Politics

FILE - Anti-abortion activists rally outside of the U.S. Supreme Court during the March for Life in...

Advocacy group sues Trump administration over access to abortion for veterans

An advocacy group has filed suit against the Trump administration over its decision to reinstate a near-ban on abortions for veterans and their family members who depend on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for healthcare. The federal lawsuit filed Thursday says the rule finalized by the VA on Dec. 31 takes away limited abortion […]
5 months ago
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche arrives for a closed-door meeting with Republican senators who...

Pushed to the limit, Republicans show rare defiance to Trump’s demands

WASHINGTON (AP) — The day arrived when the Senate just said, No. President Donald Trump’s political revenge tour met its potential match this week as angry, upset Republican senators, pushed to a breaking point by his seemingly insatiable and outlandish demands — particularly a $1.776 billion fund for Jan. 6 rioters and others he believes […]
5 months ago
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks to supporters...

Paxton makes his final pitch in Texas US Senate race against Cornyn, buoyed by Trump’s endorsement

DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is riding high as he heads into the final days of his Republican primary runoff against Sen. John Cornyn, now with the weight of the president’s backing behind him. “I don’t know if y’all noticed this, but Donald Trump endorsed me,” Paxton told a small […]
5 months ago
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in NAT...

US says ‘slight progress’ in Iran talks amid uncertainty on whether war will resume

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday there was “slight progress” during talks with Iran amid uncertainty as to whether a deal will be reached or war will resume. He spoke days after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was holding off on a military strike on Iran because […]
5 months ago
FILE - In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te sp...

Taiwan’s government says US hasn’t notified it of any pause in a planned $14 billion arms sale

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan hasn’t been notified of any pause in a planned $14 billion U.S. arms sale to the self-governing island, a government official said Friday, after the acting U.S. Navy secretary told a Senate committee in Washington that some foreign military sales were being delayed to ensure the American military has enough […]
5 months ago
FILE - President Donald Trump arrives at Leesburg Executive Airport on Marine One in Leesburg, Va.,...

Trump immunity from IRS audit shocks experts, who warn it could undermine trust in tax system

NEW YORK (AP) — Remember Donald Trump’s response in the 2016 presidential debate, when Hillary Clinton blasted him for paying virtually no federal taxes? “That makes me smart,” Trump said. By that logic, Trump is looking smarter than ever now. On Tuesday, the Internal Revenue Service agreed to drop all pending probes of Trump over […]
5 months ago
A person walks past a mural promoting Guadalupe, Ariz., May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)Cr...

Trump won over more Latino voters in 2024. Can he keep them?

PHOENIX (AP) — As Sandra Ramirez watched footage of immigration officers cracking down on migrants over the past year, she knew her 2024 vote for Donald Trump was a mistake. “There are a lot of people who are being harassed for the color of their skin, and that’s not right,” said Ramirez, who broke from […]
5 months ago
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard speaks to media at the NATO Foreign Ministers' mee...

NATO allies bewildered by Trump’s about face on US troop moves in Europe

HELSINGBORG, Sweden (AP) — NATO allies and defense officials expressed bewilderment on Friday at U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland just weeks after he had ordered 5,000 troops to be pulled out of Europe. “It is confusing indeed, and not always easy to navigate,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer […]
5 months ago
Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., speaks at a "Barbeque, Beer and Ballots" event organized by Reform Cali...

In heavily Democratic California, 2 GOP House rivals grapple in nasty fight over Trump loyalty

CORONA, Calif. (AP) — No one would call California Trump country. But a vicious U.S. House primary is playing out southeast of Los Angeles where two Republican incumbents wedged into the same district are fighting over their MAGA bona fides and loyalty to the president. Rep. Ken Calvert, the longest serving Republican in the state’s […]
5 months ago
President Donald Trump attends an event about loosening a federal refrigerant rule, in the Oval Off...

Trump heads to a competitive New York district to sell his tax law as voters sour on the economy

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is heading to a toss-up congressional district in New York on Friday to test his midterm message on the economy, even as voters largely disapprove of his stewardship of it. Trump will travel to the Hudson Valley area to appear with Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, who is up for […]
5 months ago
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the press before boarding his plane at Homestead Air Reser...

Rubio embarks on another mission to ease tensions with allies during NATO meeting

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio is on his latest mission to assuage nervous U.S. allies in Europe about the Trump administration’s intentions with NATO or at least put a friendlier face on whipsawing changes and uncertainty about American troop reductions. Rubio will attend a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Sweden on Friday […]
5 months ago
President Donald Trump attends an event about loosening a federal refrigerant rule, in the Oval Off...

Trump says he’s sending 5,000 more troops to Poland, stirring confusion about US presence in Europe

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday said the U.S. will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, stirring confusion following weeks of changing statements from Trump and his administration about reducing — not increasing — the American military footprint in Europe. The Trump administration has said it was reducing levels in Europe by […]
5 months ago
The U.S. Capitol is seen as cars drive on Pennsylvania Avenue, during rush hour, Wednesday, May 13,...

House rejects Smithsonian women’s museum bill after GOP bans ‘biological men’ from exhibits

WASHINGTON (AP) — What started as widely backed proposal to locate a new Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum on the National Mall devolved into a partisan fight Thursday after Republicans revised the legislation to ensure no transgender people are included in the exhibits. The House rejected the bill, 204-216, an outcome that leaves next steps […]
5 months ago
FILE - Democratic candidate for Congress Kat Abughazaleh talks with reporters after voting in the p...

Charges dropped against activists in Chicago immigration crackdown amid grand jury misconduct claims

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago’s top federal prosecutor abandoned a closely watched case Thursday against four activists who protested outside a federal building during last year’s immigration crackdown in the city, after a judge scrutinized allegations of grand jury misconduct by the prosecutor’s office. U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros announced the decision to dismiss the remaining charges […]
5 months ago
FILE - Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows speaks with reporters during the National Associate ...

Judges in Maine and Wisconsin dismiss Justice Department’s attempts to force turnover of voter rolls

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Federal judges in Maine and Wisconsin on Thursday dismissed lawsuits filed by the U.S. Department of Justice seeking to compel the states to hand over detailed voter registration information. U.S. District Judge James Pederson in Wisconsin said the state’s voter registration list is not a record that can be requested under […]
5 months ago
FILE - Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a concession speech fo...

Takeaways from the Democratic National Committee’s long-awaited autopsy report on 2024 election

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s never a good sign when a report comes with a big red disclaimer at the top of each page, but that’s what happened on Thursday when the Democratic National Committee belatedly released its controversial autopsy report on the 2024 election. “This document reflects the views of the author, not the DNC,” […]
5 months ago
FILE - Candidate Tina Peters speaks during a debate for the state leadership position, Feb. 25, 202...

Colorado Democrats censure governor for conspiracy theorist sentence commutation

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Colorado Democrats voted overwhelmingly to censure one of their own, Gov. Jared Polis, for commuting the prison sentence of Tina Peters, the election conspiracy theorist who amplified President Donald Trump’s baseless claims that mass fraud caused his 2020 election loss. About 90% of the state party’s roughly 700 Central Committee […]
5 months ago
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends at a press conference at the US Embassy in Rome, Friday, ...

Rubio doubtful of diplomacy with Cuba as Trump raises new threat of military action

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and America’s top diplomat on Thursday again raised the specter of U.S. military intervention in Cuba, a renewed threat that takes on greater weight a day after the administration announced criminal charges against the island’s former leader, Raúl Castro. Trump said previous U.S. presidents have considered intervening in Cuba […]
5 months ago
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks during a meeting with business leaders in Mexico City, M...

Mexico will discuss drug trafficking and migrant deaths during visit by US security official Mullin

MEXICO CITY (AP) — President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday that she hopes to strengthen bilateral security cooperation during U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s visit to Mexico, including on issues of combating drug trafficking, migrant smuggling and arms trafficking, and to facilitate intelligence sharing. Mullin arrives in the capital for a two-day visit following tensions […]
5 months ago
FILE - The Treasury Department building is pictured at dusk in Washington, June 6, 2019. (AP Photo/...

US sanctions Lebanese lawmakers, security officials over Hezbollah influence

WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of Hezbollah-affiliated parliamentarians, state security officials, and allies of the militant group were hit with U.S. sanctions Thursday, for allegedly seeking to preserve the Iran-backed group’s influence over Lebanese state institutions and obstruct disarmament efforts. It’s the first time Washington has sanctioned sitting Lebanese state security officials, one from the […]
5 months ago
President Donald Trump speaks during an event about loosening a federal refrigerant rule, in the Ov...

Trump says he’s postponing signing an executive order on AI out of concern it would hurt AI industry

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump called off a Thursday signing ceremony for a new order on artificial intelligence because he worried it could dull America’s edge on AI technology. Trump said he was postponing the signing because he didn’t like what he saw in the order’s text. He announced the change hours before the […]
5 months ago
FILE - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., right, speaks as Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., left, looks on during ...

Lawmakers warn data protection rules don’t protect key sites, including White House and CIA

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration spent almost a year crafting regulations to block U.S. adversaries from buying commercial data gathered from cell phones at the federal government’s most sensitive locations. The resulting rules, however, have a few gaps. Left off the list of 736 sensitive locations were the White House, Congress and the CIA’s […]
5 months ago

New York City residents will get a chance to purchase $50 World Cup tickets

NEW YORK (AP) — Some lucky New York City residents will soon get a chance to snag cheap seats to this summer’s high-priced World Cup. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Thursday that 1,000 tickets costing $50 will be made available to residents of the city of more than 8 million for the most watched sporting event […]
5 months ago
FILE - Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin speaks during an interview with The Associate...

Facing intense internal pressure, DNC releases post-election autopsy

NEW YORK (AP) — Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin released a critical study of the party’s performance in the 2024 campaign on Thursday, bowing to intense internal pressure from frustrated Democratic operatives who had publicly demanded the release of the post-election autopsy. The 192-page report, which was concluded last December and authored by Democratic […]
5 months ago