WASHINGTON — If and when the next government shutdown rolls around, the laundry list of consequences will now include a pay freeze for U.S. senators.

On a voice vote, the Senate passed a resolution from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., that requires the Senate secretary to withhold compensation for the duration of a shutdown.

The change in Senate ...Read more

WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court appeared skeptical Thursday of a push from President Donald Trump to punish four major law firms, in a case that could outline the bounds of presidential power and have broader ramifications for the legal industry.

The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected an anti-abortion challenge to federal regulations that permit sending pills through the mail once a patient has consulted a doctor online.

The justices granted an emergency appeal from the makers of mifepristone and set aside an order from a U.S. appeals court in Louisiana that would have ...Read more

WASHINGTON — One year after President Donald Trump fired the librarian of Congress, support is growing for a bill that would prevent it from happening again.

The heads of both the Library of Congress and the Government Publishing Office should be appointed not by the president but by a congressional commission, lawmakers on the House ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The House Committee on Ethics confirmed Thursday afternoon that Rep. Chuck Edwards is under investigation for “allegations that he “may have created or fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment.”

The committee announced the investigation in a news release Thursday. It’s the first time it ...Read more

Seven of the leading contenders for California governor will meet Thursday evening for what’s likely to be the final debate ahead of the June 2 primary in the race to replace outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The event will be the fifth debate in less than a month and comes as two candidates – Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton �...Read more

WASHINGTON — Just six months ago, the prospect of winning the Senate majority seemed far outside of Democrats’ grasp. The party was coming off steep 2024 losses, and the path to netting the four seats needed to win control of the chamber wound through several deeply Republican states.

But Democrats now say their midterm picture is ...Read more

Like Americans today, the people living in the United States in 1826 were preparing to celebrate a milestone for their country. July Fourth of that year marked the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

As what was known as the “Jubilee” of American independence approached, Americans realized that the founding ...Read more

In recent months, some prominent conservatives and erstwhile allies of President Donald Trump – former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and journalist Megyn Kelly, for example – have voiced their displeasure with him on several issues. They range from Trump’s handling of the Iran war and the economy to the release of information ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Just six months ago, the prospect of winning the Senate majority seemed far outside of Democrats’ grasp. The party was coming off steep 2024 losses, and the path to netting the four seats needed to win control of the chamber wound through several deeply Republican states.

But Democrats now say their midterm picture is ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Political activist Denise Powell has won the Democratic primary for Nebraska’s open 2nd District, a battleground seat that both parties say will be crucial to determining control of the House this fall.

Powell was leading state Sen. John Cavanaugh, 39% to 37%, in a crowded primary when The Associated Press called the race ...Read more

President Donald Trump is wielding power in unprecedented ways to bring states to heel, marking a dark new chapter in the relationship between the federal government and the states.

Since taking office last year, Trump has punished Democratic-led states that anger him by withholding federal funding and slow-walking assistance. His ...Read more

As a progressive economist, I wrote a paper in 2021 with a generally conservative colleague, Kevin Hassett, who now directs the National Economic Council in the Trump White House. We agreed then on the basic arithmetic of the American retirement crisis. We still do. That’s why people like him and people like me can all say: Trump’s executive...Read more

WASHINGTON — Federal efforts to accelerate nuclear energy development are starting to pay off, government and industry experts say, as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission works through mandated updates to licensing processes and its mission.

The commission is responding to two actions: a 2024 law directing the NRC to develop processes that ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Frustration over government shutdowns has led senators to consider what was once unthinkable: forfeiting their pay during a funding lapse.

In a rare show of bipartisanship, the Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to move forward on a resolution that would withhold member paychecks during future shutdowns, a move that comes after ...Read more

WASHINGTON — As some worry that an uproar over sexual misconduct in Congress will pass without meaningful change, House members announced a “bipartisan partnership” Wednesday.

The goal is to “identify reforms and solutions to make Congress a safer work environment for women and all survivors,” according to a news release.

Reps. ...Read more

Voters in The Bahamas have handed Prime Minister Philip Davis and his Progressive Liberal Party a historic second consecutive five-year term in office, while delivering crushing defeats to the country’s national security minister, a former prime minister running as an independent and a one-time NBA champion.

Unofficial results from Tuesday’...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., addressed allegations Wednesday on social media that he offered a former girlfriend hush money to drop a complaint against one of his allies in Congress.

Massie, in a statement on X, denied the claims and said they were typical in the lead-up to heated races. He’s currently fighting to defend the ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Republicans are riding high after a series of redistricting victories that could help the GOP become the first party since 1978 to retain control of both chambers of Congress in a midterm election while holding the White House.

But two batches of Republican surveys show how such an outcome would still be tough to pull off, ...Read more