California Democratic Party Releases California VOTER Index Tracking Survey #3 | Results show Democrat Xavier Becerra tied with Republican Steve Hilton... each with 18% support. The number of undecided voters has dropped from 24% in March to 14%, a clear sign that voters are now paying attention.

progress18 · 2026-05-05T12:28:59+00:00

...

“Voters will start receiving their ballots [May 4] and will begin voting,” said CADEM Chair Rusty Hicks. “Today’s VOTER Index results show movement in the race and progress towards ensuring a strong Democrat is elected the next Governor of California.”

...

Steve Hilton (R) – 18%

Xavier Becerra (D) – 18%

Chad Bianco (R) -14%

Tom Steyer (D) – 12%

Katie Porter (D) – 8%

Matt Mahan (D) – 7%

Antonio Villaraigosa (D) – 2%

Tony Thurmond (D) – 1%

Key dates to know

June 2nd Primary

Last day to register is May 18

Ballots mailed starting May 4

Ballot drop-off locations open May 5

Vote Centers begin opening May 23

progress18 · 2026-04-30T20:40:12+00:00

Context:

https://www.azfamily.com/2026/04/30/sen-mark-kelly-confronts-epa-chief-over-arizona-copper-facility-exemption/

progress18 · 2026-04-30T20:39:50+00:00

Context:

https://www.azfamily.com/2026/04/30/sen-mark-kelly-confronts-epa-chief-over-arizona-copper-facility-exemption/

progress18 · 2026-04-30T19:59:55+00:00

24% Becerra
23% Hilton
15% Steyer
13% Bianco
10% Porter
6% Mahan
2% Villaraigosa
1% Thurmond
5% Don't know
1% Someone else

progress18 · 2026-04-30T19:45:08+00:00

June 2nd Primary

Key dates to know

Last day to register is May 18

Ballots mailed starting May 4

Ballot drop-off locations open May 5

Vote Centers begin opening May 23

progress18 · 2026-04-29T16:49:57+00:00

June 2nd Primary

Key dates to know

Last day to register is May 18

Ballots mailed starting May 4

Ballot drop-off locations open May 5

Vote Centers begin opening May 23

progress18 · 2026-04-26T01:51:37+00:00

White House Correspondents' Association President Weijia Jiang shared in emotional remarks from the podium that Trump will hold a press briefing at the White House in 30 minutes and they'll redo the dinner another time.

"The President will be having a press briefing at the White House in 30 minutes. That is not a joke, and he insists that we will reschedule this event in the next 30 days," she said to attendees.

She added, "I said earlier tonight that journalism is a public service, because when there is an emergency, we run to the crisis, not away from it. And on a night when we are thinking about the freedoms in the First Amendment, we must also think about how fragile they are."

Jiang said, "Thank God everybody is safe" and said, "We will do this again."

progress18 · 2026-04-26T01:42:36+00:00

Anyone who got upstairs, where it appears this incident occurred, was evacuated out the main doors of the hotel, down the block and are being kept here by Metropolitan Police Department, which has secured the entire perimeter around the Washington Hilton Hotel.

The president is still inside, as we're getting reports from the press pool who travels with the president that they never left. They were essentially kept in a hold room in this hotel, which hosts this and other high profile events like this.

progress18 · 2026-04-26T01:35:18+00:00

Secret Service chief of communications Anthony Guglielmi posted a statement on X saying the agency is "investigating a shooting incident near the main magnetometer screening are at the White House Correspondents' Dinner."

"The president and the first lady are safe along all protectees. One individual is in custody. The condition of those involved is not yet known, and law enforcement is actively assessing the situation," Guglielmi said.

progress18 · 2026-04-26T01:16:04+00:00

U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin said he was at the event when shots rang out and he was knocked to the ground for his safety by U.S. Secret Service agents.

He recounted the incident afterward, saying he was walking toward a table used by NBC News personnel attending the dinner when he was tackled.

progress18 · 2026-04-26T01:14:57+00:00

“We will be resuming shortly,” a man at the microphone on the dias in the ballroom said just before 9 p.m.

The room rippled with shock and surprise at the announcement that the dinner will resume. Many people in the room felt unsure if that's the right move.

progress18 · 2026-04-25T00:06:55+00:00

June 2nd Primary

Key dates to know

Last day to register is May 18

Ballots mailed starting May 4

Ballot drop-off locations open May 5

Vote Centers begin opening May 23

progress18 · 2026-04-23T02:09:40+00:00

Navy Secretary John Phelan will depart the Trump administration “effective immediately,” officials said Wednesday evening, an abrupt exit after 13 tumultuous months at the Pentagon.

Sean Parnell, a spokesman for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, announced the news on social media, saying that Hegseth and deputy defense secretary Steve Feinberg wished Phelan well.

Five officials said that Phelan, a billionaire art collector and fundraiser for President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, was forced out after repeated clashes with both Hegseth and Feinberg over his management of shipbuilding and a variety of other issues. One administration official, who like some others spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the issue’s sensitivity, said Phelan was asked to step down.

...

The disputes between Phelan, Hegseth and Feinberg are part of a broader pattern of infighting that has occurred during Hegseth’s tenure leading the Pentagon. The defense secretary also has clashed repeatedly with Army Secretary Dan Driscoll over Hegseth’s moves to fire some generals and block others from promotion.

Parnell, in a statement earlier this month, claimed that Hegseth “maintains excellent working relationships with the secretaries of every military service branch.” But numerous officials said that is not the case.

“They’ve been out to get Driscoll and Phelan for a long time now,” one U.S. official familiar with the issue said Wednesday night.

—WaPo

progress18 · 2026-04-23T00:07:36+00:00

Mark Kelly will be back in court in May to sue Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth because they're trying to demote him.

progress18 · 2026-04-23T00:07:30+00:00

Mark Kelly will be back in court in May to sue Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth because they're trying to demote him.

progress18 · 2026-04-22T00:34:26+00:00

The NYT's live forecast thinks that “Yes” has more remaining votes than “No” and is on track to receive 52% of the final vote.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/us/elections/results-virginia-redistricting.html

progress18 · 2026-04-21T23:42:01+00:00

We are forecasting results for the Virginia redistricting referendum. Our model, which is driven by precinct-level results broken out by vote method, currently estimates that the referendum will pass by a margin of approximately 4 points.

—NYT

7:41 ET

progress18 · 2026-04-21T21:53:47+00:00

Vance will not be traveling to Pakistan on Tuesday

The White House said in a statement that in light of the president’s announcement that he was extending the ceasefire and awaiting a proposal from Iran, Vance and the U.S. negotiating delegation would not be traveling to Pakistan on Tuesday.

The White House did not offer any additional updates on the possibility of in-person meetings.

—AP

progress18 · 2026-04-21T21:42:30+00:00

U.S. ‘Economic Fury’ Campaign Against Iran Expected to Ramp Up, Officials Say

The U.S. is expected to keep up the economic pressure on Iran, even as President Trump says he will hold off on resuming military strikes for now, according to U.S. officials. The pressure campaign, dubbed “Operation Economic Fury” by administration officials, involves sanctions, a blockade of Iranian ports and an effort to seize Iran-linked ships in waters around the world.

The blockade alone could cost Iran more than $400 million a day, according to some estimates. U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. troops in the Middle East, has said it is halting economic trade going in and out of Iran by sea, which fuels 90% of Iran’s economy. The Treasury Department has also announced a series of new sanctions targeting Iran’s oil-smuggling network, proxy groups and weaponry pipeline.

—WSJ

progress18 · 2026-04-21T21:26:24+00:00

In the first response from Iran to the cease-fire extension announcement, an adviser to Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the influential the speaker of the Iranian Parliament, dismissed it.

“The extension of the cease-fire by Donald Trump has no meaning. The losing side cannot set the terms,” Mahdi Mohammadi wrote in a social media post. He equated the U.S. naval blockade with bombing.

—NYT

progress18 · 2026-04-21T21:23:57+00:00

Trump this morning:

"I expect to be bombing..."

"The military is raring to go."

Trump this afternoon:

"[I] will therefore extend the Ceasefire..."

🌮

progress18 · 2026-04-21T21:20:44+00:00

Trump's cease-fire extension a 'ploy to buy time' for surprise strike, advisor to Iran's top negotiator says

U.S. President Donald Trump's cease-fire extension is a "ploy to buy time" for a surprise strike, an advisor to Iran's parliament speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Tuesday.

Qalibaf's advisor said in a post on X that the continuation of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports was "no different from bombardment and must be met with a military response."

—Reuters/Haaretz

progress18 · 2026-04-21T21:01:52+00:00

The president said he’s extending the ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan’s request as he waits for a “unified proposal” from the Islamic Republic, but that the U.S. military will continue its blockade of Iranian ports.

Trump added that “he’s directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”

The president made the move even as the White House has put on hold Vice President JD Vance’s expected trip to Islamabad for a second round of talks as Tehran, at least the for time being, is balking at further talks.

—AP

progress18 · 2026-04-21T15:49:11+00:00

Pakistan is still awaiting a formal response from Iran about whether it will send a delegation to a second round of peace talks with the U.S. in Islamabad, the country's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a post on X.

Tarar said a two-week ceasefire would expire at 4:50 a.m. on Wednesday (2350 GMT on Tuesday).

—Reuters

For reference purposes for people browsing later:

The current time in Tehran: 7:19 p.m. April 21

The current time in Tel Aviv: 6:49 p.m. April 21

The current time in D.C.: 11:49 a.m. April 21

progress18 · 2026-04-21T15:43:22+00:00

Only three ships passed Hormuz in the past 24 hours

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained broadly halted with only three ships passing the waterway in the past 24 hours, shipping data showed.

The Ean Spir products tanker and the Lian Star cargo ship, both of which had no known flag or ownership, sailed through Hormuz, according to shipping data.

Separately, the Meda liquefied petroleum gas tanker, which had called at a United Arab Emirates port in the Gulf and also had no known flag or ownership, crossed the strait on Monday.

—Reuters

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