Kurt Olsen, who questioned the 2020 election results and worked in the Justice Department, has resigned. He was involved in an investigation called the "grand conspiracy" targeting past government officials but no charges have been made yet.
Key Facts
Kurt Olsen worked at the Justice Department’s U.S. Attorney's Office in Florida.
He previously worked in the White House as the Director of Election Security and Integrity.
In 2020, Olsen helped try to overturn the election results in favor of President Trump.
Olsen was subpoenaed by the House Jan. 6 committee for his role in election challenges.
He referred an election case in Fulton County to the FBI, leading to a search warrant.
Several prosecutors, including Olsen, recently left the grand conspiracy case team.
The Justice Department has hired new prosecutors to continue the investigation.
There are concerns about political motivations in the Justice Department's handling of these cases.
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Lindsay Clancy, accused of murdering her three children, is returning to court after a judge declared a mistrial because the jury could not agree on a verdict. Clancy’s defense argues she was mentally ill due to postpartum psychosis and is seeking to stop a retrial, while the judge will decide the next steps in the case.
Key Facts
Lindsay Clancy faces first-degree murder charges for the deaths of her three children.
She pleaded not guilty, claiming she was affected by postpartum psychosis at the time.
A judge declared a mistrial after the jury could not reach a unanimous decision.
One juror refused to agree on a verdict, causing the deadlock.
The defense is asking the court to investigate the holdout juror and stop a retrial.
The judge will decide if the case goes to trial again, if charges change, or if other options apply.
The defense claims a retrial could violate Clancy’s constitutional rights against double jeopardy.
The case raises discussions about postpartum mental health care and legal processes for mental illness defenses.
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Recent polls show Democrats doing well in key Senate races, including in some states that usually vote Republican. This has led to optimism that Democrats could win control of both the Senate and the House in the upcoming November elections.
Key Facts
An AARP poll shows Democrat Roy Cooper leading Republican Michael Whatley by 11 points in North Carolina’s Senate race.
Democrats are performing strongly in important Senate battleground states.
Polls suggest Democrats are gaining ground even in states that are usually reliably Republican.
Success in these races would help Democrats control both chambers of Congress.
The polls have increased optimism among Democrats about the November elections.
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The White House has spent at least $1.7 million on TV ads featuring President Donald Trump recently. These ads use footage from past Trump campaign events and have raised questions about whether they break rules against using government funds for political campaigns.
Key Facts
The federal government spent at least $1.7 million on three TV ads with President Trump in recent days.
One ad includes footage originally used in a 2023 Trump campaign ad and was aired on Fox channels during sports and news shows.
The ads show Trump speaking against the "deep state," "globalists," and "fake news media."
Critics say the ads may violate the Hatch Act, which limits political activities by government employees and the use of government resources for campaigns.
The White House says these ads are public service announcements, similar to past ads promoting government programs.
Democratic leaders have requested information about the ads’ production and funding.
Some Republicans have also spoken out against the use of taxpayer money for these ads.
The ads aired on various channels, including Fox News, Newsmax, and NBC.
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he likes President Donald Trump’s new ads but believes taxpayer money should not pay for them. He warned that these government-funded ads look too much like Trump’s political campaign ads.
Key Facts
John Thune is the Senate Majority Leader and a Republican from South Dakota.
President Donald Trump released new ads with strong political messages.
Thune said these ads should not be paid for with taxpayer dollars.
He compared the government ads to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign ads seen online.
Thune expressed concern about mixing official government messages with political campaign advertising.
This statement came during a media briefing on Monday.
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Attorney General Todd Blanche has recently made political appearances that some experts say may affect the Justice Department’s independence. This is happening just five weeks before the midterm elections.
Key Facts
Todd Blanche is the Attorney General, the top federal law official in the U.S.
He has appeared at political events close to the midterm elections.
Experts are concerned this might weaken the usual separation between politics and the Justice Department.
The Justice Department is expected to act without bias toward any political party.
Midterm elections are scheduled to take place in five weeks from now.
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NPR hosts Tamara Keith and Amy Walter talked about recent political news on the U.S. government paying for TV ads that promote President Trump. They also discussed voter opinions on how President Trump is managing the economy and close election races in areas that usually vote Republican.
Key Facts
The U.S. government has funded TV advertisements featuring President Donald Trump.
These ads are seen as promoting President Trump.
Voters have mixed opinions about President Trump’s handling of the economy.
Some election races in districts that usually vote Republican are very close.
Tamara Keith and Amy Walter discussed these topics on NPR with Geoff Bennett.
The discussion focused on political news affecting voters.
The financial ads and election trends could influence upcoming elections.
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A large nor'easter storm caused widespread damage in the affected areas. At the same time, Cornell University is dealing with serious allegations of gang rape involving a fraternity.
Key Facts
A nor'easter is a strong storm that affects the northeastern U.S. with heavy rain, wind, and snow.
This recent nor'easter caused damage across several communities.
Cornell University is investigating claims of a gang rape connected to a fraternity.
The news coverage includes updates about both the storm and the Cornell situation.
The CBS Evening News reported on these events on September 28.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has denied clemency for Christa Pike, who is scheduled for execution by lethal injection on September 30. Pike was sentenced to death for a 1995 murder committed when she was 18, and her lawyers have filed a last-minute appeal with the US Supreme Court.
Key Facts
Christa Pike, now 50, was convicted of first-degree murder for killing Colleen Slemmer in 1995 at age 18.
Pike is set to be the first woman executed in Tennessee in over 200 years if the execution proceeds.
Pike’s attorneys requested clemency to change her sentence to life in prison, but Governor Lee rejected this.
Pike’s lawyers argue that 18-year-olds should not receive the death penalty, citing brain science and legal standards.
Colleen Slemmer’s mother supports moving forward with the execution.
Pike has a history of childhood abuse and mental illness, which her defense says the jury did not fully hear.
Pike was the youngest person on death row in Tennessee at the time of her conviction.
Her execution would be unusual because she was a teenager at the time of her crime, unlike most death penalty cases.
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Senator John Fetterman said he has no reason to leave the Democratic Party. In an interview, he also talked about his plans for the 2028 elections and issues like the war in Iran.
Key Facts
Senator John Fetterman was interviewed by Major Garrett.
Fetterman said he intends to stay in the Democratic Party.
He discussed his future political plans for the year 2028.
He also spoke about the conflict in Iran.
The interview was featured on CBS News.
The conversation covered multiple topics beyond party affiliation.
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Jessica Tarlov is a regular liberal commentator on Fox News' show "The Five," where she often debates people with different political views. She recently wrote a book called "I Disagree," which talks about how people can disagree without being disrespectful.
Key Facts
Jessica Tarlov is known for sharing liberal opinions on "The Five" on Fox News.
She frequently debates people with opposing views on the show.
Tarlov has written a book titled "I Disagree."
The book's main idea is that disagreement does not have to involve disrespect or dislike.
Geoff Bennett interviewed Tarlov about her book and ideas.
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Pennsylvania has reported more than 900 cases of measles, adding over 100 new cases last week. The state health department shared updated numbers showing a total of 903 infections.
Key Facts
Pennsylvania now has 903 confirmed measles cases.
In the past week, 115 new measles infections were reported.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health provides regular updates on measles cases.
The number of cases has been increasing recently.
Measles is a contagious disease that can spread quickly in communities.
Health departments track measles to control outbreaks and protect public health.
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A report shows that online hate speech against South Asians in the United States has sharply increased from 2024 to 2026. The rise is linked to immigration policies, political speeches by President Donald Trump, economic concerns, and the growing visibility of South Asians in American life.
Key Facts
Hate posts targeting Indians, Bangladeshis, and Pakistanis on the social media platform X increased by 240% between January 2024 and June 2026.
Researchers found over 542,000 hateful posts directed at South Asians in the US from January 2025 to June 2026.
Almost half of hateful posts accused South Asians of invading the US, stealing jobs, or changing the country’s population makeup.
The slur “pajeet” appeared in 30% of hateful posts on X and 45% on less mainstream platforms.
Negative stereotypes, such as portraying South Asians as dirty, grew 171% on X during this period.
The report links spikes in hate speech to political actions like President Trump’s immigration crackdown and changes to the H-1B visa program, which many South Asians use for skilled work in the US.
Examples include President Trump’s criticism of companies outsourcing jobs to India and controversial government social media posts targeting South Asians.
The report suggests that economic fears and growing South Asian success have changed public attitudes from positive stereotypes to resentment.
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Mick Mulvaney, who was once President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, said a new government-paid TV ad about President Trump is wrong. The ad shows Trump saying the U.S. will get rid of communists, Marxists, fascists, and fake news.
Key Facts
Mick Mulvaney served as President Trump’s White House chief of staff.
The White House made a new TV ad paid for by taxpayers to promote President Trump.
The ad is 30 seconds long and uses President Trump’s voice.
In the ad, Trump says the U.S. will remove communists, Marxists, fascists, and fake news.
Mulvaney publicly said the ad is wrong.
The ad is intended to support President Trump’s message.
Taxpayer money is being used to fund this political advertisement.
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The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to use a database to check if non-citizens are on state voter lists. This decision is part of several recent court rulings involving voting rules before the 2026 midterm elections. Experts are discussing how these rulings, along with issues related to Iran, might affect the elections.
Key Facts
The Supreme Court approved the use of a controversial database by the Trump administration to check state voter rolls.
The database helps identify potential non-citizens registered to vote.
This ruling is one of several recent decisions about voting and election procedures.
These decisions could influence the 2026 U.S. midterm elections.
Experts from election research organizations are analyzing the impact of these rulings.
The situation with Iran is also being considered for its potential effect on the midterm elections.
President Donald Trump’s administration was behind the voting changes the Court reviewed.
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Democratic former Governor Roy Cooper leads Republican Michael Whatley by 11 points in the overall North Carolina Senate race, with a 25-point lead among independent voters according to a recent poll. This is a significant change from President Donald Trump’s 4-point win among independents in the 2024 election in the state.
Key Facts
Roy Cooper is running for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Senator Thom Tillis.
Cooper leads Whatley 53% to 42% among likely voters.
Among independents, Cooper leads 58% to 33%, reversing Trump’s 2024 lead with independents in North Carolina.
Trump’s approval rating in North Carolina is 38% approve and 59% disapprove in the new poll.
Cooper is viewed more favorably (48% favorable) than Whatley (31% favorable) among voters.
The poll was conducted by Fabrizio Ward and Impact Research, surveying 1,115 likely voters from Sept. 17 to Sept. 20, with a margin of error of ±2.9 points.
North Carolina is a key battleground state for control of the U.S. Senate in the 2026 midterm elections.
Cooper’s campaign emphasizes he will fight for voters, while criticizing Whatley’s political connections.
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Mitch Landrieu, who helped lead Kamala Harris' 2024 campaign, says he is thinking about running for president in 2028 but did not promise to support Harris if she runs again. He believes voters want new choices and that people, not just presidents or politicians, are key to saving the country.
Senator Chuck Grassley, who is 93 years old and the oldest member in the U.S. Senate, spoke about his concern over a Democratic governor choosing his replacement if he dies while in office. Grassley is currently serving his eighth term and the next governor of Iowa, to be elected soon, would appoint a temporary senator if needed.
Key Facts
Chuck Grassley is the oldest sitting senator in the United States at 93 years old.
He is a Republican from Iowa serving his eighth Senate term, which ends in January 2029.
Grassley expressed worry that a Democratic governor could appoint his successor if he dies in office.
Iowa will elect a new governor this fall, who would have the power to temporarily fill Grassley’s Senate seat if needed.
Grassley has not yet said whether he will run for a ninth Senate term in 2028.
Recent polls show a close race for Iowa governor between Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn.
Grassley made these remarks at the GOP’s Reagan Dinner event in West Des Moines.
He is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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A Democratic political group started an ad campaign targeting Senator Susan Collins for the closing of several birthing centers in Maine. The group says these closures happened because of large Medicaid budget cuts in a law called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Collins voted against.
Key Facts
A Democratic super PAC called Senate Majority PAC launched an ad against Senator Susan Collins.
Collins is a Republican senator from Maine.
The ad links Collins to the closing of about 12 birthing centers in Maine.
The ad claims these closures are related to big Medicaid funding cuts.
The Medicaid cuts were part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
Senator Collins voted against the OBBBA bill.
The Senate Majority PAC says Collins still helped enable the Medicaid cuts despite her vote.
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