The Freedom 250 Grand Prix is set to take place this Sunday, August 23, in Washington, D.C., with 250 miles and 147 laps of IndyCar racing near the US Capitol.

The race was authorized by executive order by President Donald Trump. Congress did not vote to authorize the race. The head of IndyCar has said there were concerns about getting the support needed on Capitol Hill, and the race is taking place near the National Mall on Pennsylvania Avenue, Independence Avenue, and Constitution Avenue a couple blocks away from the U.S. Capitol because congressional sign-off was not obtained.

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The course takes a sharp turn a couple blocks away from the Capitol complex itself, stopping short of the building due to the lack of congressional authorization. The race has been characterized as partisan.

President Trump is expected to be on hand Sunday. He will lead an honor lap at the beginning of the event and wave the green flag to start the race.

The Freedom 250 Grand Prix airs Sunday, August 23, at 1 p.m. Eastern on Fox. The race is one of several elements President Trump has spearheaded to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding.

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Road closures around Washington, D.C. in the days leading up to the race have caused chaos for rush hour commuters. Roads are expected to reopen after the weekend.

Democratic lawmakers are demanding answers about what they call a crisis on board the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.

They come on day 166 of the war with Iran that the Trump administration said would only last for weeks. 5,000 souls are aboard the carrier. Their families say they're now dealing with food shortages, contaminated water and mental health struggles. There are reports several of the crew have tried to jump overboard.

The Navy has yet to issue a formal response, saying only that it has not seen an increase in suicidal behavior on the ship.

The ship was reportedly scheduled to return to San Diego in May, but stayed on deployment as the war with Iran stretched on.

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A group of Democratic lawmakers have been pushing for additional information. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) sent a letter Wednesday pushing for more information from Secretary Hegseth and the acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao.

In the letter, he asks the military to "please list significant habitability, supply, and quality-of-life problems identified aboard the Lincoln, including shortages of hygiene products, mold, broken toilets or laundry facilities, inadequate water supplies or other deteriorating living conditions, when these problems were first identified and the corrective actions that have been taken."

Blumenthal wants a response to the letter by August 27th.

In a recent social media post, Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) said the deployment may affect military readiness.

"The Sailors and Marines on board the USS Lincoln are going through hell because they've been at sea for months. I'm concerned about their mental health and readiness. This is a personnel issue and a national security risk. We must end the Iran war now."

In the meantime, reports Thursday indicate the Navy is moving the USS George Washingon into position to relieve the Lincoln.

Rep. Max Miller is staying in the race for reelection despite facing abuse allegations, setting up a potentially vulnerable race for Republicans in Ohio's 7th Congressional District.

The deadline for Miller to withdraw from the race was 4:30 p.m. Monday, meaning he will remain on the November ballot.

Miller represents a district that President Donald Trump won by about 10 percentage points in 2024. But a co/efficient poll from early August shows Miller trailing his Democratic challenger, Brian Poindexter, 47% to 33% among likely voters.

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A Democratic victory would represent a significant pickup for the party as it fights for control of the narrowly divided House.

Miller has faced allegations that he abused his ex-wife, their child and former girlfriends. He has denied all of the allegations.

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The controversy has also drawn criticism from within Miller's own party, including from his former father-in-law, Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio, who has previously said Miller should not remain in Congress.

On Monday, Moreno told Scripps News he had said all he was going to say about Miller. He declined to say whether he would urge voters in Ohio's 7th Congressional District to write in another candidate or leave that race blank on their ballots.

Sen. Lindsey Graham's final act on the world stage came just one day before his death, when he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during what would be his last foreign trip.

"I've never been more optimistic than I am today that we have the formula to end this war," Graham said.

Graham died July 11. A memorial will be held Tuesday in Washington.

The meeting underscored what many consider Graham's most enduring legacy: his staunchly interventionist foreign policy. Over more than 31 years in Washington, the South Carolina Republican pushed consistently for U.S. engagement and military action abroad.

"Putin is really aggressive, really provocative, and China is watching, so we've gotta stand up to Putin and make it harder on him," Graham said.

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Graham served as a former chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and chair of the Budget Committee. Despite running against Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race a campaign built on America First isolationist policies Graham forged a close relationship with the president that made him a key go-between for fellow senators and world leaders alike.

"There will be no deal without Ukraine being consulted and on board because it won't work, I talked with Zelenskyy today," Graham said.

His death leaves both the president and the Senate without a critical figure at a pivotal moment, as the U.S. faces a prolonged conflict in Iran and a war between Russia and Ukraine that has stretched on for over four and a half years.

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Graham's passing has also created an opportunity for face-to-face diplomacy, with world leaders traveling to Washington for his funeral. Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are each set to meet separately with President Trump this week. Meanwhile, members of Congress are pushing to pass a Russian sanctions bill now named in Graham's memory as they work to bring the war in Ukraine to an end.