​WASHINGTON — Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee voted Thursday to recommend reinstalling Rep. Henry Cuellar as the ranking member of the panel’s Homeland Security subcommittee, after President Donald Trump pardoned the congressman for alleged bribery schemes.

Trump’s “full and unconditional” pardon of the Texas ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Brian Cahill had never been to a protest caroling event in his life, he admitted.

Cahill, who is 66 and lives in Fair Oaks, was among 45 people who walked around downtown Sacramento on a chilly Thursday evening. The group sang a medley of traditional songs and modified Christmas carols that protested Donald Trump’s ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The saga of a Los Angeles Army veteran who legally immigrated to the United States, was wounded in combat and self-deported to South Korea earlier this year, became a flashpoint during a testy congressional hearing about the Trump administration's immigration policy.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was grilled Thursday ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — A handful of Las Vegas casino executives and the industry’s top Washington D.C.-based lobbyist recently met with a high-ranking congressional representative in a last-ditch effort to undo a provision in the president’s signature legislation that will hurt gamblers when it goes into effect next year.

Derek Stevens of Circa, ...Read more

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dissolved parliament, setting the stage for an early election after a key political party backing his minority government threatened to withdraw its support.

Anutin said in a Facebook post late on Thursday that he would “return power to the people.” Hours later, King Maha Vajiralongkorn endorsed the ...Read more

On most days, the words “Donald Trump” and “strategy” don’t fit in the same sentence. Combined, they’re an oxymoron in the truest sense. After all, strategy denotes a well-thought-out plan with concrete goals, realistic ways of achieving those goals and a set of principles that serve as an anchor as the president goes about the job. ...Read more

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday evening that seeks to challenge state laws on artificial intelligence and withhold certain grant funds for states with AI laws the administration dislikes.

The effort could be a significant victory for major technology companies but is almost certain to be challenged in court.

“We ...Read more

President Donald Trump is expected to direct his administration to move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that could represent one of the biggest shifts in U.S. policy toward cannabis in decades.

Trump has discussed the idea with marijuana industry executives, Health and Human...Read more

WASHINGTON — Democratic senators are demanding more details on the drug pricing deals that Pfizer Inc., Eli Lilly & Co. and others have struck with the Trump administration in an effort to understand whether they’re actually saving the government any money.

In letters sent to chief executives of Pfizer, Lilly, Novo Nordisk A/S and ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an order aimed at thwarting state-level regulation of artificial intelligence, handing a policy win to tech industry leaders who have pressed for preemption of local rules.

Trump said the measure was necessary to bolster the emerging technology and counter a patchwork of state-level regulation the ...Read more

President Donald Trump claimed to grant former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters a “full pardon” Thursday night — a power that constitutional law experts say he cannot wield for a person convicted of state-level crimes.

Peters, 70, is serving a nine-year sentence in state prison in Pueblo for felonies related to providing unauthorized ...Read more

President Donald Trump professed his admiration of miners Tuesday night at his Poconos rally, contending the brave workers are so enamored of their profession that Trump wouldn’t be able to convince them to swap jobs with anyone — including himself.

“I love miners ... They wouldn’t trade jobs with me if I gave them a beautiful, ...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, Trumpasserted that “Somalians ripped off that state for billions of dollars,” ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Hollywood has a rich history of personal vendettas, political discord and uncertain loyalties shaping the industry.

It just usually doesn’t involve the U.S. president.

President Donald Trump’s declaration that he will involve himself in the proposed sale of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. has thrust an already tumultuous battle ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Legislation that would require social media platforms to implement policies to prevent certain harms to minors was advanced Thursday by the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, with 17 other bills centered on children’s safety online.

The harm-prevention bill, dubbed the Kids’ Online ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Former Western Maryland Rep. David Trone will try to reclaim his old congressional seat in 2026. Trone filed his candidacy on Thursday, setting up a potentially expensive clash with incumbent Rep. April McClain Delaney in the Democratic primary.

“The people of Maryland’s 6th District need a fighter who will stand up against ...Read more

NEW YORK — Under Comptroller Brad Lander’s management, New York City’s public pension funds have seen windfalls from investments in an Israeli arms manufacturer — a boon that could become an awkward pressure point for Lander as he mounts a 2026 primary challenge against Congressman Dan Goldman.

Lander, a sharp critic of Israel’s war ...Read more

Republicans in Congress want to give states more authority to remove ineligible voters — including noncitizens and people who have moved or died — from voter rolls, seeking to reinforce the Trump administration’s own push to scrub the lists.

At a U.S. House hearing on Wednesday, lawmakers weighed changing a landmark federal voter ...Read more

WASHINGTON — To the unfamiliar, the U.S. Capitol and its surrounding office buildings are a maze of fluorescent lighting, identical hallways and unmarked tunnels. Even experienced staff and lawmakers sometimes get lost.

But that could start to change next year, if some House members get their way. Wayfinding tools could offer turn-by-turn ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Redistricting, retirements and realignments are reshaping politics in Texas.

The state is home to what is likely to be one of the most expensive and divisive Senate contests next year, with fierce battles on both sides.

The House landscape has been significantly overhauled by a mid-decade redraw of Texas’ congressional map at ...Read more