Delicate GOP dance for Trump, Youngkin in Virginia gov race
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — When Donald Trump rallied Republicans this past week to vote for Glenn Youngkin for governor in Virginia, the former president called in to a gathering of die-hard supporters. That may be the closest he gets to campaigning in the most closely watched election of 2021. While schedules could change in the…… MORE
Biden says he’s open to shortening length of new programs
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — President Joe Biden says he would prefer to cut the duration of programs in his big social services and climate change package rather than eliminate some entirely, as Democrats struggle to win support from moderates by trimming what had been a $3.5 trillion proposal. Biden’s comments on Friday, reassuring progressives on…… MORE
Military suicides rise 15% as senior leaders call for action
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of U.S. military suicides jumped by 15% last year, fueled by significant increases in the Army and Marine Corps that senior leaders called troubling. They urged more effort to reverse the trend. According to data released Thursday, there were 580 suicides last year compared with 504 the prior year. Of…… MORE
Congress passes bill to avert partial government shutdown
WASHINGTON (AP) — With only hours to spare, Congress passed legislation that would avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3, and sent the bill to President Joe Biden. The back-to-back votes by the Senate and then the House will help avert one crisis, but delays another as the political…… MORE
Texas GOP tries to protect US House seats under new maps
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Facing up to Texas’ booming suburbs turning bluer, Republicans on Monday proposed new U.S. House maps that would fortify their slipping grip and shrink the number of seats where the majority of voters are Hispanic — even as they fuel the state’s blistering growth. Texas was a big winner in the…… MORE
GOP blocks bill to keep government going; new try ahead
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican senators blocked a bill Monday night to keep the government operating and allow federal borrowing, but Democrats aiming to avert a shutdown are likely to try again — at the same time pressing ahead on President Joe Biden’s big plans to reshape government. The efforts are not necessarily linked, but the…… MORE
2nd top Fed official to retire in wake of trading activity
WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert Kaplan will step down as president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas early next month, the Dallas Fed announced Monday. Kaplan, 64, became the second senior Fed official to announce that he is resigning after ethics questions were raised this month over their trading activity in the financial markets. Kaplan’s…… MORE
Biden gets COVID-19 booster; says unvaccinated are “damaging” the country
WASHINGTON (AP/WMAL) — President Joe Biden received his COVID-19 booster shot on Monday, days after federal regulators recommended a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for Americans age 65 or older and approved them for others with preexisting medical conditions and high-risk work environments. “The most important thing we need to do is get more people vaccinated,”…… MORE
John Hinckley, who shot Reagan, to be freed from oversight
A federal judge said Monday that John Hinckley Jr., who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan four decades ago, can be freed from all remaining restrictions next year if he continues to follow those rules and remains mentally stable. U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman in Washington said during a 90-minute court hearing that…… MORE

Democrats face heavy lift on Biden agenda as GOP stands by
Republicans plan to sit back, watching and waiting to see if Biden and his allies can succeed against the odds — or spectacularly fail.… MORE