Election live updates: Democratic incumbents score wins in Massachusetts
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House Democrats discuss their agenda if they win back the chamber this fall, while GOP leadership proposes preserving the Supreme Court’s size.
What to know today
- MASSACHUSETTS PRIMARIES: Democratic Sen. Ed Markey defeated Rep. Seth Moulton in the Senate primary in Massachusetts in a victory for the party’s progressive wing. Reps. Stephen Lynch, and Richard Neal, meanwhile, defeated younger, more progressive primary challengers in a pair of high-profile tests for House incumbents after a turbulent primary season.
- DEMOCRATS’ PLANS: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., outlined four agenda items for a potential Democratic House majority that set a direct contrast with President Donald Trump: reversing Medicaid cuts, extending Affordable Care Act tax credits, asserting Congress’ authority over tariffs and ending the Iran war.
- SUPREME COURT AMENDMENT: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Republicans will introduce a constitutional amendment today that would mandate a maximum number of nine justices on the Supreme Court.
U.S.-Canada trade talks can resume 'when the Americans stop doing memes,' Carney says
U.S.-Canada talks on a trade deal can resume, but only if U.S. officials start being serious and “stop doing memes,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said.
Trade negotiations between the longtime allies broke down last month over what both sides said were unacceptable last-minute demands. The Trump administration has since imposed 50% tariffs on billions in Canadian goods, to which Canada has responded with what Carney called “dollar for dollar” tariffs on U.S. goods that take effect next week. Trump also signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America,” posting a number of memes about it.
“Our plan has always been standing up for Canada first and foremost here at home — building Canada at home, diversifying abroad,” Carney told reporters in Ottawa yesterday. “Everyone in the world wants to do more with Canada.”
“There’s a positive opportunity that has always existed with the United States for a mutually beneficial trade deal that respects Canadian sovereignty. But it must have those characteristics,” he said. “And when the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade, stop trying to be tough, and start being serious about having those discussions, we can have those discussions.”
'Blue' statue outside the Kennedy Center to be removed
A large statue at the Kennedy Center is being removed, the latest transformation at the iconic arts center, the Kennedy Center confirmed.
The stick figure-like blue sculpture, titled "Blue," towered over the lawn by the center for years. It debuted in 2019.
“We are deeply grateful to Joel Shapiro for the years Blue has spent animating our campus and connecting visitors to his vision,” a Kennedy Center spokesperson said, referring to the artist. “We are honored to have been stewards of his vibrant work and a part of his enduring legacy.”
It is unclear whether the statue's removal is directly related to the wider overhaul efforts at the center, and the statue's next installation location is not yet known. The center also indicated that removing gifted or loaned art pieces is not unusual for art institutions.
Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post via Getty Images file
Shapiro said in 2019 that the statue is "about action and risk and performance and energy. It's a celebration of possibility."
The Trump administration has pushed to overhaul the performing arts venue, even warning in a court filing that the building might require demolition if renovations can't be made. The center has tried adding the president's name to the building and website, which was a judge had previously ruled against.
GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts and independent opponent clash in fiery Nebraska Senate debate
Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., went on offense against independent opponent Dan Osborn in a debate last night, repeatedly calling him “Democrat Dan” throughout their meeting and associating his campaign with democratic socialists.
The debate will be the first of many across the country over the next two months as Democrats and Republicans battle for control of the Senate. Deep-red Nebraska is not usually home to nationally watched campaigns, but Osborn’s one-on-one contest with Ricketts could be closer than typical partisan contests in the state.
Johnson says Republicans will introduce measure to ban adding justices to Supreme Court
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Republicans will introduce a constitutional amendment today that would mandate a maximum number of nine justices on the Supreme Court.
Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images file
“If we go down the road of packing the Supreme Court, it turns into a political palooza, and it would not serve the country,” Johnson told reporters on Capitol Hill.
He also told reporters that the current model of nine justices “has served this country for many, many years, and it does not need to change.”
The GOP proposal is unlikely to be successful. It would require support of a two-thirds majority in the House and the Senate.
Some key Democrats have recently called for packing the court, including former Vice President Kamala Harris. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that he agrees with Harris that 13 justices would be a good number.
“We are in a position now that calls for some significant actions taken by the Congress, and we ought to expand,” he said. “And 13 is a pretty good number. A baker’s dozen would be a good number to have on the court.”
Healthcare tops the Democrats’ to-do list if they win control of the House in 2026
Vying to become House speaker in a few months, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., outlined four items on the agenda that he said would enjoy “uniform Democratic support” and advance the party’s goal of “making life more affordable.”
The first two were about healthcare, and all four set a direct contrast with Trump.
Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch defeats a younger challenger in Massachusetts primary
Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch has defeated a younger, more progressive primary challenger, NBC News projects, in the highest-profile test remaining for House incumbents after a turbulent primary season.
Lynch, 71, won renomination over Patrick Roath, a 39-year-old former aide to former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. With his win, Lynch staved off an attempt to add him to the list of Democratic officeholders dethroned by rivals pushing for generational change.
Rep. Stephen Lynch. Michael Brochstein / Sipa USA via AP file
Democratic Sen. Ed Markey easily fends off Massachusetts primary challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton
Democratic Sen. Ed Markey defeated Rep. Seth Moulton in the Senate primary in Massachusetts, NBC News projects, in a victory for the party’s progressive wing.
Markey was winning about two-thirds of the vote percentage points with 69% of the expected vote reporting.
Markey’s win comes as other longtime Democratic lawmakers have lost to younger challengers in primaries this year. But the 80-year-old senator fended off his challenger by touting his liberal record as an author of the Green New Deal and vocal supporter of “Medicare for All.”
Sen. Ed Marke and his wife at a watch party Tuesday night. Mel Musto / Bloomberg via Getty Images
