Kamala Harris' election would defy history. Just 1 sitting VP has been elected president since 1836
As Vice President Kamala Harris begins her fall campaign for the White House, she can look to history and hope for better luck than others who have tried the same.
A US appeals court will review its prior order keeping banned books on shelves in a Texas county
A federal appeals court in New Orleans is taking another look at its own recent order requiring a Texas county to keep eight books on public library shelves that deal with subjects including sex, gender identity and racism.
Biden's inaction on death penalty may be a top campaign issue as Trump and DeSantis laud executions
Capital punishment could emerge as a major campaign issue in the U.S. presidential race for the first time in 30 years, with top GOP candidates already one-upping each other by touting tougher, more far-reaching death penalty laws.
EXPLAINER: What to know on Congress' bid to bar rail strike
President Joe Biden is asking Congress to intervene to avert a potentially crippling freight rail strike before Christmas, even if it means handing a defeat to Democratic allies in the labor movement.
Nuclear memories: Russia, war and childhood fears rekindled
The war in Ukraine, especially Russian President Vladimir Putinโs references to Moscowโs nuclear arsenal, have awakened memories that many of a certain age thought were buried.
Ken Starr, whose probe led to Clinton impeachment, dies
Ken Starr, a former federal appellate judge and a prominent attorney whose criminal investigation of Bill Clinton led to the presidentโs impeachment, died Tuesday at age 76, his family says.
Court rehears fight over vaccine mandate for federal workers
The question of whether the Biden administration can require federal employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 has been argued in an appeals court in New Orleans for a second time.
Biden nixes Trump design for Air Force One over cost, delay
President Joe Bidenโs administration has scrapped former President Donald Trumpโs red, white and blue design for the new generation of presidential aircraft after an Air Force review suggested it would raise costs and delay the delivery of the new jets.
George P. Bushโs defeat could be the end of the line for a four-generation political dynasty
Bushโs defeat in the race for attorney general could mark the end of a four-generation political dynasty, and the end of an era of Texas politics that began when the first George Bush moved to Odessa in 1948.
In wars cold and hot, the Moskva has sailed through history
The Russian warship now known as the Moskva began its life as the Slava, or โgloryโ in 1979 at the height of the Cold War in what was the Soviet republic of Ukraine.
EXPLAINER: Does Putin's alert change risk of nuclear war?
Russian President Vladimir Putinโs implied threat to turn the Ukraine crisis into a nuclear war presents President Joe Biden and U.S. allies with choices rarely contemplated in the atomic age.
Childs gets prosecutors' 'wholehearted' backing for DC court
A bipartisan group of two dozen former South Carolina federal prosecutors are offering their โwholehearted supportโ for Judge Michelle Childsโ nomination to an appellate court.
USSR's death blow was struck 30 years ago in a hunting lodge
When the leaders of the Soviet Unionโs three Slavic republics met at a secluded hunting lodge near the Polish border on Dec. 8, 1991, they delivered a death blow to the USSR.
Reaction to Bob Dole's death from US dignitaries, veterans
U.S. leaders and military veterans are mourning the loss of former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, a World War II veteran and former Republican presidential candidate who served in Congress for 36 years.
3 lawyers readying arguments in high court abortion case
Supreme Court justices considering a major abortion case Wednesday will hear from just three lawyers: one representing the state of Mississippi, another representing Mississippiโs only abortion clinic and the last representing the Biden administration.
Damp Jersey Shore town ponders a fix for 'sunny day' floods
An elite but often-underwater beach town at the Jersey Shore is looking for its own solutions to back bay flooding, deciding it canโt wait for state and federal officials to agree on a fix.
Colin Powell: A trailblazing legacy, blotted by Iraq war
A child of working-class Jamaican immigrants in the Bronx, Colin Powell rose from neighborhood store clerk to warehouse floor-mopper to the highest echelons of the U.S. government.
Politico pardoned by Trump accused of illegal campaign scam
A Kentucky man pardoned by President Donald Trump after his conviction in a 2012 bribery plot has been charged again with campaign-related crimes, this time involving a 2016 illegal campaign contribution scheme.
Biden picks Burns for China ambassador; Emanuel for Japan
President Joe Biden is nominating former senior State Department official Nicholas Burns to serve as his ambassador to China and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to serve as his envoy to Japan.
Houston seethes over being frozen out of federal flood funds
Houston residents and officials are seething over a Texas agency's decision to not award the city a single cent of the initial $1 billion in federal flood mitigation funding the state was promised following Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
Karine Jean-Pierre makes history giving White House briefing
Karine Jean-Pierre has become the first openly gay woman to deliver the White House press briefing and only the second Black woman in history to take on the role.
Train honoring Bush returns to his Texas library for exhibit
Bush on December 6, 2018 in College Station, Texas. The 41st president will be laid to rest near his presidential library next to his wife Barbara and daughter Robin. Bush to his burial has returned to his presidential library in College Station where it will become a permanent exhibit. Union Pacific originally commissioned the locomotive for the opening of an exhibit on trains at the presidential library. During the locomotive's 2005 unveiling in College Station, Bush talked about his fondness for trains, recalling sleeping on them as a child during trips with his family.
Biden White House: keeping control of the daily message
President Joe Biden participates in a roundtable discussion on a coronavirus relief package in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, March 5, 2021. It reflects a White House media strategy meant both to reserve major media set-pieces for the celebration of a legislative victory and to limit unforced errors from a historically gaffe-prone politician. In a sharp contrast with the previous administration, the White House is exerting extreme message discipline, empowering staff to speak but doing so with caution. The volume has been turned so low in the Biden White House that they need to worry about whether anyone is listening," said Frank Sesno, former head of George Washington University's school of media. โPresidential press conferences are not on the top of the agenda for Americans who are worried about COVID and the economic disaster that has befallen so many families,โ he said.
Biden White House: message discipline, no news conference
President Joe Biden participates in a roundtable discussion on a coronavirus relief package in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, March 5, 2021. It reflects a White House media strategy meant both to reserve major media set-pieces for the celebration of a legislative victory and to limit unforced errors from a historically gaffe-prone politician. In a sharp contrast with the previous administration, the White House is exerting extreme message discipline, empowering staff to speak but doing so with caution. The volume has been turned so low in the Biden White House that they need to worry about whether anyone is listening," said Frank Sesno, former head of George Washington University's school of media. โPresidential press conferences are not on the top of the agenda for Americans who are worried about COVID and the economic disaster that has befallen so many families,โ he said.
At Camp David retreat, Biden hangs out, shows he's got game
FILE - In this July 1981 file photo released by The White House, U.S. President Ronald Reagan, left, and Vice President George Bush go horseback riding at Camp David, Md. He capped it off by beating one of his granddaughters at Mario Kart during his first presidential visit to Camp David, the historic retreat for U.S. leaders. Thatโs what Camp David has traditionally offered presidents: a respite from Washington where they can shed their ties and relax with family. Bill Clinton tried to replicate that diplomatic alchemy when he invited Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to Camp David for Mideast peace talks in 2000. He said when foreign leaders descend on Camp David, it can be like an โadult sleepover.โโGoing to camp in the cabins creates an atmosphere where leaders are very close together.
Blair House guest quarters a temporary home for VP Harris
In this Jan. 25, 2021 photo, Secret Service vehicles parked outside of Blair House in Washington. Blair House, the official government guest house, is serving as a temporary home for Vice President Kamala Harris. AdSo Harris moved into Blair House, where President Harry Truman lived from 1948-1952 during major renovations to the White House. The original Blair House was built in 1824 by Joseph Lovell, the Army surgeon general, and later sold to journalist Francis Preston Blair. The Blair family sold the house to the U.S. government in the early 1940s, and it was turned into the president's official guest house.
Jill Biden signals she'll be more active as first lady
First lady Jill Biden's necklace says "Mama," as she takes a tour of Whitman-Walker Health, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)WASHINGTON โ Five days into her new role, Jill Biden signaled Monday that she'll be a more active first lady, with a trio of virtual appearances before governors' spouses, young Latinos and library officials. Jill Biden's early moves seemed designed to signal that she intends to be more active than her predecessor, Melania Trump. On Monday, Jill Biden took on the role of top surrogate for the president, encouraging unity and promising the administration would listen to all voices. Joe Biden was a U.S. senator for 36 years, followed by eight years as vice president.
Pets are back: Bidenโs 2 dogs settle in at White House
The dogs moved into the White House on Sunday, following Biden's inauguration last week. Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, a self-described germaphobe, does not own any pets and had none with him at the White House. โPets have played an important role in the White House throughout the decades, not only by providing companionship to the presidents and their families, but also by humanizing and softening their political images,โ said Jennifer Pickens, author of a book about pets at the White House. Among the stranger White House pets was Calvin Coolidge and first lady Grace Coolidgeโs raccoon Rebecca. But instead she got an embroidered collar with the title โWhite House Raccoonโ and entertained children at the White House Easter Egg Roll.
GOP Ohio Sen. Portman not seeking reelection, cites gridlock
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)CINCINNATI โ Ohio Sen. โOur country is very polarized,โ Portman said, adding that former President Donald Trump did not help with the polarization. โBoth in his words before the attack on the Capitol and in his actions afterward, President Trump bears some responsibility for what happened,โ Portman said. โAnd right now the kind of candidate thatโs going to come out of a Ohio Republican primary is not going to be that kind of candidate. โYeah, sure, some people are mad at him,โ said Ohio Republican strategist Ryan Stubenrauch.
At 78 and the oldest president, Biden sees a world changed
WASHINGTON โ When Joe Biden took the oath of office as the 46th president, he became not only the oldest newly inaugurated U.S. chief executive in history but also the oldest sitting president ever. Thatโs 78 days older than President Ronald Reagan was when he left office in 1989. A look at how the country Biden now leads has changed over his lifetime and how his presidency might reflect that. The world population in Bidenโs lifetime has grown from about 2.3 billion to 7.8 billion. The month Biden was born, a dozen eggs averaged about 60 cents in U.S. cities -- two hours of minimum wage work.
Trump shuns 'ex-presidents club' โ and the feeling is mutual
Now that he's left office, it's hard to see him embracing the stately, exclusive club of living former presidents. โHe kind of laughed at the very notion that he would be accepted in the presidents club,โ said Kate Andersen Brower, who interviewed Trump in 2019 for her book โTeam of Five: The Presidentsโ Club in the Age of Trump." Obama, Bush and Clinton recorded their video after accompanying Biden to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider following the inauguration. When Hurricane Katrina blasted the Gulf Coast, Bush, father of the then-current president George W. Bush, called on Clinton to boost Katrina fundraising relief efforts. Obama tapped Clinton and the younger President Bush to boost fundraising efforts for Haiti after its devastating 2010 earthquake.
Trump's pardon largesse a boon for well-connected fraudsters
Trump is expected to pardon Bannon, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, as part of a flurry of last-minute clemency action that appears to be still in flux in the last hours of his presidency. For instance, joining Cunningham on the pardon list was Steve Bannon, Trumpโs former chief strategist. The pardon nullified the prosecution of Bannon while the trial was still months away, eliminating the prospect for any punishment for him. He pleaded guilty last fall to acting as an unregistered lobbyist and was awaiting sentencing at the time of his pardon. In the final minutes of his term, Trump pardoned Al Pirro, the ex-husband of Fox News Channel host Jeanine Pirro, in a tax evasion case.
Biden's nominees promise fresh approach on national security
President-elect Joe Bidens pick for national intelligence director Avril Haines arrives for a confirmation hearing before the Senate intelligence committee on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington. Neither Blinken nor Biden's other nominees for national security Cabinet posts encountered substantial opposition Tuesday. โWhen it comes to intelligence, there is simply no place for politics โ ever,โ she told the Senate Intelligence Committee. The House majority leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer, indicated Tuesday that the full House would consider an Austin waiver bill on Thursday. Like Blinken, Austin said he views China as the leading international issue facing Biden's national security team.
'Rooting hard for you': Will departure notes end with Trump?
Ron.โThus was born the tradition of departing presidents leaving a handwritten note in the Oval Office for their successors. President Donald Trump has refused to accept the results of Novemberโs election and vowed not to attend Joe Bidenโs inauguration on Wednesday. I know you will feel that, too,โ Bush wrote in the note, adding, "I wish you great happiness here. Updegrove said even if the note tradition stops with Trump, it could easily start again when Biden leaves office. He has already been vice president and spent 36 years in the Senate, where tradition and bipartisan congeniality are strong.
FBI, Justice Department leaders stay out of sight after riot
When Rosen spoke, he did it through a nearly four-minute prerecorded video released at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday by the Justice Department. Rosen has not once addressed Justice Department reporters since becoming acting attorney general late last month. Beyond those statements, Justice Department spokesman Marc Raimondi said, the department has issued โsignificant" amounts of information through the offices that are running it. Gerson, who became acting attorney general after Barr left the department at the end of George H.W. I was empowered to speak for the Department of Justice in the administration that I was in,โ Gerson said.
Hank Aaron, civil rights leaders get vaccinated in Georgia
Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron waits to receive his COVID-19 vaccination on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. Aaron and others received their vaccinations in an effort to highlight the importance of getting vaccinated for Black Americans who might be hesitant to do so. (AP Photo/Ron Harris)ATLANTA โ Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, former U.N. Ambassador and civil rights leader Andrew Young and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan got vaccinated against COVID-19 in Georgia on Tuesday, hoping to send a message to Black Americans that the shots are safe. Getting vaccinated โmakes me feel wonderful," Aaron told The Associated Press.
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter won't attend Biden's inauguration
FILE- In this Sept. 30, 2018 file photo, former President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter are seen ahead of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals, in Atlanta. Former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter will not attend President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration. (AP Photo/John Amis, File)ATLANTA โ Former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter will not attend President-elect Joe Bidenโs inauguration. Carter was the first former president to confirm his plans to attend Trumpโs inauguration in 2017. The elder Bush was the lone former president at the time who did not attend Trumpโs inauguration.
Dick Thornburgh, ex-governor and US attorney general, dies
Fix It.โ Iโve liked the day-in, day-out challenges of governance.โPresident Ronald Reagan appointed Thornburgh attorney general in the waning months of his administration. He was asked to stay on as attorney general when George H.W. When Thornburgh left the U.S. attorney general post in 1991, he made a run for U.S. Senate, losing to Harris Wofford in the general election. In 2002, the Justice Department tapped Thornburgh to help investigate WorldCom for mismanagement, irregularities and fraud. Three years later, Thornburgh married Ginny Judson, who raised his three sons and bore another, William.
A look at the 29 people Trump pardoned or gave commutations
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020, in Washington. Trump commuted his sentence in July just days before he was scheduled to report to federal prison. A White House news release praised the men as โmodel prisoners,โ who had earned support and praise from other inmates. She was in the White House when Trump signed the overhaul measure, known as the First Step Act, into law. Black was a co-defendant in the case and was also convicted; Trump previously pardoned him.
New round of Trump clemency benefits Manafort, other allies
FILE - In this Thursday, June 27, 2019 file photo, Paul Manafort arrives in court in New York. President Trump's former campaign manager is to be arraigned on state mortgage fraud charges. Manafort, who led Trump's campaign during a pivotal period in 2016 before being ousted over his ties to Ukraine, was among the first people charged as part of Muellerโs investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Though the charges against Manafort did not concern the central thrust of Mueller's mandate โ whether the Trump campaign and Russia colluded to tip the election โ he was nonetheless a pivotal figure in the investigation. Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.
Biden's Homeland Security pick faces questions on 2015 probe
Now, seven years later, Mayorkas is President-elect Joe Bidenโs groundbreaking nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, and that since-completed investigation has emerged as a potential stumbling block. โThat brand of leadership isnโt good for agency culture or the security of our nation,โ the Iowa Republican told The Associated Press on Thursday. Itโs an important moment for Homeland Security, the third-largest Cabinet agency. It was also not unusual for members of Congress to contact the agency about the EB-5 program. But Kenneth Palinkas, a senior official with the employee union at CIS, said he was widely liked by workers.
Biden's Homeland Security pick faces questions on old probe
Now, seven years later, Mayorkas is President-elect Joe Bidenโs groundbreaking nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, and that since-completed investigation has emerged as a potential stumbling block. โThat brand of leadership isnโt good for agency culture or the security of our nation,โ the Iowa Republican told The Associated Press on Thursday. Itโs an important moment for Homeland Security, the third-largest Cabinet agency. It was also not unusual for members of Congress to contact him or the agency about the EB-5 program or other matters. But Kenneth Palinkas, a senior official with the employee union at CIS, said he was widely liked by workers.