UFC Arena Towers Over The White House In New PhotosNew photos published Tuesday show the construction of a UFC arena at the White House is in full swing — and it's set to be very big.A series of mixed martial arts fights are scheduled to take place on the South Lawn on June 14 ― the same day as Trump’s 80th birthday, and billed as part of America's 250th anniversary celebrations.Trump has promised “the greatest show on earth,” and said the temporary arena will hold 4,000 people.Up to 100,000 people are also set to take it all in from a "fan fest" at the White House Ellipse, a 52-acre public park “right across the street.”Pictures of the arena towering over the People's House have emerged as organizers release images of the ring ― an octagonal cage ― where the fights will take place.UFC President and CEO Dana White has said the U.S taxpayer will not be on the hook for the costs of the event.“We’re eating the whole thing,” White said in January.Associated PressAssociated Press1/32/33/3Latest Live UpdatesBreaking UpdateKey Democrat Defies GOP Meddling To Win Texas PrimaryJohnny Garcia, a former sheriff’s deputy running a centrist campaign with the backing of national Democrats, defied a Republican attempt to boost his antisemitic opponent in a primary in South Texas, giving Democrats a shot at winning a gerrymandered majority-Hispanic district.Lead Left PAC, which has been linked to Republicans despite taking great lengths to hide its origins, spent nearly $1 million to boost Maureen Galindo, a sex therapist who expressed antisemitic views, over Garcia. The group was essentially solely responsible for Galindo’s campaign — she managed to raise just $5,000 on her own.Read more:James Talarico Brands Ken Paxton 'Most Corrupt Politician In America' Following Runoff ElectionTexas state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas, wasted little time in setting the tone for the upcoming race following Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's runoff win Tuesday night. "Ken Paxton is the most corrupt politician in America. He embodies the broken system we’re running against. It’s time to come together: The People vs. Ken Paxton," Talarico wrote on X just minutes after Paxton's win was announced. "Three years ago, Ken Paxton was impeached by his own party for using his public office to enrich himself, and his donors, at the expense of the people," Talarico said in an accompanying video on X. "That kind of corruption is the rot at the core of this broken system." The Republican candidate was quick to attack Talarico during his victory speech.“This campaign is not about red versus blue. It’s about so much more. My opponent is the most extreme radical the Democrats have ever nominated,” Paxton told the crowd.“The reality is James Talarico is going to be nothing more than a Texas-faced puppet for Chuck Schumer and the national Democrats,” Paxton added.Paxton also thanked Donald Trump for his support, despite many Senate Republicans objecting to the president's endorsement of Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. “When everyone in Washington told him to abandon me and abandon the people of Texas, he didn’t listen,” Paxton said. “Instead, he gave his complete and total endorsement. President Trump is the leader of our party, and his endorsement is the most powerful force in politics." Ken Paxton is the most corrupt politician in America. He embodies the broken system we’re running against.It’s time to come together: The People vs. Ken Paxton pic.twitter.com/xL3cckibX9— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) May 27, 2026Minneapolis Police Chief Resigns Ahead Of Possible Disciplinary ActionMinneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara, who took over the department in 2022, has resigned after an internal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations was set to lead to disciplinary action. “Today, I received an investigative report with concerning substantiated findings regarding Chief O’Hara’s leadership. This evening, I informed the chief I would be disciplining him up to and including discharge, and he resigned. I have accepted his resignation,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in an email to the police department, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.“I know this news comes as a surprise to many, and I want you to hear directly from me that this was not a decision I made lightly,” Frey added.In a press conference on Tuesday evening, Frey explained that O'Hara had interfered with a previous investigation into whether he was having sexual relations with a city employee. Frey maintained that the "underlying allegations from the original investigation remain not substantiated.""Everyone makes mistakes, including me, but what I can't allow is a breach of trust," Frey said. "When you serve as chief of the Minneapolis Police Department, trust is not secondary to the job; it is the job. When trust is broken, it becomes extremely difficult to continue leading effectively."Assistant Police Chief Katie Blackwell is now the acting police chief of the department.Vermont Bans Weed-Killing Chemical Linked To Parkinson’s DiseaseVermont is banning paraquat, a toxic, weed-killing pesticide that research has linked to Parkinson’s disease.The new law, signed by Gov. Phil Scott (R) on Tuesday, is set to take effect on November 1, with limited exceptions. Vermont is the first state to pass the ban, but similar legislation has been introduced in other states. Some federal lawmakers have also called attention to the issue. Read more in The Guardian:Massachusetts Uber and Lyft Drivers Hail First Certified Union For Rideshare Drivers In U.S.Massachusetts Uber and Lyft drivers gathered at the State House on Tuesday to hail the formation of the country’s first certified union for rideshare drivers. One day earlier, the App Drivers Union announced that it had been certified to represent approximately 70,000 rideshare drivers in the state, enabling it to collectively bargain on their behalf. Drivers’ efforts to organize were bolstered in 2024 when Massachusetts voters approved a statewide ballot initiative that made it legal for them to unionize. Since then, they’ve had to designate an organization to represent them at the bargaining table, and that group has had to secure state certification.The App Drivers Union will now be able to negotiate with Uber and Lyft on issues such as drivers’ wages, safety issues and working conditions. Both companies have said that they plan to engage with the union. “It’s one of the biggest organizing union victories in the last century,” Autumn Weintraub, executive director of the App Drivers Union, told The Boston Globe. Read more from The Boston Globe: Breaking UpdateTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton is projected to win Tuesday’s runoff election to become the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, knocking out veteran Sen. John Cornyn and marking the end of a bitter and expensive primary race that divided the party.Paxton’s projected win came after a last-minute endorsement by President Donald Trump, whose support goes a long way in Texas. Senate Republican leaders had begged Trump to get behind Cornyn, who has comfortably held this Senate seat since 2002 and doesn’t come with the baggage the attorney general has. But the president sided with Paxton, a scandal-plagued MAGA ally, because he said Cornyn hasn’t been sufficiently loyal.Read more:Breaking UpdateChristian Menefee Defeats Al Green In Texas Democratic Primary RunoffRep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas) has defeated Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) in an unusual Democratic primary runoff election that pitted two current House members against each other for a redrawn district.The clash between the freshman Menefee and Green, who is in his 11th term, is one of several races showcasing the debate within the Democratic party over whether the party’s old guard needs to make way for younger leaders.Read more:House Committee's First Draft Of Defense Bill Allocates $1.14 Trillion In Military SpendingThe Republican-led House Armed Services Committee revealed a $1.14 trillion military spending bill for the 2027 fiscal year on Tuesday, the day after Memorial Day.The bill, which comes after Trump sought $1.5 trillion in defense spending, would allocate $1.1 trillion to the Pentagon and the remaining $41 billion to the Department of Energy’s nuclear weapons programs, Stars and Stripes reported. It includes pay raises and regulations on troop withdrawals in Europe, which Trump has previously threatened. A second $350 billion proposed defense spending bill is set to be voted on separately through reconciliation. Read more at The Washington Post:Private Reprimand Upheld For Federal Judge Accused Of Affair With Police OfficerThe private reprimand of a U.S. federal judge accused of having an affair with a high-ranking police officer has been upheld by a national judicial panel, according to a report from Reuters. The judge, who has not been publicly identified, is accused of having sexual intercourse with the officer in their chambers within earshot of courthouse staff. The U.S. Judicial Conference's Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability upheld the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit Judicial Council's February decision on Friday, which detailed how to discipline the judge. Aside from the private reprimand, the judge agreed to forgo any opportunity to serve as chief judge in their court location, which was also not publicly disclosed. They further agreed to apologize to any court staff that were interviewed as part of the probe and "indefinitely refrain from serving on any Judicial Conference committee," according to the national judicial panel's decision. Read more from Reuters:SPLC Asks Judge To Dismiss Criminal Charges As 'Violation Of Due Process'The Southern Poverty Law Center on Tuesday requested that a federal judge dismiss criminal charges filed by the Justice Department, which it characterized as part of the Trump administration's "attack on civil rights groups." In the 47-page motion, filed in the Middle District of Alabama, the SPLC's lawyers argued that the April indictment accusing the nonprofit of fraud, among other things, was false and the result of President Donald Trump's "years-long failed effort to overturn the 2020 election results."The filings point to whistleblower reports submitted to Congress alleging that top Justice Department officials pressured prosecutors to rush the indictment against the center, adding that the "Court should dismiss the indictment as a violation of due process.""These procedural irregularities show that the charges against the SPLC were a foregone conclusion based on prosecutorial vindictiveness – driven by the White House and FBI leadership’s retribution campaign – rather than the result of a good faith examination of the evidence," the filings read.See All Updates