Permit to buy handgun no longer required in North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina residents can now buy a handgun without getting a permit from a local sheriff, after the Republican-controlled legislature on Wednesday overrode the Democratic governor’s veto — a first since 2018. The House voted 71-46 to enact the bill,...

Senate votes to repeal Iraq war powers, 20 years after US-led invasion began; prospects for House passage uncertain

Democrat Lamont Bagby wins Virginia Senate special election

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democratic Del. Lamont Bagby handily won a special election Tuesday to fill the open Richmond-based Virginia Senate seat previously held by Jennifer McClellan, unofficial returns from the state Department of Elections show. Results show Bagby with about 90% of...

Revived N. Carolina sports wagering bill wins big House vote

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sports gambling in North Carolina soared over a major hurdle on Tuesday as the House voted for legislation to permit, regulate and tax wagering activities less than a year after the chamber scuttled a similar effort. The winning 66-45 vote for pro-gambling...

State Senate votes to override gun bill veto, sends to House

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina's Republican-controlled Senate voted Tuesday to override the Democratic governor's first veto of the session on legislation to loosen gun restrictions, teeing up the House's first test of party unity under new operating rules. The Senate voted...

Debt ceiling impasse: McCarthy presses Biden to negotiate

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Tuesday he's increasingly concerned about President Joe Biden's unwillingness to negotiate on lifting the nation's borrowing authority, saying in a letter to the president that the White House position could "hold dire ramifications...

House GOP to subpoena Blinken over Afghanistan dissent cable

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans plan to deliver a subpoena to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday for classified cables related to the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, marking an unprecedented effort to force the release of sensitive documents to Congress. ...

Georgia lawmakers: Localities must apply homeless camp bans

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia lawmakers are telling cities and counties that they must enforce existing bans on public camping or sleeping by homeless people while saying local governments and hospitals can't dump homeless people in other counties without permission. The House voted 99-76...

Indiana bill banning gender-affirming care sent to governor

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana House Republicans on Monday approved a bill that would ban all gender-affirming care for minors in the state, sending the measure to Indiana's Republican governor amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation across the U.S. The House advanced the ban 65-30...

DeSantis signs bill expanding school voucher program

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed legislation to allow all K-12 students in the state to get taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools, continuing a focus on education as he prepares to launch an expected Republican presidential campaign. The...