Democrats on Monday filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to halt a Virginia ruling invalidating a ballot measure that would have given their party an additional four winnable U.S. House seats.

The move came after the Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a constitutional amendment that voters narrowly passed just last month. The 4-3 state court decision found that the Democratic-controlled legislature improperly began the process of placing the amendment on the ballot after early voting had begun in the Virginia’s general election last fall.

Read more from The Associated Press:

The Supreme Court on Monday briefly extended access to the abortion pill mifepristone by mail.

Justice Samuel Alito extended the administrative stay of a Fifth Circuit Court ruling until Thursday. With the stay in place, mifepristone will remain accessible by mail for now.

Read more here:

President Donald Trump may actually be serious about statehood for Venezuela, a sovereign country from which the Trump administration no longer accepts asylum requests.

Trump reportedly floated the idea in an interview with Fox News’ John Roberts Monday, to the apparent disbelief of Roberts, who asked White House spokesperson Anna Kelly to clarify in a later segment.

“I was talking to the president this morning … he kind of surprised me a little because he said, ‘John, I just want to tell you, I’m very serious about this. I’m serious about beginning a process to make Venezuela the 51st state,” Roberts said, going on to praise America’s “rich history” of taking territories.

“How would that work?” he asked Kelly.

Kelly didn't deny the report, instead adding only that she “wouldn’t get ahead of what the president was comfortable sharing” with Roberts while praising Trump’s inability to accept the status quo.

FOX NEWS' JOHN ROBERTS: When I talked to the president this morning, he kinda surprised me because he said, 'John, I just want to tell you. I'm very serious about this. I'm serious about beginning a process to make Venezuela the 51st state.'WHITE HOUSE SPOKESPERSON ANNA KELLY:… pic.twitter.com/W0GW3UJrrF

Congressional Black Caucus executive director Vincent Evans took to social media on Sunday to publicly call out Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for remaining "silent" on the recent attacks on voting rights for Black Americans.

"Has anybody checked on Senator Sanders? Because Black political power is under attack and somehow we can’t seem to run him down," Evans posted on X. "If y’all know somewhere else to check, let me know so we can get word to him."

The pointed callout lands a fraught moment for Democrats, with whom Sanders caucuses.

On April 29th, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in Louisiana v. Callais that significantly weakened the Voting Rights Act and reversed protections for fair representation.

Black voters remain the most reliable voter coalition of the Democratic Party but likely face diluted voting power ahead of the 2026 midterms as more Republican lawmakers in the South seek to redraw congressional maps and bolster their majority in Congress.

Sanders' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer came under renewed pressure on Monday when three ministerial aides stepped down and more than 60 Labour lawmakers publicly called for his resignation after his appeal for another chance seemingly fell on deaf ears.

At an address to the party faithful in London, Starmer had made an impassioned plea to both his party and voters to stick with him and avoid a leadership contest he said would only bring chaos, promising to be bolder.

Read more from Reuters:

Instead of getting bids for his plan to paint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, President Donald Trump hand-picked a contractor he’s worked with previously, telling reporters that bypassing the competitive process would lock in cost savings. Trump said the project would cost under $2 million.

Now, though, Trump’s pet project has exploded in price. Interior Department records obtained by the New York Times show the government is actually paying Trump’s contractor $13.1 million.

The development coincides with a lawsuit filed on Monday by The Cultural Landscape Foundation that accuses the Interior Department of violating federal law since the Reflecting Pool is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and any proposed modifications — like, say, painting it blue — need to be reviewed first.

A campaign advertisement supporting Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) in a Republican primary election against challenger Ed Gallrein shows a Star of David behind a Jewish donor supporting Gallrein.

The ad calls GOP donor Paul Singer a "far-left trans activist billionaire" supporting Gallrein to bring "trans madness" to Kentucky. The ad doesn't mention Israel and seemingly uses the Star of David to signal Singer's Jewish background as another bad thing about him. The ad was produced by a group called Hold The Line PAC, according to Axios and AdImpact, a campaign ad tracking firm.

President Donald Trump recruited Gallrein to challenge Massie over his refusal to back priority legislation and his work exposing the Epstein Files. It's the most expensive House race in U.S. history, and possibly one of the nastiest.

Another ad targeting Gallrein, a former Navy Seal, uses AI-generated video to depict Gallrein literally abandoning Trump on the battlefield. An ad targeting Massie, meanwhile, uses AI video to depict Massie holding hands in a romantic tryst with Democratic women lawmakers.

President Donald Trump on Monday said he will pursue suspending the federal gas tax to help address soaring fuel prices amid the Iran war.

Asked by reporters during a maternal healthcare event at the White House how long he would suspend the tax, the president said "until it's appropriate."

“Let me tell you, as soon as this is over with Iran, as soon as it’s over, you’re going to see gasoline and oil drop like a rock. It’s got to be dropping down like a rock," Trump said.

The news, first reported by CBS News Monday morning, comes as gas prices have skyrocketed over 50 percent since the start of the Iran war. Suspending the tax, which runs at 18 cents per gallon for regular gas and 24 cents for diesel, would require congressional legislation and approval.

"It's a small percentage, but you know, it's still money," Trump added.

President Donald Trump claims he's “seriously considering a move to make Venezuela the 51st state," Fox News host John Roberts said Monday.

The president also touted the country's $40 trillion in oil reserves and boasted that “Venezuela loves Trump," the network's congressional correspondent Bill Melugin added when summarizing Roberts' call with Trump.

Trump has repeatedly floated acquiring sovereign countries and territories, including suggesting that the U.S. should acquire Greenland (citing national security concerns), regain control of the Panama Canal and "take over" Gaza.

Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution states that admitting a new state would require a majority vote from both the House and Senate. The president cannot unilaterally annex another country, nor sign an executive order to add a new state without congressional approval.

President Donald Trump said Monday that the ceasefire with Iran is not in a great place at the moment because he believes Iran’s proposals to end the war have been “unacceptable.”

“It’s unbelievably weak,” Trump said of the ceasefire. “It’s on life support.”

"Life support is not a good thing," he continued. "I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support where the doctor walks in and says, 'Sir, your loved one has approximately a 1% chance of living.’”

Speaking before reporters and allies gathered in the Oval Office moments earlier, he boasted about his "plan" to end the war.

“You know, a lot of people said, ‘Well, does he have a plan?' Yeah, of course I do have a plan. I have the best plan ever," Trump said. “I have a plan. It’s a very simple plan.”

Trump then laid out his plan, which is no plan at all: “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump calls the proposal from Iran “unacceptable” “A lot of people said, ‘well, does he have a plan?’ Yeah, of course I do. I have the best plan ever” pic.twitter.com/S17a3GPknX

The Cultural Landscape Foundation, a national nonprofit education and advocacy group, sued the Trump administration Monday for painting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

The organization claims the Interior Department violated federal law last week when it painted the basin of the pool blue. In its complaint, the group says because the Reflecting Pool is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, any changes to it first must be reviewed, pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and other laws.

The Cultural Landscape Foundation is seeking a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction to stop the administration from applying more blue paint. It notes the traditional achromatic/grey of the Reflecting Pool’s basin has been a signature feature since it opened in 1924.

This new blue color “is more appropriate to a resort or theme park,” Charles Birnbaum, the group’s president and CEO, said in a statement.

“The Reflecting Pool should not be viewed in isolation; it is part of the larger ensemble of designed landscapes that comprise the National Mall,” Birnbaum said. “The National Mall and other treasured examples of our nation’s shared patrimony are safeguarded by the rule of law, which we believe should be enforced.”

While touting a new policy for maternal and child health Monday, President Donald Trump bizarrely paused first to publicly call out Sen. Katie Britt’s (R-Ala.) “loyalty.”

“Senator Katie Britt — she’s the one that got me into this, I have to tell you,” Trump said, looking at the camera as Britt stood behind him.

“I hope she always remains loyal to me so I can continue to support her,” he added. “I would hate to go against her.”

“You got it, you got it, you got it," Britt replied.

“That will never happen, Katie. Right?”

“That’s right,” Britt said. “That’s right, sir.”

The Trump administration rolled out a new federal rule Monday that it hopes will encourage more employers to offer fertility benefits in the workplace.

The regulation from the Labor Department would create a new category of “excepted” benefits covering the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. It would exempt such plans from requirements under the Affordable Care Act, similar to vision or dental insurance plans.

The rule would not mandate that employers or the government provide fertility benefits, which was a 2024 campaign promise of President Donald Trump. But by clarifying the rules, it could give more employers a nudge to offer them.

In vitro fertilization is very expensive, and only around one in four employers offer IVF and infertility treatment coverage, according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s most recent survey.

Under the new rule, benefits would be capped at a combined lifetime maximum of $120,000 for the insured and their beneficiaries. That figure would be indexed for inflation each year starting in 2029.

Labor Department Assistant Secretary Daniel Aronowitz said on a call with reporters Monday that fertility benefits remain “out of reach” for “far too many Americans” hoping to start or grow a family.

“We are opening the door to new, flexible benefit options that employers can offer on a voluntary basis, much like dental or vision coverage,” Aronowitz said. “It is about making sure that starting a family … is not determined by financial circumstance alone.”

All of the 16 hantavirus cruise ship passengers taken to a Nebraska medical center are asymptomatic and “in good spirits,” officials with UNMC Nebraska Medicine said Monday.

Of those passengers, 15 are in a quarantine unit while one was taken to a biocontainment unit early Monday, though they are currently asymptomatic and “doing well,” said Angela Hewlett, who serves as medical director of UNMC's Biocontainment Unit and associate medical director of the National Quarantine Unit.

One of two other passengers taken to Emory University in Atlanta for monitoring was said to be symptomatic. The two people are a couple and they have been placed in a biocontainment unit, as the facility does not have a quarantine unit, officials said.

Dr. Brendon Jackson, acting director of the CDC’s Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, said they expect that the passengers are going to have symptoms, and that it won't mean that they are infected with the virus.

"We’re being very, very liberal in how we’re framing and monitoring symptoms," he said.

The 16 individuals are expected to stay at the Nebraska facility for the next few days. If they continue to remain asymptomatic, they will then have the option to either self-monitor for symptoms at home or continue to stay at the facility for a total of 42 days, which is the amount of time that it can sometimes take for the virus to show symptoms, officials said.

Hewlett described the Nebraska facility's living quarters as "more like a hotel" than a hospital.

Federal Communications Commissioner Anna Gomez warned Disney that the agency has targeted the press, writing directly to the company's CEO on Monday that the agency under Republican Chairman Brendan Carr has been used to pressure "a free and independent press and all media into submission."

According to a letter viewed by The Wall Street Journal, ABC has been a victim of a "sustained, coordinated campaign of censorship and control" by the Trump administration, Gomez wrote in a letter to Josh D’Amaro, chief executive of Disney, the network’s parent company.

Anna Gomez, the only Democrat on the Federal Communications Commission board, has long and openly decried the FCC's actions targeting media organizations and press freedom under Republican chairman Brendan Carr.

Read more at The Wall Street Journal.

The risk of the hantavirus spreading within the general U.S. public following the repatriation of more than a dozen passengers aboard an infected cruise ship is extremely low, U.S. health officials said Monday.

"Let me be crystal clear: The risk of hantavirus to the general public remains very, very low," said Admiral Brian Christine, assistant secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at a press conference.

"The Andes variant of this virus does not spread easily, and it requires prolonged close contact with someone who is already symptomatic. Even so, we have taken this situation very seriously from the very start," he said.

A total of 16 of 18 U.S. repatriated citizens have been transferred directly from the ship to UNMC Nebraska Medicine, which has the country's only federally funded quarantine unit, officials said. The other two were taken to Atlanta.

The Trump administration launched a new government website that directs pregnant people to anti-abortion pregnancy centers.

Moms.gov offers "resources, information and help for new and expecting mothers," according to the new website first reported by Autonomy News reporter Garnet Henderson.

The first resource listed is the 2,750 pregnancy centers around the country. In order for a pregnant woman to find one near her, the site links out to Option Line, a call center that refers callers to anti-abortion centers, also known as crisis pregnancy centers. Option Line is operated by Heartbeat International, one the biggest anti-abortion pregnancy center groups in the country, Henderson notes.

Crisis pregnancy centers are faith-based organizations that don’t offer abortion services and sometimes shame women or discourage them from terminating their pregnancy. Many of these centers are known to be deceptive, giving women scientifically inaccurate information from staff who do not have medical licenses or training.

They usually offer helpful resources to people looking to continue a pregnancy, including diapers and formula, but the help can be conditional on the woman going to church or Bible study.

The man accused of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner pleaded not guilty to all charges in a court hearing on Monday.

Cole Tomas Allen’s charges include attempted assassination of the president, assault on a federal officer and firearms offenses.

The 31-year-old did not speak as his attorney entered the plea on his behalf, Reuters reported.

Secret Handshake, the group responsible for erecting statues around Washington, D.C., acknowledging the friendship of President Donald Trump and late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has struck again, and this time it's the administration’s war with Iran that is the focus.

Three "fully functional" arcade games were installed at the D.C. War Memorial. According to the group, the game features "furious tweet battles against Iranian schoolgirls, low-flow shower heads, and other threats to American freedom like DEI and The Pope, and an opportunity to collect several Trump style peace trophies."

"Just to save you time, the only way you can lose is by trying to hold Melania’s hand. But it’s The Middle East, so you also can’t win either," the group said in a statement shared with HuffPost.

A plaque next to the machines states: "The Trump administration knows that the best way to sell combat is by making it a video game, that’s why they’ve been pumping out the ‘sickest’ Iran War video game hype reels. But why stop at clips when you could go full throttle? Introducing Operation Epic Furious: Strait to Hell, a high-octane, flag-waving, boots-on-the-ground simulator where freedom isn’t debated, it’s deployed. No briefings, no hesitation; just pure pixelated patriotism. Strap in and play hard, because this game may never end."

The arcade games are expected to stay on site for a few days. For those who do not live in D.C., the group also made the game available online.

A game show version of the popular word puzzle Wordle will air in primetime next year with Savannah Guthrie hosting, The New York Times reported Monday.

The puzzle game, which was purchased by the Times in 2022, gives players six chances to guess a five-letter word. The NBC game show is being produced alongside “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon.

Filming of the show, which was first reported last fall, was delayed after the kidnapping of Guthrie’s mother in early February.

In an interview with the Times, Guthrie described herself as being in a “strange” time in her life but said she’s “determined to put one foot in front of the other.”

“Everything is strange right now,” said the "Today" co-anchor. “It’s strange to get up and do the ‘Today’ show every day, and it’s strange to say that I’m going to do a game show when your heart is broken.”

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday ripped Republicans for planning a vote on legislation this week providing $1 billion for President Donald Trump's ballroom project at the White House.

"That is what today’s Republicans have become: Ballroom Republicans — asking working families to pay the price while Donald Trump pockets the perks," Schumer said in a letter to his Democratic colleagues on Monday morning.

After initially saying the ballroom would be funded with private donations, the White House asked congressional Republicans to pay for it after a federal judge said the project needs approval from Congress.

The ballroom project, which started with the surprise demolition of the East Wing of the White House last year, is highly unpopular, and Schumer's letter shows Democrats will aggressively highlight the contrast between addressing Americans' affordability concerns and the president's side-quest to remake Washington in his image.

Schumer said Democrats will make the legislative process for the ballroom bill — which is mainly a vehicle for ICE and border patrol funding — as difficult as possible, including with votes on symbolic amendments on things like healthcare.

"And we will force vote after vote to make the choice unmistakable: will Republicans vote to help American families — to lower costs, to restore savage health care cuts, to roll back cost-spiking tariffs — or will they vote to fund Trump’s gaudy ballroom?"

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