Election highlights: New Hampshire Senate race set for November with John Sununu and Chris Pappas
NBC News Clone summarizes the latest on: Trump 2026 Midterm Election New Hampshire Congress Iran Live Updates Rcna596406 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone. This article is rewritten and presented in a simplified tone for a better reader experience.
In Missouri, competing court rulings today put the state’s congressional map in limbo less than two months from Election Day in November.

What to know today
- NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARIES: In New Hampshire's Senate primary, former Sen. John Sununu emerged victorious in a GOP field that included another former senator, Scott Brown. Sununu will face Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, who fended off democratic socialist Karishma Manzur.
- MISSOURI REDISTRICTING: A legal fight over whether Missouri Republicans can use a redrawn congressional map for this fall’s midterm elections was cast into chaos this evening after two different courts issued conflicting rulings.
- SMITHSONIAN HEAD TO STEP DOWN: Lonnie Bunch III announced he will step down as head of the Smithsonian Institution by the end of the year. He is leaving at a vulnerable time for the sprawling institution, which has come under attack by the Trump administration over its direction.
Coverage of this live blog has ended. For the latest news, click here.

Rep. Chris Pappas asked voters whether they feel they are living in Trump’s “golden age” after his projected win in New Hampshire’s Democratic Senate primary.

Former Sen. John Sununu thanked his family and supporters after his projected win in the Republican Senate primary in New Hampshire. Sununu previously served in the Senate from 2003 to 2009.
New Hampshire's primary races spotlight political dynasties
It's interesting to see the dynasty component of tonight's primaries in New Hampshire.
We’re talking about the Sununus on the Republican side, as former Sen. John Sununu's father, also named John Sununu, was New Hampshire's governor before he went on to be President George H.W. Bush's chief of staff.

New Hampshire Republican Senate candidate John Sununu, accompanied by his wife, Kitty, tonight. CJ Gunther / Getty Images
In November, Sununu will try to win back a Senate seat that he held from 2003 to 2009, after he lost it to Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
Shaheen's daughter Stefany Shaheen is trying to do that on the House side for the Democratic Party.
I think that was sort of a bit of the subtext of this campaign, though it's maybe not even subtext. I think it was pretty overt in this campaign.
There was a question of: Is there going to be a bit of a backlash to that? Are voters going to say Shaheen is riding too much on her family's coattails?
Texas Democratic Party chair defends Jasmine Crockett's keeping her distance from James Talarico
The chair of the Democratic Party in Texas today defended Rep. Jasmine Crockett's decision to focus her campaign efforts on local candidates instead of James Talarico's bid for the Senate.
"Well, you win elections from the bottom up, not from the top down, and that’s how we’ve been structuring our party," chair Kendall Scudder said in an interview. "I think down-ballots are what win this race for us statewide, and so she’s doing a great service to the party. I’m grateful to it."
Crockett conceded to Talarico in the Democratic primary for a Senate seat in Texas in March, writing on X at the time that she congratulated Talarico and that "Democrats must rally around our nominees and win."

James Talarico and Jasmine Crockett. Getty Images; Bloomberg via Getty Images
Crockett said she would be "campaigning down ballot," rather than specifically speaking out to promote Talarico's candidacy.
Asked whether Crockett's supporters need a more explicit push from the party to get behind Talarico, Scudder disputed the idea that Crockett has not given him enough support.
"I read Jasmine Crockett’s full-throated endorsement of Talarico the day after the election," Scudder said.
In response to her decision to focus more on local races, Scudder said, "I don’t have any business to tell her what she can and can’t do or what she should or shouldn’t do."
"What I do know is that our nominee is endorsed by the person that ran against him, and theirs isn’t," he added, referring to the fact that Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has not endorsed state Attorney General Ken Paxton after Paxton won the Republican primary for the seat.
Trump endorsed Paxton ahead of the GOP runoff.
Incumbent Maggie Goodlander wins the Democratic primary in New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District, NBC News projects
Incumbent Maggie Goodlander wins the Democratic primary in New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District, NBC News projects.
Goodlander faced state Rep. Paige Beauchemin, who challenged her from the left on Israel, healthcare and other issues.

John Sununu wins the Republican Senate primary in New Hampshire, NBC News projects
John Sununu wins the Republican Senate primary in New Hampshire, NBC News projects.

Incumbent Kelly Ayotte wins the Republican primary for New Hampshire governor, NBC News projects
Incumbent Kelly Ayotte wins the Republican primary for New Hampshire governor, NBC News projects.

Chris Pappas wins the Democratic Senate primary in New Hampshire, NBC News projects
Chris Pappas wins the Democratic Senate primary in New Hampshire, NBC News projects.

Cinde Warmington wins the Democratic primary for New Hampshire governor, NBC News projects
Cinde Warmington wins the Democratic primary for New Hampshire governor, NBC News projects.

Polls begin closing in New Hampshire
Polls close between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET in New Hampshire, depending on the locality.

Voters cast their ballots at a polling location in Candia, N.H., today. Mel Musto / Bloomberg via Getty Images
Supreme Court rejects Missouri Republicans’ request to use new congressional map
The Supreme Court today rejected a last-ditch effort by Missouri Republicans to use a newly drawn congressional map, which was designed to maximize their political power, for this year’s midterm elections.

The Missouri Capitol. David A. Lieb / AP file
In a brief order issued by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the court left in place a Missouri Supreme Court ruling last week that said the map could not be used while a ballot initiative that could lead to the redrawn map's being tossed out by voters moves forward. Kavanaugh handles emergency requests that arise from Missouri.
The 2025 Republican redistricting plan, part of a wave prompted by Trump, was designed to eliminate one of the state’s two Democratic-held seats, currently held by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.
But the Supreme Court’s decision means that the 2022 map, with six Republican-held seats and two Democratic-held seats, will remain in place.
The Senate is up for grabs as Democrats navigate a tough map and Republicans face a stormy environment

Senate Republican leader John Thune; Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. Bloomberg via Getty Images; Getty Images
From the start of Trump’s second term, it was clear that this year’s battle for the Senate majority would come down to what happened on Republican turf. Now, there’s an increasing sense in both parties that the Senate is up for grabs this fall, even in red territory.
JB Pritzker debuts PAC set to invest $20 million ahead of the midterms
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is backing a new political action committee that plans to spend at least $20 million in support of Democratic candidates ahead of the midterm elections.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Talia Sprague / Bloomberg via Getty Images file
The Ready for the Fight PAC, chaired by Pritzker, launched today with plans to invest in ads against "the worst of the worst MAGA Republicans," including Rep. Max Miller, who faces allegations of domestic abuse (which he denies), and Brandon Herrera, a pro-gun activist who's running for Congress in Texas.
"With everything we care about on the line, Democrats cannot retreat to a handful of battleground races," the PAC said in a news release. "The new PAC will ensure Democrats competing in districts that Trump won will have the resources and support to fight MAGA candidates who put their fealty to Donald Trump above delivering for the people of their districts."
The PAC's name is derived from the line Pritzker regularly uses to close his speeches. Earlier today, the PAC released its first video, which opens with a clip of Pritzker asking supporters, "Are you ready for the fight?"
Biden says radiation treatment for cancer 'worked as intended'

Former President Joe Biden this year. Sean Rayford / Getty Images file
Former President Joe Biden said in a statement today that treatment for his prostate cancer has “worked as intended.”
Biden released a lengthy post on X today commemorating Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place in September, encouraging people to speak to their doctors about the disease.
Biden thanked his medical staff for helping “control” his cancer, which he said had spread to his bones by the time it was discovered.
“The radiation treatment from last fall worked as intended, and I continue to do the things I care about, like finishing my memoir,” Biden wrote.
Biden did not elaborate on what he meant by the treatment's having worked as “intended,” and he did not share details about his prognosis or disease state or whether he would require further treatment. Biden’s son Hunter Biden said in an interview last month that the former president’s disease had spread, and former first lady Jill Biden told NBC News this summer that Joe Biden would live with cancer for the rest of his life.
Second GOP senator from Kansas pushes back on Trump's call to ban Bombardier plane

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images file
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., is now the second GOP senator from his state to criticize Trump's call to ban the Bombardier plane.
The Canadian aerospace company, headquartered in Kansas, has been caught in the tit-for-tat tariff crossfire between the U.S. and Canada.
"I’m going to fight to keep Bombardier’s over 1,200 Kansas jobs. I’ve already taken that concern inside the Oval Office," Marshall said on X. "We agree on the mission: bring more good-paying manufacturing jobs back to Wichita. America buys more than half of what Bombardier sells. If that’s the market, more of those planes should be built here."
"Wichita has one of the nation’s top skilled manufacturing workforces and is a leader in aerospace manufacturing," he added. "I remember when my classmates’ parents worked at Learjet—later Bombardier—when it employed well over 3,000 people. Bombardier is obligated to grow that footprint in Kansas again."
Trump said yesterday that Bombardier shouldn't be allowed to sell its planes in the U.S., which Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., rejected.
Former top aide to Ken Paxton endorses James Talarico in ad
The former director of law enforcement for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton endorsed Paxton's opponent, James Talarico, in ad Talarico's campaign released today.
“Ken Paxton ended my five-decade career in public service because I blew the whistle on his corruption,” David Maxwell, a former Texas Ranger, said in the ad. "I am supporting James Talarico for U.S. Senate."
Paxton fired Maxwell and three other top deputies after they reported him to the FBI in 2020 for allegedly taking bribes. Maxwell testified against Paxton during his 2023 impeachment trial.
Paxton denied wrongdoing and was eventually acquitted by the Republican-majority state Senate on 16 articles of impeachment. The impeachment effort was condemned by Trump, then out of office.
Maxwell and the other whistleblowers were later awarded a total of $6.6 million in damages after a judge determined that Paxton's office had violated a state law protecting whistleblowers.
In a statement released by Talarico's campaign, Maxwell said, “Texans deserve a Senator who serves the people — not a crook who serves himself.”
Talarico said he and Maxwell are "building a campaign that will enforce the law and put an end to corruption in Texas.”
Paxton's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump administration gives DOJ civil rights unit a new focus: Voter fraud
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has sent election monitors to polling places for decades to protect voters from discrimination on the basis of race, disability or the languages they speak. The Trump administration is retooling that effort for November’s midterm elections with an additional focus on voter fraud.
Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch is leaving amid tensions with Trump
Lonnie G. Bunch III will step down as head of the sprawling Smithsonian Institution by the end of the year, he said today.
He will depart at a vulnerable time for the institution, which includes dozens of museums, along with libraries, research centers and the National Zoo. While the Smithsonian has traditionally operated independently of the party in power, the Trump administration has repeatedly criticized its presentation of America’s past. Last week, the Interior Department threatened to cut off support, alleging that Smithsonian facilities present a “radical ideology” that weakens “shared American identity.”

Lonnie Bunch III. Al Drago / The Washington Post via Getty Images file
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow work on database used to verify voters' citizenship
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court today to block a lower court order that paused the administration's changes to a database used to check people's citizenship status, including that of voters.
U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan in Washington, D.C., blocked the Trump administration in June from using the database, the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, to vet state voter rolls, writing that the administration had "trampled on the privacy rights of American citizens in a manner that threatens the sacred right to vote.”
The D.C. Circuit denied a request to pause Sooknanan’s order.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in the Supreme Court filing that the district court issued "an indefensible order that threatens the integrity of upcoming elections by vacating the federal government’s authority to internally use Social Security data" when it responds to states' requests to verify people's citizenship for voting and other purposes.
Trump launched the voter vetting effort in March 2025 with an executive order, much of which has been blocked by lower courts.
Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, a legal group that's helping represent plaintiffs in the case, said in response to the administration's filing that lower courts had rejected the administration's effort "to revive an unlawful system that puts Americans’ privacy and fundamental freedom to vote at risk.”
"The stakes could not be higher: millions of Americans’ sensitive personal information and the integrity of our elections are on the line, just weeks before the midterm elections," Perryman said in a statement. "We will continue working alongside our clients and partners to protect voters, their privacy, and the rule of law at every step of the process.”
The poorest in the U.S. can’t find housing even as low-income units sit empty
Mathew Davis, who lives in a homeless shelter in Austin, Texas, would love an apartment of his own. But with the little money he makes donating blood plasma, even a $450-a-month tiny home with no running water and a communal bathroom would be a stretch.
Meanwhile, more than 4,500 units the city classifies as affordable — nearly 16% — sit empty.
“I don’t make enough money really to afford anything,” Davis, 49, said of the few hundred dollars he earns a month. “I just keep trying to swim uphill.”
The poorest people in the U.S. face the most acute shortages of affordable homes. But the majority of low-income housing financed in recent years is for those earning 50% of an area’s median income or above, according to a survey of state housing agencies.
Trump and Putin held hourlong call, Putin aide says
Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had an hourlong phone call, according to Putin's foreign affairs aide, Yuri Ushakov.
Ushakov declined to detail the call, saying it was confidential, but he called it constructive. He said the two leaders discussed the visits of special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Russia and Ukraine in recent days.
Ushakov said Trump hoped for a quick end to the war, which he claimed Trump said would lead to the United States' restoring ties with Russia. Putin denied that Russia had any ill intention toward Europe, Ushakov said.
The two leaders also agreed to continue humanitarian work and did not close the door on a future prisoner exchange, he said.
NBC News has reached out to the White House for comment.
Witkoff and Kushner met separately with Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy said earlier today that he was "counting on a meeting" with Trump at the end of the month to discuss Ukraine's anti-ballistic missile shortage.
While he was campaigning for president, Trump repeatedly said he could quickly end the conflict. No significant progress has been made toward ending it yet.
Trump honors 9/11 victims at a White House event

Trump honored 9/11 victims during a White House event, announcing that the Coast Guard was commissioning a ship named after one victim and posthumously honored another with a Medal of Freedom.
Trump remembered Jeffrey Palazzo, a firefighter and a Coast Guard reservist who was killed in the attacks. He said that the Coast Guard was commissioning a "fast response cutter" boat and acknowledged Palazzo's family.
The president also posthumously honored Welles Crowther with a Medal of Freedom, which he presented to Crowther's mother and sister. Crowther, an equities trader and volunteer firefighter remembered as the "man in the red bandana," made multiple trips in the World Trade Center to help rescue survivors. He was on the 104th floor when the south tower was hit.
"Thank you so very much, Mr. President, for this enormous honor that you’ve bestowed upon my son Welles in remembrance of his selfless actions on September 11th," said Alison Crowther, Welles' mother. "This means the world to me, my daughters, Paige and Honor, and our entire family. This will be treasured for generations to come."
Friday marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Veterans and anti-Trump group launch campaign against Trump's 250-foot arch
The largest Democratic veterans group in the U.S. and an anti-Trump organization have launched a campaign against the president's proposed 250-foot arch that is set to be built between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial.
The groups, VoteVets and Home of the Brave, released a video campaign with The Cultural Landscape Foundation today to urge public action against the arch. The video opens with Paul Eaton, retired Army major general standing in Memorial Circle, where the arch would be located.
"What the Trump administration proposes is to plant a 250-foot-tall arch right here to break the sight line between the Lincoln Memorial and the cemetery, which is entirely inappropriate and borders on sacrilege to the men and women buried behind me," he said.
The video also features Gold Star mother Karen Meredith, whose son, First Lt. Ken Ballard, was killed in the Iraq War and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
"This proposal by this administration doesn’t bear well with me," she said. "There will be an observation deck. We don’t need tourists overlooking funerals. I’m just appalled."
Reached for comment, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said that the arch "is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world."
"It will enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike, serving as a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250 year history so we can enjoy our freedoms today," he said.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation said that it urge members of the public to contact the National Capital Planning Commission, which is expected to review the arch at a Oct. 1 meeting.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced last week that excavation work for the arch would begin over the next two weeks.
Iceland summons U.S. ambassador after Trump posts map showing island under American flag
Iceland summoned the U.S. ambassador yesterday after Trump posted an image on social media showing the island and other countries covered by the American flag, local broadcaster RUV said.
The map showed the United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean covered by the U.S. flag, with the entire landmass labeled “United States of America.”
Trump posted the image on his Truth Social platform without explanation.
U.S. sinks an Ecuadorian boat in the Pacific it alleges is tied to drug trafficking
U.S. Southern Command yesterday sank another Ecuadorian vessel that the U.S. alleged was linked to the criminal group Los Choneros.
It was the latest action by the U.S. against boats and vessels in Latin America that it said were involved in drug trafficking.
The joint task force intercepted a floating refueling station that supported illicit drug trafficking operations at sea in the Eastern Pacific, Southern Command said in a statement.
It added that the people on board the vessel were removed and will be transferred to Ecuadorian authorities.
NYC Mayor Mamdani announces 9/11 document release, including documents about toxic air
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced today that his administration created a public portal to release information about the city's response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and toxic air around ground zero.
"As part of our commitment to a governmental transparency that has too long been absent, City Hall has made a more than $34 million commitment to create a new public portal providing information about our city’s response to the horrific attack," he said, adding that the portal would include hundreds of thousands of pages of documents.

The mayor will attend the official remembrance ceremony Friday, as well as other events, such as interfaith programming and memorial services. Kyle Mazza / Anadolu via Getty Images
"These are documents that show what the city knew about the toxic air around Ground Zero, when they knew it, and how they acted to limit liability," Mamdani added.
The mayor also said his administration settled two lawsuits between the city and 9/11 Health Watch, an advocacy group for 9/11 first responders and survivors.
"I am proud to announce that our administration has settled two lawsuits between the city and 9/11 Health Watch, ending what has been a multi-year legal battle and restrictions on New Yorkers’ ability to access information that can shed valuable insight on air quality and health concerns," he said.
NBC News previously reported that Mamdani would attend at least eight events to commemorate the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The 25th anniversary of the attacks is Friday.
The mayor will attend the official remembrance ceremony Friday, as well as other events, such as interfaith programming and memorial services.
Amid toss-up Senate race, Michigan rabbis start petition aimed at El-Sayed
A group of Michigan rabbis and Jewish leaders who have been longtime Democrats has started a petition outlining "nonnegotiable" demands that they have for candidates to win their support, including recognizing Israel's legitimacy as a Jewish state.
"This is a good faith effort to make our needs unmistakably clear, and to invite any candidate seeking public office — now or in the future — to engage, listen, learn, and grow. We have the right to know, plainly, if those seeking our vote are willing to meet our baseline needs," the petition, first reported by The New York Times, says.
The group's other demands includes a commitment from candidates to Jewish safety, support for the right of individuals to define their Jewish identities, the welcoming of their participation in American political life and an "affirmative vision for a better future for the Middle East."
The petition doesn't explicitly name Michigan's Democratic Senate nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, but it's aimed at him, organizers said, as Jewish residents have expressed concerns about his comments on Israel and antisemitism, as well as his association with far-left commentator Hasan Piker.
El-Sayed's campaign didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
"Leaders who want our votes must demonstrate, with words and conduct, that they understand and respect our baseline needs. They must show it, not just say it," the group's petition says. "We know we speak for the vast majority of our community when we say that those who can’t meet our nonnegotiables have not earned our support — and should not assume they’ll get it."
Some of the Jewish leaders who started the petition include Michigan Board of Rabbis President Aaron Starr of Congregation Shaarey Zedek; Joan Lowenstein, the president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor; and Wendy Kohlenberg, the past president of Women of Temple Israel, a Detroit-area synagogue that was attacked in March by a U.S. citizen who lost family in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon.
Zelenskyy says he is 'counting on a meeting' with Trump this month
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters today that he is "counting on a meeting" with Trump at the end of the month to discuss Ukraine's anti-ballistic missile shortage.
"God willing, there will be a result," he said while answering reporters' questions through WhatsApp voice messages. "We're also moving toward, in my view, moving toward a trilateral format."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today. Andriy Zhyhaylo / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Zelenskyy appeared to be referring to a potential meeting between officials from the U.S., Ukraine and Russia. The parties held their first trilateral meeting in January, though the meeting did not include the countries' leaders.
"I can't reveal all the details here," Zelenskyy continued. "We agreed with the American side that we'd prepare all of this first, then work it out between ourselves, and only then communicate it to the public."
Reached for comment on Zelenskyy's remarks, a senior administration official said the U.S. is "exploring several potential pathways for future defense industrial cooperation with Ukraine."
"These discussions are in the exploratory phase; no specific industrial cooperation initiatives have been decided upon or guaranteed at this stage," the official said.
The official emphasized that the U.S. should prioritize expanding production of weapons systems for the U.S. and its allies. The official also added that "it is critical that all future industrial cooperation prioritize the security of U.S. technology."
The White House did not provide further information about a potential meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy or any plans for a trilateral meeting.
Zelenskyy's comments come after U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Ukraine for talks with Zelenskyy. They previously traveled to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin. Following talks with Zelenskyy over the weekend, Witkoff said U.S. officials were "very encouraged."
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly expressed confidence that he could end the war in Ukraine quickly. Since then, the U.S. and allies have found meaningful steps toward long-term peace between the warring nations elusive.
Jewish voters have long backed Democrats. Key midterm races are testing that support
Many Jewish Americans who have reliably voted Democratic are considering withholding support from the party — or even crossing the aisle in November — over concerns about rising antisemitism and progressive candidates’ stances on Israel.
New Mexico Democrats push back over Trump posts about renaming the state ‘New America’
New Mexico Democratic leaders are aggressively pushing back on Trump’s social media posts about renaming the state of New Mexico as “New America.”
“New Mexico’s name isn’t up for debate — it’s been ours since before the United States existed,” New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, said in a post on X featuring an image of the state labeled with “New Mexico.” “While the President tries to distract Americans from his disastrous war in Iran, the price of gas —and everything else — keeps rising.
“Under Democratic leadership here in New Mexico, we’re providing families with free childcare and college, protecting access to health care and investing in housing,” the governor continued. “While the White House wastes time coloring on maps, Nuevo México is busy doing the work. 🌶️”
Trump calls war with Iran a 'war' after tending to avoid the word
Trump predicted in a Truth Social post last night that oil prices would drop "when we WIN the war with Iran."
Trump made an effort not to call the U.S. military operations with Iran a "war," referring to it as "a little excursion" or a "military conflict," for example.
"I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us," the president said last week after referring to the conflict was a "war" in a Truth Social post. "It’s not a big thing."
Vice President JD Vance also said during a news conference last week that he "wouldn't call it a war."
Trump's post deviates from his repeatedly claiming victory over Iran. Trump said in March that "we won," and he said in April that "it's over, it's a great victory."
Ohio Democrat Amy Acton reflects on a ‘rough day’ as witnesses recall ‘frightening’ confrontation
Democrat Amy Acton vowed to continue on as a “fierce warrior” in her campaign for Ohio governor yesterday, a day after law enforcement officials said an armed man aggressively attempted to confront her at a county fair.
“Yes, we had a rough day yesterday,” Acton told the crowd at a Labor Day parade and festival in Cleveland, NBC affiliate WKYC reported. “I am a fierce warrior in this fight. That’s exactly why I’m running. I refuse to look the other way like people didn’t look the other way when I was a struggling kid in Youngstown, Ohio. I won’t look the other way, and you are refusing to look the other way.”
Acton was not injured during the Sunday incident at Mahoning County’s Canfield Fair, near Youngstown, but several others in the crowd were, officials and witnesses said. A suspect, Patrick Havas, was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and assault.

Zohran Mamdani packs schedule with 9/11 commemorations, including speaking at NYPD’s official ceremony
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will attend at least eight events over the next week to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City, according to a schedule his office shared with NBC News.
Those events include the official remembrance ceremony that will take place near the site in lower Manhattan where the World Trade Center stood, the New York Fire Department’s private ceremony tomorrow on Staten Island to honor victims, survivors and their families, and, later that same day, the New York City Police Department’s official ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the attacks, at which Mamdani will speak.
Trump calls for a Bombardier plane ban, drawing pushback from a GOP senator
Trump asserted yesterday that the Canadian aerospace company Bombardier should no longer be allowed to sell its planes in the U.S., opening a new front in his trade war hours before new Canadian tariffs on American goods took effect.
The move drew an objection hours later from Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., whose state hosts Bombardier’s U.S. headquarters.
It’s the latest example of pushback from Republican senators against Trump’s Canada trade policy, which has sparked back-and-forth tariffs months from the midterm elections.
Steve Kornacki on a tightening Senate primary in New Hampshire
New Hampshire is not expected to be a key Senate battleground this fall, but Republicans have their fingers crossed for a democratic socialist victory tonight that would scramble that thinking.
The Republican primary for the Senate is straightforward enough. In the race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, GOP voters are likely to nominate John E. Sununu, who held the seat for a term before losing to Shaheen back in 2008. Sununu — whose family is well known in New Hampshire politics — enjoys a commanding polling lead over Scott Brown, who represented Massachusetts in the Senate from 2010 to 2012 before moving to New Hampshire and unsuccessfully challenging Shaheen in 2014. The bulk of the party’s leadership is backing Sununu, including, crucially, Trump.
The Democratic contest is where the suspense lies.
New Hampshire primaries test Trump and the left
Trump’s endorsement will be put to the test once again today in New Hampshire’s primaries, where liberal Democrats are also looking to cap an ascendant primary season with additional victories.
Granite State voters are among the last in the country to choose nominees for November’s elections, and today’s contests will set the matchup in one of this year’s most competitive Senate races.
Here’s what to watch in New Hampshire, where poll closing times vary by municipality, ranging from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET.