Smerconish on the Democrats strategy to win a senate majority

11:44 AM EDT, Sat August 22, 2026 / By TARA COUGHLIN, CNN

Smerconish on the Democrats strategy to win a senate majority

Smerconish delves into the surprising tactic the dems have deployed to try and win the senate majority.

2:14 • Source: CNN

Latest News from CNN Politics 15 videos

Smerconish on the Democrats strategy to win a senate majority
2:14
Now playing
• Source: CNN

Stars and Stripes reporter: ‘Shocked. My comments were in line’
1:13
Now playing
• Source: CNN

Yemisi Egbewole: “I’d be a little annoyed” as a SC candidate
3:16
Now playing
• Source: CNN

Trump makes rare campaign appearance after Darline Graham flub
2:07
Now playing
• Source: CNN

Supreme Court temporarily allows construction of White House ballroom to continue
1:18
Now playing
• Source: CNN

Sen. Darline Graham is putting Trump’s endorsement to the test in South Carolina
3:36
Now playing
• Source: CNN

California still hasn’t rebuilt most of the homes destroyed in the 2025 fires. Does this Republican have a plan to fix it?
2:25
Now playing
• Source: CNN

How IndyCar came to Washington with a race for America’s 250th Birthday
4:05
Now playing
• Source: CNN

The Odds: The Florida Project
3:40
Now playing
• Source: CNN

Natalie Harp’s letters reveal the extent of their close connection
2:40
Now playing
• Source: CNN

Great nephew of Black WWII hero: ‘a shock’ to hear ship may be renamed
6:30
Now playing
• Source: CNN

Geoff Duncan: “There are warning signs going off every which way”
4:21
Now playing
• Source: CNN

U.S. Navy considering renaming carrier slated to honor Black war hero, potentially switching it to Trump
1:35
Now playing
• Source: CNN

Maggie Haberman: People in Trump’s world are “not happy” the President is reuniting with Michael Cohen
1:05
Now playing
• Source: CNN

Together again: Pres. Trump interviewed by man he once called a “rat”
1:25
Now playing
• Source: CNN

See more videos

https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/22/politics/video/smerconish-on-the-democrats-strategy-to-win-a-senate-majority

德国外长访基辅 抨击俄罗斯袭击民用设施

2026-08-22 20:51 / 联合早报

8月22日，乌克兰外交部长安德烈·西比哈（右）和德国外交部长约翰·瓦德富尔在基辅会晤。 （法新社）

德国外交部长瓦德富尔严厉批评俄罗斯总统普京对乌克兰的“残酷侵略战争”加剧，他承诺向基辅提供更多援助。

瓦德富尔（Johann Wadephul）星期六（8月22日）访问乌克兰首都基辅期间，发表上述言论。此前一天，俄罗斯无人机袭击了乌克兰东部一家繁忙的购物中心，造成至少16人死亡。

瓦德富尔与乌克兰外长西比加（Andriy Sybiga）一起出席新闻发布会时说：“俄罗斯残酷的侵略战争……丝毫没有减弱。相反，普京甚至加大了战争的强度。他蓄意恐吓平民，用导弹和无人机群袭击民用基础设施。”

法新社报道，俄罗斯加大了对乌克兰城市的轰炸力度，联合国报告称，2026年乌克兰平民死亡人数已升至战争爆发初期以来的最高水平。

他宣布将向乌克兰追加5000万欧元（约7430万新元）的人道主义援助，这笔资金将拨给支持前线附近地区的联合国机构和非政府组织。

瓦德富尔还说，德国还将向北大西洋公约组织的一个基金额外注资1000万欧元，该基金旨在为乌克兰加强能源网络和无人机防御系统提供资金。

乌克兰近来一直呼吁盟国协助它提升防空能力。美国自2月份与伊朗开战以来，转移了“爱国者”导弹系统的供应，乌克兰一直面临着“爱国者”系统导弹短缺的问题。

瓦德福尔说，他持续就此议题与欧洲国家磋商，且计划下周和美国国务卿鲁比奥进行讨论。

美加关税谈判无法达成协议 加拿大称将采取对等报复措施

2026-08-22 21:30 / 联合早报

加拿大总理卡尼指出，美方在最后一刻提出的条款既不公平，也不符合经济利益，并让人质疑协议的可靠性。 （路透社）

（华盛顿／渥太华综合电）美国和加拿大未能就关税问题达成协议，美国对约200亿美元（约254亿新元）加拿大商品征收50％关税的措施，在星期六（8月22日）零时（新加坡时间星期六中午）正式生效。

美加互指对方导致谈判破裂。美国贸易代表格里尔说，加拿大谈判代表在最后关头提出新的要求，推翻了经过数日谈判达成的协议草案。他指出：“加拿大错失了和美国这个七国集团（G7）成员中经济增长最快的国家合作的机会。”

特朗普政府一名高官透露，美方的提议原本可以让加拿大在所有对美主要出口国中享有最有利的关税待遇，但加拿大要求获得更大让步，特别是在钢铁、铝、汽车和软木木材方面。

加拿大总理卡尼则指美国临时提出不公平的条款，这促使他决定停止谈判。他表明将对美方实施对等反制关税，以保护加拿大的工人和商业。

他说：“美方在最后一刻提出的条款既不公平，也不符合经济利益，并让人质疑协议的可靠性。”

延伸阅读

消息称美或将加拿大钢铝关税减半 汽车关税降至15%

美加的经济联系非常紧密，加拿多达七成的产品出口到美国。这次被征关税的商品包括一些此前受到《美墨加协定》（USMCA）保护的商品，占加拿大对美出口的5.5％，涉及冰球杆到水泥等各类产品。

魁北克拉瓦尔大学国际经济法教授乌莱特说：“此前，《美墨加协定》就像一道保护盾。现在，美国人正在这面盾牌上打开一个缺口。”

特朗普于7月1日拒绝延长《美墨加协定》，使协定须每年进行审查。

尽管特朗普取消《美墨加协定》的豁免条款，可能预示着未来将采取更极端的措施，但加拿大最大银行皇家银行（RBC）预测，首轮征收50%关税的措施不会显著改变加拿大的整体经济增长。

卡尔加里大学经济学者汤贝则估计，如果这些关税持续实施，加拿大可能会流失近9万个工作岗位，而出口受阻对机械与电子、塑料与橡胶、家具、木材、纸张，以及化学品和化妆品等行业的冲击将最大。

USPS publishes rule to block mail-in ballots from states that don’t provide voter lists

The rule aligns with Trump’s executive order but cannot take effect under an existing federal court injunction

August 22, 2026 10:00am EDT / Fox News

By Robert McGreevy, Fox News

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

The United States Postal Service (USPS) published a rule Friday that would require states to provide lists of voters who received mail-in ballots to the agency.

The USPS rule, first proposed on June 2, moves to align the agency with President Donald Trump’s March 31 executive order, which, among other things, ordered the agency to mandate that all states that plan to use USPS to send mail-in ballots notify the agency at least 90 days before an election and to send USPS a list of eligible voters the state plans on providing a mail-in ballot to at least 60 days before the election.

“Any state that intends to receive mail-in or absentee ballots from individual voters through the Postal Service must ensure that such individuals have been enrolled with the Postal Service for inclusion on the state’s Mail-In and Absentee Participation List,” the new rule reads.

In order for an individual to be included on the list, their state must submit to the USPS the individual’s name and address and include a “uniquely serialized Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb)” on both the outbound federal ballot and the return ballot sent to the individual.

DHS PLANS COSTLY CRACKDOWN ON STATES THAT DON’T COOPERATE ON ELECTION SECURITY

An absentee ballot for the 2020 U.S. election. A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing part of President Donald Trump’s executive order tightening mail-in voting rules ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.(Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images, File)

The finalized rule, however, cannot go into effect under an outstanding federal injunction against Trump’s March executive order.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama, issued an initial preliminary injunction against the executive order in June, ruling that two sections – including the section pertaining to USPS and mail-in ballots – were unconstitutional.

In July, siding with the plaintiffs in League of Women Voters of Massachusetts v. Trump, Talwani renewed the injunction, barring the USPS from enacting the rule.

DHS APPROVES PLAN TO VERIFY VOTER CITIZENSHIP, MONITOR MAIL BALLOTS AS TRUMP PUSH INTENSIFIES

Attorney Indira Talwani testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 8, 2014, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Talwani was nominated by President Barack Obama to become U.S. District Judge for the District of Massachusetts.(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The rule, which USPS will officially publish on Aug. 26, would only take effect for the upcoming midterm elections if a federal court lifted its injunction on Trump’s executive order.

In a filed opposition to the renewal of the injunction, the Trump administration argued that the judicial review was premature under the ripeness doctrine, claiming that the plaintiffs cannot demonstrate any harm from the proposed law until it takes effect.

“Plaintiffs cannot demonstrate they suffer any particularized injury from ongoing policymaking deliberations within the Executive Branch. Instead, their concern is with possible ‘action that the [government] might take in the future,’ the objection, filed by the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division, read.

USPS Postmaster General ​David Steiner defended the ⁠rule when it was first proposed in June, arguing that the USPS is making sure “we match the ballots that a state believes they’re sending out to what actually ​gets sent out.”

US President Donald Trump displays a signed executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Trump signed an executive order Tuesday intended to make it harder for voters to cast mail-in ballots, escalating his long-running campaign against a practice used by millions of Americans.(Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

USPS WOULDN’T DELIVER BALLOTS IN STATES THAT REFUSE TO FORK OVER MAIL-IN VOTER INFO UNDER PROPOSED RULE

After the most recent injunction was issued, White House spokesperson Lauren Bis said, “The entire Trump Administration will continue lawfully enacting the agenda President Trump was elected to enact – which includes the safety and security of American elections.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital contacted the White House, the DOJ, USPS and the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts for further comment.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

美加关税谈判无法达成协议 加拿大称将采取对等报复措施

2026年8月22日 21:30 / 联合早报

加拿大总理卡尼指出，美方在最后一刻提出的条款既不公平，也不符合经济利益，并让人质疑协议的可靠性。 （路透社）

（华盛顿／渥太华综合电）美国和加拿大未能就关税问题达成协议，美国对约200亿美元（约254亿新元）加拿大商品征收50％关税的措施，在星期六（8月22日）零时（新加坡时间星期六中午）正式生效。

美加互指对方导致谈判破裂。美国贸易代表格里尔说，加拿大谈判代表在最后关头提出新的要求，推翻了经过数日谈判达成的协议草案。他指出：“加拿大错失了和美国这个七国集团（G7）成员中经济增长最快的国家合作的机会。”

特朗普政府一名高官透露，美方的提议原本可以让加拿大在所有对美主要出口国中享有最有利的关税待遇，但加拿大要求获得更大让步，特别是在钢铁、铝、汽车和软木木材方面。

加拿大总理卡尼则指美国临时提出不公平的条款，这促使他决定停止谈判。他表明将对美方实施对等反制关税，以保护加拿大的工人和商业。

他说：“美方在最后一刻提出的条款既不公平，也不符合经济利益，并让人质疑协议的可靠性。”

美加的经济联系非常紧密，加拿多达七成的产品出口到美国。这次被征关税的商品包括一些此前受到《美墨加协定》（USMCA）保护的商品，占加拿大对美出口的5.5％，涉及冰球杆到水泥等各类产品。

魁北克拉瓦尔大学国际经济法教授乌莱特说：“此前，《美墨加协定》就像一道保护盾。现在，美国人正在这面盾牌上打开一个缺口。”

特朗普于7月1日拒绝延长《美墨加协定》，使协定须每年进行审查。

尽管特朗普取消《美墨加协定》的豁免条款，可能预示着未来将采取更极端的措施，但加拿大最大银行皇家银行（RBC）预测，首轮征收50%关税的措施不会显著改变加拿大的整体经济增长。

卡尔加里大学经济学者汤贝则估计，如果这些关税持续实施，加拿大可能会流失近9万个工作岗位，而出口受阻对机械与电子、塑料与橡胶、家具、木材、纸张，以及化学品和化妆品等行业的冲击将最大。

The Will of 100: Trump’s SAVE America Act sidelined after Senate unanimously agreed to August exit

August 22, 2026 10:56am EDT / Fox News

John Thune’s unanimous consent requests to recess went unchallenged, with no senator objecting on or off the floor

By Chad Pergram Fox News

Chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on the Senate passing an interim spending bill to fund the government through Dec. 11 and confirming Todd Blanche as Attorney General in a close 50-49 vote.

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

blob:https://www.foxnews.com/13fa0edb-f26a-46aa-acd7-b1b4724b6b68

Listen to this article

8 min

The Senate has been out of session for about two weeks. It’s convened in brief “pro forma” sessions for just a couple of moments on four occasions since senators called it quits for more than a month at 4:57 a.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 8.

Pro forma sessions are where the Senate huddles for just a few seconds, gaveling in and gaveling out with a skeleton crew. It’s rare that more than one senator is even in the chamber.

The Senate truly isn’t back for debate and votes until the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 15.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: INSIDE THE SENATE SHOWDOWN OVER TRUMP’S PUSH TO SCRAP AUGUST RECESS

The president urged both the House and Senate to pass the Protect Colle Sports Act.(Photo by Tom Brenner/Getty Images)

But what about all of that sturm and drang about “cancelling the August recess?” Remember that President Donald Trump and conservatives – ranging from Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to Rick Scott, R-Fla. – wanted the Senate to remain in session for the month to debate the SAVE America Act. That’s the chief legislative demand of Trump. It requires voter ID and proof of citizenship to vote.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., was on the floor when the Senate cut town a little more than two weeks ago. Did Thune hornswoggle his fellow Republicans into recessing the Senate for five weeks in the dead of night?

Hardly. In fact even those Republicans who would have liked senators to remain in Washington to debate the SAVE America Act were in on Thune’s plan, allowing the Senate to abandon town for most of August and nearly half of September.

Huh?

Believe it or not, Thune and all other 99 senators agreed to leave Washington. In fact, that’s the only way it could have happened.

The Senate was meeting at 2:07 a.m. that Saturday, on the verge of commencing a vote series to confirm Attorney General Todd Blanche and approve the Russia sanctions bill. That’s when Thune asked the following on the Senate floor:

“When the Senate completes its business on Aug. 8, to meet for pro forma sessions only at 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. 8 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026,” requested Thune.

The majority leader then continued, rattling off a host of dates on Mondays and Thursdays for the Senate to convene in those pro forma sessions.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, was presiding over the Senate at the time.

“Without objection?” asked Moreno of the body when Thune concluded.

There was none.

INSIDE THE SENATE’S CHAOTIC ALL-NIGHTER THAT LEFT TRUMP’S SAVE AMERICA ACT ON THE SHELF

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during a news conference following the Senate Republican policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.(Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In other words, the Senate would soon depart Washington. There would be no August debate about the SAVE America Act. The Senate would simply meet for abbreviated sessions over the next few weeks.

And shortly before 5 a.m., Thune requested the following from the floor:

“Madam President, I ask unanimous consent when the Senate adjourns on Thursday, Sept. 10, it stand adjourned until 3 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 14. And following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved and the Morning Hour be deemed expired,” asked Thune.

The South Dakota Republican then threw in some more boilerplate, parliamentary language, to tee up a test vote on an unresolved cryptocurrency regulation bill for the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 15.

“Without objection,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wy., who was presiding over the Senate at that ungodly hour.

Thune paused briefly. But no one said boo from the floor.

That’s because the chamber was bereft of senators — except for Thune and Lummis. Everyone bailed and was heading for the airport.

“Madam President, if there’s no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order,” Thune asked.

“The Senate stands adjourned until 10 a.m. ET on Monday,” declared Lummis, rapping the Senate’s unique hourglass shaped gavel on the dais.

No objection. No roll call vote.

The Senate was done.

So let me filet this for you.

The Senate conducts much of its business via “unanimous consent.” The Senate is a body of equals. All 100 senators wield nearly the same power. The Senate relies on “unanimous consent,” the blessing of all 100 members, to conduct quotidian tasks, like going in and out of session or what time to meet. The Senate occasionally approves bills — sometimes even big ones — by unanimous consent if all senators agree.

But unanimous consent is just that. All 100 members must be on the same page. And if you have 99 senators in agreement and one holdout, well, that’s not unanimous consent.

The Senate Chamber with Sen. Dave McCormick as the presiding officer.(Fox News)

All it takes is the objection of a solitary member to sidetrack a “unanimous consent” request on the floor. And note that despite the advocacy by some Republican senators for the body to remain in session during August, no one lodged an objection.

That’s because Thune pre-baked a series of unanimous consent requests offstage before he came to the floor.

Late in the evening of Friday, Aug. 7, Thune ran what’s called a “hotline” in the Senate. He proposed a series of votes to confirm Blanche, OK Russia sanctions and consider a few other items. If any senator had a problem with Thune’s hotline, they should let leadership know before 11:30 p.m. that night. Otherwise, Thune would go to the floor and “propound” the unanimous consent request for the upcoming vote sequence. Thune would also propound a unanimous consent request for what the Senate would address when members returned in September,

This package included a plan for those aforementioned pro forma sessions. And, for the Senate to hold off on any votes until Monday, night, Sept. 14. Thune also locked in the procedural vote on the cryptocurrency measure for Sept. 15.

Anyone could have objected offstage.

They didn’t. That would have scuttled the entire enterprise.

Anyone could have objected on the Senate floor when Thune made the unanimous consent requests in real time. That didn’t happen either. That’s why both Moreno and Lummis asked the body if there was “an objection.” Or, they declared “without objection, so ordered.”

However, those pushing for the Senate to remain in session to debate the SAVE America Act did manage a minor victory. Part of Thune’s unanimous consent request at 2:07 a.m. that Saturday included a test vote on a voter ID bill pushed by Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio. This package addressed some of the provisions desired by Trump. It was also helpful to Husted, who faces a tough election this fall against former Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. And, the test vote would get senators on the record voting for or against voter ID.

All Republican senators voted yes. All Democratic senators voted no. Republicans will likely deploy this roll call vote against their Democratic colleagues this fall.

The vote secured more than a simple majority in the Senate. But here’s the catch: part of Thune’s unanimous consent request — pre-agreed to by all 100 senators — dictated that the test vote on the Husted measure was subject to a 60 vote threshold. Republicans only command 53 votes in the Senate. So without Democratic assistance, the Husted plan was doomed from the start.

So the Senate is long gone. And will continue to be gone for a few weeks.

This wasn’t because of some backroom plan cooked up by Thune. This wasn’t just Thune going against the wishes of conservative senators who suggested the Senate remain in session. This wasn’t just Thune working against the president.

Those unanimous consent requests reflected the will of all 100 senators. Anyone on either side could have blocked the proposals. But they didn’t.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

And when someone asks why the Senate didn’t remain in session this month to address the SAVE America Act, you can tell them that all 100 senators agreed to call it quits and go home at 4:57 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8.

Chad Pergram currently serves as Chief Congressional Correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.

伊朗国防部：一年来国防装备产量整体翻番

2026年8月22日 22:02 / 联合早报

7月30日，在伊朗德黑兰的阿扎迪广场，美国总统特朗普的照片横幅与伊朗导弹系统并排摆放。 （路透社）

伊朗国防部发言人说，过去一年来，伊朗武器和国防装备的产量翻了一番。

新华社引述伊朗迈赫尔通讯社（Mehr News Agency）星期六（8月22日）的报道说，伊朗国防部发言人礼萨·塔拉埃-尼克接受伊朗国家电视台采访时指出，在去年6月与美国与以色列持续12天的冲突结束后，伊朗的武器和国防装备产量整体翻了一番，部分战时优先列装的战略装备的产量甚至增长了三倍以上。

这与美国和以色列领导人一度声称“伊朗国防生产将陷入停滞”的说法截然相反。

塔拉埃-尼克还说，为保守军事机密，部分装备系统暂未对外展示，但军队指挥官了解包括弹道导弹、巡航导弹、无人机及防空系统在内的生产与升级进度。

伊朗国防部：一年来国防装备产量整体翻番

2026年8月22日 22:02 / 联合早报

7月30日，在伊朗德黑兰的阿扎迪广场，美国总统特朗普的照片横幅与伊朗导弹系统并排摆放。 （路透社）

伊朗国防部发言人说，过去一年来，伊朗武器和国防装备的产量翻了一番。

新华社引述伊朗迈赫尔通讯社（Mehr News Agency）星期六（8月22日）的报道说，伊朗国防部发言人礼萨·塔拉埃-尼克接受伊朗国家电视台采访时指出，在去年6月与美国与以色列持续12天的冲突结束后，伊朗的武器和国防装备产量整体翻了一番，部分战时优先列装的战略装备的产量甚至增长了三倍以上。

这与美国和以色列领导人一度声称“伊朗国防生产将陷入停滞”的说法截然相反。

塔拉埃-尼克还说，为保守军事机密，部分装备系统暂未对外展示，但军队指挥官了解包括弹道导弹、巡航导弹、无人机及防空系统在内的生产与升级进度。

Inside DC’s historic heart, an IndyCar race backed by Trump kicks into gear

2026-08-22T13:04:19.000Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/22/politics/dc-indycar-race-day-1

Spectators began pouring into the center of Washington, DC, on Saturday to catch the first day of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, a two-day street racing event whose revving engines will echo amid the nearby US Capitol and the city’s neoclassic national museums.

The portion of 3rd street that will serve as the start and finish line is painted red, white and cobalt blue, with a thick black-and-white checkered flag band overshadowing the more mundane stripes of a nearby crosswalk. Large metal fencing stands erected around the site to protect those who’ve flocked to the IndyCar event to watch the sleekly designed cars fly past at speeds up to 180 miles per hour.

With a host of preliminary races on the schedule, the festivities on Saturday are a buildup to the main race on Sunday, which, according to the White House, President Donald Trump plans to attend. The 1.66-mile track caps off a summer of celebrations commemorating the nation’s 250th birthday.

The president fast tracked the race with a January executive order, bypassing local bureaucratic hurdles and making the event that is expected to draw nearly 300,000 people over two days a reality less than a year after its pitch by Penske Corporation president, Bud Denker.

Fans began pouring into the sprawling racing area under a light drizzle at about 8 a.m. as the racing teams were preparing for the first practice rounds. By about 11 a.m., there were several thousand people at the site. The weather did not dampen the spirits of hardcore racing fans who traveled from across the country for the Grand Prix in DC.

Tom Lantz brought his family, including his 12-year-old son, Levi Steele, from Altoona, Pennsylvania, for the event. Lantz has attended several previous races but this was Levi’s first.

“I’m just glad I’m here,” Levi said.

The racetrack starts along 3rd Street, along the National Mall across from the Washington Monument, and is followed by turns onto Pennsylvania Avenue, the street where the White House is located. From there, it goes along 9th Street — passing the National Gallery of Art and National Archives. Pennsylvania Avenue was crucial to the track because its width lent itself to a pit lane where IndyCars will stop for tire changes, fuel and repairs.

The course then turns onto Constitution Avenue and cuts across 7th Street, bisecting the National Mall before turning onto Independence Avenue, past the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. It then turns on Maryland Avenue and back onto 3rd Street, spanning less than 1.7 miles and seven turns.

Drivers on Sunday will race around the monuments for 147 laps, a symbolic number to celebrate the nation’s semi-quincentennial with a 250-mile race.

Fans who showed up on Saturday said they were especially excited about the race’s historical backdrops – with the US Capitol in view of one of the track’s straightaways.

“The nostalgia of DC, the heritage – I’ll take this any day,” said Scott Talbott, who is visiting from Dallas.

Spectators lined the tracks during the practice rounds on Saturday, with fathers hoisting their young children on their shoulders to get a better view of the track. Small concrete blocks were placed every couple of yards to provide a better view for those who were not in the grandstands.

Drivers spent Saturday navigating the intricacies of the track for the first time. They seemed to hit top speeds on the straightaway along Pennsylvania Avenue before hitting a sharp curve on 9th St. NW. More than one driver appeared to miss the turn, forcing them to turn around to navigate back to the course.

Many Washington, DC, residents will feel the race’s impact even if they don’t attend it, as officials plan extensive traffic and parking restrictions throughout the city in conjunction with the event. The Federal Aviation Administration also announced it will pause flights out of Ronald Reagan National Airport from 10:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. on Sunday, though those times may change.

A few of the city’s iconic Smithsonian Museums are in the race’s path, and visitors will need a Freedom 250 Grand Prix event ticket to access them. The National Gallery of Art, which is next to the race’s pit lane, said it conducted an “extensive vibration study” and applied a set of safety measures to protect guests and its art collections from being damaged by the race.

Both the National Gallery of Art and the nearby National Archives, which houses the nation’s founding documents, were practically empty as the practice sessions got underway – an unusual sight for a summer Saturday.

The Freedom 250 won’t be the first time a race was held in Washington to commemorate America’s anniversary. In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson celebrated America’s 25th birthday with a horse race near the same land where IndyCar’s track is built, according to the White House Historical Association.

Hosting this race was a bit more complicated than it might have been back then.

For a nation’s capital that frequently engages in logistical gymnastics for events like the presidential inauguration, the Grand Prix presented unique challenges, including repairing streets, constructing large heavy fencing and securing permits to bring the race to downtown.

Ahead of Saturday’s qualifying races, Denker’s team smoothed nearly 50 manhole covers over with silicone to ensure the high-speeding cars don’t blow the covers off their places with the suction they create.

Security will be a particular sticking point ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix with the president and several members of his cabinet set to attend the race. Attendees will funnel through tall magnetometers, reminiscent of TSA-style screening before a flight.

Even on Saturday, a heavy law-enforcement presence included members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Guard, the US Parks Police and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

DC city officials had asked the federal government to designate the event as a National Special Security Event – a status reserved for the nation’s highest-profile and highest-risk gatherings, such as the State of the Union and state funerals. The Trump administration denied the request, opting instead to follow a Special Event Assessment Rating Level 1 – the highest designation below a National Special Security Event.

Another challenge for organizers was accommodating DC residents who live in the middle of the action. Denker, the Penske president, anticipated concerns about disruption and noise, meeting in May with residents who live or have office space near the course to pitch his plan and answer any questions.

Outside the site’s gates, those without tickets craned their necks to get a glimpse of the cars from public areas where the track was still viewable by the Archives-Navy Memorial metro station.

Most of the race’s extensive construction took place in the overnight hours but drew the ire of residents outraged at the large-scale disruption in downtown DC.

The more-than-$35-million price tag, all paid for by IndyCar, bets on the race as a way to attract new fans and commemorate the nation’s birthday.

“What’s primary for me, and it sounds corny, is to celebrate our country’s 250th anniversary in ways no one ever expected to see,” Denker said.

美国最高法院暂准白宫宴会厅继续施工 特朗普暂获胜利

2026年8月22日 23:03 / 联合早报

美国哥伦比亚特区地方法院于8月14日发布的照片，展示了美国总统特朗普拟在华盛顿特区白宫东翼原址建造的宴会厅效果图。 （法新社）

美国最高法院裁定，美国总统特朗普能继续兴建白宫大型宴会厅。特朗普对最高法院作此裁定表示感谢。

美国最高法院首席大法官约翰·罗伯茨（John Roberts）星期五（8月21日）签署一句话的行政搁置令，暂时允许白宫宴会厅改造项目继续进行，这让特朗普在这个重点翻新项目上取得了暂时的胜利。

法新社报道，罗伯茨的简短命令意味着，尽管史迹保护团体对这项工程提出法律挑战，工程仍可在下级法院诉讼进行期间继续进行。原裁定要求白宫宴会厅工程在星期五午夜前停工。

特朗普在其社交媒体真相社交网站上发帖称，他对最高法院的裁决“表示感谢”。

他说：“在白宫这片神圣土地上兴建的军事／宴会厅综合设施，对国家安全至关重要。”

新华社报道，美国哥伦比亚特区联邦巡回上诉法院本月7日裁定，维持下级法院发布的对白宫宴会厅改造项目的暂停令。美国政府14日向最高法院提起紧急上诉，请求最高法院在上诉法院的裁决于21日生效前作出决定。

美国政府在提交给法庭的文件中称，白宫宴会厅改造项目“为国家安全所必需”，并说项目已完成65%。

2025年11月15日，在美国政府经历了历史上最长的停摆后，从重新开放的华盛顿纪念碑可以见到白宫东翼的拆除工程正在进行。（路透社）

美媒报道说，行政搁置令签署后，最高法院全体法官将继续审理政府的上诉。

美国文物保护组织国家历史保护信托基金会去年年底对白宫宴会厅改造项目提起诉讼，称项目未获得国会批准。哥伦比亚特区联邦地区法院法官理查德·莱昂今年3月底下令暂停白宫宴会厅项目施工，特朗普政府随即提起上诉。

4月，莱昂延长了白宫宴会厅改造项目的暂停令，只允许建设掩体等地下安全设施。美国总统特朗普对该裁决猛烈抨击，称“决不接受”。8月早些时候，特朗普在社交媒体发文称，白宫宴会厅改造项目出于国家安全需要，并在帖文中把宴会厅称为“军事中心”。

白宫去年7月底公布宴会厅改造项目，随后迅速拆除白宫东翼，为建造宴会厅腾出空间。计划扩建后的白宫宴会厅面积达8300平方米，可容纳约1000名宾客。