The latest battle over the Democratic ideological divide this year shifts to the upper Midwest on Tuesday as nominating contests for governor in Wisconsin and US senator in Minnesota pit left-wing candidates against more traditional ones.
The left vs. center theme is on display in Democratic primaries in multiple states voting Tuesday, with other significant races in places like Alabama and South Carolina.
See a recap.
Rhett Marques wins Alabama GOP primary for redrawn House district Republicans hope to flip — 9:17 p.m.
by the Associated Press
He will face incumbent Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures in November.
The district is one of several across the South that leaned Democratic but were reshaped in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upending redistricting law.
Trump endorsed Marques in the special congressional primary, as did U.S. Sen. Katie Britt.
US Representative Ralph Norman advances to runoff for US Senate Republican nomination in South Carolina — 9:16 p.m.
by the Associated Press
Norman moved forward Tuesday in a 10-way, whirlwind special election set into motion after Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden death last month.
A wealthy real estate developer, Norman has long been a member of the House Freedom Caucus, the chamber’s most conservative members. He came into the special Senate primary already well-known to voters across the state, having run an unsuccessful campaign for the GOP gubernatorial nomination this year.
Senator Darline Graham also advanced to the runoff. The late senator’s sister was appointed to serve the remaining months of his current term, then entered the race with an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
The winner of the Aug. 25 runoff will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in the general election. No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina in decades.
No cheers when Graham’s advancement apparent — just media setting up for live shots — 8:32 p.m.
by the Associated Press
Election night watch parties are usually all about crowd reaction when the news of race calls ripples across a ballroom or restaurant crowd.
As news spread of the AP race call that Senator Darline Graham would advance to a special Senate GOP primary runoff in two weeks, reporters started scrambling for television live hits.
Graham is nearby watching results with family and campaign staffers. She’s said she expected to be in a runoff and has been treating Tuesday’s primary as just the first iteration of the election balloting.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont wins Democratic primary — 8:31 p.m.
by the Associated Press
Lamont defeated state Rep. Josh Elliott as the governor seeks his third term in office.
Lamont, 71, ran a largely comfortable campaign against Elliott, who is 41 and ran to the governor’s political left.
Lamont will face Republican state Sen. Ryan Fazio in the general election in November. Fazio has promised that if elected he would work to lower taxes and assist the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.
Connecticut hasn’t had a Republican governor since Jodi Rell left office in early 2011.
Darline Graham advances to special GOP Senate primary runoff to replace late brother Lindsey Graham — 8:20 p.m.
by the Associated Press
Darline Graham moved forward in the 10-way contest Tuesday despite her being a political unknown, having been close to her brother’s political orbit but never a candidate herself.
South Carolina spun up a compressed timeline for the special election, with just a one-week filing period, then two weeks until the primary.
Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham to serve out the remaining months of her late brother’s current term. She swiftly notched an endorsement from President Donald Trump, her brother’s congressional ally who encouraged her to enter the race for the nomination to serve a full term.
The winner of the Aug. 25 runoff will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in the general election. No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina in decades.
Only 4 of Alabama’s 7 congressional districts have primaries today — 6:23 p.m.
by the Associated Press
Primaries for all seven congressional districts were originally scheduled for May 19, but Republican Gov. Kay Ivey postponed the contests for the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th Congressional Districts following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that prompted a handful of Republican-controlled Southern states to throw out their congressional maps.
Alabama drew new boundaries for those four districts, eliminating one of the state’s two majority-Black districts currently represented by Democrats.
Democrats are being urged to vote a Republican ballot — 6:15 p.m.
by the Associated Press
An official with the Alabama Democratic Party encouraged Democrats to vote in the Republican primaries to try to get weaker opposition in November congressional races.
Alabama is holding special primaries in four congressional districts after winning court permission to reshape the 2nd Congressional District to be more GOP-leaning. The state tossed out the results of May primaries and scheduled the Tuesday special primaries using the new map.
Tabitha Isner, the former vice chair of the state Democratic Party, said she is encouraging Democrats to take GOP ballots. Alabama does not require primary voters to register by party. Isner made the comments while she was vice chair of the state party, although her term ended Saturday.
“I think strategically we want weaker opposition,” Isner said.
Isner said Republicans started the partisan warfare by cancelling the results of the May primary as they rushed to change congressional maps in the hopes of retaining control of the U.S. House in this year’s midterm elections. She said the move angered many people.
“Of course it’s partisan nonsense, but I’m just following suit,” Isner said.
Six Republicans compete in primary for redrawn district — 6:12 p.m.
by the Associated Press
A state legislator endorsed by Trump is part of a crowded field seeking the Republican nomination for a redrawn congressional seat Republicans hope to flip in November.
State Rep. Rhett Marques is one of six Republicans seeking the GOP nomination in the special primary for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. Hampton Harris, Christian Horn, David Matthews, Joshua McKee and James Richardson also are seeking the nomination.
Trump and Republican U.S. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama endorsed Marques. The winner will challenge incumbent Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures in November.
Republicans reshaped Figures’ district to be GOP-leaning after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that severely weakened the Voting Rights Act. Several states across the South then sought to eliminate congressional districts held by Black Democrats.
Who is Senator Darline Graham, the late Lindsey Graham’s sister? — 6:10 p.m.
by the Associated Press
Until her brother’s death, not much was known about Darline Graham, aside from their close relationship and hardscrabble upbringing.
Darline Graham was often at her brother’s side for big political moments, like the launch of his 2016 presidential campaign. The late senator often spoke of their difficulties early in life, and how the death of both parents in swift succession, when Darline was still a teen, bonded them together more tightly.
But Darline Graham has otherwise led a relatively quiet life with her husband and daughters in Lexington, South Carolina. She served in state government for years, working with people with disabilities and as agency head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind.
Special Senate primary field features some of South Carolina’s top GOP names — 6:08 p.m.
by the Associated Press
A dozen hopefuls initially filed their paperwork, but not everyone was certified by the South Carolina Republican Party due to new party rules.
Here’s a look at the names that made it onto Tuesday’s ballots:
- U.S. Russell Fry, a two-term House member and Trump ally
- Sen. Darline Graham, sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham and appointed interim senator
- Mark Lynch, a businessman who ran against Lindsey Graham in the initial June primary
- U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus
- Mark Sanford, a former governor who also served two stints in the U.S. House
Other candidates include Walterboro attorney Duke Buckner, Central farmer Danny Ford II, former Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride, retired Air Force officer Glenda Gail Parker, and biomedical engineer and entrepreneur Sam Shepherd.
Trump’s immigration surge shapes Minnesota’s Democratic Senate primary — 6:07 p.m.
by the Associated Press
The immigration enforcement surge in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area this year has presented an added schism in the primary between establishment-backed U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, which otherwise echoed many of the other left vs. center divides in the Democratic Party this year.
Flanagan has attacked Craig for voting for tighter enforcement soon after Trump returned to office last year. Craig later expressed regret for her decision after the Republican president sent a surge of immigration enforcement officers into Minneapolis.
Craig says her experience winning tough races in Minnesota and fighting in Washington makes her the best person to take on Trump over immigration.
Vermont Democrats pick a challenger to long-serving Republican Governor Phil Scott — 6:06 p.m.
by the Associated Press
The Democratic primary features a race between economist Amanda Janoo and Aly Richards, a former child advocacy organization CEO.
Richards, 40, grew up in Newbury, Vermont, and has received endorsements from former Vermont governors Howard Dean and Madeleine Kunin. She previously worked for former Gov. Peter Shumlin and on former President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign.
Janoo, 38, was born on a farm in Strafford, Vermont. She began her career working with the United Nations and international development organizations.
Scott, who has served five terms and is one term away from becoming the state’s longest-serving governor, is running unopposed.
Vermont is one of two states, along with neighboring New Hampshire, that hold a gubernatorial election every two years.
Incumbent plans fight to retain redrawn US House seat in Alabama — 6:04 p.m.
by the Associated Press
Republicans redrew Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District after the U.S. Supreme Court severely weakened the Voting Rights Act earlier this year.
The redraw added a Republican-leaning seat to the state’s congressional map by shifting the boundaries of one represented by a Black Democrat.
The seat is now held by Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures, who was unopposed in his primary and has said he plans to aggressively defend the seat.
Six Republicans are competing in the special congressional primary for the right to challenge Figures in November.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has placed Figures on its list of “frontline” candidates for extra support in what they consider the most pivotal districts. The National Republican Congressional Committee has similarly put the district on its list of targets for 2026.
Connecticut Representative John Larson seeks a 15th term in the House, but can he get by Luke Bronin? — 6:00 p.m.
by the Associated Press
Bronin was a sophomore at Yale University when Larson was elected to the U.S. House in 1998.
Now he’s standing in the way of Larson getting a 15th term representing Connecticut. The two face off in another contest that pits the party’s old guard against a younger generation.
Bronin, 46, is the former mayor of Hartford. He’s a lawyer, former Rhodes scholar and U.S. Navy Reserve officer.
Larson is 78. While he has been popular in his central Connecticut district throughout his time in office, concerns about his health arose when he suffered a partial seizure during a speech on the House floor last year.
In a flip of the usual script for primary challengers, Bronin can lay claim to be the establishment candidate. He won the Democratic state party’s endorsement at a nominating convention earlier this year.
Darline Graham’s daughter casts first-ever vote — for her mother in Senate race — 5:45 p.m.
by the Associated Press
The interim senator and her 17-year-old daughter Nicole Nordone voted midday Tuesday at a Lexington County church.
“It was a hard choice,” Nicole said jokingly to her father, as they walked out of the voting area so that Darline Graham could speak with reporters.
After she fed her ballot into a reader machine, Graham told poll workers that she typically votes at another location. Many polling sites have been changed for Tuesday’s special election due to several factors, including classes beginning this week at many schools typically used for voting.
South Carolinians who are 17 years old but will be 18 before the general election can vote in primaries.
Trump relied on Lindsey Graham in the Senate and has endorsed Darline Graham to replace him — 5:42 p.m.
by the Associated Press
After losing a top Senate advocate when the South Carolina Republican suddenly died, Trump has angled to play a role in picking his replacement, too.
Trump heralded the selection of Darline Graham as “a fabulous tribute” to serve as her brother’s interim replacement. And he urged her to run in the special primary, endorsing Darline Graham before she’d made her candidacy official.
Minnesota’s Senate primary is another Democratic factional fight of moderates vs. progressives — 5:40 p.m.
by the Associated Press
U.S. Rep. Angie Craig has support from the party’s establishment, while Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is backed by prominent figures on the left, including Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The primary will again take the temperature of Democratic voters a week after progressive Abdul El-Sayed won a bitter and divisive primary in Michigan that fired up the left and fueled anxiety among party leaders that Democrats will alienate moderate swing voters.
Craig says her record of winning repeatedly in a battleground House district will ensure the seat stays in Democratic hands. Flanagan says Craig hasn’t stood firm enough against President Donald Trump and wealthy donors.
Wisconsin Democratic voters who are divided in the primary say they will unite — 5:35 p.m.
by the Associated Press
Wisconsin voters who cast their ballots Tuesday for the gubernatorial candidate favored by more mainstream Democrats say they are confident the party will unite even if the progressive challenger wins.
David Zimmerman, a 79-year-old retired industrial engineering professor, voted for Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. Crowley is endorsed by Gov. Tony Evers and is seen as the pick of more moderate Democrats.
Zimmerman says he worries “a lot” about progressive candidate Francesca Hong’s ability to defeat Republican Tom Tiffany in November.
“I think she’s going to have trouble winning,” Zimmerman said.
But both Zimmerman and fellow Crowley voter Julie Martinson, 69, predict Democrats will come together even if Hong wins. They said they would vote for her in November.
“There’s no reason we can’t galvanize around her and get her in there,” Martinson said.
Progressives look to capitalize on the energy from El-Sayed’s win in Michigan — 5:30 p.m.
by the Associated Press
Progressive candidates for governor in Wisconsin and U.S. Senate in Minnesota are increasing the pressure on a Democratic establishment that has spent the year on its heels.
Today’s primaries come a week after Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s divisive and costly U.S. Senate primary. El-Sayed’s victory has energized the left while stoking fears among Democratic Party leaders that the shift to the left, particularly in battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin, will make it more difficult to win in November.
More women than ever running for the House — 5:09 p.m.
by the Associated Press
That’s according to Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, which showed 590 women have filed to run for House seats in the 206 midterm elections, besting the record of 583 set in 2020.
The boost was largely driven by the number of Democratic women candidates, the center said. Women make up just over one-third of all Democratic candidates for the House, and 19.1% of Republicans.
Overall, 27% of all House candidates in 2026 are women, which is about on par with their representation in Congress this cycle, the center said.
Democrats announce investment to defeat GOP’s Rep. Max Miller — 5:07 p.m.
by the Associated Press
Democratic candidate Brian Poindexter was added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” program the party signals an intensifying push to oust the Ohio congressman in its effort to wrest control of the House from Republicans.
The move comes after Miller brushed past Monday’s deadline for Republicans to replace him on the ballot, and those within his party urging him to step aside as he faced domestic abuse allegations from his ex-wife.
He has pledged to invest his own money to win.
Trump heads off to Patriot Games to watch teen athletes compete — 4:09 p.m.
by the Associated Press
The president has departed Washington to attend the Patriot Games in Geneva, Ohio.
The games that are part the America’s sesquicentennial celebration and feature high school athletes from across the country that Trump has billed as a chance to display “the best of American skill, sportsmanship, and competitive spirit.”
Trump is arriving on the final day of the competition, in which the student athletes are competing for a slice of a $250,000 scholarship pool.
Kennedy Center ordered to pay legal fees to musician who cancelled show over Trump name change — 4:05 p.m.
by the Associated Press
A judge has ordered the Kennedy Center to pay more than $250,000 in legal fees and costs to a musician who was sued by the performing arts venue for cancelling a Christmas Eve performance last year, an act of protest against adding President Donald Trump’s name to the building.
D.C. Superior Court Judge Tanya Jones Bosier on Monday ordered the center to pay the musician, Chuck Redd, approximately $252,000 within 45 days. The same judge had dismissed the center’s lawsuit against Redd in June.
Lisa Banks, an attorney for Redd, described the center’s lawsuit as a “meritless” attempt to silence opposition to the name change.
Redd, a drummer and vibraphone player, had presided over holiday “Jazz Jams” at the Kennedy Center for 20 years.
The Kennedy Center didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
US military says it has fired on a ship in Gulf of Oman to enforce its blockade of Iranian ports — 3:16 p.m.
by the Associated Press
The U.S. military said Tuesday that its forces fired on a Panamanian-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade the American blockade on Iranian ports, a move that comes as President Donald Trump tries to keep economic pressure on the Islamic Republic.
U.S. Central Command said the vessel had ignored warnings to stop, prompting an American helicopter to fire missiles into the engine room of the M/V Vela Nova, disabling the ship. U.S. Central Command’s statement does not say whether the ship’s crew suffered any casualties.
Central Command said it has redirected 55 commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade, disabled three non-compliant vessels and boarded two. The U.S. Navy currently has more than 15 warships, including two aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault ship, stationed in the waters of the Arabian Sea.
Democratic Representative Raskin launches inquiry into failed prosecution of constituent in Reflecting Pool case — 1:53 p.m.
by the Associated Press
Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, is launching an investigation into the Trump administration’s prosecution of former Olympian David Hearn over damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Prosecutor Jeanine Pirro dropped the case after acknowledging damage to the pool was caused by a botched installation rather than vandalism. Trump then publicly rebuked Pirro, saying she “folded like an umbrella.”
In letters Tuesday, Raskin seeks records from the Justice and Interior departments on the decision to prosecute Hearn, a Maryland resident who lives in Raskin’s district. Raskin also seeks communications with the White House and evidence presented to the grand jury.
“At a minimum,” he wrote, “it appears that members of the Trump Administration were ready and willing to imprison an innocent American for a decade in a desperate effort to soothe an ex-landlord’s wounded ego about a terrible paint job and wasteful contract.”
Trump administration says more oil is flowing through Strait of Hormuz — 1:44 p.m.
by the Associated Press
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on social media that nearly 9 million barrels of oil a day are getting shipped through the Strait of Hormuz — as the administration is suggesting that the supply pressures tied to the Iran war are easing.
Wright said that along with additional oil flowing through pipelines total oil flows from the region are averaging roughly 15 million barrels a day.
U.S. oil futures prices remain above the pre-war levels, with a barrel trading on Tuesday afternoon at $83. The Trump administration has tapped the strategic petroleum reserve to steady the market and that reserve last week fell below 300 million barrels, down by more than 100 million barrels since the start of 2026.
Wright is setting expectations that oil will keep going through the strait.
Three presidents before Trump who obscured their risky travel plans — 1:40 p.m.
By The New York Times
In front of the cameras, President Trump boarded Air Force One after a NATO summit in Turkey last month. But he did not fly out on that plane.
Instead, he hid in an airport catering container and was taken to a military jet for a secret flight out of the country. He then reboarded the original plane in time to be seen by the news media.
The elaborate plan, spurred by threats from Iran and apparently developed in a matter of hours, was an unusual instance of journalists and the public being deceived about the president’s whereabouts. Presidents have made clandestine trips before, but rarely with so complete a deception or with no apparent intention to make clear eventually what really took place.
Here are some recent examples of when past presidents have made unannounced trips.
Man charged with bomb threat against US Consulate in Halifax — 12:57 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Canadian police on Tuesday charged a man with making a bomb threat against the U.S. Consulate in Halifax, the latest security incident involving an American diplomatic post in Canada after two shootings at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto this year.
Several streets downtown were evacuated after Halifax Regional Police found a vehicle linked to the suspect, Ali Assakereh, parked near the consulate on Monday morning. The vehicle contained a propane tank and containers believed to hold flammable liquids, police said
Police said Assakereh, 54, was scheduled to appear in provincial court on charges of uttering threats and public mischief. They said they learned of the threat on Sunday night.
The Halifax case follows two shootings this year at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, Canada’s largest city.
Trump announces release of American detained in Russia, says no prisoner swap took place — 12:45 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The U.S. president said Tuesday that Robert Gilman, a Marine veteran who was detained in 2022, is being released on a “humanitarian basis” after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return — No exchange took place,” Trump said in a social media post on Tuesday.
Gilman is scheduled to land at Andrews Air Force Base just outside of Washington, D.C. on Tuesday night, Trump said. He is being accompanied on the plane back to the U.S. by his mother, Nancy.
“I just spoke to him, and he had one request — A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands,” Trump said in his post. “I will take care of that!”
Senator Markey says Gilman’s return was long overdue — 11:57 a.m.
By Chloe Craft, Globe Correspondent
Sen. Ed Markey, whose office has been working closely with Gilman’s family, said in a statement that while the news “is deeply welcomed, it is long overdue.”
“It is a tragedy that it took Robert’s near-death condition for his case to receive the attention that it required for his release to be negotiated,” Markey said. “I urge the Trump administration to use Robert’s case as motivation to continue to advocate for the release of others wrongfully detained in Russia and around the world.”
Gilman’s sister: ‘Why did they do this to such a wonderful person?’ — 11:54 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Gilman’s sister, Lexie Hudson, credited President Trump and Senator Ed Markey for the former Marine’s release.
“There is no other reason that Robert is alive today other than that President Trump heard about the case and took action,” said Hudson, who thanked Markey in the statement from Global Reach “for leading our advocacy efforts in Congress.”
“The Russians treated my brother so badly,” Hudson said. “They hurt him for no reason, other than that he was both an American and a Marine. What did they get out of this? Why did they do this to such a wonderful person?”
Russian hospital said Gilman’s condition was ‘dire and life-threatening’ — 11:37 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Those reports pushed the U.S. government into action and led to “a unilateral humanitarian release” by Russian officials, Eric Lebson said.
Gilman’s family flew to Texas to meet him, advocates say — 11:22 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Robert Gilman’s mother had been in Russia, attempting to see him there. Gilman had been in “a dissociative stupor” for 47 days due to the abuse he has suffered in prison, and was moved to a civilian hospital, where he was hooked up to a feeding tube and handcuffed to a bed, aid Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer of Global Reach.
Now he’ll be medically and psychologically assessed and treated at a U.S. military hospital, Lebson said.
The 32-year-old teacher was convicted of beating a police officer after being taken off a train for causing a disturbance, and his sentence was extended last year to 10 years after he was found guilty of assaulting prison guards.
Sen. Edward Markey had called on Russia and the U.S. to work together to release the Massachusetts resident, one of at least 8 Americans who remained in Russian custody after a series of high-profile prisoner exchanges.
Mass. man freed from Russian prison after four years on Putin-approved pardon — 10:59 a.m.
By Chloe Craft, Globe Correspondent
Russia freed a former US Marine from Massachusetts Tuesday who has been imprisoned on disputed charges since 2022 after Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly approved a pardon on humanitarian grounds.
Robert Gilman, of Lowell, is being released after his family said he was in a life-threatening, near catatonic state in a hospital in southwestern Russia.
US officials said Gilman was on a State Department plane from Russia to Washington Dulles Airport Tuesday morning, according to reporting by Reuters. One US official, who reportedly spoke to Gilman, said he was walking and talking.
“All things considered he seems to be in good shape,” the official told Reuters.
The officials, who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, said Gilman would be evaluated on the flight by a team of doctors. Gilman’s mother, Nina, was also on board the flight.
Iran war effect: Soaring US home prices and mortgage rates drag on sales — 10:56 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slowed again in July as record prices and the highest mortgage rates in a year prove to be an insurmountable hurdle for many prospective homebuyers.
The National Association of Realtors said Tuesday that existing home sales fell 1.7% last month from June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.06 million units, and the median price increased 2% from a year earlier, to $434,100.
Sales remain sluggish as mortgage rates have mostly trended higher since the Iran war started. Expectations of higher inflation amid surging oil prices have pushed up the long-term bond yields lenders use to price home loans, causing mortgage rates to climb.
Russian attacks kill 10 in Ukraine as Zelensky says Moscow is getting more North Korean missiles — 10:41 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Russia attacked Ukrainian cities with missiles, drones and glide bombs Tuesday, killing at least 10 civilians, officials said, as President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow is getting more North Korean help to extend its 4-year invasion.
Zelensky said Russian forces used ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea in the overnight attack, and is preparing to deploy more of its troops to Russia. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un already sent thousands of troops and huge supplies of weapons to support Putin’s invasion.
Now Ukraine says Russia aims to exploit Kyiv’s critical shortage of Patriot air defense interceptors, which worsened after US diplomacy to end the war fizzled and Washington turned its attention to the Iran war.
“Every step Russia takes — increasing ballistic missile production, bringing in North Korean equipment, preparing for mobilization — all of this shows that Moscow is preparing not for peace, but for escalation,” Zelensky said on social media.
Trump told Ukraine it had no cards. Then Kyiv took the war to Russia. — 10:25 a.m.
By the Associated Press
When Trump told the Ukrainian president in the Oval Office last year that he had “no cards” in the fight against Russia, Volodymyr Zelenskyy already had a bold plan to take the fight deep inside Russian territory.
While Trump was warmly welcoming President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and encouraging Ukraine to accept an unfavorable peace deal, Ukraine was smuggling drones for an attack that destroyed Russian bombers worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
And since then, Kyiv’s campaign of longer-range strikes has targeted Russian air defenses, oil infrastructure and military suppliers, embarrassing Putin and impressing Trump. When Trump and Zelenskyy met at a NATO summit in July, the American president said the Ukrainian leader had “been very effective” in the war.
An Associated Press analysis shows how Ukraine has shifted the narrative about the war in Washington, but it’s still not clear if it will be able to push Putin toward the negotiating table.
Houthi rebels attack vessel in Bab el-Mandeb, killing four — 10:04 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels fired missiles on a vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Tuesday and killed four people, Yemeni authorities said.
The transportation ministry of Yemen’s internationally recognized government said the dead included three Pakistani nationals and an Indonesian.
The ministry statement said the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles on the Yemeni commercial vessel, and then fired another missile that targeted rescue teams, wounding a Yemeni rescuer.
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut down by Iran, there has been a renewed focus on the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait at Yemen’s southern tip, which is an alternate route for Saudi Arabia to ship its oil.
Congressional Democrats probe alleged coordination between ICE and Iran to deport detainees — 9:41 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Adam Schiff are requesting access to all potential communications between two private immigration detention centers and Iranian diplomats, according to two letters shared with The Associated Press.
Iranian asylum seekers sued last month, alleging that the Department of Homeland Security endangered them by sharing details of their application records with the Iranian government.
The applicants said they were forced to meet with Iranian Interests Section officials who had confidential information about their claims of persecution in Iran for converting to Christianity, for their sexuality or for participating in the Women, Life, Freedom protests against the Iranian government, according to court filings.
“These allegations that ICE shared asylum application records with the Iranian government are FALSE,” a DHS statement said.
Analysis: In rejecting Trump’s Gaza plan, Netanyahu reprises a balancing act he has mastered — 9:35 a.m.
By the Associated Press
It’s possibly the most important job of any Israeli prime minister: maintain good relations with the United States while pushing back on demands seen as undermining Israel’s security.
No one has managed the balancing act longer than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader.
But with the Iran war at a stalemate, and U.S. President Donald Trump looking to advance peace efforts elsewhere, Netanyahu’s task is getting harder less than three months away from Israeli elections.
On Sunday, Netanyahu rejected Trump’s latest plan to advance the stalled ceasefire in Gaza, saying Israel will not withdraw from any of the roughly 60% of the territory it controls until Hamas has been completely disarmed — something the militant group controlling the other 40% has long resisted.
Houthis hit Red Sea port city, threatening regional shipping — 9:04 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels renewed attacks Tuesday on government-controlled areas in Yemen as the violence threatened to reignite civil war and raised fears over new threats to regional shipping lanes.
Yemen’s military said the rebels targeted the government-held port city of Mokha and the central province of Marib with missiles and drones but did not provide further details. The Houthis also hit Mokha with missiles and drones over the weekend and killed at least seven people, it said.
The escalation by the Houthis against government forces in Yemen and oil facilities in neighboring Saudi Arabia aims to threaten the kingdom’s alternative route for shipping its oil. The attacks could reignite Yemen’s civil war following a 2022 truce, and open a new front in the Middle East war.
Iran and Germany’s foreign ministers describe their call — 9:00 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Iran’s Abbas Araghchi said on his Telegram channel that in a call with Germany’s Johann Wadephul late Monday, he had “emphasized that making the Strait of Hormuz secure requires an end to the United States’ aggressive actions and unlawful interventions, including the naval blockade and other violations of U.S. obligations.”
Wadephul said on X that he had emphasized “the Strait of Hormuz needs to be opened unconditionally ensuring free and safe navigation for all.”
Iranian foreign minister underlines Tehran’s demands — 8:45 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Iran’s foreign minister says Tehran is insisting that the Strait of Hormuz won’t be reopened until the US meets its conditions, after Trump said he wants compensation from Iran “for all of the people that they have killed” in the past.
Abbas Araghchi told reporters that Iran has “astonished the whole world” in the war against the United States and Israel, proving “that it is a tough and invincible power.”
Iran effectively closed the strait by threatening shipping after Israel and the US attacked the country on Feb. 28.
Oil prices jumped, gasoline over $4 after Trump’s latest Iran war comments — 8:38 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Oil prices are settling in a state of uncertainty about when the Strait of Hormuz will reopen to global energy supplies, after jumping about 7.5% since Trump scoffed at Iranian demands for compensation for war damage.
Motor club AAA says the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline ticked up overnight to $4.01.
Brent crude oil was trading at about $87.61 a barrel early Tuesday, and US benchmark crude at $82.19. Shares of major U.S. oil companies — including Chevron, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips — were close to unchanged after jumping 4.5% on Monday.
Higher oil prices mean consumers pay more for all manner of products as companies pay more for fuel to produce and transport goods. Accordingly, the main event for Wall Street this week will be Wednesday’s update on U.S. inflation.
Trump used elaborate ruse to fly out of Turkey following summit because of Iran threat, report says — 12:02 a.m.
By the Associated Press
President Trump secretly flew out of last month’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on an alternate military aircraft while the White House made it appear that the Republican president was flying on Air Force One, according to a report published by The Washington Post on Monday.
The Post said the operation was prompted by an Iranian assassination threat against Trump. The ruse was carried out as journalists and some White House staff members were led to believe they were on the same plane as the president as he began his journey back to Washington from the annual gathering of NATO country leaders.