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President Trump, center, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, right, listen as U.S. Sen Ted Cruz, R-Tex. speaks during a signing ceremony for an executive order on AI at the White House on Dec. 11, 2025. Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images The Trump administration is seeking to challenge state laws regulating the artificial intelligence industry, according to an executive order the president signed on Thursday, The order directs the Justice Department to set up an “AI Litigation Task Force” to sue states over their AI-related laws and also directs the the…

Politics / StudentNation / December 11, 2025 A legal fight could restore the state’s power to set its own limits on contributions to super PACs and encourage public financing. Ad Policy People gather outside of the Supreme Court Building to protest Citizens United in 2019.(Caroline Brehman / Getty) This story was produced for StudentNation, a program of the Nation Fund for Independent Journalism, which is dedicated to highlighting the best of student journalism. For more StudentNation, check out our archive or learn more about the program here. StudentNation is made possible through generous funding from The Puffin Foundation. If you’re a student and you…

Members of the Indiana Senate debate the redistricting plan backed by President Trump in the state capitol Thursday. Zach Bundy/WFYI hide caption toggle caption Zach Bundy/WFYI The Indiana Senate has voted 31 to 19 against the congressional redistricting called for by President Trump in his attempt to help Republicans win the 2026 midterm elections. The defeat Thursday in the Indiana Senate, where 40 of the 50 members are Republicans, is the first time Trump’s redistricting campaign has been voted down by members of his own party. Republicans in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina have answered his call for an unusual…

December 11, 2025 We may already be on a superhighway to the sort of class- and race-stratified autocracy that it took Russia so many years to become after the Soviet Union collapsed. Ad Policy Donald Trump walks with Vladimir Putin before taking a family photo at the G20 Summit in Osaka on June 28, 2019.(Brendan Smialowski / Getty Images) This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To stay on top of important articles like these, sign up to receive the latest updates from TomDispatch.com. It’s strange so many years later, in the United States of America, to feel as if I’m…

Good morning. You’re reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Today’s top stories The Senate is set to vote today on two health policy plans — one from Democrats and one from Republicans — aimed at reducing costs for individuals purchasing health insurance on Healthcare.gov. Meanwhile, some House Republicans want to force a vote to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire in less than three weeks. They warn that Republican leaders risk losing voters…

Politics / December 11, 2025 Jasmine Crockett can win the Texas Senate race—if voters of color get to the polls. Ad Policy Jasmine Crockett at a hearing to examine the unlawful detention of US citizens and immigrants by federal immigration agents at the LA Metropolitan Water District.(David Crane / MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News / Getty Images) Contrary to what Democratic elites think is conventional wisdom, Representative Jasmine Crockett is not just a viable candidate for the Texas US Senate race next year—she’s the strongest one. Pundits and Democratic politicians haved failed to appreciate her potential, clinging instead to outdated…

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., attends a news conference about SNAP benefits on Oct. 29 on Capitol Hill in Washington. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption toggle caption Jacquelyn Martin/AP Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat representing Massachusetts, is calling for scrutiny of two bids to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. In an interview with Morning Edition, Warren said the deals raise serious concerns about antitrust and would reduce competition for viewers and workers. Warner Brothers agreed to an $83 billion sale to Netflix, but that deal is not finalized. And now Paramount Skydance — owned by Larry Ellison, one of the world’s richest people,…

President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela as tensions mount with the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Using U.S. forces to take control of a merchant ship is incredibly unusual and marks the Trump administration’s latest push to increase pressure on Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism in the United States. The U.S. has built up…

National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Jennifer Homendy gave a strong rebuke of a defense authorization bill that rolls back safety improvements. The board recommended the changes after the January collision of a military Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people. Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images WASHINGTON — In an unusually harsh rebuke, the nation’s top safety investigator voiced concerns about a provision in the defense policy bill before Congress on Wednesday, warning that it would undermine aviation safety improvements made after a deadly mid-air…

Eileen Higgins is also the first Democrat in the position in nearly 30 years. MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: Miami has a new mayor-elect, and a history-making one at that, when voters there elected the city’s first female mayor last night, Eileen Higgins, a former county commissioner. She’s also the first Democrat to hold the seat in nearly 30 years. She beat Republican Emilio Gonzalez, who had the support of President Trump. For more on this, we turn now to Joshua Ceballos with member station WLRN. Good morning, Joshua.JOSHUA CEBALLOS, BYLINE: Good morning, Michel.MARTIN: So tell us more about last night’s election…