Dems leading Trump impeachment probe bring their own baggage
The impeachment committee chairs come to the political fight of the decade with past controversies that could be magnified as the president and his allies look to fight back.
MixedTimes - Fred Lucas
Nadler’s primary challenger a wild card in Trump impeachment push
Lindsey Boylan's primary campaign represents another wild card in the already-chaotic impeachment melee.
‘Fort Trump’? US boosting military ties with Poland in bid to deter Russia
The small European country that played a central role in two seminal events of the 20th century – the beginning of World War II and the fall of Soviet communism – is today key to deterring Russia’s aggressive military ambitions, officials say as they anticipate a strong U.S.
State records reveal extent of botched abortions, as GOP reps push ‘born-alive’ protection law
At least 40 babies were born alive after botched abortions across three states since 2016, according to state health data that offers a glimpse into the extent of an issue that lawmakers have fiercely debated in recent months.
Ben Carson takes aim at red tape blamed for soaring housing costs
State and local governments are driving up the cost of housing through a web of regulations, private groups and federal officials say – a situation that’s prompted Housing Secretary Ben Carson to call for new incentives to eliminate the red tape.
Elizabeth Warren’s corporate advocacy past could ding image as working-class champion
As Sen. Elizabeth Warren climbs in Democratic presidential polls, touting an image as the champion of the working class against powerful corporations, it's only a matter of time before she faces renewed questions about her history advocating on behalf of the kinds of corporations she now vilifies.
Republican Gov. Matt Bevin aims to make Kentucky history with this year’s re-election bid
Matt Bevin is Kentucky’s third Republican governor in the last half-century – and if he’s re-elected this year, he’d be the first in party history to win a second term to that office.
Antifa activist facing assault charges was tied to Democratic policymakers
What a difference a year made for Joseph Alcoff.
Elizabeth Warren’s ‘wealth tax’ faces constitutional questions
Sen. Elizabeth Warren is aggressively pushing a new wealth tax – which she’s dubbed the “UltraMillionaireTax” – ahead of this weekend’s formal presidential campaign launch, but keeps running into the same question from critics: Is it even constitutional?
Rep. Maxine Waters facing new legal questions over campaign mailers
Rep. Maxine Waters took the helm of the Financial Services Committee this month. But according to the California Democrat’s post-election filing, her campaign may have some financial issues of its own to sort out.
Trump faces conservative backlash over push for new tariff powers
An “America First” proposal to make it easier for President Trump to impose tariffs without congressional approval already is seeing opposition from some Republicans and conservative groups.
The terrorist next door: States consider sex-offender-style registries for released terror inmates
Dozens of inmates convicted of terrorism-related crimes will be released from prison over the next five years, and lawmakers in several states think local law enforcementhave the right to know if they’re moving into their neighborhood.
Never-Nancy Dems risk election backlash for flipping on Pelosi vote, in 1st congressional test
Never-Nancy Democrats are risking an election backlash for flipping on their anti-Pelosi vote vow.
Dems aim to bring big-government programs to floor vote with 2019 House takeover
Expect to hear the words “free,” “guaranteed” and “for all” a whole lot more in the new year as Democrats prepare an arsenal of big-government bills that could actually see a floor vote once they take control of the House.
AG races could swell army of lawyers suing Trump, as Dems vow to ‘take on’ president
Democrats don’t have to win control of either chamber of Congress to jam the Trump administration’s agenda and flood the zone with investigations.
Cuomo’s campaign to ‘bankrupt’ NRA by targeting insurance program spreads to more states
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is finding new allies in his campaign to “bankrupt” the National Rifle Association, as three additional states follow his call to take legal action against the gun-rights group’s insurance program.
Kavanaugh chaos hangs over Feinstein’s all-Democrat Senate race
A chorus of criticism from both sides shows how the aftermath of the Kavanaugh fight is weighing uniquely on the senior Democrat’s political race back home.
Is Scott Walker's winning streak nearing an end? Wisconsin race poses challenge
On paper, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker would seem a safe bet to cruise to a third term, with three consecutive electoral victories under his belt. But 2018 could be different.
Watchdog presses FEC for audit on Maxine Waters fundraising practices
California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters is facing a new complaint about an obscure fundraising tactic that rakes in thousands from state politicians in exchange for being listed on her slate mailers -- this time, involving supporters of a former Los Angeles mayor defeated in the June gubernatorial primary.
Andrew Cuomo using banks to target NRA, faces major legal test
A campaign by New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo to crack down on the National Rifle Association and similar groups is facing its first big legal test, with a federal judge expected to decide soon whether to allow a challenge to go forward.
Ohio guv race airtight: As Obama swoops in to boost alum, GOP navigates Trump-Kasich rift
The governor’s race in Ohio between Republican Mike DeWine and Democrat Richard Cordray is tight in what has historically been one of the hottest presidential battlegrounds in the country.
Ethics complaint on Russia hacking claim hangs over Dem Sen. Nelson in re-election fight
One of the country’s tightest Senate races has been injected with intrigue as the Democratic incumbent, Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, faces an ethics complaint stemming from his mysterious warning that Russia had breached the state’s election infrastructure.
Supreme Court decisions could curb campus censorship
Recent First Amendment rulings by the Supreme Court could force courts and university administrators to take a closer look at controversial practices that have marginalized certain political views – often conservative ones – on campus.
Maxine Waters hit with FEC complaint over mailer money
Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, one of the most outspoken members of the anti-Trump ‘resistance’ in Congress, is facing fresh questions about a longstanding controversy regarding how her campaign raises money and how those funds have flowed to her daughter.
Illinois GOP Gov. Rauner in nasty race against Blago pal, after surviving primary
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, a moderate Republican who narrowly survived a bruising primary against a conservative challenger, is facing another nasty battle as he heads into November – this time, against a billionaire heir with close ties to disgraced former Gov.
Bid to split California into 3 states gains traction – could it really happen?
In a midterm season marked by primary upsets and the prospect of Democrats claiming a congressional check on President Trump’s power, another sensational development has been the momentum behind a ballot measure to split up the unwieldy, high-tax state of California.
Massachusetts' GOP governor avoids liberal backlash to Trump, eyes re-election
Charlie Baker is an anomaly: A Republican governor in a deep blue state, a favorite for re-election in a cycle favoring Democrats and a popular GOP figure in a region where President Trump has no coattails.
Is Eric Holder's election pet project targeting your state?
Former Attorney General Eric Holder could have your state in his crosshairs in 2018—as he leads a campaign with the potential to paint the map blue for the next decade.
Republicans see opening in blue Minnesota, after Franken scandal and Trump inroads
A combination of changing political views and Democratic turmoil has Republicans seeing red in the once-liberal stronghold of Minnesota, where a tossup governor’s race has given the party hope and could serve as a bellwether for future elections.
Will Connecticut's unpopular Dem gov sink party's chances in November?
A solid blue state that went big for Hillary Clinton in 2016 might normally seem safe territory for Democrats. The party’s problem in Connecticut is that Democratic Gov.
Government's war on pizza? Looming ObamaCare menu rule has restaurant owners worried
The government is about to make one of life’s most difficult tasks – deciding on pizza toppings – even more complicated.
Dem Joe Manchin suffers biggest plummet in job approval of any senator: poll
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., had the sharpest plummet in job approval of any senator in the country according to a poll out Thursday, marking more bad news for a senator already labeled vulnerable in November and facing an ethics complaint.
California billionaire Steyer's candidate guide pushes impeachment as good politics for midterms
The nine-page guide, sent to 5,100 Democratic candidates nationwide, contends impeachment is good politics and says “making this case can boost turnout among the Democratic base.”
Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton loom over Virginia 2018 Senate race
A Senate race between Hillary Clinton’s running mate and a candidate characterized as the Donald Trump of Virginia could likely garner massive national attention, even if it isn’t competitive—and for now, polls indicate it isn’t.
Trump, Hillary loom over Virginia 2018 Senate race
A Senate race between Hillary Clinton’s running mate and a candidate characterized as the Donald Trump of Virginia could likely garner massive national attention, even if it isn’t competitive—and for now, polls indicate it isn’t.
One state pursues 'end of ObamaCare,' setting stage for new fight
Idaho has become ground zero in a new ObamaCare fight, with officials pursuing major changes that could serve as a national model for other states looking to expand insurance options in defiance of the law – even as Democrats warn of higher costs for vulnerable customers.
Jane Sanders' daughter runs for Bernie's old seat, amid college $$ controversy
When Carina Driscoll announced she was running for mayor of Burlington – the local Vermont office her stepfather Bernie Sanders once held – she was determined to be her own candidate.
Democratic AGs swarm Trump administration with lawsuits
Nancy Pelosi. Chuck Schumer. The Russia probe. The ‘deep state.’ Of all the obstacles that could potentially thwart the Trump agenda, add to that tempest the flood of lawsuits now being plotted by blue-state attorneys general who have made no secret of their disdain for the administration’s policies.
Blue states ramp up push to 'evade' chunk of Trump's tax reform
The Republican tax plan touted as the signature legislative accomplishment of President Trump’s first year in office already is running into efforts by high-tax blue states to “evade” a key provision meant to help offset the law’s rate cuts.
Will Democrats run on impeachment in 2018 midterms? Don't count it out
After months of shying away from the toxic topic, Democrats increasingly are embracing political rhetoric that flirts with the impeachment of President Trump – signaling a strategy that could work its way into the mainstream in the 2018 midterms.
'Junk science'? Studies behind Obama regulations under fire
Scientific studies used by the Obama administration to help justify tough environmental regulations are coming under intensifying scrutiny, with critics questioning their merit as the Trump EPA reverses or delays some of those rules.
Still bruised from Clinton loss, left takes aim at Electoral College in court
A liberal-led push to overhaul the Electoral College could be moving from the op-ed pages to the courtroom, as a Harvard professor who flirted with a dark-horse Democratic presidential bid last year vows litigation to change the system.
Sanders' single-payer bill causing headaches for Dems in 2018 midterms
Bernie Sanders' single-payer bill has been cast as a litmus test for Democrats eyeing a White House run. Yet well before 2020, candidates will face pressure from the left to get behind the bill in exchange for support in the 2018 midterms.
Buyer beware: Courts could raise cost of online shopping
Courts could have a say in how much consumers pay for certain products they buy online, as states that have long complained about missing out on sales tax revenue are suing or passing laws to take on online retailers.
Supreme Court's next big gun control case? Post-Newtown laws face new scrutiny
A Maryland law could be at the center of the next big precedent-setting gun case at the Supreme Court.