By Ross Williams | Deputy Editor
With Labor Day in the rearview mirror, we’ve entered the madcap final two months of election season.
In Georgia’s marquee Senate race, Republican Congressman Mike Collins took the stage in Dallas for an unconventional midterm political convention hosted by President Donald Trump. Our DC bureau has the play-by-play.
Incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff has been hitting the campaign trail too. His campaign is hoping for a big turnout Sunday for a joint rally with former Atlanta mayor and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Early September also marks peak season for West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne disease that, in rare cases, can lead to deadly complications.
Reporter Maya Homan brings a dispatch from the intersection of public health and entomology that includes tips for keeping the bugs at bay until skeeter season ends.
As for protecting yourselves from the swarms of ads, mailers and text messages the rest of election season is sure to bring, you’re on your own.
President Donald Trump speaks on the first day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center on Sept. 9, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
POLITICS
By Ashley Murray and Ross Williams
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump headlined the first night of the first Republican midterm convention Wednesday, seeking to rally his base ahead of the November elections and dangling a “Trump dividend” to voters if his party retains control of both congressional chambers.
While the Republican National Committee’s two-day event — dubbed a “Trump-a-palooza” by party Chair Joe Gruters — aimed to bolster support for major candidates, some vulnerable Republicans were notably absent.
West Nile virus is primarily spread to humans through Culex mosquito bites. Photo by James Gathany/CDC
HEALTH
By Maya Homan
Experts are urging Georgia residents to take caution as the state enters peak season for West Nile virus, which is the most common mosquito-borne disease in the U.S.
A Trump administration plan for overhauling the census could mean major changes for how millions in federal funding is allocated to states. (Photo courtesy U.S. Census Bureau)
VOTING
By Ariana Figueroa
The Trump administration wants to overhaul the U.S. census to exclude noncitizens who don’t have a green card from the country’s next population count in 2030, according to a Wednesday notice in the Federal Register.
The document, which will officially be published Thursday, could mean major changes for how millions in federal funding is allocated to states, as well as affect the population numbers for determining the number of U.S. House members in each state. The House is made up of 435 lawmakers apportioned among congressional districts in the 50 states.
The move is likely to face legal challenges, as the changes run counter to the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment that directs representatives in Congress to be appointed based on the “whole number of persons in each State,” excluding Native Americans “not taxed.”
News tips, feedback, question? Email us: [email protected]
MORE FROM OUR DC BUREAU
ICYMI FROM THE RECORDER
Thanks for reading The Daily Record. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.