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New England politics news

Mass. voters could decide the largest slate of ballot questions in decades. And it’s going to get expensive.

Unions, advocates, and out-of-state groups are pushing to put five ballot questions before Massachusetts voters this fall, creating what would be the largest single slate in 24 years.

Former Boston mayor Marty Walsh marries longtime partner Lorrie Higgins
Walsh and his longtime partner were married in March in the Turks and Caicos Islands after nearly two decades as a couple.

Wu defends police commissioner’s demotion of deputy over seat on state accountability panel
Supporters said that Eddy Chrispin's service for the Boston Police Department made him an ideal candidate to serve on the POST Commission.

The Latest from Washington, D.C.

In steamy Washington, a Democratic rebellion against Biden fails to reach the boiling point

Elizabeth Warren stands by Biden in first public comments since debate

In surprise interview, Biden says he’s ‘frustrated’ by calls for him to step aside and dares Democrats to challenge him

‘If New Hampshire is in play, then Donald Trump is going to win.’ GOP sets sights on Granite State.

National politics news

President Biden saw neurologist at White House for Jan. 17 exam, press secretary says

President Biden saw a neurologist at the White House on Jan. 17 for a neurologic exam, the results of which were later reported as part of his annual physical more than a month later, the White House said on Tuesday.

Biden to meet with top union leaders as he seeks to reassure worried Democrats

President Biden is relying on labor unions to help make the case that his record in office matters more than his age.

Chaos swirling since Biden’s debate flub is causing cracks in a White House known for discipline

For three-plus years, the Biden administration has been mostly a restrained and staid operation, defined more by an insistence on showcasing policy and an avoidance of palace intrigue. Aides generally kept any criticism of their boss or their jobs out of the public eye. Not lately, though.

Biden’s support on Capitol Hill grimly uncertain. A seventh Democrat says he should drop out.

Late in the day, a seventh House Democrat, Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, publicly said Biden should not run for re-election.

Democrats on Capitol Hill express concerns about Biden in private but stay quiet in public

After meeting for around two hours to discuss whether President Biden should remain at the top of their presidential ticket, Senate Democrats almost unanimously have agreed on one thing — not to say anything about it.

Iran encourages Gaza war protests in US to stoke outrage and distrust, intelligence chief says

Using social media platforms popular in the US, groups linked to Tehran have posed as online activists, encouraged protests and have provided financial support to some protest groups, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said in a statement.

Biden spotlights support for NATO as he looks to use summit to help reset stumbling campaign

President Biden welcomed NATO leaders to Washington on Tuesday even as he has been straining to persuade voters and donors that he’s ready for reelection after a stumbling debate performance.

In steamy Washington, a Democratic rebellion against Biden fails to reach the boiling point

President Biden gained support among Democrats as they met about him on Tuesday, but they also are not uniformly behind him.

Nikki Haley releases her delegates so they can back Donald Trump at the RNC next week

In a statement, the former South Carolina governor called for party unity at the upcoming Republican National Convention, also calling Democratic President Biden “not competent to serve a second term.”

Key senators reach agreement on spending levels for next year, setting up clash with House

The Senate will pursue a spending increase next year of about 3.4 percent for defense and 2.7 percent increase for non-defense programs under a bipartisan agreement reached by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Former senator Jim Inhofe, defense hawk who called human-caused climate change a ‘hoax,’ dies

Mr. Inhofe, a powerful fixture in Oklahoma politics for over six decades, died Tuesday morning after he had a stroke over the July Fourth holiday, his family said in a statement.

Biden’s low-profile doctor has been thrust into the spotlight after the president’s debate disaster

Ensuing and uncomfortable questions about the 81-year-old Democratic president’s mental and physical capacity to serve a second four-year term have thrust Dr. Kevin O’Connor into the spotlight.

NATO signs $700m Stinger missile contract as it makes plans to boost arms production

Outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced the contract Tuesday at a Chamber of Commerce industry day focused on increasing NATO member countries' defense manufacturing capabilities to deter future attacks.

Vice President Kamala Harris leads new campaign effort to reach out to Asian American voters

Harris will also deliver a keynote address Saturday at a town hall in Philadelphia hosted by APIAVote, an advocacy group focused on mobilizing Asian American voters.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez backs Biden: ‘He is not leaving this race’

“I have spoken to the president over the weekend,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters. “I have spoken with him extensively. He made clear then and he has made clear since that he is in this race. The matter is closed.”

Support for legal abortion has risen since Supreme Court eliminated protections, new poll finds

Full bans, with limited exceptions, have gone into effect in 14 GOP-led states, while three other states prohibit abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy, before women often realize they're pregnant.

Gavin Newsom works to bolster Biden in a swing-state tour that could boost both their ambitions

“He’s going to be our nominee,” the California governor said of the president during a stop in Hooksett, N.H., on Monday

How would Kamala Harris fare in a potential open primary? Here’s a closer look at her prospects.

Biden insists he is staying in the presidential race. But should he change his mind, Harris is by far the best positioned to replace him.

Biden says he is ‘firmly committed’ to staying in the race

President Biden on Monday dared his critics to “challenge me at the convention” if they want him out of the presidential race, refusing to step aside in a defiant letter to Democratic members of Congress and in fiery remarks on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program.

Support for legal abortion has risen since Supreme Court eliminated protections, new poll finds

A new poll finds that a solid majority of Americans oppose a federal abortion ban and that a rising number appear to support access to abortions for any reason.