The House of Representatives left Washington on Wednesday, effectively delaying any legislative response to mounting warnings about artificial intelligence risks until after the November midterms. Speaker Mike Johnson canceled planned Thursday work, telling reporters lawmakers needed to return home to campaign, and pointed to the Senate to take up any AI legislation instead. The move comes despite pleas from executives at Anthropic, OpenAI and xAI for federal oversight after an Anthropic researcher's resignation warning about AI's existential dangers.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-17
A Fast Company panel featuring executives from Lyft, All Voting Is Local, and the ACLU discussed how the 2026 midterm elections could reshape federal and state policy in ways that directly affect companies. Moderated by Fast Company's Amy Farley, the discussion focused on how shifting political control could influence trade, immigration, technology, and economic regulation. Panelists also highlighted the growing role of state governments in setting rules on AI, data privacy, climate, and energy.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-16
A new Nature study by Egan, Bisbee and Tucker surveyed US voters and found that 4.9% of white adults overall, and 13.5% of young white men specifically, agreed with statements framing demographic change as an existential threat to their race and endorsing white cultural superiority. The researchers argue this trend deserves as much scrutiny as the widely discussed rightward political shift among Latino voters ahead of the 2026 midterms.
nature.com
· 2026-09-16
President Trump said Wednesday that oil prices, driven up by the ongoing Iran conflict, will likely stay elevated until after U.S. midterm elections. His remarks came as Brent crude topped $100 a barrel for the first time since July, with prices jumping over 3% amid escalating U.S.-Iran military exchanges.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-10
President Trump promised at a GOP midterm convention that every American adult would receive a $5,000 payment, dubbed the 'Trump Dividend,' if Republicans keep control of Congress in November. The proposal, estimated to cost over $1 trillion, would require congressional approval and has no clear funding source, though Vice President JD Vance suggested tariff revenue and hinted wealthy Americans might be excluded.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-10
At a Republican midterm convention in Texas, President Trump promised a $5,000 'dividend' to every adult American citizen if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate this November. He framed the pledge as a turnout booster, saying it alone should secure the midterms for his party.
wired.com
· 2026-09-10
One year after cofounder Charlie Kirk's assassination, Turning Point is preparing to spend tens of millions of dollars backing Republican candidates in the 2026 midterms. Its super PAC is targeting $15-20 million in ads across three priority states—New Hampshire, Arizona and Nevada—while a separate nonprofit arm funds full-time field staff there and in seven other states where Democrats could flip seats. Key races include the New Hampshire Senate contest between John Sununu and Chris Pappas, and the Arizona governor's race pitting Katie Hobbs against Andy Biggs.
wired.com
· 2026-09-09
Over Labor Day weekend, President Trump and the White House posted a wave of AI-style memes depicting him as an all-powerful superhero, including building walls and factories with a Green Lantern ring, towering over Canada's prime minister on a hockey rink, and commanding a warship in battle. The imagery arrives as Trump's approval ratings decline amid struggles with inflation, the Iran conflict, and manufacturing promises.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-09
The House of Representatives has trimmed its September calendar down to only four voting days, sharply reducing the window for lawmakers to act on pending legislation. Among the bills losing time is the CLARITY Act, considered the crypto industry's top remaining legislative priority in Congress.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-05
Elon Musk's super PAC, America PAC, disclosed its first midterm expenditures to the FEC, spending over $800,000 across seven Senate contests and several House races. The largest chunk, more than $247,000, went to Texas to boost Republican Ken Paxton against Democrat James Talarico, with additional funds directed to Maine, Ohio, New Hampshire, Iowa, Michigan and Alaska. The spending, categorized as mail advertising, marks the start of what Musk has reportedly pledged could grow to $120 million in Republican-focused election spending.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-03
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