Category: Federal
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Lindsey Graham's death will set off a special primary election for a Senate seat that's open for the second time since 1956
A special Republican Party primary is scheduled for August 11, 2026, in South Carolina to determine which Republican candidate will run in the state's general election on November 3, 2026. The special primary became necessary after incumbent Lindsey Graham (R), the Republican nominee selected at the June 9 primary, died on July 11, 2026. Graham…
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Lindsay Graham is the fifth U.S. Senator to die during a re-election campaign since 1918
On July 11, 2026, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) died at the age of 71. He is the first U.S. Senator from South Carolina to die in office since Olin D. Johnston (D-S.C.) died on April 18, 1965. He is also the fourth member of the U.S. Senate since 2013 to die in office and the…
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Trump White House has 411 employees, according to annual report
The White House released its annual report to Congress on personnel, which details White House staff members and their salaries, on July 1, 2026. The Trump White House includes 411 staff members, according to the report. Forty-six are detailees — staff temporarily assigned to the White House from another agency or department — including three…
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President Trump removes three remaining members of the Election Assistance Commission
On July 9, President Donald Trump (R) removed the three remaining members of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), leaving the four-seat commission without any members. The EAC is a federal commission responsible for developing election administration guidance and helping states comply with federal voting law. The commission comprises four members, with two from each of…
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USDA releases SNAP error rate data that could determine states' share of benefit costs
On June 24, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released fiscal year 2025 (FY25) payment error rate data for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This was the first update of payment error data since the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) established a cost-share system based on this data, and the first year of…
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Lindsey Graham becomes the fourth member of the U.S. Senate since 2013 to die while in office
On July 11, 2026, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) died, leaving a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. The vacancy now brings the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate to 52 to 45, with one vacancy. Additionally, Sens. Angus King (I-Maine) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are independents who caucus with Democrats. Graham is the fourth member of…
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Trump ends June with 40% approval rating, same as Biden's at this point in his term
At the end of June, polling averages showed President Donald Trump (R) with a 40% approval rating, the same as President Joe Biden (D) had at this point in his term. Fifty-seven percent of voters disapproved of Trump's performance. The highest average approval rating Trump has received in his second term was 54%, last seen…
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Second Trump administration has seen historically high ambassador vacancies and political appointments
Seventeen months into President Donald Trump's (R) second administration, a historically high number of ambassador posts remain vacant. According to the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), an unprecedentedly high percentage of ambassadors appointed during Trump's second term have been political appointees. Ambassadors are the highest-ranking U.S. representative to their appointed countries or international organizations. Article…
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Tracker: Article III federal judicial nominations by president by days in office since 2001
This report is limited to Article III courts, where appointees are confirmed to lifetime judgeships. In the past month: By June 30 — 527 days in office — President Donald Trump (R) nominated 61 individuals to Article III judgeships. For historical comparison*: *Note: These figures include unsuccessful nominations. The following data visualizations track the number…
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President Donald Trump issued six executive orders in June, the fourth-lowest monthly total in his second term
President Donald Trump (R) issued six executive orders in June, the fourth-fewest of any month in his second term. As of July 1, Trump has signed 269 executive orders in his second term. The June executive orders addressed artificial intelligence, the administrative state, customs enforcement, quantum computing, and agriculture. Click here to read more about…