Why Justices Barrett and Kagan Are Testifying Before Congress
Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan will appear before Congress to discuss the Supreme Court’s fiscal year 2027 budget and security needs.
National
Houston ICE Shooting: Conflicting Accounts and Missing Evidence
Federal officials and witnesses give conflicting accounts of the fatal ICE shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston.
World on the Brink? Fact-Checking Two Views of U.S. Global Leadership
Julia Ioffe and Danielle Pletka offer competing views of the Iran war, alliances, intervention and America’s role in an unstable world.
Election Emergency: When Security and Voting Rights Collide
A PBS panel works through a fictional election emergency involving troops, protests, voter records and a disputed ballot seizure.
Judge Dismisses Remaining Proud Boys Jan. 6 Case at DOJ’s Request
A federal judge dismissed the remaining Proud Boys Jan. 6 prosecution after the Justice Department asked to abandon the case.
Lindsey Graham’s Death: A Divided Legacy and What It Means for the Senate
What Happened Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican, died on the night of Saturday, July 11, 2026, at his home in Washington, DC. He was 71. His office announced that he died following a “brief and sudden illness.” The Washington, DC, medical examiner’s preliminary finding pointed to an aortic dissection, a rupture in the … Read more
The US-Iran War: Ceasefire Breakdown, Renewed Strikes, and a Last-Ditch Push for Talks
This post reflects events as of July 11, 2026. The situation is changing rapidly, and some details below may be overtaken by events. Talks between US and Iranian officials are scheduled in Oman today. What Happened The ceasefire between the United States and Iran broke down this week after the most intense exchange of fire … Read more
Across the Spectrum: How Different Sides Covered Trump’s F-35 Opening to Turkey
This is a new format for PoliTalking: a comparison of how outlets across the political spectrum covered a single story. Category placements follow our curated guide to news sources across the spectrum. The goal is not to declare a winner, but to make framing differences visible so you can read any single outlet with better … Read more
The War Powers Resolution: How Congress and the President Share War Powers
Reading The United States Constitution divides authority over the military between two branches of government. Article I gives Congress the power to declare war and to control military funding through appropriations. Article II makes the president the commander in chief of the armed forces, responsible for directing operations once forces are committed. This split is … Read more
Trump Signals Openness to F-35 Sale to Turkey, Sparks Bipartisan Pushback
At the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7 to 8, 2026, President Trump said he would “certainly consider” selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, a NATO member that has been barred from the program since 2019. Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump also announced that the United States would lift sanctions imposed … Read more
Open to Debate: Should America End Birthright Citizenship?
Overview This is an episode of Open to Debate, recorded live at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and released November 4, 2025. Host John Donvan moderated a formal two-against-two debate on the question: should America end birthright citizenship? Arguing yes were Horace Cooper, senior fellow with the National Center for Public Policy … Read more
Amending the Constitution: History, Process, and Ongoing Debates
How the Constitution Can Be Changed The U.S. Constitution can be changed through a process called amendment, described in Article V of the Constitution itself. This process was written to be deliberately difficult. The people who wrote the Constitution wanted it to be a stable foundation for the country, not something that could shift with … Read more
