‘It’s a survival issue’: Ukraine looks to arm itself as Western support slips

In a hotel conference room in Kyiv late last week, Ukrainian leaders huddled with hundreds of defense industry officials and policymakers from allied countries. The message was clear: Ukraine is open for business. Despite the specter of Russian missile fire in the Ukrainian capital, the International Industries Defense Forum was eerily similar to the panel-laden conferences...

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Matt Gaetz’s father seeks return to Florida Senate

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Don Gaetz, a former Republican state Senate president and father of MAGA firebrand GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, is seeking a return to the Florida Legislature. Gaetz, 75, planned to file paperwork on Monday to run for the state Senate seat now held by outgoing Sen. Doug Broxson, who is leaving office next year due to term limits. Gaetz, who has held a variety...

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Barbara Lee on Laphonza Butler: 'I wish her well'

Rep. Barbara Lee said Monday that she’s looking forward to working with Laphonza Butler as California’s newly appointed senator, but she’s still focused on winning the Senate seat in 2024. “I wish her well and look forward to working with her to deliver for our golden state,” Lee (D-Calif.) said on CNN Monday. “I'm very focused on winning this election, though. ... People...

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Garland: I'd resign if Biden asked me to take action on Trump

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Merrick Garland said in an interview that aired Sunday that he would resign if asked by President Joe Biden to take action against Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump. But he doesn’t think he’ll be put in that position. “I am sure that that will not happen, but I would not do anything in that regard,” he said on CBS “60 Minutes.”...

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Ramaswamy campaign seeks to cut number of candidates in next GOP debate

Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign is pushing the Republican Party to change the qualifying and debate format rules for the upcoming GOP presidential debate in Miami on Nov. 8, calling for only the top four polling candidates besides Donald Trump to participate and asking for a single moderator, according to a campaign memo obtained by POLITICO. The third Republican presidential...

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California Republicans have McCarthy's back. For now.

Anaheim, Calif. — Kevin McCarthy has always had a strained relationship with hard-right activists in his home state. But as the party faithful gathered here over the weekend, the House speaker got a pass from an unlikely corner: GOP diehards who are often the first to bash the establishment. At a Republican state convention down the road from Disneyland — and as conservatives...

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Rep. Dean Phillips to step down from leadership position after his calls for a primary challenger to Biden

Rep. Dean Phillips will step down from his role as co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, but “will remain in his congressional seat representing MN-03 and will remain a part of the Democratic Caucus,” a spokesperson for the Minnesota lawmaker confirmed to POLITICO in a statement. “My convictions relative to the 2024 presidential race are incongruent...

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