Leading vaccine researchers tell NOTUS that the paper cited by the Trump administration proposes flawed research studies that could lead to meaningless data and unreliable conclusions. https://www.notus.org/health-science/hhs-vaccine-assessment-unreviewed-trial-proposals-kulldorff

President Trump posted a video to Truth Social depicting former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as apes in a jungle. Republican Sen. Tim Scott called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” www.notus.org/trump-white-...

HHS keeps citing an unreviewed paper that proposes some... interesting ways to re-test vaccines. We asked scientists to review it: www.notus.org/health-scien...

In the newsletter: - Trump continues to play his own personal game of SimCity in D.C. - Two tales of the world’s greatest deliberative body deliberating - TrumpRx is finally live - Plus: How Trump is alienating part of his blue-collar base https://www.notus.org/newsletters/fore-closure

Some of working-class voters are changing their minds about Donald Trump as his administration’s war on renewable energy has cost them their jobs, labor leaders and workers said. https://www.notus.org/energy/trump-wind-energy-blue-collar-support

Inside Trump’s Takeover of D.C.’s Golf Courses www.notus.org/donald-trump...

The new Virginia congressional map could net Democrats up to four additional seats in the House of Representatives. https://www.notus.org/virginia/virginia-democrats-unveil-new-congressional-map-redistricting-campaigns

D.C. delegate candidate Robert White amends personal financial disclosure. (An earlier version of this post had an error and has been deleted.) www.notus.org/2026-electio...

TrumpRx, a new government website that acts as a middleman between pharmaceutical companies who sell drugs and the consumers who purchase them, is now live. https://www.notus.org/healthcare/trumprx-is-live-43-medications

Negotiators on both sides of the aisle say that the prospects to renew ACA tax credits are increasingly bleak.

Rep. Mike Lawler says being “rational, reasonable and pragmatic” is the key to bipartisan lawmaking, especially as Congress faces heated partisan battles over Affordable Care Act subsidies. https://www.notus.org/congress/mike-lawler-donald-trump-on-notus

A new rule announced by OPM will transform career federal workers into at-will employees, effectively allowing the Trump administration to remove job protections for up to 50,000 federal workers. https://www.notus.org/trump-white-house/trump-removes-job-protections-federal-workers

To understand the significance of this, consider two things: 1. Suddenly "finalizing" immigration cases this way will spur even more ICE deportation arrests 2. DHS is currently buying warehouses across the country for mass detention camps @notus.com: www.notus.org/immigration/...

A planned administrative tweak from the Justice Department would allow the Trump administration to quickly and automatically dismiss immigration cases on appeal. https://www.notus.org/immigration/department-justice-board-immigration-appeals-federal-register

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told lawmakers it was “up to the president” on whether or not the Federal Reserve chair pick would be sued if he did not cut interest rates to President Trump’s liking. https://www.notus.org/economy/scott-bessent-elizabeth-warren-kevin-warsh-interest-rates

Join NOTUS at an evening forum and reception to discuss the big 2026 races, emerging candidates who will dominate the headlines this cycle, and the role primaries will play in choosing our nation’s leaders. RSVP: www.notus.org/events/path-... Event presented by Unite America Institute

Former Vice President Kamala Harris is launching a new “Gen-Z led progressive content hub” out of her old campaign social media accounts. https://www.notus.org/democrats/kamala-harris-campaign-account-rebrand

More than 120 candidates have signed onto End Citizens United’s “Unrig Washington” initiative. To be recognized as part of the initiative, candidates must run on: 1) banning congressional stock trading 2) refusing corporate PAC money 3) cracking down on dark money www.notus.org/2026-electio...

In the NOTUS newsletter: - What hasn’t changed in Minneapolis - Republicans can’t decide if it’s the Department of Defense or War - Iran talks are back on - And: Trump’s immigration surge stretches the courts to their limit https://www.notus.org/newsletters/stress-testing-the-courts

“Look, if every Republican and Democrat got along as well as John Fetterman and Dave McCormick, it would be great for the country,” Sen. Jon Husted told NOTUS. https://www.notus.org/congress/fetterman-mccormick-political-friends-senate-republican-democrat

These Democrats decry President Trump’s immigration actions. They also invested in ICE contractor Palantir. https://www.notus.org/congress/palantir-stock-investing-democrats-immigration

Donald Trump’s decision last year to unilaterally rename the Department of Defense has put some Republican veterans running for office in an awkward position, caught between longstanding precedent and the president’s wishes. www.notus.org/2026-electio...

“What do you want me to do? The system sucks. This job sucks,” Julie T. Le said.

“When kids are surrounded by fear, it creates chronic, toxic stress—interfering with learning, with trust, with a child’s sense of safety and belonging,” Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, told NOTUS.

“I found him to be inept at doing his job, but ineptness or being incompetent is not a criminal act,” Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott said.

“You have to take it seriously,” Sen. Tim Kaine told NOTUS when asked whether the situation in Iran is starting to resemble what happened in Venezuela. https://www.notus.org/foreign-policy/senate-iran-talks-war-powers-concerns

President Trump said that he thinks his administration needs to employ a “softer touch” in carrying out its mass deportation campaign in Minnesota. https://www.notus.org/immigration/trump-softer-touch-immigration-minneapolis-ice-arrests-mass-deportation-tom-homan

The Trump administration’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said it has taken legal action against Nike as part of an anti-white discrimination investigation. https://www.notus.org/economy/eeoc-anti-white-discrimination-subpoena-nike

The Supreme Court cleared the way for California’s new congressional map, which could net Democrats up to five more seats in the upcoming midterms. https://www.notus.org/courts/scotus-supreme-court-california-congressional-map-redistricting-2026-midterm-election

“Can you shut up?” Rep. Maxine Waters said after Scott Bessent began a lengthy answer to her yes or no question about whether he will urge Pres. Trump “to stop waging a war” on housing affordability. “Can you maintain some level of dignity?” Bessent responded. www.notus.org/economy/hous...

Democratic leaders said they won’t extend DHS funding without major reforms to its immigration enforcement arms. ICE “is completely and totally out of control,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said. https://www.notus.org/congress/dhs-funding-talks-deal-progress

The thread of images posted to the White House’s X account was deleted after NOTUS asked about the apparent errors. https://www.notus.org/whitehouse/white-house-x-images-detained-migrants-crimes

What does “take over” elections mean? https://www.notus.org/newsletters/taking-trump-figuratively

NOTUS’ @davelevinthal.com joins @jimlokay.com to discuss President Trump’s announcement that the Kennedy Center will close for two years — and what comes next for the institution. www.fox5dc.com/video/fmc-q0...

Stephen Miran, a member of the Federal Reserve’s board of governors, resigned as chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. https://www.notus.org/economy/stephen-miran-fed-governor-resigns-from-white-house-position

NEW: I spent time with centrist Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar in his district. We spoke at length about his pardon, his re-election bid, and how he sees the border security debate in this party. Read it here: www.notus.org/campaigns/it...

700 federal immigration agents will leave Minneapolis, but around 2,000 will remain, border czar Tom Homan announced Wednesday. https://www.notus.org/immigration/minneapolis-minnesota-immigration-border-agents-tom-homan-reduction

Rep. Henry Cuellar is moving on after President Trump expressed frustration for pardoning him and not seeing him flip to become a Republican. “It clears the sky, and the skies on the road ahead,” he told NOTUS. www.notus.org/campaigns/it...

The Congressional Black Caucus PAC is endorsing Raymond E. Smith Jr., a veteran and former state lawmaker, in North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District. www.notus.org/2026-electio...

Tom Malinowski is in the middle of a political comeback, running in a special primary election in New Jersey to fill the House seat vacated by Gov. Mikie Sherrill. He’s also back to stock trading. https://www.notus.org/2026-election/tom-malinowski-stock-trading

Democrats are convinced that child care affordability will be a winning message for their party ahead of the 2026 midterms. https://www.notus.org/2026-election/democrats-2026-child-care

Republicans are talking around President Trump’s call to “nationalize” elections. Democrats are taking it seriously. https://www.notus.org/donald-trump/trump-nationalize-elections-republicans-secretaries-of-state

Pope Leo XIV has consistently spoken out against the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, a notable stance given his status as the first American pope.

“We’re here because the Department of Homeland Security, ICE and, of course, broader agencies across DHS are completely out of control, and because Congress has a responsibility to step in when constitutional rights are being violated,” Rep. Robert Garcia of California said.

The White House falsely labeled a man as having committed child sex crimes in one of several erroneous graphics posted Jan. 26 on its X account about immigrants detained in Minnesota.

Democratic candidates in a pair of Virginia’s most competitive congressional districts saw a surge in contributions last quarter. https://www.notus.org/campaigns/virginia-democrat-congress-elaine-luria-donations-shannon-taylor

The project developers said the federal government “undermined the United States’ reputation as a reliable contracting party.” https://bit.ly/4qbohlF

Congress faces a tight deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security after a two-week patch expires. https://bit.ly/3Mmxt92

Hillary Clinton will sit for testimony with the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 26, followed by Bill Clinton on Feb. 27. https://bit.ly/4c7MaHu