AP US Politics News

By BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Joel Willett, a military veteran and former CIA officer, launched his Democratic campaign for the U.S. Senate from Kentucky on Wednesday, saying the recent fallout from having his security clearance revoked by the Trump administration gave him added incentive to run. “I’ve seen firsthand how the

By SEJAL GOVINDARAO Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — President Donald Trump has vowed to do away with voting by mail, but some of his Republican allies in two Western battleground states are taking a more cautious approach. U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, one of two candidates with Trump’s endorsement in the Arizona governor’s race, does not

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 50 people have faced federal charges in Washington, D.C., since President Donald Trump’s emergency law-and-order surge began last month. Already, prosecutors have dropped at least 11 of those cases, an unusually high collapse rate that judges say is wasting court resources. The dismissals highlight the

By DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia moved to amplify online conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk’s killing just hours after it happened, seeding social media with the frightening claim that America is slipping into civil war. Chinese and pro-Iranian groups also spread disinformation about the shooting, with those loyal to Iran’s interests backing

By CHRIS MEGERIAN, LISA MASCARO and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is escalating threats to crack down on what he describes as the “radical left” following Charlie Kirk’s assassination, stirring fears that his administration is trying to harness outrage over the killing to suppress political opposition. Without establishing any

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Democrat Xp Lee wins Minnesota House special election to fill assassinated legislator’s seat and preserve tie in chamber.

By GARY FIELDS and MATT BROWN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed legislation Tuesday that would overhaul how youth who commit crimes are prosecuted in the District of Columbia as congressional Republicans mobilized behind President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital. One of the bills, called the

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Trump administration is using civil rights laws to wage a campaign against the University of California in an attempt to curtail academic freedom and undermine free speech, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by faculty, staff, student organizations and every labor union representing UC

By CLAIRE RUSH and ALI SWENSON Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Justice Department said Tuesday that it has sued Oregon and Maine for failing to turn over their voter registration lists, marking the first lawsuits the department has brought against states in its wide-ranging effort to get detailed voter data. The department said

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The identities of two women once listed as potential co-conspirators of Jeffrey Epstein will remain sealed for their safety and privacy, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. In a written decision, Judge Richard M. Berman rejected an NBC News request to make their identities public after lawyers

By THOMAS BEAUMONT and JOEY CAPPELLETTI The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Maine Gov. Janet Mills is taking steps toward running for the U.S. Senate in 2026, sources tell The Associated Press, adding another big-name Democrat to the list of candidates expected to vie for key Republican-held seats next year. Mills, who is term-limited next

By ED WHITE Associated Press From Utah to New York, political violence has rocked the U.S. multiple times over the past several months, culminating with the open-air killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated last week while talking to college students. The confluence on Tuesday of five different developments tied to recent acts

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Man charged with capital murder in the assassination of Charlie Kirk appears briefly before judge by video from jail.

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, questioning whether Americans understand the difference between a king and a president, told a New York Law School crowd Tuesday that improved civic education across the country would help people make better decisions. Sotomayor, speaking at a panel discussion during a

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A retired four-star U.S. Navy admiral was sentenced on Tuesday to six years in prison for his conviction on corruption charges that he agreed to exchange a military contract for a lucrative postretirement job. Retired Adm. Robert P. Burke — once the second-highest uniformed officer in the

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer Charlie Kirk’s mastery of social media was key to his rise as an influence in conservative politics. So the extent to which his death and its aftermath have played out on those forums shouldn’t come as a surprise. In a microcosm of life today, social media is where Americans

By MARC LEVY Associated Press HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania said Tuesday that the nation’s leaders must “turn the tide” against political violence and reject vengeance, and accused President Donald Trump of failing the moment’s test of leadership. Shapiro, a Democrat, delivered remarks as the keynote speech at the Eradicate Hate

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — After a late-night vote and last-minute ruling, the Federal Reserve began a key meeting on interest rate policy Tuesday with both a new Trump administration appointee and an official the White House has targeted for removal. Stephen Miran, a top White House economist who was confirmed

By The Associated Press FBI Director Kash Patel clashed with skeptical Democrats at a contentious Senate oversight hearing Tuesday, defending his record amid criticism that he has politicized the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency and pursued retribution against perceived adversaries of President Donald Trump. The appearance Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee represented the

By KATE BRUMBACK and JEFF AMY Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s highest court has declined to consider Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ appeal of her removal from the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and others. Citing an “appearance of impropriety” created by a romantic relationship Willis had with special prosecutor Nathan

By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday he will seek a third term in the 2026 elections, hoping to beat the odds to become the longest-serving governor in a state where voters have usually said two terms were plenty. In a campaign video posted on YouTube, Walz said

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate, says he’ll seek a third term as Minnesota’s governor.

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Supreme Court declines to hear Fulton County DA Fani Willis’ appeal of her removal from Trump election case.

By LEAH WILLINGHAM, MICHAEL CASEY and HOLLY RAMER Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Immigrants are being detained while going to work, outside courthouses, and at store parking lots in Metro Boston as President Donald Trump targets so-called sanctuary cities in his effort to ramp up immigration enforcement. As families hole up in homes — afraid

By JEFF AMY and BILL BARROW Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Former Republican and onetime Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan is running as a Democrat for governor, a remarkable step for a staunch critic of President Donald Trump who left the conservative fold in a region where party switchers have gone the other direction for

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump has added The New York Times to the list of media companies he’s challenged in court, filing a $15 billion defamation lawsuit that targets four of its journalists in a book and three articles published within a two-month period before the last

By ISABELLA VOLMERT Associated Press LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Three years ago, the story of Michigan was one of Democratic success. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Democratic state lawmakers held complete control of the executive and legislative branches of government. This year, the story of Michigan is one of enormous partisan divide. Partisan politics have resulted

By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Democrat Xp Lee won a special election Tuesday to fill the Minnesota House seat of a top Democratic leader who was assassinated, restoring a 67-67 tie and preserving a power-sharing deal that has forced both parties to work together. Rep. Melissa Hortman, of Brooklyn Park, held the

By ERIC TUCKER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Kash Patel clashed with skeptical Democrats at a contentious Senate oversight hearing Tuesday, defending his record amid criticism that he has politicized the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency and pursued retribution against perceived adversaries of President Donald Trump. The appearance Tuesday before the Senate

By JESSE BEDAYN, HANNAH SCHOENBAUM and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press PROVO, Utah (AP) — Prosecutors brought a murder charge Tuesday against the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk and outlined evidence, including a text message confession to his partner and a note left beforehand saying he had the opportunity to kill one of the nation’s