Marine Le Pen, the French far-right leader, has tried and failed three times to become president. Now, even as her popularity rises, she may be barred from taking part in an election to lead France if she is found guilty of embezzlement on Monday. Such a verdict, far from certain, has been equated by Ms. … Read more
Frank Curnow, a retired Navy veteran, had a question for the Republican Party volunteers at an early voting site in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Thursday. Why, he asked, were some polls suggesting a tight race for the open seat in his reliably conservative congressional district, Florida’s Sixth? “That’s not good,” said Mr. Curnow, 77, a … Read more
Outside a wedding venue in Stoughton, Wis., the other night, a group of Democratic protesters unfurled an enormous “For Sale” sign and a giant check while a man dressed as Elon Musk pursed his lips. It was meant to represent the millions that the world’s richest man had spent on behalf of Brad Schimel, the … Read more
Elon Musk is walking back part of his legally questionable plan to pay conservative voters. During the presidential election, Mr. Musk courted conservative-leaning voters by offering $1 million payouts in a sweepstakes to those who agreed to sign a petition. Federal law prohibits payments to Americans in exchange for their registering to vote or casting … Read more
Billionaire Elon Musk said he plans to hold a rally in Wisconsin to “personally hand over” $2 million to a pair of voters who have already cast their ballots in the state’s hotly contested Supreme Court race, despite a state law that prohibits giving anything of value in exchange for voting. Musk posted late Thursday … Read more
Iran announced on Thursday it had responded to a letter from President Trump in which the American president had urged direct negotiations with the government in Tehran on a deal to curb the country’s advancing nuclear program. Iran appeared to be taking the middle ground, neither rejecting negotiations with the United States nor accepting face-to-face … Read more
Elon Musk is heading back to the campaign trail. Mr. Musk, the Republican megadonor, said early Friday that he would be going to Wisconsin, apparently to campaign for the conservative candidate in a high-profile judicial contest. The visit, two days before the vote on Tuesday, appears to be his most direct engagement in the State … Read more
President Trump on Thursday said he had asked Representative Elise Stefanik, Republican of New York, to stay in Congress rather than serve as ambassador to the United Nations, amid concern about the minuscule voting margin that Republicans hold in the House. “There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations,” Mr. … Read more
I was driving from Eau Claire, Wis., to Minneapolis last week when I saw the sign. A Tesla sign. Soon after I crossed the St. Croix River, which divides Wisconsin and Minnesota, a brick-and-steel tower visible from Interstate 94 advertised the Tesla store and service center in Lake Elmo, Minn. The dealership’s proximity to the … Read more
One week after the Turkish government arrested the mayor of Istanbul, who is the top rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the political opposition on Wednesday pressed new tactics to fight what it called an assault on the country’s democracy. The arrest has set off nightly demonstrations that have drawn hundreds of thousands of antigovernment … Read more