News

U.S. Political News Today: Trump Census Plan Could Reshape Representation as Oil Tops $100

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2026 — The Trump administration proposed excluding undocumented immigrants and many legal temporary residents from the 2030 census count Wednesday, a change that could shift congressional representation and billions of dollars in federal funding among the states.

President Donald Trump also acknowledged that elevated oil prices caused by the Iran conflict may persist beyond November’s midterm elections. Meanwhile, contradictory court orders left Missouri’s congressional map unsettled, Republicans opened a Trump-centered convention in Dallas and Democratic-led states challenged the administration’s rollback of endangered-species protections.

Together, the developments placed political representation, household costs and presidential authority at the center of the campaign’s final eight weeks.

Trump administration proposes excluding immigrants from census

The Census Bureau proposed counting only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents in the nation’s principal population census, according to a notice released Wednesday.

That approach would exclude undocumented immigrants as well as people lawfully present under temporary visas or other provisional classifications. The next decennial census will take place in 2030.

The proposal would also reconsider or remove portions of the questionnaire that collect race and ethnicity information. Such data is used in civil-rights enforcement, demographic research and decisions about public services.

Administration officials argue that people without a permanent legal relationship to the country should not determine political representation. The proposal follows Trump’s earlier directive to develop a census that does not include undocumented immigrants.

The Constitution, however, requires the apportionment of House seats based on the “whole number of persons in each state,” rather than the number of citizens. That language will form the foundation of expected legal challenges.

Census figures affect much more than population statistics. They determine each state’s number of House seats and Electoral College votes, guide state and local redistricting and influence the distribution of federal money for health care, education, transportation and other services.

Excluding nonpermanent residents would probably reduce official population totals in states with large immigrant communities. The precise partisan effect cannot yet be established because it would depend on where excluded residents live, population changes before 2030 and the methods ultimately used by the bureau.

Civil-rights organizations say the change would produce an incomplete picture of communities and make discrimination more difficult to detect. Those are policy arguments from opponents; no court has yet ruled on the new proposal.

The plan is open for public comment for 30 days and has not taken effect. Its language could change before a final rule is adopted, and litigation could delay or prevent its implementation. (Reuters)

Trump says oil-price relief may not arrive before midterms

Trump said Wednesday that oil prices elevated by the conflict with Iran may not decline until after the Nov. 3 elections.

International benchmark Brent crude moved above $100 per barrel after rising more than 3%, according to the Associated Press. Disrupted tanker traffic near the Strait of Hormuz has constrained supplies and increased shipping and insurance costs.

Trump suggested Iran was prolonging the conflict to influence the elections in hopes of facing a weaker American government. That is the president’s assessment of Tehran’s motive; he did not disclose evidence demonstrating that Iran’s military strategy is timed around the U.S. campaign.

The war is now in its seventh month. American and Iranian forces have repeatedly exchanged attacks, and U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers over the weekend after the Pentagon said Navy vessels came under ballistic-missile fire.

Iran subsequently threatened to establish an exclusion zone near the Strait of Hormuz. The boundaries and enforcement mechanism remain unclear.

The conflict’s domestic political consequences are becoming increasingly difficult for the White House to separate from its foreign-policy objectives. Higher crude prices have raised gasoline and diesel costs, while fuel expenses can spread through the economy by increasing the cost of farming, manufacturing and freight.

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen below 300 million barrels, limiting how aggressively the administration can release additional oil without further reducing emergency supplies.

Vice President JD Vance declined to predict when the conflict would end, saying its duration depended partly on Iran’s actions. His caution contrasts with Trump’s repeated suggestions that the fighting could conclude soon.

Republicans argue that military pressure is necessary to constrain Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and protect maritime commerce. Democrats contend that Trump entered a costly conflict without a realistic exit plan.

Neither position determines the future price of oil. Prices will depend on military developments, tanker traffic, global production and market expectations. Trump’s latest statement nevertheless undercuts expectations of substantial fuel-price relief before voters decide control of Congress. (Associated Press)

Conflicting rulings throw Missouri congressional map into turmoil

Missouri entered Wednesday with two contradictory court orders governing which congressional districts it should use in November.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh rejected the state’s emergency request to restore a Republican-drawn map after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the boundaries must be approved by voters in a referendum.

Hours later, Chief U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark issued a temporary order requiring Missouri to use the new map. His ruling arose from a separate federal lawsuit filed by Republican Rep. Bob Onder and other plaintiffs.

The federal order therefore points election officials toward the same map that the state Supreme Court said cannot take effect unless voters approve it.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins said his office would follow the federal court’s direction. Opponents asked the state Supreme Court to hold him in contempt for disregarding its ruling.

The disputed map dismantles much of the Kansas City-area district represented by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and improves Republican prospects of gaining another House seat. Republicans hold a 219-214 House majority, including an independent who caucuses with the party.

Supporters of the new boundaries argue that returning to the previous map after Missouri conducted its August primaries under the new districts would confuse candidates and voters.

The referendum group People Not Politicians says the state constitution gives voters the right to suspend the map until they decide its future. The group submitted more than 300,000 petition signatures.

The conflicting decisions have not merely created an abstract constitutional disagreement. Candidates need to know which voters they are seeking to represent, while election officials must finalize ballots and polling arrangements.

Further emergency appeals are likely. Until a higher court reconciles the orders or one judge changes course, Missouri’s congressional election remains legally unsettled. (Reuters, Associated Press)

Republicans open Trump-centered midterm convention

Republicans began a two-day national midterm convention in Dallas designed to mobilize Trump’s supporters and raise money for congressional campaigns.

Approximately 30,000 people were expected to attend, with more than 100 speakers scheduled. Trump planned to address the event on both nights.

Organizers are emphasizing tax cuts, immigration, border enforcement and proposals to prohibit members of Congress from trading individual stocks.

The convention differs from the party’s presidential nominating gatherings. No presidential nominee will be selected, and its practical goals are fundraising, voter engagement and establishing a common campaign message.

Several candidates in competitive races did not attend. Some cited scheduling conflicts, while the Associated Press reported that House members were asked to contribute $25,000 to participate.

Their absence does not necessarily indicate opposition to Trump. Candidates in closely divided states and districts frequently make independent decisions about whether a national partisan event will help them reach undecided voters.

The Iran conflict received little emphasis in the convention’s advertised program despite its effect on oil and gasoline prices. Democrats accused Republicans of avoiding an issue that has become a major source of voter dissatisfaction.

Trump-aligned political groups are preparing large advertising campaigns across competitive House and Senate races. The president has said MAGA Inc. could spend between $400 million and $500 million before Election Day, although campaign-finance reports will provide the definitive record of actual expenditures.

The event illustrates the GOP’s central strategic calculation: Trump remains the party’s most effective organizer of loyal supporters, even as his approval ratings and handling of living costs create potential risks in swing districts. (Associated Press)

States sue over weaker endangered-species protections

Twenty Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia filed two lawsuits challenging Trump administration regulations that narrow protections under the Endangered Species Act.

The rules issued by the Interior and Commerce departments make it easier for some development, drilling and mining projects to proceed in or near wildlife habitats.

One regulation narrows the government’s interpretation of activities that “harm” a protected species. Another ends the automatic extension of endangered-species safeguards to animals and plants newly classified as threatened.

The states argue that the changes conflict with the statute enacted by Congress and fail to account adequately for environmental consequences.

The administration says previous regulations extended the law beyond its intended scope and imposed unnecessary costs on landowners and industry. Those assertions are the government’s policy justification, not a judicial conclusion that the revisions are lawful.

Environmental organizations have filed separate challenges. Courts will assess whether the agencies complied with the Endangered Species Act and federal administrative law when developing the rules.

The litigation arrives after the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision ending broad judicial deference to agencies’ interpretations of ambiguous statutes. That ruling gives judges greater authority to determine what environmental laws permit.

The challenged regulations remain in place unless a court suspends them. Filing a lawsuit does not itself invalidate a federal rule. (Reuters)

Appeals court questions Louisiana challenge to abortion-pill access

A federal appeals court appeared skeptical Wednesday of Louisiana’s attempt to restrict nationwide access to mifepristone, one of two medications commonly used in abortions.

Louisiana is challenging a 2023 Food and Drug Administration policy allowing the medicine to be prescribed through telehealth and delivered by mail.

The state argues that the federal policy undermines its abortion restrictions by enabling residents to receive medication from providers outside Louisiana. The FDA maintains that its rules are supported by the drug’s safety record.

Judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals questioned whether Louisiana could demonstrate the concrete injury required to bring the lawsuit. The state attributed an estimated 1,000 abortions per month to mailed medication, but the judges pressed its lawyers to connect those procedures directly to the specific FDA rule.

The hearing did not produce a ruling. Judicial questions can indicate concern about an argument but do not reliably predict the final decision.

Mifepristone remains available under the current federal rules while the case proceeds. The Trump administration is conducting a separate FDA review of the drug, but that review has not produced a final restriction.

Abortion-rights organizations characterize the review as politically motivated. That is their allegation; the administration says it is examining current safety information.

The dispute could eventually return to the Supreme Court, although the case may end without a decision on the FDA’s authority if Louisiana is found to lack standing. (Reuters)

Representation and affordability define the day

Wednesday’s developments connected two questions likely to dominate the final weeks of the midterm campaign: who receives political representation and whether voters believe the government is improving their standard of living.

The census proposal could change the population totals used to divide House seats and government funding. Missouri’s map dispute could influence control of Congress far sooner, potentially altering the partisan composition of a single decisive district.

Oil prices provide the more immediate household concern. Trump’s acknowledgment that relief may not arrive before Election Day gives Democrats a direct way to connect the Iran conflict with transportation and grocery costs.

Republicans are betting that a convention centered on Trump can produce enough enthusiasm to overcome that economic dissatisfaction. The outcome will depend not only on national messages but also on court decisions, local candidates and whether conditions at the gas pump improve before voting concludes.

More Politics: https://natalkradio.us/category/politics/

North American Talk Radio may earn a commission if you make a purchase through links in this article, at no additional cost to you.