JUSTTHENEWS (The Center Square Staff) - Cook Political Report: Texas Senate race a 'toss up,' Texas governor leans right
Attorney General Ken Paxton is trailing Democrat state Rep. James Talarico in the U.S. Senate race. Gov. Greg Abbott is statistically tied in some polls with his Democratic opponent, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, for the first time in his political career.
AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - Karoline Leavitt confirms MAGA Inc. role after stepping down as White House press secretary
Karoline Leavitt, the youngest White House press secretary in history, confirmed she will return to the Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc. after leaving her post, a move that leaves one of the administration's most visible roles unfilled. Leavitt broke the news to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, describing the flight as her last […] The post Karoline Leavitt confirms MAGA Inc. role after stepping down as White House press secretary appeared first on American Almanac .
Karoline Leavitt, the youngest White House press secretary in history, confirmed she will return to the Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc. after leaving her post, a move that leaves one of the administration's most visible roles unfilled. Leavitt broke the news to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, describing the flight as her last in an official capacity. She did not specify what title or responsibilities she would hold at MAGA Inc., where she previously served as a spokesperson before joining Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. Fox News Digital reported that a source familiar with her plans said she "will engage in other opportunities yet to be announced." MAGA Inc. did not respond to a request for comment. President Trump…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Alex Tanzer) - Democrats fear James Talarico cannot win Black voters in Texas Senate race
Democratic operatives and a former primary rival are publicly warning that Texas Senate nominee James Talarico faces a serious enthusiasm gap among Black voters, a deficit that could hand the seat to Republican Ken Paxton in November. Ashley Etienne, who served as communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris, delivered the bluntest version of the […] The post Democrats fear James Talarico cannot win Black voters in Texas Senate race appeared first on American Almanac .
Democratic operatives and a former primary rival are publicly warning that Texas Senate nominee James Talarico faces a serious enthusiasm gap among Black voters, a deficit that could hand the seat to Republican Ken Paxton in November. Ashley Etienne, who served as communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris, delivered the bluntest version of the warning on NBC's "Meet the Press" this past Sunday. Etienne told host Kristen Welker she had just returned from Houston, where she met with Democratic operatives and state elected officials who painted a grim picture of Talarico's standing with Black Texans. Etienne told Welker that Democrats "feel incredibly encouraged" about Texas, then immediately pivoted to the problem: "But…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Alan Benson) - Nancy Kassebaum Baker, Kansas trailblazer and three-term Republican senator, dead at 94
Nancy Kassebaum Baker, the first woman elected to a full U.S. Senate term without following a husband into office, died Friday of natural causes, closing a chapter in Kansas and Republican political history. Kassebaum's granddaughter Nellie confirmed her death to Kansas City station KCTV5. Her son, Bill Kassebaum, told the Associated Press she died on […] The post Nancy Kassebaum Baker, Kansas trailblazer and three-term Republican senator, dead at 94 appeared first on American Almanac .
Nancy Kassebaum Baker, the first woman elected to a full U.S. Senate term without following a husband into office, died Friday of natural causes, closing a chapter in Kansas and Republican political history. Kassebaum's granddaughter Nellie confirmed her death to Kansas City station KCTV5. Her son, Bill Kassebaum, told the Associated Press she died on August 21 at age 94. The family plans a private memorial and asked that donations go to the Kansas 4-H Foundation or the Capper Foundation in lieu of flowers. Born July 29, 1932, in Topeka, Kassebaum grew up in one of the state's most prominent political families. Her father, Alf Landon, served as governor and carried the Republican presidential nomination in 1936. She entered politics in…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Alex Tanzer) - Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed draws backlash for social media posts targeting Usha Vance and Trump aide
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed sparked a firestorm over weekend social media posts that referenced Second Lady Usha Vance's Indian ethnicity and took a shot at a female Trump aide, drawing sharp rebukes from Republicans, commentators, and even some Democrats. El-Sayed, who is running against Republican former Congressman Mike Rogers for a U.S. Senate […] The post Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed draws backlash for social media posts targeting Usha Vance and Trump aide appeared first on American Almanac .
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed sparked a firestorm over weekend social media posts that referenced Second Lady Usha Vance's Indian ethnicity and took a shot at a female Trump aide, drawing sharp rebukes from Republicans, commentators, and even some Democrats. El-Sayed, who is running against Republican former Congressman Mike Rogers for a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, posted the messages on Saturday after Vice President JD Vance criticized him at a rally in Ohio over what Vance described as El-Sayed's stated adherence to Sharia law. El-Sayed's response did not address the substance of Vance's criticism. Instead, he turned to Vance's wife. "So do we think JD is taking Usha with him back in time to meet Papaw, or…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Jack Newsome) - Bull calf dubbed 'Moodini' escapes through San Antonio Walmart lot and into drainage tunnel
A loose bull calf led San Antonio animal care officers and police on a chase through a Walmart parking lot and into an underground drainage tunnel before officers finally corralled the animal into a livestock trailer. San Antonio Animal Care Services nicknamed the young bull "Moodini" after the calf was first spotted wandering toward a […] The post Bull calf dubbed 'Moodini' escapes through San Antonio Walmart lot and into drainage tunnel appeared first on American Almanac .
A loose bull calf led San Antonio animal care officers and police on a chase through a Walmart parking lot and into an underground drainage tunnel before officers finally corralled the animal into a livestock trailer. San Antonio Animal Care Services nicknamed the young bull "Moodini" after the calf was first spotted wandering toward a Walmart in the 1200 block of Southeast Military Drive on the city's south side. San Antonio police officers responded and tried to herd the animal out of traffic and into a nearby green space, but Moodini had other plans. ACS said in a news release that the calf "quickly hoofed it underground into a large drainage tunnel" before stopping to rest inside. Animal care officers eventually removed the calf…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Charles McAdams) - TLC's 'Double Lives of Suburban Wives' star says adult-content side hustle cost her nursing facility job
A 37-year-old Missouri mother of four says she was fired from her job at a skilled nursing facility after her employer discovered she had spent years secretly creating adult content, and she insists she would do it all again. Heather Boyd, who appears on TLC's "Double Lives of Suburban Wives," told Fox News Digital that […] The post TLC's 'Double Lives of Suburban Wives' star says adult-content side hustle cost her nursing facility job appeared first on American Almanac .
A 37-year-old Missouri mother of four says she was fired from her job at a skilled nursing facility after her employer discovered she had spent years secretly creating adult content, and she insists she would do it all again. Heather Boyd, who appears on TLC's "Double Lives of Suburban Wives," told Fox News Digital that her hidden career under the alias "Hella Hot Wife" ran for roughly six years before her employer found out. The show, which follows six St. Louis-area couples balancing conventional family lives with secret adult-content businesses, airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on TLC. Boyd did not name her former employer, and the details of how the company learned about her side business remain unclear. What she did make plain is that…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Ken Jacobs) - Meghan Markle loses Guy Ritchie casting after fierce British backlash, royal biographer says
Meghan Markle's planned return to acting hit a wall before it started, royal biographer Tina Brown says the Duchess of Sussex was dropped from a Guy Ritchie Netflix series after British opposition made the casting "untenable." Brown, the former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair and the New Yorker, wrote on her "Fresh Hell" Substack that the […] The post Meghan Markle loses Guy Ritchie casting after fierce British backlash, royal biographer says appeared first on American Almanac .
Meghan Markle's planned return to acting hit a wall before it started, royal biographer Tina Brown says the Duchess of Sussex was dropped from a Guy Ritchie Netflix series after British opposition made the casting "untenable." Brown, the former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair and the New Yorker, wrote on her "Fresh Hell" Substack that the decision came swiftly. Just one day after reports surfaced that Markle was in early talks to join Season 3 of "The Gentlemen," the opportunity evaporated. Fox News Digital reported on the reversal, noting that neither Archewell, the Sussexes' organization, nor Brown had responded to requests for comment. The timeline was remarkably compressed. On Friday, word leaked that Markle was being considered for…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Sarah May) - Kacey Musgraves uses tour opener to fundraise for immigrant children's advocacy group
Eight-time Grammy winner Kacey Musgraves turned the opening night of her arena tour into a pitch for donations to a nonprofit that provides legal aid to children whose parents face deportation, calling it "not a political thing" even as ICE arrests hit record levels. Musgraves paused her set Friday at Chicago's United Center to ask […] The post Kacey Musgraves uses tour opener to fundraise for immigrant children's advocacy group appeared first on American Almanac .
Eight-time Grammy winner Kacey Musgraves turned the opening night of her arena tour into a pitch for donations to a nonprofit that provides legal aid to children whose parents face deportation, calling it "not a political thing" even as ICE arrests hit record levels. Musgraves paused her set Friday at Chicago's United Center to ask the crowd to give to the Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights as a birthday gift to her. The Chicago-based nonprofit pairs volunteers with attorneys and social workers to advocate for unaccompanied and separated immigrant children held in government custody. Its stated priorities include family unity, release from custody, and what it calls fair proceedings for minors. The on-stage appeal was not a…Open