Gaetz says he will seek to oust McCarthy as speaker this week. 'Bring it on,' McCarthy says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Matt Gaetz said Sunday he will try to remove House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a fellow Republican, from his leadership position this week after McCarthy relied on Democratic support to pass legislation that avoided a government shutdown. “Bring it on,” McCarthy responded....

Connecticut enacts its most sweeping gun control law since the Sandy Hook shooting

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut's most wide-ranging gun control measure since the 2013 law enacted after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting takes effect Sunday, with proponents vowing to pursue more gun legislation despite legal challenges happening across the country. ...

A government shutdown is averted for now with a temporary funding bill. What happens in a shutdown?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has averted for now a threatened government shutdown that would have disrupted many services, squeezed federal employees and roiled politics. The threat was set aside late Saturday after Congress voted to keep agencies open until Nov. 17. Speaker Kevin...

California governor signs law to bolster eviction protections for renters

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law Saturday to bolster eviction protections for renters and close a loophole in an existing law that has allowed landlords to circumvent the state’s rent cap. The move updates a 2019 landmark law that...

Georgia judge declines to freeze law to discipline prosecutors, suggesting she will reject challenge

ATLANTA (AP) — A judge is declining to freeze a new Georgia law creating a commission to discipline and remove state prosecutors, suggesting that she will ultimately rule against a lawsuit attacking the measure. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker on Friday...

The Supreme Court will decide if state laws limiting social media platforms violate the Constitution

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide whether state laws that seek to regulate Facebook, TikTok, X and other social media platforms violate the Constitution. The justices will review laws enacted by Republican-dominated legislatures and signed by Republican...

The Supreme Court agrees to decide whether state laws regulating social media platforms violate the Constitution

McCarthy rejects Senate spending bill while scrambling for a House plan that averts a shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — A government shutdown appeared all but inevitable as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy dug in Thursday, vowing he will not take up Senate legislation designed to keep the federal government fully running despite House Republicans' struggle to unite around an alternative. ...

The far right has been feuding with McCarthy for weeks. Here's how it's spiraling into a shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — With little time left to prevent a government shutdown, the House is in a familiar position: effectively paralyzed as conservatives feud with Speaker Kevin McCarthy over matters large and small. McCarthy has pushed the Republican conference to embrace a short-term...

A new Spanish law strengthens animal rights but exempts bullfights and hunting with dogs

MADRID (AP) — A new animal welfare law that took effect Friday in Spain outlaws the use of animals for recreational activities that cause them pain and suffering but allows bullfights and hunting with dogs. Spain’s first specific animal rights legislation is intended to crack...