ONE AND DONE: Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee (D) lost his primary election last night to a fellow moderate, former CVS executive Helena Foulkes, whom the governor narrowly defeated in the 2022 primary.
The governor’s downfall is closely linked to his handling of the repairs to the critical Washington Bridge in Providence, which was abruptly closed in 2023, fueling added costs for the state and traffic delays ever since.
The situation made McKee one of the least popular governors in the country: A University of New Hampshire poll from August found his approval rating at only 22 percent among Democrats. The same poll showed Foulkes dominating McKee in a hypothetical primary match-up — 56 percent to the governor’s 18 percent.
McKee is currently on track to lose by about 25 points, as of the latest vote count.
Even though the odds were not good for the Democratic governor ahead of this week’s primary, his defeat is notable as a rare example of a sitting governor losing a reelection bid.
Since 1948, roughly 75 percent of sitting governors won their reelection campaigns, and their success rate has only increased since: from 1948 to 1979, 68 percent of incumbent governors won; from 1980 to 2013, 79 percent won; and from 2014 to 2025, 90 percent won.
Sitting governors who lose their renomination bids are even rarer, with just three examples since 2010: former Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) in 2010, former Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D) in 2014 and former Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer (R) in 2018.
▪ The Hill: Three takeaways from the primaries.
▪ The Hill: Democratic socialist ousts Providence mayor in primary.
BUYBACK REBUFFED: The 10-year yield rose to its highest level in nearly three years, rebuffing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's latest effort to push down long-term interest rates.
Bessent announced Wednesday that the Treasury Department would buy back $6 billion of government debt maturing in 10 to 20 years, making good on his promise last month to at least double the standard size of $2 billion per buyback operation.
But some economists said Wall Street likely expected the size of the announcement to be bigger, as much as $7 or $8 billion, which helps explain the market response.
Following the announcement, the 10-year Treasury yield rose 0.05 percentage points — topping 4.85 percent, before settling back around 4.82 percent. The buyback operation will take place this afternoon.
▪ The Hill: 10-year Treasury yields hit multiyear high.
▪ CNBC: Bessent’s political turn tests bond market credibility.
CLOSING OFF: A new proposal from the Trump administration could exclude millions of U.S. residents from the census.
Under the proposed rule posted in the Federal Register on Wednesday, only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents would be included, leaving out others such as those without lawful status and in the country on a temporary lawful basis, including refugees and people seeking asylum.
The proposal states they should be excluded because they are not "true inhabitants, members of the body politic, or persons with a 'usual residence' in the United States due to their lack of a sufficient tie and allegiance to the United States."
The provision will likely face a legal challenge, as the Constitution's 14th Amendment states that representatives should be apportioned to the states based on the "whole number of persons" in each state.
The proposal would also drop some questions about race, ethnicity and sexual orientation.
▪ Roll Call: Census overhaul could reshape Congress.
APPLE'S NEW ERA: Apple kicked off a new chapter Wednesday as it unveiled its first foldable iPhone and new CEO John Ternus made his debut appearance.
The long-awaited iPhone Duo will be available on Oct. 23 and retail at $1,999 — the most expensive sticker price yet for an Apple iPhone.
The Duo is a book-style foldable, featuring a bendable display. About the size of a passport, users will be able to view two screens that the company says will be the largest display ever.
Ternus, who had been serving as Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, formally took over for Tim Cook as CEO last week, marking the first leadership change in a decade and a half. Cook has taken a new role as executive chair.
“We brought together thoughtful design with breakthrough engineering in a way only Apple can, and the result is a series of remarkable innovations that we believe will redefine the experience of using a foldable phone,” Ternus said at the launch event.
▪ The Hill: Five takeaways from the event.
▪ Nexstar: iOS 27 coming next week.
HOLIDAY GIFTS: The president gifted White House aide Natalie Harp and two other aides $45,000 cash for Christmastime, according to financial disclosures released by the administration last week.
The payments were made to Harp, who has received significant public scrutiny recently over her close ties to the president, Margo Martin and Chamberlain Harris. All three receive an annual taxpayer-funded salary of $150,000, meaning the gifts equaled almost a third of their salary.
Another White House employee, Oval Office Operations Director Walt Nauta, received a $20,000 gift from Trump.
A federal statute bars federal employees from receiving supplemental income in addition to their salaries, but a White House spokesperson denied these gifts violated any law.
“The gifts at issue here have nothing to do with any of these individuals’ official government duties, and therefore are entirely permissible under relevant legal and ethical standards,” they said.
▪ Forbes: Why some legal experts think the gifts were illegal.
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