“Former President Barack Obama appeared with James Talarico in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday, aiming to boost the rising Democrat star in his uphill bid to flip a U.S. Senate seat in the reliably Republican state,” New York Times reports. “The appearance was part of Mr. Obama’s effort to elevate a new generation of Democratic leaders as the party heads into the 2026 midterms, a highly competitive year for control of the U.S. House and, potentially, for the U.S. Senate.”