Alexis Simendinger
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Former DC daily journo for digital, print, magazine, newsletters, podcast; now relaxing more! Covered 5 presidents, Congress, campaigns. asimendinger@gmail.com
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Articles by Alexis Simendinger
FBI's Kash Patel faces growing scrutiny over Charlie Kirk assassination investigation
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. FBI Director Kash Patel faces a high-stake hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee today as he fends off frustration from the right over his handling of the investigation into Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Patel took to Fox News on Monday to defend his role in the manhunt for the suspect in Kirk’s killing.
Charlie Kirk's killing sparks national reckoning Original
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. The assassination of conservative influencer and Trump ally Charlie Kirk is focusing the national dialogue on political polarization and safety for public figures. Kirk, 31, was fatally shot Wednesday at an event at Utah Valley University. His alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah resident, will be formally arraigned Tuesday on state charges.
Charlie Kirk shooting rattles Washington, country
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. Lawmakers said they are on edge in the Capitol as they planned exits from Washington on Thursday to head back to their states and districts, with heightened security fears rippling across the country.
Political violence fears surge after Charlie Kirk shooting Original
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk shocked elected leaders on the right and left Wednesday and set off a new wave of warnings about heated discourse and violence fraying America from coast to coast.
Virginia Democrat sworn into House, narrowing Johnson’s razor-thin margin
Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw (D) on Wednesday was sworn in to the House, further narrowing House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) razor-thin majority. “Honored to be sworn in today to represent VA-11 in Congress. Fairfax families will always come first. Grateful to my wife Yvette and our son Mateo for their love and support every step of the way,” Walkinshaw said Wednesday in a post on social platform X. With Walkinshaw, the former chief of staff of the late Rep.
Donald Trump's tariffs face high-stakes Supreme Court review
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. President Trump’s economic sway over tariffs, interest rates and job creation will be tested before the year ends. Conditions in the U.S. economy may turn on what happens next. The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to examine the legal underpinnings of the president’s use of emergency authority to impose steep tariffs on goods from dozens of trading partners.
Trump leans into ICE for Chicago crackdown Original
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. President Trump is ramping up immigration enforcement operations in Chicago and other areas as a way to target crime in major cities his administration has sought to paint as urban hellscapes. The immigration enforcement has so far stopped short of the type of widespread federal policing that the president has floated.
Is Chicago next for Donald Trump’s crime crackdown?
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. Is President Trump about to send troops and federal officers to Chicago? The president this weekend signaled the long-reported Chicago federal force was coming, alarming local officials on Saturday with a social media post that imposed Trump’s face on Robert Duvall’s in an “Apocalypse Now”-like scene with Chicago’s skyline in the background.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. upends health policy amid CDC turmoil Original
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s fiery appearance on Thursday in the Capitol exposed the country’s still simmering discord about vaccines, COVID-19 and the future of public health during President Trump’s watch. Kennedy clashed with members of the Senate Finance Committee over newly restricted COVID vaccine access for healthy children and younger adults, as federal guidance is still taking shape under a new immunization advisory board.
RFK Jr. on defense at center of CDC storm
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will face tough questions today from senators who worry his management of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a vaccine skeptic has spawned national confusion and raised the stakes for public health. President Trump, who frequently praises the secretary and the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, shows no signs of reining in his iconoclastic Cabinet pick.
Congress returns to September government funding crunch
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. LAWMAKERS ARE BACK in Washington after their month-long recess and face a mountain of legislative work as GOP powerbrokers contend with a litany of thorny political fights. At the top of Congress’ to-do list: reaching an agreement to fund the government beyond the current Sept. 30 deadline.
RFK Jr. push to 'fix' agency sparks scrutiny, warnings
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to face pointed questions when he travels to Capitol Hill next week. Kennedy’s push to remove the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), less than a month after she won Senate confirmation, is sparking broad scrutiny in Washington.
Trump leaves his mark on Washington, DC Original
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. President Trump is in a rush to leave his mark on the nation’s capital. He’s taken over policing and deployed the National Guard, directed Kennedy Center entertainment, put the federal government in charge of Union Station and ordered “anti-American ideology” be weeded out of Smithsonian museums.
Trump tests Fed independence in court Original
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. President Trump is expected to get his wish on lower interest rates within weeks, but his brass-knuckled battle with the Federal Reserve will likely drag on much longer. The president signaled Tuesday he is not backing off his decision to fire Federal Reserve board governor Lisa Cook, who has refused to step down from her position after Trump announced her firing the day prior.
Govs. Gavin Newsom, JB Pritzker and Wes Moore clash with Trump on crime, maps
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Click here to sign up. A chorus of Democratic governors are lining up to resist President Trump‘s policies, putting potential future party leaders squarely at the center of some of the biggest battles of Trump’s second term. Trump’s push for mid-decade redistricting and call to crack down on crime in major U.S. cities have spurred blue state governors to broadly push back on federal intervention, lifting their own profiles in the process. California Gov.
Donald Trump escalates push to deploy National Guard to Baltimore, Chicago Original
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. ▪ Vance: Peace still possible in Ukraine President Trump has escalated his threat to deploy National Guard troops to major cities to address crime as the federal crackdown in Washington, D.C., enters its third week. Trump expanded his federal policing push over the weekend by suggesting he would turn next to Baltimore and Chicago, cities like D.C. that are overwhelmingly blue and represented by Democratic mayors.
Donald Trump hails summer of power, 'victories' with DC crime crackdown
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Click here to sign up. President Trump this week dominated the airwaves and optics in his roles as an urban crime fighter, peace-seeker, deal maker and leader of the Republican Party.
Texas fires starting shot in redistricting war
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Click here to sign up. The Texas state House passed a new congressional map Wednesday to boost the number of GOP-held seats in Congress, paving the way for final passage this week and teeing up a national redistricting war. Texas House Republicans advanced the bill in an 88-52 vote, capping off weeks of drama punctuated by Democrats’ decision to flee the state in an effort to block the new map.
California redistricting lands in court as GOP battles Gavin Newsom
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Sign up here. Republicans are taking their battle against Gavin Newsom to court. GOP state lawmakers in California filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to try to block the Democratic governor’s plan to redistrict House seats. Republican legislators are seeking to halt Democrats’ push to advance legislation as soon as Thursday setting up a Nov. 4 special election that would allow voters to weigh in on the congressional redistricting proposal.
Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky prod Vladimir Putin in hunt for deal Original
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Click here to sign up here. President Trump embraced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House and voiced optimism Russia will come to the table to end its brutal war against Kyiv, even as questions linger over unspecified security guarantees for Ukraine in a potential peace deal.
Zelensky, Trump set for high-stakes meeting at White House
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his European allies will meet with President Trump at the White House this afternoon to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war, just days after Trump met in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The stakes could hardly be higher.
Alaska summit tests Donald Trump’s peacemaker credentials
President Trump today faces the most critical test yet of his ability to deliver on his promise to make peace in Ukraine. The president will depart for Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on the outskirts of Anchorage, Alaska, for a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine. Trump is expected in Anchorage midafternoon Eastern time. The initial meeting with Putin will take place with just the two leaders and translators, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Thursday.
Europe pushes Donald Trump on Alaska summit red lines Original
Strategy was the word of the day on Wednesday as President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders huddled on a virtual call to unify their positions ahead of Friday’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump and Putin will meet on the outskirts of Anchorage in a highly anticipated one-on-one to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine.
Will Donald Trump fall into Vladimir Putin’s trap?
President Trump heads to Alaska on Friday for a make-or-break summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin to talk about ending the war in Ukraine, while the world holds its breath. Trump has provided few details on his goals for the meeting, telling reporters Monday he’s using the summit as an opportunity to “feel out” Putin, who has so far rebuffed all his calls for a ceasefire and increased the pace of attacks on Ukraine.
Donald Trump's DC public safety emergency sparks controversy Original
▪ Trump: Cities beyond DC could see federal policing President Trump is looking beyond the nation’s capital to deploy federal crime-fighting muscle and the National Guard to prominent cities run by Democrats, he said on Monday.
Morning Report - Trump puts DC on high alert
• Experts go to school on elementary students President Trump today will explain what he sees as a role for FBI law enforcers on Washington, D.C., streets as part of his crackdown against violent crime. The FBI began over the weekend to dispatch about 120 agents to work overnight shifts to help local law enforcement prevent carjackings and violence as Trump scheduled a news conference for this morning.
Epstein saga: Subpoenas, searches, secrets
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here or using the box below: President Trump’s supporters, agitating to view government files on Jeffrey Epstein, are still waiting. The Department of Justice is meeting again today with longtime Epstein associate and convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell as the Trump administration says it is heeding pressure to try to produce information from the government’s investigation of the disgraced financier.
Trump struggles to turn page on Epstein saga Original
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here or using the box below: ▪ GOP challenge to Hochul comes into focus The White House is escalating its push to move on from the Jeffrey Epstein controversy, even as the story keeps growing and GOP lawmakers step up efforts to get files from the Justice Department. Wednesday’s news cycle was dominated by a Wall Street Journal report that Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump in May that his name appeared in the Epstein files.
Epstein firestorm consumes House
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here or using the box below: ▪ Battle over interim US Attorney in NJ House Republicans find themselves cornered by President Trump’s MAGA base, their own pledges of “transparency” and by Democrats intent on making the most of the Jeffrey Epstein firestorm. The result: The House, embroiled in a rebellion, will flee Washington today and won’t return until September.
Donald Trump keeps up pressure as senators push to leave Washington
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here or using the box below: President Trump wants senators to work through a planned August recess, as lawmakers push to flee Washington to campaign back home. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has so far kept the door open to working through the recess. “We’re thinking about it.
Trump hits the gas as approval rating slides Original
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Sign up here or in the box below: President Trump applauded his sixth-month mark Sunday, hailing his second term as an early success even as he tallies unfinished business, middling poll results and Republican anxiety that next year’s midterm contests might end on a sour note. “Wow, time flies!” he wrote on social media. “Importantly, it’s being hailed as one of the most consequential periods of any President.” Polls show mixed reviews.
Trump's big legislative week — and some warnings
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Sign up here or using the box below: ▪ Do Democrats need to coalesce for 2026? In the battle over President Trump’s spending priorities, Republicans say they’re running the table, leaving Democratic lawmakers and a tiny band of GOP critics in the dust. Passage of Trump’s gargantuan agenda otherwise known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act? Check.
GOP pressure mounting for Epstein files release
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here or using the box below: Furor over the Jeffrey Epstein memo is picking up steam in Washington, raising pressure on President Trump‘s administration to shift tacks even as the president ramps up efforts to castigate allies demanding more info.
Trump is toughening his stance on Russia
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here or using the box below: President Trump is providing fresh support for Ukraine and hardening his position on Russia in an effort to force Moscow to end its war by September. Trump’s announcement Monday of sending more American weapons to Ukraine and his threat to hit Russia’s trading partners with 100 percent tariffs are aimed at securing peace within 50 days, he said.
ICE tactics under fire amid funding boost for Trump's immigration agenda
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here or using the box below: President Trump’s vow to conduct mass deportations recently gained altitude from Congress, the Supreme Court and his most conservative supporters.
Donald Trump, Melania Trump visit flood-ravaged Texas as search enters day 7 Original
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here or using the box below: President Trump and first lady Melania Trump will visit west-central Texas today to pledge support to families of flood victims and officials who continue to search for at least 170 people missing amid a catastrophe that killed more than 120, including children.
Trump, Congress raise sanction threats against Russia
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Sign up here or using the box below: President Trump and Congress are threatening harsh sanctions against Moscow for its three-year war in Ukraine, with Republican lawmakers feeling more confident about passing sanctions legislation this month after Trump sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin this week. Trump has at times vilified Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and praised Putin, only to reverse his rhetoric on the two leaders.
Trump is flexing his foreign policy muscle
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here or using the box below: President Trump, fresh off a major win in Washington with his massive tax and domestic policy bill, is increasingly turning his focus abroad to cement his presidential legacy as a dealmaker.
Donald Trump rekindles global trade war with August 1 deadline
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here or using the box below: President Trump told Japan, South Korea and 12 other nations on Monday they face tariffs of at least 25 percent starting next month unless they soon conclude new trade deals with the United States. The newest tariff lineup, communicated by the administration through letters and posted on social media, revived Trump’s efforts to notch agreements with trading partners, which have been slow to emerge.
Morning Report — Texas braces for more flood danger after Hill Country tragedy Original
• U.S. halt to Ukraine aid in question The Texas death toll from torrential weekend rain and flooding climbed to at least 82 people as rescuers desperately searched for others still missing, including 10 girls and a counselor from a summer camp. About 850 people have been rescued, according to officials. President Trump on Sunday said he would “probably” visit the region on Friday.
Trump celebrates Independence Day legislative victory Original
President Trump says the mammoth bill he will sign tonight at the White House will lead to America’s “golden age.” It’s a boast the Republican Party hopes it can successfully pitch to voters during next year’s elections. “It’s going to make this country into a rocket ship,” Trump predicted as he left Washington to head to an event in Des Moines on Thursday.
Trump megabill survives cliffhanger on way to final vote
President Trump is on the cusp of a major legislative win today as his “big, beautiful bill” heads to a final vote in the House. Lawmakers teed up the bill to prepare to send it to Trump’s desk this morning after dramatically surmounting an internal GOP revolt, with more than 18 hours of overnight arm twisting to clear a key procedural hurdle.
House GOP grimaces over Senate-passed Trump megabill
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Sign up here or using the box below: President Trump hailed the passage of the mammoth GOP budget bill as offering “something for everyone,” but the Senate legislation has landed with a thud among some House conservatives. Many members of the lower chamber who have criticized the Senate’s version of Trump’s signature “big, beautiful bill” say their options now seem too few to fix it as the House takes up the legislation today.
Senate pulls all-nighter searching for Trump megabill votes
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here or using the box below: • What do Tillis, Bacon retirements spell for 2026? THE FATE OF THE SENATE’s mammoth tax and spending bill this morning turns on nailing down final support from senators who have lingering misgivings. “We’re close,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters early this morning while entering his office as the GOP’s vote-a-rama inched toward the 21-hour mark.
Senate races toward nail-biter vote on Trump bill
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Sign up here or using the box below: President Trump is hours away from what he hopes will be Senate passage of the biggest legislative victory of his term, even as hurdles loom. The final vote will be a nail-biter. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), targeted by Trump in his primary because of his dug-in opposition, criticized his party’s bill and Senate partisanship on Sunday before announcing he will not seek reelection next year.
Donald Trump presses Senate to deliver budget bill by July 4
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Click here to sign up or subscribe below: President Trump on Thursday amped up pressure on senators to pass his signature domestic policy bill by July 4, calling it “the ultimate codification of our agenda.” The “big, beautiful bill” is on life support in the Senate, with Republicans scrambling to save the megabill following a major setback delivered by the chamber’s rules enforcer this week.
Trump officials are escalating their public fight to defend the Iran strikes
The White House is scrambling to address growing questions about its military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, as President Trump and top officials insist the decision to bomb facilities has significantly set back Tehran’s nuclear efforts.
Trump bristles as Iran attack questions linger
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here or using the box below: The White House is ramping up its defense of President Trump‘s decision to bomb Iranian nuclear sites after an intelligence assessment has added to growing scrutiny over the effectiveness of the strikes.
Trump pushes for quick end to Iran-Israel conflict amid fragile ceasefire
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here or in the box below: A ceasefire between Israel and Iran appeared to be in jeapordy early Tuesday, hours after both countries said they agreed to terms outlined by President Trump to halt their 12-day war. Trump has pushed for a quick end to the Middle East conflict, signaling a desire to move on after the U.S. carried out bombings of Iran nuclear sites over the weekend and Iran retaliated by hitting a U.S. base in Qatar.
World braces for Iran's response to US bombings
Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here or using the box below: The United States and allies are on high alert today for Iran’s next move as President Trump defends his decision to enter the Israel-Iran conflict. The president is slated to meet with his national security team this afternoon amid fallout over the U.S. bombings of Iranian nuclear sites and a day after hinting at potential regime change in Tehran.
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