Chief Justice John Roberts on Friday, August 21, 2026, granted a temporary administrative stay that allows the Trump administration to continue construction of a new ballroom on the site of the demolished East Wing of the White House while the Supreme Court considers the government's request for longer-term relief.

According to SCOTUSblog and NPR, the one-sentence order blocks a ruling by Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Leon that would have halted above-ground work on the project. An administrative stay is a provisional measure and can be revisited by the full Court.

The lawsuit was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argued that the administration lacked statutory authority to demolish the East Wing and build the roughly 90,000-square-foot ballroom. Government lawyers contended that presidents have inherent authority to make alterations and improvements to the White House and to construct buildings on federal parkland, without approval from Congress.

SCOTUSblog reported that the National Trust filed suit in December 2025, that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit affirmed Judge Leon's order on August 7, 2026, and that the administration sought Supreme Court intervention on August 14. NPR reported the project is estimated to cost at least $300 million. The order did not indicate when the justices might rule on the underlying stay application.

Sources: NPR, SCOTUSblog, Axios, NBC News

A Missouri judge on August 19, 2026, blocked a proposed voter referendum that sought to suspend the state's new Republican-drawn congressional map, ruling that the state constitution does not allow referendums on congressional redistricting.

Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green held that the constitution's provision permitting voters to petition for a referendum on "any act" of the Legislature does not extend to laws establishing congressional districts, according to St. Louis Public Radio and the Missouri Independent.

The dispute stems from House Bill 1, the map adopted during a 2025 special session called by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe at the urging of the Trump administration. The redrawn lines are designed to favor Republicans in a district currently held by Democrats.

The group People Not Politicians submitted roughly 305,000 signatures seeking to place the map before voters, a total that organizers said exceeded the requirement several times over and that was not challenged for validity. Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins declared the referendum effort unconstitutional, prompting the litigation.

Green's decision is not final. Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Brent Powell had urged a rapid ruling given the deadline to alter the November 2026 ballot, and the case is expected to be appealed. The outcome will determine whether the new map is used in the 2026 midterms.

Sources: St. Louis Public Radio, Missouri Independent, KCUR

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, unanimously upheld a preliminary injunction that bars the Department of Homeland Security from carrying out immigration enforcement at or near certain houses of worship, according to CBS News and Courthouse News Service.

The order applies to more than 1,400 congregations, spanning 33 states and the District of Columbia, that are affiliated with the plaintiffs: Quaker yearly meetings, the Sikh Temple Sacramento, and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The groups sued after the administration in 2025 rescinded a Biden-era policy that had discouraged enforcement at "sensitive" locations.

Senior Judge Barbara Milano Keenan wrote the opinion, joined by Judges Pamela Harris and G. Steven Agee. The panel found the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on their claim that the 2025 policy violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, citing evidence of reduced worship attendance. Agee filed a concurring opinion.

The ruling affirms a February 2025 district court decision and leaves the injunction in place while litigation continues. The panel noted DHS did not raise a compelling-interest defense in the lower court. The government may seek further review.

Sources: CBS News, Courthouse News Service, JURIST

The gross U.S. national debt surpassed $40 trillion for the first time, according to Treasury Department data reported on August 18, 2026. The daily financial statement placed the figure at roughly $40.05 trillion.

The milestone arrived months earlier than many analysts had projected. The Washington Post reported that the threshold was crossed sooner than expected as rising bond yields and reduced revenue accelerated federal borrowing. The debt has more than doubled since 2017.

Multiple outlets tied the pace of borrowing in part to lost revenue from tariffs that were invalidated earlier in the year, which widened the gap between federal spending and receipts. CBS News reported that net interest costs approached $1 trillion in 2025, accounting for nearly 14% of federal spending. CNN and Al Jazeera reported that the government is now spending roughly $1.1 trillion annually to service the debt, an amount comparable to or exceeding defense spending.

Michael Peterson, chief executive of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, told CBS News that the country has "been running deficits for the last 26 years" while ignoring structural budget challenges.

The $40 trillion gross figure includes debt held by the public as well as intragovernmental holdings. Fiscal watchdogs said the milestone underscores a widening structural imbalance between revenue and outlays.

Sources: Washington Post, CBS News, CNN, Al Jazeera

A federal court is expected to decide by August 31, 2026, whether Libertarian congressional candidate Lana Leguía can appear on New Jersey's ballot in the 7th District, in a case challenging the state's ban on out-of-state petition circulators.

Leguía's ballot status was jeopardized because most signatures on her nominating petition were gathered by circulators who do not reside in New Jersey. State law requires that circulators for third-party and independent nominating petitions be New Jersey residents, according to Ballot Access News and the New Jersey Globe.

On August 13, Leguía filed a federal lawsuit, Leguia v. Caldwell, arguing that the residency requirement violates the First Amendment. The U.S. District Court heard oral argument on August 17. A ruling was expected before the August 31 deadline for preparing general election ballots.

Ballot Access News reported that if the Libertarian Party loses, 2026 would be the first year since 1973 that no Libertarian appears on the New Jersey ballot for any federal or state office. Advocates note that courts have previously struck down similar residency rules for primary petition circulators on free-speech grounds.

The 7th District seat is held by Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr., who faces Democratic nominee Rebecca Bennett in November. The outcome of Leguía's case will determine whether a third-party option remains on the ballot in the competitive race.

Sources: Ballot Access News, New Jersey Globe

A federal judge in Boston on Friday, August 14, 2026, allowed the Department of Homeland Security to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Somalia, clearing the way to strip legal protections from nearly 1,100 Somali nationals living and working in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report and Minnesota Lawyer.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs lifted a stay that had blocked the termination. She wrote that she was constrained by the U.S. Supreme Court's June 25, 2026, decision limiting judicial review of DHS moves to end TPS designations, which followed similar terminations affecting nationals of Haiti and Syria. Burroughs found the plaintiffs had made a "convincing showing" they would suffer irreparable harm but concluded the precedent required her to lift the protection.

The lawsuit was brought by four Somali individuals and two advocacy organizations, including African Communities Together. Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the termination in January 2026, citing improved conditions in Somalia. The termination took effect August 14.

TPS provides temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to nationals of countries designated as unsafe for return. Plaintiffs had argued the decision reflected bias; the government has defended it as a lawful policy judgment.

Sources: U.S. News & World Report, Minnesota Lawyer, NAACP LDF

The U.S. Department of Justice on August 13, 2026, asked the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals to vacate its earlier ruling in United States v. Florida and return the case to a lower court, reversing the federal government's longstanding position that Florida must expand community-based care for children with complex medical needs.

An appeals court had previously upheld an order requiring the state to improve home- and community-based services so children could avoid placement in nursing homes. In its new filing, the DOJ said it intends to seek termination or modification of that injunction insofar as it rests on an "at-risk" theory of institutionalization. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon stated there is "little reason to keep in place injunctive relief where, as here, the plaintiff no longer defends the legal theory."

The move follows a June 18 Office of Legal Counsel memo concluding that neither Title II of the ADA nor Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act contains an "integration mandate," and a July 20 announcement that the department would not rely on its Olmstead guidance during enforcement. According to Disability Scoop, the DOJ has also withdrawn from Steward v. Abbott in Texas and filed notices in settlement cases involving Maine and Rhode Island.

Legal observers note that Olmstead v. L.C. remains binding Supreme Court precedent and the underlying regulations remain in effect; the actions reflect a change in enforcement posture rather than a change in law.

Sources: Disability Scoop, LeadingAge

Flock Safety, a company that operates automated license plate reader cameras used by law enforcement, announced changes to its platform on Aug. 13, 2026, following criticism over privacy and documented misuse.

According to The Associated Press, as published by MPR News, and reporting by The Washington Post, the company said it will recommend that police agencies retain license plate reader data for seven days, down from 30 days. Flock also said it is adding tools to restrict data sharing between agencies and to detect potentially abusive searches.

Reporting described Flock's network as roughly 120,000 cameras operating across 49 states, with contracts covering about 40% of U.S. police departments. The Associated Press cited documented cases in which officers faced discipline or termination for allegedly using the system to track romantic partners, and a Texas officer who used it to follow a woman suspected of self-administering an abortion.

The changes followed action by local governments. Cities including Los Angeles and Dayton, Ohio, suspended Flock contracts amid concerns that immigration authorities could access their data. According to the reporting, more than 50 agencies or communities have canceled, suspended, rejected or deactivated Flock cameras since the start of 2026. The scrutiny has come from officials across the political spectrum.

Sources: MPR News (AP), Washington Post, U.S. News (AP)

A federal judge in Los Angeles indicated she would restrict how immigration agents conduct warrantless arrests in Southern California, according to CalMatters and Courthouse News Service.

At an August 13, 2026, hearing, U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong signaled in a tentative ruling that she would grant a preliminary injunction requiring agents to determine whether a person is likely to flee before making a civil immigration arrest without a warrant. By statute, agents must have probable cause that a person is unlawfully present and likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained. The day before, on August 12, Frimpong denied the government's motion to dismiss the underlying lawsuit, finding the allegations sufficient to proceed.

The suit was brought by five individual workers and advocacy organizations, including the United Farm Workers and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, against DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Border Patrol. Plaintiffs allege agents used intrusive tactics during enforcement sweeps.

CalMatters reported that, if finalized, the order would make Frimpong at least the fifth federal judge, after courts in Oregon, Colorado, and Washington, D.C., to limit warrantless arrest practices. The ruling is separate from a 2025 order on investigative stops that the Supreme Court later stayed. The Justice Department requested a stay to weigh an appeal.

Sources: CalMatters, KESQ

The American Civil Liberties Union and allied civil rights organizations moved in mid-August 2026 to block new executive orders on birthright citizenship signed by President Trump, arguing they conflict with a recent Supreme Court decision and the 14th Amendment.

According to NPR, Trump signed two orders on August 6, 2026. One, titled "Continuing to Protect the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship," seeks to exclude from birthright citizenship children born to certain foreign government employees. A second order directs immigration agencies to target people who travel to the United States to give birth, a practice the administration calls "birth tourism."

The moves followed a June 30, 2026, Supreme Court decision that, by a 6-3 vote, rejected the president's earlier 2025 order seeking to deny citizenship to U.S.-born children of undocumented parents. SCOTUSblog reported that the ruling reaffirmed a narrow, longstanding exception to birthright citizenship for children of foreign diplomats.

The ACLU said it asked the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, where Judge Joseph Laplante had previously granted class-action status in the earlier litigation, to clarify that the new order cannot be used to deny citizenship beyond the recognized diplomatic exception. The 14th Amendment's Citizenship Clause, which grants citizenship to nearly all persons born on U.S. soil, is central to the dispute.

Sources: NPR, ACLU, SCOTUSblog

James Michael Decker, the elected mayor of Stamford, Texas, has been indicted on five counts of wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas announced. Prosecutors allege Decker diverted more than $300,000 from multiple community, estate, trust and livestock association accounts he was entrusted to manage.

According to the Justice Department and the FBI's Dallas field office, the indictment alleges Decker diverted about $133,000 from the Community Foundation of Stamford, roughly $163,000 from estate and trust accounts, and about $12,000 from the T-A Livestock Association. The five counts correspond to individual electronic transfers alleged to have occurred between July 2025 and February 2026. Prosecutors say funds were ultimately transferred to two people in Oklahoma who had no business dealings with the affected entities.

Decker is both an elected official and a licensed attorney and had served as a trustee and executor for certain of the trusts and estates involved, according to the indictment. The station KTXS reported that Decker pleaded not guilty at his arraignment.

If convicted, Decker faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count. An indictment contains only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Sources: U.S. Department of Justice, FBI Dallas, KTXS

The Trump administration on Monday, August 11, 2026, filed an opening brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit seeking to overturn an order that would require refunds of tariffs previously found to be unlawful, according to Fortune.

The dispute stems from a February 2026 Supreme Court decision holding that the president lacked authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to unilaterally impose certain tariffs. A judge on the U.S. Court of International Trade subsequently ordered the government to refund the duties to affected importers, including companies that had not themselves sued.

Fortune reported that government lawyers argue the trade court exceeded its authority by ordering "universal" relief covering non-parties. In their brief, they contend the court's injunctions "cannot possibly be squared with CASA," referring to the Supreme Court's June 2025 decision in Trump v. CASA, which restricted the ability of lower courts to issue nationwide injunctions benefiting individuals not before the court.

The administration maintains that importers seeking refunds must file their own lawsuits within the statute of limitations rather than receive automatic reimbursement. The case tests how broadly courts may fashion remedies after the CASA ruling, a question with implications well beyond trade policy.

Sources: Fortune, The Washington Post, The Hill

The Congressional Budget Office reported on August 10, 2026, that the federal budget deficit totaled roughly $1.8 trillion over the first 10 months of fiscal year 2026, about $169 billion more than during the same period a year earlier. The figures appeared in the agency's Monthly Budget Review.

The CBO now projects a full-year fiscal 2026 deficit of about $2.1 trillion, up from the $1.9 trillion it forecast in February, according to reporting by Fortune and The Hill. The agency attributed the roughly $200 billion increase primarily to a decline in tariff and customs-duty collections, which it estimated would run about $250 billion below earlier projections.

The revenue drop traces to a February 20 Supreme Court ruling that found the administration lacked authority to impose certain tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Fortune reported that the government has refunded roughly $100 billion in previously collected duties, including $36 billion in July against $26 billion in new collections.

Income and payroll tax receipts came in about $75 billion above projections, partially offsetting the shortfall. Federal outlays remained close to the CBO's February baseline, meaning the wider deficit was driven largely by the revenue side.

Maya MacGuineas of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said the government had borrowed $1.8 trillion in the fiscal year, including $431 billion in July alone.

Sources: Fortune, The Hill, Congressional Budget Office

A federal judge on August 10, 2026, declined to place Mike Collier, an independent candidate for Texas lieutenant governor, on the November ballot, even while expressing sympathy for his legal challenge to the state's signature requirements.

U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman, an appointee of President Barack Obama, ruled in Collier v. Nelson that Collier had not shown he would have qualified even under a less restrictive rule. Pitman wrote that even if the law were unconstitutional, it was not clear Collier would have gathered enough signatures, according to Ballot Access News and Bloomberg Law.

Collier sued the Texas secretary of state in June over a rule requiring independent candidates whose office had a primary runoff to collect 81,030 valid signatures within 30 days. Independent candidates in Texas ordinarily have 113 days to petition. Because a runoff occurred in the lieutenant governor primary, Collier's window was compressed to a month.

Collier, a former Democratic nominee for the office, was joined in the suit by former Dallas mayor and U.S. Rep. Steve Bartlett, former state Sen. Kel Seliger, and West Texas district attorney Sarah Stogner, as reported by The Texas Tribune.

Pitman denied the request for immediate relief, but the underlying constitutional challenge to the 30-day petitioning period is expected to continue in the courts.

Sources: Ballot Access News, The Texas Tribune, Bloomberg Law

Congress moved toward averting a government shutdown at the start of fiscal year 2027 but left significant differences to resolve, according to tracking by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and other budget analysts. Fiscal 2026 ends September 30, 2026, and FY2027 begins October 1.

The House passed a continuing resolution on July 21, 2026, by a vote of 220-205, extending funding at fiscal 2026 levels through December 4. The Senate passed its own version on August 8, 2026, by a bipartisan vote of 90-6, extending funding through December 11 and adding a provision delaying proposed revisions to federal grant guidance from the Office of Management and Budget.

Because the two chambers passed measures with different durations and provisions, lawmakers must reconcile them into a single bill before October 1 to avoid a lapse in appropriations. Congress returns from its August recess in early September with roughly four weeks to act.

Budget analysts said a continuing resolution remains the most likely path, given that Congress is unlikely to complete all 12 full-year appropriations bills before the deadline. The American Action Forum and CRFB noted that the House and Senate remain divided over nondefense spending levels and policy riders attached to House bills.

The 2026 fiscal year had already been marked by two earlier shutdowns, in late January and from mid-February through April.

Sources: Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Afterschool Alliance, American Action Forum

Philip LeVota, the interim Jackson County, Missouri, executive, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges tied to an alleged bribery scheme surrounding the 2026 election for Jackson County executive, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Missouri announced.

According to the Justice Department, LeVota, 61, was named in a five-count indictment charging honest services fraud, federal program bribery, a Travel Act violation, and making a false statement to federal law enforcement. The grand jury in Kansas City returned the charges under seal on July 16, 2026, and the indictment was made public in early August.

Prosecutors allege that between March 16 and March 31, 2026, LeVota took steps to induce a candidate to drop out of the county executive race, entering an agreement under which the candidate and a colleague would receive government positions in exchange for abandoning the campaign. Reporting by KCUR and KSHB-TV identified the candidate as DeRon McGee.

LeVota has pleaded not guilty to all counts. His trial, initially set for the fall, was delayed after a federal judge granted a defense request; KCTV5 reported the trial is now scheduled to begin in April 2027. A federal indictment is an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Sources: U.S. Department of Justice, KCUR, KCTV5

U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas ruled on Aug. 5, 2026, that the National Firearms Act's registration and approval requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns exceed Congress's constitutional authority.

According to the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action and the Insurance Journal, the ruling came in consolidated cases brought by the Silencer Shop Foundation and NRA-backed plaintiffs against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

In a 66-page opinion, Hendrix reasoned that Congress removed the constitutional basis for the rules when it reduced the federal transfer and making taxes on those firearms from $200 to $0, effective Jan. 1, 2026. He wrote that "by zeroing out the transfer and making taxes for most NFA firearms, Congress eliminated the constitutional basis for the regulations that formerly supported the taxes for those firearms."

The court stayed its order until Aug. 12, 2026. Reporting by ABC News and the NRA-ILA said the Department of Justice declined to seek a stay or appeal. Legal analysts noted the decision's direct application is limited rather than nationwide.

Sources: Insurance Journal, NRA-ILA

Michigan voters chose the two major-party nominees for governor in primary elections held Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson won the Democratic nomination, and U.S. Rep. John James won the Republican nomination, according to Michigan Public and NBC News.

Benson, a two-term secretary of state, defeated Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, taking more than 83% of the Democratic vote, per reporting on the results. On the Republican side, James won with roughly half the vote, defeating businessman Perry Johnson, who said he spent about $30 million of his own money on the campaign. Johnson captured roughly one-third of Republican votes and did not concede in conciliatory terms, saying in a statement that "the career politicians and special interests may win tonight, but they will not win the future."

James received an endorsement from President Donald Trump during the primary, which prompted other Republican candidates to exit the race. Speaking to supporters in Sterling Heights, James criticized Benson's record in state government.

The nominees are competing to succeed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who is barred by term limits from seeking re-election. The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.

Sources: Michigan Public, NBC News

A Georgia state spending freeze has left roughly 8,000 residents with developmental disabilities stranded on a Medicaid waiver waiting list, with more than 1,200 identified as being in urgent need, according to reporting published August 4, 2026.

The affected NOW and COMP waivers, administered by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, pay for professional caregivers who assist people with developmental disabilities so they can live at home rather than in institutional settings. The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities said the freeze locks in earlier reductions to the program.

According to The Georgia Virtue, Governor Brian Kemp's roughly $300 million in budget disregards included about $9.27 million that would have funded 400 new waiver slots. A department analysis had found 1,217 Georgians in urgent need due to risks such as institutionalization, homelessness, medical crisis or loss of a primary caregiver. The approved budget funded 100 new NOW/COMP slots, fewer than the number the legislature had approved to move people off the list.

A department spokesperson said the agency "has received historic investments under Gov. Brian Kemp and will comply with the budget rules." D'Arcy Robb of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities described young adults who "age out" of school programs at 22 with limited support, a transition advocates call "the cliff."

Sources: WRDW, The Georgia Virtue

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled on July 31, 2026, that personalized messages on Virginia license plates constitute private speech protected by the First Amendment, not government speech.

The case, Whateley v. Lackey, involves Virginia resident Curtis Whateley, who obtained a personalized plate reading "FTP&ATF." According to Courthouse News Service and the ACLU of Virginia, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles issued the plate and later recalled it after a complaint about its content. Whateley sued the DMV commissioner, arguing the recall violated his First Amendment rights.

A federal district court had dismissed the suit, ruling that personalized plates are government speech and therefore not subject to ordinary First Amendment scrutiny. The three-judge appeals panel unanimously disagreed, applying factors from prior U.S. Supreme Court cases and concluding that the history, public perception and degree of government control over the messages indicated private expression.

The Fourth Circuit vacated the dismissal and returned the case to the district court for further proceedings under First Amendment standards. Reporting by Axios and Reason said Virginia's attorney general plans to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the decision.

Sources: Courthouse News Service, ACLU of Virginia, Reason

The State of Michigan announced on July 24, 2026, that it selected five projects to receive a combined $1.5 million through the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform's Maritime Innovation Grant Program, administered by the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification within the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. The state investment is expected to leverage an additional $2 million in private-sector support, bringing total funding to $3.5 million.

One of the selected projects is based in Houghton, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The Freshwater Operational Requirements to Government-Ready Equipment (FORGE) initiative will develop and field-test an autonomous cold-water maritime first responder designed to support search and rescue operations on Lake Superior. According to the state and to InvestUP's regional reporting, Hancock-based Hawk Technologies is leading the effort in collaboration with Keweenaw County Search and Rescue, U.S. Coast Guard Station Portage and Michigan Technological University.

The other funded projects are located in Detroit, Traverse City and Alpena/Onaway, with focus areas including BlueTech commercialization, autonomous maritime testing and workforce development. The Industrial Arts Institute in Onaway will develop training curriculum for maritime and naval manufacturing careers.

State officials said the grants are intended to support innovative technologies, commercialization and workforce initiatives tied to Michigan's maritime sector across the Great Lakes.

Sources: Michigan.gov (LEO), The Mining Journal

One hundred members of Congress on July 22, 2026, called on the U.S. Department of Justice to rescind a June 18 Office of Legal Counsel opinion that concluded neither Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act nor Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act establishes an "integration mandate" requiring states to provide services in the most integrated setting appropriate.

The effort was led by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), along with Representatives Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Lateefah Simon (D-CA). In their letter, the lawmakers wrote that the opinion "represents a dramatic departure from decades of federal law, regulations, and judicial precedent protecting the civil rights of people with all types of disabilities and must be withdrawn."

The letter requested written responses to a series of questions about the department's enforcement position no later than August 5, 2026. The OLC opinion, issued June 18, argued that the Supreme Court's 1999 Olmstead v. L.C. decision did not itself create a statutory integration requirement.

According to McKnights Home Care, the lawmakers warned that the reinterpretation could ease the way for states to institutionalize people with disabilities and reduce access to Medicaid home- and community-based services.

Sources: Sen. Durbin, McKnights Home Care

The four leading super PACs focused on control of Congress raised a combined $197.7 million from their affiliated "dark money" nonprofit groups between January 2025 and June 2026, according to an analysis of federal campaign finance filings released by the nonpartisan reform organization Issue One.

The report examined the Republican-aligned Senate Leadership Fund and Congressional Leadership Fund and the Democratic-aligned Senate Majority PAC and House Majority PAC. Together, the four committees reported $714.6 million in total receipts, meaning money routed through their affiliated nonprofits — One Nation, the American Action Network, Majority Forward and House Majority Forward — accounted for more than $1 of every $4 raised.

Unlike super PACs, which must report their donors to the Federal Election Commission, the affiliated 501(c) nonprofit groups are not required to disclose the original sources of their funds. According to Issue One, the Senate Leadership Fund alone received $70.74 million from One Nation since January 2025, about 28% of its receipts, including $24.29 million in June.

The organization said Republican-aligned committees accounted for 58% of both total receipts and dark money receipts among the four, with Democratic-aligned committees at 42%. Issue One reported that both parties are directing substantial sums through groups that shield donor identities from voters.

Sources: Issue One, Election Law Blog