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March 11, 2026
GOP Loses Carroll County Seat in Special Election Upset
(New Hampshire Journal) In what Granite State Republicans hope is not a preview of November, Democrat Bobbi Boudman won Tuesday’s special election for Carroll County District 7, defeating Republican Dale Fincher 51 percent to 47 percent in a district that voted Republican by more than 13 points just 16 months ago. “Bad day for the NHGOP,” posted state Democratic Party communications staffer Marissa Hebert. “Boudman lost her race in 2024 in this same district by 13.6 points. Tonight she won by 2.4 points. A 16-point swing from 2024.”
Go to discussionAt Least 17 U.S. Sites Damaged in War With Iran, Analysis Shows
(NY Times) Iran has responded to the U.S.-Israeli assault on the country by launching drones and missiles at American targets across the Middle East, hitting embassies, killing U.S. soldiers, and damaging military bases and air defense infrastructure. The New York Times has identified at least 17 damaged U.S. sites and other installations, several of which have been struck more than once since the war began.
Go to discussionExclusive: As many as 150 US troops wounded so far in Iran war, sources say
(Reuters) As many as 150 U.S. troops have been wounded in the 10-day-old war with Iran, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. The casualty figure has not been previously reported. Prior to Reuters' publication of the figure, the Pentagon had only disclosed eight U.S. personnel seriously injured.
Go to discussionWhistleblower claims ex-DOGE member says he took Social Security data to new job
(Washington Post) The Social Security Administration’s internal watchdog is investigating a complaint that alleges a former U.S. DOGE Service employee claimed he had access to two highly sensitive agency databases and planned to share the information with his private employer — a claim that, if true, would constitute an unprecedented breach of security protocols at an agency that serves more than 70 million Americans. The agency’s inspector general is investigating the disclosure and has alerted members of Congress of its existence, according to a letter by the acting inspector general to top members of four congressional committees reviewed by The Washington Post.
Go to discussion'Egregious': GOP official under fire for handing voter data for millions to Trump DOJ
(Raw Story) Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde has condemned Secretary of State Frank LaRose's decision to transfer the sensitive voter registration data of nearly 8 million Ohioans to the U.S. Department of Justice, according to Democracy Docket. The Republican official complied with a DOJ request seeking complete statewide voter rolls, including personally identifying information such as birthdates, addresses, driver's license numbers, and Social Security numbers. The agency claims the data is necessary to investigate how states maintain their voter rolls.
Go to discussionHouse GOP huddle for retreat at Trump hotel in Florida amid governing challenges
(Scripps News) For the second year in a row, House Republicans this week decamped to the Trump Doral in Miami for their annual policy retreat. The respite from legislating in Washington comes as Republicans have struggled to unite around a cohesive agenda in the final months of the current Congress and ahead of the midterm elections, finding themselves hamstrung by an ever-shrinking majority. The slim margins in the House have consistently presented challenges for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has, at times, been unable to corral his one-seat margin to pass the president’s agenda.
Go to discussionTrump says his bill would 'guarantee the midterms.' House Republicans are moving on.
(Politico) President Donald Trump told House Republicans Monday he had one overriding legislative priority for 2026. Then they spent Tuesday talking about just about anything else. Trump’s demand for passage of an updated SAVE America Act — a GOP elections bill that the House has advanced two versions of already — was met with less than complete enthusiasm from leaders gathered for the annual Republican policy retreat. Speaker Mike Johnson and other senior lawmakers gave the unmistakable impression they now consider that bill to be a Senate problem.
Go to discussionJudges say ICE, DOJ leaders are putting rank-and-file lawyers in 'an impossible position'
(Politico) Federal judges livid over missed deadlines and outright defiance of their orders in a sea of immigration cases are training their ire on the Justice Department’s political leadership, going out of their way to acknowledge that the rank-and-file lawyers arguing in front of them are sometimes powerless to change the administration’s behavior. Judges in several states have recently taken pains to separate these attorneys from their bosses in Washington — and from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which they see as increasingly responsible, and unremorseful, for the rampant violations amid President Donald Trump’s mass deportation push.
Go to discussionICE detains US born citizen in Chicago, drops her two days later in Wisconsin
(ABC 7 Chicago) Naqvi was born in Evanston and raised in the Chicago suburbs. A few weeks ago, she was set to travel overseas for a work trip with five other people. That group included three U.S. citizens and three green card holders, all in the U.S. legally. That trip ultimately fell through at the last minute, so the group went on to continue traveling. On Thursday, Naqvi and her colleagues arrived back in Chicago, where DHS allegedly detained her for what her attorney says was a "curious travel history." Naqvi's family says she was detained for 30 hours at Chicago O'Hare International Airport before being sent to Broadview.
Go to discussionTrump has questioned aides about Corey Lewandowski's role in DHS ad campaign, sources say
(NBC News) President Donald Trump has peppered aides in recent days about whether longtime adviser Corey Lewandowski profited personally from a $220 million federal advertising campaign featuring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was fired last week, according to three people familiar with his conversations. “He’s mentioned the ads several times,” a senior White House official said, referring to Trump asking questions about Lewandowski’s role in the ad contract.
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