Entire Texas congressional delegation votes to release Epstein files
Read full article: Entire Texas congressional delegation votes to release Epstein filesAfter months of resisting calls to release the files, President Donald Trump signaled this week that he will sign the bill if it reaches his desk.
Texas Sens. Cornyn, Cruz vote for funding deal to end government shutdown
Read full article: Texas Sens. Cornyn, Cruz vote for funding deal to end government shutdownIf approved by the House, the agreement would fund the government through the end of January, with certain agencies funded through September, including those that provide food assistance.
Supreme Court case could lead to loss of Black representation in Congress, but the scope is unknown
Read full article: Supreme Court case could lead to loss of Black representation in Congress, but the scope is unknownThe Supreme Court has indicated a willingness to limit race-based districts under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
The blame game is on at federal agencies, where political messages fault Democrats for the shutdown
Read full article: The blame game is on at federal agencies, where political messages fault Democrats for the shutdownAmericans' routine interactions with the federal government this week are increasingly being met with partisan messaging.
Members of Congress take steps to tighten their own security after Kirk's killing
Read full article: Members of Congress take steps to tighten their own security after Kirk's killingMembers of Congress are taking steps to tighten their own security as the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has deeply shaken lawmakers who were already concerned for their safety.
House turns back effort to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar over remarks about Charlie Kirk
Read full article: House turns back effort to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar over remarks about Charlie KirkThe House declined late Wednesday to punish one of its own over commentary in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
California Gov. Newsom signs legislation calling special election on redrawn congressional map
Read full article: California Gov. Newsom signs legislation calling special election on redrawn congressional mapCalifornia voters will decide in a November special election whether to approve a redrawn congressional map designed to help Democrats win five more U.S. House seats next year.
Australia's Parliament resumes with pro-Palestinian protests and calls for Israel sanctions
Read full article: Australia's Parliament resumes with pro-Palestinian protests and calls for Israel sanctionsAustralia’s Parliament has resumed for the first time since the Labor Party's historic majority win in May.
Houston’s clean energy ambitions threatened by new tax bill
Read full article: Houston’s clean energy ambitions threatened by new tax billThe One Big Beautiful Bill Act, an extension of the 2017 Tax and Jobs Cuts Act, poses significant challenges to Houston's clean energy sector by proposing the removal of key tax credits and deductions. This legislative change threatens to undermine ongoing and future renewable energy projects in the city, known for its leadership in wind and solar energy production. The bill's impact extends to consumers, eliminating tax credits for electric vehicles and energy-efficient home improvements, potentially leading to higher energy costs. As the bill awaits a final vote in the House of Representatives, its implications for Houston's energy landscape and consumer expenses are a growing concern.
Democrats wrestle with how to conduct oversight as Trump officials crack down
Read full article: Democrats wrestle with how to conduct oversight as Trump officials crack downCongressional Democrats are grappling with how to conduct oversight of the Trump administration after some colleagues were arrested and face charges for attempting to observe the administration's conduct.
Work requirements could transform Medicaid and food aid under US budget bill
Read full article: Work requirements could transform Medicaid and food aid under US budget billWork requirements for Medicaid recipients, food assistance cuts and other measures in the budget passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would rearrange the U.S. social safety net.
‘Ticking time bomb:’ Houston patient’s health at stronger risk after House passes historic Medicaid cut
Read full article: ‘Ticking time bomb:’ Houston patient’s health at stronger risk after House passes historic Medicaid cutFor patients like Abjei-Sarpong, a 25-year-old sickle cell patient who depends on Medicaid to help cover her life-saving treatments, these sweeping changes could be devastating.
Stocks drift to a mixed close as worries about the US government's soaring debt continue to weigh
Read full article: Stocks drift to a mixed close as worries about the US government's soaring debt continue to weighStocks drifted to a mixed close on Wall Street in what has been a rocky week because of worries coming out of the bond market about the U.S. government’s mounting debt.
John Cornyn says tax and spending bill must reimburse Texas $11 billion for border security
Read full article: John Cornyn says tax and spending bill must reimburse Texas $11 billion for border securityTexas Republicans are pushing the federal government to pay the state’s costs of Operation Lone Star, Gov. Greg’s Abbott’s border security initiative.
How Greg Abbott took a flailing school voucher movement and turned it into a winning issue
Read full article: How Greg Abbott took a flailing school voucher movement and turned it into a winning issueAbbott tapped into a powerful national conservative movement and his own campaign war chest to turn turned legislative races into multimillion-dollar affairs.
Trump endorses budget fix that would restore Washington, DC, shortfall and urges House to pass it
Read full article: Trump endorses budget fix that would restore Washington, DC, shortfall and urges House to pass itPresident Donald Trump is pushing the House of Representatives to pass a measure that would prevent immediate financial disaster for the District of Columbia.
Australia to hold general elections on May 3 with inflation and a housing shortage major issues
Read full article: Australia to hold general elections on May 3 with inflation and a housing shortage major issuesAustralians will go to the polls on May 3 with high costs of living and a shortage of housing key issues likely weighing against the government.
Senate unanimously approves fix to prevent $1B cuts for District of Columbia, sending bill to House
Read full article: Senate unanimously approves fix to prevent $1B cuts for District of Columbia, sending bill to HouseThe Senate has swiftly approved legislation that would allow the District of Columbia to keep its budget intact.
Trump isn't alone in his geopolitical aspirations. Some in Illinois and Oregon want change too
Read full article: Trump isn't alone in his geopolitical aspirations. Some in Illinois and Oregon want change tooSome residents of rural Illinois and Oregon are hoping to ditch their states and either join neighboring ones or create whole new states.
Rep. Al Green’s response after being censured for disrupting Trump’s joint address to Congress
Read full article: Rep. Al Green’s response after being censured for disrupting Trump’s joint address to CongressIn the days leading to the censure, Green has doubled down on his actions saying on X, "Democrats will never abandon the fight to make sure every American has a safe, healthy, and financially secure life."
Sylvester Turner will lie in state at Texas House of Representatives’ Hall
Read full article: Sylvester Turner will lie in state at Texas House of Representatives’ HallRepresentatives voted unanimously Thursday morning to have Congressman and former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner lie in state at the Texas House of Representatives' Halls.
What happens when a member of Congress is censured? Texas Rep. Al Green joins list of censured lawmakers
Read full article: What happens when a member of Congress is censured? Texas Rep. Al Green joins list of censured lawmakersRep. Al Green censured for disrupting Trump’s State of the Union. While he keeps his seat, this rare reprimand highlights Congress's stance on decorum.
Fargo has an election method that helps mainstream candidates. North Dakota lawmakers may ban it
Read full article: Fargo has an election method that helps mainstream candidates. North Dakota lawmakers may ban itWhen Fargo voters approved a unique local election system in 2018, their goal was to choose candidates with broader support to lead North Dakota’s largest city.
Trump's speech to Congress comes as he wields vast power almost daring lawmakers, courts to stop him
Read full article: Trump's speech to Congress comes as he wields vast power almost daring lawmakers, courts to stop himPresident Donald Trump is heading to Capitol Hill this week to deliver a speech to Congress.
Philippine Vice President Duterte asks Supreme Court to void her impeachment and block Senate trial
Read full article: Philippine Vice President Duterte asks Supreme Court to void her impeachment and block Senate trialPhilippine Vice President Sara Duterte has asked the Supreme Court to void her impeachment and block a Senate trial that could remove her from office.
Philippine investigators file criminal complaints against vice president over assassination threats
Read full article: Philippine investigators file criminal complaints against vice president over assassination threatsPhilippine government investigators have filed criminal complaints including sedition against Vice President Sara Duterte over her public threat to have the president assassinated if she herself was killed in an escalating political storm.
Republican Mike Johnson reelected House speaker in dramatic floor vote
Read full article: Republican Mike Johnson reelected House speaker in dramatic floor voteRepublican Mike Johnson has narrowly won reelection to the House speakership on a dramatic first-ballot vote, overcoming hard-right GOP holdouts in a tense standoff.
Biden vetoes once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal judgeships, citing 'hurried' House action
Read full article: Biden vetoes once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal judgeships, citing 'hurried' House actionPresident Joe Biden has vetoed a once-bipartisan effort to add 66 new federal district judgeships.
House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
Read full article: House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threatThe House has passed what was once a bipartisan effort to expand the number of federal district trial court judgeships across the country.
Activists file second impeachment complaint against embattled Philippine Vice President Duterte
Read full article: Activists file second impeachment complaint against embattled Philippine Vice President DuterteA group led by left-wing activists has filed a second impeachment complaint against the Philippine vice president over her alleged misuse of government funds and demanded that she be permanently barred from holding public office.
Philippine police file criminal complaints against Sara Duterte and her security aides
Read full article: Philippine police file criminal complaints against Sara Duterte and her security aidesPhilippine police officials have filed criminal complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte and her security staff for allegedly assaulting authorities and disobeying orders in a recent altercation in Congress.
House passes bill that would allow Treasury to target nonprofits it deems to support terrorism
Read full article: House passes bill that would allow Treasury to target nonprofits it deems to support terrorismThe U.S. House passed legislation that would give the Treasury Department unilateral authority to strip the tax-exempt status of nonprofits it claims support terrorism.
Australia's parliament considers legislation banning social media for under 16s
Read full article: Australia's parliament considers legislation banning social media for under 16sLegislation for the world's first legal ban on children under 16 using social media has been introduced in Australia's Parliament.
Australia's plan to ban children from social media proves popular and problematic
Read full article: Australia's plan to ban children from social media proves popular and problematicThe Australian government's plan to ban children from social media to protect them from harm has won almost universal political support.
Democrat Hakeem Jeffries stumps in California in a bid to reclaim House control
Read full article: Democrat Hakeem Jeffries stumps in California in a bid to reclaim House controlDemocratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries crisscrossed Southern California over the weekend as his party works to wrest control of the U.S. House from Republicans.
Libya's instability will worsen further without a unified government and elections, UN envoy says
Read full article: Libya's instability will worsen further without a unified government and elections, UN envoy saysThe top U.N. official in Libya is warning that the political, military and security situation in the oil-rich north African country has deteriorated “quite rapidly” and without renewed political talks leading to a unified government and elections there will be greater instability.
Will Sylvester Turner push George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, previously championed by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee?
Read full article: Will Sylvester Turner push George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, previously championed by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee?Sylvester Turner, Democratic nominee for Sheila Jackson Lee's U.S. House seat, vows to push the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act forward. The bill aims to reform police practices and accountability.
South Dakota court decision threatens abortion rights measure on November ballot
Read full article: South Dakota court decision threatens abortion rights measure on November ballotThe South Dakota Supreme Court has reversed a judge's dismissal of a lawsuit seeking to remove an abortion rights initiative from the November ballot.
Pennsylvania congressman chosen to lead House task force investigating Trump assassination attempt
Read full article: Pennsylvania congressman chosen to lead House task force investigating Trump assassination attemptRepublican Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania will lead a House task force charged with investigating the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.
Biden's support on Capitol Hill grimly uncertain. A seventh Democrat says he should drop out
Read full article: Biden's support on Capitol Hill grimly uncertain. A seventh Democrat says he should drop outThe mood on Capitol Hill has turned grim as Democrats wrestled over President Joe Biden’s reelection.
An anti-abortion group in South Dakota sues to take an abortion rights initiative off the ballot
Read full article: An anti-abortion group in South Dakota sues to take an abortion rights initiative off the ballotAn anti-abortion group in South Dakota has filed a lawsuit to block an abortion rights measure from the November ballot.
$100 million for equity: MacArthur Foundation's new big bet and mandate
Read full article: $100 million for equity: MacArthur Foundation's new big bet and mandateThe MacArthur Foundation will let loose another $100 million to a single project in the third installation of its global 100&Change competition, which for the first time requires applicants to address diversity, equity, and inclusion issues, the foundation announced Wednesday.
Election deniers moving closer to GOP mainstream, report shows, as Trump allies fill Congress
Read full article: Election deniers moving closer to GOP mainstream, report shows, as Trump allies fill CongressAs Donald Trump makes a comeback bid to return to power, Republicans in Congress have become even more likely to cast doubts on President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory.
Supreme Court orders Louisiana to use congressional map with additional Black district in 2024 vote
Read full article: Supreme Court orders Louisiana to use congressional map with additional Black district in 2024 voteThe Supreme Court has ordered Louisiana to hold congressional elections using a House map with a second mostly Black district, despite a lower-court ruling that called the map an illegal racial gerrymander.
House Speaker Mike Johnson survived a motion to vacate. Here's why his job is far from safe
Read full article: House Speaker Mike Johnson survived a motion to vacate. Here's why his job is far from safeDemocrats joined a majority of Republicans on Wednesday to save Speaker Mike Johnson from an attempt by GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to remove him from the job.
Connecticut lawmakers take first steps to pass bill calling for cameras at absentee ballot boxes
Read full article: Connecticut lawmakers take first steps to pass bill calling for cameras at absentee ballot boxesConnecticut lawmakers are taking their first steps toward tightening absentee ballot laws since video last year captured people stuffing reams of ballots into collection boxes in Bridgeport, the state's most populous city.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene vows to force a vote next week on ousting House Speaker Mike Johnson
Read full article: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene vows to force a vote next week on ousting House Speaker Mike JohnsonRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she'll call a vote next week on ousting House Speaker Mike Johnson.
The House votes for possible TikTok ban in the US, but don't expect the app to go away anytime soon
Read full article: The House votes for possible TikTok ban in the US, but don't expect the app to go away anytime soonThe House has passed legislation that would ban TikTok in the United States if the popular social media platform’s China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake within a year.
Legislation that could force a TikTok ban revived as part of House foreign aid package
Read full article: Legislation that could force a TikTok ban revived as part of House foreign aid packageLegislation that could ban TikTok if its China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake has won a major boost as House Republicans included it in a package of bills that would send U.S. aid to Ukraine and Israel.
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Michigan's state house special elections
Read full article: AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Michigan's state house special electionsMichigan Democrats hope to restore their slim majority in the state House of Representatives when voters fill two vacant seats in suburban Detroit.
GOP's Marjorie Taylor Greene delivers fresh threats of ousting Speaker Johnson in scathing rebuke
Read full article: GOP's Marjorie Taylor Greene delivers fresh threats of ousting Speaker Johnson in scathing rebukeHard-right congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is escalating her criticism of House Speaker Mike Johnson and threatening his ouster.
Americans think a president's power should be checked, AP-NORC poll finds — unless their side wins
Read full article: Americans think a president's power should be checked, AP-NORC poll finds — unless their side winsA poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Opinion Research finds that while Americans say they respect the Constitution’s checks and balances and don’t want a president to have too much power, that view shifts if the candidate of their party wins the presidency.
Former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says he's putting together investor group to buy TikTok
Read full article: Former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says he's putting together investor group to buy TikTokFormer Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says he’s going to put together an investor group to buy TikTok after the House passed a bill that would ban the popular video app in the U.S. if its China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake.
Bill that could ban TikTok has been attached to the House foreign aid package. What next?
Read full article: Bill that could ban TikTok has been attached to the House foreign aid package. What next?The House has approved legislation that would ban TikTok if its Beijing-based parent company doesn’t divest from the popular social media platform, escalating the fight over the hot-button issue.
Iowa House OKs bill to criminalize death of an "unborn person" despite IVF concerns
Read full article: Iowa House OKs bill to criminalize death of an "unborn person" despite IVF concernsRepublicans in Iowa’s House of Representatives have approved a bill that would criminalize the death of an “unborn person” — over Democrats’ concerns about how it might impact in vitro fertilization.
Congress approves short-term extension to avoid shutdown, buy more time for final spending agreement
Read full article: Congress approves short-term extension to avoid shutdown, buy more time for final spending agreementCongress has passed another short-term spending measure that would keep one set of federal agencies operating through March 8 and another set through March 22.
Puerto Rico is entangled in a heated public health debate over vaccines and masks
Read full article: Puerto Rico is entangled in a heated public health debate over vaccines and masksA fiery debate over public health and personal rights has gripped Puerto Rico as legislators clash with medical experts.
Republican lawmakers are backing dozens of bills targeting diversity efforts on campus and elsewhere
Read full article: Republican lawmakers are backing dozens of bills targeting diversity efforts on campus and elsewhereDiversity initiatives would be defunded or banned from universities and other public institutions under a slate of bills pending in Republican-led legislatures, with some lawmakers counting on the issue resonating with voters in this election year.
Polish leader says US Republican senators should be ashamed for scuttling Ukrainian aid
Read full article: Polish leader says US Republican senators should be ashamed for scuttling Ukrainian aidPolish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says that U.S. Republican senators should be “ashamed” for leaving about $60 billion in wartime aid for Ukraine in limbo in a recent vote.
The GOP-controlled House fails to impeach the homeland security secretary. What could come next?
Read full article: The GOP-controlled House fails to impeach the homeland security secretary. What could come next?The House has failed to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S.-Mexico border.
As impeachment looms, Homeland Security secretary says his agency will not be distracted by politics
Read full article: As impeachment looms, Homeland Security secretary says his agency will not be distracted by politicsHomeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says he is “totally focused on the work” that his agency does and is not distracted by politics.
Racially diverse Puerto Rico debates bill that aims to ban hair discrimination
Read full article: Racially diverse Puerto Rico debates bill that aims to ban hair discriminationPuerto Rico legislators are holding a public hearing on a bill that seeks to prohibit discrimination against certain hairstyles in the racially diverse U.S. territory, sparking a heated debate.
Pennsylvania is in its Taylor Swift era, her home state decides
Read full article: Pennsylvania is in its Taylor Swift era, her home state decidesTaylor Swift is adding one more accolade to her list of accomplishments this year: a resolution recognizing 2023 as the Taylor Swift era in her home state of Pennsylvania.
House votes to censure Democratic Rep. Bowman for pulling a fire alarm in a Capitol office building
Read full article: House votes to censure Democratic Rep. Bowman for pulling a fire alarm in a Capitol office buildingThe House has voted to censure Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman for triggering a fire alarm in a U.S. Capitol office building when the chamber was in session.
North Carolina Rep. McHenry, who led House through speaker stalemate, won't seek reelection in 2024
Read full article: North Carolina Rep. McHenry, who led House through speaker stalemate, won't seek reelection in 2024North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry won't seek reelection to the U.S. House next year after all.
Republicans had New Yorkers lead the way in expelling Santos. Will it help them keep the majority?
Read full article: Republicans had New Yorkers lead the way in expelling Santos. Will it help them keep the majority?George Santos is gone from the House, but his name is certain to pop up in key congressional races across New York next year.
House expels New York Rep. George Santos. It's just the sixth expulsion in the chamber's history
Read full article: House expels New York Rep. George Santos. It's just the sixth expulsion in the chamber's historyThe House has voted to expel Republican Rep. George Santos of New York following a blistering ethics report on his conduct that included converting campaign donations for his own use.
Australia apologizes for thalidomide tragedy as some survivors listen in the Parliament gallery
Read full article: Australia apologizes for thalidomide tragedy as some survivors listen in the Parliament gallerySurvivors of the harmful morning sickness drug thalidomide were in the public gallery when Australia’s Parliament made a national apology for what was described as one of the darkest chapters in Australia’s medical history.
3 murderers freed in Australia after court ruled out holding migrants indefinitely, minister says
Read full article: 3 murderers freed in Australia after court ruled out holding migrants indefinitely, minister saysAustralia's immigration minister says three murderers are among 81 foreigners recently released after the High Court ruled their indefinite detention in migrant centers was unconstitutional.
80 people freed from Australian migrant centers since High Court outlawed indefinite detention
Read full article: 80 people freed from Australian migrant centers since High Court outlawed indefinite detentionAustralia's immigration minister says 80 people including convicted criminals who are considered dangerous have been released from Australian migrant detention centers since the High Court ruled last week that their indefinite detention wis unconstitutional.
Rep. George Santos survives effort to expel him from the House. But he still faces an ethics report
Read full article: Rep. George Santos survives effort to expel him from the House. But he still faces an ethics reportRep. George Santos has easily survived a vote to expel him from the House as most Republicans opted to withhold punishment as both his criminal trial and a House Ethics Committee investigation proceed.
State Senate approves bill to spend $1.5 billion for border walls, more policing of Liberty County development
Read full article: State Senate approves bill to spend $1.5 billion for border walls, more policing of Liberty County developmentAlong with the money to build more border barriers, Senate Bill 6 would devote $49 million to beef up law enforcement of the Colony Ridge development that’s become a target of far-right media.
Group seeks to clear names of all accused, convicted or executed for witchcraft in Massachusetts
Read full article: Group seeks to clear names of all accused, convicted or executed for witchcraft in MassachusettsMassachusetts is working to fully atone for its witch trial legacy nearly 400 years after the first person was executed there for witchcraft.
Philippine military ordered to stop using artificial intelligence apps due to security risks
Read full article: Philippine military ordered to stop using artificial intelligence apps due to security risksThe Philippine defense chief has ordered all defense personnel and the 163,000-member military to refrain from using digital applications that harness artificial intelligence to generate personal portraits, saying they could pose security risks.
GOP's Jim Jordan is shoring up support and peeling off detractors ahead of a House speaker vote
Read full article: GOP's Jim Jordan is shoring up support and peeling off detractors ahead of a House speaker voteHard-charging right-wing Republican Rep. Jim Jordan is shoring up support to win the House speaker's gavel.