Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has overridden a plea agreement reached earlier this week for the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and two other defendants, reinstating them as death penalty cases.

There is plenty of jockeying happening at the Republican National Convention among the party's potential 2028 presidential contenders.

Sen. Cory Booker says prisoners should be learning professional skills that help prepare them for their release instead of being forced to work.

The scene in classrooms around the country is similar: Kids are on their phones, even when school rules forbid it.

After a U.S. senator grilled the Singaporean CEO of Tiktok about his nationality and affiliation with the Chinese Communist Party, Singaporeans are complaining about ignorant — or even racist — views of their country.

The director of the federal Bureau of Prisons was scolded Wednesday by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who say her lack of transparency is hampering their ability to help fix the agency, which has long been plagued by staffing shortages, chronic violence and other problems.

Thousands of Citizens Insurance policyholders may have to pay pricier premiums as the state approves a plan to move policies to private insurers.

Thirteen Republican state attorneys general are cautioning CEOs of the 100 biggest U.S. companies on the legal consequences for using race as a factor in hiring and employment practices.

The Republican Party’s 2024 presidential field is all but set after a trio of new announcements this week.

In September 2022, Hurricane Ian flooded homes all across Central Florida, from the coast inland, forcing many to evacuate their homes.

It's been six months since the last hurricane hit Central Florida, and many communities are still cleaning up. On top of that, they're seeing major insurance cost hikes — and the latest hit will be flood insurance.

Legislation introduced by four senators aims to prohibit all children under the age of 13 from using social media and would give parents more control over what teenagers under the age of 18 can access.

Democrats’ efforts to temporarily replace California Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the Senate Judiciary Committee are meeting quick opposition from some Republicans.

State lawmakers are meeting this week for a special session dedicated to addressing the crisis and stabilizing the market.

When John Fetterman goes to Washington in January as one of the Senate’s new members, he’ll bring along an irreverent style from Pennsylvania.

The results of the midterm election are raising questions about the future of American support for Ukraine.

The Justice Department’s internal watchdog is investigating the top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts, prompted by U.S. Attorney Rachel Rollins’ appearance at a political fundraiser featuring first lady Jill Biden.

Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been elected Arkansas governor and will be the first woman to lead the state.

Former President Donald Trump has been teasing another presidential run since before he left the White House.

Republicans are increasingly confident in Senate candidates who party leaders had once believed were essentially unelectable or at least seriously flawed.

With Florida's property insurance crisis worsening after Hurricane Ian, Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling legislators back to Tallahassee to address the issue, as well as looking at offering property tax relief to those who lost their homes and businesses to the storm.

Two U.S. senators, Rick Scott of Florida and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, are boosting the campaign of Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker.

The House has approved antitrust legislation targeting the dominance of Big Tech companies by giving states greater power in competition cases and increasing money for federal regulators.

Former White House press secretary and Arkansas gubernatorial hopeful Sarah Sanders is recovering after undergoing surgery for thyroid cancer.

As the peak of hurricane season approaches, Florida is still dealing with a property insurance crisis.

Liz Cheney is openly considering a presidential run.

Potential White House hopefuls from both parties often swing by Iowa’s legendary state fair during a midterm election year.

Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters says he hopes Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will back his close campaign in Arizona.

Last week’s attack on author Salman Rushdie and the indictment of an Iranian national for plotting to murder former national security adviser John Bolton have given the Biden administration new headaches as it attempts to negotiate a return to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

For much of the year, small cracks in Donald Trump’s political support have been growing.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell played a pivotal role in the Senate ratifying NATO membership for Sweden and Finland.

Political divides in the U.S. seem deeper than ever, but one of the few shared sentiments right now from voters of all stripes is the desire for something different.

As Donald Trump considers another White House run, polls show he's the most popular figure in the Republican Party.

At least a half-dozen GOP presidential prospects are planning Iowa visits this summer now that the state's June primary has come and gone.

Less than a day after a gunman massacred 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas, a Wednesday Senate hearing for President Joe Biden’s pick to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reflected the deep political divisions over guns.

Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders has won the Republican nomination for governor in Arkansas.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson is Arkansas' top Republican and is entering the final stretch of his term with strong approval ratings.

Two-term Republican Sen. John Boozman is known in Arkansas as a soft-spoken figure, but his reelection message seems to be taking a combative tone.

Former President Donald Trump’s persistent flirtation with another White House run is doing little to discourage other potential Republican candidates from stepping up their activity in Iowa, the state that will formally launch the nomination process.

President Joe Biden has called Russia’s war on Ukraine a genocide and he's accused Vladimir Putin of committing war crimes.

A milestone Supreme Court confirmation that endured a flawed process.

Florida homeowners are seeing their premiums jump — sometimes by more than triple — or their policies are getting dropped all together.

Florida homeowners are seeing their premiums jump — sometimes by more than triple — or their policies are getting dropped all together.

Empathy is not a quality many Republican senators want to see in the next Supreme Court justice.

After more than 30 hours of hearings, the Senate is on track to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson faced down a barrage of Republican questioning about her sentencing of criminal defendants on Wednesday, as her history-making bid to join the Supreme Court veered from lofty constitutional questions to attacks on her motivations as a judge.

Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson forcefully defended her record as a federal judge Tuesday, pushing back on Republican assertions that she would be soft on crime and declaring she would rule as an “independent jurist” if confirmed as the first Black woman on the high court.

Mike Pence spent more than four years standing in President Donald Trump’s shadow, refusing to criticize or allow sunlight between them.

Judge Ketanji Brown is pledging to defend the Constitution and decide cases “without fear or favor” if she is confirmed to the Supreme Court.

Ketanji Brown Jackson has held private meetings with almost half the members of the Senate.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman nominated to the Supreme Court, is going before the Senate Judiciary Committee with the path to her historic confirmation seemingly clear.

President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee will face sharp questions from Republican lawmakers this coming week about the work she did as a public defender representing four Guantanamo Bay detainees.

Top U.S. intelligence officials admit that they underestimated Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia’s invasion.

Divisions in a rapidly changing Republican Party are evident in the divergent responses to the tensions in Ukraine.

A difficult political atmosphere for President Joe Biden may have become even more treacherous after the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse.

It began as a prize-winning magazine issue and became a cultural flashpoint, and now “The 1619 Project” is coming out as a book.

A federal lawsuit accuses the National Rifle Association of violating campaign finance laws by using shell companies to illegally funnel up to $35 million to Republican candidates, including former President Donald Trump, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and others.

Democrat Terry McAuliffe has brought out the biggest names in Democratic politics as he’s tried to maintain his edge in Virginia’s hotly contested gubernatorial race.

They are two prominent historians with very different views of the past — and the present.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has defended a Justice Department memo aimed at combating threats and violence against teachers, administrators and other school officials.

Attorney General Merrick Garland is defending a memo aimed at combating threats against school officials nationwide.

Republican Adam Laxalt hopes to win the race for Nevada's U.S. Senate seat by drawing stark contrast between his positions and the direction he says Democrats and their allies in Big Tech, Hollywood and the media are taking the country.

Senior Pentagon officials say the collapse of the Afghan government and its security forces in August could be traced to a 2020 U.S. agreement with the Taliban that promised a complete U.S. troop withdrawal.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley are scheduled to appear before the House Armed Services Committee to review the war in Afghanistan.

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton told a crowd of about 4,000 Nevada Republicans that Adam Laxalt plans to run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.

Former President Donald Trump is insisting he's “not into coups” after a new book revealed the country’s top military leader feared Trump might try to stage one after losing the 2020 election.

Former NFL player Jake Bequette says he's challenging Arkansas Sen. John Boozman in next year's Republican primary.

Eighty-seven-year-old Chuck Grassley is trying to show Iowans that he’s not just physically ready for an eighth term, but that's he thriving.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson leads a state that went heavily for Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

Republicans eyeing a 2024 White House run are wasting no time in jockeying for a strong position in what could be an extremely crowded field of contenders.

The head of the Senate Republican political arm says he expects former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt to challenge Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada next year.

Multiple people who have spoken with Donald Trump and his team in recent weeks say they sense a shift, with the former president increasingly acting and talking as though he plans to mount another White House bid.

Actor John Cena has apologized to fans in China after he called Taiwan a country in a promotional interview for his upcoming film and became the latest celebrity to face the fury of Chinese nationalists.

Surges in violence and scenes of civilian suffering are testing President Joe Biden’s resolve to wrench America’s foreign policy focus and troops away from the hotspots of the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Republicans trying to drive a wedge between Democrats and chip away at President Joe Biden’s support are zeroing in on the violence in the Middle East.

Former President Donald Trump is staking his claim to the Republican Party in a closed-door speech to donors Saturday night, casting his populist policies and attack-dog politics as the key to future Republican success.

The Republican Party is bringing hundreds of donors and several presidential prospects to the former president’s doorstep in south Florida this weekend.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the West Side Conservative Club, Friday, March 26, 2021, in Urbandale, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)DES MOINES, Iowa – Ambitious Republicans are starting to make moves in Iowa, long a proving ground for future presidents. Pompeo's two-day Iowa trip leads an exceptionally early round of Iowa travel planned by U.S. senators, emerging as national GOP figures. Ecklund, Crawford County Republicans' communication director, has encountered Republicans “ready to move on” and “tired of the extreme controversy” in a county Trump carried by more than 30 percentage points twice. ___This story has been corrected to show Ecklund is the Crawford County Republicans' communication director, not Crawford County Republicans' co-chair.

(Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – After years of Democratic accusations that former President Donald Trump was too soft on Russia, the Biden administration is facing Republican criticism of its approach to Moscow. The Biden administration rejects the criticism, saying it has been clear about penalties for companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and that its goal is to bolster European energy security. Like the Trump administration before it, the Biden administration believes the pipeline will harm European energy security, particularly for countries in Eastern and Central Europe like Ukraine and Poland, which the pipeline bypasses. U.S. officials have long said they fear Russia will use the pipeline as a political tool against its neighbors. The Biden administration suggests more sanctions may be coming.

FILE - This April 19, 2019 file photo shows a sign for the Department of Defense at the Pentagon in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – The Biden administration's nominee for top Pentagon policy adviser was met with sharp criticism from Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, including accusations that he has been too partisan. And a number of GOP senators said they were troubled by partisan tweets Kohl put out during Donald Trump's presidency and they would oppose his nomination. And he told the panel, “This is not a political job, it’s a policy job ... Others, including the panel chairman, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., sought commitments on improving Pentagon policies and relations with other countries that soured during Trump's tenure.

And for beleaguered Republicans coming off a disastrous election, it was their first step back to political power. Senate Republicans are expected to oppose a similar measure in the coming weeks, arguing that the bill is not focused enough on the pandemic. Polling suggests that an overwhelming majority of voters — including a significant number of Republicans — supports the Democrats' pandemic relief plan. AdWhether the minimum wage provision is included or not, Senate Republicans are expected to oppose the final package. 3 House Republican, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming.

Trump himself is headlining the three-day session in a Sunday speech that will be his first public appearance since leaving the White House on Jan. 20. Trump has been keeping a relatively low profile since he moved from the White House to Palm Beach a month ago. “I think the broader point will be: Here's where the Republican Party and conservative movement and the America First movement goes from here," said senior Trump adviser Jason Miller. Here we’ll see the president address the fact that the only divide in the Republican Party is between the elites and the conservative grassroots in the party." “In opposition, when you don’t have the White House, there are many more voices that lead the party,” Cotton said in an interview.

FILE - This June 22, 2019, file photo shows the exterior of the New York Times building in New York. In a report to its employees in February 2021, The New York Times says it needs a culture change to become a better place to work, particularly for people of color. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)NEW YORK – The New York Times says it needs a culture change to become a better place to work, particularly for people of color. A survey of employees didn't just uncover bad news; 95% of Times employees said they felt pride in working at the paper, and most have had positive experiences. “We also believe it will make The Times a better place to work, for all of us.”

Trump himself is headlining the three-day session in a Sunday speech that will be his first public appearance since leaving the White House on Jan. 20. Trump has been keeping a relatively low profile since he moved from the White House to Palm Beach a month ago. “I think the broader point will be: Here's where the Republican Party and conservative movement and the America First movement goes from here," said senior Trump adviser Jason Miller. Here we’ll see the president address the fact that the only divide in the Republican Party is between the elites and the conservative grassroots in the party." “In opposition, when you don’t have the White House, there are many more voices that lead the party,” Cotton said in an interview.

“To meet this moment, we need strong federal leadership," Becerra said at the first of two hearings on his nomination. AdAppearing before the Senate health committee, Becerra seconded President Joe Biden’s goals of 100 million vaccine shots in his first 100 days, increased coronavirus testing, ramped-up DNA mapping of the virus to track worrisome mutations and reopening schools and businesses. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, the ranking Republican on the health committee, left no doubt that Becerra faces tough scrutiny. California took pride in viewing itself as the resistance to Trump, and Becerra embodied that ethos. Lack of medical experience doesn't disqualify a nominee for HHS secretary, though it can be a plus.

Neera Tanden also admitted to spending “many months” removing past Twitter posts, saying, “I deleted tweets because I regretted them." He said that included Tanden calling Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton "a fraud” and tweeting that “vampires have more heart” than Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford said Tanden had tweeted more over the past four years than even Trump did. Still, Senate discussion of Tanden's nomination is likely to center more on her past tweets than her budget priorities. Cotton has said they were “filled with hate.” Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn suggested previously that she'd face “certainly a problematic path” to nomination.

FILE - In this Nov. 9, 2020, file photo, demonstrators with the New York Immigration Coalition rally asking President-elect Joe Biden to prioritize immigration reform in New York. The multimillion-dollar #WeAreHome campaign was launched Monday by national groups including United We Dream and the United Farm Workers Foundation. The five groups chairing the campaign are paying for the effort with their own fundraising,“We need an early breakthrough on immigration,” said Praeli. The November survey of more than 110,000 voters showed 9 in 10 Biden voters and about half of Trump voters favored creating a way for people to legalize their status. Veteran civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, an activist and co-founder of the United Farm Workers who now runs her own foundation, said the immigration reform push will benefit from the dramatic stories of children being separated from their parents under the Trump administration.

In this image from video, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the president pro tempore of the Senate, who is presiding over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, swears in members of the Senate for the impeachment trial at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. Late Tuesday, the presiding officer at the trial, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., was taken to the hospital for observation after not feeling well at his office, spokesman David Carle said in a statement. The vote means the trial on Trump's impeachment will begin as scheduled the week of Feb. 8. “You’re asking me to vote in a trial that by itself on its own is not constitutionally allowed?” he asked. Instead, Leahy, who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday.

Republican senators are balancing the demands of deep-pocketed donors who are distancing themselves from Trump and voters who demand loyalty to him. Instead, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D- Vt., who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, is set to preside. Still, the mounting Republican opposition to the proceedings indicates that many GOP senators will eventually vote to acquit Trump. A few GOP senators have agreed with Democrats, though not close to the number that will be needed to convict Trump. If not, what is?” Romney was the only Republican senator to vote for conviction when the Senate acquitted Trump in his first impeachment trial.

(AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)WASHINGTON – A growing number of Republican senators say they oppose holding an impeachment trial, a sign of the dimming chances that former President Donald Trump will be convicted on the charge that he incited a siege of the U.S. Capitol. “I think the trial is stupid, I think it’s counterproductive,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.. Arguments in the Senate trial will begin the week of Feb. 8. A few GOP senators have agreed with Democrats, though not close to the number that will be needed to convict Trump. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said he believes there is a “preponderance of opinion” that an impeachment trial is appropriate after someone leaves office.

In a first vote, the Senate confirmed Biden's nominee for director of national intelligence, Avril Haines. The new Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urged colleagues to turn the spirit of the new president’s call for unity into action. The three Democrats complete a Senate narrowly split 50-50 between the parties, but giving Democrats the majority with Harris able to cast the tie-breaking vote. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to soon transmit to the Senate the House-passed article of impeachment against Trump, charged with incitement of insurrection, a step that will launch the Senate impeachment trial. Progressive and liberal Democrats are eager to do away with the filibuster to more quickly advance Biden’s priorities, but not all rank-and-file Senate Democrats are on board.

President-elect Joe Bidens pick for national intelligence director Avril Haines speaks during a confirmation hearing before the Senate intelligence committee on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington. (Joe Raedle/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Avril Haines as director of national intelligence, giving President Joe Biden the first member of his Cabinet and placing the first woman in charge of the nearly two-decade old agency. In her confirmation hearing Tuesday, Haines made clear she intends to end the Trump administration's practice of pressuring officials to shape their analysis to the president’s liking. “When it comes to intelligence, there is simply no place for politics — ever,” she told the Senate Intelligence Committee. “The last four years have been hard on the intelligence community,” said Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the new chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee after Democrats took the majority on Wednesday.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)SAN DIEGO – For the opening salvo of his presidency, few expected Joe Biden to be so far-reaching on immigration. He also extended temporary legal status to Liberians who fled civil war and the Ebola outbreak to June 2022. Former President Donald Trump's administration also took hundreds of other steps to enhance enforcement, limit eligibility for asylum and cut legal immigration. The survey of more than 110,000 voters in November showed 9 in 10 Biden voters but just about half of Trump voters were in favor of a path to legal status. Biden's bill calls for more technology at land crossings, airports and seaports and authorizes the Homeland Security secretary to consider other steps.

Many Democrats have pushed for an immediate impeachment trial to hold Trump accountable and prevent him from holding future office, and the proceedings could still begin by Inauguration Day. Psaki noted that during Trump's first impeachment trial last year, the Senate continued to hold hearings each day. Pelosi told reporters on Friday that the nine House impeachment managers, who act as the prosecutors for the House, are working on taking the case to trial. McConnell is open to considering impeachment, having told associates he is done with Trump, but he has not signaled how he would vote. No president has ever been convicted in the Senate, and it would take a two-thirds vote against Trump, an extremely high hurdle.

Many Democrats have pushed for an immediate impeachment trial to hold Trump accountable and prevent him from holding future office, and the proceedings could still begin by Inauguration Day. Psaki noted that during Trump's first impeachment trial last year, the Senate continued to hold hearings each day. Pelosi told reporters on Friday that the nine House impeachment managers, who act as the prosecutors for the House, are working on taking the case to trial. McConnell is open to considering impeachment, having told associates he is done with Trump, but he has not signaled how he would vote. No president has ever been convicted in the Senate, and it would take a two-thirds vote against Trump, an extremely high hurdle.

Trump still has supporters, especially among the many rank-and-file Republican voters and conservative activists beyond Washington. That makes Trump the first outgoing president since Andrew Johnson 152 years ago to skip the swearing-in of his successor. Meanwhile, there is no clear path for the Republican Party without Trump. “We need a Republican Party,” Biden said, noting that he spoke with Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, a leading Trump critic. Doug Deason, a Texas-based donor who served on the Trump campaign's finance committee, said this week's events have done nothing to shake his confidence in the Republican president.

Trump still has supporters, especially among the many rank-and-file Republican voters and conservative activists beyond Washington. That makes Trump the first outgoing president since Andrew Johnson 152 years ago to skip the swearing-in of his successor. In the hours after this week's riot, 147 Republicans in Congress still voted to reject Biden's victory, including eight senators. “We need a Republican Party,” Biden said, noting that he spoke with Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, a leading Trump critic. Doug Deason, a Texas-based donor who served on the Trump campaign's finance committee, said this week's events have done nothing to shake his confidence in the Republican president.

“Supporting Josh Hawley ... was the worst decision I’ve ever made in my life,” former Missouri Sen. John Danforth told The Associated Press on Thursday. “Assault on democracy: Sen. Josh Hawley has blood on his hands in Capitol coup attempt,” read the headline of the editorial. Hawley, who defeated Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in 2018, was once celebrated by the Republican establishment as a rising star. Seated near Hawley, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney blasted those who objected to finalizing President-elect Joe Biden’s election. Now Danforth wonders how Hawley will be able to work with his Senate colleagues, even Republicans, moving forward.

“Supporting Josh Hawley ... was the worst decision I’ve ever made in my life," former Missouri Sen. John Danforth told The Associated Press on Thursday. Soon Hawley and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz were leading about 10 other senators in the effort — notably not winning over Sens. With Hawley sitting near, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney blasted those who objected to finalizing President-elect Joe Biden’s election. The student bar association at the University of Missouri law school, where Hawley taught, issued a statement calling for his resignation. Now Danforth wonders how Hawley will be able to work with his Senate colleagues, even Republicans, moving forward.

(Samuel Corum/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – Wednesday's congressional joint session to count electoral votes could drag late into the night as some Republicans plan to challenge Democrat Joe Biden's victory in at least six states. Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.