American businessman and politician, U.S. senator since 2013 (SC)
The Cuban War Powers debate continues as Republicans back the president’s approach while Democrats push Congress to restrict unilateral military action. A Senate vote dismissed the Cuba measure, while administration rhetoric signals a broader push across Latin America.
The Supreme Court has kept the core protections of the Voting Rights Act intact while ruling that Louisiana’s map-drawing to favor a Black-majority district was unconstitutional, signaling a shift in how race can be used in redistricting and prompting immediate map reviews in several states.
A White House-backed nine-hour prayer event, "Rededicate 250," has been held on the National Mall to mark the US semiquincentennial. Senior administration officials and Republican leaders have appeared onstage or in video messages; the program has featured almost exclusively evangelical and conservative Christian speakers, with a single Jewish speaker. Critics have said the event is blurring church and state.
Since late May, Trump-endorsed candidates have reshaped key Republican primaries: Ken Paxton has beaten John Cornyn in Texas and will face Democrat James Talarico in November; in South Carolina Trump has backed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Sen. Lindsey Graham has secured the president's endorsement for his fifth-term bid. Democrats are raising funds and recalibrating strategy in response.
President has endorsed both South Carolina runoff candidates in a bid to influence the outcome of the gubernatorial race as polls show a tight contest ahead of the June 23 runoff.
The 21st Century Road to Housing Act has advanced to President Trump’s desk after an 85-5 Senate vote. The package aims to boost housing supply, curb private-equity activity in single-family homes, and streamline environmental reviews, while House conservatives push for broader election safeguards. Expect a White House decision soon as lawmakers tout affordability gains ahead of the 2026 elections.
Anthropic has accused Alibaba-linked operators of carrying out the largest known distillation attack to illicitly extract Claude’s capabilities, with millions of exchanges using thousands of fake accounts. The claim, addressed to US Senators, heightens tensions over AI security and national competitiveness.