise his younger sister, Darline, before attending the University of South Carolina and later serving in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps.

His military background profoundly influenced his worldview. Throughout his congressional career, Graham consistently argued that American leadership abroad remained essential to global stability, making national defense and foreign policy the defining themes of his public service.

Rajoy's Remarks Ignite Political Firestorm Ahead of Spain-France World Cup Clash

Former Spanish prime minister's comments about France's multicultural squad draw widespread condemnation as politics and football collide on the global stage

As anticipation builds for Tuesday's blockbuster FIFA World Cup showdown between Spain and France, controversy has erupted off the pitch after former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy drew sharp criticism for comments questioning the French national team's identity, prompting condemnation from political leaders in both countries.

The remarks have fueled an already emotionally charged rivalry, with lawmakers, political parties, and fans denouncing the statements as racist and contrary to the multicultural values that have defined modern international football.

Lindsey Graham Dies at 71, Ending Decades-Long Career That Shaped Republican Foreign Policy

Veteran South Carolina senator, longtime Trump ally, and influential national security voice dies after office announces ‘brief and sudden illness’

WASHINGTON | U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, the veteran South Carolina Republican whose career spanned more than three decades in Congress and who became one of the Republican Party's most influential voices on foreign policy and national security, has died at the age of 71 following what his office described as a "brief and sudden illness."

Graham's office announced that he passed away Saturday evening, requesting privacy for his family and offering no additional details regarding the cause of death. The news immediately prompted tributes from political leaders across the United States and abroad, underscoring Graham's outsized role in shaping Republican policy and U.S. international engagement.

President Donald Trump, one of Graham's closest political allies in recent years, called the senator "one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known," praising his patriotism and decades of public service. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster also honored Graham's legacy, describing him as a steadfast advocate for both his home state and the nation.

Alaska Senate Race Ads Mislead on Peltola’s Votes on Military Pay Raise

Ads in the Alaska Senate race are trading competing claims about former Rep. Mary Peltola’s votes on military pay raises.

In late 2023, Peltola, a Democrat, voted in favor of a compromise defense bill that included a 5.2% pay increase for members of the military. Earlier that year, she voted against a House version of the bill that included several Republican amendments she opposed.

TV ads from Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and a super PAC supporting him exploit that bit of legislative messiness to make misleading claims that Peltola opposed military pay raises. She didn’t.

Rather, her votes reflect the political reality at the time. The House was controlled by Republicans, and the Senate by Democrats (including the independents who caucused with them). In the House bill, Republicans added several amendments, which Peltola and other Democrats criticized as partisan “poison pills.” Many of those Republican amendments were stripped away in a compromise conference report negotiated between the House and Senate.

Peltola, who served for two and a half years in the House, is now challenging Sullivan for his Senate seat. An open “jungle” primary guided by Alaska’s ranked-choice voting will be held on Aug. 18. The top four vote-getters will advance to the November general election. The race is rated a toss-up by Cook Political Report.

Democratic Group Makes False Claim in Insider-Trading Ad Attacking Susan Collins

Sen. Susan Collins helped pass a 2012 law affirming that members of Congress are not exempt from insider-trading laws and requiring them to disclose their stock and other investment trades more promptly. But an ad from a pro-Democrat group falsely claims that the Republican senator “doesn’t think” that insider trading “should be illegal.”

The TV ad from Majority Forward, an issue advocacy organization, goes on to say that Collins, who is running for reelection in Maine, “is trying to keep it so senators can get rich playing the stock market.” And a spokesperson for the group criticized the effectiveness of the 2012 law, telling us in a statement that Collins is “blocking the only thing that would actually work” to stop Congress from profiting on insider information – “a ban on members trading individual stocks.”

It’s true that Collins does not support a complete ban on stock trading by representatives and senators. A spokesperson for her Senate campaign told us that she believes they should still be able to maintain a stock portfolio “managed by an outside advisor who makes the decisions independently and without consultation with the member.”

But that’s not the same as thinking that insider trading should be legal.