22m ago / 7:21 AM EDTFormer prosecutors call on Senate to reject nominations of any judicial nominees who are election deniersA group of former government attorneys who prosecuted defendants in the Jan. 6 riot are calling on the Senate to deny confirmation of any judicial nominee who refuses to say the riot was an attack on the U.S. democracy, that it was led by Trump supporters and that Joe Biden was legitimately elected president in 2020.In a letter first obtained by NBC News, the 12 lawyers argue that the gravity of a lifetime appointment requires acknowledging the above points.“For judges nominated for lifetime seats in the judiciary branch, this refusal to contradict the President’s lies is particularly dangerous, and raises significant questions about whether, once confirmed, a nominee could act independently and free from political interference from the president that nominated them. The truth matter,” the letter reads.Democratic senators in particular have pressed Trump's judicial nominees on their views about the 2020 election and the attack on the Capitol in 2021.Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., recently questioned three nominees — Arthur Robert Jones, Michael Hendershot and Jeffrey Kuntz — on the points raised in today's letter and all three refused to describe Jan. 6 as an attack or concede that Biden won the 2020 election. All three were eventually confirmed by the full Senate to lifetime appointments as federal judges.22m ago / 7:20 AM EDTTrump says deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz could come as early as WednesdayTrump said a deal on the Strait of Hormuz could come as early as today, as Iran and Oman inched toward an agreement to reopen the critical waterway and potentially help bring an end to the war.Israel and the U.S. originally cited goals including toppling Tehran’s government and ending its nuclear program, but the war has devolved into a fight over the strait as Iran’s attacks and threats ground shipping to a halt.Read the full story here.22m ago / 7:20 AM EDTRep. Chuck Edwards drops re-election bid after censure recommendation over harassment claimsRep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C. has said he is dropping his bid for re-election, days after the House Ethics Committee recommended censure over sexual harassment allegations.“After much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to withdraw from my re-election campaign. I will complete my current term,” Edwards announced early this morning in a post on X. “Serving Western North Carolina has been the honor of my life. Thank you for your trust, prayers, and support.”Read the full story here.22m ago / 7:20 AM EDTProgressives expand their reach and money finds its limit: Takeaways from yesterday’s primariesVoters used a raft of primaries yesterday to drop fresh clues about the direction of the Democratic Party and how several leading political figures are wielding their influence.No state or race loomed larger than Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary.Read the full story here.22m ago / 7:20 AM EDTAbdul El-Sayed wins Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, notching a Midwest victory for the leftAbdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s slugfest of a Democratic Senate primary, NBC News projects, clinching the nomination in a close race over Rep. Haley Stevens and establishing a Midwest beachhead for a progressive left on the march this midterm cycle.El-Sayed overcame a nearly $65 million onslaught of outside money and an establishment that had rallied around Stevens. Popular Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorsed Stevens late last month — a move seen as a last-ditch effort to stop a rising El-Sayed.Read the full story here.