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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is returning next month to New Hampshire, the state that for a century has held the first primary in the race for the White House.

But that doesn’t mean the Democratic Party’s 2016 presidential nominee is looking to make a comeback in 2028.

While a growing number of potential contenders for the next Democratic presidential nomination have made stops in New Hampshire, as well as in South Carolina and Nevada, two other key early primary states, Clinton said in an interview last month she would not run for president again and that the party had a “good bench.”

Instead, Clinton will headline the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s (NHDP) annual spring fundraising dinner. The state party announced the news Thursday and said the gala, the McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner, would be held April 25 in Nashua, New Hampshire.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING, ANALYSIS, AND OPINION ON HILLARY CLINTON

“Through decades of public service — as first lady, a U.S. senator, and secretary of state — Secretary Clinton has fought tirelessly for women’s rights and been a champion for economic security around the world,” longtime NHDP chair Ray Buckley said. “Her work to expand voting rights, strengthen child and family leave policies and combat global health crises has made a lasting impact both here and abroad.”

Buckley told Fox News Digital Clinton will salute retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen for her 40 years of public service. Shaheen was the first woman in the nation’s history elected both governor and senator.

A spokesperson for Clinton told Fox News Digital the former secretary is excited about returning to New Hampshire.

But not everyone’s happy with Clinton’s return to the key New England swing state.

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Responding to the news, a longtime progressive leader in New Hampshire, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News Digital, “Although this may be a good invite to raise money for the party, it is another example of how completely tone-deaf the party is to the need for real change.

“As exemplary as Hillary Clinton’s conduct was with respect to the Epstein congressional subpoena, she’s yesterday’s news, hasn’t offered a new idea in decades and doesn’t serve the needs of building a new Democratic majority in New Hampshire.”

Hillary Clinton delivering 2024 DNC speech

Clinton won the 2008 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary in her marathon battle against former President Barack Obama for the party’s nomination.

Eight years later, in her second White House bid, she lost the New Hampshire primary in a landslide to progressive champion Bernie Sanders, the senator from neighboring Vermont.

Since her loss to President Donald Trump in the 2016 general election, Clinton has returned twice to New Hampshire. She made a stop in Concord in December 2017 as part of her book tour. And she spoke at Dartmouth College in 2019.

While some on the left take issue with the optics of Clinton’s return to New Hampshire, both the former secretary of state and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have long been supporters of New Hampshire’s cherished position at the top of the primary calendar.

Lucas Meyer, a New Hampshire-based non-profit leader and former longtime president of the New Hampshire Young Democrats, noted that “a lot of New Hampshire Democrats have a lot of affection and love for Secretary Clinton and for her service to our country.”

And Meyer, a former campaign strategist, emphasized the state party’s fundraising dinner that Clinton is headlining “is about funding the apparatus to run campaigns over the next year. Secretary Clinton has a pretty broad appeal, and since she’s not running, there’s a little more flexibility for her to raise money for the party and to attract donors to cut checks for the state.”

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EXCLUSIVE: Michael Carbonara, a Republican running in the Sunshine State as a political disruptor to unseat longtime Democratic incumbent Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, is pitching an idea to reduce the crippling student loan debt crisis facing the country without shifting the burden to taxpayers.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Carbonara lamented that as America marks its 250th anniversary, “the idea of the American dream has been slipping away” for many young Americans.

He criticized Democrats for promoting affordability while proposing solutions that amount to increased taxes.

“This is the first time where the next generation actually has less opportunity and less freedom than their parents in America’s 250-year history,” he said. “Rather than just tax and tax and tax, which people are tired of, I want to put more money back into the pocket of every American, so life is affordable.”

FOREIGNERS ARE SNAPPING UP US HOMES AND STEALING THE AMERICAN DREAM OUT FROM UNDER FAMILIES

Instead of shifting responsibility to taxpayers, Carbonara blames government subsidies as the “root cause” of rising college costs. A fintech mogul and business leader who also hosts a podcast, he said government subsidies allowed schools to raise prices, making college unaffordable.

“There’s no reason that students need to pay $50,000 a year for an education and wind up with a lifetime of debt that they have to chase every year to pay off,” he said, noting, “That’s not what we want. We want people to be able to go to school, get married, have a good-paying job so they can afford to have a family.”

Carbonara said this is one of the top issues voters voice to him on the campaign trail.

“I don’t just hear from young Americans, I hear from everyone,” he explained.

“The average age of first-time home ownership is now over 40 years old, when 20, 30 years ago, it was below 30 years old,” he went on. “Let’s face it, nobody wants to get married to have kids when you live in a 700-square-foot condo in South Florida.”

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Florida, Miami Beach, aerial of The Setai Miami Beach hotel and Collins Avenue

However, unlike former President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, which would have put taxpayers on the hook, Carbonara said addressing government subsidies would place the responsibility on universities.

“The idea of forgiveness, we have to throw that idea out, there’s no forgiveness here,” he said. 

“It’s the university’s responsibility to step up to fix the dilemma. And we need to put together these programs for the universities to be able to fix it because again, they were the ones that received all the funding, all the tuition payments that were guaranteed by the government. So, since they benefited, it’s their responsibility to fix the issues.”

If elected, Carbonara believes he could work on both sides of the aisle to bring a bipartisan solution to the student loan crisis.

“People recognize this is a real crisis,” he said, adding, “This is going to take hard work, and it’s going to require responsibility from both students and, obviously, members of Congress.”

BIPARTISAN HOUSING PUSH ADVANCES, BUT TRUMP-BACKED INVESTOR BAN FACES RESISTANCE

American flags flying outside homes

Ultimately, Carbonara said that with the American dream spiraling out of reach for many, “we’ve come to a crossroads.”

“Do we go to the socialism route… or do we go the route of freedom where we can create opportunity and give people the tools to be self-determined and be able to be prosperous and make their own decisions in life?” he asked.

“That’s the path we need to go to. We need to return to our core values of America that made our country great and give the American freedom and the American dream opportunity back to everyone.”

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A conservative watchdog group is adding fodder to the debate over whether the American Bar Association has become a politicized institution favoring the left.

A new report released by Trump-aligned lawfare group America First Legal, co-founded by one of the president’s top advisors, Stephen Miller, claims the ABA’s Standing Committee on Amicus Curiae Briefs over the last decade has produced 80% of left-leaning liberal arguments, 20% neutral and zero that are conservatively-aligned. 

Meanwhile, in all six cases the ABA has filed amicus briefs involving Trump, the ABA went against the president or his allies.

President Donald Trump’s second term has included attacks against the ABA, arguing it has politicized its accrediting power and has favored Democratic Party-backed candidates when vetting judicial nominees. The ABA’s size and legacy make it the premier trade association for the legal sector, but some conservatives fear the group’s power is becoming a “monopoly.”

REPUBLICANS CALL FOR TRUMP TO CUT OFF AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

“The ABA requires that amicus briefs be authorized by its board of governors and must be consistent with existing ABA policy or involve matters of ‘special significance to lawyers or the legal profession,’” a press release from AFL argued. “Briefs on birthright citizenship, transgender healthcare for minors and the Texas heartbeat law fall well outside that mandate.”

According to AFL’s audit, which scanned briefs filed between April 2016 and February 2026, there were a total of 87 filed. Seventy of them “favored a liberal or progressive outcome,” AFL argues, while none it came across were “conservative-aligned,” the group added. The remaining covered what AFL described as neutral issues, such as a patent law case.

“The ABA does not categorize its amicus briefs as conservative or liberal but base them on the law. The ABA files amicus briefs that take positions that reflect official ABA policy that has been debated and adopted by the House of Delegates,” the ABA told Fox News Digital.

“The House is the ABA’s policy-making body comprising hundreds of delegates from state bars across the country and a wide range of ABA subject-matter entities and adopts policy only after engaging in a deliberative and representative process. Throughout it all, defending the rule of law is our North Star. “

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The audit also found in cases where Trump, or a Trump official, was named, and the ABA filed an amicus brief, they argued every time in the direction contrary to the Trump official or Trump himself.

Trump in New York courtroom

“The ABA presents its amicus program as advancing the interests of the legal profession and the rule of law,” said Gene Hamilton, president of America First Legal.

“The data tells a different story,” Hamilton continued. “More than four in five briefs push a progressive agenda, immigration advocacy has become the program’s dominant focus and the organization has not once — in ten years and across two Trump administrations — filed a brief that could be characterized as supportive of a conservative legal position. The ABA is not a neutral arbiter and should be treated no differently than any other liberal advocacy group.”

In President Trump’s second term, the Trump administration has taken several steps to push back against what it says is bias at the ABA. In February 2025, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson announced a new policy prohibiting FTC political appointees from holding leadership roles in the American Bar Association (ABA), participating in ABA events or renewing their ABA memberships. 

That early action was also followed by several others, such as a May letter to the ABA’s president from Attorney General Pam Bondi indicating the Department of Justice would no longer be engaging in its traditional partnership related to vetting judicial nominees, citing “refusal to fix the bias in its ratings process, despite criticism.”

In April, Trump signed an executive order that singled out the ABA and other powerful accrediting groups, warning that anyone engaging in unlawful discrimination would be refused federal recognition.

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Elon Musk’s attorney is urging a federal judge to scrutinize a recent jury verdict that found Musk liable for misleading investors, arguing that the panel’s decision was compromised by bias and even “mocked” the judicial process. 

“Mr. Musk came into this trial concerned that he could not have a fair trial decided by an impartial jury, that he would be deprived of the counsel of his choice, and that he could not present the full testimony of one of the key witnesses to his defense,” Musk’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, wrote in a letter sent to U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer, the judge presiding over the case. “Unfortunately, and as evidenced by the record and expressed on the jury’s verdict form, each of those fears were realized.”

A jury this month found Musk had misled investors in his 2022 effort to purchase Twitter — now known as ‘X’ — in a lawsuit that focused on allegations that he had misrepresented impacted stock prices. 

Spiro argued that the jury’s conduct raises “a serious issue” about whether Musk received a fair trial — citing what he described as a deliberate and symbolic use of the number 420 — one that he argued has been long associated with Musk — in the verdict form.

META, GOOGLE FACE MASSIVE LIABILITY AS ‘ADDICTED KIDS’ TRIAL CONTINUES IN LA

Musk has repeatedly leaned into internet jokes and references to the “420” number, long associated with marijuana culture. The SEC in 2018 accused Musk of choosing a $420 price point for Tesla shares because it was a reference to pot, which Musk described as “unjustified.”

Spiro noted in the letter that the jury had “emphasized” the $4.20 figure in blue ink and larger font, and described it as a “numerical joke” meant to “send a message” to Musk, in his view, rather than reflect a neutral application of the law. 

He also argued that presentation of the damages number, which stood out from other figures on the form, further underscored his concerns that the verdict was influenced by “bias,” rather than by evidence.

The filing from Spiro comes amid a broader push from Musk’s legal team to make the case that their client was denied a fair trial. He also cited alleged widespread juror hostility and what he described as misconduct by opposing counsel, as well as procedural decisions that limited Musk’s ability to present key testimony.

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Elon Musk

According to Spiro, juror questionnaires revealed “deep” negative views of Musk, and the court was unable to fully screen out biased jurors due to the prevalence of those opinions. He also claimed opposing counsel engaged in “gamesmanship” that sidelined him from a central trial role and introduced prejudicial arguments unrelated to the core claims.

EX-FBI AGENTS INVOLVED IN ARCTIC FROST PROBE SUE FOR WRONGFUL TERMINATION

Elon Musk at White House

Despite those concerns, jurors in the case rejected the plaintiffs’ primary allegation — that Musk had orchestrated a deliberate scheme to manipulate Twitter’s stock price during his acquisition effort in 2022. Jurors did, however, still find Musk liable on a narrower issue, stemming from statements he made about the status of the deal.

Spiro, for his part, argued the mixed outcome further underscores the problem — suggesting the liability finding was driven less by the evidence and more by a desire to penalize Musk personally.

“The inescapable conclusion,” he wrote, is that the jury used its verdict to express views about Musk rather than to apply the law impartially.

The court has not yet ruled on the claims, though the filing in question could set up further legal challenges to the verdict, including potential efforts to overturn or revisit the outcome.

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Senate Democrats blocked an amendment to Trump-backed voter ID legislation that would have done something they publicly support and require photo identification to vote in federal elections.

Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have shown interest in photo voter ID, which has grown in popularity among voters across the country.

“Democrats support voter ID,” Schumer said on a press call earlier this month. “In fact, we included it, and it is included, in our Freedom to Vote legislation several years ago.”

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES ERUPT OVER SENATE GOP, WHITE HOUSE DEAL AMID SAVE ACT FIGHT

Several others have also come out in support of a voter ID bill in recent weeks.

When asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins whether he would support a clean voter ID bill, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said, “Yes.”

“And New Jersey has voter ID laws,” Booker said. “I’ve got to show my driver’s license.”

Still, Democrats blocked an amendment to the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act from Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, meant to put them on record for that position.

DEMS BLOCK GOP AMENDMENT TYING VOTER ID BILL TO TRANSGENDER SPORTS BAN

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo.

Schumer said ahead of the vote that “Republicans are once again wasting time on voter suppression.” 

“Let’s let’s be very clear what this amendment is,” Schumer said. “It’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and it’s a giant cover-up to what their bill really does, which is dramatic voter suppression, kicking 20 million or more people off the rolls without their knowledge or consent.”

Senate Republicans argued that if Democrats truly support voter ID, they should back the amendment.

“That is one on which the Democrats have said — Sen. Schumer himself — that ‘we are not opposed to photo ID,’” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said. “Well, let’s test that proposition. Let’s actually have a vote on it and see where the Democrats are.”

Republicans have been engaged in a floor push on the SAVE America Act for the past 10 days, debating the legislation in a bid to shift the narrative from the GOP being unable to advance the bill out of the Senate to Democrats being the ones blocking it.

Senate Democrats have argued that while they support identification to vote, the SAVE America Act goes far beyond that requirement. Schumer and others have likened the broader bill to Jim Crow-era segregationist laws in the Deep South, saying it would disenfranchise voters, particularly minority communities and low-income Americans.

GOP TRIGGERS MARATHON SENATE FIGHT TO EXPOSE DEMS’ OPPOSITION TO TRUMP-BACKED VOTER ID BILL

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However, requiring identification is already the practice in 36 states. Of those, 23 require photo ID, while 13 accept another form of identification, such as a bank statement. Nine of those states have Democratic senators.

According to a widely cited Pew Research poll from last year, 71% of Democratic voters support showing government-issued photo ID to vote.

“I know there are a lot of issues in the SAVE America Act, but this particular one focused on photo ID as something that can be easily implemented, which is already being implemented around the country,” Husted said of his amendment.

Senate Democrats blocked the measure once before, when Husted tried to force a vote on a standalone photo voter ID bill last week. His amendment listed several acceptable forms of identification, including an unexpired driver’s license with a photo, an unexpired state-issued ID card with a photo, a valid passport, a valid military or veteran ID with a photo or an unexpired tribal ID with a photo.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who typically breaks with his party, stood alongside Schumer and his colleagues on Thursday. Like other Democrats, he has opposed the SAVE America Act because of its additional provisions, such as giving the Department of Homeland Security access to states’ voter rolls.

But he recently said, “If the GOP wants real reform over a show vote, put out a clean, standalone bill, and I’m AYE.”

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“TODAY” co-host Savannah Guthrie has opened up about the ongoing search for her mother, detailing the “agony” her family is going through more than seven weeks after her disappearance from her home in Arizona.

“Someone needs to do the right thing. We are in agony. We are in agony. It is unbearable,” Savannah Guthrie told Hoda Kotb in an interview previewed Wednesday that will be broadcast throughout the week.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing by her family Feb. 1 from her home near Tucson, Arizona, after failing to attend a virtual church service at a friend’s house, authorities said. She was last seen the night before, around 9:45 p.m., after having dinner at her daughter Annie Guthrie’s home.

Watch Savannah Guthrie’s interview Wednesday, Thursday and Friday on “TODAY.”

Authorities have described the case as a possible kidnapping or abduction, but clues have been scarce.

“And to think of what she went through. I wake up every night in the middle of the night, every night,” Savannah Guthrie said. “And in the darkness, I imagine her terror. And it is unthinkable, but those thoughts demand to be thought. And I will not hide my face. But she needs to come home now.”

Days after their mother disappeared, Savannah Guthrie — flanked by her sister and her brother, Camron Guthrie — posted a tearful video on Instagram begging for more information from their mother’s possible kidnapper and saying her family is “ready to talk.”

In the video, the siblings also thanked the public for “the prayers for our beloved mom.”

“We feel them, and we continue to believe that she feels them, too,” they said.

Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb during the interview.
Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb during the interview.TODAY

Amid the ongoing search that includes both state and federal agencies, authorities released video of a person whom they have described as a suspect, showing a masked, armed figure appearing to tamper with a security camera on Guthrie’s Tucson-area home.

The FBI has said it is looking for a male who is 5 feet, 9 inches to 5 feet, 10 inches tall, with an average build. In the doorbell camera images, he was wearing a black Ozark Trail Hiker Pack 25-liter backpack.

That doorbell camera disconnected at 1.47 a.m. Feb. 1, according to a timeline previously released by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

Forensic testing showed that Guthrie’s blood was found on the porch of her home, authorities have said. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said that investigators may use genetic genealogy to try and identify the source of unknown DNA recovered from inside the house.

Image: Nancy Guthrie.
Nancy Guthrie.Pima County Sheriff’s Department

The Guthrie family has offered a $1 million reward for her recovery. Separately, the FBI has offered a reward of $100,000 for information leading to her recovery or to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.

Earlier this month, Savannah Guthrie, who has been on leave from her position at the “TODAY” show, visited the studio in New York City and said she plans to return to her post.

“While she plans to return to the show on air, she remains focused right now supporting her family and working to help bring Nancy home,” a spokesperson for the show said in a statement.

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Delta Air Lines has cut off special services for members of Congress at airports, as the industry continues to feel the effects of the government’s failure to pay Transportation Security Administration workers.

On Tuesday morning, Delta issued a statement saying it would temporarily suspend specialty services for members of Congress “due to the impact on resources from the longstanding government shutdown.”

Members of Congress are given special treatment at airports, including expedited screening, escorts through airports to bypass long security lines, and dedicated reservation desks that, among other things, allow them to make last-minute changes.

TSA workers hit their third period without a paycheck since funding for parts of the Department of Homeland Security was halted because of an impasse between the White House and Congress over immigration enforcement and voting policies.

“Next to safety, Delta’s No. 1 priority is taking care of our people and customers, which has become increasingly difficult in the current environment,” the airline said in a statement.

NBC News has requested comment on the ongoing situation from other major airlines.

A Southwest Airlines spokesperson said the company is watching the lines closely at its stations and is “working with Customers who might miss flights as the result of unexpected delays. For those Customers, we do our best to accommodate them without penalty on the next flight to their destination,” the spokesperson said.

“Southwest continues to engage with our federal partners and joins the airline industry in urging Congress to fund the TSA and CBP without further delay,” the spokesperson said.

Two industry sources pointed at the amount of business that airlines have before Congress — one of them specifically cited periodic bailouts — in contending that the companies should avoid alienating or angering lawmakers as they push for a solution.

“Get through this,” said one airline lobbyist. “Don’t be doing things to members.”

Several airports have been hit with security lines that are so backed up they snake through check-in areas and have taken travelers over four hours or more to clear.

As of Monday, 10.93% of TSA employees across the country had called in sick or notified employers they couldn’t work their scheduled shifts — what is known as a callout rate.

In Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport as of Monday, the callout rate was 40.3% and in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, it was 37.4%.

Meanwhile, TSA employees have said they are unable to pay bills and feed their families because they have not been paid. Airports, unions and charities have been holding food drives, meals and collections for TSA workers.

Johnny Jones, a member of American Federal Government Employees Council for TSA workers and a local unit that represents workers at Texas airports, noted in a press call on Tuesday that employees have contended with shutdowns on and off for months.

He said employees have told the union that they are paying fees of about $75 a day for late rent for apartments or other amounts for car loans. They also are charged bank fees when payments can’t be automatically paid from their accounts.

“Even after the [last] shutdown was over … the back pay doesn’t cover the fact that you just lost and have lost pay to all these fees,” Jones said.

AFGE national president Everett Kelley said Coast Guard workers also are doing their jobs, including rescues, not knowing whether they will have the money for groceries. He called it a “national embarrassment and a disgrace.”

And he warned members of Congress, “Don’t even think about going home for Easter recess while tens of thousands of American families are going without paychecks.”

On Monday, the administration deployed ICE agents to several airports to help with some security tasks, while trained TSA agents focus on screenings.

“People are not quitting the job because they want to quit the job. They love the job. They aren’t showing up to work because they have no choice,” said Hydrick Thomas, president of AFGTSA Council 100, which represents TSA officers.

One union leader said some TSA employees are selling plasma to pay for food, another said some members are now experiencing hunger.

Duncan McGuire, AFGE Region 5 vice president, said he’s been asked about the federal employees’ insurance policies regarding suicide.

“Some people are actually considering suicide as the only option to get their loved ones money when they can’t bring in anymore,” McGuire said.

Other union leaders said people can’t pay for child care, gas to get to work, copays for doctor’s appointments, medicine or food.

“This is what happens when the system is strained and staffing stretched too thin,” said Kelley said. “But instead of solving the problem of paying [transportation officers], the administration sent ICE agents to airports as replacement workers.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988, or go to 988lifeline.org, to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.

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WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans are buzzing with optimism that they’ve found a viable path to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, four sources familiar with negotiations between the White House and Congress told NBC News.

Republicans believe the framework could gain the support of President Donald Trump and secure enough Democratic support to quickly fund TSA and bring an end to long lines at airports.

Asked after a White House meeting whether Republicans have a solution, Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., said: “We do.”

The path involves funding all of DHS with the exception of immigration enforcement and deportation operations under ICE.

Once DHS is largely functioning again, Republicans would attempt to use the filibuster-proof “reconciliation” process to fund the rest of ICE and pass limited portions of the SAVE America Act, an election bill that is Trump’s top priority.

A White House official told NBC News that conversations are still ongoing but that it seems to be an acceptable solution.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., also sounded upbeat about the proposal, without making any guarantees.

“I feel good about it,” he told reporters Monday night as the Senate wrapped up business for the day, adding that there are some particulars to nail down, but “I think we’re in a good spot.”

“All I can say is that the discussions have been very positive and productive and hopefully headed in the right direction,” he said.

The inclusion of some election provisions in the party-line bill could be the clincher that secures Trump’s support. The president has not yet commented publicly on the new plan.

One source with knowledge of the discussions warned that budgetary constraints would severely limit what provisions of the SAVE America Act the Senate can pass through reconciliation, with only Republican votes. That process is seen as the only viable path to pass any provisions in the SAVE America Act since all Democrats oppose the legislation.

One idea is to provide financial incentives to states to implement voter ID laws; another idea is to send money to DHS to “monitor elections” and conduct election security, the source said.

The burgeoning agreement to fund DHS comes after Trump rejected a similar idea pushed by Sens. John Kennedy, R-La., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in recent days.

The two-track plan would also need approval from House Republicans, who have a slim majority, before TSA can return to functionality. Some conservatives have already indicated skepticism online, but Trump’s endorsement, if he gives it, could go a long way toward securing enough support to pass it.

Democrats are open to the Republicans’ proposal but aren’t ready to endorse the plan until they see the specific text, a source familiar with the negotiations said.

Democrats also expect that they will still ask for additional concessions after seeing the concrete GOP proposal. While they are anxious to get DHS funding approved, with hourslong lines plaguing airports across the country and TSA workers quitting by the hundreds, they are still asking for specific restrictions from the administration on ICE operations before voting yes on any proposal.

Britt, who chairs the appropriations subcommittee responsible for writing bills to fund DHS, was seen Monday talking on the Senate floor with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.

As she left the Capitol late Monday, Britt said she’d be “working through the night” to try to “land this plane.”

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, the chief sponsor of the SAVE America Act, warned that the bill as written is ineligible for the reconciliation process.

“It’s hard to imagine how the SAVE America Act could be passed through reconciliation,” Lee wrote Tuesday on X. “And by ‘hard’ I mean ‘essentially impossible.’”

If attempted, it would be an arduous process that is subject to unlimited amendments by Democrats, who could seek to force politically uncomfortable votes on Republicans facing voters in the fall elections, when control of the Senate is up for grabs.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Tuesday she has reservations about attempting to pass elements of the SAVE America Act, a bill that she has otherwise endorsed.

“I don’t think that’s a good approach,” she said.

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The clock that was ticking toward a dramatic new escalation in the Iran war may now be counting down to a deal that would end it.

That’s the latest stunning turn of events delivered by President Donald Trump’s social media account.

Trump announced Monday that he was postponing his threatened military strikes against Iranian power plants for at least five days, hours ahead of his deadline for Tehran to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz shipping route.

He said the U.S. and Iran were in “productive” talks toward a “complete and total” resolution of the war, though Tehran denied any direct talks.

Follow live updates

Now in its fourth week, the conflict has consumed the Middle East, pushed up the prices of energy and food and threatened the global economy with a far-reaching crisis.

Trump’s reversal delays what many feared would be a significant new escalation for civilians across the region.

Iran’s Foreign Affairs Ministry appeared to counter Trump’s version of events, though, saying in a statement published by the semiofficial news agency Mehr News that there was “no dialogue between Tehran and Washington.”

It said Trump’s delay was “part of efforts to reduce energy prices and buy time to implement his military plans” but acknowledged “there are initiatives from regional countries to reduce tensions.” Iranian state media said Trump had “backed down” after Iran vowed swift retaliation for any attacks on its energy infrastructure.

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This article is part of “Unaffordable America,” a series examining rising economic inequality in the U.S. and the policies that drive it.

How’s the economy?

Not bad if you’re rich.

Demand for luxury yachts and private jets is surging thanks to last year’s tax law. Sales of $10 million-plus mansions are booming as stocks hit new highs. And the wealthy and powerful will get to enjoy a new ballroom for galas at the White House.

What if you aren’t rich?

The typical American can’t afford the median-priced home. A new car is out of reach for many, with the average monthly payment exceeding $700. Food banks are seeing a growing number of people skipping meals because they can’t afford groceries, and more middle-class Americans are selling their plasma to make ends meet.

The divide between rich and poor in America is the widest it’s been in at least a generation — and growing. The amount of wealth held by the top 1% increased at more than double the rate of the bottom 90% in the first nine months of last year, according to Federal Reserve figures. At the very top, Elon Musk’s fortune is approaching that of legendary 19th-century businessman John D. Rockefeller when looked at as a share of the overall U.S. economy.

A variety of factors have shaped the struggles of everyday Americans and fueled the gains of the wealthy: The pandemic disrupted the housing market, making it harder to afford a home. Stocks have surged, driven by enthusiasm over AI. Manufacturing has waned, hiring has slipped and costs continue to rise.

President Donald Trump’s policies are amplifying these trends. One year into his second term, his administration has cut programs helping lower-income households while advancing policies benefiting the wealthy and corporations. He’s signed legislation to cut food stamps and Medicaid benefits and put new restrictions on low-income housing assistance and student loans. To cope with higher costs from tariffs, he has suggested Americans buy fewer dolls for their children.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has given billions of dollars in tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy and loosened regulations on banks while easing rules around cryptocurrency, which he’s benefited from personally.

“Donald Trump talks a lot about the working class, his MAGA base is primarily working class, but if you look at the data, the working class is doing very badly in the second Trump administration,” said Robert Reich, a professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, who led the Labor Department during the Clinton administration. “The real growth in the second Trump administration has been in corporate profits and in the wealth of the people at the top.”

Trump has defended his economic record, referring to concerns over affordability as a hoax and blaming weakness in the economy on Democrats. He’s dismissed numerous polls showing increasing economic anxiety, saying in his State of the Union address in February that he has ushered in a “golden age of America.” As evidence, he cited rising 401(k) balances, a drop in mortgage rates and lower gas prices — though gas prices have since spiked after his attacks on Iran disrupted the global flow of oil. The S&P 500, fueled by an AI boom, grew around 13% during the first year of his second term.

Trump’s allies argue that, while it may take time, all Americans will benefit from last summer’s tax cuts, with the average refund rising by around $1,000 this year, according to data cited by the White House. They also say that Trump’s still-evolving tariffs will eventually boost U.S. manufacturing jobs, which declined last year, noting announcements by foreign governments and corporations about plans to invest in the U.S.

A White House official also pointed to signs of improvement, including a lower rate of inflation than in the past several years and wages that are rising faster than inflation.

Some economists, including those who have served in past Republican administrations, have questioned whether those improvements will be enough to offset pressures elsewhere in the economy, including from a slowing job market, which shed 92,000 jobs in February across a broad range of industries.

For “Unaffordable America,” a yearlong series on the causes and effects of rising economic inequality, NBC News asked readers how they were faring and heard from hundreds of people. In interviews and written responses, many described struggling to find a job and afford higher food prices and health care costs, while others said they were benefiting from gains in the stock market and lower interest rates.