Senators talk expanded gun background checks, red flag laws

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of senators is considering how Congress should respond to the horrific shooting of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, restarting gun control talks that have broken down many times before. Aware of the difficulty of their task, the...

Senate GOP blocks domestic terrorism bill, gun policy debate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats’ first attempt at responding to the back-to-back mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas, failed in the Senate as Republicans blocked a domestic terrorism bill that would have opened debate on difficult questions surrounding hate crimes and gun safety. ...

Heller attacks Lombardo in Nevada's GOP race for governor

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Making a late bid to derail the Nevada Republican whom Donald Trump has endorsed for governor, ex-U.S. Sen. Dean Heller attacked front-runner Joe Lombardo's stands on key conservative issues while characterizing him as “best friends” with Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak. ...

Recount cranks up in Pennsylvania's GOP primary for Senate

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — With just 910 votes separating the two leading candidates in Pennsylvania’s Republican primary for U.S. Senate, counties were preparing Thursday to start the recount between celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz and former hedge fund CEO David McCormick. At...

Kemp signs order suspending Georgia gas taxes until mid-July

ATLANTA (AP) — Gov. Brian Kemp is suspending Georgia's motor fuel tax for six more weeks. The Republican Kemp signed an executive order Thursday extending the tax break through July 14. Kemp used the announcement to again blame Democratic President Joe Biden for...

Senate GOP blocks domestic terrorism bill, gun policy debate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats’ first attempt at responding to the back-to-back mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas, failed in the Senate Thursday as Republicans blocked a domestic terrorism bill that would have opened debate on difficult questions surrounding hate crimes and gun safety. ...

Sununu to veto congressional map, letting court take over

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The New Hampshire Supreme Court will redraw the state’s congressional map after the Legislature's latest, last-ditch effort failed Thursday to win over Republican Gov. Chris Sununu. New Hampshire is one few states yet to finalize new U.S. House districts as...

Wisconsin GOP leader isn't ruling anyone out for key slot

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's Republican Assembly leader, who will appoint a key member of the state's bipartisan elections commission, said Thursday he was not “ruling anybody in or out” as he looks to quickly fill a vacancy in the battleground state before the next chair of the panel is...

Texas shooting is new test for Biden's long battle over guns

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden, then the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, surveyed the collection of black, military-style rifles on display in the middle of the room as he denounced the sale of guns whose “only real function is to kill human beings at a ferocious pace.” ...

Senate GOP blocks domestic terrorism bill that would have opened debate on gun measures after Texas school shooting