Trump lets major housing bill

become law without signing it

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has chosen not to sign a sweeping bipartisan housing affordability bill on Friday, in protest of Congress not approving a strict voter ID bill that does not have enough support to pass.

Still, the housing measure became law Friday without Trump’s signature, as he had 10 days to issue a veto and stop the measure. Trump’s post simply says that he will not sign it.

Graham Platner officially

withdraws from Senate race

PORTLAND, Maine — Graham Platner has submitted his paperwork to formally withdraw from Maine’s U.S. Senate race, officially ending an upstart yet troubled campaign whose dissolution threatens Democrats’ pursuit of chamber control.

Platner’s paperwork was received Friday by the Maine secretary of state’s office. Maine is considered a key state for control of the narrowly divided Senate, and Democrats were desperate for a candidate capable of defeating Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

Trump ousts members of

federal election commission

President Donald Trump has ousted members of a bipartisan federal election commission charged with assisting state and local elections officials.

The White House confirmed Friday that Trump is taking executive action to change the makeup of the Election Assistance Commission.

That agency distributes federal grants to states, tests voting systems and maintains the national voter registration forms.

It is the latest move in Trump’s effort to expand White House influence over how U.S. elections are conducted, and it comes after a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gave the president new personnel authority to fire members of independent agency boards.

US license could let Ukraine

produce Patriot missiles

KYIV, Ukraine — U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledge to give Ukraine a license to produce Patriot air-defense systems could mark a major breakthrough for Kyiv. But experts and Ukrainian officials warn that turning the idea into real weapons would likely take years.

Speaking Wednesday alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Trump said the United States would allow Ukraine to make the U.S.-designed systems that Kyiv has long sought to shield its cities from Russian missiles and drones.

A production license would not automatically allow Ukraine to manufacture complete Patriot batteries. It could instead cover a narrower part of the system, such as interceptor missiles or selected components.

Crews drain Lincoln pool

again as part of Trump revamp

WASHINGTON — Crews are draining the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool again as President Donald Trump’s problem-plagued effort to renovate the site pushes past his initial July 4 deadline.

The president initially suggested his renovations would last a century. But, within weeks of the project originally reaching completion last month, the water was beset by an algae bloom and pieces of the new coating appeared to be peeling off the bottom.

Trump has blamed the peeling on vandals, though critics allege it’s from shoddy repair work. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told a conservative podcaster that the draining was planned and that the water might still contain debris from the Independence Day fireworks display over the National Mall.

8 indicted on terror charges

after UFC attack fizzled

COLUMBUS, — Eight men have been indicted on murder and terrorism conspiracy charges for their alleged roles in a thwarted drone and sniper attack on the UFC cage-fighting show staged at the White House in June. The indictment was returned in Ohio on Thursday. It charges all eight in two separate conspiracies. One was to provide material support to terrorists and the second was to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official. The indictment says the plot began in May, when the group began amassing money, firearms, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones and other items.

The Associated Press