Early Morning Political News: 4‑Minute Read
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Saturday, July 11, 2026
Federal Level
Bipartisan Housing Bill Becomes Law Without Trump Signature
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act became law early Saturday, July 11, after President Trump refused to sign it and the constitutionally mandated 10-day window expired. The bill, which passed the Senate 85-5 and the House 358-32, aims to expand the housing supply, ban large institutional investors from buying single-family homes, and ease mortgage access for first-time buyers. Trump withheld his signature as a protest, posting Friday, July 10, on Truth Social that he would not sign the housing bill “in PROTEST” over the Senate’s failure to pass the SAVE America Act voter ID measure. 1, 2
Iran Asks to Resume Talks; Trump Says Ceasefire Still “Over”
On Friday, July 10, President Trump confirmed that Iran had requested a resumption of negotiations and that the United States had agreed to continue diplomatic talks, even while insisting the June ceasefire memorandum of understanding was finished. An uneasy calm settled over the region after two days of U.S. strikes hitting roughly 170 Iranian targets, with mediators from Qatar and Pakistan working to prevent further escalation. No new strikes were reported overnight, but commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz remained sharply reduced. 3, 4
Trump Purges Entire Election Assistance Commission
On Friday, July 10, the White House fired Democratic commissioners Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland from the Election Assistance Commission, the independent, bipartisan agency that certifies voting systems and supports state election officials. A third commissioner, Republican Christy McCormick, resigned rather than be dismissed. With all four seats now vacant fewer than four months before the November midterms, election security advocates warned the move will leave states without critical federal guidance during the most sensitive period of the election calendar. 5, 6
Judge Drops Last Jan. 6 Convictions of Proud Boys Leaders
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly on Friday, July 10, reluctantly dismissed the seditious conspiracy and related convictions against four Proud Boys leaders, including Ethan Nordean and Joseph Biggs, granting the Justice Department’s motion to vacate. Kelly wrote that Trump’s account of January 6 is based on “fiction,” but concluded he had no legal authority to block the executive branch’s decision. The ruling closes the final major criminal chapter of the January 6 prosecutions. 7, 8
DOJ Sues Maryland Over Sanctuary Immigration Law
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Thursday, July 9, against Maryland, Governor Wes Moore, and the state’s attorney general, alleging the Community Trust Act amounts to an “active and deliberate effort” to obstruct federal immigration enforcement. The law bars Maryland jails from honoring ICE detainers without a court-issued judicial warrant, a standard the DOJ argues is not required by federal statute. The suit is the 21st such action the Trump administration has brought against states and localities over sanctuary policies since early 2025. 9, 10
Trump Demands Congress Bundle Voter ID Bill with Defense Spending
On Friday, July 10, President Trump renewed pressure on congressional Republicans to combine the SAVE America Act voter registration bill with a major Pentagon spending increase and send both measures to his desk before the August recess. The demand puts House Speaker Mike Johnson in a difficult position, as the SAVE Act faces a likely Senate filibuster on its own and pairing it with defense funding risks alienating moderate Republican votes. Congress has limited time before the recess break. 11
State Level
Colorado GOP Confirms Marx as Governor Nominee
Marine Corps veteran and ministry leader Victor Marx was officially confirmed on Thursday, July 9, as the Republican nominee for Colorado governor, edging out state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer by less than half a percentage point in the June 30 primary after a prolonged vote count. Marx will face Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser in November. Colorado has not elected a Republican governor in over two decades, making this one of the more closely watched governor’s races of the 2026 cycle. 12, 13
Maine Senate Race: Platner Out, Five Democrats Step Up
Graham Platner formally completed his withdrawal from Maine’s U.S. Senate race on Friday, July 10, with the Maine secretary of state confirming the filing. At least five Democrats are now actively competing to replace him ahead of the July 27 deadline to name a new nominee, including former state Senate President Troy Jackson and former Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. The Maine Democratic Party will hold a convention of roughly 600 delegates to select the replacement candidate to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins. 14, 15
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Article Sources
1. Boston Globe / Associated Press, “Trump will let bipartisan housing bill become law without signing in protest over GOP voter ID law,” July 10, 2026.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/07/10/nation/trump-housing-bill/
2. ABC 7, “Trump says he will not sign bipartisan housing bill, but doesn’t threaten veto either,” July 10, 2026.
https://abc7.com/post/president-trump-says-he-will-not-sign-bipartisan-housing-bill/19480767/
3. The National News, “Trump says US will keep talking to Iran but ceasefire is over,” July 10, 2026.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2026/07/10/trump-says-us-will-keep-talking-to-iran-but-ceasefire-is-over/
4. CBS News, “U.S.-Iran Latest: Trump reiterates that ceasefire is over, but says U.S. to continue negotiating,” July 10, 2026.
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/us-iran-war-trump-ceasefire-talks-strait-of-hormuz/
5. Democracy Now!, “With Midterms Looming, Trump Completes Purge of Election Assistance Commission,” July 10, 2026.
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/7/10/headlines/with_midterms_looming_trump_completes_purge_of_election_assistance_commission
6. WBUR / Here & Now (NPR), “Trump fires remaining members of Election Assistance Commission,” July 10, 2026.
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2026/07/10/election-assistance-commission-firings
7. CBS News, “Judge vacates convictions of 4 Proud Boys in Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection,” July 10, 2026.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/judge-vacates-convictions-of-4-proud-boys-jan-6-capitol-insurrection/
8. Politico, “At Trump DOJ’s demand, judge reluctantly drops Jan. 6 case against Proud Boys,” July 10, 2026.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/10/at-trump-dojs-demand-judge-reluctantly-drops-jan-6-case-against-proud-boys-00993884
9. Fox News, “DOJ accuses Maryland of deliberate effort to prevent deportations: lawsuit,” July 9, 2026.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/doj-accuses-maryland-active-deliberate-effort-prevent-deportations-illegal-immigrants-lawsuit
10. Washington Post, “DOJ sues Maryland, alleging new immigration law obstructs Trump’s authority,” July 9, 2026.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/07/09/doj-sues-maryland-claiming-new-immigration-law-obstructs-trumps-authority/
11. USA Today, “Trump demands Republicans use budgetary gambit to pass voting reforms,” July 10, 2026.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/07/07/trump-republicans-congress-voting-spending-bill/90831034007/
12. Associated Press / AJC, “Victor Marx wins the Republican primary for Colorado governor,” July 9, 2026.
https://www.ajc.com/news/2026/07/victor-marx-wins-the-republican-primary-for-colorado-governor/
13. NBC News, “Ministry founder Victor Marx wins Republican primary for Colorado governor,” July 9, 2026.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/ministry-founder-victor-marx-wins-republican-primary-colorado-governor-rcna352780
14. Reuters, “Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner formally withdraws from race,” July 10, 2026.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/maine-senate-candidate-graham-platner-formally-withdraws-race-2026-07-10/
15. CNN Politics, “Graham Platner has formally withdrawn from the Maine Senate race, Democrats race to replace him,” July 10, 2026.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/09/politics/maine-democrats-replace-graham-platner