WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly five weeks after Hillary Rodham Clinton’s marathon testimony on the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, several investigations into the deadly assault and Clinton’s use of a private email account and server are going full bore — and likely will continue into the presidential election year. Republicans on the House Benghazi panel … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama recognized 17 Americans with the nation’s highest civilian award on Tuesday, including the first African-American woman elected to Congress, one of the greatest catchers in baseball history and a “Funny Girl.” “Today we celebrate some extraordinary people: innovators, artists and leaders who contribute to America’s strength as a nation,” … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — On the campaign trail, among candidates of both parties, the idea of locking up drug criminals for life is a lot less popular than it was a generation ago. The 2016 presidential race has accelerated an evolution away from the traditional tough-on-crime candidate. A Republican Party that’s long taken a law-and-order stance … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Michelle Obama’s message for high school seniors fretting about their college prospects is simple. Do your research. Visit college campuses. Sit in on classes. Talk to professors, graduates and students. In the end, picking a college “is a very individual decision.” The first lady could just as well have been talking to … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson is in the Middle East this weekend to meet with Syrian refugees. The retired neurosurgeon has been facing questions about his command of foreign policy. Carson planned to tour one of Jordan’s major refugee camps Friday and Saturday, campaign manager Barry Bennett said. Bennett declined to release … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Paris attacks have renewed debate on the U.S. government’s post-Sept. 11 domestic surveillance laws, leading to efforts to revive the issue on Capitol Hill and handing Marco Rubio an opening against Ted Cruz in the Republican presidential race. The two senators were on opposite sides earlier this year when Congress eliminated … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders secured the endorsement of the 200,000-member American Postal Workers Union on Thursday, marking the largest labor union to back his Democratic presidential campaign. The union’s decision gives Sanders more organizational strength and a boost heading into the second Democratic debate in Iowa on Saturday. It comes as the … Continue reading
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Ohio Gov. John Kasich directly took on Donald Trump’s stance on deporting millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally, telling South Carolina voters Wednesday that more pragmatism is needed to win the general election in 2016. “I’d like to win an election in the fall,” Kasich said … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential candidates agree that Islamic extremists are running rampant, the Mideast is on fire and Russia, China and Iran are flexing their muscles, yet they are far from reaching consensus on how much is enough when it comes to spending on defense. It’s a political divide that has dogged the GOP … Continue reading
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — For months, Marco Rubio’s campaign team in South Carolina operated out of a staffer’s garage, plotting strategy for the first-in-the-South primary from freshly painted yard sale furniture and tiny classroom desks. The shoestring budget setup was a point of pride for the Republican presidential candidate’s team. Now, with Rubio enjoying a … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz says he wants to do away with government support for the sugar industry — a veiled dig at rival Marco Rubio, the Florida senator who has long supported sugar growers. Some conservatives like Cruz want to get rid of the program, which supports prices and protects growers … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump couldn’t beat the team of Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake. Last Saturday’s Trump-hosted “Saturday Night Live” averaged 9.3 million viewers, according to final Nielsen figures released Thursday. NBC says it’s the most-watched edition of “SNL” since December 2013, when Fallon guest-hosted, joined by musical guest Timberlake. That broadcast drew … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ben Carson has called for harsh criminal penalties for health care fraud, but the Republican presidential candidate and his wife also have kept millions invested with a close friend who admitted defrauding insurance companies, according to an Associated Press review. Pittsburgh dentist Alfonso A. Costa pleaded guilty to a felony count of … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Whether belting out lyrics to Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” leading a mournful congregation through “Amazing Grace,” or tweeting his Spotify music playlist that includes Stevie Wonder and Nina Simone, President Barack Obama has shown that he’s a pretty soulful guy. The president and his wife, Michelle, also have prominently showcased such … Continue reading
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Unseated as the front-runner in Iowa polls, a kinder, humbler Donald Trump emerged Tuesday evening at a rally in Sioux City, Iowa, where the billionaire businessman practically begged voters for support. “Iowa, will you get your numbers up, please?” Trump urged the crowd of nearly 2,400. “I promise you I … Continue reading
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