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Trump urges Republican lawmakers to unify to extend surveillance approval

2026-04-14 18:50:46 UTC / Reuters

By Reuters

April 14, 2026 6:50 PM UTC Updated 1 hour ago

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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he departs from the White House, en route to Joint Base Andrews (JBA), in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 11, 2026. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon

WASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday ​called upon Republican lawmakers to work together ‌to extend a law that allows American spy agencies to surveil foreigners abroad using data drawn from U.S. ​digital infrastructure before the authorization expires next ​week.

Trump said Section 702 of the ⁠Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA 702), which is one ​of a suite of authorizations passed after the ​Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, is vital for the U.S. military, and Republicans need to stick together to extend it.

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​The authorization is set to expire on April ​20. Trump said he was working with Speaker Mike Johnson, ‌Judiciary ⁠Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford to get a clean extension of FISA 702 through the House of Representatives ​this week.

“I ​am asking ⁠Republicans to UNIFY, and vote together on the test vote to bring a ​clean Bill to the floor,” Trump ​said ⁠on Truth Social.

“Our Military desperately needs FISA 702, and it is one of the reasons we have ⁠had ​such tremendous SUCCESS on the ​battlefield, both in Venezuela and Iran,” he added.

Reporting by Daphne ​Psaledakis; writing by Ismail Shakil; editing by Michelle Nichols

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Most Americans say they pay too much in taxes. Here’s what the data shows.

2026-04-14T15:47:55-0400 / CBS News

By

April 14, 2026 / 3:47 PM EDT / CBS News

As the April 15 tax filing deadline nears, most Americans say they believe they are paying more than their fair share — a sentiment that is strongest among the nation’s top earners, according to recent polling from the Pew Research Center.

That belief has become more widespread in recent years, despite new tax cuts for everyone from seniors to tipped workers, Pew found. Many Americans are also getting bigger refunds in 2026, with the typical refund up about 11% compared with a year earlier, IRS data shows. The bigger refunds reflect new tax breaks under the “big, beautiful bill” enacted in 2025.

About 68% of top earners — defined as households with total annual income of more than $155,600 — say they pay too much in taxes, the highest share of any income bracket, according to Pew. Only about one-third of those polled say their tax burden is appropriate.

Complaints about paying taxes are nothing new. Still, the level of discontent appears to be on the rise: In 2026, about 60% of adults said their taxes are too high, up from about 51% in 2019, Pew found. An April 10 survey from Gallup found a similar share — 59% — say they pay too much in taxes.

That increase may reflect more households feeling the strain of inflation, which has remained elevated since the pandemic, according to experts. And it stands to reason that paying taxes on top of rising costs for groceries, gas, health care and housing may compound frustrations.

“We know that many hardworking Americans are feeling financial pressure,” said Mark Steber, chief tax officer at Jackson Hewitt Tax Services, in an email to CBS News. “In my opinion, anytime money comes out of someone’s pocket, even with the noble and necessary responsibility of paying taxes — either through paycheck withholdings or during tax filing time — it is just hard.”

At the same time, tax rates for many income groups have declined in recent decades, with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, President Trump’s signature tax law during his first term, reducing the top tax bracket from 39.6% to 37%.

“The price tag for fairness”

Widespread public frustration with taxes may also reflect the complexity of the tax code, Steber said.

Many Americans lack a clear understanding of how taxes work, with one 2024 survey from the Tax Foundation finding that more than half of taxpayers lacked basic tax literacy, including how tax brackets function.

The tax system is designed to be progressive, meaning that lower-income Americans pay a smaller share of their income in federal taxes than do higher-income workers. IRS data shows that the top-earning households pay the bulk of federal income taxes. Many low-income households end up owing little or nothing in income taxes, although they are subject to payroll, sales, state and other taxes.

“Income taxes aren’t simple, but complexity is the price tag for fairness,” Steber said. “Everyone’s financial situation is different, and when you layer that onto an elaborate tax system, taxpayers naturally compare what they pay to what they feel they’re getting back, which can reinforce the perception that they’re paying more than their fair share.”

Edited by Alain Sherter

Last-minute tax tips
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/last-minute-tips-if-you-havent-filed-your-taxes-yet/

Last-minute tips if you haven’t filed your taxes yet

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Gonzales resigns in wake of renewed expulsion threat after scandal

April 14, 2026 2:37pm EDT / Fox News

Embattled Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, made his resignation from Congress official on Tuesday as he faced the looming, rare threat of expulsion from the House.

Gonzales’ brief resignation letter was read aloud on the House floor and will mark his exit from Congress amid scandal just before the stroke of midnight on Tuesday.

“It has been my privilege to serve the residents of Texas’s 23rd congressional district,” Gonzales wrote in his letter.

It comes on the heels of calls for his resignation and others’, including Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Cory Mills, R-Fla., and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., from the House for a variety of scandals.

REP TONY GONZALES ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION AMID HOUSE ETHICS INVESTIGATION INTO AFFAIR

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6389767409112

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., introduced an expulsion resolution against Gonzales just before his resignation letter was read aloud on the House floor after the embattled lawmaker failed to meet her deadline to resign from Congress.

Gonzales announced his plans on Monday to “file his retirement” but did not specify when he planned to step aside.

The Texas Republican’s plans to resign come after he admitted to an extramarital affair with a former staffer earlier this year after repeatedly denying the allegations.

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Gonzales suspended his re-election campaign in March after House GOP leadership called on him to exit the race.

He was also under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

Fed chair nominee Warsh’s Senate panel hearing set for April 21

April 14, 2026 6:14 PM UTC / Reuters

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Kevin Warsh, Fellow in Economics at the Hoover Institution and lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, speaks during the Sohn Investment Conference in New York City, U.S., May 8, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

April 14 (Reuters) – The Senate ​Banking Committee ‌will hold a ​hearing for ​Federal Reserve chair ⁠nominee ​Kevin Warsh ​on April 21, it ​said ​on Tuesday, giving ‌lawmakers ⁠less than a month to ​get ​him ⁠confirmed before ​Jerome ​Powell’s ⁠leadership term ends.

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Reporting ⁠by ​Ann ​Saphir; Editing by ​Chris Reese

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Appeals court shuts down criminal contempt probe over deportation flights of Venezuelan migrants

2026-04-14T12:01:00-0400 / CBS News

By Jacob Rosen

Washington — A federal appeals court on Tuesday ordered an end to criminal contempt proceedings launched by a lower court judge who said the government defied his order to turn around deportation flights carrying Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador last year.

A divided panel of three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit agreed to grant the Trump administration extraordinary relief to halt the contempt inquiry of Trump administration officials that was ordered by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg.

The ruling from the D.C. Circuit is the latest development in a winding legal battle that arose from President Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act last March to summarily deport more than 200 Venezuelans to the notorious Salvadoran prison known as CECOT. The administration accused the men of belonging to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, but a CBS News investigation found that most of the men lacked any apparent criminal record.

Boasberg had issued an oral order during fast-moving legal proceedings more than a year ago that demanded federal immigration officials turn around two planes of Venezuelan migrants that were bound for El Salvador. The judge later said the Trump administration defied the order.

He then found probable cause that the government committed criminal contempt and began efforts to determine who was responsible for ordering the two jets to continue onto El Salvador. The government later said it was then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

But in an opinion authored by Judge Neomi Rao, the D.C. Circuit panel said Tuesday that the proceedings “are a clear abuse of discretion.” Relief to the Trump administration “is appropriate to prevent the district court from assuming an antagonistic jurisdiction that encroaches on the autonomy of the Executive Branch,” she said.

“The district court has launched an intrusive criminal contempt investigation into whether the government acted willfully when it transferred suspected Tren de Aragua members to Salvadoran custody. But the end of this investigation is a legal dead end,” Rao wrote.

The two-judge majority found that the case raised separation of powers concerns, since the judiciary was attempting to investigate executive branch deliberations into matters of national security and foreign policy, areas that are committed to the political branches, not the courts.

“These proceedings improperly threaten an open-ended, freewheeling inquiry into Executive Branch decisionmaking on matters of national security that implicate ongoing military and diplomatic initiatives,” Rao wrote, calling the contempt inquiry a “judicial intrusion into the autonomy of a co-equal department.”

She was joined in the majority by Judge Justin Walker. Both were appointed to the D.C. Circuit by Mr. Trump in his first term. Judge J. Michelle Childs dissented.

Childs wrote “we cannot judge the early actions of a trial court in such a proceeding heavy-handedly, for contempt of court is not addressed for the district court’s vanity; it is done to preserve and enforce our law.”

“Here, unfortunately, we have overstepped in adjudicating this balance of interests,” wrote Childs, who was appointed by President Joe Biden.

In response to the decision, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote on social media that it “should finally end Judge Boasberg’s year-long campaign against the hardworking Department attorneys doing their jobs fighting illegal immigration.”

Lee Gelernt, a lawyer with the ACLU who represented the Venezuelan migrants, called the D.C. Circuit’s decision a “blow to the rule of law.”

“Our system is built on the executive branch, including the president, respecting court orders. In this case there is no longer any question that the Trump administration willfully violated the court’s order,” he said.

The Alien Enemies Act deportations

Mr. Trump issued his proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act in March 2025, kicking off a protracted legal battle over his use of the 228-year-old law that landed before the Supreme Court in its earlier stages. Several lower courts have since blocked the Trump administration from deporting Venezuelan migrants under the president’s declaration.

In February, Boasberg ordered the U.S. to facilitate the return of certain Venezuelan migrants who were removed to El Salvador during the Alien Enemies Act deportations and are challenging the government’s actions. The Justice Department has appealed that order.

The Trump administration had asked the D.C. Circuit to intervene and stop Boasberg’s contempt proceedings once before.

In August 2025, a different panel of three judges split 2-1 and granted the Trump administration’s request to set aside Boasberg’s order finding probable causethat federal officials committed criminal contempt.

The full complement of judges on the D.C. Circuit declined to reconsider the panel’s decision, but found that Boasberg could continue his probe into whether the Trump administration had violated his order.

In November, Boasberg said he was resuming his investigation. He ordered the ACLU, which is representing the Venezuelan men, to attempt to secure a Justice Department whistleblower at the center of the dispute, Erez Reuveni, for live testimony, alongside Drew Ensign, a top Justice Department attorney.

Ensign was the government attorney whom Boasberg directed to instruct the Trump administration to turn the planes carrying the men to El Salvador around.

Boasberg also ordered Noem, Blanche and former Justice Department official-turned-federal judge Emil Bove to disclose what conversations the Trump administration had about disregarding his order. All declined to provide details.

“I will be going forward with it,” Boasberg said in a hearing last year. “I certainly intend to find out what happened that day.”

DC appeals court orders Judge Boasberg to halt Trump contempt probe over deportation flights

April 14, 2026 2:23pm EDT / Fox News

The 2-1 ruling ends, for now, a bitter legal dispute over whether Trump officials violated a federal court order

By Breanne Deppisch Fox News

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A divided federal appeals court on Tuesday ordered U.S. District Judge James Boasberg to end his contempt inquiry into senior Trump administration officials after they deported more than 130 Venezuelan migrants — capping a protracted and bitterly disputed legal fight.

Judges for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that Boasberg’s inquiry overstepped the court’s authority and represented an “unwarranted impairment” of the executive branch. Judges Neomi Rao and Justin Walker, two Trump appointees, authored the majority, which ordered Boasberg, the chief district judge for the District of Columbia, to terminate the contempt inquiry roughly 12 months after it began.

At issue was the Trump administration’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport hundreds of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador last March — migrants that the administration alleged were in the U.S. illegally and in some cases had ties to the violent gang Tren de Aragua — and whether senior Trump officials had willfully defied an emergency court order issued by the district court judge in allowing the deportation flights to continue.

FEDERAL JUDGE JAMES BOASBERG FINDS PROBABLE CAUSE TO HOLD TRUMP IN CONTEMPT OVER DEPORTATION FLIGHTS

(Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Rao and Walker said Tuesday that the March 15 emergency order that Boasberg issued last year, which sought to halt the administration from immediately deporting the Venezuelan migrants, was too ambiguous to justify what they ruled was an “intrusive” investigation into high-level executive matters.

“The district court proposes to probe high-level Executive Branch deliberations about matters of national security and diplomacy,” Rao and Walker said Tuesday. “These proceedings are a clear abuse of discretion.”

J. Michelle Childs, a Biden appointee, authored a sharp, 80-page dissent.

“Contempt of court is a public offense, and the fate of our democratic republic will depend on whether we treat it as such,” she said, adding: “Without the contempt power, the rule of law is an illusion, a theory that stands upon shifting sands.”

TOP US COURT HANDS TRUMP A WIN ON DEPORTATIONS AS SCOTUS CHALLENGE LOOMS

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks during a news conference in Washington, D.C.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The ruling is a significant victory for the Justice Department, which had asked the appeals court several times to halt the contempt inquiry into the Alien Enemies Act removals. Short of that, they asked the higher court to intervene and block the scheduled testimony of key government witnesses.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche praised the 2-1 ruling Tuesday afternoon on social media, signaling the outsize importance that the administration has placed on the inquiry, and on efforts to end the contempt probe.

“Today’s decision by the DC Circuit should finally end Judge Boasberg’s year-long campaign against the hardworking Department attorneys doing their jobs fighting illegal immigration,” he said on X.

Lawyers for the Trump administration argued last year that the contempt inquiry is an “idiosyncratic and misguided inquiry,” which they said falls outside the jurisdiction of the district court. The 2-1 majority ruling from the appeals court appears to support that contention.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE

Salvadorian troops are seen guarding the exterior of CECOT, or Counter Terrorism Confinement Center, on Dec. 15, 2025, in Tecoluca, El Salvador.(John Moore/Getty Images)

Boasberg, for his part, has staunchly defended his efforts. “This inquiry is not some academic exercise,” he said in a ruling of his own last year.

“The opinion is a blow to the rule of law,” ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt, the lead counsel for plaintiffs, said Tuesday in response to the circuit court’s ruling.

Our system is built on the executive branch, including the president, respecting court orders,” he said. “In this case there is no longer any question that the Trump administration willfully violated the court’s order.”

The ACLU did not immediately indicate whether it planned to appeal the ruling to the full bench or the to the Supreme Court.

The newly blocked contempt inquiry had been expected to bring to the fore long-simmering tension between the Trump administration and the chief judge for the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., whose oversight of the Alien Enemies Act case has put him squarely in Trump’s crosshairs.

Trump’s remarks about Boasberg, including calls for his impeachment, prompted Chief Supreme Court Justice John Roberts to issue a rare, public warning last year.

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It is unclear if lawyers representing the class of Alien Enemies Act plaintiffs will challenge the D.C. Circuit’s ruling, though they do have options to do so. Lawyers can either seek review “en banc,” or from the full bench of appeals court judges, or kick the case back to the Supreme Court for review.

Breanne Deppisch is a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI and other national news. She previously covered national politics at the Washington Examiner and The Washington Post, with additional bylines in Politico Magazine, the Colorado Gazette and others. You can send tips to Breanne at Breanne.Deppisch@fox.com, or follow her on X at @breanne_dep.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6371154073112

Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales resign from Congress under threat of expulsion

3:25 PM EDT, Tue April 14, 2026 / By Margaret Given, CNN

Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales resign from Congress under threat of expulsion

CNN’s Lauren Fox reports on Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales resigning from Congress, moments before their House colleagues were prepared to set in motion their swift removal.

3:42 • Source: CNN

11 races that could determine control of the Senate

2026-04-14T13:45:00-0400 / CBS News

Washington — Over a third of the Senate’s seats are up for election in 2026, and until recently, Republicans appeared exceedingly confident about their prospects of remaining in control after the midterm elections this fall.

While Republicans are defending more seats, many of them are in states that President Trump won by comfortable margins in the last election. With few opportunities for pickups and a handful of open seats to defend, the 2026 cycle has posed an uphill battle for Democrats.

But the unpopular war with Iran and stubborn affordability issues have given Democrats cause to be more hopeful about their chances of flipping key seats and even winning control of the Senate. In CBS polling released last month, more voters said they’d prefer to see Democrats control Congress than Republicans.

Political wisdom holds that the party controlling the White House typically loses seats in the House in the midterm elections. Accordingly, Republicans are pushing to hold onto their majority of 53 in the upper chamber to avoid the possibility that Democrats might win majorities in both houses of Congress. Democrats must net four more seats to take the majority.

Here are the key races that will decide control of of the upper chamber:

Maine race pits governor against progressive oyster farmer in primary as Democrats vie to unseat Susan Collins

GOP Sen. Susan Collins is fighting to hold onto her seat in the Senate. The five-term senator has fended off a handful of challenges from Democrats in previous races. But whether she can prevail in a state that Kamala Harris won by almost seven points in 2024 remains to be seen.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills and veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner are vying for the Democratic nomination, with the primary set for June 9. Mills, 78, entered the race at the urging of Democratic Party leaders. But Platner, a 41-year-old who has billed himself as an anti-establishment candidate, has secured backing from prominent progressives, including Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Recent polls have shown Platner leading Mills by significant margins.

Sen. Susan Collins enters the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 27, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Heather Diehl / Getty Images

The Cook Political Report rates the race as a toss-up. Collins, who wields wide influence in the chamber as the chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, is among the most independent-minded in the Republican conference, which has made her the subject of criticism from President Trump. But Senate GOP leaders have stood behind her, and the Senate Leadership Fund, the leading Senate GOP super PAC, announced an investment of $42 million in advertising reservations in the race.

Michigan Senate seat is toss-up with Israel defining Democratic primary, Mike Rogers pursuing 2nd Senate bid

Sen. Gary Peters’ decision not to seek reelection opened up a competitive Democratic primary in the Great Lakes State. Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former Michigan health official Abdul El-Sayed are vying for the Democratic nomination in a primary that has become ugly with intraparty fighting in recent months. With the largest concentration of Arabs in the U.S. in Michigan, the U.S.’ relationship with Israel and the war in Gaza have been central issues in the campaign so far. The primary is set for Aug. 4.

On the Republican side, former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers is making another play for a Michigan Senate seat after losing to Sen. Elissa Slotkin in the last election. The Senate Leadership Fund announced a $45 million investment in the race.

Without the advantage of an incumbent in the race, and after the state has flipped between supporting Democrats and Republican presidents in recent elections, Michigan is among the seats considered most vulnerable for Democrats. The Cook Political Report rates Michigan as a toss-up.

Ohio: Sherrod Brown tries comeback bid, running for Vance’s former seat

Former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown’s comeback bid has made for a competitive race in Ohio, despite the Buckeye State’s rightward shift in recent years.

Brown represented Ohio in the Senate for three terms before losing his seat to GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno in 2024. And while President Trump won the state at the time by more than 10 percentage points, Brown lost to Moreno by less than four points. With the midterm dynamics, and Brown’s strong working-class brand in the state, Democrats see an opening for a pick-up.

Sen. Sherrod Brown addresses volunteers at a campaign office on Nov. 4, 2024 in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Stephen Maturen / Getty Images

Sen. John Husted is defending the seat after he was appointed to fill the vacancy left by Vice President JD Vance last year. Husted previously served as Ohio’s lieutenant governor.

Ohio’s 2024 Senate race was the most expensive of the cycle, and this time around the Senate contest is also shaping up to be costly. The race marked the Senate Leadership Fund’s largest ad reservation, with a $79 million investment.

The Cook Political Report shifted its rating from leaning Republican to a toss-up in April.

Alaska: Dan Sullivan defends against challenge by former Rep. Mary Peltola

GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan is defending his seat in Alaska amid a challenge from former Rep. Mary Peltola, who in 2022 became the first Democrat to represent the state in the House in 50 years.

Peltola, the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress, ultimately lost her reelection bid for Alaska’s sole House seat in 2024. Though the president won the state by 13 points, Peltola lost by less than three points in the race. And with midterm dynamics traditionally boosting the party opposing the White House, Democrats are hoping she can flip the seat in this year’s election.

The Senate Leadership Fund announced a $15 million investment in advertising to boost Sullivan in the race. The two-term Republican won reelection in his last race by a comfortable margin. And despite Democratic optimism, flipping the seat would be an uphill battle. The Cook Political Report rates the races as leaning Republican.

Georgia: Ossoff tries to win reelection in state Trump won in 2024

Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is the only Democrat seeking reelection in a state the president won in 2024, making the race a key prize for Republicans as they seek to hold onto the chamber. But a formidable fundraising effort and a messy GOP primary has appeared to improve Ossoff’s outlook.

Ossoff, 39, was elected in early 2021, delivering Democrats one of two runoff victories in the Peach State and securing their majority. But after the state provided the key Democratic victories in the 2020 elections, including supporting Joe Biden at the presidential level, the state backed President Trump in the 2024 election.

Sen. Jon Ossoff arrives on stage during a re-election campaign event in Atlanta, Georgia, on Feb. 7, 2026. Dustin Chambers / Bloomberg via Getty Images

The dynamic positioned Ossoff as the most vulnerable Democratic Senate incumbent of the cycle heading into the midterm year. But the results of a special election in Georgia in April, along with what could be a prolonged GOP primary fight, have appeared to improve the picture for Ossoff. The Cook Political Report rates the races as leaning Democrat, shifting its rating from a toss-up in April.

Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, along with former college football coach Derek Dooley, are facing off in the primary, which will take place on May 19. Dooley is endorsed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, but the president has yet to endorse in the race, and the primary could go to a runoff in June if no candidate reaches 50%. The Senate Leadership Fund has announced a $44 million advertising investment in the race.

New Hampshire: Former GOP senators seek open seat against Shaheen-backed Democrat

Another Democratic retirement has opened up a competitive Senate race. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen opted not to seek reelection in the Granite State, endorsing Rep. Chris Pappas as her successor. Pappas has represented New Hampshire in the House since 2019.

On the GOP side, former Sen. John Sununu, who was ousted by Shaheen, is mounting a comeback. Former Sen. Scott Brown, who represented Massachusetts in the Senate from 2010 to 2013, also launched a bid to represent New Hampshire in the Senate after falling short against Shaheen in 2014. The Senate Leadership Fund announced a $17 million investment in the race, and has backed Sununu in the Sept. 8 primary.

Although Republicans have controlled the governor’s mansion since 2017, New Hampshire hasn’t elected a Republican to Congress since 2015, and a Republican hasn’t won in the state at the presidential level since 2000. The Cook Political Report rates the races as leaning Democrat.

North Carolina: Democrats optimistic about pickup with top recruit in former Gov. Roy Cooper

GOP Sen. Thom Tillis’ retirement teed up a major contest in the Tar Heel State, where Democrats see among their best chance at flipping a seat this cycle.

North Carolina hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since 2008. But Democrats are betting on former Gov. Roy Cooper’s record as a two-term governor and the longest-serving state attorney general in North Carolina’s history. The Cook Political Report rates the races as leaning Democrat, moving its rating from a toss-up in April.

Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley is taking on Cooper. Though he has never run for office, Whatley played a key role in Mr. Trump’s reelection effort, and has the president’s support. And Republicans are planning to spend big on the race, with a $71 million advertising investment from the Senate Leadership Fund.

Iowa: Democrats eye longshot bid after Ernst retirement

Republicans are defending an open seat in Iowa after Sen. Joni Ernt announced she wouldn’t seek reelection. The party quickly rallied behind Rep. Ashley Hinson, who’s represented Iowa in the House since 2021.The Senate Leadership Fund announced a $29 million investment in advertising reservations in the race.

Rep. Ashley Hinson speaks to guests during a fundraiser on Aug. 23, 2025 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Scott Olson / Getty Images

On the Democratic side, state Sen. Zach Wahls and state Rep. Josh Turek are facing off for the nomination, with the primary set for June 2. But in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 2008, and which Mr. Trump won by more than 13 points in 2024, the Democratic nominee will face an uphill battle.

Still, opposition to Mr. Trump’s tariff policy in the agriculture-heavy state could play in Democrats’ favor, and some have pointed to Auditor Rob Sand’s momentum in the governor’s race as a possible buoy for the party more broadly. The Cook Political Report rates the races as likely Republican.

Nebraska: Independent makes second attempt to unseat Republican after losing by 7 points in 2024

Independent Dan Osborn is making a second attempt to unseat a Republican incumbent to represent Nebraska in the Senate this year, after his long-shot bid ended in a closer than expected race in 2024.

Osborn lost to GOP Sen. Deb Fischer by seven points in 2024. Now, the union leader is taking on GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts.

Ricketts, the former Nebraska governor who was appointed to the Senate in 2023, is one of the wealthiest members of Congress. He easily won his bid in a special election last year to serve out the remaining two years of retiring Sen. Ben Sasse’s term.

Although Nebraska is a solidly red state, it’s also home to a large share of nonpartisan voters. If a Democratic candidate doesn’t pull votes away from Osborn, the race could be within striking distance for the independent candidate. The Cook Political Report shifted its rating in April from solid to likely Republican.

Texas: Bitter GOP primary approaches runoff as Cornyn fights to hold his seat and Democrats eye long-sought flip

A bitter GOP primary has brought the Texas Senate race front and center, as Sen. John Cornyn fights to hold onto his seat in the chamber. The four-term senator is heading to a May 26 runoff against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton after neither candidate secured 50% of the vote in the March 3 primary election. And despite committing to make a long-anticipated endorsement in the race to bring the GOP infighting to an end, the president has refrained from weighing in.

The runoff delays the eventual Republican nominee from turning his full attention to the general election, when one of the candidates will take on Texas state Rep. James Talarico. The moderate Democratic nominee is chasing a long-sought party dream of flipping a Senate seat in Texas. But the Lone Star State hasn’t elected a Democrat to represent Texas in the Senate since 1988.

Senate GOP leaders have long backed Cornyn in the race, but the Senate Leadership Fund has yet to announce an advertising investment in the state. The Cook Political Report rates the races as likely Republican.

Minnesota: ICE crackdown hangs over race after Renee Good and Alex Pretti deadly shootings

After Sen. Tina Smith opted not to seek reelection, Rep. Angie Craig and Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are facing off for the Democratic nomination. While party leaders have largely backed Craig, prominent progressive have endorsed Flanagan. The primary is set for Aug. 11.

On the GOP side, a number of Republicans are vying for the nomination, including Michele Tafoya, a former sports broadcaster, former Minnesota state Sen. David Hann, former NBA player Royce White and Adam Schwarze, a retired NAVY Seal.

Minnesota hasn’t elected a Republican to the Senate since 2002 and the GOP hasn’t carried the state in a presidential election since the 1970s. And front of mind for the state heading into the midterms will all but certainly be the deadly shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis during the immigration crackdown in January. The Cook Political Report rates the races as likely Democrat.

Swalwell and Gonzales resign from Congress under threat of expulsion

2026-04-14 19:08:36 UTC / CNN

By
Annie Grayer

21 min ago
PUBLISHED Apr 14, 2026, 3:08 PM ET

Rep. Eric Swalwell, left, and Rep. Tony Gonzales.

Getty Images/Reuters

Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales resigned from Congress Tuesday, moments before their House colleagues were prepared to set in motion their swift removal.

The Democrat and Republican escaped the almost certain public embarrassment of an expulsion vote on the House floor. But while they narrowly avoided the most severe consequence possible for a member of Congress, they are still exiting their positions on Capitol Hill engulfed in separate scandals resulting in high-profile political free falls.

The pair of resignations, the intentions of which were announced in quick succession Monday night, amounts to a stunning moment in the US House of Representatives where pressure from members on both sides of the aisle for accountability had made the environment for the lawmakers to stay in Congress essentially untenable.

“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me, however, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make,” Swalwell wrote in his letter to Speaker Mike Johnson resigning his seat, effective immediately.

“I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties,” he continued, adding that he would work with his staff “in the coming days” to make certain they could serve his district.

Gonzales’ resignation, set for 11:59 p.m. ET, was also read into the House record.

Swalwell announced his resignation in the days following reporting from CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle that a former staffer accused him of sexual assault, describing a night of drinking that ended with him having sex with her when she could not consent. In addition to the allegation of sexual assault, three other women who spoke with CNN alleged other sexual misconduct, including that Swalwell sent unsolicited nude photos and graphic messages.

The California Democrat’s resignation comes in the immediate aftermath of an announced House ethics investigation and mounting pressure from colleagues on both sides of the aisle to step down. Swalwell, who has repeatedly denied the allegations, had already suspended his California gubernatorial bid — though that did not tamp down calls that he leave his job. He is also facing an inquiry by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

Gonzales, meanwhile, announced he was stepping down amid his own House Ethics Committee probe. Last month, the Texas Republican acknowledged an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. He is also facing allegations that he sent a former campaign staffer lewd texts, which the congressman has not addressed.

It was not yet clear whether lawmakers had secured the needed votes to expel Swalwell and Gonzales, but members in both parties had been plotting on how to convince two-thirds of the House to remove the men, making the threat of expulsion a real possibility.

The resignations help Republican and Democratic leaders alike avoid the complicated path toward an expulsion vote.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters separately Tuesday they agreed with the decisions of both men to resign from Congress, even though neither leader had publicly called on them to do so ahead of the announcements.

“I do,” Johnson said when asked if he believed they made the right decision. “My views have been made known about the terrible allegations that were made and obviously the facts that they both admitted to and I believe it was the appropriate thing.”

Jeffries simply responded “yes” when asked if they made the right decision.

As the allegations against Swalwell came to light, a plan emerged behind the scenes for a congresswoman from each party, Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico and GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, to each draft an expulsion measure to force separate removal votes targeting the two members. The GOP representative’s measure would target Swalwell, while the Democrat’s would target Gonzales.

Each put Swalwell and Gonzales on notice that if they did not resign by 2 p.m. ET, they would move forward with expulsion. They ultimately held their motions under assurances that each member was getting their resignation in order.

“I have received word that Swalwell has begun the internal process of switching his staff over to the Clerk of the House. His resignation will be incoming shortly. Same with Tony,” Luna posted on X Tuesday morning.

The calculation behind the effort was for both parties to lose a member — which would mean no change in Johnson’s fragile majority. In reality, however, GOP and Democratic leaders were not in favor of expulsion votes, which they feared would set a concerning precedent in the House, where only six members have ever been expelled.

While House GOP leaders had called on Gonzales to not run for reelection, they had not pushed him to immediately resign, knowing they couldn’t afford to lose his vote in the historically narrow majority.

Johnson, for his part, has opposed expelling members in the past, which he has said required a complete investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

But the calculation inside the GOP had begun to change as Democrats appeared increasingly likely to back expulsion for one of their own.

Tuesday’s departures, however, do not mark an end to accountability efforts targeting members.

Some lawmakers also want to expel Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida, who was recently found guilty by the House Ethics Committee of campaign finance violations, among other violations, and others want to force out Republican Rep. Cory Mills of Florida, who is under investigation by the ethics panel in connection with allegations that include sexual misconduct and campaign finance infractions.

CNN’s Alison Main and Manu Raju contributed to this report.

Bernie Sanders aims to block sale of bombs and bulldozers to Israel, accusing US ally of ‘genocide’

April 14, 2026 2:09pm EDT / Fox News

Sen. Bernie Sanders described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government as ‘extremist’

By Alex Nitzberg

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is aiming to block the sale of bombs and bulldozers to Israel.

“This week, I will be forcing a vote on legislation to block the sale of nearly half a billion dollars worth of bombs and bulldozers to the Israeli military,” he said in a Monday post on X.

The left-wing lawmaker accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of perpetrating “genocide.”

IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER SEVERELY DISFIGURED BY US STRIKES: REPORT

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., waves in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 27, 2026 in Washington, D.C.(Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

“The extremist Netanyahu government that has committed genocide in Gaza does not need more military support from American taxpayers,” Sanders said in the post.

In a Tuesday post on another X account, Sanders asserted, “This week, I will be forcing a vote to block nearly $500 million in bombs and bulldozers to Israel. Enough is enough.”

IDF UNCOVERS HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS STASH INSIDE HOSPITAL IN LEBANON

A view of destruction as Palestinians, deprived of basic necessities, carry on with their daily lives under difficult conditions amid the rubble left behind by Israeli attacks in Beit Lahia, Palestine on April 11, 2026.(Abdalhkem Abu Riash/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“U.S. taxpayers must not keep funding the Netanyahu government’s mass killing and displacement of civilians in Gaza, Iran and Lebanon,” he added.

Sanders introduced joint resolutions last month to prohibit the sales of bulldozers and bombs to Israel.

IRAN’S ‘GODFATHER OF PROPAGANDA’ TACTICS RESURFACE IN WAR WITH US AND ISRAEL

U.S. President Donald Trump (L) greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives at the White House on Sept. 29, 2025 in Washington, D.C.(Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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The U.S. and Israel recently worked together to bombard the Islamic Republic of Iran for over a month.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.