WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court's conservatives sound ready to overrule Congress and give President Donald Trump more power to fire officials at independent agencies and commissions.

The justices heard arguments Monday on whether Trump could fire Rebecca Slaughter, one of two Democratic appointees on the five-member Federal Trade Commission.

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It is hard to imagine a worse decision than the Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday allowing Texas to use its new congressional maps designed to elect five more Republicans to the House of Representatives. In a 6-3 decision, the six conservative justices have opened the door to states being able to adopt unconstitutional laws on voting — with...Read more

WASHINGTON — Former Texas Rep. Colin Allred could be swapping one potentially messy Democratic primary for another.

The former congressman announced Monday that he was dropping his bid for Senate and will instead run for Texas’ 33rd District, which was redrawn by state Republicans as one of two Democratic-leaning seats in the Dallas-Fort ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Monday plans to unveil a long-awaited farm aid package, according Trump administration officials, offering $12 billion in assistance to a key base of support hit hard by low crop prices and the impact of the president’s tariff policies.

The aid will include up to $11 billion in one-time payments to ...Read more

CHICAGO — Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss is calling on the Trump administration to explain how its recent agreement with Northwestern University could affect protests, community partnerships and immigration enforcement in the city the school calls home, according to a letter provided to the Chicago Tribune.

Northwestern late last month announced ...Read more

WASHINGTON — House and Senate negotiators on Sunday published the text of their compromise fiscal 2026 defense authorization bill, setting it up for House floor action this week.

The compromise bill’s $900.6 billion topline funding authorization number is more than $8 billion above both President Donald Trump’s request and the House-...Read more

The Supreme Court heard arguments last week in one of the few First Amendment cases it will decide this term, and the justices appeared poised to side with defenders of free speech.

The case involves a group of faith-based woman’s reproductive clinics that were targeted by the Democratic New Jersey attorney general, who alleged that they may ...Read more

The six Democratic members of Congress, all former military or intelligence officers, were exactly right in their video saying that U.S. troops should not act dishonorably or unlawfully and the questions about a second strike on a supposed drug boat in the Caribbean which killed two survivors floating in the water clinging to the vessel’s ...Read more

Maddy Olcott plans to start a career once she graduates from college. But the junior at the State University of New York-Purchase College is so far not planning to start a family — even with the Trump administration dangling inducements like thousand-dollar “baby bonuses” or cheaper infertility drugs.

“Our country wants us to be ...Read more

President Donald Trump’s White House claims that “Democrats allowed a $1+ billion heist to take place” in Minnesota, a figure the administration is using to justify his recent targeting of Somali migrants in Minnesota. During a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, Trump asserted that “Somalians ripped off that state for billions of dollars,” ...Read more

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., spoke out Sunday against the massive merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern that could be headed for approval from President Trump’s administration.

The New York Democrat has railed against the freight railroad merger since it was first announced in late July, warning it could hurt competition and drive up ...Read more

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., raised concerns over President Donald Trump’s suspected influence over CBS News after he said Trump “coerced” the network’s editorial decisions in his Nov. 2 “60 Minutes” interview.

In a five-page complaint to the station’s news ombudsman, Kenneth Weinstein, Raskin, a Democrat, cited a full transcript ...Read more

A U.S. Supreme Court argument Monday is likely to provide clues about the fate of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, whom President Donald Trump has tried to fire in his push for more control over the central bank.

The clash over Trump’s attempted ouster of Democrat Rebecca Kelly Slaughter from the Federal Trade Commission will be a prelude ...Read more

By his account, Donald Trump has been repeatedly denied the Nobel Peace Prize he was due. Like the 1980s standup comedian Rodney Dangerfield, he complains: “I don’t get no respect.”

This time, Trump is determined by hook or crook or shady diplomacy to get a Nobel. He’s proposed a peace plan to end Russia’s bloody war in Ukraine.

In ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Like lots of dads, Ro proudly displays a picture of his smiling daughter, JuJu, on the lock screen of his cellphone. But the photo is also a difficult reminder that he doesn’t know when he’ll see his 5-year-old again in person.

Ro’s daughter and his wife, Meenge, are among the thousands of refugee families caught up in ...Read more

WASHINGTON ― Michigan U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin has formed a legal defense fund as she braces for a possible federal probe following her video last month reminding members of the military and intelligence communities they may refuse illegal military orders.

The move by the Michigan Democrat follows news that the FBI's counterterrorism division...Read more

Hong Kong is holding a general election Sunday for its legislature, days after the city’s deadliest fire in nearly eight decades stoked a level of public anger not seen since major street protests about six years ago.

The city’s 4 million eligible voters will choose 90 Legislative Council members from 161 government-vetted candidates, who ...Read more

Maryland Rep. Andy Harris was released after being hospitalized Friday evening for “an episode of dizziness,” a spokesperson said.

“I want to thank all the healthcare providers who took care of me today. I am glad I can return to normal activity after being given a clean bill of health,” Harris said in a statement upon his release.

“...Read more

Hong Kong’s election chief has urged the public to vote in Sunday’s legislative election after some called for it to be postponed in the wake of the city’s deadliest fire in decades, RTHK reported.

Appearing on the broadcaster on Saturday, David Lok, head of the Electoral Affairs Commission, said the date of Hong Kong’s election couldn�...Read more

Eric Stern drove out to Erie, Pennsylvania, last January and got a slice of pizza with Christina Vogel at Donato's, the downtown shop she has owned for nine years.

The small-business owner and political novice was interested in running for county executive against a vulnerable Republican incumbent. Stern, a longtime Democratic political ...Read more