May 26

Trump administration proposes federal-worker NDAs to curb leaks to journalists

The Office of Personnel Management proposed draft nondisclosure agreements for federal employees aimed at stopping unauthorized disclosures to journalists. The proposal says protected channels remain available, but it would also require written permission for former employees to discuss information the administration treats as confidential, creating a clear press-freedom and public-accountability issue.

Three-judge panel blocks Alabama's post-Callais map on 14th Amendment grounds

A unanimous three-judge federal panel blocked Alabama from using its 2023 congressional map in the 2026 elections, finding it violated the 14th Amendment regardless of the Callais ruling's effect on VRA Section 2 claims. The panel wrote it "cannot see our way clear to requiring Alabamians to cast their votes in the 2026 elections under a districting plan tainted by intentional race-based discrimination." The court reinstated the special master remedial map with two Black opportunity districts, which Alabama had used in the 2024 elections and May 2026 primaries. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall immediately announced plans to appeal to the Supreme Court.

SC Senate cloture vote fails 20-24, blocking redistricting bill H.5683

The South Carolina Senate rejected cloture on H.5683 by a 20-24 vote on May 26, 2026, effectively killing the redistricting bill for the legislative session. Eight Republicans crossed the aisle to join sixteen Democrats in blocking the measure, denying Republican leaders the 25 votes needed to end debate. Senate President Pro Tem Thomas Alexander said leadership would evaluate options for the next session, while opponents celebrated the vote as a defense of fair redistricting norms.

SCOTUS Per Curiam Vacates 4th Circuit in Margolin v. NAIJ on Party-Presentation Grounds

The Supreme Court issued a unanimous per curiam opinion on May 26, 2026 vacating the 4th Circuit judgment in Margolin v. NAIJ and remanding for further proceedings. The Court held that the 4th Circuit violated the party-presentation principle by raising the CSRA jurisdictional argument sua sponte when neither DOJ nor NAIJ had briefed or argued it. The decision did not resolve whether the CSRA bars district court jurisdiction over NAIJ's claims or address the First Amendment merits of the speech restrictions — leaving both questions open on remand.

Paxton defeats Cornyn in the Texas Senate runoff despite a 17-to-1 spending deficit

Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the Texas Republican Senate runoff, winning approximately 57 percent of the vote despite being outspent 17-to-1 in the runoff alone. Cornyn spent more than $50 million in the runoff to Paxton's roughly $3 million, yet lost by a double-digit margin. The result ended Cornyn's 24-year Senate career and marked the first time a sitting senator with a leadership-tier record had been defeated in a primary by a Trump-endorsed challenger.

Election deadline: Texas Primary Runoff 2026

Voting for Texas Primary Runoff 2026 occurs on this date. Offices on ballot: U.S. Senate; U.S. House; Governor. See the linked election record for registration, early voting, and mail ballot deadlines.

Ken Paxton wins the Texas GOP Senate runoff over John Cornyn, advancing to face Democrat James Talarico in November

With his runoff victory over John Cornyn, Ken Paxton secured the Republican nomination for the Texas Senate seat and will face Democrat Stephanie Talarico in the November 2026 general election. Talarico, a former Texas state legislator, had won the Democratic primary earlier in the cycle. The general election contest set up a rare competitive race for a Texas Senate seat, as Democrats sought to capitalize on anti-MAGA backlash and Paxton's legal history to make the seat competitive.

DOJ sues UCLA under Title VI over a 2024 Royce Hall encampment it says created a hostile environment for Jewish students

The Department of Justice filed a second lawsuit against the University of California, this time under Title VI, alleging UCLA created a hostile educational environment for Jewish and Israeli students during the April 25 through May 2, 2024 Royce Hall encampment. The complaint alleged masked protesters blocked students from academic buildings, physically assaulted them with sticks and pepper spray, and that UCLA''s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion office received over 100 complaints and routinely ignored them. DOJ sought an injunction and repayment of all federal grants made during the period of UCLA''s noncompliance with Title VI.

ICJ orders Israel to halt Rafah offensive

ICJ orders Israel to halt Rafah offensive..

Portland train attacker kills two after harassing teenage girls in hijabs

A man on a Portland MAX train harassed two teenage girls, one wearing a hijab, before fatally stabbing two bystanders who intervened and injuring a third. The attack became a national example of anti-Muslim harassment escalating into lethal violence against people who tried to protect targeted riders.

Obama nominates Sonia Sotomayor to Supreme Court first Latina justice in US history

President Obama nominates federal appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace retiring Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court. If confirmed, Sotomayor will become the first Hispanic and third woman to serve on the Court. She is confirmed by the Senate on August 6, 2009, on a 68-31 vote. During confirmation hearings, her 2001 comment about a "wise Latina" making better decisions than a white man draws controversy. Obama calls her nomination a fulfillment of the American dream.

FDA bans importation of mifepristone into the United States

The FDA, under the Bush administration, issues an import ban on mifepristone, blocking American women from obtaining the drug even from other countries where it is legal. The ban follows lobbying by anti-abortion groups who argue the drug poses health risks and moral hazards. The policy prevents U.S. clinical trials that could generate the safety data needed for an eventual FDA approval, creating a deliberate regulatory catch-22: no trials means no safety data, and no safety data means no approval. The ban strands American women without access to a drug widely available in Europe, illustrating how regulatory inaction can serve as a policy outcome without requiring legislation.

Surgeon General Luther Terry convenes the first ACIP meeting at the CDC

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices held its inaugural meeting May 25-26, 1964 at the Communicable Disease Center under CDC Director James Goddard. Surgeon General Luther Terry appointed eight founding members in March 1964 to give the Public Health Service standing expert advice on civilian vaccine use. ACIP recommendations on which vaccines to use, for whom, and on what schedule have shaped U.S. immunization policy and -- after the Affordable Care Act -- insurance coverage rules ever since.

Johnson-Reed Act imposes national origins quotas and Asian exclusion

Congress enacts the Immigration Act of 1924, also known as the Johnson-Reed Act, on May 26, 1924. The law creates restrictive national origins quotas favoring immigration from northern and western Europe and sharply limiting immigration from other regions. The statute also bars immigrants ineligible for citizenship, which at the time includes most Asian people. The law reflects eugenics-influenced ideas about racial hierarchy and aims to preserve what its supporters call America's racial character. The quota system becomes the foundation of immigration restriction until the 1960s.