Political News

WASHINGTON — Teachers and students warned a congressional panel Thursday that recent state laws clamping down on politically volatile instruction in schools are likely to backfire by breeding intolerance. Seventeen states passed laws in the past two years intended to... Read More

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Legislature on Thursday passed the nation’s strictest abortion law to date, banning almost all abortions from the moment of conception. The bill itself was modeled on a law that took effect in Texas in September.... Read More

NEW YORK — It wasn’t supposed to be this way. In reliably blue New York State, where more than 53% of registered voters identify as Democrats, a newly drawn district map was supposed to serve as a bulwark against Republicans... Read More

SAN ANTONIO — Dozens of Texas primary races around the state will be determined in runoff elections held on Tuesday, May 24, including those for U.S House seats, Texas Senate and House seats, attorney general, lieutenant governor and local offices.... Read More

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday signed a bill formally revising the boundaries of the state’s eight congressional districts, ending one of the more bitter standoffs of the entire redistricting “season.” "Today, we signed into law... Read More

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a Republican-drawn congressional map that divides a racially diverse portion of the Kansas City metropolitan area, despite concerns the new district lines will dilute the minority vote. As previously reported... Read More

WASHINGTON  — The White House plans to increase authorized travel to Cuba, encouraging commercial opportunities for consumers to buy goods from “independent Cuban entrepreneurs,” and reverse the restrictions on remittances — a Trump-era policy — that kept Cuban immigrants from... Read More

WASHINGTON — Weaving together information from public databases and private data brokers, immigration officials have created a vast surveillance system that can be used on nearly any American, regardless of immigration status, according to a new report from Georgetown Law’s... Read More

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Californians are getting help addressing the costs of rising inflation through a higher minimum wage and a new relief package proposal from Gov. Gavin Newsom. California's minimum wage will rise to $15.50 per hour next year under... Read More

WASHINGTON — Denunciations continue this week over two mass shootings during the weekend that also are fueling calls for more action to reduce gun violence. A prime example is being considered in Washington, D.C., where gun violence surged during the... Read More

WASHINGTON  —  Sen. Ted Cruz. R-Texas, has prevailed in his Supreme Court challenge to a provision of federal campaign law, but in dissent at least one justice believes the ruling "can only bring this country's political system into further disrepute."... Read More

WASHINGTON — The New Democrat Coalition, the largest Democratic caucus in the House of Representatives, turns 25 this week; an anniversary that coincides with but by no means caps, a very busy and effective year for the group. At the... Read More

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump's winning streak in U.S. Senate primaries is on the line Tuesday as voters in five states cast their ballots in midterm elections. Trump made bold endorsements in backing celebrity heart surgeon Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania and U.S.... Read More

LAFAYETTE, La. — Judge Robert Summerhays of the U.S. District Court for Western Louisiana heard arguments on Friday in a federal lawsuit that seeks to delay the planned end of the Title 42 migrant expulsion public health authority. Lawyers for... Read More

WASHINGTON — As the World Trade Organization plans to convene in Geneva next month for its 12th ministerial conference, top officials — including the WTO’s last director — wonder if this conference will be a “make or break" moment for... Read More

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Friday that the state child welfare agency can continue investigating parents and doctors who provide gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Gov. Greg Abbott’s February directive to the Texas Department of... Read More

DOVER, Del. — The state of Delaware is extending its popular Clean Vehicle Rebate Program through the end of the year. The program had been set to expire June 30. The program, which is administered by the state’s Department of... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — A House panel issued subpoenas Thursday to House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and four other GOP lawmakers in its probe into the violent Jan. 6 insurrection, an extraordinary step that has little precedent and is certain to further... Read More

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Thursday directed his administration to “work urgently” to respond to the major baby formula shortage that has forced families across the United States to rely on others with leftover supplies to swap or sell... Read More

WASHINGTON — Hydropower offers a promising clean energy option for producing electricity but only if the current regulatory obstacles can be overcome, according to energy industry and environmental officials who testified to Congress Thursday. Last year, hydroelectricity generation produced about... Read More

RALEIGH, N.C. — Almost 370,000 ballots have been cast ahead of North Carolina’s May 17 primaries that will pit candidates against each other for the House, Senate, state Supreme Court and appellate courts. As of May 12, a total of... Read More

NEW YORK — The bipartisan, D.C.-based consultancy ROKK Solutions was honored last week at the SABRE North American Awards, taking home a SABRE prize for its work with the Digital Divide Coalition. The award was in the category of Best... Read More

As war, drought and the COVID-19 pandemic increase global food shortages, the United States government is providing funds to ease the blow at home and abroad.  “Before the war began in Ukraine, more than 50 countries … nations like Ethiopia,... Read More

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democrats are trying to intervene in the upcoming trial of Trump advisor Steve Bannon to counter his request to a federal court to dismiss charges against him for contempt of Congress. They have prepared an amicus... Read More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Florida judge declared a congressional district map approved by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis unconstitutional Wednesday because it intentionally “Diminishes African Americans’ ability to elect the representative of their choice.” Leon County Circuit Court Judge Layne Smith... Read More

WASHINGTON — The fact that defeat was in the bag didn’t reduce the sting for Senate Democrats who failed to pass legislation Wednesday that would have enshrined abortion rights into federal law and circumvented the Supreme Court’s anticipated overturning of... Read More

WASHINGTON — James Obergefell, who was in the nation’s capital this week to attend a fundraiser and visit with friends, wears the mantle of a civil rights icon lightly. Warm, often funny, and intelligent, the plaintiff in Obergefell v. Hodges,... Read More

KANKAKEE, Ill. — President Joe Biden is blaming Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for supply chain disruptions that are causing yield-impairing fertilizer shortages and driving up food prices. The war’s repercussions have sent international food prices to record highs, according to... Read More

WASHINGTON — Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., attended a press conference on Wednesday where she spoke about the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, which she introduced in the U.S. Senate on May 11.  “[Health care... Read More

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives approved a resolution Tuesday evening that allows its staffers to form a union, granting them the same rights to negotiate with their employers that workers across the country have. The resolution passed along party... Read More