X Services Down? Reports of Service Disruption Surge
Amanda M. Castro is a Newsweek Live Blog Editor based in New York. Her focus is reporting on U.S. politics, breaking news, consumer topics, and entertainment. She specializes in delivering in-depth news and live blog reporting and has experience covering U.S. presidential debates, awards shows, and more. Amanda joined Newsweek in 2024 from the The U.S. Sun and is a graduate of the University of New Haven.
You can get in touch with Amanda by emailing a.castro@newsweek.com.
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Newsweek
19 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Republicans Get Worrying Update in Red State Senate Race
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Republicans have received a concerning update about the 2026 Senate election in Iowa as a major election forecaster has reclassified the race as more competitive. Incumbent Senator Joni Ernst, who is running for a third term, recently sparked backlash from many Iowans after saying in response to concerns about potential Medicaid cuts, "Well, we are all going to die." Newsweek has contacted Ernst's campaign for comment via email. Why It Matters Iowa has shifted toward the GOP over the past decade, with President Donald Trump securing a 13-point victory in the state in 2024. However, one Democratic strategist told Newsweek that Ernst was making the race "more competitive every day," and the national party is eying the state as a potential flip. Democrats are targeting GOP-held seats in Maine, which Trump lost, and North Carolina, which he won by 3 points. They're also defending seats in Trump-won Georgia and Michigan, but there are no other obvious flip opportunities for the party. So Democrats' chances of retaking the Senate in 2026 hinge on their ability to make competitive races in states Trump carried by double digits, such as Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Ohio and Texas. Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa, at the Hill and Valley Forum in Washington, D.C., on April 30. Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa, at the Hill and Valley Forum in Washington, D.C., on April 137 Ventures/Founders Fund/Jacob Helberg What to Know Election forecaster Sabato's Crystal Ball announced this week that it was reclassifying Iowa as a more competitive race, though Ernst is still favored to win reelection next November. The election shifted from "Safe Republican" to "Likely Republican" in the forecaster's latest Senate ratings. In a report explaining the change, forecasters J. Miles Coleman and Kyle Kondik wrote that Ernst would be running in a "more challenging environment than she faced in either of her previous two elections." "In 2014, she won as part of a broader GOP wave—and she got help from a gaffe-prone opponent. Six years later, she won reelection as Trump was carrying Iowa by a strong margin (Ernst ran a little bit behind Trump)," they wrote. "It's possible that 2026 could be like 2018: Iowa did not have a Senate election that year, but Democrats did end up winning three of the state's four U.S House seats that year, and we suspect that if Iowa had had a Senate election, it likely at least would have been close." Iowa Democratic strategist Jeff Link told Newsweek that Ernst was making the race more competitive "every day" despite Republicans' "substantial voter registration edge in the state." "She ran as an outsider and in just two terms has become the consummate Washington insider, telling Iowans to essentially 'take what you get' from Washington," he said. "That's a very different candidate that was elected in 2014." So far, Ernst has drawn two challengers on the Democratic side. Nathan Sage, a Marine Corps veteran who leads the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, and Iowa state Representative J.D. Scholten—who almost unseated former U.S. Representative Steve King, a Republican, in a deeply conservative district in 2018. State Senator Zach Wahls is also speculated to be considering jumping into the Democratic primary. A May poll showed Sage with an early lead against Ernst, though other surveys into the race have not been released. Coleman and Kondik said Ernst's initial town hall remarks "did not really tempt us to immediately move off our Safe Republican rating for her race," but that her response to the backlash seemed to be "daring Democrats to make an effort in Iowa." What People Are Saying Iowa Democratic strategist Jeff Link told Newsweek: "We have three candidates who bring youth and energy to this race. For a Democrat to succeed, they need to listen to Iowans, particularly in rural Iowa, and bring a populist perspective that stands up for the average Iowan rather than the lobbyists and Washington insiders." Rachel Paine Caufield, a professor and co-chair of Drake University's Department of Political Science, previously told Newsweek: "Democrats are energized. Iowa Democrats are frustrated and are really looking to mobilize to push back against Donald Trump and reclaim at least one house of Congress, so you might see renewed energy on the Democratic side." Iowa Democratic Senate candidate Nathan Sage told local outlet The Gazette: "I'm out here trying to bring a little bit more of a voice of working-class individuals to Washington and fight for them to have a better life, instead of trying to survive every day. Trying to actually make Iowans thrive." Nick Puglia, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told The Hill in May: "It doesn't matter which radical Democrat gets nominated in their messy primary because Iowans are going to re-elect Senator Joni Ernst to keep fighting for them in 2026." What Happens Next Iowa's primary elections are scheduled for June 2, 2026, with the general election following on November 3. It remains to be seen whether other candidates will announce runs, and as the race draws closer, further polling may indicate how competitive it will be. Sabato's Crystal Ball also ranked Senate races in Ohio and Texas as "Likely Republican." Maine's Senate race was marked "Leans Republican," while races in Georgia, Michigan and North Carolina were toss-ups. Minnesota and New Hampshire's Senate races were classified as "Leans Democrat."
Newsweek
19 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Trump Responds to Elon Musk Big Bill Criticism
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. 🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur. President Donald Trump has responded to his ally Elon Musk's blistering criticism of his "big, beautiful bill." Musk has called the bill "outrageous" and "pork-filled" and attacked Republicans for supporting it. On Wednesday, in the Oval Office, Trump said that he'd rather Musk "criticize me than criticize the bill." This is a breaking news story, updates to follow.
Newsweek
24 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Full List of Democratic Leaders Who've Left the Party Since 2024 Election
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. With news of Karine Jean-Pierre's departure from the Democratic Party making waves, the former White House press secretary joins a growing list of high-profile Democrats distancing themselves from the party in the wake of the 2024 election. Newsweek has reached out to several political scientists and historians for comment via email on Thursday. Why It Matters Last November marked a pivotal election in the United States, with Donald Trump returning to the White House after winning both the popular vote and the Electoral College. The scale of the Republican Party's triumph in November—taking the White House, flipping the Senate, and maintaining control of the House—has sparked widespread soul-searching within the Democratic Party over what went wrong and how to rebuild. Democratic leaders have come under criticism from within, some for pushing the party too far left, and others for appearing too conciliatory toward Trump, and a number who have felt disillusioned with its agenda have left the party entirely to either identify as independent or as a Republican. Democrats Who've Left The Party Jean-Pierre, once a staunch defender of the Democratic Party and then-President Joe Biden, announced she has left the party to become an independent. The move coincides with the upcoming release of her book, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines, which is set for release in the fall. Others have already left the Democratic party, including a number of state-level lawmakers. Kentucky State Senator Robin Webb While some Democrats have switched to become independent, Webb flipped parties, now identifying as a Republican, which is relatively rare in American politics. She was the last Democrat representing Eastern Kentucky in the state Senate. "While it's cliché, it's true: I didn't leave the party—the party left me," Webb said in the statement. "The Kentucky Democratic Party has increasingly alienated lifelong rural Democrats like myself by failing to support the issues that matter most to rural Kentuckians." She wrote that she no longer felt the party represented her values amid a "lurch to the left" and a "hyperfocus on policies that hurt workforce and economic development" in the region, which is known for its coal industry. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva Florida State Representative Hillary Cassel In December, Cassel framed her decision to become a Republican around several key themes. She emphasized her roles as both a mother and a Jewish woman, expressing desire to "build a world where our children are judged on their character and their actions not their labels." Cassel specifically cited growing concerns about the Democratic Party's stance on Israel, pointing to what she described as its "failure to unequivocally support Israel and its willingness to tolerate extreme progressive voices that justify or condone acts of terrorism." She also highlighted frustration with the party's ability to "relate to everyday Floridians." Florida State Representative Susan Valdés Nearly a month after the November election, Valdés announced her decision to flip from being a Democrat to a Republican. In her statement noting her departure, she noted that she prefers to follow the agenda that Republican House Speaker Daniel Perez has laid out, which she says focuses on "empowering House members to work on real problems facing our communities." She added that she is "tired of being the party of protesting when I got into politics to be part of the party of progress." Florida State Senator Jason Pizzo In April, Pizzo, who was then the Senate Minority leader, said on the floor of the Florida Senate that the "Democratic Party in Florida" was "dead," criticizing modern partisanship as "a mess" and calling for practical leadership over politics. "Stripping myself of the title of a party designation allows me to run free and clear, clean and transparent," he said, a nod to his rumored 2026 gubernatorial ambitions. He is currently nonaffiliated. Democratic National Committee fundraiser Lindy Li "It's like leaving a cult," Li said in December, explaining that she was ostracized for questioning then-Vice President Kamala Harris's political ambitions and Biden's leadership abilities. Li was part of the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) finance committee and has been critical of her party since Harris' election loss, calling it a "$1 billion disaster." Even ahead of the 2024 election, some Democrats have signaled frustration and disillusionment with the party, with Senator Joe Manchin notably leaving the party to identify as an independent. Others, like State Representative Shawn Thierry, switched parties after losing her Democratic primary. However, on the flip side, this week, former Republican Congressman David Jolly announced his Florida gubernatorial run as a Democrat. What People Are Saying Professor Michael Kazin, an expert on U.S. politics and social movements in Georgetown University's history department, told Newsweek in an email Thursday: "In the past, politicians switched parties either when they felt their old party no longer represented their views (examples include Charlie Crist in FL, Wayne Morse in Oregon, and Ronald Reagan) or when they thought they had a better chance to win a primary or general election as the candidate of the other partisan battle-lines are pretty rigid, and it's become perilous for a politician to cross them." U.S. Representative James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, on X, formerly Twitter: "Congratulations to my dear friend Sen Robin Webb for switching parties. Like so many good honest people with common sense who work hard and pay taxes, the Democrat party has abandoned them. Robin will make an excellent addition to our great Kentucky State Senate Majority!" Then-president-elect Donald Trump said on Truth Social in December: "Congratulations to Hillary Cassel for becoming the second State Representative from the Great State of Florida to switch her Party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, once more expanding the GOP Supermajority in the State House! I would further like to invite other Disillusioned Democrats to switch Parties, and join us on this noble quest to Save our Country and, Make America Great Again - GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. THANK YOU HILLARY!" What Happens Next Some of the former Democrat lawmakers who have changed their party affiliations are up for reelection in 2026.
