In The News

WASHINGTON - Despite pushback from conservative Republicans, the budget and debt ceiling deal struck by the White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., easily passed the Senate Thursday afternoon. Even with fears that the vote in the Senate would... Read More

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday that state prison officials can’t find any company willing to supply drugs as an execution alternative to one that essentially has been declared cruel and unusual. He said he would talk... Read More

PHILADELPHIA — Pennsylvanians will soon have three options when it comes to identifying themselves on their driver’s licenses and state IDs: male, female and X. In response to a growing number of residents asking for gender-neutral ID options and “national... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve on Wednesday cut interest rates for the first time since the Great Recession in 2008, a risky move that clashes with its historical practice of taking such a step only when the economy is in... Read More

DETROIT — The attacks on front-runner Joe Biden were unrelenting and, at times, personal in a contentious Democratic debate Wednesday night during which the former vice president delivered pointed retorts as he sought to persuade voters that he is not... Read More

RALEIGH, N.C. — Bob Cordle, the North Carolina state Board of Elections chairman, resigned Tuesday night following reports about a sex joke he made Monday at a conference with hundreds of elections officials. “I sincerely apologize to those who heard... Read More

WASHINGTON — Most Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents would prefer to expand the Affordable Care Act rather than replace it with a “Medicare for All” plan, according to a new tracking poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The poll, released Tuesday,... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Tuesday unveiled a new initiative that aims to connect the dots between a patient’s health records held by different providers. The Data at the Point of Care, or DPC, demonstration... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate will leave for a six-week break without passing a bill to grant Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Venezuelans even though the House of Representatives passed a similar measure last week. Two Democratic senators, Bob... Read More

SAN DIEGO — A lawsuit over the federal government’s program limiting the number of asylum-seekers who can ask for help at ports of entry will be allowed to go forward, a federal judge in San Diego ruled on Monday. U.S.... Read More

SEATTLE — Federal officials said Tuesday they would not block a proposed copper and gold mine near Alaska’s Bristol Bay despite objections by critics who contend it would imperil a fishery and harm wetlands and streams. The U.S. Environmental Protection... Read More

DETROIT — Democrats showed sharp differences over single-payer healthcare, immigration and climate policy Tuesday as a group of lesser-known candidates tried to use the second presidential primary debate to attack progressive standard-bearers Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. The debate... Read More

Last week, a bipartisan, bicameral coalition led by freshman Representative Sean Casten D-Ill., introduced legislation aimed at encouraging innovation that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from industrial sources. Casten and his counterparts in the Senate, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and... Read More

WASHINGTON - California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law Tuesday that would require President Trump -- or any other candidate -- to disclose their tax returns in order to appear on California's primary ballot. The law, which was introduced by... Read More

CAROLINA, Puerto Rico — Every night for a week after Hurricane Maria, David Adames sat in the dark inside his funeral home here on the outskirts of San Juan in case another family needed him. The 46-year-old embalmer posts his... Read More

WASHINGTON - A House working group formed to negotiate changes to President Donald Trump's proposed U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week that while it's made substantial progress, it's still waiting for a counter proposal for requested... Read More

When Ebola broke out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo a year ago, the global stockpile of a long-anticipated vaccine was 300,000 doses. At the time, that seemed like plenty. But as the virus spreads from the epicenter and... Read More

LOS ANGELES — For decades, the curving mural depicting a golden sun has greeted visitors to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Faded by the elements, its once-vibrant blue lost some luster over the years. The gold-leaf paint had chipped away.... Read More

WASHINGTON - Seven months from Super Tuesday, the race to win the California primary and presumably, a lock to be the Democratic presidential nominee, is a toss-up, according to new poll released by the Public Policy Institute of California. California... Read More

Nearly each day reports chronicle the catastrophic ramifications of climate change, as well as the effects of poverty and hunger on growing children. The National Institutes of Health just released a study explaining that eating an unprocessed diet triggers an... Read More

BEIJING — Almost three months after their trade talks broke down in acrimony, Chinese and American negotiators meet again in Shanghai this week amid tempered expectations for breakthroughs in their yearlong trade war. Two days of talks are scheduled to... Read More

Capital One said Monday that the data of 100 million U.S. customers was illegally accessed in a breach that federal prosecutors said was perpetrated by a Seattle woman who allegedly hacked the bank’s server at a cloud-computing company. Six million... Read More

WASHINGTON — As Democratic presidential hopefuls prepare for their second round of debates this week, a new poll finds that half of likely primary voters have changed their minds since the spring, highlighting how unsettled the contest remains. Former Vice... Read More

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did something Monday he rarely does — get riled up and respond directly to criticism as he defended his decision to block election security bills last week that Democrats attempted to bring to... Read More

WASHINGTON — Nancy Pelosi nearly was blocked from the speaker’s gavel late last year by a small band of moderate Democrats who said she was too divisive and had been atop the party for too long. More than six months... Read More

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed widespread speculation that he's considering a run for the U.S. Senate, telling an audience of business men and women Monday that such a bid "is off the table, as a practical matter."... Read More

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that President Donald Trump has ordered him to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan by the 2020 election and begin the closing chapter of the nearly two-decade-old conflict. "That's... Read More

HONG KONG — From an airport sit-in to violent clashes in a suburban area to aimless marches through busy shopping districts, Hong Kong’s weekend of unrest illustrated the challenge of quelling a protest movement that’s leaderless, unpredictable and widespread. Police... Read More

LONDON — Neither the European Union nor Britain is ready for a no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31, according to a study of contingency plans by the U.K.’s biggest business lobby group. “There are no areas of relevance to the economy... Read More

WASHINGTON — The ruling that cleared Donald Trump’s administration to start using disputed Pentagon funds for fencing on the U.S.-Mexico border will “really accelerate” progress on the president’s wall project, the top Department of Homeland Security official said. Meanwhile, segments... Read More