November
‘Not on my bingo card’: Trump’s shock justice pick faces pushback
Firebrand Matt Gaetz, who has never worked in the Justice Department or as a prosecutor at any level of government, is the latest in a wave of Donald Trump’s nominations.
- Andrew Goudsward and Sarah N. Lynch
- Exclusive
- US election
Rudd, Wong scramble to shore up Trump ties in coin-flip election
Senior Albanese government figures met with Mike Pompeo, the former president’s close ally, and others associated with his last administration.
- Andrew Tillett
August
Voice architect fears Indigenous policy ‘deja vu’ trap
Uluru Dialogue co-chairwoman Pat Anderson warned Labor not to throw its promise of a Makarrata commission “out with the referendum bathwater”.
- Tom McIlroy
April
- Exclusive
- Russia-Ukraine war
On the front line with Ukraine’s youngest commander
Kharkiv’s improbable resistance, led by General Sergei Melnik, faces growing threats from Russia and political stalemate in the US.
- Jack Wright
March
Biden looks to State of the Union address to prove he’s up to the job
His third such address from the House rostrum will be something of an on-the-job interview, as the nation’s oldest president tries to quell voter concerns.
- Zeke Miller and Seung Min Kim
January
US Congress leaders reach deal on spending cap, easing shutdown risk
President Joe Biden welcomed the agreement, saying it provides a path to passing full-year funding bills.
- Updated
- Jacob Bogage
November 2023
US House passes spending bill to avert shutdown
The new US House Speaker, Republican Mike Johnson, has gathered enough votes to pass a stop-gap spending bill and avoid paralysing the goverment.
- Erik Wasson, Billy House and Mackenzie Hawkins
October 2023
Republicans embrace right-wing hardliner as new House Speaker
The elevation of Mike Johnson, part of the effort to overturn the 2020 election and a religious conservative opposed to abortion and same-sex marriage, cements the GOP’s lurch to the right.
- Catie Edmondson
‘Hopelessly divided’ Republicans keep US Congress paralysed
Republicans selected Mike Johnson as the next candidate in their struggle to break the gridlock and select a speaker, after Donald Trump torpedoed the last one.
- Updated
- David Morgan, Richard Cowan and Makini Brice
Trump-backed Republican loses US Speaker vote
Jim Jordan, who is backed by Donald Trump, must overcome deep Republican divisions in a second scheduled ballot, as the US House remains leaderless.
- David Morgan, Makini Brice and Moira Warburton
Jordan activates right-wing pressure campaign for US Speaker job
Several of the legislator’s supporters have posted phone numbers of GOP lawmakers they count as holdouts, encouraging followers to call the Capitol switchboard.
- Karoun Demirjian
Scalise quits US Speaker race after Trump jibes
The Republican legislator failed to get enough votes to secure an overall majority in the chamber, leaving Congress in chaos again.
- Luke Broadwater
Republicans back Scalise for Speaker as clock ticks down
The Louisiana congressman now faces a vote by the full chamber to fill the leadership vacuum following the ousting of Kevin McCarthy last week.
- Updated
- Matthew Cranston
Israel-Hamas war adds pressure on US Congress to get back to work
While the US has agreed to provide Israel $60 billion in military aid over 10 years, Republicans are under pressure to ensure Congress releases the funding.
- Matthew Cranston
US Congressional chaos could drive Treasury yields even higher
Bond markets are not pricing in the true cost of government debt amid put-of-control government spending and chaos in Congress, say experts.
- Matthew Cranston
- Opinion
- The AFR View
How Canberra can ride out the Congress car crash
Australia has to invest in long-term relationships, many of which rely on institutions that remind us of the glory days of American democracy.
- The AFR View
- Analysis
- World politics
Republicans are sick of Matt Gaetz, but none are acting on it
Party colleagues are keen to expel the Florida hardliner from the caucus after he led a vote to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. But he’s unperturbed.
- Jacob Bogage
- Opinion
- Russia-Ukraine war
America turns against Ukraine before election
The ousting of Kevin McCarthy as Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives is bad news for Ukraine.
- Updated
- Edward Luce
Former wrestler, shooting survivor battle for US speaker job
Republicans are racing to replace House Speaker Kevin McCarthy who was removed in a historic vote this week that left the US Congress in chaos.
- David Morgan, Moira Warburton and Makini Brice
- Opinion
- US politics
This is why Matt Gaetz just blew up Congress
The hardliner likes to portray himself as one of the last Republicans standing who cares about out-of-control government spending and the resulting build-up of sovereign debt.
- Updated
- Matthew Cranston