MOUNT POCONO, Pa. — A smattering of people pushed their luck Tuesday at the Mount Airy Casino Resort, tapping neon slot buttons, flipping dice onto felt craps tables, and wandering the rows of glowing, dinging machines.

A floor below, President Donald Trump was set to speak in a sprawling ballroom, where event staff hung a huge blue banner: ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Sen. Alex Padilla on Tuesday urged the federal government’s independent special counsel to more aggressively investigate whether the Trump administration violated the law by pressing Republican state officials to redraw congressional boundaries to help the GOP.

The Office of Special Counsel told The Sacramento Bee it received ...Read more

In February 2023, Jaime Green, the superintendent of a tiny school district in the mountains of Northern California, flew to Washington, D.C., with an urgent appeal.

The Secure Rural Schools Act, a longstanding financial aid program for schools like his in forested counties, was about to lapse, putting thousands of districts at risk of losing ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court's conservatives signaled Tuesday they are likely to rule for Republicans and President Trump by throwing out a Watergate-era limit on campaign funding by political parties.

The court has repeatedly said campaign money is protected as free speech, and the new ruling could allow parties to support their candidate'...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — The primary election is coming up fast, and there will be several competitive races for the North Carolina House and Senate.

All 120 House seats and all 50 Senate seats are on the ballot, and in many deep-red or deep-blue districts, the March primary is the only opportunity for a competitive race.

This year, there are seven ...Read more

North Carolina’s Lumbee Tribe has sought federal recognition for over a century. A provision included this week in a defense spending bill in Congress would give it to them — and could be voted on within days.

Rep. Mark Harris, a Republican whose district is home to a large portion of the Lumbee Tribe, said in a statement that he and his ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Swapping the stage for the second floor of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Gene Simmons traded his usual rock-star trappings and signature black-and-white face makeup for a suit.

The hard-charging former KISS bassist testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Intellectual Property Subcommittee on Tuesday in support of a bill ...Read more

MARSHALL, Minn. — Inside a crowded room at Southwest Minnesota State University, nine Republicans who are running for governor were asked to name a policy of President Donald Trump’s that they disagreed with.

Aside from passing mentions of tariffs and the national debt, most of the prominent candidates in the race used the opportunity to ...Read more

President Donald Trump accused a reporter of being “dramatic” when pressed on concerns Americans have amid the holiday season as prices continue to climb and increased health care costs could loom for many.

During a 45-minute interview with Politico, Trump was asked if people doing their holiday shopping should take into account the ...Read more

CHICAGO — President Donald Trump’s administration has issued a blistering order for the city and state to come up with a safety plan to boost police on the Chicago Transit Authority and take other steps or once again risk vital federal funding.

In letters Monday to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Trump’s ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court gave a mixed reception during oral arguments Tuesday to an effort to overturn a limit on how much political parties can spend in coordination with federal candidates.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, as well as Vice President JD Vance from when he was a senator, and former Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio,...Read more

NEW YORK — Outgoing City Comptroller Brad Lander is expected to this week launch a Democratic primary campaign against 10th District New York Congressman Dan Goldman, two sources familiar with the matter told the New York Daily News on Tuesday.

Lander, a progressive Democrat, is planning to challenge Goldman from the left, seeking to ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Virginia Democrat Tom Perriello is the latest former lawmaker seeking a comeback to the House, launching a bid Tuesday against freshman Republican Rep. John McGuire in the 5th District.

“It is not right that Virginians are working harder and harder just to afford the rising cost of food, electricity, and health care,” ...Read more

President Donald Trump is expected to visit Northeast Pennsylvania on Tuesday, promoting his economic agenda — including affordability and gas prices.

The trip — which the White House confirmed with The Philadelphia Inquirer last week — will include stops in Scranton and a rally in Mount Pocono.

Trump is no stranger to northeast and ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Rep. Marc Veasey, a 7th-term Democrat from North Texas, announced Monday that he would not seek reelection, instead running for Tarrant County judge.

“This decision is about where I can best serve the people of Tarrant County. It’s about strengthening our party, opening the door for new leadership, and ensuring that our ...Read more

President Donald Trump had a blunt message for anyone struggling to make ends meet: He does not feel your pain.

During a lengthy cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the president called the issue of affordability a “fake narrative.”

Between nodding off and a racist rant, Trump declared during the gathering that the cost-of-living squeeze felt by ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Thomas Massie has long portrayed himself as an unflinching fiscal hawk in Congress, willing to publicly tangle with President Donald Trump on everything from spending bills to foreign aid to the release of records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

But over the next five months, Trump’s allies will project a ...Read more

President Donald Trump granted Nvidia Corp. permission to ship its H200 artificial intelligence chip to China in exchange for a 25% surcharge, a move that lets the world’s most valuable company potentially regain billions of dollars in lost business from a key global market.

The decision was announced by Trump in a post on his Truth Social ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Republicans and the Trump administration are set to urge the Supreme Court during oral arguments Tuesday to continue its long-term trend of overturning campaign finance limits.

The challenge, from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, as well as Vice President JD Vance from when he was a senator, and former Rep. Steve ...Read more

DENVER — The latest attempt by former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters to secure release from a state prison fizzled out in federal court Monday.

Chief Magistrate Judge Scott Varholak of the U.S. District Court of Colorado said he lacked the authority to release the former elected official while she attempts to appeal her 2024 state conviction ...Read more