Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, was once embroiled in a sex trafficking investigation by the Justice Department he’s been tapped to lead, and has been under scrutiny by the House Ethics Committee over allegations including sexual misconduct. That probe effectively ended Wednesday, though,
Continue ReadingAssociated Press/Report for America RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democratic lawmakers who wield control of the Virginia Legislature are hoping to make good on promises made on the campaign trail, including becoming the first Southern state to expand constitutional protections for abortion access. Members of the House Privileges and Elections Committee met on Wednesday to debate
Continue ReadingAssociated Press/Report for America House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul says he was briefly detained by police at an airport near Washington, D.C. earlier this month. The Republican congressman said he became “disorientated” after he took Ambien and drank alcohol before a flight to Texas. McCaul was reelected this month to an 11th term
Continue ReadingLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A federal judge has denied an effort to temporarily block enforcement of a constitutional amendment Arkansas voters approved that revokes the state’s license for a planned casino. Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. on Tuesday denied Cherokee Nation Entertainment’s request to block the measure voters approved last week that blocks its
Continue ReadingAssociated Press SAO PAULO (AP) — A man who failed in an attempt to break into Brazil’s Supreme Court killed himself in explosions outside the building Wednesday that forced justices and staff to evacuate, authorities said. The two strong blasts were heard about 7:30 p.m. after the day’s session finished and all the justices and
Continue ReadingTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A California teenager pleaded guilty Wednesday in a case involving the swatting of a Florida mosque among other institutions and individuals, federal prosecutors said. Alan W. Filion, 18, of Lancaster, California, entered the plea to four counts of making interstate threats to injure the person of another, the U.S. Attorney’s Office
Continue ReadingAssociated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Lawyers for the state of Louisiana are asking a federal appeals court in New Orleans to immediately block a judge’s ruling ordering education officials to tell all local districts that a law requiring schools to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms is unconstitutional. A judge found the law unconstitutional
Continue ReadingAssociated Press JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves says he will push lawmakers to phase out the state income tax, even if federal spending is slashed during Donald Trump’s second term as president. Mississippi is one of the poorest states. It receives billions of dollars a year from the federal government. One
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal investigation into Chinese government efforts to hack into U.S. telecommunications networks has revealed a “broad and significant” cyberespionage campaign aimed at stealing information from Americans who work in government and politics, the FBI said Wednesday. Hackers affiliated with Beijing have compromised the networks of “multiple” telecommunications companies to
Continue ReadingAssociated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar lashed out Wednesday at Mexico’s failure to accept aid in the fight against drug cartels, claiming the country “closed the doors” on security cooperation. In a press conference, Salazar launched his harshest criticism yet of rampant violence, police corruption and the Mexican government’s mistaken attitude
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Jack Smith has asked a court to pause prosecutors’ appeal seeking to revive the classified documents case against President-elect Donald Trump in light of the Republican’s presidential victory. Smith’s team has been evaluating how to wind down the classified documents and the federal 2020 election interference case in
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — Several U.S. Catholic bishops on Wednesday encouraged the church to boldly share Vatican teachings on a range of hot-button issues, including the condemnation of abortion, euthanasia, surrogacy and gender-affirming surgery. The prelates acknowledged theirs is often a countercultural view. “We have been too apologetic for too long,” said Bishop Robert
Continue ReadingAssociated Press In picking Rep. Matt Gaetz as his nominee for attorney general, President-elect Donald Trump is looking to install a fierce loyalist — who has been seen as divisive even within his own party — over some of the more established attorneys whose names had been mentioned for the nation’s top federal prosecutor post.
Continue ReadingAssociated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Republican-led Ohio Senate has approved a bill banning transgender students from using bathrooms that fit their gender identities. Wednesday’s 24-7 vote sends the measure to GOP Gov. Mike DeWine, who plans a legal review. The bill applies to public K-12 schools, colleges and universities. It would not apply
Continue ReadingAssociated Press HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The U.S. Senate election in Pennsylvania between Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey and Republican David McCormick is headed for a statewide recount, as counties continued Wednesday to sort through outstanding ballots and the campaigns jousted over which ones should count. A noon deadline passed Wednesday for Casey to waive
Continue ReadingAssociated Press HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astrodome has been in limbo, waiting for its chance at a second life since being shuttered more than 15 years ago. On Wednesday, a nonprofit focused on saving the beloved domed stadium unveiled its $1 billion proposal to refurbish the iconic stadium. Over the years, ideas for its
Continue ReadingAssociated Press PARIS (AP) — Protests erupted in Paris on Wednesday against a controversial gala organized by far-right figures in support of Israel. The event, intended to raise funds for the Israeli military, included Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich among its invited guests. The demonstrations came on the eve of a high-stakes soccer match at
Continue ReadingAP Political Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Republicans and Democrats awaited the outcome of vote-counting for crucial U.S. House districts in California on Wednesday, as the GOP clinched majority control of the chamber next year with a race call in neighboring Arizona. In a rematch from 2022, Rep. Ken Calvert — the longest-serving Republican in
Continue ReadingAP Business Writers In picking billionaire Elon Musk to be “our cost cutter” for the U.S. government, President-elect Donald Trump won’t be the first American president to empower a business tycoon to look for ways to dramatically cut federal regulations. President Ronald Reagan tapped J. Peter Grace to lead a bureaucratic cost-cutting commission in 1982.
Continue ReadingAP Health Writer At least 104 people have been sickened, with 34 hospitalized, in an outbreak of E. coli food poisoning tied to onions served on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that cases have been detected in 14 states. One person died in Colorado and four
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