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FIRST THINGS FIRST
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House Democrats have changed how they talk about corruption ahead of the midterms.
They argue it is not only a threat to democracy, but also making Americans’ lives more expensive.
The shift has increasingly folded one of Democrats’ defining arguments of the Trump era into the party’s broader “Fighting for an Affordable America” message, as leaders seek to connect allegations of self-dealing and favoritism in Washington to the financial pressures voters experience at home in the final eight weeks of the campaign.
A person familiar with House Democrats’ messaging confirmed that evolution to Once Upon a Hill, while emphasizing that the party still views corruption through the traditional lenses of democracy and elections.
“There is plenty of evidence to suggest that working people are paying the price for their corruption,” the person said of President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans. “Trump and his family and friends are making money off of the things that are causing working people significant financial stress, and we are calling them out for it.”
The person said Democrats are encouraging members this week to hold events and other engagements around “Exposing Republicans’ America Last Agenda” to counterprogram the Republican midterm convention set to kick off in Dallas tomorrow. The person added that they doubt corruption will fade as an issue anytime soon and have gathered that it would become even more important if Democrats win the House majority…
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IN THE KNOW
Canada’s counter-tariffs on U.S. goods take effect: Ottawa imposed duties of 15%, 25% and 50% on $27.6 billion in American imports, targeting steel, dairy, appliances, farm equipment, pulp and paper and electronics. Canada says the measures match U.S. tariffs dollar-for-dollar and rate-for-rate. The escalation follows stalled trade talks and Trump’s threat to block Bombardier aircraft sales unless the company shifts more production to the United States.
DOJ asks Supreme Court to revive expanded voter-citizenship checks: The Trump administration wants the justices to lift a lower-court order blocking DHS from using its revamped SAVE database to run state voter rolls against immigration and Social Security records. The D.C. Circuit left the injunction intact 2–1 on Friday, citing concerns that the system violates federal privacy protections and could wrongly flag naturalized citizens.
Appeals court keeps IRS taxpayer data away from ICE: The D.C. Circuit upheld an injunction blocking an IRS policy that allowed the agency to share taxpayer addresses with immigration authorities, finding the process violated federal privacy safeguards. ICE had submitted requests covering roughly 1.28 million people, and the IRS disclosed about 47,000 records before the policy was blocked. The court said incomplete or placeholder addresses failed Congress’s strict disclosure requirements.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
“We’ve forgotten the most important lessons of 9/11” by Peter Bergen: “The world has lost track of the truth about Al Qaeda.”
“The worst advice parents can give first-year students” by Ezekiel J. Emanuel: “Today’s college students will have ample time to figure out their careers. Before that, encourage them to take risks.”
“Ugly AI food photos are only the beginning” by Reece Rogers: “Restaurant menus with AI-generated food images are going viral for their off-putting aesthetic. But AI’s impact on modern menus runs even deeper.