Politics: 5 stories from this week
Personalized for you.
On Politics
September 5, 2026

Here are some stories you might have missed this week, curated by Times editors and personalized for you.

A blue column is hoisted by a crane next to a large blue sculpture of a stick figure that is wrapped in protective material.

The Joel Shapiro and Ellen Phelan Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; Photo by Salwan Georges for The New York Times

Kennedy Center Removes ‘Blue’ Sculpture That Was an Artist’s Gift

The towering artwork, added to the campus in 2019, was targeted for elimination after President Trump’s takeover of the center.

By Elizabeth Williamson and Julia Jacobs

An aerial view of the Pentagon.

Kenny Holston/The New York Times

In Major Leak Hunt, Pentagon Gives Polygraph Tests to Joint Staff Members

About 50 people were tested, an unparalleled inquiry that comes in the wake of news reports about the war with Iran and the U.S. military’s diminished stocks of munitions.

By Jonathan Swan, Adam Entous, Maggie Haberman and Eric Schmitt

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Sophie Park for The New York Times

Trump Moves to Strip Tax Exemption From Schools That Aid Minority Students

The Treasury Department released rules that would prevent schools with race-based programs from qualifying for tax-exempt status, a threat to both higher education and other private schools.

By Andrew Duehren and Michael C. Bender

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Jason Andrew for The New York Times

Judge Orders Trump Officials to Divulge Names of Those Who Set Up $1.8 Billion Fund

The plan to create a fund that could have funneled taxpayer money to the president’s allies drew repeated scrutiny, including a rare rebuke from Senate Republicans.

By Alan Feuer

Senator Richard Blumenthal, wearing a blue suit and red striped tie, points with his right hand while seated before a microphone.

Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Whistle-Blower Says Trump Officials Are Defying Court Orders on Voting by Mail

The Postal Service disputed allegations by the whistle-blower that the agency had violated several court orders that should have halted work on the plan.

By Chris Cameron

SEE THE LATEST POLLS

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The New York Times

The Race for Congress: Latest 2026 Polls

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President Trump’s Approval Rating: Latest Polls

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