Politics

FILE - The State Department seal is seen on the briefing room lectern at the State Department in Wa...

Trump administration will close 5 smaller US consulates in Africa, Asia and the Western Hemisphere

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration has informed Congress that it intends to close five smaller U.S. embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions in Africa, Asia and the Western Hemisphere, even as it steams ahead with plans to reopen shuttered posts in Libya and Syria and has reopened the long-closed embassy in Venezuela. In […]
3 months ago
FILE - An FBI seal is displayed on a podium before a news conference at the field office in Portlan...

FBI agents fired over Trump investigation get broad backing in lawsuit against administration

WASHINGTON (AP) — An association of thousands of FBI agents and other groups are backing a lawsuit filed by three bureau employees who were fired last year for their roles in an investigation into President Donald Trump’s efforts to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election. A legal brief by the FBI Agents Association […]
3 months ago

The Latest: Blanche’s assertion of Trump tax audit immunity remains in place

In negotiations with Republican senators whose support he needs to be confirmed as attorney general, Todd Blanche formally rescinded a $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate President Donald Trump’s political allies. But a sweeping audit immunity plan conferred on the president, his sons and the Trump Organization remains in place — given new parameters to […]
3 months ago
President Donald Trump walks to board Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport, in Morristown,...

Trump is making a rare Western trip to talk about the economy, something polls show he’s weak on

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is making a rare visit to California and Nevada this week to try to draw contrasts with Democrats on the economy, border security and crime, seeking to shore up support for Republicans in November elections that will determine whether his party keeps control of Congress. The Republican president has […]
3 months ago

Michigan Democrats pick between moderate and progressive in high-profile Senate primary

DETROIT (AP) — Michigan Democrats vote Tuesday in a closely watched Senate primary between moderate U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and progressive favorite Abdul El-Sayed, with the winner heading to a November contest critical to the party’s hopes of reclaiming the Senate majority. The nominee will face former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, who is running unopposed […]
3 months ago
Former U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., greets voters during a polling location visit on primary electio...

Former progressive Squad member Cori Bush attempts political comeback against Missouri US Rep. Bell

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Cori Bush is attempting a political comeback Tuesday in a Missouri Democratic primary that tests evolving views on American-Israeli relations, just two years after the progressive “Squad” member was ousted by voters in favor of Wesley Bell. The rematch in a heavily Democratic St. Louis district is […]
3 months ago
FILE - Police try to hold the line as protesters push the fences outside the Delaney Hall detention...

Man from El Salvador dies in immigration jail in New Jersey, ICE says

A man from El Salvador has died at an immigration jail in New Jersey that has been the target of months of protests over living conditions for people detained there, federal officials said Monday. Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, 41, had been held at Delaney Hall in Newark after being arrested June 18, according to U.S. Immigration and […]
3 months ago

Runaway online rumors sparked frantic rush by migrants to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta

FNIDEQ, Morocco (AP) — It started with Instagram posts that suggested Spain’s border with Morocco was opening up. Then came Facebook users tracking coast guard patrols and TikTok videos showing where to swim. After many shares and comments, thousands of Moroccans became convinced that Europe was suddenly within reach. Within hours, young people began heading […]
3 months ago
Former Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., speaks with Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1177 member Terraine L...

Virginia Democrats pick nominees in 2 US House seats they hope to flip in midterms

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia voters will pick their nominees Tuesday for this year’s congressional midterm elections, capping a primary season marked by upheaval thanks to Democrats’ failed redistricting initiative. The commonwealth typically holds its primaries in June but this year moved them to August to accommodate a push approved by voters — but squashed […]
3 months ago
Michigan U.S. Senate candidates, Abdul El-Sayed, left, and Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., are display...

What to watch in the Aug. 4 primaries: Michigan Senate race tests Democrats’ path forward

Michigan will offer the country its clearest gauge yet on the direction of the Democratic Party, as primary voters in the battleground state choose between a progressive standard-bearer and an establishment-backed candidate. Although there have been similar contests around the country, this one will hold extra weight because Michigan is a key state in presidential […]
3 months ago

Judge rules New York can’t ban federal agents from wearing face coverings

NEW YORK (AP) — New York can’t ban federal agents from wearing face coverings or require that they wear visible identification, a federal judge ruled Monday. The ruling comes after a federal judge earlier this year blocked a similar law in California that was enacted after the Trump administration aggressively worked to increase immigration arrests. […]
3 months ago
Construction crews drill wells for border wall construction in July 2026, in Luna County, N.M., alo...

Contractors building border wall ordered to stop drilling wells in drought-stricken New Mexico

PHOENIX (AP) — The Trump administration has ordered construction crews on a border wall to stop drilling wells in drought-stricken New Mexico after ranchers said pumping groundwater needed to make concrete could threaten their livestock. The order comes as crews across the southern border race to complete one of President Donald Trump’s highest domestic priorities […]
3 months ago

Editorial Roundup: United States

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad: ___ July 31 The Washington Post says democracy doesn’t require truth police It became fashionable a few years ago for people to blame “misinformation” for others holding views they find wrongheaded. Social media platforms, sometimes jawboned by the federal government, invoked this supposed crisis to […]
3 months ago
The Supreme Court is seen Monday, July 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)Credit: AP ...

Supreme Court won’t halt $656M judgment against the PLO and Palestinian Authority

WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor refused Monday to halt a $656 million judgment against Palestinian authorities in a long-running lawsuit filed by Americans killed or wounded in attacks in Israel. The order signed by Sotomayor comes after the high court ruled last year in favor of the victims and their families. The […]
3 months ago
Where the Trump administration is imposing new tariffs on goods. (AP Digital Embed)Credit: AP Photo...

25 states sue over Trump administration’s latest tariffs, citing Supreme Court ruling

WASHINGTON (AP) — Twenty-five states sued the Trump administration Monday over its latest tariffs, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February. The United States last month imposed double-digit tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union, charging that they had not done enough to crack down on […]
3 months ago
FILE - Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., listens to testimony as the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Over...

Ethics panel recommends House censure Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards for conduct with two aides

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee recommended Monday that the House censure Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., after finding that he engaged in persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female aides in his congressional office. A censure registers the House’s deep disapproval of a lawmaker’s conduct that does not meet the threshold for […]
3 months ago
FILE - A man passes an early voting poll site, Feb. 14, 2022, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, F...

In Texas, a political group bets $6 million on Latino voters coming back to Democrats

A left-leaning group is planning to spend $6 million organizing Latino voters in Texas, a group that has trended away from Democrats but is pivotal to their hopes of picking up seats in Congress. Somos Votantes has started a $2 million statewide voter education push centered on door-to-door conversations and voter registration. Its affiliated political […]
3 months ago
FILE - The sun sets over a section of the border wall, June 18, 2025, in Mission, Texas. (AP Photo/...

A federal judge lets DHS proceed with a border wall through a small Texas town’s levee system

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge is allowing the Department of Homeland Security to go ahead for now with plans to build a border wall through a levee system protecting a small Texas town on the border with Mexico, rejecting arguments by the town that the wall could lead to flooding. The decision late Sunday […]
3 months ago
Russian politician Boris Nadezhdin, right, accused of displaying "extremist symbols," gestures spea...

A Putin critic leaves Russia after he is barred him from running for parliament

Opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin, who criticized Russia’s war in Ukraine and tried to challenge President Vladimir Putin in the 2024 election, said Monday he has left Russia, a move that follows a crackdown that barred him from a race for parliament this year. Nadezhdin, 63, shared a video on Telegram, showing him standing in front […]
3 months ago

The Latest: Trump says new talks are Iran’s ‘last chance’ to make a deal

President Donald Trump said Monday that newly planned talks with Tehran are the “last chance” for Iran to forge a deal and avoid an escalation of U.S. strikes on the country. Trump, speaking at the Oval Office, said he expects negotiations that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and create a pathway for Iran to […]
3 months ago
FILE - Students help put away supplies at the end of a reading and writing lesson at the Head Start...

Trump overhaul could gut Head Start preschool standards, leaving states to set the rules

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration is planning a dramatic overhaul of Head Start that would gut its quality standards, upending the hallmarks of the early education program for impoverished children, two people familiar with the deliberations said. Head Start, established in the 1960s to help fight poverty, has long been considered by experts […]
3 months ago
FILE - U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Commander, Admiral Samuel Paparo, gestures during a press conferen...

Top US admiral warns against coercion, says no nation will dominate Indo-Pacific

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The head of U.S. Pacific Command said Monday that coercive actions by China and other actors are challenging regional stability, warning the United States will not allow any nation to dominate the Indo-Pacific. Admiral Samuel Paparo said some actors were using “false claims of legitimacy” to justify intimidation and coercion. […]
3 months ago
FILE - The Maryland State House in Annapolis, Md., June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert Yoon, File)Credi...

Maryland lawmakers to consider steps toward partisan redistricting for 2028

Maryland lawmakers will kick off a special session Monday to consider a first step in a partisan redistricting initiative that could help Democrats pick up an additional U.S. House seat by 2028. The General Assembly will begin debate on a proposed constitutional amendment intended to give Democrats greater latitude to draw congressional maps favoring their […]
3 months ago
President Donald Trump carries an umbrella as he exits Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Su...

Iran déjà vu: Trump once again threatens massive escalation against Tehran only to walk back

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has played this hand before during the 5-month-old Iran war. It starts with a grim warning to Tehran that he’s on the cusp of ordering U.S. forces to “obliterate” its power plants or seize key parts of its oil industry if its leaders don’t quickly agree to U.S. terms […]
3 months ago