Before the conflict began, inflation was at 2.4%, but the closure of the strait of Hormuz has affected energy prices

US inflation jumped to an annual rate of 4.2% in May, the third consecutive monthly increase since the start of the Iran war and a three-year high, as Americans continue to face steep oil prices.

Prices have increased sharply over the past several months, rising at an annual rate of 3.3% in March before going up to 3.8% in April. In February, before the conflict began, inflation was at 2.4%.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock

A note for Gavel readers: The Gavel is becoming part of The Hill Insider — our new premium access digital subscription launching July 2026. As a Hill Insider subscriber, your weekly legal and policy briefing continues, now with live editor calls, exclusive analysis, and direct access to the journalists covering the cases and decisions that…

A note for Gavel readers: The Gavel is becoming part of The Hill Insider — our new premium access digital subscription launching July 2026. As a Hill Insider subscriber, your weekly legal and policy briefing continues, now with live editor calls, exclusive analysis, and direct access to the journalists covering the cases and decisions that…

President Trump late Tuesday shared a clip from the series “The West Wing” dismissing the concept of a “proportional response” after the U.S. launched a new round of strikes on Iran in retaliation for an attack on an Apache helicopter. The president first shared on Truth Social the statement issued by U.S. Central Command (Centcom)…

President Trump late Tuesday shared a clip from the series “The West Wing” dismissing the concept of a “proportional response” after the U.S. launched a new round of strikes on Iran in retaliation for an attack on an Apache helicopter. The president first shared on Truth Social the statement issued by U.S. Central Command (Centcom)…

Marine veteran won 72% of the vote despite infidelity and abuse allegations that emerged during primary campaign

• Platner shrugs off scandals to win Maine Democratic Senate primary

• Sign up for the Breaking News US email

Donald Trump said Iran has taken “too long” to agree to a deal “that would have been great for them” and will now “have to pay the price”.

In a post on Truth Social early this morning, which came after the US and Iran exchanged fire on Tuesday, Trump wrote:

Iran’s Military is a complete and total mess. Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn’t even exist anymore - They have been completely defeated. Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!! They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Robert F Bukaty/AP

© Photograph: Robert F Bukaty/AP

© Photograph: Robert F Bukaty/AP

Lawmakers warn appointment of presidential loyalist will scuttle bipartisan agreement to renew Fisa surveillance law

Donald Trump is pushing ahead with his controversial plan to install political loyalist Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, a move that has sparked bipartisan congressional backlash and imperiled the reauthorization of a powerful surveillance law set to expire at the end of this week.

Trump’s Tuesday evening announcement came after he met earlier in the day with the House speaker, Mike Johnson, to discuss Pulte’s elevation to the role, which has prompted widespread concern over his complete lack of national security experience and the prospect that he could use the office’s spying powers to continue his campaign of targeting Trump’s perceived political enemies.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

© Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

© Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Exclusive: poll across 15 countries finds ‘deep mistrust’, with majority doubting US would come to their aid in an attack

European confidence in an American “security guarantee” has hit a historic low, a survey suggests, with only one in 10 people across 15 countries seeing the US as an ally and majorities in all doubting it would come to their aid if they were attacked.

The survey, published on Wednesday by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) thinktank before critical G7 and Nato summits in France and Turkey over the coming weeks, revealed “deep European distrust in the US”, the authors said.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters

© Photograph: Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters

© Photograph: Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters

A think tank has recommended that Democratic messaging on foreign policy needs to be revamped following drastic moves by the Trump administration. “Voters are increasingly uncomfortable with Republicans’ chaos and escalation, but many remain unconvinced that Democrats project enough strength and decisiveness on foreign policy,” the think tank Third Way wrote in a memo published…

A think tank has recommended that Democratic messaging on foreign policy needs to be revamped following drastic moves by the Trump administration. “Voters are increasingly uncomfortable with Republicans’ chaos and escalation, but many remain unconvinced that Democrats project enough strength and decisiveness on foreign policy,” the think tank Third Way wrote in a memo published…

AI company restricted access to Fable 5, its most powerful Mythos model, for months over cybersecurity concerns

Anthropic, the maker of the Claude artificial intelligence (AI) models, made a new version of its technology available to the general public on Tuesday while restricting its use in sensitive areas.

Dubbed Fable 5, the model is the first to be made widely available from the company’s new Mythos class – its most advanced lineup of AI technology, unveiled in April but restricted to a small set of partner institutions for months over cybersecurity concerns.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg via Getty Images

© Photograph: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg via Getty Images

© Photograph: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Vice-president says deal could ‘absolutely’ come before midterms, as US strikes Iran after downing of helicopter

• Middle East crisis – live updates

The US-Israel war on Iran could conclude in a week or a few months, vice-president JD Vance has said, as the downing of a US army helicopter sparked the latest flare-up in the conflict.

In the latest vague assessment from the Trump administration on the future of its controversial war, Vance claimed the US is “very close to achieving” a peace deal with Iran, adding that it could “absolutely” come before the midterm elections.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Getty Images

© Photograph: Getty Images

© Photograph: Getty Images

The Trump administration is urging the United Kingdom not to enact a social media ban for kids under the age of 16, citing the “benefits” of access to the open internet.  Instead of a formal ban, the U.S. Embassy in London is pushing parents to manage their children’s privacy settings, encourage “study modes” and time…

The Trump administration is urging the United Kingdom not to enact a social media ban for kids under the age of 16, citing the “benefits” of access to the open internet.  Instead of a formal ban, the U.S. Embassy in London is pushing parents to manage their children’s privacy settings, encourage “study modes” and time…

Southern Poverty Law Center releases report as US government pursues federal fraud charges against group

A new report from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) finds hard-right groups have increasingly expanded their influence across the US government, which is pursuing a federal fraud case into the civil rights organization.

Tuesday’s report – which identified 1,263 hate and anti-government groups in operation throughout 2025 – comes less than two months after it was indicted by the government it says the hard right has infiltrated.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock

Charlamagne Tha God on Tuesday said President Trump “sucked the joy” out of New York City by attending Game 3 of the NBA finals.  “One of the greatest things about this whole playoff run, this Finals run, is watching the joy that Knicks fans have. I’ve never seen anything like it in New York City…

Charlamagne Tha God on Tuesday said President Trump “sucked the joy” out of New York City by attending Game 3 of the NBA finals.  “One of the greatest things about this whole playoff run, this Finals run, is watching the joy that Knicks fans have. I’ve never seen anything like it in New York City…

Secure America Act passes largely along party lines in 214-212 vote, ending months-long standoff with Democrats

House Republicans on Tuesday approved a $70bn bill funding through the duration of his term the agencies leading Donald Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, ending a months-long standoff with Democrats that at one point forced the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to shutter.

The Secure America Act passed in a 214-212 vote that was largely along party lines, with Kevin Kiley, an independent who aligns with the Republicans, joining all Democrats in voting no. The Senate approved the measure last week, which allocates $38bn to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), $26bn to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and $5bn more to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through September 2029. The legislation now awaits Trump’s signature.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

© Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

© Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

House report alleged governor and state attorney general knew of ‘widespread taxpayer fraud’ in social programs

• US politics live – latest updates

The US vice-president, JD Vance, asked the Department of Justice to investigate Tim Walz, his rival in the 2024 election, after a congressional report renewed allegations of inaction and retaliation over fraud schemes in Minnesota.

In the Trump administration’s latest broadside against the midwestern state and its political leaders, Vance referred Walz, its Democratic governor, and Keith Ellison, its Democratic attorney general, for investigation.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

© Photograph: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

© Photograph: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Former U.S. Border Patrol commander-at-large Greg Bovino on Monday said he is not ruling out a bid for the White House in 2028. Bovino responded to reporting from NewsNation, The Hill’s cable partner, that said he is exploring a presidential run. He told the outlet in an interview that his potential run is exploratory and…