NOTUS

Oil Tycoon and GOP Donor Harold Hamm Asked Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt for Senate Appointment Hamm is one of the wealthiest people in America and a Trump ally. He also called the White House about the job.

In addition to asking the Oklahoma governor, Hamm also called the White House to express interest in the job, two sources say https://www.notus.org/senate/harold-hamm-markwayne-mullin-senate-appointment-ask

A Judge Is Again Ordering FEMA to Restore a Key Disaster-Prevention Program FEMA was hit Friday with a “motion to enforce” a court order after failing to restore a hazard-mitigation and disaster-prevention program mandated by Congress.

FEMA was hit with a “motion to enforce” a court order after failing to restore a hazard-mitigation and disaster-prevention program mandated by Congress. https://www.notus.org/courts/fema-court-order

Republicans Want to Protect the AI Industry as the Pentagon Cracks Down on Anthropic Republicans on the Hill are not jumping to defend Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to designate Anthropic as a supply-chain risk.

The Trump administration’s plan to shut Anthropic out of the government could disrupt not just the AI giant’s bottom line, but the U.S. AI sector as a whole. https://www.notus.org/anthropic-defense-ai-industry-competitiveness-china-concerns

Trump Keeps Moving the Goalposts on his War With Iran A timeline of Trump's shifting rationale for bombing Iran.

The administration has insisted that the goal was not regime change, and that it would not engage in “feckless nation building.” But Trump signaled that the U.S. would be involved in charting Iran’s future. https://www.notus.org/trump-white-house/trump-goalposts-war-iran

Republicans Want to Protect the AI Industry as the Pentagon Cracks Down on Anthropic Republicans on the Hill are not jumping to defend Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to designate Anthropic as a supply-chain risk.

Republicans want to protect the AI industry as the Pentagon cracks down on Anthropic https://www.notus.org/anthropic-defense-ai-industry-competitiveness-china-concerns

A Judge Is Again Ordering FEMA to Restore a Key Disaster-Prevention Program FEMA was hit Friday with a “motion to enforce” a court order after failing to restore a hazard-mitigation and disaster-prevention program mandated by Congress.

In the order, the judge made clear that he believes FEMA has failed to comply with his ruling in part due to staffing shortages. https://www.notus.org/courts/fema-court-order

Oil Tycoon and GOP Donor Harold Hamm Asked Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt for Senate Appointment Hamm is one of the wealthiest people in America and a Trump ally.

Oil and gas magnate Harold Hamm, one of the wealthiest people in America and a major Republican donor, called Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt to ask for the appointment to Oklahoma’s newly open Senate seat. https://www.notus.org/senate/harold-hamm-markwayne-mullin-senate-appointment-ask

The National Park Service is removing signs staff reported as “factually accurate.”
https://www.notus.org/trump-white-house/national-park-service-removing-signs-staff-reported-factually-accurate

Momentum to make daylight saving time permanent appears to have stalled. Even the bill’s sponsors are pretty sure clock changing is here to stay — for now.
https://www.notus.org/policy/daylight-saving-clock-change-congress-laws

Air Travel Executives Sound the Alarm as DHS Shutdown Continues Top travel industry executives are blasting Congress for failing to fund the Department of Homeland Security as peak travel season approaches.

Top travel industry executives are blasting Congress for failing to fund the DHS as peak travel season approaches.
https://www.notus.org/congress/dhs-funding-vote-tsa-airlines-travel

What’s Next for Markwayne Mullin’s Senate Confirmation Mullin has support from one Democrat so far. But he’s insulted a key GOP senator overseeing his nomination.

What’s Next for Markwayne Mullin’s Senate Confirmation
https://www.notus.org/congress/mullin-dhs-senate-confirmation-democrats-rand-paul-schumer

Moderate Republicans Back War in Iran Despite Democratic Midterm Threats House Democrats who voted against a resolution to limit Trump’s powers are also under fire.

Two Republicans — Rep. Thomas Massie and Rep. Warren Davidson — supported the war powers resolution and four Democrats opposed it: Reps. Greg Landsman, Henry Cuellar, Jared Golden and Juan Vargas.
https://www.notus.org/congress/moderate-republicans-war-iran-democratic-midterm-threats-campaigns

GOP Congressman Calls Top Pentagon Official’s Testimony ‘Gross’ and ‘Disingenuous’ Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby appeared in front of the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday.

Republican Rep. Mike Turner tore into a top Department of Defense official during a fiery House Armed Services Committee hearing, calling his testimony “gross” and “disingenuous.”
https://www.notus.org/defense/gop-republican-mike-turner-pentagon-eldridge-colby-iran-war-testimony-armed-services

One Year After Musk’s Wisconsin Spending Blitz, the State’s Supreme Court Race Falls Quiet Liberal candidate Chris Taylor is outraising her conservative opponent Maria Lazar.

One year after Elon Musk’s Wisconsin spending blitz, the state’s Supreme Court race falls quiet.
www.notus.org/2026-electio...

Democrats Say ‘Good Riddance’ to Noem That doesn’t mean they’ll vote to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

“The president has fired Kristi Noem, good riddance,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “But the problems at ICE transcend any one individual.”
https://www.notus.org/congress/democrats-kristi-noem-out-dhs-funding-talks

Democrats Join Deported DACA Recipient to Push for Her Return The Trump administration has deported dozens of immigrants brought into the country as children.

Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla and Dick Durbin and Rep. Delia Ramirez vowed to continue pressing the Trump administration to stop targeting DACA recipients and bring back some of the people it already deported.
www.notus.org/immigration/...

Oklahoma Republicans Are Already Eyeing Markwayne Mullin’s Senate Seat Mullin’s likely move to the Department of Homeland Security is setting off a scramble for his seat.

Oklahoma Republicans are already eyeing Markwayne Mullin’s Senate seat.

Rep. Kevin Hern is expected to soon launch a bid for Senate, and Rep. Stephanie Bice is also considering a run for Senate, sources tell NOTUS.
www.notus.org/2026-electio...

FEMA Staff Are Happy to See Kristi Noem Go “Anyone is better than that dog murderer,” a longtime FEMA employee said.

“Anyone is better than that dog murderer,” a longtime FEMA employee said of Kristi Noem leaving her post at DHS.
https://www.notus.org/climate-environment/fema-staff-happy-to-see-kristi-noem-go

FEMA Staff Are Happy to See Kristi Noem Go “Anyone is better than that dog murderer,” a longtime FEMA employee said.

"Anyone's better than that dog murderer."

FEMA staff are rejoicing at Kristi Noem's ouster. I've had folks asking me for months if I knew when she might get fired.

That day is finally here, and they are delighted.

Ken Paxton Offers Terms for His Potential Exit from Texas Senate Race President Donald Trump said he would endorse in the race between Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn “soon.”

Texas AG Ken Paxton offers terms for his potential exit from the Texas Senate race.
https://www.notus.org/campaigns/ken-paxton-terms-exit-texas-senate-race-campaign-john-cornyn-trump-endorsement

Republican Leaders Call on Tony Gonzales to Withdraw from Reelection The congressman said Wednesday that he had an affair with a staffer.

House Republican leadership is calling on Rep. Tony Gonzales to withdraw his bid for reelection.
https://www.notus.org/house/republican-leaders-tony-gonzales-withdraw-reelection-bid

Twenty-Four States Sue the Trump Administration Over Global Tariffs The states argue the president’s tariffs are illegal and raise prices for consumers.

24 states are suing the Trump administration to block the president’s global tariffs.
https://www.notus.org/trade-tariffs/twenty-four-states-sue-trump-administration-global-tariffs

Kristi Noem Is Leaving the Trump Administration Noem's position had been on shaky ground for weeks, amid backlash around her handling of the agency.

President Trump announced Thursday that Kristi Noem is out as DHS secretary. https://www.notus.org/trump-white-house/kristi-noem-department-of-homeland-security-secretary-out

Centrist Democrats Are Plotting How Not to Blow It in 2028 At a conference in South Carolina, moderates shared data, advice and gripes as they set out to try and get a candidate who can win a primary and defeat Trumpism.

Democratic primary voters are more likely to watch “Law & Order” than “Heated Rivalry,” said one conference speaker, saying that candidates need to recalibrate what they think the average member of the party looks like and believes.
www.notus.org/2028-electio...

Johnson’s Latest Headache: Republicans Who Lost Their Primaries Skipping Votes “We’ve been passing things here, basically, by the skin of our teeth, and if we have any absences, it’s a pretty untenable situation,” Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart told NOTUS.

“Those people who lost their primaries, who are not going to be here, they still have responsibilities,” Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart told NOTUS.

“So I expect them to show up, because otherwise we have a problem.”
www.notus.org/congress/joh...

Presidential Libraries Are Black Boxes — And Not Just Trump’s Funding disclosure for these institutions is sometimes inconsistent, incomplete or inaccurate, leaving the public in the dark.

Some corporate donors didn’t actually donate. Others did, but didn’t disclose as lobbying law required. The law, one government watchdog said, is “inadequate to the task.”

@notus.com cracks open the black boxes that are presidential libraries: www.notus.org/money/presid...

The Bipartisan Duo Pressing Congress to Assert Its War Powers Sens. Rand Paul and Tim Kaine bonded on the Foreign Relations Committee over their shared passion to protect congressional authority.

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine and Republican Sen. Rand Paul’s unlikely partnership of more than a decade is now front and center with another conflict in the Middle East.
https://www.notus.org/congress/kaine-paul-war-powers-constitution-iran-congress

The Invest In Tomorrow Coalition PAC, a pro-green energy spending group, says they are targeting Freedom Caucus members on MAGA-friendly platforms like Rumble and Truth Social.
https://www.notus.org/newsletters/he-had-something-in-mind

Can Trump Convince Americans War with Iran Is Worth It? Trump went full speed ahead on striking Iran. He still has yet to make the case to a skeptical public.

Can Donald Trump convince Americans war with Iran is worth it?
www.notus.org/donald-trump...

Presidential Libraries Are Black Boxes — And Not Just Trump’s Funding disclosure for these institutions is sometimes inconsistent, incomplete or inaccurate, leaving the public in the dark.

A NOTUS review of federal records and library disclosure documents, coupled with interviews with more than 30 presidential library foundation donors, indicates that available information is routinely incomplete, inconsistent or inaccurate.
www.notus.org/money/presid...